The Death of Atys
Dreamed by King Croesus c.560 BCE
A typical record of a prophetic dream belonging to the ancient world is in Herodotus. If Herodotus, an admittedly imaginative historian, invented it, he must have been following a conventional line of thought, since the story is not an unusual one. It concerns Croesus, King of Lydia, whose wealth became a fable. He had two sons, one a poor, dumb half-wit, and one named Atys, the most brilliant youth of his generation.
The King dreamed that his son Atys would be killed by the point of an iron weapon.Taking the dream to heart, he removed Atys from his military command, refused to let him do arry more martial exercises, and stripped all the men's chambers in the palace of arms, which were locked up in a store-room. Atys naturally grew very discontented with what was then regarded as an effeminate existence for a young man.
One day a hunt was organized to kill a large boar that had appeared in the country and was doing much damage. After persistent pleading, Atys was allowed to join in the hunt. Croesus, however, placed him in the special care of Adrastus, the soldier who had charge of the hunt. The boar was at last encircled, and javelins were hurled at the beast. Adrastus threw his javelin, missed the boar, and mortally wounded Atys.
Yes, it can be said that Croesus' fear lest his dream might come true was the actual cause of the disaster; so savages will die under a witch-doctor's curse. There is no limit to the force of suggestion, and it is conceivable that the skilful warrior Adrastus was made so nervous by the King's injunctions not to risk any injury to Atys that his fear caused the error...
No doubt many dreams that "come true" in our own day are liable to this explanation.
SOURCE: The Dream World by Rodolphe L. Megroz, p.51-52.
EDITOR'S NOTE
Yes, some dreams can look predictive yet really be self-fulfilling. But that's just the issue interesting Megroz--"Are any dreams predictive at all?" As I've had outrageous predictive dreams that weren't self-fulfilling, it's not my issue. I want to know how to avoid trouble foreseen.
The classical world called this impossible! They believed in Fate--in a single immutable timeline. Dreams and oracles could see ahead, but you couldn't avoid what's in your path.
"It is a favorite device of the power above to whisper at night what the future holds--not that we may contrive a defense to forestall it (for no one can rise above fate) but that we may bear it more lightly when it comes."
Achilles Tatius: Leucippe and Clitophon 1.3 (trans. Windler, p.178)
Far as I can tell, Greco-Roman, medieval and Renaissance dreamers never posited a multiverse or timescape where acted-on foresight can avoid the trouble foreseen. At most you can prepare, weather the storm better. Change course, steer away from it? It'll always find you. Look up "An Appointment in Samarra."
Are timeforks a modern concept, then? No. They're ubiquitous in shamanism worldwide--the world-model is the Tree, a branching spacetime where decisions lead to noticeable forks. You can skirt trouble; action's not always futile.
But if warning dreams in your culture induce panic--often, as here, institutional panic--it's hard to get much traction against that bugaboo Fate.
--Chris Wayan--
World Dream Bank homepage - Art gallery - New stuff - Introductory sampler, best dreams, best art - On dreamwork - Books
Indexes: Subject - Author - Date - Names - Places - Art media/styles
Titles: A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - IJ - KL - M - NO - PQ - R - Sa-Sh - Si-Sz - T - UV - WXYZ
Email: wdreamb@yahoo.com - Catalog of art, books, CDs - Behind the Curtain: FAQs, bio, site map - Kindred sites