So we meet again, little
snarklings.
So we meet again, little
snarklings. As promised, this week, I’ll be diving into the
history
of the pentagram.
But first, allow me to
share with you a story that has to do with freedom of religion and respect.
In the 1990’s, then
governor George Bush said “I don’t think witchcraft is a religion and I wish
the military would take another look at (allowing for Wiccans to enlist in the
US Army) this and decide against this.”
This made the Wiccan
community furious, so to speak. Those who were killed in combat weren’t allowed
the pentagram symbol on their grave markers, which was a discrimination against
free religion. And then in 2005, a soldier by the name of Sergeant Patrick
Stewart was killed in combat. His wife, Roberta, joined the movement that was
demanding that Wicca be recognized as a religion. In 2006, the military finally
recognized Wicca as being a religion and the pentagram was approved to be
engraved on the headstones of fallen Wiccan soldiers. Bush apologized for his
statement later on.
Pentagrams were
originally used as a symbol by the Babylonians (people based in
central-southern Mesopotamia, now present day Iraq) and Pythagoreans (followers
of the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras, who influenced math, astronomy and
music). Nowadays, Pentagrams are used as a symbol of faith (like the Christian
cross, the Jewish Star of David). In the past, Christians assonated the
pentagram with the five wounds of Jesus Christ when he was crucified. Several
beliefs also associate the pentagram with magic.
“The word pentagram comes
from the Greek word πεντάγραμμον (pentagrammon),
a noun
form of πεντάγραμμος (pentagrammos) or πεντέγραμμος (pentegrammos),
a word meaning roughly "five-lined" or "five lines", from
πέντε (pente), "five"[5]
+ γραμμή (grammē), "line".” Wikipedia
Wiccans and Neopagans often make use of a pentagram enclosed in a
circle.
The Babylonians used the
pentagram for astrology, which represented the five then known planets
(Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Saturn and Venus).
Meanwhile, in Europe,
people thought that the pentagram meant evil. They rationalized that the five
points symbolized fire, earth, air, water and energy.
"Let us keep the figure of the Five-pointed Star always upright,
with the topmost triangle pointing to heaven, for it is the seat of wisdom, and
if the figure is reversed, perversion and evil will be the result," once
said someone famous. (Forgot their name, sorry!!!)
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa
and others perpetuated the popularity of the pentagram as a magic symbol,
attributing the five neoplatonic elements to the five points, in typical
Renaissance fashion. By the mid-19th century a further distinction had
developed amongst occultists regarding the pentagram's orientation. With a
single point upwards it depicted spirit presiding over the four elements of
matter, and was essentially "good". However, the influential writer Eliphas
Levi called it evil whenever the symbol appeared the other
way up.
Until we meet again. In
next week’s post, I shall be going over Gothic names and nicknames.
Please feel free to
follow the links that I have provided for more information on this week’s topic
or email me at viktoryarozetassi@hotmail.com
And please do not
hesitate to inform me of any errors that I make in my posts. I am always more
than happy to accept feedback and criticism.
NO COPTRIGHT INFRIGEMENT WAS MEANT IN THE MAKING OF THIS BLOG.
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