#lord herakles

[the-shrine-to-deified-heroes]

Hihi, I wanted to ask if you have any tips on starting out when worshipping heroes, thank you in advance!!

Hello Alexandros, hope you’ve had safe travels here! And yes, I certainly have tips for starting out worshipping The Heroes! I’m really glad you’ve reached out <33

[The first and main thing to note going into this (potentially new) situation is that everyone finds their way differently. You may not like my advice or find it unsettling because of the way you experience Them or eventually turn away from this advice and that’s entirely okay. Everyone likes to have a starting point, even if it ends up being a huge no/“fuck you”, and that’s entirely okay. May your journey be comfortable here.]

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So, with that out of the way, here are some tips born of my own personal experience interacting with The Myths, Them, and Lord Perseus himself!

The first and main thing, personally, to note is that They are not The Gods, nor are they any type of Immortal, so their presence might bring an entirely new dynamic to you in your Worship. Personally, Lord Perseus feels more like a Companion or Mentor Figure rather than an Authority and Godly Figure/some I hold to High Respects as one does to The Gods. It is not as though I do not respect Him--I deeply, deeply do and that is why I devote myself to Him--but it is a different sort of respect than I approach the Gods with. As I said before, my dynamic and interactions with Lord Perseus more feels like a mentoring role of Someone who is much better than me and of someone that I respect truly and utterly as a Mentor Figure to me and someone I could perhaps follow like a mentee would their mentor. This dynamic could and would be different with everyone, but just keep an open mind when approaching Them that this dynamic will be different than with The Gods.

Another thing to keep in mind with Them is that they were once mortal. I know, it's a silly thing to admit because of course they were mortal! Well, yeah,--duh--but still, keep that thought in mind as you start out your approaches to Them and maybe even do a deep mental dive into that mentality and/or put yourself in Their shoes every once in a while to center yourself and remind yourself of who They are/once were. Their mortality and Their heroics are a core part of Their beings and so keeping that in mind would truly help--at least personally--cement that respect and love for Them in your mind and center your devotion because they are not The Gods--They do not have as much magical influence on the modern world [at least as far as I am aware :)]

Now, onto actually Interacting with Them. Lord Perseus likes the companionship I bring to Him--He was a very sociable person in His youth/mortal days--and so I like to talk to Him. My devotion is my conversations with Him. But someone like Lord Odysseus would rather play some games as your devotion to Him, just as Lord Herakles might like watching you complete physical tasks as a devotion to Him (both of these are speculation because I do not work with Them, but it feels right so maybe that might be a sign??). Again, They are mortal and They like mortal things so maybe experiment on that stuff and flatter them every once in a while--because they are still human /lh--to really establish those connections in what you want with Them.

What Are Some Gifts That They Might Like? Stroke Their egos a little bit. Make sure it doesn't borderline hubris of course and especially do not equate Them with The Gods in worship because... we all know how that goes-, but flatter them. They did still earn Their rights among the Halls of Fame and They were all still awesome Heroes back then, so make sure to flatter them every once in a while (or a lot), they deserve it <33. So, really, anything that might stroke their egos like Super Shiny Rocks, Poems, talking about Them flatteringly either to the air or to someone else, etc. If you'd give it to a mentor you're kinda of scared of but really, truly and utterly respect and you still wanna give them something, then it's your best bet They'll like it too <33

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

Here are some things I personally do with Lord Perseus & a comparison of what I do differently with my Goddesses, Lady Aphrodite and Lady Amphitrite to kind of show you the differences I'm suggesting in both Feel of the Bond and Worship:

I like to gossip/ramble to Lord Perseus. Does He know what's going on? No. Does He still listen closely when He feels like it/is there? Yes. Is He in on this conversation right now as I'm typing it? Not particularly, He's really letting me take on the reigns but every once in a while I'll get a comment on technology which is really just an ✨Old Person Thing✨

(In comparison, I ask Lady Aphrodite very purposefully for things. I elevate my thoughts and specifically direct my energy towards Her. It's very intentional with Her, mostly because that is my relationship with Her and also because She's A Goddess™️ and I want to show Her specifically my devotion and respect towards Her. Lady Amphitrite, I am currently on a break with so I do not remember things with Her but I usually am very kind and hesitant in my approach with Her. She is a Queen and deserves that Respect. [Actually, She likes to approach Me a lot, which She is currently doing right now and guiding/insisting on this message :))]. Lord Perseus, on the other hand, I interact with casually and throw things around in my Brain for His attention :)).)

I like to write in honor of Him. In my experience, He is a more curious Deity who approaches things/my interests like a Grandpa who doesn't exactly get it but is eager to watch me and ask questions every once in a while. Yes, Lord Perseus, my writing is questionable, but you don't have a say in anything other than the book I am Dedicating to You.

[I also write in honor of my Goddesses, but like how I speak to Them, it is a lot more formally. I am presenting Them with my progress and I am getting feedback from Them but They aren't an active presence throughout it unless I am specifically asking Them/channeling Them to be :))].

And, finally, I obsess over Him. The main reason why I am devoted to Lord Perseus is because He is/was my favorite hero of them. I am fascinated by His childhood story, His slaying of Medusa, Lady Andromeda, His future legacies/family, and everything associated with Him, and so I like to internally scream my excitement of Him in my head every time I think of/approach Him. I just love Him so much <33

[I also do that to my Goddesses, but in different ways. Lady Aphrodite helps me in self care and so I make sure to put deep respect in my intent towards Her when I appreciate Her. Lady Amphitrite is just so cool and so I make sure to channel that each time I talk to Her.]

