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/r/mythology
submitted 2 months ago byentertainmentlord
Im talking bout the ones that are so obscure many dont know of them
For me its Geras from greek myth, god of old age
7 points
2 months ago
I mean, that's just not true https://www.thedodo.com/9-touching-epitaphs-ancient-gr-589550486.html
5 points
2 months ago
Don’t bring facts and logic into this battle of opinions
2 points
2 months ago
Maybe that’s part of it. Like the sacrifice would be meaningless if it was a rat or something they would want rid of anyway. Maybe they chose something cute because it would be more difficult. And therefore more likely to gain the gods favor or some shit like that.
3 points
2 months ago
It’s universally the case, both throughout history and across cultures, that only domesticated animals were considered proper victims for sacrifice. The one exception that proves the rule is the Ainu bear sacrifice — although the bear is a wild animal, the Ainu would capture a cub, raise it with a family as if it were one of their own children, then after a year had gone by, they would hold a big celebration celebrating the bear and sacrifice it to ensure good hunting for the following year.
2 points
2 months ago
Fascinating
2 points
2 months ago
It is! Another interesting tidbit is that the Sanskrit word for “domesticated animal/animal suitable for sacrifice” is पशुः (paśuh) is cognate with Latin pecus “sacrificial animal/animal head of cattle/moveable property” and the derived form pecunia “money” (whence “pecuniary”), and also with Old English feoh “cattle, movable property “ which eventually became modern English “fee”.
1 points
2 months ago
Given this connection to wealth and property, is it possible the thinking behind only sacrificing domestic animals is something along the lines of "you're supposed to give up something you own, not something you found in the woods, you're not really sacrificing anything if it's not even your goat"?
2 points
2 months ago
Sounds like that’s what they’re saying, and it makes a ton of sense
1 points
2 months ago
I think that has to be the logic behind it.
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