Sacral Kingship: Aragorn as the Rightful and Sacrificial King in The Lord of the Rings
2007; Mythopoeic Society; Volume: 26; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
0146-9339
Autores Tópico(s)Folklore, Mythology, and Literature Studies
ResumoIN DISCUSSING ARAGORN, Verlyn Flieger notes that: The concept of king as healer derives from early Celtic principle of sacral kingship, whereby health and fertility of land are dependent on coming of rightful king. Where there is no king, or where king is infirm, land also will be barren. (50) The fact that Aragorn is a healer, both of his people and of land, is an important motif of The Lord of Rings [LotR] and emerges gradually as narrative progresses. Aragorn tends Frodo after attack at Weathertop (LotR I:12 192-94), Sam and Frodo after their escape from mines of Moria (II:6 326-27), Faramir, Eowyn, Merry and others injured in combat, after battle of Pelennor Fields (V:8 844-53), and Frodo and Sam after fall of Sauron (VI:4 931). Similarly, his ascension marks end of lands' despoiling, his resolve that Minas Ithil be utterly destroyed in order for cleansing process to begin (VI:5 948), and imposition of order on his realm (VI:7 971), all symbolized by blossoming of White Tree in Court of Fountain (VI:5 951). The notion of healing here is broad, and reflects Strathern and Stewart's definition of healing (as opposed to curing), namely that which refers to the whole person or whole body seen as an integrated system with both physical and spiritual components (7). Historically principle of 'sacral kingship' went beyond literal and metaphorical healing of lands and people, linking back to ancient fertility rites. The wholeness and health of realm and its citizens actually required more than just presence of 'rightful' king, it required sacrifice from him. This paper will explore nature of sacrifice that Aragorn makes, as heir and king, in order to heal lands of Middle-earth and its people, and how this sacrifice helps him assert his legitimacy as rightful (or sacral) king. One of Aragorn's most powerful sacrificial acts is not included in narrative, but is outlined in Appendices of The Return of King. It is in manner and timing of his death. In his definitive work The Golden Bough (first published in 1922), Frazer explores nature of this type of kingly sacrifice at length. Historically, a broad range of cultures considered it to be extremely dangerous to allow a king to die of disease or old age. Simply put: if course of nature is dependent on man-god's life, what catastrophes may not be expected from gradual enfeeblement of his powers and their final extinction in death? (350) It was vital, then, that king's soul not be weakened by disease; or lost--snatched by sorcerers or demons, or by refusing to return to a dying body. Killing king ensured that his soul could be caught and transferred to a suitable successor, before his natural force was abated, ensuring the world should not fall into decay with decay of man-god (Frazer 350). In this context, inter-relationship between ruler and continuing fruitfulness of earth goes beyond metaphorical; sacrifice of ruler or (later) surrogate, was in fact, literal. Mircea Eliade notes that: A regeneration sacrifice is a ritual repetition of Creation. The myth of creation includes ritual (that is, violent) death of a primeval giant, from whose body worlds were made, and plants grew. [...] The object in sacrificing a human victim for regeneration of force expressed in harvest is to repeat act of creation that first made grain to live. (346) Thus king's death might be self-inflicted, accepted without resistance, or imposed. Frazer outlines an example of a self-inflicted death, practice of replacing king in Indian province of Quilacare, every twelve years: king has a wooden scaffolding made, spread over with silken hangings: and on that day he goes to bathe at a tank with great ceremonies and sound of music, after that he comes to idol and prays to it, and mounts on to scaffolding, and there before all people he takes some very sharp knives, and begins to cut off his nose, and then his ears, and his lips, and all his members, and as much flesh off himself as he can; and he throws it away very hurriedly until so much of his blood is spilled that he begins to faint, and then he cuts his throat himself. …
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