Myth, religion, etc

For discussion of John Ajvide Lindqvist's novel Lilla Stjärna
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sauvin
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Re: Myth, religion, etc

Post by sauvin » Thu Oct 18, 2012 6:19 pm

It looks to me like Theres used the media to call out to girls of a particular psychological affinity; for real Otherness extra credit, had she known in advance that there would be thirteen disciples? The first thought to cross my mind with her stabbing herself in the arms with an awl (I think it was) was "stigmata". The very circumstances of Theres' "birth" could even be argued to be anti-immaculate: risen, quite literally, from the grave.

Yes, there's quite a bit here to resemble or contrast with Christian images.

Still, I can't help thinking about the fact that archaeologists point to the earliest known instances of burial, particularly those accompanied by artifacts, as evidence of emergent religious sentiment. I don't believe we know with any great confidence what such sentiments might be ("probably" animistic or totemic), but those early graves mark a recognition of mortality. A burial/resurrection rite wouldn't necessarily have Christian import, especially (I suspect) to a Scandinavian whose long culturally Christian past very likely masks a much longer Norse pantheon in the guise of "folklore". Very strong emotions (chiefly fear) surround the grave for virtually everybody, and have done so apparently for a hundred and thirty thousand years or more.

There isn't much theism any sort in LS unless you account that the girls' attitude towards Theres as worshipful, and there's no Plan to change the world in any way, and no promises of what the afterlife might be like. The ultimate goal here seems simply to achieve the inevitable on an accelerated schedule, very much contrary to the Christian premise of spending eternity in a languid paradise.
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Re: Myth, religion, etc

Post by lombano » Thu Oct 18, 2012 10:01 pm

sauvin wrote:It looks to me like Theres used the media to call out to girls of a particular psychological affinity; for real Otherness extra credit, had she known in advance that there would be thirteen disciples? The first thought to cross my mind with her stabbing herself in the arms with an awl (I think it was) was "stigmata". The very circumstances of Theres' "birth" could even be argued to be anti-immaculate: risen, quite literally, from the grave.

Yes, there's quite a bit here to resemble or contrast with Christian images.

Still, I can't help thinking about the fact that archaeologists point to the earliest known instances of burial, particularly those accompanied by artifacts, as evidence of emergent religious sentiment. I don't believe we know with any great confidence what such sentiments might be ("probably" animistic or totemic), but those early graves mark a recognition of mortality. A burial/resurrection rite wouldn't necessarily have Christian import, especially (I suspect) to a Scandinavian whose long culturally Christian past very likely masks a much longer Norse pantheon in the guise of "folklore". Very strong emotions (chiefly fear) surround the grave for virtually everybody, and have done so apparently for a hundred and thirty thousand years or more.

There isn't much theism any sort in LS unless you account that the girls' attitude towards Theres as worshipful, and there's no Plan to change the world in any way, and no promises of what the afterlife might be like. The ultimate goal here seems simply to achieve the inevitable on an accelerated schedule, very much contrary to the Christian premise of spending eternity in a languid paradise.
I do count the girls' attitude towards Theres as worshipful. In terms of birth, etc, Theres strikes me as an anti-Moses - a foundling-prophet who leads her people into rebellion, but doesn't exactly go for "Thou shall not kill" and delivers her followers not unto a Promised Land, but onto a disastrous and self-destructive path. Another analogy is the founding myth of Rome - after all, Romulus and Remus were supposed to have been raised by wolves, but again, that story is the antithesis in that it's about building something, not the purely nihilistic actions of Theres.
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Re: Myth, religion, etc

Post by Hassildor » Thu Jan 10, 2013 2:25 am

Just finished reading the book and a lot of the religious references definitely popped out at me. While Little Star doesn’t draw from one form of spirituality alone, as has already been stated, the Christian angle seemed particularly prevalent. Though it could just be that I’m most familiar with Christian theology…

Theres is born outside of society, grows up to be a savior of sorts for a small group of followers, and appears to be worshipped by some if not all of those followers. She also “heals” young girls, taking away their fear and replacing it with strength, and her connection with resurrection has already been elaborated on in this thread.
sauvin wrote:for real Otherness extra credit, had she known in advance that there would be thirteen disciples?
I noticed this too. At first I thought I was just trying to draw connections where there were none (I still might be doing this.), but then I thought about how whenever the name Tesla is pinned on Theres, she is always quick to point out that Teresa and Theres are Tesla. So: Tesla and her 12 disciples?

There is also something that could be described as a last supper when Tesla and the disciples consume Max Hansen’s smoke together before going off to attack the people at Skansen. This is a bit more of a stretch than the other ideas, but I think it fits.

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