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sealpoint33
02-03-2009, 04:40 PM
Cecil,
I enjoyed reading your remarks on the origins of the species of halos. Although you give a plethora of evidence as to how it appears in Greek and Roman literature, you fail to mention 'why'; i.e. why would people depict halos around the heads of saints.

I believe the answer is simpler than most people assume, and a biological rather than supernatural one. It all comes down to humans belonging to the biological Order, Mammalia; i.e. mammals. Mammals unique feature, amongst others, is the mammary gland, or breast. The areolae of the breast is usually darker than the remainder of the breast tissue and a newborn babe instinctively hunts for the centre of this mammarian halo, the nipple. Imprinted from foetal life, a newborn's hunt is first for nutritional salvation. In seeking the halo, it hunts for its dark centre, the nipple. Later in life, one seeks instinctively for spiritual salvation, and in doing so, we hunt for the halo and find the nipple; the milk of love or wisdom.

What piques my mind is 'if aliens lacked breasts, would their saints have halos?'

Regards,
JME

ivan astikov
02-03-2009, 05:05 PM
A very interesting theory and I would like to suckle...I mean, subscribe to your no doubt bosom, I mean, blossoming group.

Exapno Mapcase
02-03-2009, 07:16 PM
I love this OP because it confirms my oft-stated adage that on the Internet you can find somebody who believes absolutely anything, no matter how absurd, and that person will always find at least one defender. :)

bibliophage
02-04-2009, 08:02 AM
Welcome to the SDMB, sealpoint.

A link to the column you're commenting on is appreciated. Providing one can be as simple as pasting the URL into your post, being sure to leave a blank space on either side of it. Like so: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/38/who-decided-saints-have-halos

Irishman
02-04-2009, 08:31 AM
Wait, so now when I go to a titty bar, I can claim I'm seeking spiritual salvation? YES!