Greek of Homosexual Love

A story of Ganymede, God of Homosexual Love and Cupbearer of Zeus:

Erichthonius, the first to ever harness four horses to a chariot, was the richest of mortal men. He had a son named Tros, lord of the Trojans, and to him in turn were born three unblemished boys: Ilus founder of Ilium (City of Troy), Assaracus, and god-like Ganymede – the handsomest ever born of the human race. Tros loved Ganymede from the bottom of his heart and set guardians and tutors to watch over him as he wrestled, or rode to the hounds, or swam through the crashing, dragging breakers of the warm Mediterranean. 

One afternoon, looking down from his throne on Mount Olympus, Zeus spied Ganymede up in the meadows of Mount Ida, chilling with his friends under the watchful gaze of his aged tutors. Instantly, the King of Heaven flamed with love for the young Trojan’s ass. Zeus sent one of his messengers: a powerful eagle. Straightaway he swooped down upon the world of men. Zeus himself whipped up a fierce tempest turning day into night. Under cover of the storm the majestic eagle pounced and tenderly seized the boy in his talons. The aged guardians reached out to stop him, the hounds barked madly. Paying them no heed, the eagle and the boy rose up higher and higher and vanished into the blue.

In the blink of an eye the two arrived in Olympus. The eagle folded his wings and led Ganymede to the Great god Zeus. He took Ganymede to bed and then appointed him as his personal cup bearer. Hebe, Hera's daughter and his, who served the drinks at the divine feasts, needed assistance due to growing number of gods in pantheon. Hera saw Ganymede was cool with it instead of going insane with rage and jealousy. She gained a gay friend.

All the other gods rejoiced to have Ganymede among them, for his beauty filled them with delight. And Ganymede thought pouring nectar to the immortals was mad cool, and when he filled his lover’s cup he made sure to press his lips to it first, giving it half a twist as he placed it in Zeus’ hand.

Back on Earth, Tros' heart was filled with cruel sorrow, not knowing where the divine tempest had taken his son. He cried endless tears. Even Zeus was moved by his pain. He sent down Hermes as messenger, who let Tros know his boy was now among the gods, immortal and forever young. Zeus gave Tros in exchange for his son a pair of white prancing mares, deathless and able to walk on water, the very same that carry the immortals (today’s version of a Ferrari or Aston Martin). Tros’ heart was filled with joy and he drove his new horses as fast as the wind.

Zeus, grateful for Ganymede’s love, made a place an image of Ganymede for Ganymede’s father and the world to see among the stars as Aquarius – the Water Bearer. There he still stands, smiling, pouring nectar and shielded to this day by the wing of the Eagle constellation, Aquila.

History of Homosexual: Ancient Greece

How we from being happily accept in society to being hate and have to fight for equality? Let start begin in the ancient world work our way to the source of the problem.

The Ancient Greece

"The noble lover of beauty engages in love wherever he sees excellence and splendid natural endowment without regard for any difference in physiological detail." - Plutarch

The ancient Greeks are widely known for their gay exploits. Many people are aware of Greek homosexual love poetry, the same-sex relations of Greek gods and heroes, and the gay relationship between Alexander the Great and Hephaestion.

It is important in the beginning to define our vocabulary. The term ’homosexuality’ as it is used and understood today is not mainly applicable to Greek of ancient times for three reasons: First of all, most Greeks were bisexual. Second, homosexuality and 'gay' as sexual identities are recent developments. They were emerged only in the 2Oth Century (our idea of what it means to be gay or a homosexual has largely been influenced by recent gay activism and the emergence of gay rights on the cultural landscape). Last, and most important of all, passion and erotic love between two adult men (the model for modern gay relationships), was generally considered unusual and held up to ridicule except the military and slaves. Homosexual love in Greece was love between a man and a boy (teenager age 13-18).

Pederasty

Institutionalized homosexuality is the answer, and a most fabulous arrangement it was as well.  It was ancient Greek practice for a young man, the eromenos - the beloved, to continue his education under the guidance of an older unmarried man, the erastes - the lover. Don’t get me wrong, these older men weren’t very old, most of them were in their twenties, and all were pretty fit looking. The tradition was that after a few years as an eromenos, when the youth were deemed to have reached maturity and he took on a young lad of his own to nurture, thus becoming an erastes. He might work his way through four or five of these young lads, depended on how keen he were on that sort of thing; but eventually he were expected to get a wife and pump out a few kids.

Some erastes restricted themselves to a bit of groping, casual flirtation, that sort of thing. But the majority liked to get their end away; and quite rightly so. What was the point of taking on a young lad if you didn’t fuck him every day? Officially it was viewed as unmanly to take it up the ass, so penetrative sex between these formalized gay couples was rather frowned upon by old folk. Instead, they engaged in non-penetrative sex which usually involved fucking the lad between his thighs.

