ADF Cosmology and Liturgy, week 2

ADF Cosmology & Liturgy:Week 2,The Importance of Sacrifice : ADF Cosmology & Liturgy:Week 2,The Importance of Sacrifice Presented by: Rev. Jessie “Medb” Olson Adapted from: Thomas, Kirk. “The Nature of Sacrifice.” http://www.adf.org/articles/cosmology/nature-of-sacrifice.html

Sacrificial Religion : Sacrificial Religion ADF is a sacrificial religion Sacrificers can be: priests, sacrificing on behalf of clients or the people senior members of the family (such as the Roman Paterfamilias) sacrificing for the family, the supplicant him/herself. Sacrifices are made: in times of personal or group crisis periodically, at special seasonal times at the advice of seers or diviners.

What Does it Mean? : What Does it Mean? What does the word “sacrifice” mean? comes from two Latin roots sacer, meaning 'sacred' facere, meaning 'to make' or 'to do'. 'to make sacred' Sacer probably comes from the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) word *sacros, 'holy'

Purpose of Sacrifice : Purpose of Sacrifice Maintaining the Cosmic Order Delivering services through gifts For protection Commensality Chaos mitigating Order (Modern)

Purpose of Sacrifice : Purpose of Sacrifice Maintaining the Cosmic Order Sacrifice is performed to feed the cosmos, as well as the reverse, to regenerate life. The sacrificed animal gives food to the family Promotes life in another form. The pruned vines give new and stronger growth Cosmic Order and creation myth A primordial being is killed or dismembered From the pieces of his body the universe is made (Lincoln 1986, 2). The central characters are 'Man' (*Manu) and 'Twin' (*Yemo) They are sometimes accompanied by an ox Together they decide to create the universe. . The 'Man' would be a priest, and he makes a sacrifice of the other two. This may be the original PIE creation myth (Lincoln 1991, 7).

Purpose of Sacrifice : Purpose of Sacrifice Delivering Services Through Gifts sacrifice is about 'giving to' not 'giving up'. each man should make sacrifice according to his means (Burkert, 274). *ghosti- The term, *ghosti-, is a recreated Proto-Indo-European root which means, 'Someone with whom one has reciprocal duties of hospitality'. Cognates include the English words 'guest' and 'host' as well as the Latin word hostis 'enemy', which just shows that strangers could potentially become either friends or enemies (Watkins, 31). Relationships based on mutual exchange were similar to 'kin' relationships but crossed the boundaries between families and were usually accompanied by ritual gift giving. This would create an obligation of mutual hospitality and friendship that could continue in perpetuity.

Purpose of Sacrifice : Purpose of Sacrifice Delivering Services Through Gifts Patron – Client the patron and client have mutual responsibilities towards each other that form the basis of the relationship. Celtic society, clientship was fundamental and a patron's status would depend on the number of clients he had. it was in large part the basis of the power of the nobility.

Purpose of Sacrifice : Purpose of Sacrifice Delivering Services Through Gifts The Expectation of Heaven Heaven in Vedic India was the reward of those who did rigorous penance, or heroes who risk their lives in battle (which resonates with the Norse ideas of Valhalla), but most of all to those who give liberal sacrificial gifts (Macdonell, 167).

Purpose of Sacrifice : Purpose of Sacrifice Delivering Services Through Gifts A Gift Is Part of Oneself In giving, a person gives a part of himself. The best gift would actually be his own life Once you're dead, you can't personally receive any of the benefits of the sacrifice. The sacrificer is the person who performs the sacrifice The sacrifiant is the person who will be receiving the benefit of the sacrifice (Bourdillion, 11). An act of propitiation that: causes the deities to be favorably inclined induces or regains their good will appeases or conciliates them (Beattie, 31-32).

Purpose of Sacrifice : Purpose of Sacrifice Delivering Services Through Gifts Substitution The ancients came up with a handy solution to the self-sacrifice problem, substitution. The most ideal substitute for the sacrifiant would be a domestic animal Others items were also acceptable, such as precious objects, the first fruits of harvest, etc., but animals were preferred. They were identified with the home, as opposed to nature or the wild (Beattie, 30-31). The closest substitutes for the sacrifiant would be another person, a domestic animal, cultivated plants or their products (like wine) and precious objects.

