The Bridegroom and the Scapegoat

UNIVERSAL HISTORY

The concepts of the bridegroom and the scapegoat offer contrasting perspectives on the foundational principles of civilisation and social cohesion.

While one theory posits violence and sacrifice as the basis of cultural unity, an alternative view contends that culture is fundamentally rooted in marriage and self-giving love.

Within a Christian theological framework, particularly as observed during Holy Week, these seemingly disparate themes converge in the person of Christ, who is presented as the ultimate Bridegroom.

The Scapegoat Theory

Anthropological theories have explored the theme of sacrifice, asserting that it is ultimately based on human sacrifice. This perspective suggests that human sacrifice forms the initial basis of unity in civilisation. The mechanism involves identifying a scapegoat, into whom all the evils of a group are placed, and then killing this scapegoat. This act, occurring in a moment of ecstasy and violence, is believed to restore unity to a group that had been fragmenting due to individual idiosyncrasies.

This theory is intrinsically linked to the notion of mimetic desire, which describes the problem arising from everyone desiring the same things when there is a scarcity of resources or possibilities for all to acquire them. The scapegoat mechanism serves as a means to restart societal processes and prevent uncontrolled descent into carnage and widespread societal breakdown. This framework aligns with historical narratives such as the founding of civilisation by Cain, which is depicted as being based on murder, and is also seen in the founding myths of Rome and other cultures. However, this approach is deemed a temporary solution. Historically, it has been observed that relying on a "black sheep" figure to cohere a group, by blaming them for all issues, provides only a temporary cohesion that often leads to future retribution or prevents genuine reconciliation, ultimately risking the dissolution of the group itself. Murder is not a viable or sustainable basis for a system of government or culture.

Marriage as the Basis of Culture

A contrasting view posits that murder is not the basis of culture; marriage is. From this perspective, the scapegoat theory, much like other singular interpretative frameworks such as Joseph Campbell's hero's journey, is considered incomplete. While such theories may initially appear to explain all narratives, they do not encompass all available information. It is asserted that every true pattern, every genuine underlying principle of reality, finds its ultimate and complete expression in the story of Christ. The long-term, sustainable solution for sharing resources and fostering societal continuity, for not just current generations but also future ones, has historically been identified as marriage. Marriage is founded upon the principle of self-sacrifice, which is understood as the very foundation of reality itself. Unlike the temporary coherence offered by the scapegoat mechanism, a true bond of love, predicated on self-sacrifice, is the only force that genuinely holds reality together. This is exemplified by the relationship within a family where parents give their attention and love to their children, viewing them not as competition but through a different relationship of giving and love.

Ancient City Founding Rituals

The origins of kingship and the establishment of cities in the ancient world were deeply intertwined with ritual and symbolism, often taking the form of a ritual marriage between the king and his city.