--

So yeah, that's my personal Beginners Guide Of Worshipping The Greek (And/Or Non-Greek) Heroes! I hope this helps and I wish I could have given you a more detailed response but I didn't know Who you were trying to pursue :((. Do you have Anyone in mind? Maybe you can send another ask and I'll respond with more personalized advice such as research and sites/books to start with?? The main takeaway with this response is that The Heroes Were/Are Mortals Too And That Affects Things, so do with this information as you will and I hope it helps things like this not be such a grasp in the dark on spaces you can't even imagine starting to know :)). I know a lot of new things are like that for me, so I hope this helps! Feel free to ask more and I'll try to get to it sooner!!

[hetagrammy]

In the asoiaf au, who is Herakles's father?

I was originally going to leave it ambiguous and have we all know that his dad was Dornish, but your own hcs about Mama Greece and Persia inspired me :)

It remains to be seen if Persia is still alive though, as it stands to reason Romulus wouldn't want the guy who messed around with his wife (granted before he married her) still present. A big part of his marriage to Helene was that she had to give up her attachments to Herakles, and that was probably the biggest rift in their marriage. The adultery is one thing, but the fact that he campaigned that hard to marry her and then went on to have affairs on her is a whole other. That's it's own issue though. And let's be clear, Helene did love him at the time they got married, they had two children together for a reason, she's not a helpless victim in this scenario (granted she did not have much choice what with Patriarchy™ being a thing).

The caveat here is that Romulus doesn't like to do things subtly, you could call it honor, but really it's more him wanting to take the credit for beating his rivals. He doesn't want a slip down the stairs to take someone out, he wants it to be him. If Persia died in a slightly suspicious way and people sideye him though... that could also be a potential thread.

[nixlys]

Watching Heracles in Ancient Civilization.

(I can’t stand Heracles but if I ignore the inaccuracy it’s fun)

[my-name-is-apollo]

Just a compilation I did when I was feeling a bit bored...Gods and goddesses who are called the most beautiful:

Hera:

"I sing of golden-throned Hera whom Rhea bare. Queen of the Immortals is she, surpassing all in beauty"

– Homeric Hymn to Hera (trans. Evelyn-White)

"Hera, his sister and his wife, the grandest far in beauty among the deathless goddesses - most glorious is she whom wily Cronos with her mother Rhea did beget"

– Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite (trans. Evelyn-White)

Apollo:

"Lord Phoibos, when the goddess, lady Leto, bore you, clasping a palm tree in her slender hands, you the most beautiful of immortals, beside the wheel-round lake"

– Theognis, Elegies (trans. Andrew Miller)

"Then a youth, his brows wreathed in chaste laurel, appeared in my dream to set foot in my home. No previous age of men saw anything more beautiful than he, nor was that a human work of art."

– Lygdamus, Elegies (trans. Robert Maltby)

Apollo and Artemis:

"And Leto was joined in love with Zeus who holds the aigis, and bare Apollon and Artemis delighting in arrows, children lovely above all the sons of Heaven."

– Hesiod, Theogony (trans. Evelyn-White)

[Poseidon to Delos]: "it will be your happiness to receive my brother's twin children, fairest of the Gods"

– Lucian, Dialogues Of The Sea-gods (trans. Henry Watson Fowler)

Hebe:

"[Herakles] whose bride Hebe, the most beautiful of the goddesses, walks forever in Olympus beside her mother Hera, goddess of marriage."

– Pindar, Nemean Ode 10 (trans. Diane Arnson Svarlien)

Dionysus:

"Thy youth is not consumed by wasting time; and lo, thou art an ever-youthful boy, most beautiful of all the Gods of Heaven"

– Ovid, Metamorphoses 4 (trans. Brookes More)

Nerites:

"And they say that he was named Nerites and was the most beautiful of men and gods"

– Aelian, On Animals (trans. Scholfield)

_

Not an exhaustive list, though. I've put in only the references I've come across.

[l-just-want-to-see]

You’ll never recover from that kind of devotion.

Jason Grace: on family and the lack thereof, wolves that really are dogs, remembering and healing and the sudden inevitability of being remembered.

I Bet on Losing Dogs, Mitski / War of the Foxes, Richard Siken / You’re on Your Own, Kid, Taylor Swift / Trees II, McCafferty / Mowgli Taken in by the Wolves, 1937 / Space Dog, Alan Shapiro / Moon Song, Phoebe Bridgers / A Hymn to Childhood, Li-Young Lee / Susan Smith, wych elm / The Blood of Olympus, Rick Riordan / Saint Bernard, Lincoln / Lupa Capitolina in Ludus, Romania / The Odyssey, Homer (trans. by Emily Wilson) / quadruple dog art by @mxmorggo on Instagram / Norwegian Wood, Haruki Murakami / The Lost Hero, Rick Riordan / House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski / Vulnerability, @/kazerad / Euripides, Elektra / Jason seizing the Golden Fleece, Charles Natoire / Thalia (Grace) / I can’t find the source… / My Sister’s Keeper, Jodi Picoult / Seam, Tarfia Faizullah / In the Blood, John Mayer / The Vintage Book of African American Poetry, Michael S. Harper, Anthony Walton / Memento Mori, Crywank / And My Father’s Love Was Nothing Next To God’s Will, Amatullah Bourdon / Family Line, Conan Gray / Franz Kafka’s letters to his father / Kronos/Saturn, Peter Paul Rubens / Wolf and pup / American Teenager, Ethel Cain / LET YOUR FATHER DIE ENERGY DRINK, Daniel Lavery and Cecilia Corrigan / Scott Street, Phoebe Bridgers / Tumblr, @/inanotherunivrse / Tomatoes, Shane Koyczan / Pinterest / Tumblr, @/heavensghost / Tumblr, @/tagdevilish / through sickness and in health… by Angelina Hajducky on Instagram / Jason (given name), Wikipedia / Human Acts, Han Kang / The gas pillar in the Carina Nebula, NASA / Tumblr, @/roach-works / Not Strong Enough, boygenius / Grit, silas denver melvin / Herakles, Euripides (trans. by Anne Carson) / Pelias sending forth Jason, 1880 / The Audre Lorde Questionnaire to Oneself, Brianna Albers / The Mark of Athena, Rick Riordan / Wolf in White Van, John Darnielle / The Oresteia, Aeschylus / Tumblr, @/orpheuslament / Anecdote of the Pig, Tory Adkisson / The Burning Maze, Rick Riordan / I Bet on Losing Dogs, Mitski / Icarus, The Crane Wives / The Three Graces, Edouard Bisson / For Your Own Good, Leah Horlick

