12-07-2020, 02:51 AM
(12-07-2020, 01:22 AM)VioletDove Wrote: Some means of getting yourself a household spirit wasn’t so great.
Quote:Other methods of acquiring a household spirit were disturbing. In some areas of Eastern Europe and Asia, when a new home was built a human being was sacrificed and buried in the walls or under the hearth. The victim’s spirit was eternally tied to the home and became the household god and guardian.
I’m not sure if this is an ancient belief or not as this is the first time I’ve seen it and there wasn’t a lot out there to read on the subject.
I recall reading some time ago about an ancient home excavated on a Scottish island where it was discovered that two bodies, separated by about a 500 year interval, were buried in the floor of the house. The practice may be older than we realize, and perhaps more widespread. I don't recall the location or the exact time frame, but I do recall it was in the significantly long ago, at least a couple thousand years BC.
Perhaps more disturbing, if this is what that was, was why did they feel a need to renew the house spirits with a new corpse after 500 years?
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Diogenes was eating bread and lentils for supper. He was seen by the philosopher Aristippus, who lived comfortably by flattering the king.
Said Aristippus, ‘If you would learn to be subservient to the king you would not have to live on lentils.’ Said Diogenes, ‘Learn to live on lentils and you will not have to be subservient to the king.’
Said Aristippus, ‘If you would learn to be subservient to the king you would not have to live on lentils.’ Said Diogenes, ‘Learn to live on lentils and you will not have to be subservient to the king.’