<33: December 2006

Sunday

Persian

Goddess: Anahita, the strong undefiled water

In Persia the goddess Ardvi Sura Anahita, the strong undefiled water, is the source of all water upon earth. She is the source of all fertility, purifying the seed of all males, sanctifying the womb of all females and purifying the milk in the mother's breast, From her heavenly home she is the source of the cosmic ocean. She is decribled as strong and bright, tall and beautiful ,pure and nobly born. As befits her noble birth she wears a golden crown with eight rays and a hundred stars, a golden mantle and a golden necklace around her beautiful neck. Such vivid details suggest that from early times statues were used in her worship. Certainly they were part of her cult from the times of Artaxerxes Mnemon, for an ancient Greek historian records that the king of kings erected statues of her in cities as far apart as babylon, Damascus, Ecbatana, Sardis and Susa. She became a popular deity in many lands. She had many temples in Anatolia where the Roman historian Stratbo saya the daughters of noble families were required to practise sacred prostitution at her shine marriage. In Persia she was, and still is an object of deep veneration, the source of life and the object of deeply felt gratitude.

God: Tishtrya and the Demon of Drought

Tishtrya is another figure associated with a natural phenomenon, the rain, but there is no sense of a duality in this god's character. her is a beneficent force involved in a cosmic battle and glorious star. The first star, the seed of the water, the source of rain and fertility. In a hymn dedicated to Tishtrya the battle between the god and the demon of drought is retold. Tishtrya went down to the cosmic ocean in the shape of a beautiful white horse with golden ears and golden trapping. There he met the demon Apaosha in the shape od a black horse, terrifying in appearance with his black ears and tail. hoof against hoof they fought for three days and nights, but it was Apaosha met who proved the stronger, and Tishtrya in woe and distress cried out to the creator, Ahura Mazda, that he was weak because men had not been offered a sacrifice to Tishtrya, who was infused with the strength of ten horses, ten camel, tell bulls, ten mountains and ten rivers, Again Tishtrya and Apaoshe met hoof against hoof by the time, fortified by the power of he sacrifice, Tishtrya proved triumphant and the water were able to flow down unrestrained to the fields and paetures. Rain clouds rising from the cosmoic ocean were propelled by the wind, and the life- giving rains poured down on the seven regions of the earth. The outcome of the cosmic battle between the forces of life and death depends on man's faithful observance of his ritual obligation.

Chinese

Goddess: The Goddess of Mercy

The deity held most dear by the Chinese everywhere is Guan Yin, the goddess of mercy, who was originally the male Buddhist Bodhisattva, Avalokitsvara. This saint, whose name translated into Chinese means one who hears the cries of the world is also the patron saint of Tibetan Buddhism. Guan Yin is ofter portyayed as a madonna wearing a white veil and with a child in her arms. She is worshipped by those hoping for a child. Fishermen consider her to keep particular watch over those in peril at sea, and she is sometimes identified with Mazu, whose cult has spread out from the coastal region of south China. There are not only images of Guan Yin in temples and shrines, but also in homes and publics please; her figure has been excected in all manner of media. She is the most revered of all gods in the popular pantheon.

God: Guan Di, the God of War

Guan Di, in whose honour more than 1,600 official temples, to say nothing of countless minor shrines, were dedicated in Manchu times, was originally a kind of Ribin Hood figure, He was one of three heroes whose adventures are recounted in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a pseudo-historical account of events at the endsof the Later Han dyansty, written at the beginning of the Ming period.Guan Zhong was a native of Shanxi who was forced to flee through the pass to Shaanxi after killing an officialfor the act of sexual tyranny. There he fell in with a butcher, Zhang Fei and a pedlar of straw sandals, Liu Bei, who was to be the founder of the Shu Han dyanasty of Sichuan. In a peach orchard belonging to Zhong Fei, the three took oath of loyalty to one another and of service to the state. The story tells of their adventuring and crusading together and the virtues of Guan Zhong until in the end he was captured and eceuted by one of his opponents, Sun Chuan. The virtes of Guan Zhong were later recognised and he was awared the rank of duke posthumously by ab imperial decree in 1120, a rank whcih was upgrade to that of prince in 1128.

