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Royalty, Pageantry and Time
The idea that supports monarchies is that certain types of blood, ‘royal blood,’ is better than and superior to common, ordinary blood. Which is, of course, absurd. As the fallacy and folly of this kind of supremacist thinking comes more to bear in society, intellectual history and culture, the notion of the ‘purity’ and elect status of the notoriously inbred ‘royal families’ of Europe will become insupportable. Custom and fondness for those few monarchs who’ve given their lives in noblesse oblige and devoted service is understandable and to be lauded. But eventually, as patriarchal hierarchal systems give up the ghost and the notion of Divine Right to Rule is relinquished in Christian religious hegemony, the institution will go the way of all things. Pre-patriarchal kings, queens and chiefs were elected to leadership by the tribe, served for a time (as long as they were doing a good job of it), then relinquished their role to the next fit leader.
He or she or they weren’t considered ‘elect’ by the gods, but by the people, their post wasn’t for life, wasn’t inherited, and wasn’t written in stone. They were considered first among equals, war band leaders, leaders of the hunt, and other distinctions, but their grave goods would be like anyone else’s, barring the inclusions of some extra shamanic signifiers to commemorate their quasi magical status in a life of service to the group, clan, tribe or…
