Kapitel 88		Paper 88
Feticher, Amuletter Og Magi		Fetishes, Charms, and Magic
88:0.1 (967.1) OPFATTELSEN om, at en ånd kan bo i en død ting, et dyr eller et menneske, er en meget gammel og ærværdig tro, der har eksisteret siden udviklingen af religionen begyndte. Denne lære om åndebesiddelse er hverken mere eller mindre end fetichisme. Den vilde tilbad ikke nødvendigvis fetichen; helt logisk tilbad og ærede han ånden som boede deri.		88:0.1 (967.1) THE concept of a spirit’s entering into an inanimate object, an animal, or a human being, is a very ancient and honorable belief, having prevailed since the beginning of the evolution of religion. This doctrine of spirit possession is nothing more nor less than fetishism. The savage does not necessarily worship the fetish; he very logically worships and reverences the spirit resident therein.
88:0.2 (967.2) Først troede man, at en fetichs ånd var en død mands spøgelse; senere mente man, at de højere ånder boede i feticherne. Og så inkorporerede fetichkulten til sidst alle de primitive ideer om spøgelser, sjæle, ånder og dæmonbesættelse.		88:0.2 (967.2) At first, the spirit of a fetish was believed to be the ghost of a dead man; later on, the higher spirits were supposed to reside in fetishes. And so the fetish cult eventually incorporated all of the primitive ideas of ghosts, souls, spirits, and demon possession.
1. Troen på feticher ^top		1. Belief in Fetishes ^top
88:1.1 (967.3) Det primitive menneske ønskede altid at gøre noget ekstraordinært til en fetich, og tilfældigheder gav derfor ophav til mange. En mand er syg, noget sker, og han bliver rask. Det samme gælder for mange lægemidlers ry og de tilfældige metoder til at behandle sygdomme. Objekter, der var forbundet med drømme, blev sandsynligvis omdannet til feticher. Vulkaner, men ikke bjerge, blev feticher; kometer, men ikke stjerner. Det tidlige menneske betragtede stjerneskud og meteorer som tegn på, at særlige besøgende ånder var ankommet til jorden.		88:1.1 (967.3) Primitive man always wanted to make anything extraordinary into a fetish; chance therefore gave origin to many. A man is sick, something happens, and he gets well. The same thing is true of the reputation of many medicines and the chance methods of treating disease. Objects connected with dreams were likely to be converted into fetishes. Volcanoes, but not mountains, became fetishes; comets, but not stars. Early man regarded shooting stars and meteors as indicating the arrival on earth of special visiting spirits.
88:1.2 (967.4) De første feticher var særligt markerede småsten, og “hellige sten” er lige siden blevet søgt af mennesket; en perlekæde var engang en samling af hellige sten, et batteri af amuletter. Mange stammer havde fetichsten, men kun få har overlevet som Kaabaen og Scone-stenen. Ild og vand var også blandt de tidlige feticher, og ildtilbedelse sammen med troen på helligt vand overlever stadig.		88:1.2 (967.4) The first fetishes were peculiarly marked pebbles, and “sacred stones” have ever since been sought by man; a string of beads was once a collection of sacred stones, a battery of charms. Many tribes had fetish stones, but few have survived as have the Kaaba and the Stone of Scone. Fire and water were also among the early fetishes, and fire worship, together with belief in holy water, still survives.
88:1.3 (967.5) Træfeticher var en senere udvikling, men blandt nogle stammer førte den vedvarende tilbedelse af naturen til troen på amuletter beboet af en slags naturånd. Da planter og frugter blev feticher, blev de tabu som mad. Æblet var blandt de første til at i denne kategori; befolkningen i Mellemøsten spiste aldrig æbler.		88:1.3 (967.5) Tree fetishes were a later development, but among some tribes the persistence of nature worship led to belief in charms indwelt by some sort of nature spirit. When plants and fruits became fetishes, they were taboo as food. The apple was among the first to fall into this category; it was never eaten by the Levantine peoples.
88:1.4 (967.6) Hvis et dyr spiste menneskekød, blev det en fetich. På den måde blev hunden parsernes hellige dyr. Hvis fetichen er et dyr, og ånden bor der permanent, så kan fetichismen påvirke reinkarnationen. På mange måder misundte de vilde dyrene; de følte sig ikke overlegne i forhold til dem og blev ofte opkaldt efter deres yndlingsdyr.		88:1.4 (967.6) If an animal ate human flesh, it became a fetish. In this way the dog came to be the sacred animal of the Parsees. If the fetish is an animal and the ghost is permanently resident therein, then fetishism may impinge on reincarnation. In many ways the savages envied the animals; they did not feel superior to them and were often named after their favorite beasts.
