A monster in
Phoenician mythology. Known in Ugarit by the name Lotan.
Leviathan is
the female water entity, paired with the male land entity Behemoth.
It is
referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible, including Psalms, the Book of
Job, the Book of Isaiah, and the Book of Amos; it is also mentioned in the
apocryphal Book of Enoch.
In the Old
Testament is it called the dragon of Chaos. And referred to as the crooked
serpent.
In general
it is a denizen of the sea, and hence is equated with the crocodile and the
whale.
In
apocalyptic literature and in Christianity, Leviathan figures as one of the
forms in which the devil manifest himself.
The
Leviathan of the Book of Job is a reflection of the older Canaanite Lotan, a
primeval monster defeated by the god Baal Hadad.
Parallels to
the role of Mesopotamian Tiamat defeated by Marduk have long been drawn in comparative
mythology.
As have been
wider comparisons to dragon and world serpent narratives such as Indra slaying
Vrtra or Thor slaying Jörmungandr.
The Book of
Enoch (60:7–9) describes Leviathan as a female monster dwelling in the watery
abyss (as Tiamat), while Behemoth is a male monster living in the desert of
Dunaydin ("east of Eden")
Blood a symbol of life force believed in many cultures to
contain a share of divine energy or more commonly the spirit of an individual
creature.
Blood had rain
bearing or fertilizing power according to some traditions as in near eastern
marriage ceremonies were the bride stepped over the sprinkle blood of a sheep.
the oldest ancient deity who consumed blood was probably
Lilith. She is also described as the first demon, or a female spirit which
exemplified all of the darkest attributes of the world.
Persian folklore also speaks of some spirits who consumed
blood. The most famous of these was Estries. She was a demon - specifically a
shapeshifter.
Usually she was
believed to have appeared as a beautiful woman who looked for men to drink
their blood. , She was also well-known in Jewish legends.
In order to strengthen the Tree God Pemba, the Bambara of
West Africa sacrificed blood to it, and
in some myths it is called the Blood Tree.
Bull's blood was used
for it suppose that magical power in the Roman rites of Mithras and Cybele.
With the same symbolism of the life force blood is sometimes still drunk at
Mexican bull fights.
From Hindu Beliefs – Kali as depict as a fearsome creature with her tongue lolling
out, having deep reddish eyes, filling the regions of the sky with her roars,
falling upon impetuously and slaughtering the great asuras in that army, she
devoured those hordes of the foes of the devas.''
At the height of the Aztec empire the blood of thousands of
victims a year will spill to reinvigorate the sun.
They believed the gods sacrificed their own blood to create
the universe, so in turn, the Aztecs offered blood to the Gods as a sort of
reciprocal exchange and gift for their creations (Pendragon 2). Furthermore,
the supply of ritual blood was believed to maintain plentiful fertile crops and
aid in the continuation of the Aztec world.
If blood was not sacrificed to the gods, the humans believed
they would be punished and endure excessive pain “more violent than any man
could ever do”
In ancient Greece, the disciples of Hecate the Goddess of
Magic, performed blood rituals to enhance the power of their goddess
The mingling of blood is a Symbol of union in many
traditions and can mark a seal or a covenant. In Roman Catholic doctrine Christ
blood is present in the trans substantial wine of the Euchrarist.
A common blood ritual is the blood brother ritual, which
started in ancient Europe and Asia. Two or more people, typically male,
intermingle their blood in some way.
Blood sacrifice is sometimes considered by the practitioners
of prayer, ritual magic, and spell casting to intensify the power of such
activities. The Native American Sun Dance is usually accompanied by blood
sacrifice
Some blood rituals involve two or more parties cutting
themselves or each other followed by the consumption of blood. The participants
may regard the release or consumption of blood as producing energy useful as a
sexual, healing, or mental stimulus.
The great potency of blood has been utilized through
sacrifice for a number of purposes—e.g., earth fertility, purification, and
expiation.
Buddhism forbids all blood sacrifices
The gods demanding blood sacrifice are most commonly
described as “fierce, violent and ‘hot’” (Fuller The gods who fall under this
category are dark forms such as Durga, Kali, and village goddesses, such as
Sitala Mata, Mariyamman, Bhairava and Narasimha.
Pantheon/ Culture: Dahomey of
West Africa, Haitian Vodou
Gender: Male
Category: God/Loa
Celebration day: November 1
Known Aliases: Papa Legba
Associated: speech, communication
Legba a celestial trickster
in the Dahomey of West Africa to whom mankind owes the art of prognostication
and the interpretation of oracles.
His sacred animal is the dog which he uses as
a Messenger.
He stands at a spiritual
crossroads and gives (or denies) permission to speak with the gods, and is
believed to speak all human languages. ... Legba facilitates communication,
speech, and understanding.
Legba is also the god of
travel, opportunity, and luck.
