Apollonius of Rhodes' most reliable information is largely drawn from their own works. Once considered a mere imitator of Homer, his reputation has been enhanced by recent studies, with an emphasis on the special writing characteristics of Hellenistic poets as scholarly heirs of a long literary tradition at a unique time in history.
Apollonius was among the foremost Homeric scholars in the Alexandrian period. He wrote the period's 1st scholarly monograph on Homer, critical of the editions of the Illiad and Odyssey published by Zenodotus, his predecessor as head of the Library of Alexandria. Argonautica seems to have been written partly as an experimental means of communicating his own researches into Homer's poetry. He has been credited with scholarly prose works on Archilochus and on problems in Hesiod. He is also considered to be one of the period's most important authors on geography, though approaching the subject differently from Eratosthenes, his successor at the library and a radical critic of Homer's geography. It was a time when the accumulation of scientific knowledge was enabling advances in geographical studies, as represented by the activities of Timosthenes, a Ptolemaic admiral and a prolific author. Apollonius set out to integrate new understandings of the Physical World with the mythical geography of tradition and his Argonautica was, in that sense, a didactic epic on geography without detracting from its merits as poetry.
Apollonius was a student of the poet and scholar Callimachus. He instructed Apollonius in rhetoric.
Callimachus was a native of the Greek Colony of Cyrene, Libya, and was of Libyan Greek ancestry. He was born and raised in Cyrene, as a member of a distinguished family. His parents being Mesatme and Battus, descendants of the !st Greek King of Cyrene, Battus I. Calimachus claimed to be a descendant of the Battiad Dynasty, the Libyan Greek monarchs that ruled Cyrenaica for 8 generations and the 1st Greek Royal family to have reigned in Africa. He was named after his grandfather, an elder Callimachus, who was highly regarded by the Cyrenaean citizens and had served as a general.
Callimachus was a noted poet, critic, and scholar at the library of Alexandria and enjoyed the patronage of the Egyptian-Greek Pharaohs Ptolemy II Philadelphus, and Ptolemy III Euergetes. Elitist and erudite, claiming to "abhor all common things," he is best known for his short poems and epigrams. He was responsible for producing a bibliographic survey based upon the contents of the Library.
In the prologue Aetia ("Causes"), he claims that Apollo visited him and admonished him to "fatten his flocks, but to keep his muse slender," a clear indication of his choice of carefully crafted and allusive material. Another saying attributed to him is:"Big Book, Big Evil."He often attacked long, old-fashioned poetry. He urged poets to "drive their wagons on untrodden fields," rather than following in the well worn tracks of Homer, idealizing a brief form of poetry, yet carefully formed and worded, a style at which he excelled. Calimachus often wrote poems in praise of his royal patrons (Ptolemy II Philadelphus).
Callimachus married the daughter of a Greek man called Euphrates who came from Syracuse. It is unknown if they had children. He had a sister called Megatime. She married a Cyrenaean man called Stasenorus to whom she bore a son, Callimachus, the Younger as to distinguish him from his maternal uncle. This boy also became a poet, author of "The Island."
Due to Callimachus' strong stance against the epic, he and his younger student Apollonius of Rhodes, who favored epic and wrote the Argonautica, had a long and bitter feud, trading barbed comments, insults and attacks for over 30 years.
The epithet Rhodes indicates that Apollonius had some kind of association with the island of that name.
Monday, 29 February 2016
JASON AND MEDEA.
Aeetes, father of Medea, was a King of Colchis (Region in the Southern Caucasus, Eastern Coast of the Black Sea) in Greek mythology, son of the sun-god Helius and the Oceanid Perseis (Oceanus's daughter), brother of Circe and Pasiphae.
Chalciope, sister of Medea and wife of Phrixus, by whom she had 4 sons: Argus, Phrontis, Melas, and Cytisorus. Chalciope expressed great filial devotion and stayed by her father's side, even though he had killed her husband.
Absyrtus, brother of Medea. She took him with her when she fled with Jason and when she was nearly overtaken by her father, she murdered him, cut his body into pieces and strewed them on the road, so that her father might be delayed by gathering the limbs of his child. Tomi was the place where this occurred. Tomy was later renamed to Constant-Iana in honor of Constant-Ia, the half-sister of the Roman Emperor Constant-Ine the Great (247-337). The city was founded around 600 BC and is located in the Do-Bruja Region of Romania, the oldest continuously inhabited capital city in the region, on the Black Sea Coast.
Medea's role began after Jason came from Iol-Cus to Colchis, to claim his inheritance and throne by retrieving the Golden Fleece. Ancient Iol-Cus is believed to be located in modern-day nearby Dim-Ini, where a Mycen-Aean palace was excavated recently.
Aeson was rightful king of Iol-Cus, but his half-brother Pelias usurped the throne. Peleas sent Jason and his Argonauts to look for the Golden Fleece. The ship Argo sailed from Iol-Cus with 50 demigods and princes under Jason's leadership. Their mission was to reach Colchis in Aea at the Eastern Seaboard of the Black Sea and reclaim and bring back the Golden Fleece as a Symbol of the Opening of New Trade Routes.
Medea fell in love with him and promised to help him, but only on the "condition" that if he succeeded, he would take her with him and marry her. Jason "agreed." Aeetes, Medea's father, promised to give him the Fleece, but only if he could perform "certain tasks." First, Jason had to plough a field with fire-breathing oxen that he had to yoke himself. Medea gave him an unguent with which to "anoint himself" and "his weapons," to protect him from the Bulls' Fiery Breath. Next, Jason had to sow the teeth of a dragon in the ploughed field. The teeth sprouted into an army of warriors. Jason was forewarned by Medea, and knew that throwing a rock into the crowd they were not be able to determine who did it. The rock created a suspicious mind among them. The soldiers attacked and killed each other. Finally, Jason had to kill the sleepless dragon that guarded the Fleece. Medea put the beast to sleep with her narcotic herbs. Jason took the Fleece and sailed away with Medea, as he had promised. Medea distracted her father by killing her brother, knowing that her father would stop to retrieve the dismembered body for a proper burial. Medea and Jason stopped on her aunt Circe's Island so that she could be cleansed after the murder of her own brother, relieving her of blame for the deed.