88:1.5 (967.7) Da dyr blev feticher, opstod der tabuer mod at spise kødet fra fetichdyret. Aber og marekatte blev tidligt fetichdyr på grund af deres lighed med mennesket; senere blev slanger, fugle og svin også betragtet på samme måde. På et tidspunkt var koen en fetich, hvor mælken var tabu, mens ekskrementerne var højt værdsatte. Slangen blev æret i Palæstina, især af fønikerne, som sammen med jøderne anså den for at være talerør for onde ånder. Selv mange moderne mennesker tror på krybdyrenes magiske kræfter. Fra Arabien og videre gennem Indien til Moqui-stammens slangedans er slangen blevet æret.		88:1.5 (967.7) When animals became fetishes, there ensued the taboos on eating the flesh of the fetish animal. Apes and monkeys, because of resemblance to man, early became fetish animals; later, snakes, birds, and swine were also similarly regarded. At one time the cow was a fetish, the milk being taboo while the excreta were highly esteemed. The serpent was revered in Palestine, especially by the Phoenicians, who, along with the Jews, considered it to be the mouthpiece of evil spirits. Even many moderns believe in the charm powers of reptiles. From Arabia on through India to the snake dance of the Moqui tribe of red men the serpent has been revered.
88:1.6 (968.1) Visse ugedage var feticher. Fredag har i umindelige tider været betragtet som en uheldig dag, og tallet tretten som et ondt tal. Lykketallene tre og syv kom fra senere åbenbaringer; fire var det primitive menneskes lykketal og blev afledt af den tidlige anerkendelse af de fire kompasretninger. Det blev anset for uheldigt at tælle kvæg eller andre ejendele; de gamle var altid imod at foretage en folketælling, “at tælle folket.”		88:1.6 (968.1) Certain days of the week were fetishes. For ages Friday has been regarded as an unlucky day and the number thirteen as an evil numeral. The lucky numbers three and seven came from later revelations; four was the lucky number of primitive man and was derived from the early recognition of the four points of the compass. It was held unlucky to count cattle or other possessions; the ancients always opposed the taking of a census, “numbering the people.”
88:1.7 (968.2) Det primitive menneske gjorde ikke en unødig fetich ud af sex; den reproduktive funktion fik kun en begrænset mængde opmærksomhed. De vilde var naturligt indstillede, ikke obskøne eller liderlige.		88:1.7 (968.2) Primitive man did not make an undue fetish out of sex; the reproductive function received only a limited amount of attention. The savage was natural minded, not obscene or prurient.
88:1.8 (968.3) Spyt var en potent fetich; djævle kunne drives ud ved at spytte på en person. Hvis en ældre eller overordnet spyttede på en, var det den største kompliment. Dele af menneskekroppen blev betragtet som potentielle feticher, især hår og negle. Høvdingens lange fingernegle var højt værdsatte, og afpudsningen af dem var en stærk fetich. Troen på kranie-feticher forklarer en stor del af senere tiders hovedjagt. Navlestrengen var en højt værdsat fetich; selv i dag betragtes den sådan i Afrika. Menneskets første legetøj var en bevaret navlestreng. Den var besat med perler, som man ofte gjorde, og var menneskets første halskæde.		88:1.8 (968.3) Saliva was a potent fetish; devils could be driven out by spitting on a person. For an elder or superior to spit on one was the highest compliment. Parts of the human body were looked upon as potential fetishes, particularly the hair and nails. The long-growing fingernails of the chiefs were highly prized, and the trimmings thereof were a powerful fetish. Belief in skull fetishes accounts for much of later-day head-hunting. The umbilical cord was a highly prized fetish; even today it is so regarded in Africa. Mankind’s first toy was a preserved umbilical cord. Set with pearls, as was often done, it was man’s first necklace.
88:1.9 (968.4) Pukkelryggede og forkrøblede børn blev betragtet som feticher, og man troede, at sindssyge var måneskinsramte. Det primitive menneske kunne ikke skelne mellem geni og sindssyge; idioter blev enten slået ihjel eller æret som fetich-personligheder. Hysteri bekræftede i stigende grad den populære tro på hekseri; epileptikere var ofte præster og medicinmænd. Fuldskab blev betragtet som en form for åndebesættelse; når en vild gik amok, satte han et blad i håret med det formål at fralægge sig ansvaret for sine handlinger. Gifte og rusmidler blev feticher; de blev anset for at være besatte.		88:1.9 (968.4) Hunchbacked and crippled children were regarded as fetishes; lunatics were believed to be moon-struck. Primitive man could not distinguish between genius and insanity; idiots were either beaten to death or revered as fetish personalities. Hysteria increasingly confirmed the popular belief in witchcraft; epileptics often were priests and medicine men. Drunkenness was looked upon as a form of spirit possession; when a savage went on a spree, he put a leaf in his hair for the purpose of disavowing responsibility for his acts. Poisons and intoxicants became fetishes; they were deemed to be possessed.
88:1.10 (968.5) Mange mennesker betragtede genier som fetich-personligheder, der var besat af en klog ånd. Og disse talentfulde mennesker lærte snart at ty til svindel og bedrag for at fremme deres egoistiske interesser. En fetichmand blev anset for at være mere end et menneske; han var guddommelig, endda ufejlbarlig. Således fik høvdinge, konger, præster, profeter og kirkeledere til sidst stor magt og udøvede ubegrænset autoritet.		88:1.10 (968.5) Many people looked upon geniuses as fetish personalities possessed by a wise spirit. And these talented humans soon learned to resort to fraud and trickery for the advancement of their selfish interests. A fetish man was thought to be more than human; he was divine, even infallible. Thus did chiefs, kings, priests, prophets, and church rulers eventually wield great power and exercise unbounded authority.