The rat is Legba's sacred
animal and his colors are black red and white. His honor day is November 1st,
when bonfires are lit in his honor. Besides that he has feast days on March
18th, 19th or 20th and June 29th.
The moon deity of the Hurrian
in ancient Asia minor corresponding to the Hattic moon God Kasku. His sacred
numbers 30 corresponding to the lunar month of 30 days. In one myth the moon
God is pursued by the weather God but the goddess of healing comes to his aid.
An Aztec rain God whose
dwelling was to be in the partly in the cloud capped mountains and partly in
the Springs and lakes.
As he often conceals himself behind a dark
storm cloud he is portrayed in manuscripts as black of body with a painted face.
In his hand he carries a
staff which is the symbol of lightning it may be too or may have snakes
entwined around it.
Those who were drowned or struck
by lightning and those who have leprosy are admitted into the kingdom of Tlalocland
where they will never again suffer.
He was widely worshipped as a
beneficent giver of life and sustenance. However, he was also feared for his
ability to send hail, thunder, and lightning, and for being the lord of the
powerful element of water.
Tlaloc is also associated with caves, springs,
and mountains, most specifically the sacred mountain in which he was believed
to reside. His animal forms include herons and water-dwelling creatures such as
amphibians, snails, and possibly sea creatures, particularly shellfish.
Pele is a Hawaiian word for
volcanoes and the magma that flows from these volcanoes.
Pele volcano goddess in
Hawaiian mythology known for being unpredictable and liable for sudden
outbursts of anger. Traditionally she came from Tahiti expelled by her divine
brothers who could no longer put up with her insubordination.
She makes her way to Hawaii
and settles there.
In other myths she is the
creator of the Hawaiian Islands and this her epitaph “She who creates the sacred
lands.”
Pele is also called Hina ai malama
which means “She know who eats the moon” It is possible that she is the
Hawaiian form of the common Polynesian moon God Hina an both goddesses are also
in control of lightning.
she is a well-known deity
within Hawaiian mythology and is notable for her contemporary presence and
cultural influence as an enduring figure from ancient Hawaii.
Known
Aliases: King of Kings, The Father, King of Heaven
Associated:
Lightening, sky, weather
Classification:
Patron God
Period
of Worship:3500 B.C.E-Current
Discipline:
E Particle
Height:
unconfirmed
Weight:
unconfirmed
Hair:
Brown (variable)
Eyes:
Green
Unusual
Features:
Occupation:
Ruler
Martial
Status: Married
Known
Affiliations: The Greek Gods
Known
Relatives: Kronos (father), Hera (wife), Herkules (son)
Strength
Class: 10
Weapons:
the thunderbolt
Accessories
History:
in ancient Greek religion, chief deity of the pantheon, a sky and weather god
who was identical with the Roman god Jupiter (q.v.). Zeus was regarded as the
sender of thunder and lightning, rain, and winds, and his traditional weapon
was the thunderbolt. He was called the father (i.e., the ruler and protector)
of both gods and men.
According
to a Cretan myth that was later adopted by the Greeks, Cronus, king of the
Titans, upon learning that one of his children was fated to dethrone him,
swallowed his children as soon as they were born. But Rhea, his wife, saved the
infant Zeus by substituting a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes for Cronus to
swallow and hiding Zeus in a cave on Crete.
There he was nursed by the nymph (or female goat) Amalthaea and guarded by the
Curetes (young warriors), who clashed their weapons to disguise the baby's
cries. After Zeus grew to manhood he led a revolt against the Titans and
succeeded in dethroning Cronus, perhaps with the assistance of his brothers
Hades and Poseidon, with whom he then divided dominion over the world.
As
ruler of heaven Zeus led the gods to victory against the Giants (offspring of
Gaea and Tartarus) and successfully crushed several revolts against him by his
fellow gods. According to the Greek poet Homer, heaven was located on the
summit of Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece and the logical home for a
weather god. The other members of the pantheon resided there with Zeus and were
subject to his will. From his exalted position atop Mount Olympus Zeus was
thought to omnisciently observe the affairs of men, seeing everything,
governing all, and rewarding good conduct and punishing evil. Besides
dispensing justice, Zeus was the protector of cities, the home, property,
strangers, guests, and supplicants.
Zeus
was well known for his amorousness—a source of perpetual discord with his wife,
Hera—and he had many love affairs with both mortal and immortal women. In order
to achieve his amorous designs, Zeus frequently assumed animal forms, such as
that of a cuckoo when he ravished Hera, a swan when he ravished Leda, or a bull
when he carried off Europa. Notable among his offspring were the twins Apollo
and Artemis, by the Titaness Leto; Helen and the Dioscuri, by Leda of Sparta;
Persephone, by the goddess Demeter; Athena, born from his head after he had
swallowed the Titaness Metis; Hephaestus, Hebe, Ares, and Eileithyia, by his
wife, Hera; Dionysus, by the goddess Semele; and many others.