Jason and Medea had 5 sons :Alcimedes, Thessalus, Tisander, Mermeros, and Pheres, and a daughter Eriopis. They were married happily for 10 years in Corinth.
Jason then abandoned Medea for the king's daughter Glauce. Medea took her revenge by sending Glauce a dress and golden coronet, covered in poison resulting in the death of both the princess and the king Creon when he went to save her. Two of her sons, Mermeros and Pheres, helped her and were murdered by Corinthians for their crime. Medea continued her revenge murdering her two children Tisander and Alcimenes. Only one son, Thessalus, survivied. She left Corinth and flew to Athens in a golden flying chariot driven by dragons sent by her grandfather Helious, god of the sun, to the Iranian Plateau and lived among the Aryans, who then changed their name to the Medes.
Chalciope, sister of Medea and wife of Phrixus, by whom she had 4 sons: Argus, Phrontis, Melas, and Cytisorus. Chalciope expressed great filial devotion and stayed by her father's side, even though he had killed her husband.
Absyrtus, brother of Medea. She took him with her when she fled with Jason and when she was nearly overtaken by her father, she murdered him, cut his body into pieces and strewed them on the road, so that her father might be delayed by gathering the limbs of his child. Tomi was the place where this occurred. Tomy was later renamed to Constant-Iana in honor of Constant-Ia, the half-sister of the Roman Emperor Constant-Ine the Great (247-337). The city was founded around 600 BC and is located in the Do-Bruja Region of Romania, the oldest continuously inhabited capital city in the region, on the Black Sea Coast.
Medea's role began after Jason came from Iol-Cus to Colchis, to claim his inheritance and throne by retrieving the Golden Fleece. Ancient Iol-Cus is believed to be located in modern-day nearby Dim-Ini, where a Mycen-Aean palace was excavated recently.
Aeson was rightful king of Iol-Cus, but his half-brother Pelias usurped the throne. Peleas sent Jason and his Argonauts to look for the Golden Fleece. The ship Argo sailed from Iol-Cus with 50 demigods and princes under Jason's leadership. Their mission was to reach Colchis in Aea at the Eastern Seaboard of the Black Sea and reclaim and bring back the Golden Fleece as a Symbol of the Opening of New Trade Routes.
Medea fell in love with him and promised to help him, but only on the "condition" that if he succeeded, he would take her with him and marry her. Jason "agreed." Aeetes, Medea's father, promised to give him the Fleece, but only if he could perform "certain tasks." First, Jason had to plough a field with fire-breathing oxen that he had to yoke himself. Medea gave him an unguent with which to "anoint himself" and "his weapons," to protect him from the Bulls' Fiery Breath. Next, Jason had to sow the teeth of a dragon in the ploughed field. The teeth sprouted into an army of warriors. Jason was forewarned by Medea, and knew that throwing a rock into the crowd they were not be able to determine who did it. The rock created a suspicious mind among them. The soldiers attacked and killed each other. Finally, Jason had to kill the sleepless dragon that guarded the Fleece. Medea put the beast to sleep with her narcotic herbs. Jason took the Fleece and sailed away with Medea, as he had promised. Medea distracted her father by killing her brother, knowing that her father would stop to retrieve the dismembered body for a proper burial. Medea and Jason stopped on her aunt Circe's Island so that she could be cleansed after the murder of her own brother, relieving her of blame for the deed.
Jason and Medea had 5 sons :Alcimedes, Thessalus, Tisander, Mermeros, and Pheres, and a daughter Eriopis. They were married happily for 10 years in Corinth.
Jason then abandoned Medea for the king's daughter Glauce. Medea took her revenge by sending Glauce a dress and golden coronet, covered in poison resulting in the death of both the princess and the king Creon when he went to save her. Two of her sons, Mermeros and Pheres, helped her and were murdered by Corinthians for their crime. Medea continued her revenge murdering her two children Tisander and Alcimenes. Only one son, Thessalus, survivied. She left Corinth and flew to Athens in a golden flying chariot driven by dragons sent by her grandfather Helious, god of the sun, to the Iranian Plateau and lived among the Aryans, who then changed their name to the Medes.
Sunday, 28 February 2016
THE ORDER OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE.
The Order of the Golden Fleece is a Roman Catholic Order of Chivalry founded in Bruges (Belgium) by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, in celebration of the prosperous and wealthy domains in his person that ran from Flanders to Switzerland and his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It became one of the most prestigious Orders in Europe.
Philip III was a member of a "cadet line" of the Valois Dynasty (then Royal Family of France). During his reign Burgundy reached the apex of its prosperity and prestige and became a leading Center of Arts.
He is known for his administrative reforms, patronage of Flemish artists (Jan Van Eyck), of Franco-Flemish composers (Guilles Binchois), and the capture of Joan of Arc.
The Capetian Dynasty, also known as the House of France, is a dynasty of Frankish origin, founded by Hugh Capet. It is among the largest and oldest European Royal Houses, consisting of Hugh Capet's male-line descendants. It ruled in France as the House of Capet from the ascension of Hugh Capet in 987 until the death of Charles IV in 1328.
The Dynasty had a crucial role in the formation of the French state. Members of the Dynasty were traditionally Catholic. the early Capetians had an alliance with the Church. The French were also the most active participants in the Crusades, culminating in a series of 5 Crusader Kings -Louis VII, Philip Augustus, Louis VIII, Saint Louis, and Philip III.
The Capetians generally enjoyed a harmonious family relationship. By tradition, younger sons and brothers of the King of France were given a grant of an estate, a title, an office, or other thing of value in order to maintain their rank and to dissuade them from claiming the French Crown itself. When Capetian cadets did aspire for kingship, their ambitions were directed not at the French Throne, but a foreign Thrones. Through this, the Capetians spread widely over Europe.
In modern times, both King Felipe VI of Spain (born January 30,1968) and Grand Duke Henri of LuxemBourg (born April 16,1955) are members of this family, both through the Bourbon Branch of the Dynasty. Along with the House of HabsBurg, it is one of the 2 most powerful continental European Royal families, dominating European politics for nearly 5 centuries.