2. Fetichens udvikling ^top		2. Evolution of the Fetish ^top
88:2.1 (968.6) Det var en formodet præference hos spøgelser at bo i en genstand, som havde tilhørt dem, da de levede i kødet. Denne tro forklarer effekten af mange moderne relikvier. De gamle dyrkede altid deres lederes knogler, og skeletterne af helgener og helte betragtes stadig med overtroisk ærefrygt af mange. Selv i dag foretager man pilgrimsrejser til store mænds grave.		88:2.1 (968.6) It was a supposed preference of ghosts to indwell some object which had belonged to them when alive in the flesh. This belief explains the efficacy of many modern relics. The ancients always revered the bones of their leaders, and the skeletal remains of saints and heroes are still regarded with superstitious awe by many. Even today, pilgrimages are made to the tombs of great men.
88:2.2 (968.7) Troen på relikvier er en udløber af den gamle fetichkult. Relikvierne i de moderne religioner er et forsøg på at rationalisere vildmandens fetich og dermed give den en værdig og respektabel plads i de moderne religiøse systemer. Det er hedensk at tro på feticher og magi, men angiveligt helt i orden at acceptere relikvier og mirakler.		88:2.2 (968.7) Belief in relics is an outgrowth of the ancient fetish cult. The relics of modern religions represent an attempt to rationalize the fetish of the savage and thus elevate it to a place of dignity and respectability in the modern religious systems. It is heathenish to believe in fetishes and magic but supposedly all right to accept relics and miracles.
88:2.3 (969.1) Ildstedet—arnen—blev mere eller mindre en fetich, et helligt sted. Helligdomme og templer var først fetichsteder, fordi de døde blev begravet der. Hebræernes fetichhytte blev af Moses ophøjet til det sted, hvor den rummede en superfetich, den daværende opfattelse af Guds lov. Men israelitterne opgav aldrig den særegne kanaanæiske tro på stenalteret: “Og denne sten, som jeg har rejst som en søjle, skal være Guds hus.” De troede virkelig, at deres Guds ånd boede i sådanne stenaltre, som i virkeligheden var feticher.		88:2.3 (969.1) The hearth—fireplace—became more or less of a fetish, a sacred spot. The shrines and temples were at first fetish places because the dead were buried there. The fetish hut of the Hebrews was elevated by Moses to that place where it harbored a superfetish, the then existent concept of the law of God. But the Israelites never gave up the peculiar Canaanite belief in the stone altar: “And this stone which I have set up as a pillar shall be God’s house.” They truly believed that the spirit of their God dwelt in such stone altars, which were in reality fetishes.
88:2.4 (969.2) De tidligste billeder blev lavet for at bevare de berømte dødes udseende og minde; de var virkelig monumenter. Afguder var en forfinelse af fetichisme. De primitive troede, at en indvielsesceremoni fik ånden til at gå ind i billedet; på samme måde blev visse genstande til amuletter, når de blev velsignet.		88:2.4 (969.2) The earliest images were made to preserve the appearance and memory of the illustrious dead; they were really monuments. Idols were a refinement of fetishism. The primitives believed that a ceremony of consecration caused the spirit to enter the image; likewise, when certain objects were blessed, they became charms.
88:2.5 (969.3) Da Moses tilføjede det andet bud til det gamle dalamatiske moralkodeks, gjorde han en indsats for at kontrollere hebræernes fetichdyrkelse. Han instruerede omhyggeligt om, at de ikke måtte lave nogen form for billeder, der kunne blive indviet som en fetich. Han gjorde det klart: “Du må ikke lave et udhugget billede eller nogen afbildning af noget, der er i himlen ovenover eller på jorden nedenunder eller i jordens vande.” Mens dette bud gjorde meget for at bremse kunsten blandt jøderne, mindskede det fetichdyrkelsen. Men Moses var for klog til pludselig at forsøge at fortrænge de gamle feticher, og han gik derfor med til, at visse relikvier blev anbragt sammen med loven i en kombination af krigsalteret og den religiøse helligdom, som arken var.		88:2.5 (969.3) Moses, in the addition of the second commandment to the ancient Dalamatian moral code, made an effort to control fetish worship among the Hebrews. He carefully directed that they should make no sort of image that might become consecrated as a fetish. He made it plain, “You shall not make a graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or on the earth beneath, or in the waters of the earth.” While this commandment did much to retard art among the Jews, it did lessen fetish worship. But Moses was too wise to attempt suddenly to displace the olden fetishes, and he therefore consented to the putting of certain relics alongside the law in the combined war altar and religious shrine which was the ark.
