The Centaurs In Ancient Greece

The world of the strange historical and religious beliefs of mankind

Monday, April 16, 2012

The Centaurs In Ancient Greece

In Greek mythology, centaurs were creatures that were half man and half horse. They had the head, neck, chest, and arms of a man and the body and legs of a horse. Most of the centaurs were creatures known for their drunkenness and inappropriate behavior.

It is said that the centaurs were descended from a son of the son of Ares Ixion. Ixion fell in love with Hera. Ixion deciding to seduce Hera arranged a meeting with Hera. Zeus discovered the plan and formed a cloud in the shape of Hera. Ixion enraptured by his lust took advantage of the encounter and from this union; the race of centaurs was created.

The War with the kingdom of Lapiths began with King Pirithous of the Lapiths, son of Ixion, invited the centaurs to his wedding. The centaurs became drunk and uncontrollable offended with their lecherous pursuit of the Lapith women. A battle   between the rivals erupted. The Lapiths won the fight, killing many centaurs and he centaurs had no other choice but to leave Thessaly. The Grecian myths relate many clashes between centaurs and the hero Hercules.

Although, most of the centaurs were savage, the centaur Chiron, a teacher of medicine, music, hunting, and archery and the son of the god Cronos, taught gods and heroes. , including Hercules and Achilles among other heroes of the time.  Unfortunately Chiron was injured by one of Hercules' poisoned arrows.  Since he would live forever as the son of a God he would have suffered from the injury forever.  Finally Chiron asked Zeus to let him die. Zeus granted the favor and he was placed in the heavens as a star.

According to another myth the centaur named Nesses tried to rape the wife of Hercules. Hercules discovered in the act and shot him with a poisoned arrow. As he was dying, Nessus urged her to save some of the blood from his wound. He told her that if Hercules would never stop loving her, she could keep his love by applying the blood to his cloak of Hercules if she ever lost his love and he would return. she did as Nessus suggested and saved some of his blood.

When Hercules at one time was unfaithful to her, she gave him a cloak that she had covered with the blood of Nessus. The blood was poisoned, and Hercules asked Zeus allow him to die and enter Olympus.

The Centaurs are well known for the outrageous behavior and acts.  They will stay a part of history that is tainted with their deeds.
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Sunday, April 15, 2012

Myths and Heroes

In myths and legends from around the world a theme that appears stories repeatedly is that of the uncommon hero.

 One of the consistent components in these stories is that of a miracle or mystery surrounds the birth of such heroes. They may be the child of a virgin; or they may have special powers or be from the union of a God and a human.

 Many hero myths has a recurring event of the hero going on a quest a task or journey that is beyond the ability of a normal mortal.  That must be undertaken to achieve a goal. These heroes usually set off on journeys filled with challenges and adventures, often connected with magic or the supernatural. A hero may have to descend into Hell and confront death himself

Heroes have the strength beyond the ordinary to defeat enemies, monsters, or demons, a protecting God or Goddess or magician often helps the hero to achieve his goal. In the end the hero returns from his adventures with special powers, wisdom and wealth won in the course of the quest

Several historic human warriors can be considered heroes with their outstanding abilities in combat. In myths about the Trojan War, Achilles was valiant in war and the monster-slaying heroes of early English stories are renowned for their courage.

Some figures in mythology earned their hero status as rulers. King Arthur may have been an historical figure but was brought into a hero of greatness. The African leader Shaka of the Zulu people of southern Africa, gathered a huge army and established a great empire

Another type of hero is the hero who brings the gifts of civilization to a people. In Greek mythology the Titan Prometheus who steals fire for the benefit of humankind.

In hero mythology there is often the element of truth that has symbolic meanings for the people who create them.  Often it instills the concept of striving to the utmost level of one’s ability. Sometimes there is a moral thread intertwined in the stories.  

Heroes will always be a part of cultures around the world and new heroes are being born everyday in areas of medicine; politics and humanity towards others.  People need to have heroes in order to maintain their own self worth and the need to be inspired by someone who is in ways like them.

