The Ritualized Bodies of Cybele's Galli and the
 Methodological Problem of the Plurality of Explanations

Authors

• J. Södergård

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30674/scripta.67211

Keywords:

Ritual, Body, Human, Methodology, Psychoanalysis, Mythology, Greek, Mythology, Roman, Roman religion, Greek religion, Gods and goddesses, Roman, Gods and goddesses, Greek

Abstract

The explanandum in this article is the self-castration of Cybele's Galli. The explanans is the various theories that have been put forward to elucidate this phenomenon. The author begins by sketching out the complicated religio-historical scene for this ritual, then introduces the plurality of theories concerning Galli's ritual self-castration, so that the intellectual dilemma of evaluation and preference is obvious; which one of the theories is decisive? Are they necessary or sufficient? Do they compete or cooperate? The aim of this article is also to make a critical methodological evaluation of the use of psychological determinants in religio-historical studies of the self-castration of the Galli in the cult of Cybele and Attis.