Mythology

EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGY

AMUN

- Creator God, being behind and in all things, mysterious power which created the Universe

- Sky deity, associated with wind, invisibility and things hidden

- Depicted in the form of Nile goose or ram, sometimes seated on a throne with two tall plumes on his crown

- 11^th Dynasty: merged with sun god Re to Amun-Re and was worshipped as the Sun god, the King of Gods

ANUBIS

- protector of the deceased, connected with the mummification process and the Underworld, accompanies the dead on their journey to the Underworld

- son of Nephtys and Re

- dog-headed god, pointed ears, long tail. Also represented as human with a jackals head

GEB

- earth god

- brother and husband of Nut, father of Osiris, Isis, Set and Nephtys

- represented by the goose

HATHOR

- goddess of beauty, love, sexuality, dance

- goddess of the dead

- mother of Pharaoh, daughter of Re

- represented as cow or a woman with cows horns and a sun disk

HORUS

- sky god, sun god, god of kingship, balance, victory of light against the dark

- son of Isis and Osiris

- there are many known forms of Horus

- he was represented as a hawk, or as a man with a hawks head

ISIS

- holds the secret of life, death and resurrection

- protectress, mother goddess , loyalty

- sister and wife of Osiris, mother of Horus

- represented as a woman with the solar disk between the cow horns on her head or in bird form as a kite

MA’AT

- truth, justice, balance, upholder of law and order

- she was also present when the fate of the dead was determined (if the heart of the deceased was lighter then the feather, the deceased was allowed to enter afterlife)

- represented as a woman with an ostrich feather on her head, or only by the Feather of Truth

NEPHTYS

- associated with life and death; helping with childbirth but also associated with funerals, guiding the dead

- daughter of Geb and Nut, sister of Isis and Osiris, wife of Set, mother of Anubis

- she helped Isis to resurrect Osiris (helping the deceased to overcome the powers of death)

- represented in bird form (kite, hawk or swallow)

NUT

- sky goddess, mother of sun, moon and heavenly bodies

- she is reaching across the sky from horizon to horizon

- mother of Re, she swallowed him up every evening and gave birth to him every morning, she was connected to resurrection

OSIRIS

- symbol of eternal life, he conquered death , ruler over the living and the dead

- fertility and vegetation god, originally he was a solar deity

- represented with an eye and a throne, or as a mummy or wearing a crown with rams horns

RE

- sun god, he traveled the sky during the day and the underworld during the night

- time began when Re appeared above the horizon at the creation

- after creating himself he created Shu and Tefnut, who then created Geb and Nut

- later he merged with Amun into Amun-Re

SHU

- god of sunlight and air

- power of the nature; he raised up the sky and held it up during each day

- he was danger to the dead on their journey into Underworld

- he was represented in human form with a feather on his head or as rising up from earth with the suns disk on his shoulders

SET

- god of chaos, represents evil, war, destruction, storms,…

- brother of Osiris, Isis and Nephtys, husband of Nephtys

- he killed Osiris and took his throne, but was later defeated by Horus (battle between good and evil, victory of life over death)

TEFNUT

- rain, moisture, clouds

- she was the mother of Geb(earth) and Nut(sky), twin sister of Shu(as Shu represents the Sun, she represents the Moon)

- represented as a woman with a lions head

THOT

- god of wisdom, writing, time, music, magic, art, medicine

- lunar deity

- represented as a man with the head of ibis, holding a palette and pen

- he accompanied Re while traveling across the sky in the sun-boat

GREEK MYTHOLOGY

AT THE BEGINNING

• CHAOS: represents the void before the creation, from which Gaea, Tartaros (dark chasm beneath earth) and Eros(creative force) were created

• NYX: goddess of night, gave birth to Aether (atmosphere), Hemera (day), Thantos (death), Hypnos (sleep),…

• GAEA: earth goddess, gave birth to Uranus and Pont(the sea)

• URANUS: sky god, son and husband of Gaea

APHRODITE:

• goddess of beauty and love
• love, desire, beauty, sexuality, affection, attraction that connects people
• daughter of Zeus and Dione, wife of Hephaestus
• other attributions:

- dolphin, dove, swan

- pomegranate, lime, myrtle

APOLLO

• god of music, poetry, healing, medicine, prophecy, light, truth
• represented playing a golden lyre, the Archer
• son of Zeus and Leto, brother of Arthemis
• other attributions:

