#the animal-headed gods of ancient Egypt to the Aztecs’ Tezcatlipoca

[edsonjnovaes]

Black Rock City: The Burning Man 2023 1.2

Black Rock City. A cidade mais incomum da Terra – As viagens de Antônio. 22 de jun. de 2022 Neste vídeo, Antônio mostra sua viagem ao deserto de Nevada, EUA, e mais especificamente ao evento, Black Rock City, também conhecido como Burning Man. Este foi um evento gratuito que aconteceu em 2019 e é realizado todos os anos. Não só a entrada é gratuita, como as comidas e bebidas também são…

[topworldhistory]

Around the globe, the serpent carries potent symbolism.

Ever since Eve’s transgression in the Garden of Eden, snakes in Christian tradition have been associated with lies, evil and temptation. But in other cultures, as far-flung as ancient Greece and Egypt and indigenous North America, snakes symbolize fertility, rebirth, renewal and even immortality. The ouroboros, the ancient symbol of eternity that was famously depicted on King Tut’s tomb in the 14th century B.C., is a serpent devouring its own tail.

From the Aztec god of wind, rain and creation to the semi-divine human-snake creatures that guarded the Buddha, here are nine snakes or serpents that have emerged, through history or myth, to play important roles in the cultures they represent.

Snake in the Garden of Eden

Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

A man. A woman. A snake. And a fateful apple. In the Old Testament Book of Genesis, a serpent memorably appears in the Garden of Eden, the earthly paradise God created for the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. The cunning snake convinced Eve to eat the forbidden fruit of the “tree of knowledge,” telling her that “when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When God learned of Adam and Eve’s transgression, he banished both of them from Eden and cursed the snake for its role, saying “You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.” Debate has long raged over whether the serpent in Genesis was a literal reptile, an allegory for sexual desire or temptation or even Satan himself.

Snakes that St. Patrick drove out of Ireland

St. Patrick depicted with a snake under his foot.

Irish culture is brimming with myths and legends, perhaps none so prevalent as that of St. Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint, banishing every last snake from the Emerald Isle. As the story goes, St. Patrick, a fifth-century Christian missionary, was fasting for 40 days atop a hill when he was attacked by snakes. He waved his staff, driving all Ireland’s snakes into the sea. Though Ireland—like New Zealand, Hawaii, Greenland, Iceland and Antarctica—is in fact devoid of snakes, that has less to do with St. Patrick than with the fact that since the post-glacial age it’s been surrounded by water, and before that its climate was too cold for any snakes to survive. The story makes more sense as an allegory: Snakes were a symbol of paganism, and Patrick was given credit for driving the pagans out and bringing Christianity to the Emerald Isle.

READ MORE: Who Was St. Patrick?

Jormungand, the Viking sea serpent

Thor battling the Midgard Serpent.

In Norse mythology, few stories are as dramatic as that of Jormungand, the powerful sea serpent. Jormungand, one of three children of the shape-shifting god Loki and the giantess Angrboda, was thrown into the sea by Odin, father of the powerful thunder god Thor. The serpent grew until his body encircled all of Midgard (or Earth), and he was able to grasp his own tail in his mouth. At the start of Ragnarok, the final battle that would end in the earth’s destruction, Jormungand left the sea and rolled across the land wreaking havoc. In their climactic confrontation, Thor slew the serpent with his mighty hammer, Mjolnir, but only made it nine paces before falling dead himself, poisoned by the serpent’s deadly venom.

Leviathan from the Book of Job

Behemoth and Leviathan, by William Blake.

There’s debate over whether the passages in Job about Leviathan and another giant Biblical creature, Behemoth, describe mythological beasts—or actual animals that existed at the time but later may have gone extinct. It’s been suggested that Behemoth could have been a hippopotamus, an elephant or even a dinosaur, while Leviathan may have been an ancient species of crocodile. Either way, the Book of Job employed both Leviathan and Behemoth to demonstrate to Job God’s power of creation, and the futility of questioning Him. Later, the word “leviathan” would be applied more generally to mean a giant whale (most memorably the great white whale in Moby Dick) or other massive sea creature.

Medusa and the Gorgons

The Head of Medusa, painted by Peter Paul Rubens.

In Greek mythology, the Gorgons were snake-women whose gazes would turn people to stone; they had serpents for hair, long claws, sharp teeth and scales covering their bodies. According to some myths, Medusa, the most famous of the Gorgons, was originally a beautiful woman. Her tryst with the god Poseidon in one of Athena’s temples infuriated the virgin goddess, who turned Medusa into a Gorgon as punishment. Athena later helped the hero Perseus slay Medusa, giving him a shiny bronze shield that he used to watch the Gorgon’s reflection rather than looking directly at her. After cutting off Medusa’s fearsome head (from which her two children with Poseidon, Chrysaor and Pegasus, emerged) Perseus mounted it on his shield, and used it to paralyze his enemies in battle.

