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Ancient Female Rite of Passage

Posted By: Charles Pope
Date: Sunday, 17 November 2002, at 8:27 p.m.

In Response To: "Hacking in pieces the Firstborn" (Naomi)

Naomi,

Very weighty stuff. I had not seen the full text of the Unas inscription before or the references to the firstborn, as well as to himself as the firstborn of the firstborn. It has to all be related to the Biblical requirement of firstborn sacrifice. Substitution was of course made for the firstborn (male only?) of human offspring, but this seems like a variation on an older practice in which the firstborn was literally sacrificed. Over at the horemheb.com web site, the author (Egyptologist Daniel Kolos) describes how Egyptian maidens were impregnated during festivals, not by their husbands, but by any male of their choosing. (However, princesses would surely have had to choose from among the men of their extended family.) If the maiden gave birth to a healthy child and survived the birthing process herself, then she was considered fit for marriage. But what was the fate of the love child? Were they devoted to temple service, or sacrificed?

The sacrifice of elders and (symbolically) of the gods must be related to more primitive tribal customs, or cannibalism (canni-baal?) associated with warfare and conquest. In mythology, a king is often sacrificed in matriarchal society after he has served his purpose of producing an child. In other societies, the aged king was ritually killed in order to make way for his more youthful successor. These are kind of basic, obvious associations. However, the Unas (variant of Anu?) text suggests a more sophisticated meaning. It is not so obvious what that might be. This word cannibal has a very recent etymology according to my dictionary - supposedly coined by Columbus who referrred to indigenous tribes of the Caribbean. In Mythology, the kingly usurper Anu (Biblical Cain) was characterized by the dog (canine). In Egypt, Anubis was the dog-like god that devoured the souls (and flesh?) of the dead. Probably this had or was given a stellar/cosmic aspect or association, i.e., cannibalism was turned into a ritual act.

-Charles

Messages In This Thread

• "Hacking in pieces the Firstborn"
  Naomi -- Sunday, 17 November 2002, at 3:00 p.m.
  • Ancient Female Rite of Passage
    Charles Pope -- Sunday, 17 November 2002, at 8:27 p.m.
    • The place of eating flesh
      Naomi -- Monday, 18 November 2002, at 3:35 p.m.
      • Thebes/Karnak, select place of cairns and carnage
        Charles Pope -- Monday, 18 November 2002, at 5:39 p.m.
        • Hippo = Horse = Fact!
          EL-REB -- Monday, 18 November 2002, at 10:44 p.m.
        • Re: Thebes/Karnak, select place of cairns and carn
          Ronald L. Hughes -- Saturday, 18 January 2003, at 1:28 p.m.
      • "The Firstborn is Mine"
        Charles Pope -- Wednesday, 20 November 2002, at 4:10 p.m.
        • Re: Scythians
          EL-REB -- Wednesday, 20 November 2002, at 4:43 p.m.
        • Re: "The Firstborn is Mine"
          Naomi -- Wednesday, 20 November 2002, at 5:09 p.m.
          • Death to a Firstborn in the House of Reuben
            Charles Pope -- Thursday, 21 November 2002, at 10:06 p.m.
            • Partaking of the 'gods'
              Naomi -- Friday, 22 November 2002, at 3:37 p.m.
            • Firstborn sacrifice
              Naomi -- Saturday, 21 December 2002, at 6:00 p.m.
              • Re: Firstborn sacrifice *LINK*
                Naomi -- Monday, 8 March 2004, at 3:48 p.m.
            • David appointed as "first-born"
              Naomi -- Friday, 3 January 2003, at 10:43 p.m.

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