Why The Ultimate Way To Defeat Your Enemy Was To Steal Their God
The ancient art of “godnapping,” and its presence in our modern world
Ashurbanipal, King Of Assyria — By Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) Via Wikimedia Commons
On Thanksgiving of 2021, cadets from one of America’s finest military institutions went on a secret mission. The object: to steal a goat. But it wasn’t just any goat, it was the mascot of the U.S. Naval Academy.
This clandestine group was from West Point (the US Military Academy or Army Academy), and they were taking up an interagency rivalry expressed by mascot theft.
In this instance, they succeeded, stealing two goats from the Navy, and parking them on West Point’s grounds. According to Dave Phillips at The New York Times, it was the twelfth time over the past hundred years the Army has pulled off such a feat.
Not to be outdone, the Navy has also kidnapped the Army’s donkey mascot as well. Phillips mentions one such outing was planned by none other than the elite Navy SEALS.
Ridiculous and childish? Absolutely. But not totally beyond the pale according to the annuls of history. There’s power in a mascot, especially when it takes on a significant meaning.
Now, let’s take it one step beyond. What if this mascot is the physical representation of your nation’s god? That’s a truly special mascot.
So, what happens if your arch enemy steals it, like the cadets with the goat? Well, we have an answer. Historians call it “godnapping,” and it took place throughout the ancient world.
However, you can’t understand the act without knowing the significance of this mascot.
The Cult Statue
“The cult statue was the statue of the god housed in the holiest part of the temple. It was used primarily for worshipping the deity, as he or she was thought to be physically occupying the statue, but was also used in rituals and occasionally brought out when citizens were required to swear oaths.”
— Stealing The Enemy‘s Gods An Exploration Of The Phenomenon Of Godnap In Ancient Western Asia, Erika Diane Johnson, University of Birmingham
In her research paper above, Erika Diane Johnson says the cult statue “was the resting place of the god on earth,” and indistinguishable from the god itself. It had a wooden core, covered in lavish metals and stones.
Due to the “bones” made of ceremonial Tamarisk wood, few of these valuable statues are left, only depictions and descriptions on various artifacts. They show the statues of these gods in human form.
Johnson says they were treated as the god itself, and only priests could handle them. These statues also had clothing. These garments would be changed at special times (possibly reflecting seasons), along with pieces of jewelry — like a deity / Barbie doll.
These statues also left the temple for processions at special times as well. For instance, the Akitu festival in Babylon. It represented their new year and reaffirmed the authority of the king by the chief god Marduk.
In this interesting festival the king was humiliated in front of the god, made to apologize, and slapped across the face by the chief priest.
However, the cult statue did more than preside over ceremonies. It protected the city. Furthermore, the god could also leave if it weren’t happy with the conditions around it.
Plutarch mentions a famous instance of Mark Antony’s patron god, Dionysus, leaving Alexandria in the middle of the night prior to Octavian’s siege of the city. But a god might also leave if its statue wasn’t well taken care of.
Therefore, it was beyond your typical mascot. Its theft or loss meant more than embarrassment. Consider it like a stake through the heart of the psyche of the population.
If used correctly, an invading power could make this godnapping work heavily in their favor. But it required walking a fine line.
The Power And Danger Of A Kidnapped God
Dr. Shana Zaia in her research paper State-Sponsored Sacrilege, explains stealing a cult statue “was a powerful tool for asserting hegemony and for demoralizing subjugated peoples.” Although you had to do it with care.
Even the Assyrians — known for their brutality — observed a certain tact in the transfer of these statues or gods. For instance, they wouldn’t name them in records. Well, unless they were returning the cult statue from exile, then they’d mention the name of that god.
Dr. Zaia, believes this wasn’t a slight of the god’s power. As evidence, the Assyrians also didn’t name captive gods they were familiar with or respected themselves within their own pantheon. It was likely a respectful way of dealing with a deity.
Johnson mentions an odd instance — known as the Bavian Inscription — where the Assyrian king Sennacherib blames his underlings for “smashing” gods in an attack on Babylon. Namely, it’s strange due to the tone of the description.
Usually Assyrian monarchs put themselves in first person as conducting war: “I beheaded,” “I destroyed,” or “I carried away.” Yet here, the boastful king defers. And there are reasons for this according to Johnson:
“It can be assumed the destruction of these gods would be in very bad taste, as well as not being a practical tool for manipulation. Sennacherib separates himself from direct destruction of the gods in order to be able to stay a pious king. The destruction of the statues represents the destruction of the gods themselves and a king would not want to be directly involved in such an act.”
She notes that destroying a revered object could result in a curse. Plus, the cult statues were leverage. It could be something held above the subject population’s heads to win their compliance. In other words, good behavior gets your god back.
Not only this, but it may win the ruler’s favor and even get your temple rebuilt. So just in a cold political sense, this simple statue could give an invader incredible control of the land they occupied. Its destruction could also sink your reputation.
Furthermore, this history gives you a faint recollection of a different “statue” taken by another group.
A Slightly Recognizable Version Of Godnapping Within Our World
Now, use what we’ve discovered and apply it to our original story. Despite the rivalry between agencies, and their dislike for each other’s symbol, no harm befell the mascots. The only pain was embarrassment.
For perspective, imagine the Army cadets beheading the Navy’s goat. What kind of firestorm would that set off in the media and within the top brass? Even if they dyed the goat a harmless green pigment. It would’ve been a public relations nightmare.
Then again, what if it was an award statue and the cadets smashed it? There’d still be major repercussions. One could only figure a cult statue would carry weight a thousand times that of a traditional mascot or trophy.
The term “godnapping” might presently raise an eyebrow, but in essence, it’s relatively understandable to a person of today. Symbols still carry incredible meaning.
So, the political motivation to carry away a cult statue makes a lot of sense. It’s the ultimate way to defeat an enemy. But like stealing a certain goat or donkey, it can be playing with fire if you’re not careful.
-Originally posted on Medium 4/15/23