The choice of the Golden Fleece of Georgian Kingdom of Colchis as the symbol of the Order caused controversy because of the feats of Jason. Ancestors of the Colchians were established on the Black Sea Coast from as early as the 4th millennium BC. Colchis was an important land in Greco-Roman mythology, most notably as the Kingdom of Medea and the Golden Fleece, destination of the Argonauts. Medea is a sorceress who was the daughter of King Aeetes of Cochis, niece of Circe, granddaughter of the sun god helios and later wife to the hero Jason, with whom she had 2 children, Mermeros and Pheres. In Euripides's play Medea, Jason leaves Medea when Creon, King of Corinth, offers him his daughter, Glauce. The play tells that Medea took her revenge by sending Glauce a dress and a golden coronet, covered in poison resulting in the death of both the princes and the king, Creon, when he went to save her. The two sons that helped their mother's revenge were murdered by the Corinthians for their crime. Then she continue her revenge murdering the other two remaining sons, Mermeros and Pheres. Only one son survived, Thessalus. Afterward she left Corinth and flew to the Iranian Plateau, in a golden chariot driven by dragons sent by her grandfather Helios, god of the Sun, and lived among the Aryans, who then changed their name to the Medes.
Philip III was a member of a "cadet line" of the Valois Dynasty (then Royal Family of France). During his reign Burgundy reached the apex of its prosperity and prestige and became a leading Center of Arts.
He is known for his administrative reforms, patronage of Flemish artists (Jan Van Eyck), of Franco-Flemish composers (Guilles Binchois), and the capture of Joan of Arc.
The Capetian Dynasty, also known as the House of France, is a dynasty of Frankish origin, founded by Hugh Capet. It is among the largest and oldest European Royal Houses, consisting of Hugh Capet's male-line descendants. It ruled in France as the House of Capet from the ascension of Hugh Capet in 987 until the death of Charles IV in 1328.
The Dynasty had a crucial role in the formation of the French state. Members of the Dynasty were traditionally Catholic. the early Capetians had an alliance with the Church. The French were also the most active participants in the Crusades, culminating in a series of 5 Crusader Kings -Louis VII, Philip Augustus, Louis VIII, Saint Louis, and Philip III.
The Capetians generally enjoyed a harmonious family relationship. By tradition, younger sons and brothers of the King of France were given a grant of an estate, a title, an office, or other thing of value in order to maintain their rank and to dissuade them from claiming the French Crown itself. When Capetian cadets did aspire for kingship, their ambitions were directed not at the French Throne, but a foreign Thrones. Through this, the Capetians spread widely over Europe.
In modern times, both King Felipe VI of Spain (born January 30,1968) and Grand Duke Henri of LuxemBourg (born April 16,1955) are members of this family, both through the Bourbon Branch of the Dynasty. Along with the House of HabsBurg, it is one of the 2 most powerful continental European Royal families, dominating European politics for nearly 5 centuries.
The choice of the Golden Fleece of Georgian Kingdom of Colchis as the symbol of the Order caused controversy because of the feats of Jason. Ancestors of the Colchians were established on the Black Sea Coast from as early as the 4th millennium BC. Colchis was an important land in Greco-Roman mythology, most notably as the Kingdom of Medea and the Golden Fleece, destination of the Argonauts. Medea is a sorceress who was the daughter of King Aeetes of Cochis, niece of Circe, granddaughter of the sun god helios and later wife to the hero Jason, with whom she had 2 children, Mermeros and Pheres. In Euripides's play Medea, Jason leaves Medea when Creon, King of Corinth, offers him his daughter, Glauce. The play tells that Medea took her revenge by sending Glauce a dress and a golden coronet, covered in poison resulting in the death of both the princes and the king, Creon, when he went to save her. The two sons that helped their mother's revenge were murdered by the Corinthians for their crime. Then she continue her revenge murdering the other two remaining sons, Mermeros and Pheres. Only one son survived, Thessalus. Afterward she left Corinth and flew to the Iranian Plateau, in a golden chariot driven by dragons sent by her grandfather Helios, god of the Sun, and lived among the Aryans, who then changed their name to the Medes.
Saturday, 27 February 2016
THE HINDU SCRIPTURE.
It is a 700-verse Hindu Scripture written in the primary sacred language of Hinduism (Sanskrit) and is part of the Hindu Epic narrative of the War that arose from a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins, for the throne in an Indian Kingdom. It involved a number of ancient kingdoms participating as allies of the rival groups.
Despite only referring to these 18 days, the narrative forms more than a quarter of the Book. The narrative describes individual battles and deaths of various heroes of both sides, military formations, war diplomacy, meetings and discussions among the characters, and the weapons used. The chapters dealing with the War are considered amongst the oldest in the entire narrative (chapters 6-10).
Hindus believe that human civilization degenerates spiritually during the Dark Age, which is referred to as the Cali-Yuga because in it people are as far away as possible from God.
Hinduism often represents Morality (Dharma) as a Bull. In the 1st stage of development (Satya Yuga), the Bull has 4 legs, but in each age Morality is reduced by one quarter. By the Dark Age (Cali-Yuga), Morality is reduced to only a quarter of that Golden Age, so that the Bull of Morality (Dharma) has only one leg.
The War and the decimation of the self- respected mythical descendants from Yadu, the king, happened at the point of transition from one Yuga to another.
The Hindu Scripture mentions the Sage Narada to have momentarily intercepted the demon Cali on his way to the Earth when DuryoDhana was about to be born in order to make him an embodiment of the 6 vices [Lust (kama), Anger (krodha), Greed (lobh), Delusory Emotional Attachment or Temptation (moha), Pride (mada or ahankar), and Envy, Jealousy (matsarya); the negative characteristics of which prevent man from attaining salvation (moksha)] in preparation of the era of decay in values and the consequent havoc.
The more each individual fights them, the longer will be the life of dying Morality (Dharma) in this Yuga. Lust and Anger are responsible for all kinds of difficult experiences which we have in our lives.
With Pride the false ego goes up and become active, all our acting in the world becomes selfish. The materially identified ego is now sided with the Materialistic Forces of Creation (Maya), called evil passions, and having the following faults: Lust, Anger, Greed, Delusory Emotional Attachment or Temptation, Pride, and Envy together with Jealousy. Man's Spiritual heritage constantly gets looted by these internal thieves (and their numerous variations), causing him to lose knowledge of his True Being.
