| In the following excerpt from Pliny’s Natural History, we read about the concept of killing and eating people at sacrifices: “Magic certainly found a home in the two Gallic provinces, and that down to living memory. For the Principate of Tiberius Caesar did away with their Druids and this tribe of seers and medicine men. But why should I speak of these things when the craft has even crossed the Ocean and reached the empty voids of Nature? Even today, Britain practices magic in awe, with such grand ritual that it might seem that she gave it to the Persians. So universal is the cult of magic throughout the world although its nations disagree or are unknown to each other. It is beyond calculation how great is the debt owed to the Romans, who swept away the monstrous rites, in which to kill a man was the highest religious duty and for him to be eaten a passport to health.” (93) We must ask ourselves this question. Knowing now and seeing how advanced the whole earth was in these early times, with nature based goddess, earth and mushroom worship and veneration, and really no evidence of primitive cultures of sacrifice of humans, can we really still assume the mythologies of the ancients as true and if we cannot, and everything truly is parable and mystery and consumption of mushrooms for sacrament, how can this be reconciled with the idea of these same people sacrificing and eating one another? What we learn here is that Druids killed people who robbed and murdered. But did anyone make human sacrifices to the gods? I don’t think so. It makes much more sense to me that the Romans used typical propaganda against their enemies like all imperialists have done throughout all times in history. It’s likely what Europeans and Americans did when they encountered the Mayans and Aztecs. The missionaries told the ancient people to stop eating mushrooms and also told the Europeans and Colonists that these people were savage human sacrifice followers. It may have been easy and aided by the Mayan and Aztec symbolism where a human looking mushroom was placed on the alter, and its heart ripped out and eaten by the tribe. A heart is red, of course, and the altar was a symbol for mushroom sacrifice. This is a subject I stumbled upon while researching and putting this book together and it’s an avenue I have only started to pursue. Probably the greatest accomplishment of the modern prevailing notion of “human sacrifice” is the idea that follows it from the historical perspective, which is: “Look at how far we have come through the Christianization of the world, and how the savages used to sacrifice people and eat them! Look how much progress mankind has made since religion ‘civilized the world’.” This is utter nonsense, of course. Here is an example of an immolation sacrifice given by Pliny, in Natural History: “Historical Pacts Connected with the Mistletoe” - “Upon this occasion we must not omit to mention the admiration that is lavished upon this plant by the Gauls. The Druids - for that is the name they give to their magicians (90) - held nothing more sacred than the mistletoe and the tree that bears it.” ….”(91) Decandolle was of opinion, that the mistletoe of the Druids was not a viscum, but the Loranthus Europseus, which is much more commonly found on oaks. |
“The mistletoe, however, is but rarely found upon the robur; and when found, is gathered with rites replete with religious awe. This is done more particularly on the fifth day of the moon, the day which is the beginning of their months and years, as also of their ages, which, with them, are but thirty years. This day they select because the moon, though not yet in the middle of her course, has already considerable power and influence; and they call her by a name which signifies, in their language, the all-healing. (93) Having made a due preparation for the sacrifice and a banquet beneath the trees, they bring thither two white bulls, the horns of which are bound then for, the first time. Clad in a white robe the priest ascends the tree, and cuts the mistletoe with a golden sickle, which is received by others in a white cloak. They then immolate the victims, offering up their prayers that God will render this gift of his propitious to those to whom he has so granted it. It is the belief with them that the mistletoe, taken in drink, will impart fecundity to all animals that are barren, and that it is an antidote for all poisons. (95) Such are the religious feelings which we find entertained towards trifling objects among nearly all nations.” (94) Gathering from what we just read, it appears to me the mistletoe is yet one more example of the mushroom being occulted. The mistletoe not only has red berries but grows on the side of oak trees, just like the mushroom. Mistletoe becomes the perfect symbol to occult the mushroom with. The druids were harvesting the mushroom from the oaks, and making their “sacrifice” afterwards. The harvest sickle is mentioned, again, white bulls are mentioned as well, it is consumed in drink, imparts fertility and is equally an antidote for poisons. Justinian I and the Corpus Juris Civilis Justinian I was the Eastern Roman emperor from 527 AD to 565 AD, and was responsible for organizing the Corpus Juris Civilis (“Body of Civil Law”), the fundamental works in jurisprudence, issued from 529 to 534 AD. The very first law in the Codex requires all persons under the jurisdiction of the Empire to hold the Christian faith. Other laws, while not aimed at pagan belief as such, forbid particular pagan practices. For example, it is provided that all persons present at a pagan sacrifice may be indicted as if for murder. He also closed the University of Athens and kept the masses from conversions by imperial decree. (95) (93) Pliny, Natural History xxx, iv (94) Pliny, Natural History, Book XVI, 95 (95) Occidental Mythology, p. 417 |