Keeping Grandad in the basement

From: Andrew Larsen <aelarsen_at_mac.com>
Date: Thu, 09 Jun 2005 10:15:47 -0500

> From: David Dunham <david_at_a-sharp.com>

>
> Simon
>

>> There is a very ancient village in present-day Turkey whose name
>> escapes me (damned old age) who kept the remains of their ancestors within
>> their houses, I can see these as being zombies in a gloranthan concept - "We
>> need to chase away broo, grandson? Let's go and ask my grandad".

>
> Probably Catal Huyuk (accents deleted), this sort of thing is quite common.
>
> Sounds like ancestor worship to me -- having the ancestor buried
> right there is probably a +20 on the ritual.

This sort of burial seems to have been common in the Ancient Near East in the Neolithic period and Bronze Age. It also occurs at Khirokitia, Khafaje, and Kish, for example. It does certainly look like some form of ancestor worship (although it might also have economic aspects to it, since the really wealthy don't seem to have done this). I like the idea of some forms of ancestor worship including zombies and other undead, at least, in Glorantha, (not the real world, thank God).

Andrew E. Larsen

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