[UA] The Outsider: miscellaneous observations

[Gaston Phillips]

on 5/31/01 4:12 PM, Timothy Ferguson at ferguson at beyond.net.au wrote:

> 
> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: ua-admin at lists.uchicago.edu [mailto:ua-admin at lists.uchicago.edu]On
>> Behalf Of Nick Wedig
> 
>> ...Grendel the demon, possessor of the moors,began his crimes.
>> He was of a race of monsters exiled from mankind by God-- He was
>> of the race of Cain, that man punished for  murdering his brother.
> 
> The race of Cain here are Giants...aren't they?  This is the Christian
> reworking that lets you ignore the pagan creation myth.
> 

The race of giants are the Nephilim.  Cain's human.

"There were Giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the
sons of God came in unto the daughters of Men, and they bear children to
them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.  5. And
God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every
imagination of the thought of his heart was only evil continually." (Genesis
6:4-5)

"And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I
have gotten a man from the LORD. 2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And
Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground." (Genesis
4:1-2)

Unless you mean Cain's descendants, who... uh.  Don't get a lot of mention,
AFAIK.  Here's what's said about them:


"And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know
not: Am I my brother's keeper? 10 And he said, What hast thou done? the
voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. 11 And now art
thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy
brother's blood from thy hand; 12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not
henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt
thou be in the earth. 13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is
greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from
the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a
fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every
one that findeth me shall slay me. 15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore
whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the
LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. 16 And Cain
went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the
east of Eden. 17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch:
and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of
his son, Enoch. 18 And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael:
and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech. 19 And Lamech took
unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other
Zillah. 20 And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents,
and of such as have cattle. 21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the
father of all such as handle the harp and organ. 22 And Zillah, she also
bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the
sister of Tubalcain was Naamah. 23 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and
Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I
have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. 24 If Cain
shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold." (Genesis
4:9-24)


I'm not sure if this is helpful or just pedantic.  But I think Nephilim are
badass things to write into mythologies - the Nietzschean Master Race who
were strong and warlike, and who were overthrown by the Christians.  (As I
tell the story, anyway)

Gaston


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