Roman gods were notoriously unimaginative and tended to imitate Greeks. There are though layers upon layers of pre-Christian material in Christianity (if you read your David Jones you'd know that) - Osiris and Isis for example.
Aside: wrote 'chasuble' for 'thurible' in my first.
Anyhow the point is that the figure is a constant cultural motif.
Though Graeco-Roman gods, on earthly visits, tended, I am afraid, to behave rather badly.
Sent from my BlackBerry smartphone from Virgin Media
-----Original Message-----
From: Patrick McManus <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: "Poetryetc: poetry and poetics" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2011 12:22:00
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: "Poetryetc: poetry and poetics" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Dr Who?
Didn't those Romans have gods and stuff who died and were reborn or whatever
Roman gods Did???
-----Original Message-----
From: Poetryetc: poetry and poetics [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of David Bircumshaw
Sent: 24 April 2011 08:29
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Dr Who?
Dr Who returned to British tv last night. The familiar theme was there: the
human-looking figure from above, who dies but returns from death, the only
one of his kind, whose mission is to save the human race, who suffers for
our sake, and is (traditionally) celibate. While amidst the make-believe, or
should I say the regeneration of myth, smoking from the Doctor's sleeves
like a chasuble, there was the desolation of a real and absolute death: a
leading actress from the cast (the 'family' they call themselves) who had
died a few days before aged 63. Who died into the darkness of Easter
Saturday. Who will live on, in memories, in images on the screen.
It reminded me of something but I can't think what. The moving finger
writes, then writes again.
--
David Joseph Bircumshaw
Website and A Chide's Alphabet
http://www.staplednapkin.org.uk
The Animal Subsides http://www.arrowheadpress.co.uk/books/animal.html
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/david.bircumshaw
twitter: http://twitter.com/bucketshave
blog: http://groggydays.blogspot.com/
|