88:2.6 (969.4) Ord blev til sidst feticher, især dem, der blev betragtet som Guds ord; på denne måde er de hellige bøger i mange religioner blevet fetichistiske fængsler, der indespærrer menneskets åndelige fantasi. Selve Moses’ indsats mod feticher blev til en suveræn fetich; hans bud blev senere brugt til at fordumme kunsten og hæmme nydelsen og tilbedelsen af det smukke.		88:2.6 (969.4) Words eventually became fetishes, more especially those which were regarded as God’s words; in this way the sacred books of many religions have become fetishistic prisons incarcerating the spiritual imagination of man. Moses’ very effort against fetishes became a supreme fetish; his commandment was later used to stultify art and to retard the enjoyment and adoration of the beautiful.
88:2.7 (969.5) I gamle dage var autoritetens fetichord en frygtindgydende doktrin, den mest forfærdelige af alle tyranner, som slavebinder mennesker. En doktrinær fetich vil få det dødelige menneske til at forråde sig selv i kløerne på bigotteri, fanatisme, overtro, intolerance og de mest afskyelige barbariske grusomheder. Den moderne respekt for visdom og sandhed er blot den seneste flugt fra fetich-tendensen op til de højere niveauer af tænkning og ræsonnement. Med hensyn til de akkumulerede fetichskrifter, som forskellige religionister betragter som hellige bøger, tror man ikke kun, at det, der står i bogen, er sandt, men også at enhver sandhed er indeholdt i bogen. Hvis en af disse hellige bøger tilfældigvis taler om, at jorden er flad, så vil ellers fornuftige mænd og kvinder i lange generationer nægte at acceptere positive beviser for, at planeten er rund.		88:2.7 (969.5) In olden times the fetish word of authority was a fear-inspiring doctrine, the most terrible of all tyrants which enslave men. A doctrinal fetish will lead mortal man to betray himself into the clutches of bigotry, fanaticism, superstition, intolerance, and the most atrocious of barbarous cruelties. Modern respect for wisdom and truth is but the recent escape from the fetish-making tendency up to the higher levels of thinking and reasoning. Concerning the accumulated fetish writings which various religionists hold as sacred books, it is not only believed that what is in the book is true, but also that every truth is contained in the book. If one of these sacred books happens to speak of the earth as being flat, then, for long generations, otherwise sane men and women will refuse to accept positive evidence that the planet is round.
88:2.8 (969.6) Praksissen med at åbne en af disse hellige bøger for at lade øjet falde på en passage, hvis læsning kan være afgørende for vigtige livsbeslutninger eller projekter, er hverken mere eller mindre end en grov form for fetichisme. At aflægge ed på en “hellig bog” eller at sværge ved et objekt af højeste ærbødighed er en form for raffineret fetichisme.		88:2.8 (969.6) The practice of opening one of these sacred books to let the eye chance upon a passage, the following of which may determine important life decisions or projects, is nothing more nor less than arrant fetishism. To take an oath on a “holy book” or to swear by some object of supreme veneration is a form of refined fetishism.
88:2.9 (969.7) Men det repræsenterer et reelt evolutionært fremskridt at gå fra fetichfrygt for en vild høvdings neglebånd til tilbedelse af en fantastisk samling af breve, love, legender, allegorier, myter, digte og krøniker, som trods alt afspejler mange århundreders moralske visdom, i det mindste op til det tidspunkt og den begivenhed, hvor de blev samlet som en “hellig bog.”		88:2.9 (969.7) But it does represent real evolutionary progress to advance from the fetish fear of a savage chief’s fingernail trimmings to the adoration of a superb collection of letters, laws, legends, allegories, myths, poems, and chronicles which, after all, reflect the winnowed moral wisdom of many centuries, at least up to the time and event of their being assembled as a “sacred book.”
88:2.10 (970.1) For at blive feticher måtte ord betragtes som inspirerede, og påkaldelsen af formodede guddommeligt inspirerede skrifter førte direkte til etableringen af kirkens autoritet, mens udviklingen af civile former førte til realiseringen af statens autoritet.		88:2.10 (970.1) To become fetishes, words had to be considered inspired, and the invocation of supposed divinely inspired writings led directly to the establishment of the authority of the church, while the evolution of civil forms led to the fruition of the authority of the state.
3. Totemisme ^top		3. Totemism ^top
88:3.1 (970.2) Fetichismen løb gennem alle de primitive kulter fra den tidligste tro på hellige sten, gennem afgudsdyrkelse, kannibalisme og naturtilbedelse, til totemisme.		88:3.1 (970.2) Fetishism ran through all the primitive cults from the earliest belief in sacred stones, through idolatry, cannibalism, and nature worship, to totemism.
88:3.2 (970.3) Totemisme er en kombination af sociale og religiøse skikke. Oprindeligt troede man, at respekt for totemdyret af formodet biologisk oprindelse sikrede fødevareforsyningen. Totemerne var på en og samme tid symboler på gruppen og deres gud. En sådan gud var klanen personificeret. Totemisme var en fase i forsøget på at socialisere en ellers personlig religion. Totemet udviklede sig til sidst til flaget eller nationalsymbolet for de forskellige moderne folkeslag.		88:3.2 (970.3) Totemism is a combination of social and religious observances. Originally it was thought that respect for the totem animal of supposed biologic origin insured the food supply. Totems were at one and the same time symbols of the group and their god. Such a god was the clan personified. Totemism was one phase of the attempted socialization of otherwise personal religion. The totem eventually evolved into the flag, or national symbol, of the various modern peoples.