African

Goddess: Sun and Moon

There is not much mythology of the Sun and Moon. In tropical Africa the Sun is always present and there is no need to call it back in the winter as men did in the cold countries of the northern Europe or Japan. Some gods are connected with Sun and Moon. Like Mawu and Lisa of a bomey. Mawu as the Moon is more kindly and so beloved of men, while Lisa the Sun is fierce and harsh. Mawu is older, woman and mother, gentle and refreshing. During the day men suffer under the Sun's heat, but in the cool with the rising and warming of the Moon, rather than with god as in much negro story, though the theme of the messengers is the same. The Moon once sent a louse to assure people that as the Moon died and live again so they would they. On its journey the louse met the hare and told his message. The hare said he could run faster and would take the message but when he arrived he told people that the moon dies and comes to an end so they would die and come to an end. The hare told the Moonwhat he had said and the Moon was angry at the distirtuin if its message to the human race. He seized a piece of wood and hit the hare has had a cleft lip, and its flesh is taboo.

God: Storm Spirits

More important for ritual in mant places are spirits of the stprm, for tropical tornadoes not only bring the expect rains but often cause damage with thunderbolts and flashes of lightning. Remarkable stories are told of Shango, the storm seity of the Yoruba of Nogeria. This divinty was once a man, it is clearly said, and lived as the fourth king of that people, ruling over a kingdom streching into neighbouring countries. Shango was a strong rulerm and a great doctor, but aldo tyrannical. He could kill people by breathing fire from his mouth. Eventually his tyranny was challenged by two ministers, and to avoid their attack he set them to fight against each other, hoping that both would be killed. One was slain, but the victor turned on Shango himself, who fled to the foest. He went on horseback, taking his three wives and some loyal followers. But after wandering about for a long time only his favourite wife remained loyal, and finally in despair Shango hanged himslef from a tree at a placed called Koso.

Tuesday

Indian

God: Shiva

Shiva is the god of the yogis, self controlled and celibate, while at the same time a lover of his spouse. Shiva's first wife was Sati and his second wife was Parvati. His sons are Ganesha and Katikeva. Shiva lives on mount Kailasa in the Himalayas. Shiva is the destroyer of the world, following bahma tha creator and vishnu the preserver. Shiva is responsible for change both form of death and destruction and in the positive sense of the shedding of old habits. Shiva also represents the most essential goodness. Shiva Natarj's dance represents both the destruction and the creation of the universe and reveais the cycle of death, birth and rebirth. His dance of bliss is for the welfare of th world. Shiva is conceived in his unborn, invisible form as the lingam. It is always accompagnied by the Yani, which is the female principle, surrounding the base of the lingam. The Lingam represents the male creative energy of Shiva.

Goddess: Lakshmi

Lakshmi is the popular goddess of wealth and good fortune. She is also known as the fickle one, as she is a wanderer who never stays long with anyone. During the festival of Diwali in the late fall, thousands of tiny lanterns are lit all over India, houses are cleaned and decorated until they are too sparkling and fireworks are off. All this is to please Lakshmi, who is wandering from house to house looking for somwhere to spend the night and blessing with prosperity all those houses that are well it.

Thursday

Egyptian

God: Geb

Geb is a cosmic deity and the eldest child of Shu. The union of Geb with his twin sister not produced the deities of the myth of Isis, Osiris, set and Horus. As earth god and judging of the divine tribunal of kingship struggle between Horus and Seth. Geb divided the earth into two parts, giving the lower part of Egypt to Horus, and the upper part of Egypt to Set. Geb also contains the idea that might imprison the dead within him, preventing their free movement in the afterlife. Also, his laughter is often considered to be origin of earthquakes. Geb provides the nourishments and fruits of the earth to all. Geb is intimately associated with the kingship of Egypt through the uraeus symbol, which he gave to the king as a symbol of his power.

