From: evc@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Edward Van Cura)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: re: Gift of the Sea
Date: 12 Aug 92 20:19:56 GMT


<I don't see a *substantial* difference, except in scale, between this
<statue's sacrifice and some things done in the name of magick and paganism.
<I find myself aghast, however, at the mindset of folk who will fling that
<amount of bread into the ocean to rot while folk are starving, in the
<Netherlands and elsewhere. Or that half a mil is being spent to pull this
<off. For what? Do they think the sea will notice or care? Or are they
<privately into point-disruption of local underwater ecologies?

<I post this here because people here have more of a feeling for this sort of
<act, and might be able to say something in it's defense. I mean, if you
<believe that rituals involving people and sacrifices of food have any power,
<and that intention is like unto magick, then these folk are doing a major
<magickal/worshipful act here. All I see, though, is a senseless act with
<about as little tact and concern for the real problems of the world as
<I can imagine. With a little gratituous callousness on the side.

From *A Book of Troth*, by Edred Thorsson, chapter 8:

-=Thorfinn=-
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                           Giving

   Giving, or yielding, gifts to the gods and goddesses of the Troth
and getting their gifts in return is the essence of sacrifice. There
is probably no more misunderstood concept, or one about which there
are more misconceptions, than sacrifice. Most of these misconceptions
come from a lack of knowledge about our own ways of sacrificing,
coupled with a confusion between what we mean by it and what other
"sacrificing" cultures meant by it. When most people hear about
sacrifice nowadays, examples that might come to mind would include
beautiful virgins being thrown into angry volcanos, the hearts of the
best of the youth being torn out and offered to the sun god, or
animals being consumed in the fires on the altar of Yahweh in the
temple in Jerusalem. People think of "sacrifice" as being a useless,
superstitious "throwing away" of the best of things to a non-existent
god or his priests. Such a concept of sacrifice deserves to die out.

   What the Troth has always meant by giving, or yielding, gifts to
the gods is something very different. In Teutonic as well as in
general Indo-European culture, sacrifice has always meant giving to
the gods what the gods find useful and of benefit, and taking for
mankind what mankind finds useful or of benefit. Sacrifice is the
exchange of gifts binding men and gods together in a bond of mutual
good. 

   The terminology for "sacrifice" used in the Troth is telling.
Before exploring that, let us look at the word "sacrifice". It is a
Latin word, and really means simply "to make sacred", or "to make
separate from the profane world." To make something sacred is to send
it to the realm of the gods, there to act as a sort of gift and
message to them. To this gift the gods must of need repond. This is
the philosophy of all Indo-European sacrifice, be it Indian, Iranian,
Roman, Greek, Celtic, or Teutonic.

   In the working terminology of the Troth we speak of giving,
yielding, or offering. Each of these words indicate the idea of giving
a gift to the gods. The Old English or Old Norse ancestors of these
words were, by the way, used in a religious sense as well. Another
word we use is "blessing." This literally and originally meant "to
sprinkle with blood". Technically, this is the sprinkling of cult
objects and the folk with the vivifying, hallowing power of the blood
of a sacrificial animal. The same terminology is also used for making
similar blessings with water or other liquid offerings.

   Animal sacrifice, according to the ancient way, is not normal
practiced today in the Troth. But it is important to understand what
the nature of this animal sacrifice was so that its principles can be
known and used. An animal sacrifice was, to our way of thinking now,
more akin to a sacralized barbecue than to the useful slaughter of
livestock. In days of yore, the meat of the animal killed would serve
as the sanctified essence of the god or goddess, which was then
consumed by the gathered folk. This was an act of ritual "communion"
in the literal sense. The animal shared an essential link with the god
or goddess to which it was dedicated: the horse to Woden, the goat to
Thunar, the boar to Frey and the sow to Freya. (This really explains
why the eating of horse-flesh was so strongly forbidden by the
Christians!) By eating the hallowed meat, the true folk became more
closely linked with their gods. Certain parts of the animals---those
parts which the folk found little to their use or liking, such as the
heads or lower legs---might then be given or returned to the gods.
Only these parts would typically be "sacrificed" in the sense known to
most people, being burned, or deposited in holy wells.

   It is also noteworthy that it was important to the priests that the
sacrificial animal not suffer in the process of the blessing. They
were killed quickly and humanely; techniques of slowly and painlessly
suffocating the animals were even developed. This is reflected in old
technical terms such as Old English swebban and the Old Norse soa,
which literally mean "to put to sleep". The reason for this is
obvious: the animal is a manifestation of the god, and is therefore
approached with reverence and love.

   A very diferent attitude is reflected in the old Teutonic practices
of human sacrifice, but this too is important to understand. The
ancient Teutons never sacrificed their "best and brightest", or their
first-born, or anything of the sort. Human sacrifices were most
usually made of criminals and of prisoners of war---those whom the
society had to rid itself of in any event. Simply put, human sacrifice
was a form of sacralized "capital punishment". The victim of human
sacrifice was someone who had put the realm of the gods out of balance
in some profound way by their own acts. To correct this imbalance
their lives had to be forfeited.

   Although we may find many of these concepts of no use today, it is
imperative that we understand our tradition for what it was, and not
let some superstitious representative of Christianity try to tell us
what cruel barbarians our ancestors were. This is especially so since
the spiritual roots of Christianity do go back to Middle Eastern cults
that practiced ritual sacrifice not only of animals but also
occasionally of the people's children.

   The ritual norms of the Troth today mainly involve the use of
hallowed liquids, mead (Kvasir's Blood), ale or beer. These substances
were also used in ancient times. Essentially, the ritual techniques and
the wisdom surrounding their right use are the same in all cases.

   In the blessing, the gods and mankind touch each other. The
blessings are a way intermingling the essences of divinity and
humanity. Why this is done should be obvious. First, it is done simply
because it is the right thing to do. Here the word "right" is used in
a special religious sense. What is right is what maintains the right
and natural order of the cosmos that ensures a hospitable place where
gods and men can exist. The blessings---which mankind is responsible
for carrying out---help maintain the cosmic order first instituted by
the Ases at the dawn of time. Without this order we cannot exist, and
the gods cannot exist. With more blessings, the quality of human
existence will improve; with fewer blessing it will degenerate. Thus
is the wisdom of offerings.

   Another reason blessings are performed is to exchange specific
gifts with the gods and goddesses. We offer a certain kind of gift and
we will get some gift in return. This return gift will correspond to
the character of the god or goddess. Because these kinds of gifts
always require a response of some kind from the divine realm, it is
wise not to do this unless absolutely necessary, or at special
seasonal times when it is right to do so. One should be moderate in
sacrifice, because such gifts always look for gain. As one might wear
out the soil in a field by over-cultivating it, one can also wear out
one's welcome among the gods with too many gifts.

   A third reason for participating in or performing blessings is to
simply and deeply be with the gods and goddesses---to be among them in
order to communicate with them directly and in an essential way. This
is most profoundly experienced in the part of the blessing which
involves the consumption of the hallowed drink or meal. The more this
is done (within the bounds of the second reason), the more like the
gods one can become, and the more power the gods will have in Midgard.

   The wisdom of giving is threefold. It ensures right order, that we
have a place to live and work; it provides for a channel through which
we receive gifts from, and give gifts to, the gods; and it gives us a
way to raise our beings to new heights.

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Ring of Troth
P.O. Box 18812
Austin, TX 78760