The unverified theories of Professor R. G. Whatever: A hecatomb was originally a sacrifice to Hecate, which was one of the names of the ancient Great Goddess. Then, a hecatomb became a sacrifice of 100 cattle (hekatón=100), or generally of a great number of victims (12, 25, 50, 100...), and Hecate became a Goddess of witchcraft, ghosts, necromancy, etc According to Robert Graves, the sacrifices to the Great Goddess were originally fertility rites where the victims were men. Did sacrifices of great numbers of (male) human victims take place? Probably not, Robert Graves was masochistically fascinated by Laura Riding anyway :)
Posted on: Wed, 25 Jun 2014 17:09:36 +0000
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