Ancient Wisdom Atlas

Motif

Festival myth explains calamity the rite averts

festival_myth_explains_calamity_the_rite_averts

A motif of the Sacred Time and Ritual Cycle family, within the sub-family Festivals, Processions, and Public Rites. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.

1 occurrences

1 traditions


comparative

  • The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion (Vol. 1 of 2) PREFACE. / J. G. FRAZER. / CHAPTER I. THE KING OF THE WOOD. / MACAULAY.; lines 2649-2713 confidence: high

    The Daedala story of Hera’s quarrel with Zeus and retirement is interpreted as possible crop failure; Demeter’s anger and seclusion after Proserpine’s loss are cited as a parallel, and festival myth is used to infer a rite meant to avert famine through divine marriage drama.

    The passage states that a festival’s origin myth may recount the very calamities the festival is really intended to prevent.

    read in the book