The origins of modern religion in human sacrifice, ritual cannibalism, visionary intoxication, and the Cult of the Dead
• Explores ancient practices of producing sacred hallucinogenic foods and oils from the bodies of the dead for ritual consumption and religious anointing
• Explains how these practices are deeply embedded in the symbolism, theology, and sacraments of modern religion, specifically Christianity and the Eucharist
• Documents the rites of Cults of the Dead from the prehistoric Minoans on Crete to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Hebrews to early and medieval Christian sects such as the Cathars
Long before the beginnings of civilization, humans have been sacrificed and their flesh used to produce sacred foods and oils for use in religious rites. Originating with the sacred harvest of hallucinogenic mushrooms from the corpses of shamans and other holy men, these acts of ritual cannibalism and visionary intoxication are part of the history of all cultures, including Judeo-Christian ones, and provided a way to commune with the dead. These practices continued openly into the Dark Ages, when they were suppressed and adapted into the worship of saintly bones--or continued in secret by a few “heretical” sects, such as the Cathars and the Knights Templar. While little known today, these rites remain deeply embedded in the symbolism, theology, and sacraments of modern religion and bring a much more literal meaning to the church’s “Holy Communion” or symbolic consumption of the body and blood of Christ.
Documenting the sacrificial, cannibalistic, and psychoactive sacramental practices associated with the Cult of the Dead from the prehistoric Minoans on Crete to the ancient Egyptians and Hebrews and onward to early and medieval Christian sects, Earl Lee shows how these religious rites influenced the development of Western religion. In particular, he reveals how Christianity originated with Jesus’s effort to restore the sacred rites of Moses, including the Marzeah, or Feast for the Dead. Examining the connections between these rites and the mysterious funeral of Father Sauniere in Rennes-le-Château, the author explains why the prehistoric Cult of the Dead has held such power over Western civilization, so much so that its echoes are still heard today in our literature, film, and arts.
By:
EARL LEE
Imprint: Park Street Press,U.S.
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 229mm,
Width: 152mm,
Spine: 17mm
Weight: 1g
ISBN: 9781594774584
ISBN 10: 1594774587
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 16 May 2012
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Acknowledgments Introduction: A Eucharist of Flesh Part One Unveiling the Corpse of Jesus 1 Surviving Remnants of the Cult of the Dead 2 Sacred Oils, Sacred Foods 3 The Red Corpse 4 Ritual Cannibalism and Magic Foods Part Two Your Own Personal Jesus 5 Cults of the Dead in the Modern World 6 Hebrew and Christian Ointments 7 Hallucinations as History 8 Plants from the Bodies of the Gods 9 Signs of the Cult of the Dead 10 Immortality Part Three Sweeney Todd among the Nightingales 11 The Cult of the Dead in Greece 12 The Goddesses of Crete 13 Minoan Graves 14 Eating the Dead 15 The Horns of Consecration and the Double Ax 16 Awakening the Bees 17 Zeus and the Human Sack 18 Dionysus and the Greek Gods 19 Dionysus and Osiris Worship: Greek or Egyptian? 20 Prometheus 21 Adonis, Jason, and Jesus 22 From the Minotaur to Jesus Appendix 1 John 2:20 and 2:27, Translations and Commentary Bibliography Index
Earl Lee is a professor at Pittsburg State University and the author of several books, including Raptured, Drakulya, and Libraries in the Age of Mediocrity. He lives in Pittsburg, Kansas.
Reviews for From the Bodies of the Gods: Psychoactive Plants and the Cults of the Dead
. ..the book is a trove to delve into and it'll be interesting to see what further scholarship it gives rise too. --Psychedelic Press UK, July 2012
