Re: CHAT: The Pythia (was: hi brethren)

Thomas R. Wier wrote:
>
> Raymond Brown wrote:
>
> > What's rather odd is that the very male Apollo has to possess the body of a
> > female to make his oracular utterances.
>
> That is an interesting question.  Could it be that it was just synchretism of
> some earlier local religious tradition with an imported cult?  This would have
> had to be in archaic period, if not earlier.

        Keep in mind that the cult of Apollo is a very late addition to Delphi.
Apollo submerged a cult at delphi centered around an earth mother (hence
the omphalos, priestesses, and oracular sayings). Apollo never was an
oracular god, until he took over Delphi.
        And a note - yes, laurel if chewed fresh and in sufficient quantities,
DOES induce trance - has to be fresh as drying kills the compounds. The
hexameter thing also is an Apollonian addition (as well as the priests
who translated the Pythia's  statements into something useful).

        Aidan, a pagan who does NOT like Apollo