Although I am making a dent in our reading (required reading) and can't say much for the extra reading. I was able to get through the first 13 pages of The Golden Bough and stumbled across this paragraph and it reminded me of another paragraph in MOV from book 1. FYI I am on book 4 currently.
When Epidarus suffered from a dearth, the people, in obedience to an oracle, carded images of Damia and Auxesia out of sacred olive wood, and no sooner had they done so and set them up than the earth bore fruit again. Moreover, at Troezen itself, and apparently within the precinct of Hippolytus, a curious festival of stone-throwing was held in honour of these maidens, as the Troezenians called them; and it is eary to show that simular customs have been practiced in many lands for the express purpose of ensuring good crops (Frazer 8).
So in the book MOV, an oracle told (I hope these are the right names) Deucalion and Pyrrha to abey the following:
- for, after all, they both were doubtful of the oracle. But what is wrong in trying. They set out; they veil their heads, they both ungird their clothes; and they throw stones behind them as they go. And yes (if those of old did not attest the tale I tell you now, who could accept its truth?), the stones began to lose their hardness; they softened slowly and, in softening, changed form. Their mass grew greater and their nature more tender; one could see the dim beginning of human forms, still.......(Mandelbaun 18)
Each act ordered by an Oracle and followed through seem to be a theme in alot of this text, but I see simularities in these two paragraphs/statements in regards to creation and continuing or restoying "life" be it human or other.
No comments:
Post a Comment