Samson and the Bees as a Myth: An Anthropological Reading
In this article I suggest that the biblical Samson story (Judges 13-16, 18) is a late reconstruction of a pagan myth recounting the life, deeds, and death of Samson the magician. When Samson senses that his death is imminent, he performs a private resurrection ritual for himself, in which bees, acco...
| Autres titres: | Special issue: Bees and Honey in Religions |
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| Auteur principal: | |
| Type de support: | Électronique Article |
| Langue: | Anglais |
| Vérifier la disponibilité: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | En cours de chargement...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Publié: |
Equinox Publ.
2020
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| Dans: |
Journal for the study of religion, nature and culture
Année: 2020, Volume: 14, Numéro: 3, Pages: 351-369 |
| Sujets / Chaînes de mots-clés standardisés: | B
Bibel. Juge 13-16
/ Bibel. Juge 13,18
/ Simson, Personnage biblique
/ Mythe
/ Lion
/ Apidés (Famille)
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| RelBib Classification: | CD Christianisme et culture HB Ancien Testament NBE Anthropologie |
| Sujets non-standardisés: | B
Resurrection
B structural analysis B Myth B Rituel B Life B Lion B Death B Bees B Sympathetic Magic B Samson |
| Accès en ligne: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Résumé: | In this article I suggest that the biblical Samson story (Judges 13-16, 18) is a late reconstruction of a pagan myth recounting the life, deeds, and death of Samson the magician. When Samson senses that his death is imminent, he performs a private resurrection ritual for himself, in which bees, accompanied by a lion, play a central role. As in myths from some neighboring cultures, in the Samson myth bees are blessed with the supernatural power to return to life in the spring after dying in the winter and to resurrect the whole of nature. The bees swarming in the cadaver of the lion Samson kills bring the lion back to life in their own form. Samson, who in many ways resembles both a bee and a lion, performs magic based on resemblance to ensure his future return to life. |
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| ISSN: | 1749-4915 |
| Contient: | Enthalten in: Journal for the study of religion, nature and culture
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1558/jsrnc.38751 |