Besides their physical charm, youths were also valued for their minds, held to be especially capable of reason and debate and therefore meant to be cultivated. Thus homosexual love was the driving force not only of the sexual but also of the educational side of Greek pederasty. Ancient culture was male oriented through and through. To the Greek man, his spouse counted mostly as mother of his children and keeper of his household. With very few exceptions women (and royal family wives in particular) were excluded from intellectual and public life. Girls were considered capable only of chitchat, and unworthy of education. 

The aim of the Greek educational system, the paideia, was summed up by the words: kalos k’agathos, “beautiful and good”, meaning that beauty of body and goodness of soul were the essence of human specifically male perfection. Homosexual love between men and youths striving together to develop these virtues was seen as the most effective way to cultivate that ideal.

It was said that even Herakles (Hercules) could perform his mighty deeds with more ease when his beloved Iolaus watched him. It was in commemoration of their union that the Iolaeia, gymnastic and equestrian games, were celebrated in Thebes.

Happy Memorial Day

This Memorial Day I present to you Odin, King of the Norse Gods and Host of our fallen, valiant soldiers

Subtle, aristocratic, and at times inexplicable, Odin (Woden or Wotan) was the Father of all the Gods and men. He is also the Chief god of Germanic mythology. Son of Bor and Bestla, Odin was raised to favor mostly by the Vikings, and became known as the supreme god in the eighth and ninth centuries. Odin is pictured either wearing a winged helm or a floppy hat, and a blue-grey cloak in Viking era but in the modern era who knows? He can travel to any realm within the 9  worlds. His two ravens, Huginn and Munin (Thought and Memory) fly over the world daily and return to tell him everything that has happened in Midgard (Earth). He cherished them both, but particularly Munin, which seems to underscore the importance he placed on rune writing, record keeping, and honoring the heroic deeds of the past.

Odin is the literal father of important gods, such as Thor, and All-Father to the whole of creation, divine and human.  Amongst his gifts to us, his children, was the greatest of all: the gift of writing.  To accomplish this Odin hung himself upside down upon the World Tree, the gigantic ash Yggdrasil.  After nine days of fasting and agony, in which "he made of himself a sacrifice to himself", he "fell screaming" from the tree, having had revealed to him in a flash of insight the secret of the runes.  Their initial manifestation took the form of eighteen powerful charms for protection, increase, success in battle and love-making, healing, and mastery over natural causes.

It is he who sacrifices an eye at the well of Mimir to gain inner wisdom, and later hangs himself upon the World Tree Yggdrasil to gain the knowledge and power of the Runes. All of his actions are related to knowledge, wisdom, and the dissemination of ideas and concepts to help Mankind.

Odin is a god of war and death, but also the god of poetry and wisdom. He hung for nine days, pierced by his own spear, on the world tree. Here he learned nine powerful songs, and eighteen runes. Odin can make the dead speak to question the wisest amongst them. His hall in Asgard is Valaskjalf ("shelf of the slain") where his throne Hlidskjalf is located. From this throne he observes all that happens in the nine worlds.

When the Romans arrived in Germanic territory, they assumed that Odin was like their messenger god, Mercury. How they get a daddy god like Odin mix up with a hunky god Mercury? That what I want to know.

The Vikings admired Odin's love for the battle, as he was known as the "father of the slain". Odin's prominence demonstrates the importance of warfare to Germanic traditions. Odin loved to cause conflicts and shifts of power. He once aided Harald, a Danish King, instructing him in tactics and granting him victories for years. In the king's final battle, however, Odin took the place of Harald's charioteer and drove the king to his demise.

Although Odin embodied deceit, violence and war, he also embodied many admirable qualities. He was the most knowledgeable god, with a great love for wisdom. He would willingly sacrifice himself for it.

With the threat of Ragnarok, the death of all gods, Odin built the Valhalla, a great hall of the "heroic dead". Odin, with the help Freyja and Valkyries,  gather heroes and warriors who were slain in battle, and bring them to Valhalla so they would fight alongside the gods on the Vigrid plain, in an attempt to strengthen and save the gods in the final battle against the frost giants at the time of Ragnarok. Odin will kill by a demonic wolf named Fenrir, son of the Trickster god Loki and the giantess witch Angrboda. After Ragnarok the world will be reborn and Odin will return.

Happy Memorial Day and Honor our fallen soldiers today

Trojan War: The Preparation I

Ok recap:

Judgment of Paris- Paris awarded the Goddess of Love, Aphrodite as the Fairest of All. Paris won Helen and the wrath of two powerful goddesses.

Helen: Helen’s background, the suitor’s military alliance deal, her decision to left with Paris.