Goddess: Nut

Nut is the goddess of the sky and represent as a woman wit

h a body arched over the earth. She was supported by Shu, so that only her fingertips and toes touched the earth. Ra seems to have been jealous, whether as grandfather or as son, and Forbade not to marry Geb. When she did so, he ordained that she be unable to bear children in any given month of the year. On each of these days Nut was able to give birth to a child: Osiris, Horus, Set, Isis, and Nephtheys. Ra-atum had wearied of his rebellious kingdom on earth and Nut requested her to bear him into; the heavens. As she rose higher, Nut began to tremble, so a god was appointed to steady each of her four legs those chosen being Horus, Set, Thoth, and Sopdu, representing the four quarters of the earth. She was the mother as well as the daughterof Ra, forin various fashion the sun was said to be reborn each morning from her womb. This was symbolised by her presence at the emergence of Khepri from the under world. When she would reach down to take the scarab from the solar barque held up from the abyssal waters by Nun. Not became identified as proectress of the dead, who were pictured lying in her starry bosom.

Tuesday

What is Mythology?

A set of stories, traditions, or beliefs associated with a particular group or history of an event, a rising naturally or deliberately fostered.
Myth are narratives about divine or heroic beings, arranged in a coherent system, passed down traditionally, and linked to the spiritual or religious life of a community, endorsed by ruler or priests. Once this link to tge spiritual leadership of society is broken, they lose their mythological qualities and become folktales or fairy tales. Not every reglious narrative is a myth. However, unless it is deeply rooted in tradition, it may also trivial pious anecdote or legend.
A mythology is the cumulative or complete collection of myth of one culture, with their inter connections woven together, usually presented in an orderly for.
Old storeies that usually explain how somthing came to be.
Mythology is an artifical history attemping to give a traditional meaning to a current issue.

Greek

God: Prometheus

Prometheus didn't want to see his people suffer so he decided to steal fire. Even though he knows that Zeus would punish him. He went up to Olympus, took glowing ember from the sacred hearth, and hid it in a hollow stalk of fennel. He carried it down to earth, gave it to the mankind, and told them never to let the light from Olympus die out. Zeus was furious when he saw the fires on the earth and smelled the scent of roast meat. Prometheus invited Zeus to come down to earth and chose the best looking meat. He discovered that he had been tricked and got angry. Not only Prometheus stolen the fire and gave it to the men, he had also taught them to cheat the gods. Zeus punish both Prometheus and his creations. Prometheus was chained to the top of the caucasus mountain and every day an eagle eats out his liver. His imortal liver grew a new one but every day the eagle return and he had to suffer.

Goddess: Aphrodite

Aphrodite is the goddess of lover and was the only olympian who didn't have a mother nor a father. Nobody knew where she had came from. The west wind had first seen her in the pearly light of dawn as she rose out the sea. The three Graces, goddesses of beauty became her attendants. They dressed her and let her to Olympus, where all the gods rejoiced in her beauty. They seated heron a golden throne and made her one of them. Zeus was afraid that the gods would fight over the hand of Aphrodite, so he chose a husband for her. His name was Hephaesus, the steadiest of the gods. Aphrodite had a little son whose was Eros. Eros darted about with a bow and a quiver full of arrows. Once a year, Aphrodite would go bacl tp cythera and dive into the sea from which she had came. She was not pleased at being the wife of Hephaeus because he was a hard working person. She would rather have his brother Ares for her husband.

Monday

Too Much, Too Little

The World is Too much for us to handle
When my fear erupts, the day goes to night
Kick hard Let my anger on the sandle
And scream out loud to someone who can fight

Hopeless and dreadful I could only tear
Can't anything wonderful be with me
Someone who has faith and love be any near
I tried to not think and just let life be

Little girl like me has corrupted mind
Thanks to the stress and pain have to go through
Who knew this would have hurt me to my spine
No longer want to handle this in school

I am now saying goodbye to my past
Come to me Finally see you at last

Everyday of my Life...

Everyday of my life, there’s something new,
More responsibilities and pressure.
Anger within me, if only you knew,
Wishing miracles making it fresher.

Problems rising, trying to seek answers.
How do I breathe with so much around me?
Acting, playing the role of such dancers,
Hoping and waiting until I’m set free.

As time passes by, more stress I go through,
Reminiscing when I was a child,
When everything was easy to pursue.
Those days are gone, now life is too wild.

All the complaining will bring me no where,
Though I think it’s unfair, I’m well aware.

<33

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