Dismemberment has a gruesome connotation for good reason. There are plenty of horrifying stories throughout history of dismemberment as a result of war, general violence, or execution. However, if we look at dismemberment through an anthropological and symbolic lens we see a different picture. The mythic understanding of dismemberment emphasizes the connection between death and renewal.
Take a look at these four examples from different cultural mythologies to see the symbolic connection between dismemberment, death and creation:
Norse mythology - The world was created from the remains of the primordial giant Ymir. Odin and his brothers Vili and Ve killed Ymir and used his body to fashion the world. Ymir's flesh became the earth, his blood the seas, his bones the mountains, his hair the trees, and his skull the sky.
Egyptian mythology - Osiris, the god of the afterlife, was killed and dismembered by his brother Set out of jealousy. His body parts were scattered throughout Egypt. Osiris' wife, Isis, searched for his body parts and reassembled them to create the underworld. Isis resurrected Osiris, and he became the king of the afterlife.
Hindu tradition - The Purusha Sukta describes the creation of the universe. According to this hymn, the universe was created from the cosmic being Purusha, whose body was sacrificed by the gods. Different parts of Purusha's body were transformed into the various social classes, with the Brahmins emerging from his head, the Kshatriyas from his arms, the Vaishyas from his thighs, and the Shudras from his feet.
Shamanic traditions around the world - The shaman may undergo an experience of dismemberment or dissolution of the physical body. This process is not understood in a literal sense, but as a symbolic death and disintegration of the ego or ordinary sense of self. Through this dismemberment, the shaman undergoes a spiritual transformation, gaining insights, healing powers, or supernatural abilities.
The idea captured in these examples is the necessity to sacrifice the wholeness of our identity to experience new life or opportunity. Such moments draw us into Wonder as we contemplate the pain of breaking apart from one identity and the uncertainty of not knowing what will come next.