The Similarity in Creation Myths

Most creation accounts are stories, not to tell of the physical creation, but to teach a moral standard  as in hero stories. They often are used to instruct a culture about some tradition. Many creation myths, have a primary purpose to describe creation.  But many are concerned with problems of living and life. 

There is a basic similarity between most creation myths and Genesis. Among the aspects of the early history of the world found in Genesis which are also found in many creation stories are the confusion of tongues at Babel, and the flood account. In addition to Scripture, aspects of the Tower of Babel account are also found in Syrian, Sumerian, Greek, Babylonian, Chinese, Hindu, Persian and even the American Indian creation stories.

The Biblical account of a universal flood is part of the mythology and legend of almost every culture on earth. Even people living far from the sea as the American Southwest and the Incas in the Andes mountainous region have legends of a great flood washing over the land, covering the tops of mountains and wiping out virtually all life on earth

Where do these creation stories originate. Was there a time in the history of the world when there was once one advanced civilization.  Often there is found in these creation myths such a story about a supreme society which man in his search for immortality destroyed all that the world had accomplished at the time and left it destitute of life except for the ones needed for procreation of the new world that found favor with the God or Gods they believed in.  

Norse Creation Story

The Norse story of the origin of the earth, sky, and humanity were only in spoken form by Viking poets.

      In the beginning of time, there was nothing. Heaven and earth did not exist. Before the earth was made, Niflheim was made, and in it were twelve rivers. To the south was Muspell, a place where there was heat and brightness guarded by Surt, a giant who carried a flaming sword.  Ginnungagap was to the North it was frigid and cold the rivers froze and all was ice. Where  Muspell reached the south side of  Ginnungagap, the ice thawed and dripped, and from that there formed the shape of a man. His name was Ymir, the first of and ancestor of the frost-giants.

As the ice melted more it formed a cow, and from her there flowed four rivers of milk that fed Ymir. The cow ate the salt of the ice, and from this came a man and his name was Buri. He had a son named Bor, who married Bestla, a daughter of one of the giants. Bor and Bestla had three sons, one of whom was Odin, the most powerful of the gods.

Ymir a frost-giant, but not a god caused a struggle between the giant and the young gods, Bor's three sons killed Ymir. Bor's sons dragged Ymir's body to the center of Ginnungagap, and made the earth from . Ymir's blood became the sea, his bones became the rocks, and his hair became the trees. With his skull they made the sky. In it they fixed sparks and molten rock from Muspell they created the stars. With Ymir's brains made the clouds.

 On the sea shore, Bor's sons fashioned people out of them out of two logs. One son gave them breath and life, the second son gave them consciousness and movement, and the third gave them faces and senses. From this man and woman came all humans.

One of the descendants of the first two people had two children. Those two children were so beautiful that their father named the son Moon and the daughter Sol. The gods were insulted at the impudence put the brother and sister up to the sky and forced them to labor. Sol drives the chariot that carries the sun across the sky. Moon takes a course across the sky each night.

 The gods left one path from earth to heaven. This is the bridge that appears in the sky as a rainbow.

The common theme of rivers is seen in most stories of creation.  The need of water to cultivate the earth is an essential part of most creation stories. Along with fire the subjects for the necessity for the life of man to continue on earth is often found in mythology. In the older cultures rivers and rivers were the central part of farming, harvesting, and cooking. Following along these lines are the main component of creation stories.

Hindu Mythology a Short History

Hindu creation myths vary greatly due to the expansion and divergence of the empire.  There are numerous versions resulting in a mixture of folklore that has changed over time to be the most popular beliefs of the civilization. In one version of the story of creation Brahma is the creator of the universe, and the source from which all the individual deities come from.  Brahma transformed branched out without any exterior means. The human soul, according to the Vedas, is a portion of the supreme ruler Brahma.

He represents the three incarnate powers of creation, preservation, and destruction, which under the respective names of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva form the harmony of the Hindu gods. Indra, the god of heaven, of thunder, lightning, storm, and rain; Agni, the god of fire; Surya, the god of the sun.

