I will add my views on this interesting thread even though the discussion has gone too far from nigelswift's original question:
Sacred Landscapes is a term used by people like Devereux, based on his assumptions about world cultures and the lines that some monuments create. Whether one (partially or totally) (dis)agrees with the Earth Mysteries group or not, one must accept that ancient monuments were not created at random or placed anywhere. The landscape was instantly 'ritualized' (not made sacred, though). Ancient (wo)man was not innocent - rather trying to ritualize a land which (s)he had settled to farm. Megalithic monuments created a 'ritual' landscape (for lack of a better word) which meant appropriation and belonging, whilst being overlooked by bigger gods - many mountain(s) or specific hills which surrounded many megalithic monuments were left untouched, with no evidence of settlement or religious practices (like the axes, crooks or tablets found inside many antas). Therefore those spaces must have had a 'sacred' (i.e. 'untouched', 'inviolated', 'godly' or 'revered') character.
You may not like the word 'ritual' either, but we are as at odds with it as the Romans were when they wrote of the tribes they encountered. Estrabon for instance was perplexed at people going round a stone in both directions alternatively and performing libations. For the Romans, the natives were performing stupid 'rituals' they didn't understand. A bit like the impression my landlady got when she saw a programme on Australian aborigines the other day. For her, what those uncultured tribes were doing was in-comprehensible gibberish. For the aborigines, it's part of their daily life and gives meaning to their lives. However, both the Romans and we are governed by very strong rituals, though our rituals (sports, TV watching, smoking, films, going out at the same time every Fri night, clubbing etc) are not called 'sacred' or 'rituals', though they may be completely incomprehensible or stupid to someone who is not acquainted with the 'rules of our tribe'.
Regarding the word 'sacred', the opposite to what baza is saying is true of ancient peoples or remaining non-civilized tribes today. They do not (or cannot) make a distinction between sacred or not-sacred. This distinction was made much later on. Which obviously does not imply the superficial implication that everything the ancients did was serious and no-play. The kids hid behind their ancient monuments when they played hide and seek near their villages.
Ultimately, is our own perception of Reality 'real and not sacred' or part of a complex set of sacred rituals? Maybe we are just patronizing others who conspicuously manifest their beliefs by following their absurd rituals. It wouldn't be the first time in history.
Reply | with quote | Posted by Annexus Quam 30th July 2003ce 21:39 |
Sacred Landscapes (nigelswift, Jul 30, 2003, 09:05)- Re: Sacred Landscapes (ocifant, Jul 30, 2003, 09:15)
- Re: Sacred Landscapes (Kammer, Jul 30, 2003, 09:36)
- Re: Sacred Landscapes (BrigantesNation, Jul 30, 2003, 10:37)
- Re: Sacred Landscapes (baza, Jul 30, 2003, 19:20)
- Are you really ... (FourWinds, Jul 30, 2003, 19:43)
- Re: Sacred ? (Moon Cat, Jul 30, 2003, 20:57)
- All sacred. (morfe, Jul 30, 2003, 20:58)
- Unbelievable (morfe, Jul 30, 2003, 21:03)
- Nothing is sacred (morfe, Jul 30, 2003, 21:22)
- Re: Nothing is sacred (baza, Jul 30, 2003, 21:45)
- Got it wrong? (morfe, Jul 30, 2003, 21:50)
- Sacred is... (Kammer, Jul 30, 2003, 21:52)
- Re: sacred in the eye? (Moon Cat, Jul 30, 2003, 23:46)
- Re: sacred in the eye? (morfe, Jul 31, 2003, 00:26)
- Re: sacred in the eye? (Moth, Jul 31, 2003, 14:08)
- Re: sacred in the eye? (morfe, Jul 31, 2003, 19:01)
- Re: sacred in the eye? (Moth, Jul 31, 2003, 19:43)
- Re: sacred in the eye? (morfe, Jul 31, 2003, 19:48)
- Re: sacred in the eye? (morfe, Jul 31, 2003, 19:56)
- Re: sacred in the eye? (Moth, Jul 31, 2003, 20:25)
- Re: sacred in the eye? (nigelswift, Jul 31, 2003, 21:16)
- Re: sacred in the eye? (Moth, Jul 31, 2003, 21:19)
- Shouldn't have said a word! (morfe, Jul 31, 2003, 21:24)
- Re: sacred in the eye? (Shestu, Jul 31, 2003, 21:26)
- Re: sacred in the eye? (nigelswift, Jul 31, 2003, 21:30)
- Re: sacred in the eye? (Moth, Jul 31, 2003, 21:34)
- Re: sacred in the eye? (nigelswift, Jul 31, 2003, 21:49)
- Oi! (Moth, Jul 31, 2003, 21:53)
- Re: Oi! (nigelswift, Jul 31, 2003, 22:09)
- Aaaah! (Moth, Jul 31, 2003, 22:23)
- Re: sacred in the eye? (Shestu, Jul 31, 2003, 21:38)
- Re: sacred in the eye? (pure joy, Aug 03, 2003, 11:25)
- Re: Sacred Landscapes (Kammer, Jul 30, 2003, 21:44)
- Re: Sacred Landscapes (morfe, Jul 30, 2003, 21:11)
- Interesting cross-cultural article (morfe, Jul 30, 2003, 21:14)
- Re: Sacred Landscapes (wychburyman, Jul 30, 2003, 21:34)
- words and power (Annexus Quam, Jul 30, 2003, 21:39)
- Re: Sacred Landscapes (nigelswift, Jul 30, 2003, 21:59)
- Am I really me? (FourWinds, Jul 30, 2003, 23:35)
- Nature (Annexus Quam, Jul 31, 2003, 09:58)
- Re: Sacred Landscapes (moss, Jul 31, 2003, 11:25)
- TimeGhost (TomBo, Jul 31, 2003, 11:25)
- Re: TimeGhost (BrigantesNation, Jul 31, 2003, 11:39)
- Re: TimeGhost (TomBo, Jul 31, 2003, 11:52)
- Re: TimeGhost (BrigantesNation, Jul 31, 2003, 12:12)
- Re: TimeGhost (baza, Jul 31, 2003, 12:26)
- Re: TimeGhost (TomBo, Jul 31, 2003, 12:39)
- Re: TimeGhost (FourWinds, Jul 31, 2003, 12:46)
- Re: TimeGhost (Moth, Jul 31, 2003, 16:09)
- Pantheism? (morfe, Jul 31, 2003, 18:50)
- Re: Pantheism? (TomBo, Jul 31, 2003, 20:54)
- Only (morfe, Jul 31, 2003, 20:58)
- Tombo... (Moth, Jul 31, 2003, 21:32)
- Re: Pantheism? (Moth, Jul 31, 2003, 21:28)
- Re: TimeGhost (Jane, Jul 31, 2003, 12:31)
- Re: TimeGhost (nigelswift, Jul 31, 2003, 12:53)
- Re: TimeGhost (FourWinds, Jul 31, 2003, 12:56)
- Re: TimeGhost (Jane, Jul 31, 2003, 14:14)
- Spot on (morfe, Jul 31, 2003, 17:20)
- BTW... (nigelswift, Jul 31, 2003, 21:59)
- Re: TimeGhost (TomBo, Jul 31, 2003, 20:59)
- Re: TimeGhost (TomBo, Jul 31, 2003, 21:39)
- Re: TimeGhost (FourWinds, Jul 31, 2003, 12:39)
- Re: Sacred Landscapes (nigelswift, Jul 31, 2003, 22:15)
- a cognitive theory of the sacred (TomBo, Jan 20, 2004, 01:03)
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