[lunarphoria]

☽☾ Ganymeda - Gladdening Princess ☽☾

Heyy everyone !! Here's a little drawing I made in honor of Lady Hebe <3 I'm sorry that it's on the more simple side ( I couldn't really figure out what to do for the background and kind of panicked a bit ) , but I still hope you enjoy it anyway!!

Here are some things I'd like to mention about the way I depict her :

I believe her to resemble her father more in appearance, but having her mother's " cow-like " eyes , so I tried to make them look big with thick lashes. The little horns are something every child of King Zeus & Queen Hera ( excluding Lord Ares & probably Lord Hephaistos too ? ) shares . I gave her a belt with a Herakles's Knot on it , a symbol of love & marriage which would be ceremonially untied by the groom . Her pitcher features an excerpt from an ancient vase depicting gods of Olympos attending a wedding ( though I found out my colorful rendering really clashes with ancient vases so you can't really see it anymore :') ) . I gave her attire the drooped shoulder since a lot of classical paintings of Lady Hebe ( or her Roman equivalent Lady Juventas) feature it as well , and I think it's fitting for a goddess of youth. The bluish , transparent fabric under the sleeves is kind of supposed to look like water. The chains around her arms may look a little strange at first, but freed prisoners would dedicate their broken chains to her in one of her sanctuaries, and I think it nicely undermines her role as a goddess of forgiveness and mercy as well <33

( divider made by @ / firefly-graphics ) <3

[helenofsparta2]

Headcannon: Percy is immensely popular among nature spirits and "minor" gods

Oceanids & Nereids

It starts small.

The Nereids and Oceanids are naturally curious about him when they find out about his existence, that’s already canon:

She (a nereid) nodded. “It has been many years since a child of the Sea God has been born. We have watched you with great interest.”

Suddenly, I remembered faces in the waves of Montauk Beach when I was a little boy, reflections of smiling women. (The Lightning Thief, chapter 17)

Later, at the latest by the time Titan’s curse happens, nereids and oceanids see him save ocean creatures from fishing gear, or whales stranded on beaches, or him helping mermaids with hanging nails. (Titan’s curse, chapter 7)  We see him be considerate and respectful to nereids through his interaction in the fourth book at the ranch.

She looked like she was ready for a fight. Her fists were balled, but I thought I heard a little quaver in her voice. Suddenly, I realized that, despite her angry attitude, she was afraid of me. She probably thought I was going to fight her for control of the river , and she was worried, she would lose.

The thought made me sad. I felt like a bully, a son of Poseidon throwing his weight around.

I sat down on a tree stump. “Okay, you win.”

The naiad looked surprised. (The Battle of the Labyrinth, chapter 9)

It’s pretty good established in the books, that smaller gods and spirits don’t get treated with respect most of the time, especially not from heroes of old like Herakles and the Olympian gods. The reaction of the naiad adds to this sentiment, so we can pretty easily conclude that the way Percy treats them, is relatively rare.

In-between the books, Rick often sprinkles in some interactions between Percy and naiads, which further underlines their positive opinion of him:

I looked over the edge of the boat and found a couple of naiads staring at me. They looked like regular teenage girls, the kind you’d see in any mall, except for the fact that they were underwater.

Hey, I said. They made a bubbling sound that may have been giggling. I wasn’t sure. I had a hard time understanding naiads.

We’re heading upstream, I told them. Do you think you could-

Before I could even finish, the naiads each chose a canoe and began pushing us up the river. (Titan’s curse, Chapter 14)

Satyrs & Dryads:

The satyrs know that he, Clarisse, Annabeth, Tyson and Grover were the ones, who returned the golden fleece to camp half-blood and so, have stopped satyrs from getting killed by Polyphemus. During the battle of the labyrinth, Percy is the one who extinguished the fire and stopped the trees and dryads from getting burnt to death. Not to mention that he is best friends with the guy, who discovered Pan and has the title of Lord of the Wild.

“Minor” Gods:

The non-Olympian gods, like Hecate, Nemesis, Eros, Hebe and Morpheus were probably curious about him, even wary, but nothing more at first, until Percy managed to stop the civil war between Zeus and Poseidon at the age of twelve.  

We know that canonically, this already earned him the respect of many different beings:

As I walked back through the city of the gods, conversations stopped. The muses paused their concert. People, and satyrs and naiads all turned towards me, their faces filled with respect and gratitude, and as I passed, they knelt, as if I were some kind of hero.” (The Lightning Thief, chapter 21)

By the time the war with Kronos further escalates and they join his side, this obviously changes again. From this moment on, Percy is their enemy, and probably nothing more for most of them.