If the person is a prisoner of the 6 internal enemies, then life is totally governed by Destiny. As the person moves ahead on the path of Self-Realization, the grip of Destiny over him loosens and the person gets more and more leverage to change Destiny. When a person identifies himself or herself with the Self, then, he/she becomes part of the Destiny Power. His/Her power is good enough to materialize and change any situation either for good or bad according to his/her will. Through constant knowledge and renunciation, these 6 vices can be overcome.
There is considerable controversy over the date for the start of the Cali-Yuga and its duration. According to the astronomer and mathematician AryaBhatta the Cali-Yuga started in 3102 BC. He finished his book in 499 CE in which he gives the exact year of the beginning of the cycle.
According to AbhYankar, the starting point of Cali-Yuga is an extremely rare planetary alignment. Going by this alignment the year 3102 BC is slightly off. The actual date for this alignment is February 7 of 3104 BC.
Most interpreters of the Scripture believe that Earth is currently in Cali-Yuga and it is commonly thought to last 6480 years.
In relation to Rulers the Scripture identifies some of the attributes of Cali-Yuga: -Rulers will become unreasonable: they will levy taxes unfairly. -Rulers will no longer see it as their duty to promote spirituality, or to protect their subjects: they will become a danger to the world. -People will start migrating, seeking countries where wheat and barley form the staple food source. -At the end of Cali-Yuga, when there exist no topics on the subject of God, even at the residences of so-called saints and respectable gentlemen and when nothing is known of the techniques of sacrifice, even by word, at that time the Lord will appear as the Supreme Chastiser.
With regard to human relationship: -Avarice and wrath will be common. Humans will openly display animosity towards each other. Ignorance of Morality will occur. -People will have thoughts of murder with no justification and will see nothing wrong in that. -Lust will be viewed as socially acceptable and sexual intercourse will be seen as the central requirement for life. - Sin will increase exponentially, while virtue will fade and cease to flourish. -People will take vows and break them soon after. People will become addicted to intoxicated drinks and drugs. -Teachers, Guides, or Masters will no longer be respected and their students will attempt to injure them. Their teachings will be insulted, and followers of Lust will wrest control of the mind from all human beings. -Rules of the social orders would not be followed.
Despite only referring to these 18 days, the narrative forms more than a quarter of the Book. The narrative describes individual battles and deaths of various heroes of both sides, military formations, war diplomacy, meetings and discussions among the characters, and the weapons used. The chapters dealing with the War are considered amongst the oldest in the entire narrative (chapters 6-10).
Hindus believe that human civilization degenerates spiritually during the Dark Age, which is referred to as the Cali-Yuga because in it people are as far away as possible from God.
Hinduism often represents Morality (Dharma) as a Bull. In the 1st stage of development (Satya Yuga), the Bull has 4 legs, but in each age Morality is reduced by one quarter. By the Dark Age (Cali-Yuga), Morality is reduced to only a quarter of that Golden Age, so that the Bull of Morality (Dharma) has only one leg.
The War and the decimation of the self- respected mythical descendants from Yadu, the king, happened at the point of transition from one Yuga to another.
The Hindu Scripture mentions the Sage Narada to have momentarily intercepted the demon Cali on his way to the Earth when DuryoDhana was about to be born in order to make him an embodiment of the 6 vices [Lust (kama), Anger (krodha), Greed (lobh), Delusory Emotional Attachment or Temptation (moha), Pride (mada or ahankar), and Envy, Jealousy (matsarya); the negative characteristics of which prevent man from attaining salvation (moksha)] in preparation of the era of decay in values and the consequent havoc.
The more each individual fights them, the longer will be the life of dying Morality (Dharma) in this Yuga. Lust and Anger are responsible for all kinds of difficult experiences which we have in our lives.
With Pride the false ego goes up and become active, all our acting in the world becomes selfish. The materially identified ego is now sided with the Materialistic Forces of Creation (Maya), called evil passions, and having the following faults: Lust, Anger, Greed, Delusory Emotional Attachment or Temptation, Pride, and Envy together with Jealousy. Man's Spiritual heritage constantly gets looted by these internal thieves (and their numerous variations), causing him to lose knowledge of his True Being.
If the person is a prisoner of the 6 internal enemies, then life is totally governed by Destiny. As the person moves ahead on the path of Self-Realization, the grip of Destiny over him loosens and the person gets more and more leverage to change Destiny. When a person identifies himself or herself with the Self, then, he/she becomes part of the Destiny Power. His/Her power is good enough to materialize and change any situation either for good or bad according to his/her will. Through constant knowledge and renunciation, these 6 vices can be overcome.
There is considerable controversy over the date for the start of the Cali-Yuga and its duration. According to the astronomer and mathematician AryaBhatta the Cali-Yuga started in 3102 BC. He finished his book in 499 CE in which he gives the exact year of the beginning of the cycle.
According to AbhYankar, the starting point of Cali-Yuga is an extremely rare planetary alignment. Going by this alignment the year 3102 BC is slightly off. The actual date for this alignment is February 7 of 3104 BC.
Most interpreters of the Scripture believe that Earth is currently in Cali-Yuga and it is commonly thought to last 6480 years.
In relation to Rulers the Scripture identifies some of the attributes of Cali-Yuga: -Rulers will become unreasonable: they will levy taxes unfairly. -Rulers will no longer see it as their duty to promote spirituality, or to protect their subjects: they will become a danger to the world. -People will start migrating, seeking countries where wheat and barley form the staple food source. -At the end of Cali-Yuga, when there exist no topics on the subject of God, even at the residences of so-called saints and respectable gentlemen and when nothing is known of the techniques of sacrifice, even by word, at that time the Lord will appear as the Supreme Chastiser.
With regard to human relationship: -Avarice and wrath will be common. Humans will openly display animosity towards each other. Ignorance of Morality will occur. -People will have thoughts of murder with no justification and will see nothing wrong in that. -Lust will be viewed as socially acceptable and sexual intercourse will be seen as the central requirement for life. - Sin will increase exponentially, while virtue will fade and cease to flourish. -People will take vows and break them soon after. People will become addicted to intoxicated drinks and drugs. -Teachers, Guides, or Masters will no longer be respected and their students will attempt to injure them. Their teachings will be insulted, and followers of Lust will wrest control of the mind from all human beings. -Rules of the social orders would not be followed.