• Mythical Founders: Ancient cities were believed to be founded by mythical figures, often demigods or mythological creatures, to whom the lineage of every subsequent king could be traced. The paramount goal for any king was to embody this original founder, thereby making the founder's presence manifest to the city once more.
• Kingship and Priesthood: In the ancient world, kingship was fundamentally rooted in priesthood. The king was regarded as the high priest of his people, responsible for mediating between the populace and the gods. An example of this dual role is Melchizedek, who was both a priest and a king. This union of powers, though sometimes separated in historical contexts, is ultimately reunited in Christ, who is described as a priest after the order of Melchizedek.
• The Hearth as the City's Focus: The king was the one who established the city's hearth, known in Latin as the focus. This hearth was understood not merely as a source of light and warmth, but as an altar, serving as a cosmic image where light radiated outwards from the centre. The family hearth also functioned as an altar for household gods. Aeneas, in his foundational journey, sought to bring his household gods from Troy to Italy to establish Alba Longa, from which Rome's founders would eventually emerge.
• Ritual Consummation: The crowning of a new king was considered a re-enactment of this initial founding, a symbolic marriage. Different cultures had varied practices for this ritual. Alexander the Great, for instance, would perform specific sacrifices or rituals in conquered cities to assume the role of their new founder and become the "son of the most high god" of that locality. In ancient Mesopotamia and Canaanite cities, the king's marriage to the city was sometimes enacted quite literally, often involving a night with a temple prostitute.
• The Founding of Rome: Rome, though comparatively less ancient than Babylon, also exhibited these patterns. While it did not feature ritual prostitution, it maintained the institution of the Vestal Virgins, priestesses dedicated to Vesta, a hearth goddess. Their primary duty was to tend the perpetual hearth fires at the Temple of Vesta, which were considered integral to Rome's very existence; the extinguishing of these fires was believed to foreshadow Rome's downfall. The mythical mother of Romulus and Remus, Rhea, was a Vestal Virgin of Alba Longa, who was raped by the god Mars. Thus, the founder of Rome, Romulus, is presented as the son of a virgin (albeit violated) and a god. However, Rome’s founding myth also includes murder, as Romulus slays his brother Remus.
• Augustus and the Symbolic Marriage: When new Roman kings were crowned, they would be led through the city gate to the Capitoline Hill, the city's high place, where the marriage between the king and the city was ritually consummated.

The gods' assent, indicated by lightning or bird patterns, sealed this union. This created a ritual bond between the king and the Vestal Virgins, who symbolised Rome as an unwedded bride—a mother to her conquered lands, yet unconquered herself. When the Roman kings were expelled, the various roles, including that of the high priest (pontifex maximus), were separated.

However, Caesar Augustus consciously sought to reunite these fragmented authorities within himself. He achieved this symbolically by giving a portion of his private residence to the Vestal Virgins and establishing a new shrine to Vesta there, effectively symbolically marrying himself to the city of Rome. This act significantly strengthened his connection not only to the Roman state but also to Rome's entire symbolic and religious identity.

Holy Week: Christ as the Universal Bridegroom

The liturgical observance of Holy Week in the Orthodox Church presents Christ as the Bridegroom, with his tomb symbolised as his bridal chamber. This is not an arbitrary association but is explicitly articulated within the Church's liturgical texts. An important icon, the Christ the Bridegroom image, depicts him as a suffering king adorned with scarlet robes, a crown of thorns, and a reed in his hand—elements intended as mockery that paradoxically reveal his true kingly identity.

• Palm Sunday: The Betrothal: The narrative of Holy Week commences with Palm Sunday, mirroring the betrothal in an Eastern Orthodox wedding, where the bride and groom meet at the narthex, or gate, of the church. Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem signifies his arrival as the King of Israel, ascending to Zion, his own city both as Yahweh and as a descendant of David.
• Cleansing of the Temple: Upon reaching the high place, the Temple, Christ discovers it corrupted and transformed into a "den of thieves". He drives out the money changers, an act that restores the Temple's spiritual 'hearth' to its virginal state. This purification, however, precipitates the final rejection of Christ by the Jewish religious leaders and priestly class, prompting their decision to pursue his death.
• The Aborted City Founding and New Consummation: Christ does not consummate his relationship with the physical city of Jerusalem; he departs from it immediately after cleansing the Temple. Throughout his adult life, Christ is never recorded as spending a night within Jerusalem, instead consistently retiring to Bethany. The anticipated city-founding ritual, as observed in ancient traditions, is thus "aborted" or "goes wrong" in its earthly manifestation.
• The Tomb as Bridal Chamber: The culmination of this narrative is a "murder leading to a marriage". Christ's bridal chamber becomes his tomb, situated outside the walls of Jerusalem. It is within this tomb that he consummates his relationship not with the earthly city, but with his new city: the City of God, the heavenly Jerusalem, which is the Church. Concurrently with his death, the veil of the Temple is torn, symbolising God's departure from the physical Temple and Christ's simultaneous entry into the heavenly Holy of Holies, thereby making the entire world his kingdom.

