#mythology lesson

[jeannefostergoriot]

Azaadrejfyt post triggering my need to not shut up ever about Greek mythology.

Second, yeah, « I know what I’m doing », OP sure did, got 22K notes in 33 hours. (At the moment I started this)

And honestly qualifying Apollo of « the dodgeball one », I’m sure he’d love it.

To OP, @cyber-corp : there are dozens and dozens of hundreds of gods, nobody can name them all, cause as any polytheist religion, they got a god for everything on earth - though Apollo and Hermes tend to get a loooot of attributions. Each god is characterized by attributes, the objects they wear to get recognized in sculptures, and they have epithets, words qualifying them.

The main gods are the twelve Olympians, plus Hades and Hestia. They’re from the third generation of divinities. Well the six olds are the third generation.

First generation is the primitive divinities. Chaos (divinity of chaos), Hemera (the day), Nyx (the night), Gaia (the Earth), Ouranos (the organized universe).

Ouranos and Gaia get together and have three groups of children.

The three original Cyclops, Brontes, Steropes and Arges. Their father is scared by them, and put them down in Tartarus (hell).

The Hecatonchires, or Hundred-Handed Ones, thrown into Tartarus too.

And the twelve Titans, six boys and six girls. The youngest is Kronos, who later becomes Chronos, divinity of time. But originally he isn’t linked to it.

Gaia is tired of having children just for them to be disregarded and asks if one of the Titans will agree to stop their father with a giant magic scythe she made. Kronos takes it and cut Ouranos’ penis, and becomes king of the universe.

(Ouranos’ blood will give birth to both the Giants and Aphrodite, the Giants when it arrives on the ground, Aphrodite when it arrives on the sea)

Kronos dates his sister the Titanide Rhea, and starts having kids with her. Problem: his father, dying, cursed him to be killed and dethroned by his son. So to avoid that, he swallows his kids, without even looking. Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon. After seeing Poseidon getting swallowed, Rhea is done and find a way to avoid this for her youngest son, Zeus: she gives a stone dressed in diapers for her husband to eat, and brings her baby to Crete, where he’ll be raised by Gaia, a goat named Amalthea whose horn will become the cornucopia. There, giants makes music to cover the baby’s cries and keep him occupied.

When Zeus is an adult, he goes to the palace of his father and becomes a servant here, serving wine. He obtains a vomitive, and puts it in Kronos’ drink, forcing him to free his siblings. Together, they defeat their father and the Titans. The boys share the universe through a game of dice, Hades gets the Underworld, Poseidon gets the sea and Zeus gets the sky. Additionally, Zeus, as the one who saved everyone, is crowned king of gods.

Hestia gets to be goddess of family and hearth.

Hera gets to be goddess of marriage.

Demeter is goddess of cereals and agriculture.

Zeus first marry Metis, Titaness of inner reason and insight. But she lacks insight when she tells him she’s pregnant with a girl but the next kid they’ll have we’ll be a boy, and he’ll destitute his father. So he swallows his wife. The daughter I’ll talk about later.

The king then marry Themis, Titaness of Justice, Law and Order. They have the Horae, divinities of Seasons, and the Moirai, divinities of destiny. Then, they divorce, iirc he was scared of having more powerful children like the Moirai.

He then has an affair with Mnemosyne, the memory Titaness, for nine days, they have the Muses, inspiration and incarnation of the arts.

Then he goes with Demeter, yes she’s his sister, no he does not care, and have Kore/Persephone with her. Later, Persephone will be captured by Hades, which sends Demeter in a despair. She asks that Zeus gives her daughter back to the live on the surface, but Persephone ate a pomegranate in Hades’ palace and is now linked to the Underworld. Zeus rules that as she only ate a third of the pomegranate, she only has to spend a third of the year in the Underworld. Giving explanations to the seasons.

After this, Zeus marries Hera, and let’s go in problems. She’s goddess of marriage, hence the fact that she absolutely does not like the fact that he’s a serial cheater. And he cheats *a lot*

Well, first they got Ares, god of war. Attack war, and the bloody part of wars. They also got Hebe, goddess of youth and Illythie, goddess of birth-giving and pregnancy.

Then he goes with a whole bunch of nymphs and mortals who we don’t care about for now.

Then he gets with Leto, who Hera curses to not be able to give birth on any stable land. She finds herself pushing through, getting chased by a giant python, and finally arriving on Delos, a moving island, where she gives birth to Artemis, all by herself cause Hera kept Illythie near her. Once born, Artemis will help her mother give birth to her twin, Apollo. The twins will get a whole set of attributions. First they replace twins Titans to the lead of the Moon and Sun chariots, Moon for Artemis, Sun for Apollo. Due to her help, Artemis is also a goddess of birth, of infants and of complicated pregnancies. She gets to be a Virgin Goddess (no contact with men), and the Huntress goddess. Apollo gets to be god of the arts, leader of the Muses, of music, the god of medicine and of divination.

