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Patricide

Patricide or parricide is (i) the act of killing one's father, or (ii) a person who kills his or her father. The word patricide derives from the Latin word pater (father) and the Latin suffix -cida (cutter or killer).

Compare with matricide (the killing of one's mother), filicide (the killing of a child by his or her parent), and fratricide (the killing of one's sibling).

Patricides in fiction

  • Greek mythology
    • Oedipus was fated to kill his father and marry his mother. His parents attempted to prevent this by sending him away as a child, however once grown Oedipus met his father while travelling and killed him in a fight, unknowingly fufilling the prophecy.
    • Pelias was killed by his daughters.


Sinhabahu

The Sinhala race in Sri Lanka are said to be descendants of Sinhabahu, who killed his own father, who was said to be a lion. Then he married his own sister, Sinhasivali. It was their son Wijeya who founded the Sinhala race. This is according to the Mahavamsa, the Historical Chronicle of Sri Lanka

Last updated: 08-26-2005 09:31:38