THIS JOURNAL IS ON 12 FAVORITE JOURNAL LISTSHonor: 0 [ Give / Take ]
3 entries this month
Athena and Metis09:31 Aug 25 2007
Times Read: 552
Athena
The Basics
Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, war, the arts, industry, justice and skill. She was the favorite child of Zeus. She had sprung fully grown out of her father's head. Her mother was Metis, goddess of wisdom and Zeus' first wife. In fear that Metis would bear a son mightier than himself. Zeus swallowed her and she began to make a robe and helmet for her daughter. The hammering of the helmet caused Zeus great pain in the form of headaches and he cried out in agony. Skilled Hephaestus ran to his father and split his skull open and from it emerged Athena, fully grown and wearing her mother's robe and helmet. She is the virgin mother of Erichthnonius.
Athena, the Olive Tree, and Athens
Athena and her uncle Poseidon were both very fond of a certain city in Greece. Both of them claimed the city and it was decided that the one that could give the finest gift should have it. Leading a procession of citizens, the two gods mounted the Acropolis. Poseidon struck the side of the cliff with his trident and a spring welled up. The people marveled, but the water was as salty as Poseidon's sea and it was not very useful. Athena's gift was an olive tree, which was better because it gave the people food, oil and wood. Athena named her city Athens.
Athena's companion was the goddess of victory, Nike, and her usual attribute is the owl. Athena possessed the Aegis.
Methis
The Basics
The Greek personification of wisdom and its goddess. She is a daughter of Oceanus and Tethys. Metis is regarded as the first wife of Zeus, whom he swallowed when he discovered that she was pregnant, fearing she might give birth to a son mightier than he. Subsequently, the goddess Athena sprang fully armed from his head. It was also Metis who delivered the remedy that made Cronus disgorge the children he had swallowed.
Morrigan09:30 Aug 25 2007
Times Read: 553
Morrigan
The Basics
The Morrigan is a goddess of battle, strife, and fertility. Her name translates as either "Great Queen" or "Phantom Queen," and both epithets are entirely appropriate for her. The Morrigan appears as both a single goddess and a trio of goddesses. The other deities who form the trio are Badb ("Crow"), and either Macha (also connotes "Crow") or Nemain ("Frenzy"). The Morrigan frequently appears in the ornithological guise of a hooded crow. She is one of the Tuatha Dé Danann ("Tribe of the goddess Danu") and she helped defeat the Firbolg at the First Battle of Mag Tuireadh and the Fomorians at the Second Battle of Mag Tuireadh.
Her Origin
The origins of the Morrigan seem to reach directly back to the megalithic cult of the Mothers. The Mothers (Matrones, Idises, Disir, etc.) usually appeared as triple goddesses and their cult was expressed through both battle ecstasy and regenerative ecstasy. It's also interesting to note that later Celtic goddesses of sovereignty, such as the trio of Eriu, Banba, and Fotla, also appear as a trio of female deities who use magic in warfare. "Influence in the sphere of warfare, but by means of magic and incantation rather than through physical strength, is common to these beings."
Eriu, a goddess connected to the land in a fashion reminiscent of the Mothers, could appear as a beautiful woman or as a crow, as could the Morrigan. The Disir appeared in similar guises. In addition to being battle goddesses, they are significantly associated with fate as well as birth in many cases, along with appearing before a death or to escort the deceased.
There is certainly evidence that the concept of a raven goddess of battle was not limited to the Irish Celts. An inscription found in France which reads Cathubodva, 'Battle Raven', shows that a similar concept was at work among the Gaulish Celts.
Valkyries in Norse cosmology. Both use magic to cast fetters on warriors and choose who will die.
During the Second Battle, the Morrigan "said she would go and destroy Indech son of De Domnann and 'deprive him of the blood of his heart and the kidneys of his valor', and she gave two handfuls of that blood to the hosts. When Indech later appeared in the battle, he was already doomed."
Compare this to the Washer at the Ford, another guise of the Morrigan. The Washer is usually to be found washing the clothes of men about to die in battle. In effect, she is choosing who will die.
An early German spell found in Merseburg mentions the Indisi, who decided the fortunes of war and the fates of warriors. The Scandinavian "Song of the Spear", quoted in "Njals Saga", gives a detailed description of Valkyries as women weaving on a grisly loom, with severed heads for weights, arrows for shuttles, and entrails for the warp. As they worked, they exulted at the loss of life that would take place. "All is sinister now to see, a cloud of blood moves over the sky, the air is red with the blood of men, and the battle women chant their song."
An Old English poem, "Exodus", refers to ravens as choosers of the slain. In all these sources, ravens, choosing of the slain, casting fetters, and female beings are linked.