But then, they lose, and probably expect the worst of consequences.

Gods who have crossed Zeus have suffered severe punishments before. Prometheus was bound to a rock, with an eagle eating his liver every day because he stole fire from the gods, gifted it to humanity and tricked Zeus, the titans were banished to Tartarus after the Titanomachy. After some of the gods rebelled and tried to overthrow Zeus, Hera got hung in the sky with golden chains, where she cried out all night in pain, while Apollo and Poseidon were forced to work as labourers for King Laomedon of Troy.

They probably expected to get thrown into Tartarus with the rest of the Titans, get stripped of their immortality, or worse. Instead, however, their children finally receive cabins at camp half-blood and they themselves receive full amnesty.

All because Percy Jackson, this 16-year-old teenager, decides to change the entire thousand year old status quo on Olympus.  

He could have wished for anything after their victory over Kronos and the titan army. The choice was not between the oath he made the gods swear and him becoming a god. He could have wished to be left alone, or to never have to do a quest again, or live a happy, and peaceful life away from the pain and wars until the end of his days, or literally anything else, but he didn’t. He made the active choice to make Olympus fairer, and to create equality among the demigods, without even thinking about it for too long.

No one can convince me that this, and his already mentioned other actions, didn’t earn him the respect of huge parts of the mythological world.

Not even Rick himself (no matter how much he may try in his new books)

[ditoob]

Counsel to the Young Prince of Ithaka

“You see, Odysseus,” my grandfather shifted his weight on the unsteady branches of an old olive tree. We were far outside of the palace, away from the view of the royal guard and my father. He loved these places, trails that wouldn’t necessarily lead you anywhere in particular, and there were many in Ithaka, though it was a small island. He plucked a small bunch of olives from the branches, cupping them neatly in his hand as he came back down towards me. He passed me one — purple, soft and overripe. I grimaced as it fell on my hands, mother always said they were bad for you. “You wouldn’t eat one of those would you? They’re much too old now”, he dropped the rest of the purple olives on the grass.

“Oh don’t make that face!”, he said as he reached into his old leather bag, “Here! You’ll prefer this”. His arm outstretched toward me, holding an apple, an ugly, rotten thing. It seemed to crumble every time he swung his arms around to speak — which he always did. “Appearances are very important, young man, aren’t they?”, he said confidently, Grandpa Autolycus always knew what he spoke of, he had lived a life full of experience. “You wouldn’t eat this, would you?” he held it nearer to me. “No! Eww”, I grimaced, it smelled even worse than it looked. “But what if I…” he held my attention as he passed the rotten apple behind his back, from his right hand to his left, and out came a shining, almost golden, apple. They said it was his gift, as the son of lord Hermes.

“How did you do that!” I was shocked, my eyes filled with wonder at the gleaming fruit in front of me. It seemed to glow as the sun struck it through the leaves of the olive trees that surrounded us. It almost looked godly, like something Lady Athena or the mighty Lord Zeus would dine on. I inched ever closer towards it, its beauty mesmerizing me. The smell of rot and disgust hit my nose the moment the apple was up to my young face, and I darted back as the horrible stench approached me. “Appearances can be deceiving, wouldn’t you say?” he laughed as I attempted to get rid of the smell that had now plagued my nose and would disappointingly remain with me for the remainder of the day.

“But one can change their appearance” I saw the apple transform with a snap of his fingers, crumbling back into the rotten mess it was before “Even the mightiest of men can look poor and wretched if given enough practice. Even you, Odysseus!” He said as he ruffled my hair, laughing as the strands began to cover my gray eyes. In between laughs I stammered, “Stop!”. He managed to pick out some better olives, green ones, which we ate as we watched birds fly over Ithaka. I laid by him as Helios traveled below the Earth and night came. Nights were quiet in the island, only the sound of the crashing waves and the leaves of olive trees being rustled by the wind could be heard, perhaps the sound of a boar if you were unlucky.

“I taught Herakles how to wrestle, you know?” he laughed as he lifted me above his shoulders, “You’re lying!” I shouted with doubt as I laughed along. He stopped for a second, an almost imperceptible second, “I lie to everyone else, young man”, his face turned serious, “but not you. You’re too clever for that”. It was the first time he’d spoken to me without the hint of a chuckle in his voice. “Do not forget this, Odysseus. You are more clever than you know”. I did not understand him then –most of his words fell on attentive, but deaf ears— he spoke to me as though I were an older man, after all. A man such as he, bearded and full of experience. But I was not an old man like him, I was young, spry, and endlessly energetic. Though his words stuck with me even more than the scar that marks my thigh, and I would understand his counsel. 

As we reached the castle, and he ignited my imagination with tales of monsters and gods — how lord Hermes stole the cattle of great Apollo, or how Perseus slayed the terrifying Medusa — until I fell unconscious on his lap and Eurycleia lifted me to my bedchambers.

“He loves you more than anything else in Ithaka,” she said as she tucked me into bed, “You were named by him you know, not your father”. I had heard the story before, my father and Eurycleia had brought the young boy, the heir to the throne of Ithaka, to the lap of his grandfather. He looked at the boy with joy, his young, gray eyes reminding him of adventures of his past. Eurycleia recommended the name Polyaretos, “most wished”, she said with tears in her eyes, “we have prayed much for this young boy”. My father seemed pleased, though my grandfather disagreed. “Odysseus” he told him, “hated one, that shall be his name”. He did not laugh, Eurycleia maintains that she could see tears welling up in his eyes. My father was opposed to marking the next heir to the throne with such a bad omen, yet my grandfather persisted. “Give me this, young man” he said to King Laertes, “this boy will be far more than all of Ithaka, I will assure it”. He stood, holding the baby softly to his chest and walking towards the young king, “name him Odysseus”. 