Then, Hephaestus. Hera was fond with her serial cheater of a husband and decided to get a kid on her own. So through sheer will, she became pregnant. Kiddo was so ugly at birth he got yeet from Olympus (by Hera or Zeus depending on the version). Which left him even more ugly and crippled. Was welcomed back as an adult, became god of metallurgy, forge, metal-work, fire and volcanoes.

Now, Aphrodite. Took time to spring from the blood of Ouranos spilled in the sea, to come to shore, where she was welcomed by the Horae and dressed up. Goddess of beauty and love, she is forced to marry Hephaestus but starts a long-time affair with Ares, in which they’ll have multiple children. Including Harmony.

Then um. Zeus gets a headache, asks Hephaestus to break his skull open so it’ll get away and it’s the birth of Athena, Metis’ daughter who has been trapped in her father’s body all this time. She emerged fully dressed in armor, goddess of defensive war and strategy. As well as weaving. Extremely clever.

Only two more to go, yeah!

Dionysus, whose mother was a mortal, the princess Semele. Zeus fell in love with her, and she became pregnant. But Hera heard about it and decided that she would kill Semele. So she suggested to the girl that she tests Zeus’ love by making him swear on the Styx (one of the river of the Underworld, most sacred oath) that he’d do whatever she asked. And to ask to see his true godly form. Which is a condamnation to death. So she burnt alive. But Zeus saved the fetus and put it in his thigh to carry to term. Dionysus inherits from this story to be god of rebirth, resilience, as well as being god of wine, craziness, party, and theater. Said to play with gender a lot.

And the youngest, Hermes. Zeus fell for the Titaness Maia, and had Hermes with her. Barely born, the kid stole Apollo’s cow, created the lyre with the corpse of a turtle and made a good bargain with his older brother. God of the tricksters, the stealers, the merchants, the thieves, the travelers, and the messenger of the gods. Took divination by dices in the bargain to give back the cows.

And done. You have the main!

this website’s easy watch. *dangles a bunch of greek gods like keys*

[somepinkthing]

"Hector was a good man" "diomedes was an honorable man" BZZZT WRONG. Diomedes was there to steal, burn, and wage war same as the next person. In fact, he was pretty adamant about it. Hector had no issue with the greek's actions, merely that they were directed at him—I mean look at what he wanted to do with patroclus's body, only to then cite respect for funeral rites when it was his own turn to die. Hector also owned slaves within his own city walls—people that he likely took from their homes during troy's own conquests. All that seperated him and the greek warriors was which side they were on.

The Iliad isn't a story about morally upstanding men. Sure, it has men who have honor and perform honorable acts, but these are not good samaritans. It's is a story about war and grief and the real victims of fights between so-called-honorable men and gods. The urge to find a "good guy" in this story is wasted. Hector doesn't have to be morally good just because achilles isn't. Troy didn't lose because they were more or less evil than the greeks. It all just. Is. Because of fate? Because the gods said so? Because people will always make disastrous mistakes and it will always end up biting not only them, but everyone else around them? Who knows? In the end though, doesn't it all feel so pointless in the face of the endless amounts of grief and destruction that war leaves behind? Maybe that's the whole point

[sirfleetfoot]

RULES OF BEING OTHERKIN #1

Being authentic and true to yourself is the only way you are 'supposed to be/act like' (insert entity). If anyone else disagrees it only tells you about them.

[artthatgivesmefeelings]

Solomon Joseph Solomon RA RBA (British, 1860-1927) Love's First Lesson, Detail, 1885

[attyhat]

Ody has come to stab him. Stab

Poseidon: Get away from me.

[fanartsandstuff]

[SIRENS]

Spare us

Oh, spare us please

[ODYSSEUS]

Why?

So you can kill the next group of sailors in this part of the sea?

Nah, you wouldn't have spared me

I made a mistake like this and almost cost my life

I can't take more risks of not seeing my wife

Cut off their tails! We're ending this now

Throw their bodies back in the water

Let them drown

----------

He really said you fuck around now you finding out .Drowning the sirens that tried to drown you and your crew is really the new peak of being petty

[grape-jucie-dog]

Athena: -drawing while humming to herself-

Paisley: Aw, it's adorable! 🥰

Athena: -flinches BAD when there's a thunderstorm outside-

Paisley: Oh, it's traumatized... 😨

(This is the dumbest thing I've done with this AU.)