88:3.3 (970.4) En fetichpose, en medicinpose, var en pose, der indeholdt et velrenommeret udvalg af spøgelsesimprægnerede artikler, og den gamle medicinmand tillod aldrig, at hans pose, symbolet på hans magt, rørte jorden. Civiliserede folk i det tyvende århundrede sørger for, at deres flag, symbolerne på den nationale bevidsthed, heller aldrig rører jorden.		88:3.3 (970.4) A fetish bag, a medicine bag, was a pouch containing a reputable assortment of ghost-impregnated articles, and the medicine man of old never allowed his bag, the symbol of his power, to touch the ground. Civilized peoples in the twentieth century see to it that their flags, emblems of national consciousness, likewise never touch the ground.
88:3.4 (970.5) Insignierne for præste- og kongeembeder blev til sidst betragtet som feticher, og fetichen for den øverste stat har gennemgået mange udviklingsstadier, fra klaner til stammer, fra overherredømme til suverænitet, fra totemer til flag. Fetichkonger har regeret med “guddommelig ret,” og der har været mange andre styreformer. Mennesker har også gjort demokrati til en fetich, ophøjelsen og tilbedelsen af den almindelige mands ideer, når de kollektivt kaldes “den offentlige mening.” En mands mening er i sig selv ikke meget værd, men når mange mennesker sammen fungerer som et demokrati, bliver den samme middelmådige dom anset for at være retfærdighedens dommer og retskaffenhedens standard.		88:3.4 (970.5) The insignia of priestly and kingly office were eventually regarded as fetishes, and the fetish of the state supreme has passed through many stages of development, from clans to tribes, from suzerainty to sovereignty, from totems to flags. Fetish kings have ruled by “divine right,” and many other forms of government have obtained. Men have also made a fetish of democracy, the exaltation and adoration of the common man’s ideas when collectively called “public opinion.” One man’s opinion, when taken by itself, is not regarded as worth much, but when many men are collectively functioning as a democracy, this same mediocre judgment is held to be the arbiter of justice and the standard of righteousness.
4. Magi ^top		4. Magic ^top
88:4.1 (970.6) Det civiliserede menneske angriber problemerne i et virkeligt miljø gennem sin videnskab; det vilde menneske forsøgte at løse de virkelige problemer i et illusorisk spøgelsesmiljø ved hjælp af magi. Magi var teknikken til at manipulere det formodede åndemiljø, hvis intriger i det uendelige forklarede det uforklarlige; det var kunsten at opnå frivilligt åndesamarbejde og at tvinge ufrivillig åndehjælp gennem brug af feticher eller andre og mere magtfulde ånder.		88:4.1 (970.6) Civilized man attacks the problems of a real environment through his science; savage man attempted to solve the real problems of an illusory ghost environment by magic. Magic was the technique of manipulating the conjectured spirit environment whose machinations endlessly explained the inexplicable; it was the art of obtaining voluntary spirit co-operation and of coercing involuntary spirit aid through the use of fetishes or other and more powerful spirits.
88:4.2 (970.7) Formålet med magi, trolddom og nekromanti var todelt:		88:4.2 (970.7) The object of magic, sorcery, and necromancy was twofold:
88:4.3 (970.8) 1. At få indsigt i fremtiden.		88:4.3 (970.8) 1. To secure insight into the future.
88:4.4 (970.9) 2. Positivt at påvirke omgivelserne.		88:4.4 (970.9) 2. Favorably to influence environment.
88:4.5 (970.10) Videnskabens formål er identiske med magiens. Menneskeheden udvikler sig fra magi til videnskab, ikke ved meditation og fornuft, men snarere gennem lang erfaring, gradvist og smertefuldt. Mennesket bakker gradvist ind i sandheden, begynder i fejl, fortsætter i fejl og når til sidst frem til sandhedens tærskel. Det er først med den videnskabelige metode, at det har bevæget sig fremad. Men det primitive menneske var nødt til at eksperimentere eller gå til grunde.		88:4.5 (970.10) The objects of science are identical with those of magic. Mankind is progressing from magic to science, not by meditation and reason, but rather through long experience, gradually and painfully. Man is gradually backing into the truth, beginning in error, progressing in error, and finally attaining the threshold of truth. Only with the arrival of the scientific method has he faced forward. But primitive man had to experiment or perish.
88:4.6 (970.11) Den tidlige overtros fascination var moderen til den senere videnskabelige nysgerrighed. Der var en progressiv dynamisk følelse—frygt plus nysgerrighed—i denne primitive overtro; der var en progressiv drivkraft i den gamle magi. Denne overtro repræsenterede fremkomsten af det menneskelige ønske om at kende og kontrollere det planetariske miljø.		88:4.6 (970.11) The fascination of early superstition was the mother of the later scientific curiosity. There was progressive dynamic emotion—fear plus curiosity—in these primitive superstitions; there was progressive driving power in the olden magic. These superstitions represented the emergence of the human desire to know and to control planetary environment.