No one is quite sure why I was called Odysseus, some don’t even believe it is of our native tongue. But it was important for my grandfather, regardless of what it meant for my future. I was important to him, perhaps he saw me as a second chance for the actions he regretted. “He was a haunted man” some would say, but they did not know the beaming, grinning Autolycus I knew. The old man who would run through the rocky hills of Ithaka with an infant on his shoulders who could not contain his excitement, or would involve his grandson in his many mischievous plans, to the delight of the young boy. He was a man who would do anything for his family.

I am older now, 22 years of age, expecting a young boy, Telemachos. I will do all I can to see him grow, to advise him and show him the beauty of our kingdom. I will be there for his first steps, for his first words, for the first time his beard begins to grow. He will be my pride, my joy, my world. I understand now, perhaps, why that young, gray-eyed boy meant so much to the old man.

-Odysseus, father of Telemachos

[eds0up]

Herakles Prayer

🦁 Thank you Prayer 🦁

Powerful Herakles, glorious and divine,

Come here hero to hear my praise and take my gratitude with you, oh glorious Lord.

It is you, Herakles to whom menkind is dear, I thank you for thy undivided protection and love, you show us every sun rise and every night fall.

Powerful Herakles, glorious and divine,

Giver of strength I bow to thee, may you continue to guide us trough the challenges ahead of us. Because trough thy grace, success is ours.

Powerful Herakles, glorious and divine,

Hear my praise and take good care!

[yamayuandadu]

who was nergal syncrestised with in hatra? apparently it was the iranic god verethragna but verethragna himself was syncretised with heracles. is it possible that all three deities were syncretised with each other?

First things first, I must admit I've been really enjoying the recent wave of very focused questions. It's actually easier to answer these than vague ones like "why was Inanna important". The worship of Nergal in Hatra is a complex topic because the city arose very late, there's only evidence of settlement from the final centuries of the first millennium BCE. Lucinda Dirven in her study of the matter basically characterized the local Nergal as "a Herakles-figure (...) worshipped in Hatra under the name of Nergal" rather than as outright the same deity Shulgi built a temple for in Kutha. She notes most of the art of the god follows Greco-Roman Heracles iconography, and anything resembling the classic Mesopotamian Nergal is uncommon. Ted Kaizer in his slightly earlier article questioned identifying the Heracles figure with Nergal altogether, though Dirven considers this too extreme. So, in other words, we have a deity who seemingly was called Nergal (multiple inscriptions confirm that directly), had Nergal's traditional roles tied to war, death and punishment, but looked enough like Herakles for this to be a very murky matter. And there are peculiarities which are strictly local, such as the association of dogs which is exclusive to the Parthian period and has no real precedent in Mesopotamia (medicine goddesses were associated with dogs, and Marduk has four attack dogs in his court, but Nergal has nothing like that at any earlier point in time). I think Dirven's "Nergal-Herakles" label is warranted and explains the situation best. Association between Nergal and Heracles was not limited to Hatra, and pops up in a few other cities in Hellenistic times; Heracles was associated with various fully divine foreign figures though, so it should not be surprising (see ex. the case of Sandas from Tarsus as another example) An additional problem is that some of the Herakles figures are actually inscribed with the name Gad, but that's a whole other can of worms, and here this might simply be a designation of the god as the tutelary deity of specific families, not a reference to Gad understood as an independent deity. As for the Iranian side: one of the best attested epithets of "Nergal-Herakles" in Hatra, Dahashpata ("lord of the guards" or "executioner"), seems to originate in an Iranian language. The connection to dogs might be borrowed from an Iranian milieu too, though more from the general perception of these animals as guardians of the dead etc. rather than from their link to a specific figure. I see no reference to Verethragna in Dirven's paper, and Shenkar's Intangible Spirits and Graven Images doesn't mention any connection between him and Nergal either - it just mentions that he was identified with Heracles in Commagene, Mesene and presumably in various locations in Armenia, but that even this was not universal because they're two different deities in Kushan sources which probably reflect a preexisting Iranian tradition. To sum up, I cannot really give you a straightforward answer. The god worshiped in Hatra definitely combined Mesopotamian, Greek and Iranian elements. However, even though Nergal, Heracles and Verethragna definitely show some similarities in terms of character, and Heracles could be viewed as analogous to both of them in different contexts, but I can't find any evidence that they were regarded as a three-way set of equivalents the way, say, Enlil, Dagan and Kumarbi were understood as in in the second millennium BCE. The closest point of connection between Verethragna and Nergal is the fact both of them corresponded to the same planet, as pointed out in Encyclopedia Iranica, but I am unable to find any recent source arguing this was anything like the Tishtrya-Nabu situation. In the light of the recently proven lack of any real connection between Anahita and Ishtar beyond sharing the same planetary symbol I'd be very cautious with similar claims about other supposed pairs.

[kindred-spirit-93]

Sup, it's me Astron

These are just some of my headcanons some don't have a basis in mythology unless I give context within brackets

• Demigod blood is copper/bronze in colour idk why it feels like a good middle between gold and red to me. Oh fun fact I can't find any classical sources saying that ichor was gold, it's usually just described as dark

• Persephone wears a crown with a narcissus/daffodil motive (it was the flower that Gaia grew to lure Persephone to the spot where Hades kidnapped her) also I just think it looks neat.

