Gnostic Wolfe

James Jordan · 05 Nov 2002, 12:33 · from urth-v0211.mbox · original

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From: James Jordan <jbjordan4 at cox.net>
Subject: Re: (urth) Gnostic Wolfe
Date: Tue, 05 Nov 2002 06:33:36 -0600
Message-ID: <urth-v0211-2037 at digest.urth.net>
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At 07:50 PM 11/4/2002, Alga wrote:

>(This is so parenthetical that I'm putting it in parens, but two more that
>many know something about (there are hundreds of small ones, mostly tribal)
>are Rome before they adopted "Greek ways" in their drive to world
>dominance--but they always kept their household "lares and penates," which
>Latro dimly recalls--and Japanese Shinto, which was actively promoted in t=
he
>20th century as a way of keeping citizens loyal to the Emperor instead of
>some important--or imported--god. I would go along with that "this-world"
>guess, though I also think it is "natural" to be awed by the heavens and to
>have some "other-world" feeling that way.)

         What you tend to find in all "pagan" religions is something like t=
his:

a. Nature gods of streams, woods, etc. Little local gods. Totem tribal spir=
its.
b. Often these are linked with ancestors, who have become spirits somehow.=20
Household gods. Lares and Penates. Totem poles and masks.
c. Sky gods, associated with government. The big gods. And medium gods=20
associated with particular cities. Vesta in Rome.
d. Some kind of "god behind the gods" with whom we have no contact. (Though=20
there are those who question how much the "great spirit" really exists for=20
"pagan" people.)

         In any culture, it becomes a matter of emphasis. Small tribes go=20
mostly with local gods and ancestors. Large citified or imperial cultures=20
move more into sky/government gods -- their horizon has been enlarged. But=20
even the things in the sky are mostly animal constellations, though they=20
get linked up with more humaniform gods "behind" them.
         So, I agree that the Romans were influenced by the Greek pantheon,=20
but I think it would not be completely correct to say that they did not=20
have something pretty similar before they began to move out into the world.

Parenthetically yours,

Nutria


--=20

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