88:4.7 (971.1) Magien fik så stærkt et greb om de vilde, fordi de ikke kunne forstå begrebet naturlig død. Den senere idé om arvesynden hjalp meget med at svække magiens greb om racen, fordi den gjorde rede for den naturlige død. På et tidspunkt var det slet ikke ualmindeligt, at ti uskyldige personer blev henrettet på grund af det formodede ansvar for én naturlig død. Det er en af grundene til, at de gamle folkeslag ikke voksede hurtigere, og det gælder stadig for nogle afrikanske stammer. Den anklagede tilstod som regel sin skyld, selv når han stod over for døden.		88:4.7 (971.1) Magic gained such a strong hold upon the savage because he could not grasp the concept of natural death. The later idea of original sin helped much to weaken the grip of magic on the race in that it accounted for natural death. It was at one time not at all uncommon for ten innocent persons to be put to death because of supposed responsibility for one natural death. This is one reason why ancient peoples did not increase faster, and it is still true of some African tribes. The accused individual usually confessed guilt, even when facing death.
88:4.8 (971.2) Magi er naturligt for en vild. Han tror, at en fjende rent faktisk kan dræbes ved at udøve trolddom på hans krøllede hår eller afklippede negle. Dødeligheden af slangebid blev tilskrevet troldmandens magi. Vanskeligheden ved at bekæmpe magi skyldes, at frygt kan dræbe. Primitive folkeslag frygtede magi så meget, at den faktisk dræbte, og sådanne resultater var tilstrækkelige til at underbygge denne fejlagtige tro. I tilfælde af fiasko var der altid en plausibel forklaring; kuren mod defekt magi var mere magi.		88:4.8 (971.2) Magic is natural to a savage. He believes that an enemy can actually be killed by practicing sorcery on his shingled hair or fingernail trimmings. The fatality of snake bites was attributed to the magic of the sorcerer. The difficulty in combating magic arises from the fact that fear can kill. Primitive peoples so feared magic that it did actually kill, and such results were sufficient to substantiate this erroneous belief. In case of failure there was always some plausible explanation; the cure for defective magic was more magic.
5. Magiske amuletter ^top		5. Magical Charms ^top
88:5.1 (971.3) Da alt, hvad der havde med kroppen at gøre, kunne blive en fetich, havde den tidligste magi at gøre med hår og negle. Hemmelighedskræmmeri i forbindelse med udskillelser fra kroppen opstod af frygt for, at en fjende kunne komme i besiddelse af noget, der stammede fra kroppen, og bruge det i skadelig magi; alle kroppens ekskrementer blev derfor omhyggeligt begravet. Man afholdt sig fra at spytte offentligt af frygt for, at spyt skulle blive brugt til skadelig magi; spyt blev altid dækket til. Selv madrester, tøj og smykker kunne blive magiske redskaber. Den vilde efterlod aldrig nogen rester af sit måltid på bordet. Og alt dette blev gjort af frygt for, at ens fjender kunne bruge disse ting i magiske ritualer, ikke ud fra en vurdering af den hygiejniske værdi af sådanne praksisser.		88:5.1 (971.3) Since anything connected with the body could become a fetish, the earliest magic had to do with hair and nails. Secrecy attendant upon body elimination grew up out of fear that an enemy might get possession of something derived from the body and employ it in detrimental magic; all excreta of the body were therefore carefully buried. Public spitting was refrained from because of the fear that saliva would be used in deleterious magic; spittle was always covered. Even food remnants, clothing, and ornaments could become instruments of magic. The savage never left any remnants of his meal on the table. And all this was done through fear that one’s enemies might use these things in magical rites, not from any appreciation of the hygienic value of such practices.
88:5.2 (971.4) Magiske amuletter blev brygget af mange forskellige ting: menneskekød, tigerkløer, krokodilletænder, frø fra giftige planter, slangegift og menneskehår. De dødes knogler var meget magiske. Selv støvet fra fodaftryk kunne bruges i magi. De gamle troede meget på kærlighedsmagi. Blod og andre former for kropssekreter var i stand til at sikre kærlighedens magiske indflydelse.		88:5.2 (971.4) Magical charms were concocted from a great variety of things: human flesh, tiger claws, crocodile teeth, poison plant seeds, snake venom, and human hair. The bones of the dead were very magical. Even the dust from footprints could be used in magic. The ancients were great believers in love charms. Blood and other forms of bodily secretions were able to insure the magic influence of love.
88:5.3 (971.5) Billeder blev anset for at være effektive i magi. Man lavede afbildninger, og når de blev behandlet dårligt eller godt, troede man, at de samme effekter ville ramme den virkelige person. Ved køb tyggede overtroiske personer på et stykke hårdt træ for at blødgøre sælgerens hjerte.		88:5.3 (971.5) Images were supposed to be effective in magic. Effigies were made, and when treated ill or well, the same effects were believed to rest upon the real person. When making purchases, superstitious persons would chew a bit of hard wood in order to soften the heart of the seller.
