Lecture 1. For Gods Alone, Part III

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Mark Jarzombek


from the module:

Spirit Roads: From Roads and Tracks to Otherworldly Connections

The lectures will be organized around these three types: Some sprit roads were for gods, for humans and for the dead. I will also make the distinction between processional roads which require audiences and are often formalized in the calendar and pilgrimage routes. Not all pilgrimage routes require movement along a sacred path. The lectures will look at various sites, both old and new - or should I say surviving and thriving - across continent and times. I see the lecture as a companion piece to the "Global History of Rock-Cut or 'Chthonic' Architecture' except that the orientation here instead of being between humans and the earth, will be on humans and the sky. Archaeological work on this topic has much improved in the last decade, since the tendency in the past was to assume that all roads were little more than part of transportation systems. Furthermore, folktales were rarely analyzed with the idea of 'roads' even as a topic. Increasingly that this is not the case. I have included videos to get a sense of the sights and sounds. I have included sites from different time periods and places, so that the teacher can choose ones are most relevant to a broader survey and modify. LECTURE OUTLINE: For gods alone: Rösaring (ca. 9th century CE and earlier) Karnak (ca. 1500 BCE to ca. 30 CE) Puri Rath Yatra (ca. 1000 CE (or earlier) to today For humans: Celt Magic Roads (ca. 400 BCE – ca. 100 CE) Mayan Beh (ca. 600 CE – 1600 CE) Great Hopewell Roads (ca. 100 BCE – ca. 500 CE) Mt. Kalaish Circumambulation ( ? – today) Varansi: Panchakroshi Yatra Circuit ( ? – today) Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, Japan (9th century – today) For the dead The Spirit Boat Procession 精霊流し (? - today) Sweet Track: England (3,000 BCE) Spirit Roads 神道 (ca. 200 BCE to 1900 CE)

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