Men and women have worshiped pagan gods for as long as I have been alive. Considering that I am seventy years old, I consider that to be a considerable length of time. My great ancestors have passed down stories of the gods for many generations before mine. For many generations to come the stories will live on. The gods have favored many men, while imposing their wrath on others. When I was younger, I questioned the gods confidence. Who were they to decide the fate of the humans? Who were they to decide my fate?
My father took his family to the pagan temple everyday. Everyday he would pray for mercy from the gods. He would always offer the gods the best sacrifice he had to offer. Sometimes his sacrifice meant I would have nothing to eat that night. My father's faith in the gods never wavered despite his families' hunger. He praised the gods until the day he died, poor and hungry.
My family carried on my father's religious rituals. They continued to visit the pagan temple and pray for mercy from the gods. They believed that my father was given passage to the next world through the gods favor. Why were they so sure my father was favored by the gods? Had he not died poor and hungry?
After my father passed, my brother and sister became deathly ill. They refused to buy medicine. Instead, they offered what little money we had to the gods. I was furious! What had the gods ever done for my family? What had the gods ever done for me? My brother and sister became so ill that they could no longer make the journey to the pagan temple. My brother gave me the last of our money and told me to visit the temple without them. "Hurry along, your sister is not expected to live through the night, my brother said."
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Sacrifice to the gods
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As I walked to the pagan temple I became enraged. I entered the temple, but I did not make the sacrifice. How could I place my brother and sisters fait in the gods hands? I couldn't! At first, I just stood in front of the wooden statue sobbing. Then I picked up the knife that was used to make sacrifices to the gods. I swung the knife at the statute as hard as I could. The statue's head rolled away from its body and stopped in front of my feet. What had I done? I looked around to see if anyone was coming. Maybe I can just put the head back on before anyone notices, I thought. As I approached the statue with its head, I saw something shiny. Gold! It was filled with gold!
I loaded my pockets with as much gold as they could hold. On the way home, I bought my brother and sister some medicine with the favor of the gods. Never again did I question the gods confidence or that my father found safe passage to the next life. I know one day my brother, sister, and I will be reunited.
Author's Note:
"The gods Confidence" was inspired by "Humans and Gods." The original story goes like this. In the old days men used to worship stocks and stones and idols, and prayed to them to give them luck. It happened that a Man had often prayed to a wooden idol he had received from his father, but his luck never seemed to change. He prayed and he prayed, but still he remained as unlucky as ever.
One day in the greatest rage he went to the Wooden God, and with one blow swept it down from its pedestal. The idol broke in two, and what did he see? An immense number of coins flying all over the place.
Bibliography: "Humans and Gods" written by Jacobs 41.
The Man and the Wooden God (Perry 285)
Humans and Gods