88:5.4 (971.6) Mælken fra en sort ko var meget magisk, og det samme var sorte katte. Staven eller tryllestaven var magisk sammen med trommer, klokker og knuder. Alle gamle genstande var magiske amuletter. En ny eller højere civilisations praksis blev set på med misbilligelse på grund af deres formodede onde magiske natur. Skrivning, trykning og billeder blev længe betragtet sådan.		88:5.4 (971.6) The milk of a black cow was highly magical; so also were black cats. The staff or wand was magical, along with drums, bells, and knots. All ancient objects were magical charms. The practices of a new or higher civilization were looked upon with disfavor because of their supposedly evil magical nature. Writing, printing, and pictures were long so regarded.
88:5.5 (971.7) Det primitive menneske mente, at navne skulle behandles med respekt, især gudernes navne. Navnet blev betragtet som en enhed, en indflydelse, der var forskellig fra den fysiske personlighed; det blev værdsat på lige fod med sjælen og skyggen. Navne blev sat i pant for lån; en mand kunne ikke bruge sit navn, før det var blevet indløst ved betaling af lånet. I dag underskriver man en seddel med sit navn. Et individs navn blev snart vigtigt i magien. De vilde havde to navne; det vigtige blev betragtet som for helligt til at bruge ved almindelige lejligheder, derfor det andet eller hverdagsnavnet—et kælenavn. Han fortalte aldrig sit rigtige navn til fremmede. Enhver oplevelse af usædvanlig karakter fik ham til at ændre sit navn; nogle gange var det i et forsøg på at helbrede sygdom eller stoppe uheld. Den vilde kunne få et nyt navn ved at købe det af stammens høvding; mænd investerer stadig i titler og grader. Men blandt de mest primitive stammer, som f.eks. de afrikanske buskmænd, findes der ikke individuelle navne.		88:5.5 (971.7) Primitive man believed that names must be treated with respect, especially names of the gods. The name was regarded as an entity, an influence distinct from the physical personality; it was esteemed equally with the soul and the shadow. Names were pawned for loans; a man could not use his name until it had been redeemed by payment of the loan. Nowadays one signs his name to a note. An individual’s name soon became important in magic. The savage had two names; the important one was regarded as too sacred to use on ordinary occasions, hence the second or everyday name—a nickname. He never told his real name to strangers. Any experience of an unusual nature caused him to change his name; sometimes it was in an effort to cure disease or to stop bad luck. The savage could get a new name by buying it from the tribal chief; men still invest in titles and degrees. But among the most primitive tribes, such as the African Bushmen, individual names do not exist.
6. Udøvelse af magi ^top		6. The Practice of Magic ^top
88:6.1 (972.1) Magi blev udøvet ved hjælp af tryllestave, “medicin” ritualer og besværgelser, og det var almindeligt, at udøveren arbejdede uden tøj på. Der var flere kvinder end mænd blandt de primitive magikere. I magi betyder “medicin” mysterium, ikke behandling. Den vilde behandlede aldrig sig selv; han brugte aldrig medicin undtagen efter råd fra specialister i magi. Og voodoo-lægerne i det tyvende århundrede er typiske for de gamle magikere.		88:6.1 (972.1) Magic was practiced through the use of wands, “medicine” ritual, and incantations, and it was customary for the practitioner to work unclothed. Women outnumbered the men among primitive magicians. In magic, “medicine” means mystery, not treatment. The savage never doctored himself; he never used medicines except on the advice of the specialists in magic. And the voodoo doctors of the twentieth century are typical of the magicians of old.
88:6.2 (972.2) Der var både en offentlig og en privat fase af magien. Den, der blev udført af medicinmanden, shamanen eller præsten, skulle være til gavn for hele stammen. Hekse, troldmænd og troldkvinder udøvede privat magi, personlig og egoistisk magi, som blev brugt som en tvangsmetode til at bringe ondskab over ens fjender. Konceptet om dobbelt spiritisme, gode og onde ånder, gav anledning til den senere tro på hvid og sort magi. Og efterhånden som religionen udviklede sig, blev magi den betegnelse, man brugte om åndeoperationer uden for ens egen kult, og det henviste også til ældre spøgelsestro.		88:6.2 (972.2) There was both a public and a private phase to magic. That performed by the medicine man, shaman, or priest was supposed to be for the good of the whole tribe. Witches, sorcerers, and wizards dispensed private magic, personal and selfish magic which was employed as a coercive method of bringing evil on one’s enemies. The concept of dual spiritism, good and bad spirits, gave rise to the later beliefs in white and black magic. And as religion evolved, magic was the term applied to spirit operations outside one’s own cult, and it also referred to older ghost beliefs.
88:6.3 (972.3) Ordkombinationer, rituelle sange og besværgelser, var meget magiske. Nogle tidlige besværgelser udviklede sig til sidst til bønner. På nuværende tidspunkt praktiserede man imiteret magi; bønner blev spillet; magiske danse var intet andet end dramatiske bønner. Bønnen fortrængte gradvist magien som offerets partner.		88:6.3 (972.3) Word combinations, the ritual of chants and incantations, were highly magical. Some early incantations finally evolved into prayers. Presently, imitative magic was practiced; prayers were acted out; magical dances were nothing but dramatic prayers. Prayer gradually displaced magic as the associate of sacrifice.
