11-24-2009, 07:44 PM
Salut Dragos
And thanks for that link, is very interesting indeed. So, from what i understand, and how i see the things. Herodotus hear from greeks from Black Sea about Zalmoxis, but possible he knew more, since the author said that the ritual of sending a messenger to Zalmoxis is described very neutral, without comments, like a witness. However, this greeks doesnt understand well, and doesnt know well what exactly is about, and those getae believes was in many instances weird and bloody'barbarious to them. So, since they doesnt understand that, they pretend that getae was a barbarian and not to clever peoples, and try in the same time to relate that religion with something from their "side" (as they do "tying" gods of other peoples with their ones, as Hera with Tabitia of schytians, or something like that). The closest thing they found was with pythagoreic cult, but even there the author find diferences, and say that this zamolxian religion was something original, and is imposible to say who influenced who in Herodotus writings. Herodotus himself dismiss the greeks from Black Sea coast opinions, about Zalmoxis being a former slave of Pythagora or a charlatan, and said at the end that either was a god, a human or a "daimon", he believe Zalmoxis lived long before Pythagora. So, you are right, is hard to know when exactly he lived, and how exactly was his religionbut after all it was a religion of misteries, and apparently remain so until today. However, i think Dan Oltean say something more and much detailed about this subject, unfortunately i dont have his books.
As well, i think the writing of Julian the Apostate is based more on what Traian writed in his memoires (unfortunately lost today) from his war with Dacians, then in Herodotus writings, and his quoting of Traian is from that memoires, who basicaly said something similar with Herodotus. So, zamolxianism religion of dacians really existed, and the same Dan Oltean said that Deceneus was the one who make a reorganization, establishing a corp of priests, and even eliminating the ritual of sending the messenger to Zalmoxis, with a special cult of priests who lived on mountains, and from the top of the mountains they was able to "talk" with the god without to be necesary to send one to him.
As well, as i said, in old folklore believes, world is the same "build" as the one we know (even so little) from zamolxian cult, two worlds, one this one, and one "the other world", a heavenly one where peoples go, without the existence of a hell. Probably this one was a kind of hell, and the bad peoples either return here, even as the "undead" (strigoii, pricolicii, etc.), either will live in one of the lower "sky" acording with the same Oltean and his interpretations of remains from Sarmisegetuza, it was seven skies there, coresponding with the planets know then, and you need to pass thru all this to reach the highest one to Zalmoxis.
Anyway, i need to go now unfortunately, but wasnt Bendis brought by southern thracians from the north? I dont remember where i read that, posibly i mistake however.
And thanks for that link, is very interesting indeed. So, from what i understand, and how i see the things. Herodotus hear from greeks from Black Sea about Zalmoxis, but possible he knew more, since the author said that the ritual of sending a messenger to Zalmoxis is described very neutral, without comments, like a witness. However, this greeks doesnt understand well, and doesnt know well what exactly is about, and those getae believes was in many instances weird and bloody'barbarious to them. So, since they doesnt understand that, they pretend that getae was a barbarian and not to clever peoples, and try in the same time to relate that religion with something from their "side" (as they do "tying" gods of other peoples with their ones, as Hera with Tabitia of schytians, or something like that). The closest thing they found was with pythagoreic cult, but even there the author find diferences, and say that this zamolxian religion was something original, and is imposible to say who influenced who in Herodotus writings. Herodotus himself dismiss the greeks from Black Sea coast opinions, about Zalmoxis being a former slave of Pythagora or a charlatan, and said at the end that either was a god, a human or a "daimon", he believe Zalmoxis lived long before Pythagora. So, you are right, is hard to know when exactly he lived, and how exactly was his religionbut after all it was a religion of misteries, and apparently remain so until today. However, i think Dan Oltean say something more and much detailed about this subject, unfortunately i dont have his books.
As well, i think the writing of Julian the Apostate is based more on what Traian writed in his memoires (unfortunately lost today) from his war with Dacians, then in Herodotus writings, and his quoting of Traian is from that memoires, who basicaly said something similar with Herodotus. So, zamolxianism religion of dacians really existed, and the same Dan Oltean said that Deceneus was the one who make a reorganization, establishing a corp of priests, and even eliminating the ritual of sending the messenger to Zalmoxis, with a special cult of priests who lived on mountains, and from the top of the mountains they was able to "talk" with the god without to be necesary to send one to him.
As well, as i said, in old folklore believes, world is the same "build" as the one we know (even so little) from zamolxian cult, two worlds, one this one, and one "the other world", a heavenly one where peoples go, without the existence of a hell. Probably this one was a kind of hell, and the bad peoples either return here, even as the "undead" (strigoii, pricolicii, etc.), either will live in one of the lower "sky" acording with the same Oltean and his interpretations of remains from Sarmisegetuza, it was seven skies there, coresponding with the planets know then, and you need to pass thru all this to reach the highest one to Zalmoxis.
Anyway, i need to go now unfortunately, but wasnt Bendis brought by southern thracians from the north? I dont remember where i read that, posibly i mistake however.
Razvan A.