ECHIDNA, HALF-WOMAN AND HALF SNAKE AND TYPHON.
In Greek mythology, according to Hesiod, Echidna was a monster who was born in a cave. She lived alone beneath the secret parts of the Earth, deep down under a hollow rock far from the deathless gods and mortal men. A place appointed by the gods, where she kept guard in Arima, the same place from where Zeus lashed with his thunderbolts the land of the Arimoi where men said was the couch bed of Tiphon. From the Cave Echidna used to carry off passers-by. Across the Gulf of Issus from Corycus, in ancient Syria was the Mount Hasios (modern Jebel Aqra in Turkey) and the Orontes River, said to be the site of the Battle of Typhon and Zeus. The historian Posidonius identified the Arimoi with the Arameans of Syria.
Echidna was the mate of the fearsome monster Typhon, and known primarily for being the monster of monsters. He was joined in love to Echidna, the maid with glancing eyes and she bore fierce offsprings.
First there was Orthrus, the two-headed dog, who guarded the Cattle of Geryon. Second Cerberus, the multiheaded dog who guarded the Gates of Hades. Third the Lernaean Hydra, the many-headed serpent who, when one of its heads was cut off, grew 2 more. She is also mentioned in Hesiod's Theogony as an entity "she" mothering the Chimera, a fire-breathing beast that was part lion, part goat, and had a snake-headed tail. Hesiod next named 2 more descendants of Echidna, the Sphinx, a monster with the head of a woman and a body of a winged lion, and the Nemean Lion, killed by Heracles as his first labor.
Hesiod described Echidna as an entity born to a "she" to be the Sea goddess Ceto, making Echidna's father the Sea god Phorcys, without naming the mother. She was half beautiful maiden and half fearsome snake. The "goddess fierce Echidna" was described as a fleshy eating "monster, irresistible," who was like neither "mortal men"nor "the undying gods," but was "half a nymph with glancing eyes and fair cheeks, and half again a huge snake, great and awful, with speckled skin," who "dies not nor grows old all her days." Aristophanes (late 5th century BC), who makes her a denizen of the underworld, gave Echidna a 100 heads, matching the 100 snake heads her mate Typhon had.
Typhon was the most fearsome monster of Greek mythology. The last son of Gaia, fathered by Tartarus. Typhos, with his mate Echidna, fathered many famous monsters.
When Zeus had driven the Titans from heaven, huge Earth bore her youngest child Typhon of the love of tartarus, by the aid of golden Aphrodite. Gaia bore Typhon in anger at the gods for their destruction of her offspring the Giants.
The Homeric Hymn to Apollo (6th century BC) says that Typhon was the child of Hera alone. She was the wife and one of the 3 sisters of Zeus. Her chief function was as the goddess of women and marriage. Hera, angry at Zeus for having given birth to Athena by himself, prayed to Gaia to give her a son as strong as Zeus, then slapped the ground, and became pregnant. Hera gave the infant to the serpent Python to raise, and Typhon grew up to become a great bane to mortals. He is described as "fell" and "cruel," and neither like gods nor men.
Typhon, according to Hesiod, was terrible, outrageous, and lawless. From his shoulders grew 100 snake heads, a fearful dragon with dark, flickering tongues, and under the brows of his eyes in his heads flashed fire, and fire burned from his heads as he glared. And there were voices in all his dreadful heads which uttered every kind of sound unspeakable. At one time they made sounds such that the gods understood, but at another, the noise of a bull bellowing aloud in proud ungovernable fury; and at another , the sound of a lion, relentless of heart; and at another, sounds like whelps, wonderful to hear; and again, at another, he would hiss, so that the high mountains re-echoed. Strength was in his hands in all he did and the feet were untiring.
ApolloDorus describes Typhon as a huge monster, whose head "brushed the stars," human in form above the waist, with snakes coils below, and fire flashing from his eyes. In size and strength Tiphon surpassed all the offspring of Earth. As far as the thighs he was of human shape and of such prodigious bulk that he out-topped all the mountains. One of his hands reached out to the West andthe other to the East, and from them projected a 100 dragon's heads. from the thighs downward he had huge coils of vipers, which when drawn out, reached to his very head and emitted a loud hissing. his body was all winged.
From the 5th century BC historian Herodotus, we learn of a creature half woman and half snake, that lived in a cave, and was known as a mother figure and the progenitor of the Scythians.
Greeks living in Pontus, a Region on the Southern Coast of the Black Sea, told a story of an encounter between Heracles and this snaky creature. Heracles was driving the cattle of GeryOnes through what would later become Scythia, when one morning he awoke and discovered that his horses had disappeared. While searching for them, he found in a cave a creature of double form that was half maiden and half serpent; above the buttocks she was a woman, below them a snake. She had the horses and promised to return them if Heracles would have sex with her. Heracles agreed and she had 3 sons by him : AgaThyRsus, Gelonus, and Scythes. She asked Heracles what she should do with his sons, either she would keep them or send them with him. Heracles gave her a Bow and a Belt and told her, that when the boys were grown, whichever draw the Bow and wear the Belt, keep him and vanish the others. The youngest son Scythes fulfilled the requirements and became the founder and eponym of the Scynthians.
Echidna was the mate of the fearsome monster Typhon, and known primarily for being the monster of monsters. He was joined in love to Echidna, the maid with glancing eyes and she bore fierce offsprings.
First there was Orthrus, the two-headed dog, who guarded the Cattle of Geryon. Second Cerberus, the multiheaded dog who guarded the Gates of Hades. Third the Lernaean Hydra, the many-headed serpent who, when one of its heads was cut off, grew 2 more. She is also mentioned in Hesiod's Theogony as an entity "she" mothering the Chimera, a fire-breathing beast that was part lion, part goat, and had a snake-headed tail. Hesiod next named 2 more descendants of Echidna, the Sphinx, a monster with the head of a woman and a body of a winged lion, and the Nemean Lion, killed by Heracles as his first labor.
