The Sacred Spear and Side-Wounding
If you’ve seen the movie “Thor,” you may have been curious about Scandinavian mythology and its possible connection to the Christ myth. Here is a brief excerpt about Norse myth from my book Who Was Jesus? (245-6):
The Sacred Spear and The Side-Wounding
At Matthew 27:49, the Revised Standard Version of the Bible omits the phrase about the soldier taking a spear and piercing Jesus’s side, with water and blood pouring out. Why was this scripture included or omitted in different versions, if the incident really happened? Like so much of the gospels, this part seems to have been added for a specific purpose, rather than as a reflection of actual “history.” In some of the cultures of the Roman Empire at the time, there evidently were other gods and sacrificial victims who were likewise portrayed as having been “side-wounded,” including the Norse Father-God Odin, who was hung on a tree and wounded with a spear. The political reasons for this interpolation, then, may include an attempt to integrate these other cultures of the empire into what would become the state religion.
Much like the Christian father-god incarnated in Christ, in the Norse mythology Father Odin is depicted as hanging on the “world-tree” in an act of sacrifice, while wounded by a spear. The old Norse text the Havamal, one of the Norse (prose) Eddas, contains a poem called the Runatal, stanza 138, in which Odin says:
“I know that I hung,
on a windy tree,
for all of nine nights,
wounded with a spear,
and given to Óðinn,
myself to myself,
on that tree,
which no man knows,
from what roots it runs.”
Furthermore, the “All-Father” god Odin’s invincible and beloved son, Balder, is pierced with a spear of mistletoe. Although Balder dies, in the time of the Ragnarok or Norse “apocalypse,” he will be reborn or resurrected. This latter motif is similar to Christ’s “Second Coming” depicted in Revelation. Moreover, as Jesus is the “Light of the World,” so Balder is the “god of light.” In this way, Balder is the savior of the world who brings peace. Like Jesus and the Twelve, Balder is also depicted with “12 knights.”
17 thoughts on “The Sacred Spear and Side-Wounding”
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Fascinating post.
I’ve heard much of the old Norse myths, and am I myself am of Norse descent.
Makes sense that Christianity stole some Norse ideas. I mean, as you yourself have pointed out, they took ideas from so many earlier cultures that its hard to keep track of it all. XD
Crucified Saviour’s
Including christianity, there ar 16 other religions that have crucifixion stories. I’m surprized that this somewhat well known fact doesn’t resonate with more people. I suppose that shows one just how much ignorance and religous indoctrination there is.
The problem with the “Ragnarok”-apocalypse connection is that the “Ragnarok” means total destruction of everything that exists, lives, is. Including gods and heroes… That shows the general tendency to “pessimism”, there are numerous researches, why is that so (compared to, say Slavic mythology, which is a “cult of rise”)
my own little theory…
The story of Adam’s rib to me was written to symbolize a monogamous relationship between a man and a woman.
As in Genesis 2:24
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
The symbolism of the rib continues in the story of the soldier piercing Jesus’ side, but substituting the rib for the side, but hey they’re in the same area right?
So here’s the symbols in a nutshell:
cleaving, piercing, spearing, bones, flesh, spurting blood and water and death.
Omitting death, we’re looking at a metaphor for sexual attraction between a man and woman. But the death part is also integral to understanding the metaphor.
The metaphor is that, in conceiving a child, a man must now take on the responsibility of taking care of the child. But in so doing has symbolically sacrificed his own life. He gives up his life, so that humanity as a whole may continue to live eternally.
Of course, lesbians and gays, polygamists, and in general bimbos and mimboes will not see it my way. Nevertheless, it was the doctrine that the church sought to preach and you can’t deny that.
Pig roast at a hanging.
The Greed word Zeus also spelled: Deus, Zeus, i.e.seus, iesus, Jesus, etc… means a pig, boar, swine, hog, sow in English.
While roasting on a spit the pig was pierced with a sword; the juices no longer stained with blood, ran clear as water.
The smoke rose in clouds to the heights/heavens with a sweet savor.
The story is a joke about a pig roast at a hanging that is NOT funny at all.
good post…
Oden is linked with the ritual ceremonies at Yule and Distingen that took place in Norse society, and these may be seen in light of Oden’s self-sacrifice in order to exploit the hidden knowledge. This is probably about an esoteric knowledge, not necessarily as the Gnostics imagined this, but still esoteric. Surely, we can conclude that within the two mythologies both Jesus and Oden hung on wood, sacrificing himself to himself. Both are said to have been stung by a spear. As for the Gnostic Jesus -> the crucifixion leads to esoteric knowledge, as is the case with Oden.
Gaius Cassius {Gaius Cassius Longinus coincidentally is also the name of prime mover and Senator in the assassination of Julius Cesar. , a career soldier from a family of career soldiers. As per the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus Longinus received the Spear of Destiny as a gift from his Grandfather, whom had received it from Julius Cesar as a gift for his outstanding military service in the conquest of Gaul. {Coincidentally, his namesake Gaius Cassius Longinus also served in Gaul for Rome } The Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Longinus, upon whom they have endowed Sainthood on the Ides of March -March 15 {Coincidentally March 15 is the date his namesake initiated the assassination of Julius Cesar.}
A possible prototype of the legend of Longinus may have been the blind God Hod, who slew the Norse savior Balder with the thrust of a spear of mistletoe on March 15, the “Ides of March”
Ha ha ha… D.M. Murdock!
Muslims will be getting more agitated than ever at these revelations. You know, they claim that their book is the uncontestable truth of God’s handwriting. They have, for ages, hung onto the fact that their own “God’s word” has no funny, multiple versions and hence, the chances of distortion is NEVER!
But…once the world gets a good view of the lies that have been running under water, the Muslims’ claim of the prophets that existed (including Jesus) prior to theirs, will be questionable. And if it becomes questionable, they will need to rewrite their “God’s word”. And if they rewrite their “God’s word”, it will clearly now say it is man’s word without any arguments. And if it becomes man’s word, it points at the lies they, too, had contributed in telling for all ages. And if it becomes a clear lie…ha ha ha… The slippery descent goes on and on… Somebody help me join it to eternity.
Keep it up, my dear.
It is VERY easy to see the archeological, historical, & PROPHETICAL evidence of the entire Bible! Likewise, it is VERY easy to see all the folly in mythology/paganism… 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 KJV
[8] And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: [9] Even him , whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, [10] And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. [11] And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: [12] That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
The Bible is God’s words to his creation. It proves itself by way of prophecy. The only book that tells you things that will happen, before they happen. Isaiah 42:9 KJV
[9] Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.
The Bible has even proven uncandid knowledge (science)… Long before man has understood the simplistic things of this world!
God teaches us selflessness; YOU choose to deny (the ONE TRUE GOD JESUS) because of your selfishness…
Thank you, but your insults and Bible babble will not suffice to change the important facts provided here about the pre-Christian mythology that was blatantly used by the creators of the gospel story.
It is difficult to prove the existence of a mythological person with quotes from a mythological book put together by men hoping to further a myth.
You should look into why the book you are quoting is called “The King James Versuon”
In Scandinavian mythology we have Oden, not Odin. Please don’t misspell the name.
I will not call Acharya for Azharya.
Thanks, but the standard transliteration in English is “Odin.” It is not a misspelling. Have you approached Wikipedia with your “correction?”
I see little reason to overturn centuries of tradition in order to be pedantic. The spelling of Odin’s name is not the point of this article, which provides important information.
I like this
The Bible is mystically esoteric. You need to receive the white stone on earth from Jesus to understand the Bible and be saved (revelation 2:17).