Though
regarded by Greek religionists everywhere as omnipotent and the head of the
pantheon, Zeus's very universality tended to reduce his importance compared to
that of powerful local divinities like Athena and Hera. Although statues of
Zeus Herkeios (Guardian of the House) and altars of Zeus Xenios (Hospitable)
graced the forecourts of houses, and though his mountaintop shrines were
visited by pilgrims, Zeus did not have a temple at Athens
until the late 6th century BC, and even his temple at Olympia postdated that of Hera.
In
art Zeus was represented as a bearded, dignified, and mature man of stalwart
build; his most prominent symbols were the thunderbolt and the eagle.
In
the Prose Edda, the giantess Angrboda is described as a witch living east of
Midgard, the world of men, in a forest called Ironwood.
The
giantess Angrboda, ‘the bringer of grief’ is described as having reddish hair,
the colour of dried blood, and a muscular physique. Unsurprisingly she was also
described as a fearsome she-warrior chieftain and a shapeshifter, able to take
the form of a wolf.
She
was also have been the leader of a wolf clan, and she is the mother of many of
the wolves in her clan.
The
first, with Loki was the great wolf Fenrir, who is destined to kill and devour
Odin himself during Ragnarok, the Norse apocalypse.
The
second child with Loki, was the serpent Jormungandr, also known as the Midgard
serpent.
The
final child of Loki and the giantess of grief was Hel, a giantess herself. Hel
was said to have been half-giant, and half monster, with the bones on one half
of her body completely exposed.
Bemba is the creator god of
the Bambara in West Africa.
According to legend, in the
beginning there was nothing but the emptiness of the void. The universe began
from a single point of sound—the sound Yo. Everything—including human consciousness—came
from this root sound. Yo—the primeval creative spirit—created the structure of
the heavens, the Earth, and all living and nonliving things
From this came Farom he water
spirit, Teliko the Air Spirit and Pemba the Creator Spirit. Pemba created the
Earth.
Yo lowered him down to Earth
and as he drew closer, a great Tree grew out of him.
The humans who lived on Earth
took refuge under that tree. This became their sanctuary.
But there were very few
humans, So the divine tree would couple with human women to infused them with
life to create more humans.
He was tireless in his work and
efforts.
In order to strength the tree
people sacrificed blood to it, and in some myths it is called the Blood Tree.
Pemba is still venerated for
his association with fertility, and those seeking his blessings should leave
Red Wine as offering.
Known Aliases: The
Creator, King of Kings, The God King, Merodach (Hebrew), Amar-utuk (meaning
calf of the sun god)
Associated: Sun
Classification:
Patron God
Period
of Worship:3500
B.C.E-2000 B.C.E
Discipline:
E Particle
Hair:
Brown/Black
Eyes:
Green
Occupation:
King
Martial
Status: Married
Known
Affiliations: The Ruling Party
Known
Relatives: Sarpanitu (wife) , Nabu (son)
Strength
Class: 9
History:
Marduk became the king of the gods when he defeated the mad god Tiamat and his
vast army (see War Bringers). He ruled as a wise and just king and became the
god of wisdom and healing.
Marduk
was the patron god of Babylon, the Babylonian king of the gods, who presided
over justice, compassion, healing, regeneration, magic, and fairness, although
he is also sometimes referenced as a storm god and agricultural deity.
Marduk
is still worshipped in small numbers throughout the world.
Super
Human Abilities: Frigg possesses several superhuman abilities based on her
highly evolved physiology. He is immune to disease and to regenerate damaged
tissue making her virtually immortal.
Special
Skills: Frigg has been trained in the ways of the Valkyrie, she is proficient
in the use of bladed weapons, long spear, and fighting staff.
Accessories
History:
Primarily worshipped in what is now southern Germany. She is the wife of the All Father Odin. Her principle duties
include the protection of life and motherhood, she traditionally takes up arms
when Odin retires for the "Odin Sleep". She stand protectively at his
side, sworn to defend the vulnerable king at all cost.
Frigg
mothered Thor and Loki, as well as her own son Baldr. It was she who solicited
a pledge to never bring harm to Baldr from all living things.
The
Historian Paulus Diaconus mentions the goddess as the patroness of the Lombards.
Th’uban
is said to be a fire breathing dragon demon in Islamic literature. It is known
to by the Arab name Tinnin.
At
times it is described as a dragon with a single head and 7 horns. In other
myths the dragon has seven heads each possessing a keen intellect and are able
to speak all languages.
This
ancient creature is linked to the Th’uban star constellation as its origin and
the dragon may represent an ancient Patheon linked to Naga mythology
In
ancient Kemetic beliefs Thuban is designated as Alpha Draconis, a star (or star
system) in the constellation of Draco. it is historically significant as having
been the north pole star from the 4th to 2nd millennium BCE.
