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heathen hangovers - 12/6/2008 9:06:36 AM

LadyEllen

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No - not the sort one might get from poor manners at sumbl, the sort of customs and traditions we have that go back to our pre-Christian past.

Sumbl survives for instance in our offering toasts in alcohol to those we wish to honour.

The "Christmas" tree, an evolution of the offerings formerly made to the spirits in the forest.

Blowing out the candles on a birthday cake and making a wish - evidently a remnant of some form of magical operation.

Bonfire night - albeit it became a celebration of the defeat of the gunpowder plot - coincides and matches with ancient ceremonies aimed at driving out evil, with fireworks replacing the beating of drums to ward off evil spirits as the land, the people and the livestock are cleansed by fire.

Well dressing (in Derbyshire England) and wishing wells, a survival of the practice of making offerings to water spirits.

Any more?

E

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RE: heathen hangovers - 12/6/2008 9:15:28 AM

Lynnxz

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Halloween, originally the Celtic festival of Samhain. Thought to be the day that the line between the afterlife, and the earth became blurred. They'd dress up in animal skins, and attempt to tell each others future.

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RE: heathen hangovers - 12/6/2008 9:21:15 AM

Rule

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Yesterday (5 December) in The Netherlands we celebrated the birthday (today 6 December) of Sinterklaas (Sint Nicolaas / Saint Nicolas). He is an old man with a white beard who gives presents to people (especially children) on his birthday. As such he represents the Creator. He is accompanied by Zwarten Pieten (people that represent Black Birds). So Sinterklaas with his Zwarte Pieten represent the Creator with Black Birds = Odin and his ravens.

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RE: heathen hangovers - 12/6/2008 9:50:06 AM

LadyEllen

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Here's another - the belief in inanimate objects having a soul, which can respond to our requests and produce results we'd prefer. "you stupid f'in computer, download it, now!" for instance; a throwback to such ideas.

Contagious magic survives too, in sexual fetishes where the desired person is represented by some part of them or article of their clothing in aspiration of the real thing.

Sympathetic magic as well; many heterosexual male crossdressers express their desire for union with the female through their activities and hope for that result.

E

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RE: heathen hangovers - 12/6/2008 9:54:50 AM

Aneirin

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I am glad it has survived, well reminants of it, memories from a more colourful time.

I have just been reading about the Rites of Dionysus, and how that represents humanity, our animal selves.

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RE: heathen hangovers - 12/6/2008 10:07:08 AM

calamitysandra

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The Easterbunny and eggs. Both symbols for fertility left over from springtime rites.

< Message edited by calamitysandra -- 12/6/2008 10:49:22 AM >

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RE: heathen hangovers - 12/6/2008 10:48:48 AM

UncleNasty

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Most days that have significance to Christians were hijacked from pagans.

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RE: heathen hangovers - 12/6/2008 10:58:55 AM

DarkSteven

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I consider the Devil's representation to be directly taken from Pan. It impresses me that Pan was so powerful a deity that missionaries singled him out. He and Dionysius/Bacchus were clearly remnants of a religion previous to the Greco-Roman pantheon that were awkwardly grafted on.

I've also read a theory that the Devil's pitchfork was descended from Posiedon's trident - I dunno about that, though.

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