Hesiod described Echidna as an entity born to a "she" to be the Sea goddess Ceto, making Echidna's father the Sea god Phorcys, without naming the mother. She was half beautiful maiden and half fearsome snake. The "goddess fierce Echidna" was described as a fleshy eating "monster, irresistible," who was like neither "mortal men"nor "the undying gods," but was "half a nymph with glancing eyes and fair cheeks, and half again a huge snake, great and awful, with speckled skin," who "dies not nor grows old all her days." Aristophanes (late 5th century BC), who makes her a denizen of the underworld, gave Echidna a 100 heads, matching the 100 snake heads her mate Typhon had.
Typhon was the most fearsome monster of Greek mythology. The last son of Gaia, fathered by Tartarus. Typhos, with his mate Echidna, fathered many famous monsters.
When Zeus had driven the Titans from heaven, huge Earth bore her youngest child Typhon of the love of tartarus, by the aid of golden Aphrodite. Gaia bore Typhon in anger at the gods for their destruction of her offspring the Giants.
The Homeric Hymn to Apollo (6th century BC) says that Typhon was the child of Hera alone. She was the wife and one of the 3 sisters of Zeus. Her chief function was as the goddess of women and marriage. Hera, angry at Zeus for having given birth to Athena by himself, prayed to Gaia to give her a son as strong as Zeus, then slapped the ground, and became pregnant. Hera gave the infant to the serpent Python to raise, and Typhon grew up to become a great bane to mortals. He is described as "fell" and "cruel," and neither like gods nor men.
Typhon, according to Hesiod, was terrible, outrageous, and lawless. From his shoulders grew 100 snake heads, a fearful dragon with dark, flickering tongues, and under the brows of his eyes in his heads flashed fire, and fire burned from his heads as he glared. And there were voices in all his dreadful heads which uttered every kind of sound unspeakable. At one time they made sounds such that the gods understood, but at another, the noise of a bull bellowing aloud in proud ungovernable fury; and at another , the sound of a lion, relentless of heart; and at another, sounds like whelps, wonderful to hear; and again, at another, he would hiss, so that the high mountains re-echoed. Strength was in his hands in all he did and the feet were untiring.
ApolloDorus describes Typhon as a huge monster, whose head "brushed the stars," human in form above the waist, with snakes coils below, and fire flashing from his eyes. In size and strength Tiphon surpassed all the offspring of Earth. As far as the thighs he was of human shape and of such prodigious bulk that he out-topped all the mountains. One of his hands reached out to the West andthe other to the East, and from them projected a 100 dragon's heads. from the thighs downward he had huge coils of vipers, which when drawn out, reached to his very head and emitted a loud hissing. his body was all winged.
From the 5th century BC historian Herodotus, we learn of a creature half woman and half snake, that lived in a cave, and was known as a mother figure and the progenitor of the Scythians.
Greeks living in Pontus, a Region on the Southern Coast of the Black Sea, told a story of an encounter between Heracles and this snaky creature. Heracles was driving the cattle of GeryOnes through what would later become Scythia, when one morning he awoke and discovered that his horses had disappeared. While searching for them, he found in a cave a creature of double form that was half maiden and half serpent; above the buttocks she was a woman, below them a snake. She had the horses and promised to return them if Heracles would have sex with her. Heracles agreed and she had 3 sons by him : AgaThyRsus, Gelonus, and Scythes. She asked Heracles what she should do with his sons, either she would keep them or send them with him. Heracles gave her a Bow and a Belt and told her, that when the boys were grown, whichever draw the Bow and wear the Belt, keep him and vanish the others. The youngest son Scythes fulfilled the requirements and became the founder and eponym of the Scynthians.
THE SLAVS AND THE SLAVIC MYTHOLOGY.
Slavs are the largest Indo-European group in Europe. They inhabit Central Europe, Eastern Europe, SouthEast Europe, North Asia, and Central Asia. Presently over half of Europe's territory is inhabited by Slavic-speaking communities. Slavs speak Indo-European Slavic languages and share, to varying degrees, some cultural traits and historical backgrounds. They are classified as West Slavic (Poles, Czechs, and Slovaks), East Slavic (Russians, Bela-Russians, and Ukranians), South Slavic (Serbs, Bulgarians, Croats, Bosniaks, Macedonians, Slovenes, and Montenegrins), though sometimes the West Slavs and the East Slavs are combined into a single group known as North Slavs.
The meaning of the word "Slav" in the Old Slavic denotes "people who speak the same language," in contrast to the modern meaning as "foreign people" or as "mumbling, murmuring people."
From the early 6th century they spread to inhabit most of Central and Eastern Europe and SouthEast Europe, while Slavic Mercenaries fighting for the Byzantine and Arabs settled Asia Minor as far as Syria. The East Slavs colonized Siberia and Central Asia.
Slavic mythology is the religion practiced by the Slavs before Christianisation. Old Slavic religion evolved for a 1000 years and some part of it from 10,000 to 12,000 BC. All their original religious beliefs and traditions were passed down orally over the generations. An exception is a short note in Herodotus' Histoires, mentioning the Tribes of Bhudini and Neuri in the far North, whose men, supposedly transform themselves into wolves for several days each year.
The Bhudini (Greek: Boudino) were a large and numerous ancient people who lived in Scythia. Above the SarmaTians, possessing the Second Region, dwelt the Bhudini, whose territory was thickly wooded and planted with trees of all manner of kinds. In the very woodiest part was a broad deep Lake, surrounded by marshy ground with reeds growing on it. Otters were caught, and beavers, with another sort of animal which had a square face. With the skins of this last the aboriginals bordered their capotes. Also they got from them a remedy, which was a virtue in diseases of the womb. Beyond the Bhudini, going NorthWard, first there was a Desert, 7 days' journey across the land. Herodotus located them East of the Don River (Tan-Ais in his time), one of the major Rivers of Russia that flows for a distance of about 1950 km /1220mi to the Sea of Azov, beyond the Sarma-Tians, a large confederation of Iranian people that flourished from about the 5th BC to the 4th century CE.
Herodotus also made a description of the Bhudini, East of the Danube (Ister) River, thusly. A large, numerous and powerful nation where all had a "mighty deep blue eyes," and "bright red hair." A City-Town among them was built by a different kind of race. The Town was made of wood and was named Gelonus and was made the capital city of the Scythian Tribe of the Bhudini. The Gelonii were formerly Greeks, having settled away from the coastal emporia among the Bhudini, where they "used a tongue partly Scythian and partly Greek."
