[MR] new vs. old

[Belphoebe]

> > d) Did medieval Christians build their shrines and
> > churches on the ruins of
> > their foes' temples as a kind of dominance
> display?

They did it in Mexico and most of Latin America, in
the early XVI Century.  Basically to try to do away
with the old religions and override the old pagan
temples.

> > e) How did medieval Christians convert or adapt
> > pagan sites when an area
> > converted?

They didn't.  At least not in Mexico.  They just built
on top of them.  In Mexico City there is to this day
the problem of what to do with the Great Cathedral,
which is built on top of the Templo Mayor of
Tenochtitlan, the Azted Great Temple.  In order to
restore the Templo Mayor, it would be necessary pretty
much to destroy the Cathedral
and viceversa.  They are both archeological monuments.
 So go there you are.

On the other hand, there is the story of the
missionaries who decided to dismantle some of the
columns dedicaded to one of the local gods in Southern
Mexico and use them as foundations for one of their
churches.  They thought that by doing this they were
undermining the local cult.  Unbeknownst to them, the
columns were dedicated to one of the gods of the earth
and harvest, so the locals were more than happy to
bury them under the Church.  Hey, after all, that's
where the god came from, so everyone was happy.  Even
the monks, who didn't have a clue as to why the
natives were so willing to cooperate.

Cheers, Belphoebe

=====
-- Fabricati Diem, PVNC

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Greetings - Send FREE e-cards for every occasion!
http://greetings.yahoo.com