- crow, dolphin

- laurel

ARES

• god of war, battle, bloodshed
• destroyer, avenger, has a cruel nature, merciless, fearfull
• son of Zeus and Hera
• he was accompanied by Phobes (Fear), Deimos(Terror), Eris(Strife), Enyo(Horror)

ARTEMIS

• goddess of the hunt, wisdom , wildlife, moon, virginity, childbirth
• armed with bow and arrows
• daughter of Zeus and Leto, sister of Appolo
• other attributions:

- deer

- cypress tree

ATHENA

• goddess of wisdom, reason, intelligence, art, strategy, war
• virgin goddess
• daughter of Zeus and Metis
• other attributions:

- owl

- olive

DEMETER

• goddess of harvest, corn, grain, goddess of earth, fertility goddess
• daughter of Cronos and Rhea, mother of Persephone
• other attributions:

- snake ,pig

- fruits of earth

DIONYSUS

• god of fertility and wine
• dual nature: joy and brutal rage
• son of Zeus

HEPHAESTUS

• god of fire and forge, the smith and armorer of gods
• kind and peacefull, the only ugly god
• son of Zeus and Hera

HERA

• goddess of marriage, family and childbirth, supreme goddess
• wife of Zeus, always jealous of his affairs
• other attributions:

- peacock

- pomegranate

HERMES

• god of travel, thieves, messenger of the gods, literature, poetry
• guide for the dead when they travel to the underworld
• represented wearing winged sandals, winged cap and a magic wand
• son of Zeus and nymph Maia
• other attributions:

- cock, tortoise

- olive tree

HESTIA

• goddess of domestic life, family and hearth, virgin goddess
• upright, mild
• sister of Zeus

PAN

• god of shepherds, excellent musician
• goat horns and goat feet

POSEIDON

• god of the sea, protector of all waters, god of earthquakes
• he often took revenge and was greedy, but also willing to help
• represented with a trident
• other attributions:

- horse

PERSEPHONE

• goddess of spring, queens of underworld
• daughter of Zeus and Demeter
• other attributions:

- mint, pomegranate

ZEUS

• god of thunder and lightening, god of sky, ruler of Olympian gods
• upholding the law, justice and morals, protector of the weak
• husband of Hera
• other attributions:

- eagle

- olive, beach, oak

THE TITANS: children of Gaia and Uranus, representing the rough forces of earth

• CHRONOS: the ruling Titan, son of Uranus, husband of Rhea, father of Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hera, Hestia and Demeter

• RHEA: mother of gods, wife and sister of Chronos

• OCEANUS: unending water, he created rivers and water nymphs

• TETHYS: wife of Oceanus, they had over 3000 children (springs, lakes, rivers,…)

• HYPERION: titan of light, father of Sun(Helios), Moon (Eos) and Dawn (Selene)

• MNEMOSYNE: titan of memory, mother of Muses

• THEMIS: titan of justice and order, mother of Fates and Seasons

• IAPETUS: father of mankind, titan of mountains

• COEUS: titan of intelligence

• CRIUS: titan known as “the Ram”

• PHOEBE: titaness of the Moon

• THEA: very beautiful titaness, light emanates from her

THE CYCLOPES: children of Gaea and Uranus, one-eyes giants, rulers of thunder and lightening, their names : BRontes, Steropes, Arges

THE HECATONCHEIRES: children of Gaea and Uranus, they had 50 heads and 100 arms , their names : Briareus, Cottus, Gyes

9 MUSES: daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne

• CLIO: history

• URANIA: astronomy

• MELPHOMENE: tragedy

• THALIA: comedy

• TERPSICHORE: dance

• CALLIOPE: epic poetry

• ERATO: love poetry

• POLYHYMNIA: songs of gods

• EUTERPE: lyric poetry

3 FATES (MOIRAE): daughters of Zeus and Themis, they assign a man to good and evil

• CLOTHO: the spinner, spins the thread of life
• LACHESIS: the measurer, decides how long the life
• ATROPOS: cuts the thread of life at death

3 GRACES (CHARITES): daughters of Zeus and Eurynome

• AGLAIA: splendor
• EUPHROSYNE: joy
• THALIA: good cheer

3 ERINYES (FURIES): born from blood of Uranus, they punish those who break justice

• TISIPHONE: the avenger
• MEGAIRA: the unwilling one
• ALECTO: unceasing in anger

