Glossary - exWitch Australia (formerly 'Born Again Pagan')

ATTIS, Cult of

Prominent in Rome from 204 BC, and derived from the cult of the Phrygian Goddess Kybele (Cybele) and her consort son, Attis. It was also probably known to the Minoans and Mycenaeans and closely paralleled the rites of Adonis.

At the time of its introduction to Rome, the legions were engaged in a war of attrition with Hannibal and it was suggested by Oracles that, if the icon of the Mother Goddess in Phrygia was obtained from the sacred city of Pessinus, the war would be settled in Rome's favour. The icon, a jagged black stone, was collected and installed in the Temple of Victories on the Palatine Hill. The historical record shows that Hannibal's campaign was unsuccessful.

Attis was held in the tradition of the Mesopotamian dying and rising god and, while some stories attributed the cause of his death to the tusks of a wild boar, others had him castrate himself beneath the sacred tree of the Goddess Kybele where he bled to death. His corpse was transfigured into a pine tree until the time of his resurrection.

Allegedly the Greek priests of Kybele copied Attis' death in a bizarre act of self-denial. Once emasculated, these devotees, the Galli wore women's clothes and trappings for the rest of their lives while each year in their rites they would draw fresh blood from their arms and offer it in continuing Sacrifice.

The Romans honoured Attis' death on the Day of Blood, 22 March, beginning with the introduction of a decorated pine tree to the Temple of Kybele. Shortly afterwards, dressed in white, they ran through the streets gashing themselves with sharpened swords that had been placed strategically in scabbards by the roadside. They presented themselves thus before the blood-spattered Altar of the Goddess where they were joined by others who, as bystanders, had been driven to a frenzy by the sight of blood and had spontaneously castrated themselves.

Three days later, there ensued the Hilaria Festival preceded by an all-night vigil with candles, the event offering clear similarities with the Christian Good Friday and Easter rites.

Attis and his cult are fundamental to an understanding of the Mysteries and the death and restoration of the natural world in Pagan religions, which observe the seasons and their spiritual significance.

PLEASE NOTE:
One of the major problems with 'defining' Paganism and/or its beliefs and practices is that it is an 'organic' movement, in that it is undergoing constant change and re-evaluation from within, and as such any 'one-size-fits-all' approach to understanding Paganism will be found wanting.

Due to the very 'organic' nature of Paganism, and the many differing Paths and Traditions within it, in many cases no one defintion may be universally accepted by all Pagans. Therefore, where such cases of possible conflicting and/or contradictory meanings of certain terms occur I have endevoured to give not only the generally accepted meaning, but also any major 'variations' in belief and/or practice.

Christians who believe this difference in meaning of certain key terms, beliefs and practices to be unique to Paganism need to remember that such conflicts also arise within the Body of Christ - the Church. Take for instance the differring practices amongst Christians concerning Baptism and the different attitudes towards women in the clergy.

- Jean-Luc