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Focus

Posted by Lewis on May 06, 2004

In Reply to: Hocus Pocus posted by Lotg on May 02, 2004

: I know this has been discussed before, and I found the threads. The latin foundation was described as... "hoc est corpus (meum)"---"this is (my) body".

: However last Friday night at the pub (that great place of learning and decision making), a friend and latin scholar related a different version. The actual latin he quoted, I'm afraid I can't remember, but he said it was a Pagan mockery of Christian ritual. Now maybe because my memory was no doubt clouded with alcohol, he actually quoted the same words, and the ritual being mocked was the partaking of wine and bread in lieu of the blood and body of Christ. However, in the threads I read, I found no reference to Pagan mockery.

: Can anyone shed any light?

I recall that a previous discussion on this did suggest that it was an irreverent corruption of 'hoc est' - it may have been in a discussion on 'mumbo-jumbo'.

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