Myths and Legends of the World

Happy Earth Day everyone I want to introduce to you a great and feared Earth Mother: Cybele (Kybele) During the first millennium, B.C.E., or possibly even as early as the Paleolithic period, the worship of the Great Mother Goddess, Cybele, began. Cybele was originally worshipped in the form of a black meteorite, by the inhabitants of Phrygia, Lydia and the surrounding mountainous areas, which were located in the western part of the region that is now known as Turkey. This area is one of great historical significance, with the Plains of Illium, and the ancient city of Troy, lying slightly to the west. Cybele was known by several titles, in that mountainous region, including the “Great Mountain Mother,” and the "Lady of Mt. Ida," and she later gained an assortment of other names, which included the "Magna Mater (Great Mother)," “Dindymene,” “Kubaba,” and “Agdistis.” Even though Cybele had originally been worshipped as a classic Earth Mother Goddess, she eventua...

There are many myths about the descent of a goddess. This is when the Goddesses ruled the Heavens, the Earth and the Underworld. This is the story of Inanna, the ancient myth that predates the male gods, such as Zeus. The oldest known myth is Sumerian and was written on clay tablets in the third millennium B.C. It is usually known as “The Descent of Inanna” the Sumerian Queen of Heaven and Earth. In their original inception they were pre-patriarchal myths.  But by the time they were written down, the myths showed the incursions of the patriarchy, Inanna’s gradual dispossession, and eventual loss of status.  Dummzi: God of the Harvest Inanna marries a young, handsome shepherd called Dumuzi who becomes a god-king. They have a blissful union but after the honeymoon, Inanna decides to visit her sister in the Underworld whose husband has just died (long story). However, she isn’t on good terms with her, so, as a precaution, she instructs Ninshubur, her trusted female se...

For more than two thousand years, Jezebel has been saddled with a reputation as the bad girl of the Bible, the wickedest of women. This ancient queen has been denounced as a murderer, prostitute and enemy of God, and her name has been adopted for lingerie lines and World War II missiles alike. But what if this version of her story, handed down to us through the ages, is merely the one her enemies wanted us to believe? It happens more often than you think. What if Jezebel, far from being a conniving harlot, was, in fact, framed? Jezebel was a powerful Phoenician princess around 900 BCE.  She is the daughter to Ethbaal, King of Tyre in Phoenicia, and wife to Ahab, King of northern Israel. It is said by many archaeologists and scholars that Jezebel was power behind the throne, not her husband and king. She still honored her religion and did not covert to Judaism. She convinced her husband to worship her Phoenician God Baal, God of fertility, rain and the seasons. They had temple...

This month is about creation so I am starting with the best known creation story: Genesis. Genesis: in its first three chapters have a major impact on Judaism and Christianity through the ages. It show man fall from grace, the role of women, and reveal we have conflict and death today. If you read carefully you can see how old genesis and the echo of ancient pagan roots. In the beginning, about 3,000 years ago*, Jewish desert dwellers in what is present-day southern Israel told a story around campfires about the creation of the first man and first woman.  The story they told, and passed on to generations of future desert dwellers, described a pre-creation scene much like the desert landscape in which they daily struggled for existence.  From the dry desert dust the Creator forms a man and breaths life into him, and then places him in a beautiful oasis-like garden, abundant with fruits.  The Creator takes a personal interest in this first man, and sets about trying to ...

Levitation Great Dragon of the Sea Originally cited as a “great sea monster” in the first chapter of Genesis, the Leviathan has because synonymous with any large monster or creature like the Greek Ceto. It is to blame for tsunamis and rogue wave destroying the regions. According to legend; the Leviathan was a fire-breathing sea dragon of such immense size that the sea boils when it swims on the surface. It ruthlessly and fearlessly rules over all the creatures of the sea. The Leviathan’s skin is like a double coat of mail, with overlapping scales as large as shields on its back, and as sharp and  hard as diamonds on  its underbelly.  Piercing  and slashing weapons will simply bounce off such protection. It breaths smoke from its nostrils and flames from its mouth which is rimmed with teeth. Its fins radiate a brilliant light and its eyes are like the shine of the sun. No living thing on earth could ever hope to oppose its might. Leviathan roamed the sea, br...

The Americans started it as an entertainment. Naked dancing goes back to Ancient Greece and Egypt. The Sumerian myth of the descent of the goddess Inanna into the Underworld speaks of her removing an article of clothing at each of the seven gates. By the time Inanna reaches the throne of the Underworld, she is naked. As long as she remained in hell, the earth was barren. When she returned, fecundity abounded. Some believe this myth was embodied in the dance of the seven veils of Salome, who danced for King Herod, as mentioned in the New Testament in Matthew 14:6 and Mark 6:21-22. Aside from this, stripping seems to take its roots from Egyptian, Babylonian, or Assyrian courtesans during the time of the Pharaohs. In ancient Greece, the lawgiver Solon established several classes of prostitutes in the late 6th century BC. These included the aueltrides - female musicians, acrobats and dancers who danced naked alluringly in front of male audiences. Stripping was part of an...

Sloth (Latin, Socordia) can entail different vices. While sloth is sometimes defined as physical laziness, spiritual laziness is emphasized. Failing to develop spiritually is key to becoming guilty of sloth. In Christian faith, sloth rejects grace and God. Sloth has also been defined as a failure to do things that one should do. By this definition, evil exists when good men fail to act. In the city of Al-Kal'as in Western region of China, there lived Mustapha, a tailor, with his wife and young son, Aladdin. When Aladdin reached his tenth year, Mustapha decided to teach him his trade. Aladdin was lazy, and whenever Mustapha left his shop Aladdin would sneak out and play with his friends. This behavior saddened the tailor, and he eventually sickened and died. Finding herself a widow, Aladdin's mother sold the shop and took to spinning cotton into yarn to provide for her and the boy. When Aladdin was in his fifteenth year, a magus from Maghrib came to the city. The...