• I personally don't see Hades as pasty pale and weird I actually see him as quite handsome with a rich skin tone (I personally see him with a beard mainly because of that Serapis/Hades statue)

• Eileithyia is very physically similar to Zeus in stature and features. Childbirth is not for the faint of heart so I imagine her being a strong imposing presence with a no nonsense attitude and a booming laugh.

• Metis has a unibrow

• Demeter likes beer, a lot.

• Hestia was definitely involved with the whole Prometheus stealing fire thing

• Leto was the one who actively taught her children archery and Artemis how to hunt on Delos before she presented them to Zeus on Olympus

• Modern day Iris loves energy drinks and collects the pretty looking cans.

• Shape shifting to the gods is more akin to holding in your breath. Some gods are way better at it than others. Ares and Hephaestus are not

• Apollo and Hera have atleast once eaten a lettuce salad together and talked about cows, his hair and why Herakles sucks

• Apollo won't say it but he is really annoyed that people think that Ares was the patron of Sparta when it was actually him. He is a bit bitter about that lol

• Aphrodite was in the plumbing and sewage business under the name Cloacina

• Rhea's favourite grandchildren are Artemis and Dionysus

(I thought I sent this before but I might not of, I'm super unorganise)

(no worries XD yep this is the second one but u added rhea here so im answering this one since theyre essentially the same. u elaborated on the demeter erinyes referenced in her og ask so im adding it here!)

"Also unrelated, the myth where the Demeters Erinyes epithet came from is one of the few instances where we see the grief and rage from an assault victim. Most of the time it isn't acknowledged."

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eileithyia!! i love that she takes after zeus omg!! daddy daughter duo

lmao hera hanging on by a thread XD

HADES IS NOT A SHEET OF PAPER HALLEUJAH AMEN!! sure the sun dont shine where hes at lol but hes not the bone white lord of the dead. also yes glorious hair and beard lol >:)

ill have you know i reacted very sensibly reading aphrodites hc. (genuinely clever) and the etymology is quite interesting! the more u know

go leto go!! quite possibly my favourite hc on here :D we need more hera and leto interactions!! idk why i think theyd have killer chemistry both figuratively and literally lol.

[the-shrine-to-deified-heroes]

Γεια σας!

Welcome to the temple of Deified Heroes, I hope your journey was not too treacherous nor was it very long. Allow me to take your coat from you and give you the honor of a place to refresh your mind. Our troubles are minute here, you don't have to be quick on your feet or justify yourself in front of an invisible court, all you've got to do is let down your hair and relax, however that may look to you! Welcome, and have a pleasant stay!

{Credit to @the-aesthetics-shop. Thank you so much for letting me use your beautiful dividers <33}

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Hello everyone!! Welcome to my little sanctuary here on Tumblr, The Temple of Heroes!!! My name is Neptune, as some of you may know through previous interactions, I am a Minor, and I use He/They-He/Him Pronouns for the most part!! As you may be able to tell with all the exclamation marks, I am very excited to be before you today and presenting you all with... this, whatever we want to call it. A sanctuary, a temple, a gathering spot? Who knows. We'll figure it all out :))

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Who Does This Temple Honor? This Temple honors all "Deified Heroes" of Greek Mythology, which--in the simplest terms--are all the mortal heroes of the Mythos. This can range from Lord Perseus--who I personally Follow--to Lord Hyakinthos, Lord Icarus, Lord Achilles, Lord Agamemnon, etc. Basically, it Honors any Hero/Mortal Character of the Greek Mythos :)). The only nuance that this Temple holds are those who Ascended to Godhood within the Myths and that will truly depend on where Their impact most lies--in either Their Mortal Forms, Pre-Ascension, or their Godly Forms, Post-Ascension [ie: Lord Dionysus & Lord Herakles; Lord Dionysus has/had more Influence as a God while Lord Herakles's Influence & Myths are from his Mortal Times :)]

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Who Do You Personally Honor? I honor Lord Perseus, the Slayer of Medusa, Founder of Mycenae, and Husband of Andromeda!! He is very amazing to me and I love Him so very much <3333. My other Deities are Lady Aphrodite and Lady Amphitrite, Goddess of Love and the Queen of the Seas respectively :)))).

[Please keep rhetoric to oneself, this is a digital space of worship. It is not fandom at any, any point.] This is a safe space for all systems, disabled people, the mentally ill, queer people, and people of color. I will preach this as a place of healing, and it shall stay that way.

Temple Discord -> https://discord.gg/3VXNzVTekg

About Me

Temple Rules

Disclaimer: I am merely a Host for this Temple, the one who Created this space for others. I hold nor have any authority other than to preserve the sacredness of this space and will do my best to uphold that honor. I will speak only for myself and allow the word/thoughts of others' to be spread, but otherwise I hold no authority over anyone else. My word will never be law.

↳ #Temple Findings - Anything Related To The Temple/Its Deities

↳ #Camila Rambles - Non-Specific Personal Posts/Updates

↳ #Neptune's Worship - Posts About My Specific Worship/Way Of Things

↳ #Appreciating The Cultures - Posts Mostly About Greece But Also About Different Cultures!

↳ #Temple Communal Board Posting - Basically Sharing Anything Within The Community, Especially Those Looking For Help, Like A Job Posting Board

[historia-vitae-magistras]

🩹💚💛 for aussie

🩹 ADHESIVE BANDAGE — does your oc have any physical and/or mental disabilities?