The Bhudini, however, did not speak the same language as the Gelonii, nor was their mode of life the same. They were the aboriginal people of the land, and were nomads. Their food was different that the ones of the neighboring races.
The Gelonii became increasingly settled and wealthy on their Western Frontier with Greco-Roman Civilization. Each side of its high outer Wall was 30 stades long (about 30 square km), entirely of wood, and its houses were also made of Wood. There were in every place Greek gods' shrines adorned in the Greek way with statues, altars and wooden shrines. Every 3rd Year they celebrated a Festival of DionYsus and became possessed by the god.
The fortified Wooden Settlement of Gelonus was reached by the Persian Army of Darius in his assault of Scythia (6th century BC), already burned to the ground, having been abandoned it before the persian advance. they sent a message to Darius:"We are as free as Wind and what you can catch in our ground is only the Wind." By employing a scorched earth strategy, they avoided battles, leaving "earth without grass" by burning the steppe in front of the advancing Army. The Persian Army returned without a single battle or any significant success. The city was strategically situated on the exact boundary between the steppe and forest-steppe.
The archaeological site around Belsk, including necropolis, comprises about 80 km2, and the fortifications enclose some 40 km2. The North-South axis, along the Vorskla River is 17 km long. The remains of walls up to 12 metres are visible today and stretch over the horizon. The total length of the ramparts is 33kms. Inside the fortification, lay 3 "keeps," 150,000m2, 650,000m2, and 720,000m2 in area, surrounded by eroded earth Walls still up to 16 meters high. Several burial mounds reminded the inhabitants of the ancient Scythian burial tradition.
In Greek mythology, Gelonus was the son of Echidna and Heracles. He had an older brother AgathYrsus and a younger Scythes. Hylea is pointed to be where the Echidna's Cave was between the people. The Greeks believed that this was somewhere in Scythia.
The first Christian conversion group began in Bulgaria in 864 CE and was largely complete by the late 11th century.
Unlike ancient Greek, Indian (Hindu), Chinese or Egyptian mythology, there are no first-hand records of it. Archaeological remains of Old Slavic cult images and shrines have been found, though little can be yielded from them without legitimate knowledge of their contexts. Fragments of the old beliefs and festivals survive up to this day in folk customs, songs, and stories.
The meaning of the word "Slav" in the Old Slavic denotes "people who speak the same language," in contrast to the modern meaning as "foreign people" or as "mumbling, murmuring people."
From the early 6th century they spread to inhabit most of Central and Eastern Europe and SouthEast Europe, while Slavic Mercenaries fighting for the Byzantine and Arabs settled Asia Minor as far as Syria. The East Slavs colonized Siberia and Central Asia.
Slavic mythology is the religion practiced by the Slavs before Christianisation. Old Slavic religion evolved for a 1000 years and some part of it from 10,000 to 12,000 BC. All their original religious beliefs and traditions were passed down orally over the generations. An exception is a short note in Herodotus' Histoires, mentioning the Tribes of Bhudini and Neuri in the far North, whose men, supposedly transform themselves into wolves for several days each year.
The Bhudini (Greek: Boudino) were a large and numerous ancient people who lived in Scythia. Above the SarmaTians, possessing the Second Region, dwelt the Bhudini, whose territory was thickly wooded and planted with trees of all manner of kinds. In the very woodiest part was a broad deep Lake, surrounded by marshy ground with reeds growing on it. Otters were caught, and beavers, with another sort of animal which had a square face. With the skins of this last the aboriginals bordered their capotes. Also they got from them a remedy, which was a virtue in diseases of the womb. Beyond the Bhudini, going NorthWard, first there was a Desert, 7 days' journey across the land. Herodotus located them East of the Don River (Tan-Ais in his time), one of the major Rivers of Russia that flows for a distance of about 1950 km /1220mi to the Sea of Azov, beyond the Sarma-Tians, a large confederation of Iranian people that flourished from about the 5th BC to the 4th century CE.
Herodotus also made a description of the Bhudini, East of the Danube (Ister) River, thusly. A large, numerous and powerful nation where all had a "mighty deep blue eyes," and "bright red hair." A City-Town among them was built by a different kind of race. The Town was made of wood and was named Gelonus and was made the capital city of the Scythian Tribe of the Bhudini. The Gelonii were formerly Greeks, having settled away from the coastal emporia among the Bhudini, where they "used a tongue partly Scythian and partly Greek."
The Bhudini, however, did not speak the same language as the Gelonii, nor was their mode of life the same. They were the aboriginal people of the land, and were nomads. Their food was different that the ones of the neighboring races.
The Gelonii became increasingly settled and wealthy on their Western Frontier with Greco-Roman Civilization. Each side of its high outer Wall was 30 stades long (about 30 square km), entirely of wood, and its houses were also made of Wood. There were in every place Greek gods' shrines adorned in the Greek way with statues, altars and wooden shrines. Every 3rd Year they celebrated a Festival of DionYsus and became possessed by the god.
The fortified Wooden Settlement of Gelonus was reached by the Persian Army of Darius in his assault of Scythia (6th century BC), already burned to the ground, having been abandoned it before the persian advance. they sent a message to Darius:"We are as free as Wind and what you can catch in our ground is only the Wind." By employing a scorched earth strategy, they avoided battles, leaving "earth without grass" by burning the steppe in front of the advancing Army. The Persian Army returned without a single battle or any significant success. The city was strategically situated on the exact boundary between the steppe and forest-steppe.
The archaeological site around Belsk, including necropolis, comprises about 80 km2, and the fortifications enclose some 40 km2. The North-South axis, along the Vorskla River is 17 km long. The remains of walls up to 12 metres are visible today and stretch over the horizon. The total length of the ramparts is 33kms. Inside the fortification, lay 3 "keeps," 150,000m2, 650,000m2, and 720,000m2 in area, surrounded by eroded earth Walls still up to 16 meters high. Several burial mounds reminded the inhabitants of the ancient Scythian burial tradition.
In Greek mythology, Gelonus was the son of Echidna and Heracles. He had an older brother AgathYrsus and a younger Scythes. Hylea is pointed to be where the Echidna's Cave was between the people. The Greeks believed that this was somewhere in Scythia.