3 SEASONS (HORAE)daughters of Zeus and Themis, upholders of law

• EUNOMIA (Thallo, spring): order
• DIKE (Auxo, summer): justice
• EIRENE (Carpo, winter): peace

4 winds, children of Astraios and Eos:

• ZEPHYRUS: west wind
• BOREAS: north wind
• NOTUS: south wind
• EOSPHORUS: east wind

Other deities and creatures

• PROMETHEUS: wisest of titans, can tell the future, “forethought”

• EPIMETHEUS: a stupid titan, “afterthought”

• ATLAS: the titan who carried the world on his shoulders, he lead the titans in the war against Zeus

• METHIS: titaness of Mercury, wisdom and knowledge

• TYPHOEUS: fire breathing dragon with 100 heads

• CEREBRUS: 3 headed dog with dragon tail, guarding the entrance to the underworld

• SIRENS: beautiful women, half birds, their song is irresistible, they lure soldiers into death

• CENTAUR: half man half horse, mostly wild and savage (except Chiron)

• MEDUSA: ugly creature, hair of snakes, everyone who looks at her turns into stone

• CHIMERIA: 3 heard: lion, goat, snake

• ECHIDNA: half nymph half snake, had a lot of children

ROMAN MYTHOLOGY

APOLLO: god of sun, prophecy, healing, son of Jupiter, brother of Diana

BACCHUS: god of wine, ecstasy

CERES: goddess of grain , agriculture, daughter of Saturn

DIANA: goddess of fertility, childbirth, nature, moon

JUNO: queen of gods, goddess of marriage, childbirth, finance, daughter of Saturn, sister and wife of Jupiter

JUPITER: supreme god, god of light and sky, protector of state and laws

MARS: god of war and agriculture, son of Juno and Jupiter

MERCURY: god of trade, profit, travelers, son of Jupiter and Maia

MINEVRA: goddess of war, wisdom, arts, trade, daughter of Jupiter

NEPTUNE: god of sea

VENUS: goddess of love and beauty, daughter of Jupiter

VESTA: goddess of hearth

VULCAN: god of (destructive) fire and craftsmanship

PLUTO: son of underworld, judge of the dead, son of Saturn

FORTUNA: goddess of good fortune, blessing, fertility

SATURN: god of agriculture, father of Jupiter, Ceres, Juno,…

CELTIC MYTHOLOGY

AMAETHON

- master magician

- he traveled into Annwn (the Underworld) and returned unharmed

ARAWN

- king god of the underworld of Annwn

- wise, mysterious, powerful protector, gives access to ancestral wisdom

- he is riding a pale horse and leading a pack of white hounds with red-tipped ears and red eyes, he is a very good haunter

ARIANRHOD

- goddess of destiny, moon, beauty, reincarnation, primary goddess of the wheel

- mistress of the Spiral Tower of initiation within the Otherworld (where the poets )

- inspiration, divination

- daughter of Beli and Don

BELI

- the shining one, primary father god, fertility god

- sabbat Beltaine (Fire of Bel) was named after him

- later he was worshipped as god of Death and king of Underworld

BRAN

- god of inspiration, boundaries, protecting against invasion

- patron of storytellers, protector of travelers, gives access to ancestral wisdom

BRIGID

- goddess of all things, wisdom, intelligence, perfection, learning, protectres …

- supernal mother, fertility, creativity, inspiration, healing, poetry, prophecy, witchcraft

- daughter of Dagda, Triple goddess (she has two sisters also called Brigid)

- she became St. Brigit (Christianity)

CERRIDWEN

- goddess of moon, nature, grain, fertility

- science, knowledge, inspiration, regeneration, death, herbs, magic

- cauldron of wisdom and inspiration

CERNUNNOS

- the Green Man, the Horned God, god of nature, woods, animals, fertility

- also god of the underworld and reincarnation

- the Horned One is born on winter solstice, he marries at Beltaine and dies at summer solstice

- he alternates with the goddess of the moon in ruling over life and death

DAGDA

- the supreme god, all-powerful, good in everything he does

- master of magic, good warrior

- son of Bali and Danu, leader of Tuatha De Dannan

DIAN CECHT

- god of healing

- also a member of Tuatha De Dannan

DON

- goddess of sea and air, Queen of the Heavens

- mother goddess, she gave birth to Arianrhod, Gwyddion, Amaethon, Govannon

GOVANNON

- a smith god

- created swords for Tuatha De Dannan (meaning the Children of the Goddess Don)

