Taboos and priests

From: Jeff Richard <richaje_at_9I9wVWK03obV_d9MoLd-dEd_P3asf_CvTAjSLXLoWnJo8P1kRTLrMW-pqqydtcrU6iwI>
Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2007 12:56:12 -0000


Just to give folk a few ideas about some real world religious taboos associated with real world priests, here are some of the taboos associated with the Roman priests of Jupiter (the flamen Dialis) from Dumezil's "Archaic Roman Religion":

"The status of the flamen Dialis and his wife, the flaminica, [contains] a great number of strange items. A certain number of these items are intended solely to assure the continued presence of the priest in Rome and his physical communication with Roman soil (he may not leave Rome; the feet of his bed are coated with a thin layer of mud, and he may not go three days without lying on it), but others clarified the nature of his god....

Certain items refer to the sky, attesting that Jupiter is in the heavens. For example, the flamen Dialis may remove his under tunic only in covered places, in order that he may not appear naked under the sky tanquam sub oculis Jouis....

Other rules governing the flamen Dialis, the most likely interpretation of which is that they extend to the priests the traits of his god, reval a Jupiter which is completely free. Alone of the Romans, the flamen Dialis is exempt from the oath, iurare Dialem fas nunquam est. By virtue of his position he suspend the execution of punishments: if a chained man enters his house, he must be set free, and the chains must be carried up to the roof and thrown down from there into the street; if a man who is being led away to be scourged casts himself in supplication at the feet of the Dialis, it is sacrilege to beat him on that day....

Finally, another group of rules makes the Dialis the pure and sacred being par excellence, the incarnation of the sacred. He is quotide feriatus, which means that for him no day is secular. Day and night he keeps on his person some item of costume which expresses his function. No fire but the sacred fire may be carried out of his house. He must always have near his bedposts a casket containing sacred cakes, striues and ferctum. The most sacred of the marriage forms, the confarreatio, besides being demanded of him and his parents, also requires his presence. He avoids contact with everything which may defile, and especially with that which is dead or suggests death: corpses, funeral pyres, and uncooked meats."

Just to give folk an idea of the sort of ritual taboos their devotees and priests might labor under!!!

Jeff            

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