Another convergence -
An idol is drawn in procession through the land by an oxcart, then the slaves who wash the idol in a secluded lake are drowned. Everard remarks that the goddess, Nerthus, is:
"'A pretty grim sort,'...The neopagans of his home milieu did not include her in their fairy tales of a prehistoric matriarchy when everybody was nice." (Time Patrol, p. 565)
SM Stirling's character Lisketer says:
"'From what I've read, the Olmecs had a deep spiritual relationship with nature...'" (Island In The Sea Of Time, p. 316)
The Olmecs slaughter Lisketer's crew on first contact.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Exactly! Pagans of the past were no better than Christians too often are. And a bit more to the point, pagan religions were often pretty GRIM. And not in the least interested in having a "deep spiritual relationship with nature." And do many modern neo-pagans admit the Scandinavian pagans practiced human sacrifices? And let's not forget the mass human sacrifices and cannibalism of the Aztecs!
There were many reasons, both good and bad, why so many became Christians, after all.
Sean
Sean,
I stopped too soon. The Olmecs go on to do something much worse than merely killing Lisketer.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
And I look forward to your further comments about ISLAND IN THE STREAM OF TIME! I think I remember the gruesome thing the Olmecs did, but I'll keep quiet.
Sean
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