Re: Religion and Holidays, were Socialism (WAS: Re: Why Can't We Just Not Talk Politics?

Mark J. Reed scripsit:

> Interesting.  I'll keep that in mind; thanks!  (I had only come across
> noxal surrender as a Roman law, with respect to slaves . . . didn't know
> it was more widespread, or applied to other kinds of livestock . . .
> and children!)
The powers of a paterfamilias (male with no living ancestors) over his
wife, his children, his slaves, and his animals are carefully distinguished
by later Roman law with technical names (manus, patria potestas, dominium),
but clearly descend from a single undifferentiated power of life and death.

> > The theme of the "kingship in heaven", where successive waves of new gods
> > supersede the old ones, seems to be a Semitic notion that the Greeks
> > picked up at some point, perhaps when they invaded Greece and mixed with
> > the Shore People.
>
> Wasn't that the basic idea of Norse Ragnarok . . . the old gods being
> replaced by new ones?
Well, yes.  But the KiH theme puts these events in the past rather than
the future: Ouranos > Kronos > Zeus, e.g.  In addition, we don't know how
much of the apocalypticism of Ragnarok is original and how much is the
result of contamination with Christianity.

--
John Cowan  jcowan@reutershealth.com  http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
O beautiful for patriot's dream that sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam undimmed by human tears!
America! America!  God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control, thy liberty in law!
        -- one of the verses not usually taught in U.S. schools

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