Quetzalcoatl

A detailed view of Aztec art depicting the god Tez-Calipoca and Quetzalcoatl (right) devouring a human being.

Among the most prominent deities in Mesoamerican cultures, Quetzalcoatl, or “Feathered Serpent,” was a mix of bird and rattlesnake (coatl is the Nahuatl word for serpent). The Aztec god of wind and rain, as well as learning, agriculture and science, Quetzalcoatl was said to have played a key role in the world’s creation. In one version of the creation story, he and another god, Tezcatlipoca, transformed themselves into snakes and ripped a giant sea monster named Cipactli in half; one part of her became the earth, the other the sky. Though the earliest depictions of Quetzalcoatl show him clearly as a snake with a plume of feathers, later cultures represented him in human form.

Naga

The Chariot Hall or Royal Funerary Chariot Hall at the Wat Xieng Thong in the UNESCO world heritage town of Luang Prabang in Central Laos contains King Sisavang Vong's gilded, carved wooden funeral carriage, decorated with large Naga snakes at the front. 

In the eastern religions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, a mythological semi-divine race known as the naga (Sanskrit for “serpent”) took half-human, half-cobra form—although they could shift shapes to fully take on one or the other. The Hindhu god Brahma was said to have banished the naga to their underground kingdom when they became too populous on Earth. In Buddhism, naga were often depicted as protectors of Siddhārtha Gautama, the Buddha, and the dharma (Buddhist teachings), but they were also seen as powerful, and potentially dangerous when angered. Of the many naga mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures, one particularly famous one was Mucalinda, a naga king who spread his great cobra hood to shelter the Buddha from a storm that arrived while the prophet was deep in meditation.

Hopi Snake Dance

Men handling poisonous rattlesnakes, one even holding a snake between his teeth, for the snake dance of the Native American Hopi tribe.

For thousands of years, members of the Hopi Native American tribe of northern Arizona have performed the ritual known as the Snake Dance. During the multi-day ritual, which is aimed at encouraging rainfall and fertility for the land, male dancers from the Snake Clan put live snakes—ranging from small garter snakes to rattlesnakes—in their mouths and around their necks. The snakes are painstakingly gathered and washed before the ceremony, which also involves members of the Antelope Clan. Though outsiders (notably Theodore Roosevelt) have been able to witness some aspects of the Snake Dance, much of the lengthy ceremony takes place in underground chambers called kivas, allowing its most sacred aspects to remain mysterious.

The Legend of the White Snake

An actress plays the role of the White Snake in Baisha Zhuan (The Legend of White Snake) in a Chinese opera, 2000.

This ancient Chinese myth tells the story of a powerful female white snake demon who lives underwater but takes human form as Madame White, or Bai Suzhen. After Bai falls in love with and marries a mortal man, Xu Xian, a Buddhist monk, Fahai, reveals her true identity to her husband. Fahai later kidnaps Xu, and traps Bai under his lakeside pagoda—but not before she gives birth to her son with Xu, who will eventually free his mother. There are various versions of the Legend of the White Snake, which has evolved over the centuries from a horror story, in which Fahai heroically battles the evil snake demon, to a romance, focusing on the thwarted but genuine love between Xu and Bai.

from Stories - HISTORY https://ift.tt/328XE7u February 19, 2020 at 05:29AM

[tipsycad147]

Cat Goddesses & Male Cat Gods + How to Honour Them

Gods and Goddesses of the ancient world held a connection with certain animals. This is because our ancestors’ beliefs were animistic – they believed everything on earth had consciousness and a soul. Wildlife was sacred to our ancestors. The cat was held in high regard by many ancient civilisations, namely ancient Egypt. We see the cat appearing in dozens of European folk tales, being particularly linked to witches as their familiars. Learn more about cat goddesses and male cat gods from various cultures below.

Greek and Roman Cat Goddesses

The Greek goddesses Artemis and Athena both have connections to cats. The Greeks saw the Egyptian cat goddess Bast alive in their Greek goddess of the forest – Artemis. Athena, the goddess of wisdom, is mostly depicted with owls and snakes; however, Athena aids Heracles in slaying a monstrous lion. Also, the sphinx makes an appearance on Athena’s headdress in an ancient sculpture of her that once stood in the Parthenon. Circe, the Greek goddess of transformation and sorcery, has a prison of men whom she’s turned into pigs and lions. The Roman goddesses Diana and Juno have close ties to big cats, as well. Cybele, one of the most ancient Greek goddesses, rules over large cats like the lion and tiger.