- also god of alcohol (his beer gave immortality to the one who drinks it)

GWYDDION

- master of illusion, very wise

- protector of men, teacher

LUGH

- sun god, god of light, warmth and inspiration

- patron of poets and talented people

- god of war and fire, protector of the weak

- member of Tuatha De Dannan

LIR

- God of the Sea

- member of Tuatha De Dannan

MANANNAN

- god of sea

- master of trickery, understood all enchantments

MORRIGAN

- goddess of war

- moon goddess, fertility, magic, prophecy, shape-shifter

- also appears as triple goddess:

o Badb (fury): influencing the outcome of a battle with magic

o Nemain (venomous): causing panic among warriors

o Macha (battle): battle, fear, great power, she takes the souls of fallen enemies

- also a member of Tuatha De Dannan

SABBATS

Yule (Dec 21^st ):

- winter solstice , longest night of the year, time of death, the sun is reborn

- a festival of light

Imbolc (Jan 31^st):

- announces the coming of new life in spring

- celebration of goddess Brigid

- fertility, growth

Ostara (March 21^st ):

- spring equinox, days are becoming longer

- blessing fields and seeds, time of new life and joy

Beltane (April 30):

- beginning of summer and the Light half of the year

- gates of the Otherworld are opened

- maiden becomes the mother

- gaining strength

Litha (June 21^st )

- summer solstice, longest day of the year

- peak of fertility, nature is fully alive

Lughnasadh (Aug 1^st ):

- celebration of nature , harvest

- time to follow our responsibilities and commitments

Mabon (September 21^st )

- fall equinox, days will become shorter

- end of harvest, time of rest

- the mother becomes the crone

Samhain (Oct 31^st ):

- beginning of winter and the Dark half of the year, Celtic new year

- gates to the Otherworld are opened, the dead are allowed to walk aboard

- a perfect time to get rid of negative thought and move on to the new beginnings

SLAVIC MYTHOLOGY

BABA YAGA: goddess of death and regeneration, has the gift of prophecy, lives in darkness

BELOBOG: “white god”, god of day, Heaven, happiness and peace, bringer of good luck

CRNOBOG: “black god”, god of the dead, evil, grief, chaos, the opposite of Belobog

DAJBOG: sun god, son of Svarog, husband of Myeryats (lunar goddess)

KRIVDA: goddess of bitterness, hatred and offense

LADO: god of marriage, pleasure and happiness

LADA: goddess of beauty, love, harmony, youth , sister and wife of Lado

MAKOSH: goddess of home, marriage, fertility, earth

PERUN: god of lightening, thunder, storm and war. One of primary deities. Lord of

mountains and the forest.

PORVATA: god of the woods

ROD: one of most ancient deities, creator of the Universe, supreme universal principle

STRIBOG: god of the winds, sky and air also god of ice, cold and winter

SVAROG: god of spirit and fire, bright and clear, represents generative and sexual powers of fire, he was represented as a fire serpent, a winged dragon that breathes fire, patron of smiths and craftsmen

TRIGLAV: unity of 3 gods: Svarog, Perun, Dajbog, later Dajbog was replaced by Veles

VELES: god of cattle, music and the underworld, associated with wealth and spiritual world.

VESNA : goddess of spring

ZARIA: goddess of beauty, also associated with morning

• Book of Veles: believed to be a sacred text
• 3 realms: YAV (material world), PRAV (laws that govern YAV and NAV), NAV (immaterial world)
• Main symbol: WORLD TREE: all three realms are placed on a gigantic oak tree that holds the whole Universe

THE MEANING OF LIFE AND RELIGIOUS PROMISE

THE MEANING OF LIFE

People have always tried to find the meaning of their lives.

Let us, for example, take a look at the questions Pascal asked himself:

“Why am I HERE, rather then THERE?”

“Why NOW, rather then THEN?”

There are few possible answers:1. “Everybody has to be someplace.”Do you think this is the answer Pascal wanted to hear? …. NO2. (an answer, that may appear even more logical)“Pascal’s parents lived in a certain place at certain time, so he was born where and when hew was.”Now this might sound like an answer to Pascal’s question on where and when, but Pascal was not looking for the CAUSE of his existence. He was looking for a REASON.

Both questions could be combined into one:

“What purpose serves my being here and now?”

