Cult of Herodias: Difference between revisions
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==Medieval sources== |
==Medieval sources== |
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The 10th century a fragment of text called the ''[[Canon Episcopi]]'' (attributed to an otherwise-unknown Council of Anquira) made mention of a cult of the Roman goddess [[Diana]] as ''a perversion of the mind originated by Satan''. It described accounts of flying women accompanied by Diana to be a ''fantasy experienced while dreaming''. |
The 10th century a fragment of text called the ''[[Canon Episcopi]]'' (attributed to an otherwise-unknown Council of Anquira) made mention of a cult of the Roman goddess [[Diana]] as ''a perversion of the mind originated by Satan''. It described accounts of flying women accompanied by Diana to be a ''fantasy experienced while dreaming''.<ref>''Canon Episcopi'', translated by Geoffrey G. Koziol.</ref> |
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[[John of Salisbury]], 12th century Bishop of [[Chartres]] mentions such a cult in ''Policraticus'', stating that devotees are supposed to worship the goddesses Herodias and [[Noctiluca (goddess)|Noctiluca]], the "queen of the night". He mentioned the supposed participation of women and men in these meetings. He too considered the existence of this cult to be a fable at best. |
[[John of Salisbury]], 12th century Bishop of [[Chartres]] mentions such a cult in ''Policraticus'', stating that devotees are supposed to worship the goddesses Herodias and [[Noctiluca (goddess)|Noctiluca]], the "queen of the night". He mentioned the supposed participation of women and men in these meetings. He too considered the existence of this cult to be a fable at best. |
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Revision as of 11:21, 20 June 2011
The Cult of Herodias is a supposed Medieval witch-cult in Italy, centering on devotion to the pagan Roman goddess Diana and the Biblical figure Herodias, who came to be identified as an anti-Christian goddess. The cult is mentioned in several Medieval sources, but its real existence has been questioned by both Medieval and modern commentators. The nineteenth century folklorist Charles Godfrey Leland claimed to have evidence that the cult still existed among marginalised groups in Italy. Leland's writings provided the basis for the revival of the supposed cult by modern neo-pagans.
Medieval sources
The 10th century a fragment of text called the Canon Episcopi (attributed to an otherwise-unknown Council of Anquira) made mention of a cult of the Roman goddess Diana as a perversion of the mind originated by Satan. It described accounts of flying women accompanied by Diana to be a fantasy experienced while dreaming.[1]
John of Salisbury, 12th century Bishop of Chartres mentions such a cult in Policraticus, stating that devotees are supposed to worship the goddesses Herodias and Noctiluca, the "queen of the night". He mentioned the supposed participation of women and men in these meetings. He too considered the existence of this cult to be a fable at best.
Modern views
Among some modern Wiccans, a similar figure is worshipped, called Aradia, adopted from C.G. Leland's book Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches (1899), which claims to be the traditional lore of a 19th century Italian society of witches. Leland argued that "Aradia" was a corruption of the name "Herodias".[2] A similar figure from Romania is Doamna Zînelor, also called Irodiada or Arada.[3]
Carlo Ginzburg supposes that the nocturnal goddess was originally Hera-Diana or Herodiana, and was later conflated with the biblical character of Herodias.[4]
Evangelical usage
In 2010 a popular sermon by Tom Gordon, an American Anglican priest, used the expression "Mystical Cult of Herodias" to refer to those people who allegedly have an inexplicable anger or murderous rage toward those persons or groups who "bear God's name or testimony." The term in this case refers to the Biblical Herodias' anger at the testimony of John the Baptist, which led to John's death at the insistence of Herodias' daughter Salome.[5]
See also
References
- ^ Canon Episcopi, translated by Geoffrey G. Koziol.
- ^ Magliocco, Sabina (2002). "Who Was Aradia? The History and Development of a Legend" Pomegranate: the Journal of Pagan Studies, Vol. 18
- ^ Ginzburg, Carlo (1990). Ecstasies: Deciphering the witches' sabbath. London: Hutchinson Radius. p. 103. ISBN 0-09-174024-X.
- ^ Ginzburg, Carlo (1990). Ecstasies: Deciphering the witches' sabbath. London: Hutchinson Radius. p. 104. ISBN 0-09-174024-X.
- ^ Text of Sermon