According to the Rig-Veda, one of the oldest of Indian texts, the most common Indian creation myth, names Purusha, the being beyond all others, as the creator of the basic elements of the world. He is a part of all the features of the Earth.

His body formed the castes of Indian Hindu society. Castes were strict levels in society that members marry and live within in order to accomplish their purpose in life. When Purusha was sacrificed his mouth was the highest caste of Indian society, the Brahmans, the priests and leaders. His arms became the second highest castes, Kshatriyas, the warriors. And his feet created the Shudras, the lowest caste created to serve the higher castes. Vaishyas, farmers and merchants, were formed from Purusha's were created by his thighs.

Purusha's body formed the rest of the known universe. His mind was the moon, his eye was the sun, the storm and fire gods Indra and Agni were fire and his breath was the wind, his head was Heaven, his feet were the earth.

The accounts of creation have common themes and this is just one short version of the creation of the universe and world.  The themes in the myths of the world have a common thread through them and it is no different than the one found in the Hindu beliefs.

Friday, April 13, 2012

The Mayans and Their Culture and Myths

The Mayans were an advanced Indian civilization that no longer exists. At the time when they did exist their Gods were revered they would offer sacrifices to them. The Mayans believed that there were four gods.

In the beginning the Gods tried to make man out of clay but man that was made of clay proved to be too weak. They attempted to make man out of wood. A man out of wood was tried but proved to be inadequate around fire. The Gods made a man out of gold .The golden man remained on the earth but one of the Gods made man from his own body. This man was proven good and was able to worship the gods.

The ancient Maya civilization had a dominant culture. They are distinctive for their development of astronomy, the calendar, and hieroglyphics. Painting and architecture were important aspects of the Mayan culture. Also the Mayans were accomplished farmers, weavers, and potters.  The civilization believed that life and death was an ongoing cycle. They believed the earth to be flat and had four corners.  Above the earth was the sky in where different Gods lived in layers. Below the earth was an underworld in which the sun, the moon, and Venus were disappeared to at night when they descended. Mayans also believed that this underworld was the expected destination after death.

The Mayan empire was mainly located in modern day Central America and covered the southern part of Mexico extending down to Honduras. Most of the locations where the Mayan people built their cities were in tropical rain forests. The Mayan cities were built near natural water holes that allowed the Mayans to survive in the rain forest. Most of their culture revolved around farming. For the Mayans were very advanced in science. Their astronomers were able to predict the cycles of the moon, and even had the ability to predict when eclipses would occur. 

 The Mayans were a very intelligent people and their creation story is more complex that other creation myths.

The Ancient Incas

The exact origins of the Incan people are unknown with most of its history comes from oral traditions, stone, pottery, jewelry, and tapestry.  The civilization was only existed for approximately 100 years.  The Incas named their empire, Land of the Four Quarters because it stretched north to south 2,500 miles along the Andean Range from Columbia to Chile. 

The Incans were considered descendants of the sun.  Consequently the Incan people worshiped the sun with a celebration that was held annually to praise the sun for growing the crops.  The Incans worshipped the sun god, Inti.  The origins of the Incans describe how the sun god sent his children to find Cuzco, the sacred city and capital of the Inca Empire.

The Incans were a people who had an almost communistic empire when it came to the distribution of resources and labor. The Incans were like the ancient Aztec people, and they inhabited South America in about the same time period. 

Most of the Incans were farmers, and they relied on grain harvesting. The Incans believe that in the beginning the earth was covered in darkness. Out of a lake called Collasuyu, the God Con Tiqui came forth bringing some human beings with him. Con Tiqui created the sun, the moon and the stars to light the world and created more human beings out of the rocks He then sent these people off into every comer of the world. He kept a male and female with him at Cuzco

 The Incans had many Gods and built temples and monuments to these Gods. Each God represented an important part of their life and so the Incans believed that to live a good life, one had to pray to each God and make sacrifices to them.