Purpose of Sacrifice : Purpose of Sacrifice Delivering Services Through Gifts Human Sacrifice The closest substitute for a human being would be another human being. Human sacrifice was rare. Someone separate from the community (criminals, strangers, foreigners, slaves) but not too separate (Green 2001, 30) For the purpose of averting evil or righting terrible ill in the community.

Purpose of Sacrifice : Purpose of Sacrifice Delivering Services Through Gifts Sacrifice Without Killing killing of animals was a preferred form of sacrifice. they were also a good form of animal protein for ancient peoples. death is something that is final and irrevocable, A death causes something to no longer be of human use. So weapons could be 'killed' and offered, and precious objects could be buried or thrown into bodies of water, and therefore go out of human use.

Purpose of Sacrifice : Purpose of Sacrifice Delivering Services Through Gifts First Fruits, Libations and Votive Offerings Firstling (first fruits) The first part of any harvest should be reserved for the Gods. In Greece, whenever a wine jar was opened, the first cup of wine would be poured on the ground Libations poured on the ground were usually intended for the dead or Chthonic Gods

Purpose of Sacrifice : Purpose of Sacrifice Delivering Services Through Gifts First Fruits, Libations and Votive Offerings Votive offerings A votive offering is an offering made in consequence to a vow. It is usually set up as an 'if – then' formula "If, mighty Gods, my fields produce more grain than last year, then I will sacrifice an extra bushel to You!"

Purpose of Sacrifice : Purpose of Sacrifice Providing Protection Apotropaic offerings Have the power to avert an evil influence or bad luck A safeguarding against evil. "Take this sacrifice and go, please!" Executions could be considered apotropaic. Offerings to deities to prevent death and war, or disease, or any other ill.

Purpose of Sacrifice : Purpose of Sacrifice Providing Protection Pollution Rites of expiation, making amends or reparation for wrong-doing or guilt. A piacular sacrifice, used in minor crimes. rites of purification were involved with acts of removing filth (spiritual and physical) In Rome, purity was connected to piety. Types of pollution could include: Mourning/death Birth Menses Disease Impiety Purification through water and/or fumigation through censing was common. Other forms of purification might also be used, bulls urine was pretty common in the Indo-Iranian branches.

Purpose of Sacrifice : Purpose of Sacrifice Providing Protection Scapegoat An animal or person is used to carry the pollution of the city or group away. Abrahamic Old Testament referring to an actual goat that was used to cleanse the people of sin (Green 2001, 48). Pharmakos, a man chosen on account of his ugliness and is feasted and then he is whipped with fig branches and sea onions, and is struck seven times on his penis (Burkert, 82) before being driven out of the city. They were sometimes killed, but not always.

Purpose of Sacrifice : Purpose of Sacrifice Providing Protection Hellenic Oath Sacrifice reverse of an apotropaic rite terror and destruction are used to bind an oath asking utter destruction to fall upon the oath-breaker and his line

Purpose of Sacrifice : Purpose of Sacrifice Commensality (Community) cooking and eating of the flesh of the sacrificial animal. In Greece, only meat obtained through sacrifice could be eaten (Green 2001, 42) Sacrificial rites were the occasion of great feasting and joy sharing of food symbolized and enhanced the unity of the people in celebration. In Greece, skin, bones and fat were given to the Gods while the rest was reserved for the people. This is also the case in Vedic and Iranian traditions.

