Suchergebnisse

Ancient ruler cult has long been a stumbling-block for classical scholars who were unable to accept the worship of deified men by the enlightened Greeks. Gradually, however, this resistance has been turning into a (sometimes grudging) acceptance, a process much influenced by three factors. Firstly, the healing activities of Pyrrhus and Vespasian have been illuminated by comparing them with those of the medieval kings. Secondly, our times, too, have witnessed the worship of important political figures : Bismarck, Hitler, Evita Peron and De Gaulle. These modern ruler cults were not, it is true, integrated into the official Christian cult, but they did adopt ritual forms as pilgrimage and prayer, and used Christian terminology.

1. Greek pederasty and modern homosexuality / Jan Bremmer -- 2. Lesbian Sappho and Sappho of Lesbos / Andre Lardinois -- 3. To the limits of kinship : anti-incest legislation in the early medieval west (500-900) / Mayke de Jong -- 4. A bridle for lust : representations of sexual morality in Dutch children's portraits of the seventeenth century / Jan Baptist Bedaux -- 5. The woman on a swing and the sensuous voyer : passion and voyeurism in French Rococo -- 6. Venus Minsieke Gasthuis : sexual beliefs in eighteenth-century Holland / Herman Roodenburg -- 7. De Sade, a pessimistic libertine / Arnold Heumakers -- 8. Sexual morality and the meaning of prostitution in Fin-De-Siecle Vienna / Karin J. Jusek -- 9. Mannish women of the Balkan mountains / Rene Gremaux -- 10. A history of sexology : social and historical aspects of sexuality / Gert Hekma.

Aztec human sacrifice as expiation / M. Graulich -- Human sacrifice in medieval Irish literature / J. Borsje -- Myth and ritual in Greek human sacrifice: Lykaon, Polyxena, and the case of the Rhodian criminal / J.N. Bremmer -- The early Christians and human sacrifice / L. Roig Lanzillotta -- Child sacrifice in ancient Israel: the status quaestionis / E. Noort -- Human sacrifice in ancient Egypt / H. te Velde -- Retainer sacrifice in Egypt and in Nubia / J. van Dijk -- Human sacrifice in India in Vedic times and before / A. Parpola -- Human sacrifice (puruṣamedha), construction sacrifice, and the origin of the idea of the "man of the homestead" (vāstupuruṣa) / H.T. Bakker -- Human sacrifice among the Konds / L.P. van den Bosch -- Human sacrifice in Japan / K. Harimoto -- Human sacrifice and self-sacrifice in China: a century of revelations / T.H. Barrett

ln my contribution, 1 first discuss the very first mention of shamanism in classical scholarship and its notable spelling by Creuzer. 1 also note that Creuzer already mentioned the « usual suspects » of Greek shamanism, who ohen appear in the same grouping in ancient texts. These figures drew the attention of classical scholars again at the end of the nineteenth century, and a kind of Greek shamanism, as influenced by the Scythians, was postulated by prominent classical scholars, such as Eric Robertson Dodds and Karl Meuli. Although recent discussions have refuted the influence of Scythian shamanism, Peter Kingsley has tried to revive the notion of Greek shamanism by concentrating on Abaris. ln my contribution I show that his arguments to turn Abaris into a Mongol are based on non-evidence, on distorting available evidence and on misreading sources. ln a positive sense, 1 also discuss our notices about Hermotimos and Aristeas, drawing attention to neglected sources. 1 conclude that in the present state of our evidence we can only say that there was no Greek shamanism and no influence of Central Asia.

"In the last two decades we have had many books and proceedings of conferences on the history, formulas and incantations of magic in antiquity, both in East and West, but this is the first book of its kind that focuses on the material aspects of magic, such as gems, rings, drawings, grimoires, amulets and figurines. In recent years scholars have focused not only on the discourse and practices of magic in antiquity, but also on its practitioners, literary stereotypes and historical shifts. Much less attention, however, has been paid to the material that was used by the magicians for their curses and incantations. Yet there is no magic without materiality. The practice of magic required a specialist expertise that knew how to handle material such as lead, gold, stones, papyrus, figurines or voodoo dolls. That is why we present new insights on the materiality of magic by studying both the materials used for magic as well as the books in which the expertise was preserved"--

This volume in honour of Jan N. Bremmer contains the contributions of numerous students, colleagues, and friends offered to him on the occasion of his 65th birthday. Throughout his career, Bremmer has distinguished himself as an internationally renowned scholar of religion both past and present, including first and foremost Greek and Roman religion, but also early Christianity and post-classical developments in religion and spirituality. In line with these three main areas of Bremmera (TM)s research, the volume is divided into three parts, bringing together contributions from distinguished sch

Periods of transition are often symbolically associated with death, making the latter the paradigm of liminality. Yet, many volumes on death in the social sciences and humanities do not specifically address liminality. This book investigates these "ultimate ambiguities," assuming they can pose a threat to social relationships because of the disintegrating forces of death, but they are also crucial periods of creativity, change, and emergent aspects of social and religious life. Contributors explore death and liminality from an interdisciplinary perspective and present a global range of historical and contemporary case studies outlining emotional, cognitive, artistic, social, and political implications