"As the Norse and English sources show them to us, the walkurjas are figures of awe an even terror, who delight in the deaths of men. As battlefield scavengers, they are very close to the ravens, who are described as waelceasega, "picking over the dead"..."
"The function of the goddess [the Morrigan] here, it may be noted, is not to attack the hero [Cu Chulainn] with weapons but to render him helpless at a crucial point in the battle, like the valkyries who cast 'fetters' upon warriors ... thus both in Irish and Scandinavian literature we have a conception of female beings associated with battle, both fierce and erotic."
Morrigan and Cu Chulainn
She appeared to the hero Cu Chulainn (son of the god Lugh) and offered her love to him. When he failed to recognize her and rejected her, she told him that she would hinder him when he was in battle. When Cu Chulainn was eventually killed, she settled on his shoulder in the form of a crow. Cu's misfortune was that he never recognized the feminine power of sovereignty that she offered to him.
She appeared to him on at least four occasions and each time he failed to recognize her.
1. When she appeared to him and declared her love for him.
2. After he had wounded her, she appeared to him as an old hag and he offered his blessings to her, which caused her to be healed.
3. On his way to his final battle, he saw the Washer at the Ford, who declared that she was washing the clothes and arms of Cu Chulainn, who would soon be dead.
4. When he was forced by three hags (the Morrigan in her triple aspect) to break a taboo of eating dogflesh.
Eris09:29 Aug 25 2007
Times Read: 554
Eris
The Basics
Eris is the Greek goddess of discord and strife. She is Ares' constant companion and follows him everywhere. Eris is sinister and mean, and her greatest joy is to make trouble. She has a golden apple that is so bright and shiny everybody wants to have it. When she throws it among friends, their friendship come to a rapid end. When she throws it among enemies, war breaks out, for the golden apple of Eris is the Apple of Discord. She did this once during the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, and this act brought about the Trojan War.
The Ruined Wedding and The Trojan War
The occasion of the wedding between Peleus and Thetis was a time of great celebration. All of the gods attended except Eris, the goddess of discord, and the daughter of Zeus and Hera. Understandably enough, nobody liked Eris as she was always causing trouble. Because of this, she was rarely asked to attend important Olympian events.
Furious at having been left off of the invitation list again, Eris decided to make trouble. Into the banquet hall at Peleus' and Thetis' wedding, Eris threw a golden apple, marked "For the Fairest". Of course, all of the goddesses wanted to claim it, the choice was narrowed down to the three most powerful and beautiful goddesses: Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena. Wisely, upon being asked to judge to whom the apple should go, Zeus refused to choose. No god wanted to be a part of this decision. So, it was decided that the only thing to do would be to put judgment on a mortal whose judgment the goddesses would agree to accept.
Zeus suggested the choice be made by a young man who was a superb judge of beauty, by the name of Paris. Paris was the son of King Priam of Troy, but he had been ordered to leave the city because of a prophecy that someday he would bring misfortune to his country and its people. Thus, he was presently working as a shepherd. Paris was very handsome, as any god, but he lacked intelligence and tactfulness. For if he had very much intelligence, he would have refused to be such a judge.
The three goddesses appeared in the meadow where he was guarding his sheep. None of the three goddesses left the choice up to their own personal merits. Instead, they began to bribe Paris in order to win the apple. Hera promised him the status of lord of Europe and Asia for the apple. Athena said that she would make him a great warrior for the prized apple. The third goddess, Aphrodite, promised Paris the most beautiful woman in the world for his bride if he were to choose her as the "fairest".
Paris, being more interested in women than riches of being a lord or the status of a great warrior, chose Aphrodite. Hera and Athena were greatly offended, which led them to be deadly enemies of both Paris and of Troy. This was only the beginning of Paris' problems, as the most beautiful woman in the world was Helen, whom was already married. Aphrodite, not being much on marriage and faithfulness, took Paris to Sparta to meet Helen, who immediately fell in love with Paris. They fled Sparta to the city of Troy. When Helen's husband, Menelaus, came home to find the two had eloped, he called on all of Helen's suitors to help him attack Troy and kill Paris.
Thus, from the wedding of Peleus and Thetis and the golden Apple of Discord thrown by Eris, we have the beginnings of the Trojan War.
RECENT KISMET
Sire (103)
Can't you tell I'm a slave to the darkness?
01:36 - December 01 2024
Great Sire (116)
I could spend my whole life trying to change the past
00:34 - December 01 2024
Daemon (95)
I never lose either I win or I learn...
18:17 - November 30 2024
REAL VAMPIRES LOVE VAMPIRE RAVE
Vampire Rave is a member of
Page generated in 0.0975 seconds.
COMMENTS
-