Purpose of Sacrifice : Purpose of Sacrifice Mitigating Order with Chaos (the modern idea) modern form of sacrifice that appears in current practice. cosmos equals order, and chaos equals lack of order There is an area in between the two, a liminal place where order and chaos are in balance. too much chaos causes everything to fall apart, too much order can cause brittleness. In modern times, some spontaneity is valued Spontaneous prayers and offerings of praise

Conclusions : Conclusions killing of animals just isn't acceptable for most people in public ritual. substitution comes to the rescue. What can we sacrifice? Items made by the sacrifiants valuables owned by the sacrifiant Food and drink oil and butter (or ghee) offered to the Fire

Conclusions : Conclusions Types we already do: Apotropaic offerings for the Outdwellers Purifications through the use of water and incense or sage Shared Meal, part of a loaf of bread. Strengthening the cosmos, key offerings Praise offerings = patron/client, expiation, votive, etc.

Conclusions : Conclusions Types we could do: make a doll and give it a place of honor in your rites. At the end of a specified time (a month or a year, say), it can be reviled and burned in the fire as a scapegoat It can carry with it any discord or disharmony in the Grove and the lives of the People.

Works Cited : Works Cited Beattie, J.H.M. ‘On Understanding Sacrifice' in Bourdillon, M.F.C. and Meyer Fortes, Editors 1980. Sacrifice. New York: Academic Press, Inc., pp. 29-44. Blamires, Steve 1995. The Irish Celtic Magical Tradition: Ancient Wisdom of the Battle of Moytura. London, San Francisco: Thorsons (HarperCollins). Bourdillon, M.F.C. and Meyer Fortes, Editors 1980. Sacrifice. New York: Academic Press, Inc. Burkert, Walter. John Raffin, Translator 1985. Greek Religion. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Butler, Samuel, translator. Homer, "The Illiad". (March 20, 2008). http://classics.mit.edu//Homer/iliad.html Davidson, H.R. Ellis 1988. Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe: Early Scandinavian and Celtic Religions. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press. Green, Miranda, Editor 1995. The Celtic World. London and New York: Routledge.

Works Cited : Works Cited Green, Miranda Aldhouse 2001, Dying for the Gods. Charleston, SC: Tempus Publishing Inc. Griffith, Ralph T.H., Translator 1992. Sacred Writings: Hinduism – The Rig Veda. New York: Book-Of-The-Month-Club (Motilal Banarsidass Publishers) Hollander, Lee M., Translator, 1962. The Poetic Edda. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press. Koch, John T. and John Carey, Editors 2000. The Celtic Heroic Age: Literary Sources for Ancient Celtic Europe & Early Ireland & Wales. Oakville and Aberystwyth: Celtic Studies Publications. Lincoln, Bruce 1986. Myth, Cosmos, and Society: Indo-European Themes of Creation and Destruction. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Lincoln, Bruce 1991. Death, War, and Sacrifice: Studies in Ideology and Practice. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Works Cited : Works Cited Macdonell, A.A. 2002. Vedic Mythology. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Ltd. Mahony, William K. 1998. The Artful Universe: An Introduction to the Vedic Religious Imagination. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. Mallory, J.P. and D.Q. Adams 2006. The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European World. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Morford, Mark P.O. and Robert J. Lenardon, 2003. Classical Mythology, Seventh Edition. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. Puhvel, Jaan, 1987. Comparative Mythology. Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press. Rogerson, J.W. ‘Sacrifice in the Old Testament' in Bourdillon, M.F.C. and Meyer Fortes, Editors 1980. Sacrifice. New York: Academic Press, Inc., pp. 45-59.

Works Cited : Works Cited Rawlingson, George, translator. Herodotus, "The History of Herodotus" (March 20, 2008), http://classics.mit.edu/Herodotus/history.1.i.html Roberts, Rev. Canon, translator. Titus Livius, ‘The History of Rome, Vol. II' (March 20,2008), http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/Liv2His.html Serith, Ceisiwr, 2000. ‘Sacrifice, The Indo-Europeans, and ADF' (March 28, 2008), http://www.adf.org/articles/cosmology/sacrifice-ie-adf.html Sheid, John 2003. An Introduction to Roman Religion. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. Sykes, S.W. ‘New Testament and Christian Theology' in Bourdillon, M.F.C. and Meyer Fortes, Editors 1980. Sacrifice. New York: Academic Press, Inc., pp. 61-83. Watkins, Calvert, Editor 2000. The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.