An example to illustrate the difference between the cause and the purpose: When a person dies we ask ourselves “why?”THE CAUSE: The death of this person was caused by a heart attack. We already know that this is not the answer we are seeking for. We are now trying to find the purpose of the death (of a family member, friend, …)The next question that arises is: “would a purpose help us to bear the loss?”

So what is the meaning of life?

For Pascal, the meaning of life was the purpose of his being there and than. (but did he find that purpose?)

Such questions are a part of every religion this world has ever seen. Every religion is trying to answer them (in a way…)

RELIGIOUS PROMISE

Religion holds out the promise of an answer to questions as those we just discussed and further questions like this:

“Why is there human suffering?”

“What is the meaning of human suffering?”

An answer would be:

“God has a purpose we cannot understand.”

It is impossible to see the purpose from our point of view, but there is a purpose from the god’s point of view. We cannot understand the “why?” of the things, but god can.

Religion holds out a promise of meaning and we are reduced to faith.

“… our purpose is the god’s purpose…”

OLD EGYPT

At the very beginnings of the culture people in Old Egypt believed in different gods. Later on they were closing in on faith in one god.

A teaching: People are supposed to live their life on the basis of the moral and ethical beliefs that were owned by each person in a slightly different version. Such life would please the gods and improve ones position among others.

To live a just life means to hold a one-way ticket to another world. A person that died had to face goddess Maat, the goddess of truth and justice. She would put the heart of the deceased on one side of a scale and the Feather of Truth on the other side. If the heart was heavier then the feather, the person was not allowed to enter the life after death. The life after death is considered as becoming one with god, firstly this was the sun god Re, later Osiris. The passage that led to the new life was dangerous, and those who were allowed to pass were protected by gods on their journey.

ZARATHUSTRA

Zoroaster was a prophet from old Persia. The time of his life is not set exactly, some claim he lived around 600 b.c., others claim he lived 1500 b.c. He was chosen by God to receive his unique revelation.

Zarathustra’s teaching speaks about a personal fate; every individual carries the responsibility to decide between the good and evil. The good was represented by the God, the Wise Man, Ahura Mazda, who was a generous leader and a friend of all human beings. He created the undead, Amesha Spentas, who were thought as God’s sons and daughters. On the other side there was the evil, a destructive spirit, Angra Mainyu that was not created by God. This violent and destructive devil created a number of demons and evil spirits. The world is seen as a battlefield of good and evil.

God created the world and the humans to take a part in the battle between the good and evil, so that the good could win in the end.

A judgment is waiting for everybody when they die; the good (good thoughts, words and works) on the one side and evil (evil thoughts, words and works) on the other side of a scale. If the good is heavier than the evil, the person will go into heaven, and if not, the person is condemned to hell.

KOREA

“Nameless religion” follows some rules and also includes legends and stories:

- me and cosmos: a human being lives in harmony with the world (world is a stage of spirits of sky, earth, water and trees)

- (me and the universe): legendary story of Tan’gun, the son of Hwan-ung (the son of Hwan-in, the ruler of Heaven) and a bear that became a woman. Tan-gun became a wise leader. The legend talks about the peace and order in cosmos.

- me and fate: “Can we as active beings be the victims of fate?” this question is built from two contrary contents. But the opposite complete each other (Jin-Jang).

- (me and salvation): sometimes the balance between the two opposite things is lost, and people need gods to save them from destruction.

- me and the highest being: we are alive and breathing because of the mercy of the highest being, the spirit of heaven, Hanaunim. He causes the rain and the sun. Natural catastrophes are just a way of punishing.

I-CHING

I-Ching is a Chinese book of changes. It says that God is a living all powerful spirit. It has no real shape and is the reason of everything. God is all and in all. A human being can get closer to God when finding inner peace and returning to the center.

CHRISTIAN TEACHINGS

According to the Bible, it seems that our job is to love and serve God. And out job is to go to heaven… we can learn to think about this world as an anteroom to the next and of our life here as a pilgrimage to the next world (Bible: Sermon on the Mount). It also looks like our purpose was to make this world a better one. The Christian’s purpose is God’s. It fits into a larger plan. It ensures some wider meaning and significance to the individual Christian life. We are not here as the result of blind causal happenings. We are here for a definite purpose. If we accept that purpose, there is no danger of our lives being meaningless. (Bible: Ecclesiastes)