Re-Birthing Rituals in Early Civilizations: A Mini-Essay

     Greek mythology maintains Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, underwent a ten-year voyage home after participating in the Trojan War.[1] During that time, the leader was presumed dead and his wife, Penelope, was expected to remarry. Upon his return, Odysseus reunited with his son, killed his wife's suitors, and reclaimed his title as King.[2] What is often overlooked in multiple reiterations of the tale is the lost king's participation in re-birthing rituals. In ancient Greece and India, men who were believed to have perished in battle would have to be symbolically reborn if they returned to their community following their funeral.[3] In Greece, the process was conducted by ceremoniously passing the man across the lap of a woman (often a member of his immediate family) and preparing him for nursing, an act which involved bathing the individual and wrapping him in swaddling bands.[4] In India, a similar – although more complex – ritual was performed. A tub of water and fat was constructed to resemble a womb and the man was required to spend the night immersed in the liquid while silently resting in the fetal position. In the morning, sacraments normally performed over the bellies of pregnant women were conducted over him and the birthing process began.[5] However, in order for the man to be readmitted into the community, the rite did not stop with his birth: he had to repeat every ceremony he had completed since boyhood, including remarrying his wife if she had not already sought a new suitor.[6]

Works Referenced

Malkin, Irad. The Returns of Odysseus: Colonization and Ethnicity. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1998.

Sorel, Nancy. Ever Since Eve: Personal Reflections on Childbirth. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1984. 
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[1] Malkin, 1-32.
[2] Malkin, 1-32.
[3] Sorel, 275.
[4] Sorel, 275.
[5] Sorel, 275.
[6] Sorel, 275.