Sunday, May 21, 2006

 

The God Fart

Voltaire, Dictionnaire Philosophique, s.vv. Idole, Idolâtre, Idolâtrie (tr. Theodore Besterman):
Then came the gods minorum gentium: the local deities, the heroes, like Bacchus, Hercules, Aesculapius; the infernal gods, Pluto, Proserpine; those of the sea, like Thetis, Amphitrite, the Nereids, Glaucus; then the Dryads, the Naiads; the gods of the garden, those of the shepherds. There was a god for every profession, for every activity, for children, for nubile girls, for married women, for women in childbed. They had the god Fart. Finally they deified the emperors. But in fact neither these emperors, nor the god Fart, nor the goddess Pertunda, nor Priapus, nor Rumilia the goddess of tits, nor Stercutius the god of the privy, were regarded as the masters of heaven and earth. The emperors sometimes had temples, the minor household gods had none; but all had their images, their idols. These were little figurines with which a man decorated his study. They were the amusements of old women and children, not authorized by any public worship. The superstition of every private person was indulged. These little idols are still found in the ruins of ancient cities.

Ensuite venaient les dieux minorum gentium, les dieux indigètes, les héros, comme Bacchus, Hercule, Esculape; les dieux infernaux Pluton, Proserpine; ceux de la mer, comme Téthys, Amphitrite, les Néréides, Glaucus: puis les Dryades, les Naïades, les dieux des jardins, ceux des bergers: il y en avait pour chaque profession, pour chaque action de la vie, pour les enfants, pour les filles nubiles, pour les mariées, pour les accouchées; on eut le dieu Pet. On divinisa enfin les empereurs. Ni ces empereurs, ni le dieu Pet, ni la déesse Pertunda, ni Rumilia, la déesse des tetons, ni Stercutius, le dieu de la garde-robe, ne furent à la vérité regardés comme les maîtres du ciel et de la terre. Les empereurs eurent quelquefois des temples, les petit dieux pénates n'en eurent point; mais tous eurent leur figure, leur idole. C'étaient de petits magots dont on ornait son cabinet; c'étaient les amusements des vieilles femmes et des enfants, qui n'étaient autorisés par aucun culte public. On laissait agir à son gré la superstition de chaque particulier. On retrouve encore ces petites idoles dans les ruines des anciennes villes.
I have heard about most of the gods Voltaire mentions, but not the god Fart, and I solicit information from the erudite readers of this blog. What ancient authors mention the god Fart? Please supply chapter and verse. How was he represented? Have any idols of the god Fart been found in the ruins of ancient cities? I would like to have a little figurine of the god Fart to decorate my study.



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