[ilions-end]

Chiron and Achilles. Sculpture by Georges Clement de Swiecinski

[a-j-s-the-only]

"if you are to be the sun, i am to be icarus,

a fool fated to fall

and burn

before i ever reach you.

even on wings of wax, i would fly towards you."

-The Gods are Obsessed With Otherworldly Villainess, Unknown

[brainrotroulette]

Now, you could call this one a real "cliff hanger"

Been a lifelong Greek myths nerd, just started taking up drawing, and JUST got into EPIC.

I know that it's based on the Homeric telling of Odysseus' life and that Hesoid's Thoegony was basically fanfic. HOWEVER, it doesn't stop the thoughts swirling about if Hesoid's idea of Odysseus' lineage existed within the context of this musical; a man who occasionally snaps back into reality, and names sons whose existence he can barely stomach after the two things he wants most in the world, a quick ship and navigation proficiency so he can return home to Penelope and Telemachus and not the woman who is about to strip him of his memories and make him play house with a song.

[arisaria]

𝒟𝒜ℛ𝒦 𝒮ℐ𝒟ℰ 𝒪ℱ 𝒟ℰ𝒱𝒜 𝒩𝒜𝒦𝒮ℋ𝒜𝒯ℛ𝒜𝒮?

Hey y’all(whoever may care to see this🙈)! I don’t typically do post like this but sometimes I like to jot down my thoughts related to spiritual themes! Anyway this post is sort of kinda going to relate to astrology, specifically Vedic, and is just a theory of mine that I’ve sort of observed—both within my life and others within texts—historical, religious, fictional, and so on. I’m not a professional AT ALL so please don’t come for me🫶🏼…but without further discussion imma get to it~

So the two figures above that are on the right hand side of the spirituality/religiously prominent figures (Rama and Christ) are Kaikeyi (image 1) and Judas Iscariot (image 2).

Kaikeyi was a princess of Kekaya (her home-kingdom) and radnyi or queen of Kosala (due to her being married off to the ruler of that kingdom, Dasharath, becoming his third wife) mentioned in the Ramayana. This place was also where Rama (the blue person in image 1) was born who also happened to be the deity Vishnu’s seventh incarnation in human flesh. Kaikeyi also happened to be the cause for Rama’s ten year exile which was of great spiritual significance for various reasons.

Moreover, Judas, who was a disciple of Christ, eventually betrayed him and that led to the event of the Cruxifixction and so on. This event, for known reasons, was too a very spiritual event that in a way needed to happen.

In all, these two figures, who have by the way been “demonized” in many instances in today’s world, were also catalyst and played key roles in major spiritual tasks executed in this world according to scriptures. *DISCLAMER* Although I saw some similarities with the point I’m trying to make within Judas’s story as well, I must say I don’t view them as strong as I would like them to be. Therefore, I will make a separate post with those points aside from this one. Thank uuu*

Getting to my point, this goes back to deva nakshatras for reasons I’m about to get into~

1 - 𝒦𝒶𝒾𝓀𝑒𝓎𝒾

Okay, so I’ve been familiar with both the scripture of the Ramayana and happened to recently read the thoughts or story of an author who gave a retelling of it from the perspective of Kaikeyi, the apparently “jealous/evil queen” who exiled Rama.

Not to say that the retelling in the book I read (by Vaishnavi Patel, btw) is of more importance than the actual mythological account because that is not what I’m getting at. I’m entertaining such things as a matter of theory—not dogma. The author herself even shared, “This book does not strive to be an exact retelling of any version of the Ramayana—it is Kaikeyi’s story, and thus it is its own story.”

Though, I must say, it is true that texts of old do tend to be messed with or altered for various reasons by certain people 👀 (if yk yk)—but of course, there is a lesson to be learned in all that is shared because it is certainly there for a reason.

Anyway, in the book by the author mentioned above, she starts from Kaikeyi’s POV stating, “I was born on the full moon under an auspicious constellation, the holiest of positions—much good it did me” (Vaishnavi 3).

After some calculations and contemplating based on Vedic astrology, the nakshatras therein, specifically those considered auspicious, and theoretically around the time that Kaikeyi was supposedly born, I came to the conclusion that it would make sense for Kaikeyi to have been born under the Pushya nakshatra.

Especially considering it is considered the “King of Nakshatras” due to how highly auspicious it is and its correlation to Jupiter (or Brihaspati) being the Guru (teacher) of the gods (or Devas) and themes of royalty and dharma.

Such things apparently stuck out to me in relation to Kaikeyi and her life situation. Not to mention, this nakshatra resides in the sign of Cancer, and Kaikeyi is the older twin of her brother Yudhajit 🤭.

