Round the Herne

 A discussion with a friend on social media prompted this philosophical musing about the vast popularity of murder as a form of entertainment - films, TV shows, novels (my own included) etc. Along the meandering way there is consideration of Christian theology (well, more soteriology really), the psychological craving for order in the face of chaos, Kantian ethics, and a few other asides.

 With Halloween around the corner, this is my reading of Robert Bloch's atmospheric story about 'The Skull of the Marquis de Sade' in which the earthly remains of the infamous libertine exert a corrupting influence on all around. Whether the real de Sade was guilty of half the things he was condemned for is a matter of debate, with some conjecturing that he was mostly just sweaty-minded but spent so much time in prison he probably had few opportunities to indulge his fantasies (which is probably just as well). Bloch is best known for writing the story which became Hitchcock's 'Psycho' film about Norman Bates and his ghastly mother. This short story was made into a film in 1965, starring the wonderful Peter Cushing as Maitland the collector and Christopher Lee as his rival collector of ghoulish curiosa. The film sticks closely to the original story, though Lee's character is renamed. I hope to record a few more stories and perhaps poems between now and Hallow...

 The other week at work I ran a seminar on Jean Baudrillard's theories around the nature of hyper-reality in a world as immersed in mass media as ours is. Following a few questions and emails afterwards I started musing about how Baudrillard's ideas might apply within modern paganism. I've yet to more towards anything like a cohesive idea on this, but the podcast is part of the reflective process of toying with concepts. Hopefully viewers might provide some feedback and ideas of their own, which will help with reaching something a little more concrete. The French sociologist's ideas are merging in this meander with those of the Australian scholar of religion, Adam Possamai. He draws on a fair amount on Baudrillard and writes about hyper-real religions (ones heavily influenced or based entirely upon works of openly acknowledged fiction). Possamai regards paganism as decidedly hyper-real. On consideration I find myself rather agreeing with him (though I have hopes that th...

 No, this is not a commentary of the cheesy 2009 movie but my telling of the myth that may possibly have inspired the scriptwriters of that creature feature. The islands of Fiji have many ancient myths including the tale of how the shark deity Dakuwaqa clashed with the octopus deity Rokobakaniceva. I have come across two slightly differing versions of this account, one which favours the shark as the more heroic of the two and one which puts the octopus in the better light. I suspect (though have insufficient knowledge of Fijian religion to say with any certainty) that the two versions may originate from tow different islands - one where the devotees of Dakuwaqa live and the other where the followers of Rokobakaniceva dwell. in matters of faith, human worshippers often take on the function of a Public Relations team promoting their favoured divinity. Whilst I am being flippant, the impact of loyalty and inter-tribal politics has a significant role to play in the recording of mytholo...

"Stories are how I topple my enemies" says the giant in 'A Monster Calls' (no need to ask what I am watching as half-term begins). It is not simply walking trees that weave dangerous tales that can shatter empires and plummet monarchs from their thrones. Newspaper magnates regularly produce all manner of confections, sometimes to bolster the empires of their chosen puppets and as often to eradicate those rivals, actual or potential, to their ambitions. Missionaries create confabulations to oust the resident Gods before sowing the tales of their own. Spurned lovers seek to destroy the characters of their rivals, either to recapture their lost paramours or simply for revenge. The disenfranchised recast the people they believe (rightly and sometimes wrongly) oppress them, hurled into a weak light, robbed of their power to dominate. Martyrs in search of a cross will find themselves a hammer-wielding villain, even if they have to embroider them out of whole cloth. Someti...

Stories, particularly oral ones, tend to rely heavily on archetypal and easily recognisable characters. Not only do we see archetypes in other people (fictional or real), but so often we aspire to become them ourselves. Sometimes this is in a professional or personal capacity - wanting to live up to our own vision of what the ideal doctor or father should be like. At other times it can be spiritual, reflecting a sense of calling. In this latter capacity it goes to the root of what we aspire to be. Many (perhaps most) religions encourage their devotees to study a sacred story and aspire to emulate one or other of the central figures ~ be that Jesus, Buddha, the Madonna, Guru Nanak etc. I am not referring to those forms of mental illness where a person comes to believe that they actually are the Messiah (or some other leading light), but only where an individual strives hard to exhibit the same values as their revered figure. Although I do wonder what is stronger - an individual or a st...