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Date: | Thu, 31 Aug 2006 14:00:57 -0400 |
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Ron- the posthole thing reminds me of a myth that appears in the Popol
Vuh as the story of the Four Hundred Boys, in which the giant Cab
R'aquan is tricked into digging a post hole (intended to be his grave)
by the Four Hundred Boys, who plan to murder him by putting in a huge
post on top of him. Instead, he digs a cavity to the side so that when
they drop in the post, it misses him, and he escapes to kill them all.
This story suggests that a similar posthole sacrifice may have once
existed among the Maya. If so, it could easily have morphed into the
church dedication sacrifices I described, but again, I know of no
archaeological evidence of such a practice.
Marty Pickands
>>> [log in to unmask] 08/31/06 2:53 AM >>>
In a message dated 8/30/2006 2:19:56 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
They are said to
have been volunteers to act as "guardians of the four directions"
similar to the archangels in European ceremonial magic. As these
churches are still in use, there is no archaeological confirmation of
this practice yet.
A rather grisly practice in the American Northwest involved dropping a
slave
down a post hole before dropping the post in place.
Although clearly unrelated, European ship builders salvaged the best
mast of
a ship being replaced and reused it in the new ship. To enhance the
luck,
they dropped a silver or gold coin in the hole before the mast.
Ron May
Legacy 106, Inc.
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