Hubert & Mauss     Sacrifice, it's Nature and Function  

                                  Essai sur la Nature et la Funtion du Sacrifice 

 

              Translated from the French, this essay is absolutely required reading.

 

               Hubert & Mauss say they have given themselves "only to the task of attempting to put it (sacrifice)  in its place." (p103)  Its ramifications in sociology, etc. are focused out

               Discounting, if not discarding, most Roman and European sources, although newer, in favor of Biblical and Vedic material, Hubert and Mause say"(page 7)  " The documents are direct, drawn  up by the participants themselves, in their own language, in the very spirit in which they enacted the rights, " even if motives might have been unclear.

Roman and European  For instance:

                Too often the Gaul, the Viking, or the Druid is written about by some Roman, years later, who was certainly no eye witness nor participant.  Probably did not know the language...

               Hubert & Mauss quote another author, Tyler, who they say was inspired by Bastian, Spencer, and Darwin and I do not feel the thread can be improved upon:

                              "Sacrifice, according to this writer, (Tyler, page 1) was originally a gift made by a                primitive to supernatural being with whom he needed to ingratiate himself. Then, when the                gods grew greater and became more removed from man, the necessity of continuing to      pass on this gift to them gave rise to sacrificial rites, intended to ensure that the objects        thus spiritualized reached these spiritual beings." (Introduction page 2) 

               The authors then go on to show Tyler's theories of how, as "gods grew greater and became more removed from man"(2 top) sacrificial rites were born.  After painting this very orderly, concise progression the authors go on to say there may be some "historical basis of truth" (2 middle) in it and move on.

              Then,  "their simplicity, itself may stem from an insufficiency of documents" (6) and if rife with usual implicit falsehoods gained by combinations and labeling."(p2)

               As I say, texts relied upon are Biblical and Vedic.  The authors say Greek and  Roman sources, though newer are just "not of equal value". (p7)

                Hubert & Maus' work with  combining the larger picture gained from both Biblical (Ethical Monotheism) and Vedic (polytheism) into a unity.

               First they look at the sacrificial systems as a whole in their many ramifications and establish what pervades all and render up a definition.  Having done this they look for the "scheme" (page 19).

               The scheme (all important moments included) breaks down into "the entry"(p 19).  "can only be carried out in a religious atmosphere by essentially religious agents..." (p 19 bottom)The cast includes:

·        the sacrifier(p20)

·        the sacrificer(22)

·        the place, the instruments(p25)

·        the victim(p28)  (can be human, animal, agricultural product, water,   )

·        Action

                              "The victim is first consecrated..." (p45)

               The procedure then goes on, and then the exit (p45)  Hubert & Mauss then state "The respective importance of these phases...  ...can vary infinitely according to the circumstances."(p49)  Then they go on to show what these circumstances are.

               They discuss how the "General Functions can vary the scheme." (p50)  This is also true of "special functions".

 

The Sacrifice of the God (p77)

               Hubert & Mauss give a myriad of examples in mythology of the victim being a god.

 

Conclusion, definitions

               "... establishes a means of communication between the sacred and the profane worlds through mediation of a victim, that is something that in the course of the ceremony is destroyed." (p97)     "Moreover we (Hubert & Mauss) have been able to see how many beliefs and social practices not strictly religious  are liked to sacrifice...   ...We have given ourselves only to the task of attempting to put it (sacrifice)  in its place."

 

Notes  

               pages 104 to 154 are notes

 

                                                Again, "must read" for a student of sacrifice

Hubert & Mauss  Sacrifice, it's Nature and Function

                                 Essai sur la Nature et la Funtion du Sacrifice    

                                                                            Bob Hill