The first Christian conversion group began in Bulgaria in 864 CE and was largely complete by the late 11th century.
Unlike ancient Greek, Indian (Hindu), Chinese or Egyptian mythology, there are no first-hand records of it. Archaeological remains of Old Slavic cult images and shrines have been found, though little can be yielded from them without legitimate knowledge of their contexts. Fragments of the old beliefs and festivals survive up to this day in folk customs, songs, and stories.
Thursday, 18 February 2016
PACT WITH THE DEVIL
According to traditional Christian belief, the Pact is between a person and Satan or a lesser demon. The person offers his or her soul in exchange for favors. Those favors vary and tend to include Youth, Knowledge, Wealth, Fame, or Power. The persons who make this type of Pact, first, they have to recognize Satan as his or her Master, in exchange for nothing. The person, also promise Satan or a lesser demon, to kill children (it is understood in a sense of a young soul in search of spirituality), or consecrate them to the devil at the moment of birth, or take part in religious ceremonies, or have sexual relationship with demons, and sometimes engender children in an unnatural way.
The Pact can be oral or written.
An oral Pact can be made by means of Invocations, Conjurations, or Rituals with the purpose of attract the demon; once the conjurer feels the presence of the demon spirit, he or she asks for the wanted favor and offers his or her soul in exchange, and no evidence is left of the Pact. In some cases the only evidence left by an oral Pact is an indelible mark left on the person when he or she was touched by the Devil.
A written Pact consists in the same forms of attracting the demon, but includes a written act, usually signed with the conjurer's blood. Forms of these include Contracts or simply signing the name of the person into Satan's Red Book.
The Devil is believed in many religions, myths and cultures to be a supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the archenemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly, ranging from being an opposite force to the Creator God, locked in the material World struggling its survival through the use of the human soul to lure mankind into disbelief and evil as an act of revenge toward God because of his expulsion from heaven.
He was a superior angel whom God elevated to the highest place as a reward for his righteousness. Since angels do not have free will, and have to obey God's command without questioning, he was created different. He had free will and humans were made with free will. Satan saw the humans as a challenging entities. Man as part of the Creation had to show homage and obedience to God by heart.
In the Book of Wisdom, the Devil is represented as the one who brought Death into the World. The 2nd Book of Enoch contains references to a Watcher Angel called Satan-ael, describing him as the Prince who was cast out of heaven and an evil spirit who knew the difference between what was "righteous" and what was "sinful."
In Christianity the Devil is usually named Satan. He is an angel who, along with one-third of the angelic host rebelled against God and were condemned to the Lake of Fire. He hates all humanity, opposing God, spreading lies and wreaking havoc on the souls of mankind. He is often identified as the crafty serpent who convinced the Woman to eat the forbidden fruit.
In the Bible, the Devil is identified with 'the Dragon" and "the old Serpent" in the Book of Revelation 12:9, 20:2. He has also been identified as "the Prince of this World" in the Gospel of John 12:31, 14:30; and "the Prince of the power of the Air" also called Meririm; and "the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience" in the Epistle to the Ephesians 2:2; and "the God of this World" in 2 Cor.4:4. He is also identified as the Dragon in the Book of Revelation, and The Tempter of the Gospels." Sometimes he is called Lucifer, particularly when describing him as an angel before his fall, although the reference in Isaiah 14:12 to Lucifer, or the Son of the Morning, is a reference of him acting in the person of the Babylonian king. Beel-Zebub is originally the name of a Philistine entity, a certain type of spirit named Baal, from Ba'al-Zebub, meaning "Lord of Flies," but it is also used in the New Testament as a synonym for Satan.
The Pact can be oral or written.
An oral Pact can be made by means of Invocations, Conjurations, or Rituals with the purpose of attract the demon; once the conjurer feels the presence of the demon spirit, he or she asks for the wanted favor and offers his or her soul in exchange, and no evidence is left of the Pact. In some cases the only evidence left by an oral Pact is an indelible mark left on the person when he or she was touched by the Devil.
A written Pact consists in the same forms of attracting the demon, but includes a written act, usually signed with the conjurer's blood. Forms of these include Contracts or simply signing the name of the person into Satan's Red Book.
The Devil is believed in many religions, myths and cultures to be a supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the archenemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly, ranging from being an opposite force to the Creator God, locked in the material World struggling its survival through the use of the human soul to lure mankind into disbelief and evil as an act of revenge toward God because of his expulsion from heaven.
He was a superior angel whom God elevated to the highest place as a reward for his righteousness. Since angels do not have free will, and have to obey God's command without questioning, he was created different. He had free will and humans were made with free will. Satan saw the humans as a challenging entities. Man as part of the Creation had to show homage and obedience to God by heart.
In the Book of Wisdom, the Devil is represented as the one who brought Death into the World. The 2nd Book of Enoch contains references to a Watcher Angel called Satan-ael, describing him as the Prince who was cast out of heaven and an evil spirit who knew the difference between what was "righteous" and what was "sinful."
In Christianity the Devil is usually named Satan. He is an angel who, along with one-third of the angelic host rebelled against God and were condemned to the Lake of Fire. He hates all humanity, opposing God, spreading lies and wreaking havoc on the souls of mankind. He is often identified as the crafty serpent who convinced the Woman to eat the forbidden fruit.
In the Bible, the Devil is identified with 'the Dragon" and "the old Serpent" in the Book of Revelation 12:9, 20:2. He has also been identified as "the Prince of this World" in the Gospel of John 12:31, 14:30; and "the Prince of the power of the Air" also called Meririm; and "the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience" in the Epistle to the Ephesians 2:2; and "the God of this World" in 2 Cor.4:4. He is also identified as the Dragon in the Book of Revelation, and The Tempter of the Gospels." Sometimes he is called Lucifer, particularly when describing him as an angel before his fall, although the reference in Isaiah 14:12 to Lucifer, or the Son of the Morning, is a reference of him acting in the person of the Babylonian king. Beel-Zebub is originally the name of a Philistine entity, a certain type of spirit named Baal, from Ba'al-Zebub, meaning "Lord of Flies," but it is also used in the New Testament as a synonym for Satan.
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