One psyche renders all conflict intestine. [paraphrase of: “There is only one psyche, in relation to which all conflict is endopsychic, all war intestine.” Brown, p.162]
The only defence against an ‘internal’ danger is to make it an external danger: then we can fight it; and are ready to fight it, since we have succeeded in deceiving ourselves into thinking it is no longer us.
Murder is with/through mistaken identity. [paraphrase of: “Murder is misdirected suicide, to destroy part of oneself; murder is suicide with mistaken identity.” Brown, p.162]
… the stranger is the father. … his identity is established by killing him. "Passing strangers were regarded as manifestations of the corn-spirit escaping from the cut or threshed corn, and as such were seized and slain."
Frazer, The Golden Bough, 439.
Killing is always inside the family [(Oedipal). In the wisdom of primitive war,] enemy blood is kindred blood; blood becomes kindred blood by being shed. Whatever is killed becomes the father. [Head hunting.] An enemy must be killed for a boy to grow up. … We tend to identify ourselves with whatever we kill and then reactively to venerate our victims. This identification hints at the hidden truth which makes peace: the identity of the killer and the victim. [paraphrase of: We identify with what we kill. The hidden truth which makes peace: the identity of the killer and the victim.]
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