Right now Girard is talking about the concept of victims and sacrifices, and kings sometimes functioning as sacrificial victims. It's short on specific examples from larger societies, and seems to be mostly focused on small tribal groups with simpler technology. However, I am reminded of the fact that the word "leader" is derived from an ancient Indo-European root word meaning "To go forth and die." I interpreted it less as a sacrificial function than as reflecting the burden of leadership in a warrior society, i.e. the leader has to march into battle and assume risk in order to earn respect. But perhaps I should reconsider.
I'm eager to get to the part where Girard analyzes Christianity. I'll have more context.
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