Runt said:
I know in Wicca there is a God who sacrifices himself to the land (harvest/fertility/preventing eternal winter) on Samhain (Oct 31)...and is reborn on Yule (Dec 21)...I wouldn't really say he is a "victim" however... he kills himself (or allows hunters to kill him in his stag form...depending on the myth) and KNOWS he will be reborn...
in Greek myth, the hero Philoctetes was bitten on the foot by a snake, or as another account records, he accidently wounded himself, when he let one of the poisoned arrows (which once belonged to Herakles) carelessly slip from his quiver. the injury remained incurable until a son of Asclepius put Philoctetes into a deep sleep (compare Genesis 2:21) and cut out the wound, aiding his recovery with the appliance of a healing herb.
the centaurs Cheiron and Pholus were also injured in the foot, in both cases inflicted by a poisoned arrow of Herakles. According to two versions of the myth, Cheiron was either accidently wounded by Herakles himself or, like Pholus, the injury was self-inflicted.
the bronze man Talos was invulnerable apart from a vein that terminated at a point in his ankle, said to contain 'ichor', the blood of the gods. As guardian of the island of Crete, he would ward off any unwelcome visitors by tossing large rocks at approaching ships. Media, witch-priestess (you've possibly heard of her?) of the Goddess Hecate, bewitched Talos and caused him to inadvertently wound his own ankle against one of these rocks, or alternatively, she caused him to fall asleep (again compare Genesis 2:21), and fatally pierced the ankle herself. still another variant claimed that Poas, who inherited the arrows of Herakles, was responsible for shooting Talos in the foot.
In comparrison, Attis, the son and consort of the Phrygian Goddes Cybele, was believed to of died either through self-castration, or killed by a wild boar. in the religion and myth of the Hindu God Shiva, the God castrated himself and cast his phallus, known as the 'atmaligum', like a spear, penetrating both sky and earth, to the underworld below. Or, according to another myth, a group of forest dwelling ascetics suspect Shiva of seducing their wives, and cursing his phallus, cause it to drop off. ouch! Shiva is also said to have deformed feet.
these paradoxical yet complementry traditions seem to convey a double truth, that the myth of Talos and Media alone has managed to successfully encapsulate. the mythological victim has both an 'active'(talos injures himself with his own weapon) as well as 'passive' (through the witchcraft of Media) role in his own death: easily understood in light of the protevangelium and primordial fruit munching episode.
thank you for your reply and remember that this is just mythology and the reality of these strange and sometimes obscene tales is to be found in Jesus. he wants to dwell in all our hearts and forgive us of our sins. God bless
any more info on the Wicca God would be greatly appreciated.
thanks Runt.
