Remembrance of 9/11
I call to the Goddess Mnemosyne so I never forget the heroes and those lost lives in 9/11.
Mnemosyne, Goddess of Memory, Language and the Written Word,
was considered one of the most powerful goddesses of her time. After all, it is
memory, some believe, that is a gift that distinguishes us from the other
creatures in the animal world. It is the gift that allows us to reason, to
predict and anticipate outcomes, and is the very foundation for civilization.
Sadly, Lady Mnemosyne is largely forgotten, lost in the
mists of time. When she is remembered it
is usually only in the context of her being the mother of the Muses, though all
acknowledge that without memory the lively arts of the Muses would never have
been possible.
Mnemosyne was a Titaness, a daughter of the first generation
of deities in Greece. Her parents were the rulers Uranus (Father Heaven)
and Gaia (Mother Earth).
Mnemosyne is usually depicted with a full mane of luscious
hair, often a rich auburn in color. There are few stories about her even
though she is often mentioned by the ancient poets who recount her awesome
gifts to mankind.
Lady Mnemosyne is sometimes credited with being the first
philosopher, her gift: the power of reason and wisdom. She is given
responsibility for the naming of all objects, and by doing so gave humans the
means to dialog and to converse with each other. The powers to place
things in memory and that of remembrance were also attributed to this goddess.
Make no mistake about this. Memory was of the utmost
importance at the time of Mnemosyne (Early Bronze Age). Long before the
invention of the alphabet and the written word, it was critical to the
well-being of an individual or a society who had to rely solely on the lessons
passed on in an oral history.
Besides, we're not talking about memorizing shopping lists
or the times tables here. The memory of Mnemosyne was much more than that -- it
was the memory of the rules and energies of the universe, the cycle of life,
the memory of how to live in the world.
Once an important goddess in her own right, Mnemosyne is
largely remembered today in her capacity as the mother of the Muses, the nine Goddesses
whose role it is to inspire poets and musicians and to promote the arts and
sciences.
After Zeus led the war against the Titans and established
himself as the leader of the Olympians, he feared that, even though he might be
immortal, his great victories and decisions might soon be forgotten.
Longing for a way to preserve the memory of his many great
feats, he dressed as a shepherd and went to find Mnemosyne. They were together
for nine years before he returned to his home on Mount Olympus. (By the way,
Zeus was still single so this was not one of his famous extramarital affairs.)
Zeus got his wish. Later Mnemosyne gave birth to their daughters. Collectively they were known as the Muses and were described as "having one mind, their hearts set upon song and their spirit free from care".
Zeus got his wish. Later Mnemosyne gave birth to their daughters. Collectively they were known as the Muses and were described as "having one mind, their hearts set upon song and their spirit free from care".
No banquet on Mount Olympus was complete without them.
Seated near the throne of their father, they entertained the guests, singing
not only of the greatness of Zeus, but about the marvelous feats of the heroes
and the creation of the heavens and the earth and all its wondrous creatures.
Mnemosyne help us remember that true heroes are born in the heat of the moment. Lady
Mnemosyne also ease the pain of tragic memory. She remind us to remember the
good times but never forget the
experience from the bad.
Let remember our heroes:
Love the story, but the picture are HOT.
ReplyDeleteWOOF
Ray