He has a clicky jaw from where he nearly got his face blown off at Gallipoli, limps a little when it's cold, or he's depressed from where he got shot in the thigh, also at Gallipoli but Lone Pine. Both were exacerbated by not letting it heal properly before he got back to work. The scar faded but he got hosed by a flame thrower and then plane fuel during a plane crash in 1941 and his right shoulder is still a bit stiff. He will roll it a lot when he's anxious.

As for mental... It's not exactly a disability in the bio-medical sense but he was just not built for 19th century life. He's one of those kids that in the modern day everyone would be pushing to be on Ritalin but the second he's in a comfortable, safe, stable environment all the behaviour problems disappear. In the 19th century though my boy was just struggling.

💚 GREEN HEART — does your oc prefer being inside or outside?

He's an outside lad through and through. Jack appreciates air-con but good lord he's an al fresco lad. Morning coffee at the café's outside tables. Stretched out like a lizard on a hot rock waiting for the washing to be dry. And long, long, long goddamn periods out in the bush doing god knows what. He probably got an indoor bathroom installed fairly early on and completely forgot it had a toilet because he was fine just pissing outside. Zee just like "why did you spend money on this??????"

💛 YELLOW HEART — how many languages does your oc speak? what language(s) are they learning, if any?

I need to do more on this. I've directly referenced Dharug, English, Irish, and Te Reo. His French and German are shit and always will be. 404: languages with a built in hierarchy not found. He was pretty content just to absorb languages as they became relevant but he put a LOT of effort into Greek and a very specific type of Italian when he got the pitter-patters for Romano and Herakles in the early 20th century. I'm not sure where the fluency chart would put him but he's got knowledge of Arabic, Mandarin, Indonesian, Balinese and Japanese now. He'll kind of complain about learning another one and a bit about having to use it but then he's a fucken peacock about on the off chance a conversation doesn't happen in the world's dominant global language 😂.

Character Detail Ask Game

[joseandrestabarnia]

Título: Estatua de Hércules (Lansdowne Herakles)

Artista/Creador: Desconocido

Fecha: alrededor del año 125 d.C.

Medio: Mármol

Dimensiones: Objeto: 193,5 × 77,5 × 73 cm, 385,5575 kg (76 3/16 × 30 1/2 × 28 3/4 pulg., 850,0001 lb.)

Lugar: Imperio Romano (Lugar de Creación)

Villa Adriana, zona norte, cerca del Casino Fede, Tívoli, Italia (Lugar encontrado)

Cultura: romana

Número de objeto: 70.AA.109

El héroe griego Hércules lleva un garrote sobre su hombro izquierdo y sostiene una piel de león en su mano derecha. Estos objetos ayudan a identificar la figura, ya que Hércules a menudo era representado con una maza y la piel del León de Nemea, al que mató en su primer parto. Como es habitual en las representaciones de héroes griegos, el joven Hércules aparece desnudo, ya que los griegos consideraban que la desnudez masculina era la forma más elevada de belleza. Ningún otro dios o héroe se representa con tanta frecuencia en el arte griego y romano como Hércules.

El Lansdowne Herakles muy probablemente se inspiró en una estatua griega perdida, probablemente de la escuela de Policleto del año 300 a. C. Encontrada en 1790 cerca de las ruinas de la villa del emperador romano Adriano en Tívoli, en las afueras de Roma, esta estatua fue una de las numerosas copias de Escultura griega encargada por Adriano, amante de la cultura griega. La estatua, una de las adquisiciones más preciadas de J. Paul Getty, recibe su nombre de Lord Lansdowne, quien una vez fue propietario del Hércules y la exhibió en su casa de Londres. Las áreas de restauración incluyen la parte inferior de la pierna izquierda de la estatua y partes de ambos brazos.

Información e imágenes de la web del museo Getty.

[angel-of-hunky-doryness]

How Disney's Hercules resolves the myth of Megara

To everyone who has ever stumbled upon the Star Wars side of the force - I mean tumblr, I'm gonna bet my 5 pound chihuahua that you've heard of this famous line by George Lucas:

Well why am I going on about ol' Georgie on a post about Disney's Hercules? I will get to that eventually, but for now bare with me as I spin you a familiar tale.

Long ago in a far away land of ancient Greece, a god fully embraced and welcomed by their family up on Mount Olympus decides to give up their immortality, their comfort, and their powers to live out a mortal life with their mortal spouse.

We've all heard that story before, but funnily enough, Meg had known that story since she was a tyke (at least Myth!Meg did).

Now bare with me, in the original myth of Herakles it is very upfront that Meg is a princess of Thebes, daughter of Creon and Eurydice(no not that one). Mind you, Meg becoming a princess is a bit complicated, but long story short, Meg's father was the brother of queen Jocasta, the mother/wife of Oedipus.

Yes, that Oedipus.

When everything went to hell, Meg's father sort of became regent, and by extent Meg became a princess. It was at this time in myth Hercules showed up in Thebes and he helped Creon commit some war crimes and as thanks, Creon let Meg and Hercules marry.

Years pass, they got busy, had tons of kids, but it's not a happily ever after. To those who are familiar with the greek myths, you all know what happens next. Hera sends Hercules into a fit of madness and does a Purple guy and slaughters his entire family.

At this point, Meg's story is over. She isn't brought up again, but a couple thousand years later, a little studio going through a Renaissance period decides to add a bit of polish and gallons of bleach to reinvent the story where Meg finally gets her happy ending.

