We’ve come a long way (in an irreverent direction) since the days when hunting was considered to be a sacred activity.
 |
| Bison Bull (Public Domain) |
Artemis (Diana) was considered by the ancient Greeks and Romans to be the goddess of the hunt. At the same time, she was thought to be the goddess of wild animals and the wilderness. By modern standards this might seem contradictory - but ancestral religions often paid homage to the sacrificial gifts of those
they hunted.
they hunted.
When the Native Americans hunted the buffalo, they greatly honored its essence. According to the Nature documentary, American Buffalo: Spirit of a Nation, reverence for the bison was at the forefront of the Lakota hunting tradition. Lakota tribe member Luther Standing Bear is quoted as saying: The Indian was frugal in the midst of plenty. When the buffalo roamed the plains in multitudes, he slaughtered only what he could eat and these he used to the hair and bones.
Neo-Pagans often nurture this same type of gratitude for nature’s gifts. In November 2010, Nels Linde
presented their philosophy in his article, Pagans Hunting, A Sacred Way. He describes the first day of deer-hunting season as “a time of purification and blessing, prayer and thanksgiving.” One of the Pagan hunters whom he interviewed sees himself as part of the grand “circle of life.” This hunter explains: The
deer eat the vegetation, I eat the deer, and eventually I will go back and feed that vegetation with my remains. He contemplates this animal’s beauty, even while hunting it. Artemis also favored deer, and
is often depicted with one.
deer eat the vegetation, I eat the deer, and eventually I will go back and feed that vegetation with my remains. He contemplates this animal’s beauty, even while hunting it. Artemis also favored deer, and
is often depicted with one.
And then there’s Lady Gaga… She’s back in the headlines (as if she ever left them) because her infamous meat-dress made it to the top of Time Magazine’s 2010 fashion list. Although she claims that this meat-dress has served some sort of altruistic purpose - to many it seems far more jerky than quirky.
Resources
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2010/12/lady-gaga-meat-dress-fashion-statement.html
http://www.rightcelebrity.com/?p=10226
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1647732/20100913/lady_gaga.jhtml
http://pncminnesota.wordpress.com/2010/11/19/pagans-hunting-%E2%80%93-a-sacred-way/
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/american-buffalo-spirit-of-a-nation/introduction/2183/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis
Copyright December 17, 2010 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment