Discordianism is a belief system based around Eris,[1] the Greek goddess of strife and discord, and variously defined as a religion, philosophy, paradigm, or parody religion. It was founded after the 1963 publication of its holy book, the Principia Discordia,[2] written by Greg Hill with Kerry Wendell Thornley, the two working under the pseudonyms Malaclypse the Younger and Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst.

Discordianism
Eris, the Greek goddess of discord
ScripturePrincipia Discordia and others
FounderMalaclypse the Younger and Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst
Origin1960s
United States

There is some discourse as to whether Discordianism should be regarded as a parody religion, and if so, to what degree.[3] It is difficult to estimate the number of Discordians because they are not required to hold Discordianism as their only belief system.[4]

Founding and structure edit

The foundational document of Discordianism is the Principia Discordia, fourth edition (1970), written by Malaclypse the Younger, an alias of Gregory Hill.

Episkopos edit

Episkoposes are the overseers of sects of Discordianism, who have presumably created their own sect of Discordianism. They speak to Eris through the use of their pineal gland. It is said in the Principia Discordia that Eris says different things to each listener. She may even say radically different things to each Episkopos, but all of what she says is equally her word (even if it contradicts another iteration of her word).[5]

Popes edit

According to the Principia Discordia, "every single man, woman, and child on this Earth" is a pope.[6] Included in the Principia Discordia is an official Pope card that may be reproduced and distributed freely to anyone and everyone.[6]

Saints edit

There are also five classes of saints within Discordianism, who are those who best act as exemplars and are closer to perfection.[7] Only the first of these classes "Saint Second Class" contains real human beings (deceased and alive), with higher classes reserved for fictional beings who, by virtue of being fictional, are better able to reach the Discordian view of perfection.[8]

An example of a second-class saint is Emperor Norton, a citizen in 19th century San Francisco, who despite suffering delusions was beloved by much of the city. He is honoured as a saint within Discordianism for living his life according to truth as he saw it and a disregard for reality as others would perceive it.[9]

Mythology edit

Eris and Aneris edit

In discordian mythology, Aneris is described as the sister of Eris a.k.a. Discordia. Whereas Eris/Discordia is the goddess of disorder and being, Aneris/Harmonia is the goddess of order and non-being.

"DOGMA III – HISTORY 32, 'COSMOGONY' " in Principia Discordia, states:

In the beginning there was VOID, who had two daughters; one (the smaller) was that of BEING, named ERIS, and one (the larger) was of NON-BEING, named ANERIS.[10]

The sterile Aneris becomes jealous of Eris (who was born pregnant), and starts making existent things non-existent. This explains why life begins, and later ends in death.

And to this day, things appear and disappear in this very manner.[10]

The names of Eris and Aneris (who are later given a brother, Spirituality), are used to show some fundamental Discordian principles in "Psycho-Metaphysics".[citation needed]

Hand of Eris edit

 
The Discordian five-fingered hand symbol.
 
The rotated symbol used for the dwarf planet Eris.

The "five-fingered hand of Eris" (shown at right) is one of several symbols used in Discordianism. It was adapted as an astronomical/astrological symbol for the dwarf planet Eris. Initially, the planetary symbol, designed by Discordian Denis Moskowitz, was rotated 90 degrees and had a cross-bar added so that it resembled two lunate epsilons (Є) back-to-back ( ), with epsilon being the Greek initial of 'Eris'. The cross-bar was later dropped, but the vertical orientation retained.[11] (The Discordian symbol has no set orientation, but is most commonly horizontal.) The symbol has seen use in public-outreach publications by NASA,[12] though planetary symbols play only a minor role in modern astronomy.[13] The symbol was accepted by Unicode in 2016 as U+2BF0 ERIS FORM ONE ().[14]

The "original snub" edit

 
Apple of Discord

The "original snub" is the Discordian name for the events leading up to the judgement of Paris, although more focus is put on the actions of Eris. Zeus believes that Eris is a troublemaker, so he does not invite her to Peleus and Thetis's wedding. Having been snubbed, Eris creates a golden apple with the word kallisti (Ancient Greek: καλλίστη, “for the prettiest”) inscribed in it. This, the Apple of Discord, is a notable symbol in Discordianism for its inclusion in the Sacred Chao,[15] and is traditionally described as being made of gold (although whether that gold was metallic or Acapulco is noted as uncertain[16]).[17]

Some recent interpretations of the original snub place Eris as being not at all mischievous with her delivery of the apple, but instead suggest that Eris was simply bringing the apple as a wedding gift for Thetis. This interpretation would see Eris as innocent and her causing of chaos as a by-product of the other wedding guests’ reactions upon seeing her at the wedding.[18][19]

Philosophy edit

Three core principles edit

The Principia Discordia holds three core principles: the Aneristic and Eristic principles representing order and disorder, and the notion that both are mere illusions.[20]

Operation Mindfuck edit

Operation Mindfuck is an important practice in the Discordian religion, in which "all national calamities, assassinations, or conspiracies" are publicly attributed to the Bavarian Illuminati, an 18th century secret society, in an attempt to "sow the culture with paranoia,"[21] as well as to highlight the absurdity of conspiracy theories.[22] The concept was developed by Kerry Thornley and Robert Anton Wilson in 1968[23] and given its name by Wilson and Robert Shea in The Illuminatus! Trilogy.[24]

Writings edit

Discordian works include a number of books, not all of which actually exist. Among those that have been published are Principia Discordia, first published in 1965 (which includes portions of The Honest Book of Truth); and The Illuminatus! Trilogy, which had its first volume published in 1975.[25]

Principia Discordia editions edit

The first edition was printed allegedly using Jim Garrison's Xerox printer in 1963.[26] The second edition was published under the title Principia Discordia or How The West Was Lost in a limited edition of five copies (and released into the public domain) in 1965.[27]

 
The "official symbol of POEE," the "Five-Fingered Hand of Eris." (POEE stands for Para­theo-ana­meta­mystik­hood of Eris Esoteric.)
 
The Sacred Chao

In 1978, a copy of a work from Kerry Thornley titled THE PRINCIPIA DISCORDIA or HOW THE WEST WAS LOST was placed in the HSCA JFK collections as document 010857.[28] Adam Gorightly, author of The Prankster and the Conspiracy about Kerry Thornley and the early Discordians, said the copy in the JFK collection was not a copy of the first edition but a later and altered version containing some of the original material. In an interview with researcher Brenton Clutterbuck,[29] Gorightly said he had been given Greg Hill's copy of the first edition. This appeared in its entirety in Historia Discordia, a book on Discordian history released in spring of 2014.[30]

Several other editions have been published by Steve Jackson Games and others.

Related works edit

Historia Discordia edit

Historia Discordia (2014) was compiled by Adam Gorightly with foreword by Robert Anton Wilson.[31] It is a compilation of early Discordian photos, tracts, art collages, and more including works by Discordianism founders Greg Hill (Malaclypse the Younger) and Kerry Thornley (Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst).[32] Among other things, it contains the The Honest Book of Truth and the first edition of Principia Discordia.[33]

Chasing Eris edit

Chasing Eris (2018) by Brenton Clutterbuck is a snapshot of the state of international Discordianism sixty years[34] after its foundation, documenting "a cross-section of international Discordianism"[35] and exploring its influences on counterculture, nerd culture, the copyleft movement, pop music and other art forms as well as connections to the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Charles Manson and the German secret service. The book includes several interviews and reports from the author's travels in North and South America, Australia, and Europe to meet Discordian individuals as well as whole groups.[36] It also includes an interpretation of the Principia Discordia chapter "The Parable of The Bitter Tea" by its original author.[37]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Cusack, C.M., Invented Religions, Ashgate, p27
  2. ^ Wilson, Robert Anton (1992). Cosmic Trigger I: Final Secret of the Illuminati. Scottsdale, AZ: New Falcon Publications. p. 65. ISBN 978-1561840038.
  3. ^ "...It should on no account be taken seriously but is far more serious than most jokes" and "See ... [also] ha ha only serious" The Jargon File v4.4.7 but present since v2.1.1, (1990, June 12)[1]; The entry for discordianism begins, "Somewhere between parody, social commentary, and religion..." Rabinovitch, Shelly & Lewis, James R. The Encyclopedia of Modern Witchcraft and Neo-Paganism, pp 75–76. Citadel Press. 2002. ISBN 0-8065-2406-5; "These organisations [Discordianism & The Church of the Subgenius] are just two of a whole raft of mock religions..." Phillips, M. (2004, Sept. 14). Wizards of ID cook up divine pile of spaghetti bolognese. The West Australian, p. Metro 18; "The explosion of the American counter-culture and the revival of surrealism met Discordianism (1960's and 70's) and the result was a Neo-Pagan parody religion of mirth and laughter." (p. 3) E. K. Discorida. (2005). The Book of Eris. Synaptyclypse Generator Archived 2015-11-04 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Rabinovitch, Shelly & Lewis, James. The Encyclopedia of Modern Witchcraft and Neo-Paganism". Pp 75–76. Citadel Press. 2002. ISBN 0-8065-2406-5.
  5. ^ Malaclypse the Younger, Principia Discordia, Page 00024
  6. ^ a b Malaclypse the Younger, Principia Discordia, Page 00036
  7. ^ Younger, Malaclypse The (11 January 2010). Principia Discordia. Lulu.com. ISBN 9781409256748 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ Malaclypse the Younger, Principia Discordia, Page 00039
  9. ^ Cusack, Carole M. (6 May 2016). Invented Religions: Imagination, Fiction and Faith. Routledge. ISBN 9781317113256 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ a b "Page 56". Principia Discordia. Retrieved 2012-08-19.
  11. ^ Moskowitz, Denis (3 July 2013). "Symbols for large trans-Neptunian objects". suberic.net. Central Nacional de Astrologia. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  12. ^ JPL/NASA (April 22, 2015). "What is a Dwarf Planet?". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
  13. ^ le Grice, Keiron (2012). Discovering Eris: The symbolism and significance of a new planetary archetype. Edinburgh, UK. ISBN 978-0863158674.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  14. ^ "Proposed new characters: Pipeline table". unicode.org. 27 January 2017. Archived from the original on 31 March 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  15. ^ Malaclypse the Younger, Principia Discordia, Page 00003
  16. ^ Younger, Malaclypse, The; Ravenhurst, Omar Khayyam (2019). Principia Discordia. Lulu.com. p. 00018. ISBN 9781387762668.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ "The judgement of Paris - Greek mythology". Theoi Project (www.theoi.com).
  18. ^ Scullion, Sean (26 Nov 2007). Liber Malorum - the Children of the Apple. PagAnarchy Press. p. 375. ISBN 978-0955798405.
  19. ^ Swiss, Tom (2009). Tom Swiss: Eris and the so-called ‘apple of discord’. Archived from the original on 2021-11-07.
  20. ^ Malaclypse the Younger. Principia Discordia. p. 49–50.
  21. ^ "50 Years of Conspiracy Theories - Operation Mindfuck -- New York Magazine - Nymag". New York Magazine. 15 November 2013. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  22. ^ Can't Get You Out of My Head (2021) - Part 3: Money Changes Everything, archived from the original on 2021-02-13, retrieved 2021-02-14
  23. ^ Gorightly, Adam (2005). "The Prankster or The Manchurian Candidate?". The Beast of Adam Gorightly: Collected Rantings (1992-2004). Virtualbookworm Publishing. p. 163. ISBN 978-1-58939-781-1. Retrieved 2008-12-02.
  24. ^ Shea, Robert; Robert Anton Wilson (1976). Illuminatus!. Sphere Books. ISBN 978-0-7221-9208-5. Retrieved 2008-12-02.
  25. ^ Cosmic Trigger I: The Final Secret of the Illuminati (1977), page 167. ISBN 1-56184-003-3
  26. ^ Wilson, Robert Anton (1992). Cosmic Trigger I: Final Secret of the Illuminati. Scottsdale, AZ: New Falcon Publications. p. 65. ISBN 978-1561840038.
  27. ^ Frauenfelder, Mark (November 1, 2006). "Publisher alters, then copyrights Principia Discordia". Boing Boing.
  28. ^ The record identifier can be found by searching for Thornley and Discordian on nara.gov Archived 2008-09-17 at the Wayback Machine. "Kennedy Assassination Collection: Discordian Socity [sic]". National Archives and Records Administration. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  29. ^ "Wikinews interviews Brenton Clutterbuck". Wikinews. 6 August 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  30. ^ Adam Gorightly: "Historia Discordia" (2014). ISBN 1618613219
  31. ^ Historia Discordia. RVP Press. 2014. ISBN 978-1618613219.
  32. ^ "Historia Discordia". RVP Press. 2014. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
  33. ^ [citation needed]Griffin, Andrew W. (August 6, 2014). "BOOK REVIEW: "Historia Discordia" by Adam Gorightly". Red Dirt Report. Archived from the original on 2016-08-07. Retrieved 2016-07-26.
  34. ^ Vincent, Cat (30 July 2018). "Review – CHASING ERIS". Daily Grail. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  35. ^ Greer, J. C. (2016). "'Discordians stick apart': The institutional turn within contemporary Discordianism". In Cusack, Carole M.; Kosnáč, Pavol (eds.). Invented Religions: Imagination, Fiction and Faith. Routledge. pp. 181–97. ISBN 9781317113256.
  36. ^ Clutterbuck, Brenton (2018). Chasing Eris. lulu.com. ISBN 978-1387943883.
  37. ^ Gorightly, Adam. "The Early Discordians: Dr. Robert Newport". Historia Discordia. Retrieved 16 February 2021.

External links edit