Anyway, based on what I was working with, I also figured it fitting that she’d be born under Shravana as her moon nakshatra. Mainly due to the fact that Shravana resides in Capricorn (which has karmic themes—something that could have played a role in Kaikeyi’s main duty of being a catalyst for Rama’s exile) and the fact that Vishnu is the ruling deity of it. Vishnu happened to be what Rama, who Kaikeyi in a way was a mother figure to, was the incarnation of.

To me, it all just sort of “made sense,” but hear me out. In the book, and even in history, Kaikeyi was considered “god-forsaken” (mainly due to her nature and actions) or, as the author Patel put it, “gods-touched.” In essence, all her life, her relationship with divinity has, in a way, been strained because (as Kaikeyi in the book eventually finds out) due to her purpose and nature, they cannot interact with or affect her as they can other mortals.

With all such things considered, hypothetically, she was born under DEVA nakshatras (Deva, as in relating to the divine or gods as its nature).

So, considering the above and Kaikeyi’s persona, (hypothetically) being of deva nakshatras and “gods-touched/forsaken,” I must say, being of deva nakshatras (Ashvini being my moon sign, Punarvasu my Ketu, and a few others that are prominent), I totally understand what she means with how she describes her situation in relation to the divine.

Now, I won’t say that my position with the public is as hers was (since she was demonized) or is destined to be (considering my Venus is domicile in Taurus in the 10th house, without malefic influence), yet, in an inner and spiritual sense, my relationship with the divine has been ever-present and complicated.

The feelings of betrayal, bitterness, disgust at times, and so on that Kaikeyi describes when speaking in relation to the gods that are involved heavily in the lives of those around her are honestly things I can heavily relate to.

But at the same time, I convince myself it’s not at all that bad 🙂🙊—like, it’s REALLY something I’m sure I came here to figure out.

My situation is not necessarily terrible (as I would feel Kaikeyi’s to have been), but it is interesting, due to a variety of factors I’m sure (but that could just be my Chiron in Pisces at 0 degrees opposite my ascendant and square my Sun—🙈).

I’m not 100% sure, of course, it’s just an observation or something like that—nothing I’ve said is law 🌚… but let me know, of course, if anyone else sort of gets what I’m saying! Thank you for reading to the end!!!

side note: i got inspiration from @hoodreader ‘s posts for the font I used. I looovee her aesthetic and I’m crediting her as my muse (to clarify that i’m not copying🙈🙈🙈)

[inspired-lesson-plans]

ELA, grades 5-10, Percy Jackson / Greek Mythology unit

Quiz:

Phase 1

Imagine that you must do a 4-person group project that requires researching a topic, making a poster/slideshow, and doing a presentation.

Choose one classmate (or Tumblr mutual) and two of the twelve Olympians to form a group with. Mark your choices on the attached Google Doc. You must also include a rationale for why you chose to include your two picks and why you chose to exclude each of the other options.

Phase 2

Teacher assigns each student's chosen partner* (or Tumblr mutual) to respond to their rationales by adopting the persona of each of the Olympians. Not every god needs to respond to every rationale, but every god does need to leave at least one comment.

Notes for teachers:

The provided doc includes the names for all Olympians plus Hades, but you may choose to leave it blank and have students fill them in on their own as part of the assessment.

Hades has been intentionally included among the list of Olympians as a trap. Deduct points for any of the following:

• choosing to include Hades as a group member

• failing to address Hades's status as a non-Olympian in their rationale

• failing to address/mock Hades's status as a non-Olympian when writing in the persona of at least one Olympian

Other than that, reward students for having the foresight to carefully word their rationales so as not to offend anyone, because we mortals can never be sure that the gods are not in a capricious mood on any particular day.

*This might get complicated, so you may choose to simply randomize student selections for this part of the quiz.

[mythologypaintings]

Choice of Hercules

Artist: Thomas Sully (American, 1783–1872)

Date: 1819

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Princeton University Art Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

Description

The Choice of Hercules is a Greek parable about a young Hercules who must choose between a life of pleasure or a life of honor. It's also known as Hercules at the crossroads or the Judgement of Hercules.

[four-cats-in-a-trenchcoat]

Maybe I am a little bit sorry about this one

[axololtls]

The ruins of Åhus Borg, a castle / fort built circa year 1000-1100.

[thingsphoenix21]

Athena: Hera can I ask you a question why do you always throw such a fit of rage when Zeus... Like he's not gonna change. Hera:I was taught that keeping quiet kept the peace. Until I realized who's peace is it keeping? His? No fucking way.