88:6.4 (972.4) Gestik, som var ældre end tale, var mere hellig og magisk, og man mente, at mimik havde en stærk magisk kraft. De røde mennesker iscenesatte ofte en bøffeldans, hvor en af dem spillede rollen som bøffel og, når han blev fanget, sikrede succes for den forestående jagt. Sexfestlighederne på 1. maj var simpelthen imiteret magi, en suggestiv appel til planteverdenens seksuelle lidenskaber. Dukken blev først brugt som en magisk talisman af den ufrugtbare hustru.		88:6.4 (972.4) Gesture, being older than speech, was the more holy and magical, and mimicry was believed to have strong magical power. The red men often staged a buffalo dance in which one of their number would play the part of a buffalo and, in being caught, would insure the success of the impending hunt. The sex festivities of May Day were simply imitative magic, a suggestive appeal to the sex passions of the plant world. The doll was first employed as a magic talisman by the barren wife.
88:6.5 (972.5) Magi var den gren på det evolutionære religiøse træ, som til sidst bar frugten af en videnskabelig tidsalder. Troen på astrologi førte til udviklingen af astronomi, troen på de vises sten førte til beherskelsen af metaller, mens troen på magiske tal grundlagde den matematiske videnskab.		88:6.5 (972.5) Magic was the branch off the evolutionary religious tree which eventually bore the fruit of a scientific age. Belief in astrology led to the development of astronomy; belief in a philosopher’s stone led to the mastery of metals, while belief in magic numbers founded the science of mathematics.
88:6.6 (972.6) En verden, der var så fyldt med magiske handlinger bidrog meget til at ødelægge alle personlige ambitioner og initiativ. Frugterne af ekstra arbejdskraft eller af flid blev betragtet som magiske. Hvis en mand havde mere korn i sin mark end sin nabo, kunne han blive kaldt frem for høvdingen og anklaget for at have lokket dette ekstra korn fra den dovne nabos mark. Under barbariets dage var det faktisk farligt at vide særligt meget; der var altid en chance for at blive henrettet som en sort kunstner.		88:6.6 (972.6) But a world so filled with charms did much to destroy all personal ambition and initiative. The fruits of extra labor or of diligence were looked upon as magical. If a man had more grain in his field than his neighbor, he might be haled before the chief and charged with enticing this extra grain from the indolent neighbor’s field. Indeed, in the days of barbarism it was dangerous to know very much; there was always the chance of being executed as a black artist.
88:6.7 (972.7) Gradvist fjerner videnskaben hasardelementet fra livet. Men hvis moderne uddannelsesmetoder skulle slå fejl, ville der næsten øjeblikkeligt ske en tilbagevenden til den primitive tro på magi. Denne overtro lever stadig i mange såkaldt civiliserede menneskers sind. Sproget indeholder mange fossiler, der vidner om, at racen længe har været gennemsyret af magisk overtro, f.eks. ord som tryllebundet, forhekset, besættelse, spiritisme, fortryllelse, tordenskræk og ærefrygt. Og intelligente mennesker tror stadig på held og lykke, det onde øje og astrologi.		88:6.7 (972.7) Gradually science is removing the gambling element from life. But if modern methods of education should fail, there would be an almost immediate reversion to the primitive beliefs in magic. These superstitions still linger in the minds of many so-called civilized people. Language contains many fossils which testify that the race has long been steeped in magical superstition, such words as spellbound, ill-starred, possessions, inspiration, spirit away, ingenuity, entrancing, thunderstruck, and astonished. And intelligent human beings still believe in good luck, the evil eye, and astrology.
88:6.8 (973.1) Oldtidens magi var den moderne videnskabs puppe, uundværlig i sin tid, men nu ikke længere brugbar. Og på den måde oprørte fantasierne fra uvidende overtro menneskenes primitive sind, indtil videnskabens begreber kunne fødes. I dag befinder Urantia sig i tusmørkezonen af denne intellektuelle evolution. Den ene halvdel af verden griber ivrigt efter sandhedens lys og de videnskabelige opdagelsers kendsgerninger, mens den anden halvdel sygner hen i armene på ældgammel overtro og kun tyndt forklædt magi.		88:6.8 (973.1) Ancient magic was the cocoon of modern science, indispensable in its time but now no longer useful. And so the phantasms of ignorant superstition agitated the primitive minds of men until the concepts of science could be born. Today, Urantia is in the twilight zone of this intellectual evolution. One half the world is grasping eagerly for the light of truth and the facts of scientific discovery, while the other half languishes in the arms of ancient superstition and but thinly disguised magic.
88:6.9 (973.2) [Præsenteret af en Strålende Aftenstjerne fra Nebadon.]		88:6.9 (973.2) [Presented by a Brilliant Evening Star of Nebadon.]