Symbolism of Garments and Nakedness

The theme of garments, their removal, and nakedness is interwoven throughout Holy Week, symbolising purification, vulnerability, and transformation.

• Holy Monday and Joseph: Holy Monday's focus on Joseph the Patriarch is significant. Joseph, while in Potiphar's house, a priestly household, is tempted by Potiphar's wife. When he flees from her impure advances, his garment is torn from him. This parallels Christ's departure from the defiled Temple: as Christ leaves, his garments are symbolically torn, and the Temple veil rips, indicating God's presence shifting from the corrupted temple to Christ himself.
• Holy Tuesday and the Barren Fig Tree: The cursing of the barren fig tree on Holy Tuesday, despite it not being the season for figs, is interpreted as the removal of fig garments, recalling the primal covering in Paradise. This resonates with Joseph's loss of his garment and the parable of the bridegroom lacking a wedding garment, underscoring the necessity of acknowledging one's nakedness before God as a preparatory step for Holy Week's liturgical journey. The palm branches laid by the crowd on Palm Sunday also represent a form of garment removal as Christ enters the city. The cleansing of the Temple on Holy Tuesday also pertains to trade, which can be seen as a "garment of skin for a culture," a non-generative activity that merely redistributes, akin to usury (lending at interest), which is associated with sodomy in Dante's Divine Comedy due to its lack of generative power.
• Holy Wednesday and Judas's Betrayal: On Holy Wednesday evening, the betrayal of Christ by Judas is highlighted. Judas puts on his cloak and exits the Mystical Supper to betray Christ for money, an act of "exchange" mirroring the corrupt trade in the Temple. A peculiar detail from Mark's Gospel depicts a young man, possibly Saint Mark, fleeing naked after his garment is removed at the Mount of Olives following Christ's betrayal. This reinforces a pattern of garment removal intertwined with shame and disruption. Christ's own nakedness on the cross embodies both the shame of Noah and the primal innocence of the Garden.
• Good Friday Veiling and Unveiling: In medieval England, a practice known as "creeping to the cross" involved veiling all church icons at the beginning of Lent. On Good Friday, the cross (a crucifix) was unveiled, with the priest singing, "Behold the wood of the cross on which hung the saviour of the world come let us worship". Parishioners would then come forward to kiss the feet of Christ. This act was particularly significant as it marked the first time congregants would kiss anything in church during Holy Week, a stark contrast to the betrayal of Christ with a kiss.
• The Burial and Veils: On Holy Friday, a funeral service for Christ is conducted. In the Orthodox Church, an icon of the burial shroud (epitaphios) depicting Christ in the tomb is carried and laid in a ritual tomb, often with the Gospel book placed on top. Additionally, the veils normally used for the Eucharist are placed over the face and body of the Christ figure on the shroud, echoing the burial wrappings and napkin that covered Christ in the tomb, with the detail of the tidily folded napkin after his resurrection. In medieval England, a crucifix and a pre-consecrated Eucharistic host were placed in the tomb, further emphasising the sepulchre's role in reinforcing the doctrine of the Eucharist. A watch would be kept over the tomb, reflecting both devotion (like the Mother of God) and guard (like the Roman soldiers).
• Holy Saturday: Baptism and Resolution: Holy Saturday is the traditional day for baptism and commemorates the harrowing of hell. All of Holy Week's symbolic patterns—the removing of garments and Christ as the Bridegroom—culminate in the sepulchre. The act of the bride removing her veil on her wedding night further reinforces the bridal imagery. The Christian understanding of hierarchy culminates in self-sacrifice, which transforms the conventional understanding of power. Christ's glory is understood to pass through the cross and the tomb, leading to a universal resolution where previously "off" or incomplete patterns, such as the violent origins of Rome from Mars and Rhea, are perfectly fulfilled and resolved in the story of Christ. The true nature of a loving bond, established through self-sacrifice, is presented as the only force that sustains reality.