Pre-Christian
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| - | '''Flagellation''' is the act of [[whipping]] (Latin ''flagellum'', "whip") the human body. Specialised implements for it include rods, switches and the [[cat-o-nine-tails]]. Typically, whipping is performed on unwilling subjects as a punishment; however, flagellation can also be submitted to willingly, or performed on oneself, in religious or [[sadomasochistic]] contexts. | + | '''Pre-Christian''' may mean: |
| - | == Association with religion == | + | *before [[Christianization]] |
| + | **historical [[polytheism]] ([[Paganism]]) | ||
| + | *[[Before Christ|BC]] | ||
| + | **[[Classical Antiquity]] | ||
| + | **[[Iron Age]] | ||
| - | === Pre-Christianity === | + | {{GFDL}} |
| - | Various [[pre-Christian]] [[religion]]s, like the cult of [[Isis]] in Egypt{{Fact|date=May 2009}} and the [[Cult of Dionysus|Dionysian cult]] of Greece,{{Fact|date=May 2009}} practiced their own forms of ritual flagellation. During the [[Ancient Roman religion|Ancient Roman festival]] of [[Lupercalia]] young men ran through the streets with thongs cut from the hide of goats which had just been sacrificed, and women who wished to conceive put themselves in their way to receive blows, apparently mostly on the hands. [[Greco-Roman mysteries|Greco-Roman mystery religions]] also sometimes involved ritual flagellation, as famously depicted in the [[Villa of the Mysteries]] at [[Pompeii]], apparently showing initiation into the [[Dionysian Mysteries]]. | + | |
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| - | === [[Christianity]] === | + | |
| - | ''The Flagellation'' refers in a Christian context to the [[Flagellation of Christ]], an episode in the [[Passion (Christianity)|Passion of Christ]] prior to the [[Crucifixion of Jesus|Jesus' crucifixion]]. The practice of [[mortification of the flesh]] for religious purposes was utilized by some Christians throughout most of Christian history, especially in Catholic monasteries and convents. In the 13th century, a radical group of christians, known as the [[Flagellant]]s, took this practice to an extreme. The flagellants were later condemned by the Catholic Church in the 14th century. Self-flagellation remains common in the [[Philippines]] and [[Latin America]]. Some members of strict [[monastic]] orders, and some members of the lay organization [[Opus Dei]], practice mild self-flagellation using an instrument called a "discipline", a cattail whip usually made of knotted cords, which is flung over the shoulders repeatedly during private prayer. Within the past few decades the practice has become rare within the Catholic Church, particularly as rigorism and heresies such as [[Jansenism]] which over-emphasized God's severe justice, are rejected. St. [[Therese of Lisieux]], a Carmelite nun of late 19th century France who has now been declared a Doctor of the Church, is an influential example of a Catholic Saint who questioned prevailing attitudes toward physical penance. Her view was that loving acceptance of the many sufferings of daily life was pleasing to God, and fostered loving relationships with other people, moreso than taking on oneself extraneous sufferings through instruments of penance. | + | |
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| - | ===[[Islam]]=== | + | |
| - | Flagellation is a form of punishment used in certain cases under Islamic [[Sharia]] law. | + | |
| - | In Islam, lashes for punishment are to be performed with a book under one arm to minimise the swing, are not supposed to leave permanent scars, and when the number of lashes are high, are frequently done in batches to minimise risk of harm. | + | |
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| - | While self-harm is forbidden in Islam, certain sects of [[Shi'a Muslims]] found solely in villages in [[Iran]] and the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia perform self-flagellation when participating in the Zanjeer Zani ritual to mourn the death of [[Husayn bin Ali|Hussain]] during [[Remembrance of Muharram|Muharram]], on the [[Day of Ashura]]. Although officially done with a special leash, most Shi'as usually beat their chests with their hands, but the use of metal chains and spikes is common as well. The practice is common among Shiites in the Middle East and Asia, although is often frowned upon by Sunnis and other Muslims. | + | |
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| - | === Ecstatics and Mystics === | + | |
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| - | Because practices such as starvation, sleep denial and flagellation are known to induce altered states, flagellation may be used by religious [[ecstatic]]s and [[mysticism|mystic]]s as part of ritualistic practices or ceremonies to achieve unusual states of mind. | + | |
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| - | == See also == | + | |
| - | *[[Flagellant novel]]{{GFDL}} | + | |
Revision as of 09:33, 13 September 2009
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Pre-Christian may mean:
- before Christianization
- historical polytheism (Paganism)
- BC
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Pre-Christian" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
