Dahut soon becomes a very experienced young woman!:
"[Gunnung's] first lovemaking was neither exuberant and inventive like Tommaltach's nor half reverential like Carsa's." (XV, 1)
The Northern sea captain, Gunnung, is canny. He promises to challenge Gratillonius the following morning, then leaves Ys hastily while Dahut is still asleep. A wise move and what an adventure he has had in fabulous Ys but might he have defeated Gratillonius if they had fought? Another divergent timeline...
Dahut misuses the gift of Belisama. She sends men to their deaths. Paganism celebrates life. Old Maeloch is tolerant but when Budic provokes him by denouncing the Gods of Ys as blood-drinking demons, he responds:
"'...ask yourself this - when Lir sends fair winds and shoals o' fish, Taranis pours down sunlight and summer rain, Belisama brings love and bairns and hope - ask yourself, boy, what's this Christ o' yours ever done for ye?'" (XIII, 1, p. 282)
Christianity stands at the crossroads between the cyclical seasonal time of agricultural societies and the linear historical time of urban civilizations. Its resurrection is not every year but in one year, dividing history. We can still celebrate the life-giving aspect of nature in ceremonies naming the gods - or saints.
8 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Ha! I like how Gunnung outwitted Dahut. Serves her right!
I disagree, ultimately, paganism does not celebrate life.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
If appreciate fair winds, shoals of fish, sunlight, summer rain, birth etc is not celebrating life, then I don't know what is.
Paul.
appreciating
Kaor, Paul!
And Christians can and do appreciate all these good things, with no need to attribute them to pagan gods.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
The point is not that Christians can't celebrate life, just that pagans do celebrate it.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Some pagans can or do. But I doubt that could be said of really grisly pagans like the Aztecs or the worshipers of Kali (e.g., the original Thugs).
Ad astra! Sean
I wasn't referring to them, obviously.
Kaor, Paul!
Good! But I think you tend to overlook the darkness found in paganism. Which Anderson did not.
Ad astra! Sean
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