Ancient Egyptian Cat Goddesses

Bast is probably the most well-known of all ancient cat goddesses. She hails from ancient Egypt and was depicted as a black cat or as a woman with the head of a cat. Her cult centre was at the ancient city of Bubastis. While Bast presided over light-hearted revelry and motherhood in Lower Egypt, her counterpart was Sekhmet, a fierce cat goddess from Upper Egypt. Bast was once a warrior goddess, too. In later years, her demeanor softened and Sekhmet came to be the feared lioness among the two cat goddesses.

Ancient Semitic Cat Goddesses

Asherah was an ancient Semitic goddess who is even mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible. She was also known as Qadesh, depending on time and region, and is sometimes depicted standing on the back of a lion. Other than this depiction, Asherah’s link to cats isn’t well documented though she has been called the Lion Lady. This reflects the ancient belief in the “Lady of Beasts”, a prehistoric concept of primitive woman as ruling the animal kingdom. In the Queen of the Night Relief, some scholars say the goddess is Erishkegal while others claim it is Lilith. Whomever the ancient goddess is, she has a clear connection to cats as she is flanked by two lions.

Hindu Cat Goddesses

The Hindu pantheon began in ancient times and is still a part of Indian culture today. Two of the most sacred Hindu goddess are Durga and Parvati, both of whom share a connection with large cats. Durga, the feminine representation of the positive divine energy in the universe, rides a lion into battle. Sometimes she’s shown riding on the back of a tiger, though some sources say this is incorrect. Shiva’s wife is Parvati, the goddess of beauty and love, whose mount is also a lion.

Two Cats to Be Revered

Freya is the Norse Goddess of lust, love and beauty. On the opposite side, she is also the goddess of death and war. Similar to a cat, she is seductive and playful but takes an alternate, aggressive approach to those who wrong her. She is a cat goddess because she is often illustrated as riding in a chariot drawn by cats. Yaoji is a Chinese mountain goddess, also known as the Jade Lady, who is often featured in artwork with a beautiful tiger. These two cat goddesses were revered in their own way in two very different cultures.

Bes: Egyptian God of Protection

Household gods were common in ancient times, and Egypt had its own – Bes. Bes was a fierce protector of the people. He particularly loved families and children and was strong enough to fight off lions with his bare hands. In the New Kingdom, Bes’ appearance changed and he often wore leopard skin. Of the ancient male cat gods, he was the smallest in stature – a “dwarf god” in nature. But powerful, nonetheless.

Asian Male Cat Gods

In Asia, there are many male cat gods because of the prevalence of large cats like the tiger and leopard. Manjushri is a Buddhist deity whose name and qualities vary depending on the region. In Indonesia, he is seen wearing a necklace made of tiger’s teeth. The tiger may have once been Manjushri’s ally or mount. In Hindu religion, Shiva sits upon a tiger or tiger’s skin. He is also seen wearing tiger’s skin. As Shiva is the god of destruction, the link between Shiva and the predatory tiger is evident.

Mesopotamian Cat Gods

The Mesopotamia had its share of male cat gods, surprisingly enough. Dionysus, the Greek God of wine and revelry, rode a leopard or wore leopard skin. He was seen riding in a chariot drawn by panthers or cheetahs. In some places, Dionysus was linked to the lion. Cats are seductive and playful creatures, so its no wonder Dionysus was associated with them. In the old Babylonian Empire, Nergal was a god of the sun who was also a lion. His cult is mentioned in the Bible. As a god of war, Nergal’s lion-form was feared and worshipped.

The Aztec Jaguar God

Tezcatlipoca was the Aztec god of change, the sky, and ancestral inheritance. In his jaguar-form, Tezcatlipoca becomes the deity Tepeyollotl and rules over the dark, animals, caves, and earthquakes. Tepeyolltl is the heart of Tezcatlipoca, and as a part of creation, his jaguar spots represent the stars.

How to Honor Cat Goddesses & Male Cat Gods

Because cat goddesses and male cat gods are special deities, they should be treated with special care and attention. If you work with Bast, keep a cat statue on your altar and offer bowls of catnip to her. Any cat goddess would appreciate catnip as an offering. Brew it as a tea and drink it in Freya’s honour. If you are working with fierce male cat gods associated with jaguars or panthers, meat of some kind is a sufficient offering. Large cats are predators, after all. If you have the space and desire, adopting a cat from the shelter is the highest form of flattery to the cat goddesses and male cat gods.

https://otherworldlyoracle.com/cat-goddesses-male-cat-gods/