In fact, she receives the same beginning as the patriarch of her family: Cadmus.

You see, Cadmus was a regular mortal from Phoenicia and the true founder of the Royal House of Thebes. His adventures started after Zeus had kidnapped his sister, Europa. And in his travels he manages to tick off a god of war. Sorry, Kratos not you.

Cadmus had slayed a giant dragon/serpent/drakon creature that was guarding a freshwater spring, that was unfortunately sacred to Ares.

So Cadmus was forced to serve penance and become a servant of Ares for 8 years. Hmm, this sounds awfully familiar huh?

But after that period was done, as a sort of peace treaty, Ares' daughter- AND the daughter of Aphrodite, Harmonia gave up her godhood to marry Cadmus.

And thus, the story of Meg ends the same way her family's began. With a god giving up their life on Olympus to be with their loved one.

Now that dear readers is poetry in it's truest form.

While Cadmus and Harmonia's love story ends a bit tragically- the pair end up turned into snakes after a curse thanks to Hephaestus giving Harmonia a cursed necklace (more on that in a future post).

However, when they died, the couple ended up skipping Elysium and going straight to the Isles of the Blessed. A place that heroes who had managed to live good and honorable lives after three or so reincarnations were able to achieve.

And I think that when Disney's Meg and Hercules did end up shirking off their mortal coils, they too achieved the same honor as Cadmus and Harmonia. Living at last a well deserved happily ever after.

While there is no evidence whatsoever of Meg being a princess by blood in the Disney movie at all, for the sake of this post, and for what Meg's mythological background brings to the table, I will continue to see her as at least a member of this famous lineage. And I hope you will consider this perspective as well.

So, can y'all imagine how she felt after watching Oedipus Rex??? Home girl just had about five years of gossip dropped on her lap during date night. Dear Lord, I wish I could have my family drama dramatized and summarized that quickly.

[sag-dab-sar]

Personal Terminology: why "Mariolatry" and not "Marian Devotion/Veneration" ?

Mariolatry is a pejorative term used primarily by protestants to describe Catholic & Orthodox veneration of The Virgin Mary.

Here is a small part of what Mary means to me.

Mariolatry

Wiktionary Entry

Latin Maria + o + -latry

Maria referring to The Virgin Mary, 'o' is an interfix, and "-latry" meaning 'worship of'.

-latry according to wiktionary comes from "Late Latin latria, from Ancient Greek λατρεία (latreía, “service; worship”).

So the literal meaning is "Worship of Mary"

This may not seem bad on the surface but it certainly is bad for many Christians because there are different types of acceptable veneration.

Christian Veneration

*Obviously individual Catholics and Christians are going to have different ideas. Certainly not all follow official doctrines many syncretisms and DIY exist. I am basing my view off Church *doctrine* as I know it.

In Catholicism (largest denomination of Christianity) worship is known as latria. It comes from the exact same origin "-latry" does.

Latria is due only to God (The Trinity) and God alone.

Dulia, which comes from Greek douleia meaning servitude, is the honor paid towards Saints.

Hyperdulia, which is just dulia with a hyper prefix attached meaning "over", describes the honor paid towards Mary. It is above the honor of saints but below worship.

"Wherefore dulia, which pays due service to a human lord, is a distinct virtue from latria, which pays due service to the Lordship of God. It is, moreover, a species of observance, because by observance we honor all those who excel in dignity, while dulia properly speaking is the reverence of servants for their master, dulia being the Greek for servitude". — St. Thomas Aquinas

Worship is due to God and God alone.

So saying "you worship Mary" can be offensive, and a Christian who participates in Marian Devotion might strongly disagree. Marian devotion exists in the Roman & Eastern Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, and Lutheranism. They don't worship her, they give her honor and veneration that is below the worship of God, even if it is devout.

Many Protestants refuse these distinctions and see the veneration of Mary and Saints along with statues and icons as idolatry..... hence "mariolatry"

My Personal Practice

The distinctions individuals wish to use is all well and good, and I completely respect it.

But I am not Christian. I am a polytheist. I see no reason to give Mary Hyperdulia/Dulia and not Latria.

I don't come from a theological framework were worship is due to The Trinity and The Trinity alone. Or even due to Gods alone. Many other types of spirits that may not be considered Gods or "fully" Gods can receive worship in my practice. I view Mary on par with heros such as Herakles, he certainly receives worship.

Mary is separate from my rituals, offerings, and prayers to the Theoi and Diĝirene. However, my veneration/honor of Mary is still not below their worship. Hence "worship of Mary" seemed completely acceptable and well thats what "mariolatry" means so I took a very strong liking to the word.

Other Terms

"Mariology" — this is the theological study of The Virgin Mary. Her place, her role, etc within Christian theology. I have no interest in studying theology.

"Marian devotion" — devote is a very strong word in my religion that can't be ascribed to Mary

"Marian veneration" — connects my desired personal practice more to Christianity than I want it to be. Also "Marian devotion/veneration" just tingle my childhood catholic school spidey senses and I don't like that.

(Hm, 🧐 so if an idolater is someone who practices idolatry would a mariolater be someone who practices mariolatry.)

Last Note

I am not trying to be pejorative towards Christians. I have no issues with Christians. Nor would I insist Marian Devotion by other people = worship. This is solely about me personally using a particular word. I also don't feel any offense if someone called me an idolater, even if they are trying to offend, since I call the animated objects of the Diĝirene & Theoi "Idols."

Anyways hope that all makes sense.

-not audio proof read-