To war:

Oracle of Delphi

With Helen gone, Menelaus (most likely his brother Agamemnon) called upon Helen's former suitors to fulfill their duties and aid him in bringing her back. All of the former suitors answered Menelaus' call to arms, bringing large number of men and ships with them. Menelaus' brother, Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, had brought 100 ships with him. Agamemnon became commander-in-chief of the Greek forces. Agamemnon always wanted to conquer Troy and its surrounding neighbors for his kingdom. Helen provided the spark that started the war.

Agamemnon and Menelaus learned from the Greek seer Calchas that Troy could not fall without two great warriors, Achilles and Odysseus.

Odysseus, King of Ithaca

King Odysseus was the son of Laertes, late King of Ithaca and descendant of Hermes, Messenger of Zeus. Odysseus was renowned for his wisdom, persuasive, cunning and resourcefulness.

Odysseus wanted to avoid being recruited into the Greek army, because he had had only recently married Penelope, the daughter of Icarius and cousin to Helen of Sparta. They had a baby boy named Telemachus.

When Menelaus, Nestor and Palemedes arrived to draft Odysseus, the hero pretended to be nuts. Odysseus would plough the field with a horse and an ox, wearing a madman cap. Odysseus sowed the field with salts.

Palemedes, the son of Nauplius, was the just as shrewd and cunning and Agamemnon have his head should he fail. Palemedes snatched the infant from Penelope's breast, and place the baby in front of the approaching plough. Odysseus had to steer the plough-team aside, to avoid trampling his son. Palemedes had exposed Odysseus' feigned madness.

Odysseus had no choice but to join the army. Odysseus gathered his warriors, taking only twelve ships from the islands of Ithaca.

However, Odysseus never forgave Palemedes for exposing and drafting him into the army. When they reached Troy, Odysseus was to exact revenge upon Palemedes.

Achilles

Achilles was the son of King Peleus and of Thetis. The wise Centaur Chiron brought up Achilles, where he learned to hunt and fight in the forest around Mount Pelion. This is also where he meet Patroclus, his best friend and boyfriend.

Thetis was not only a sea goddess; she was also gifted with oracular power, like many sea deities. Thetis saw that her son would win great glory in the war, but she knew the price, was a short life. But Achilles had choice on what his fate will be. Achilles could choose not to go to the war, where he will live a long but obscure life of tending his father's herd. Thetis was determined that her son will have a long life. To hide Achilles, she dressed the youth in a girl dress and made his hair grew long, before spirited him away to the women quarters at the court of Lycomedes in Isle of Scyrus.

During his stay in Lycomedes' court, Deidameia, the king's daughter, fell in love with him. Deidameia bore a son, named Neoptolemus, to Achilles. Neoptolemus would later participate in the final year of the war.

Menelaus, Ajax and Odysseus then went to recruit Achilles into the army, so they sailed to the island of Scyrus. However, the disguise Thetis used on her son was perfect. Odysseus used his cunning and resourcefulness to uncover Achilles' disguise.

Odysseus brought many gifts for the women in Lycomedes' court, such as beautiful dresses and robes, jewelry and perfumes. Also among the gifts were spears, swords and shields.

Odysseus knew Achilles would not fall for the weapons. He and Ajax tried appeal to Achilles’ inner slut and it worked. Why? Achilles was immune to pain: and no doubt his skin could ward off any weapon; he could never be defeated in battle. Achilles’ mother had blessed him with divine protection; and had cursed him as well; for not only could his skin feel no pain; it could feel no pleasure either. Achilles would never know the joys of a tender kiss; of a lover’s arms and a goodnight a lover’s arms and a goodnight hug; the pleasure of sex except for being fuck in the ass. His outer body was immune to both pleasure and pain: what mother could inflict such horror on her son? But his inner body knew no such protection hence he could enjoy a good fuck.

Once discovered, Achilles eagerly joined the army, because he preferred a short but glorious life than a long but oblivious life of a farmer. Achilles returned to his father's kingdom, Phthia, where he received warriors and fifty ships, from his father. The warriors were the legendary Myrmidons, originally from the island of Aegina.

Achilles received the magical armor of Peleus, which was a wedding gift to his father, made by the smith god, Hephaestus. Peleus also gave his magic sword to his son, as well as his chariot drawn by two immortal horses, Xanthus and Balius. Chiron gave Achilles a long javelin, made from ash tree of Mount Pelion.

Before Achilles left for Troy, Thetis appeared before her son warned him to avoid killing Tenes, son of Apollo and king of the island of Tendos, or else he would later die at the sun god's hand. Her other prophecy warned Achilles not to be the first Greek to jump on Trojan soil, or else he would be the first to die.

Guess which Achilles pays attention to.