The Ancient Gods have returned!
Deng, Bringer of Fertility and Rain
Classification: God
Culture/Religion: Dinka and Nuer of the Sudan and South
Sudan
Associated: Storms and Fertility
Deng, also known as Denka, is a sky, rain, and fertility god
in Dinka mythology for the Dinka people of Sudan and South Sudan. He is the son
of the goddess Abuk.
She is the only well-known female deity of the Dinka. She is
also the patron goddess of women as well as gardens. Her emblem or symbols are,
a small snake, the moon and sheep.
Among his followers, Deng is regarded as the intermediary
between humans and the supreme being. Closely linked with the supreme god
Nhialic, he was regarded as the son of god and sometimes as the son of the
goddess Abuk. In some areas of Dinka country, Deng and Nhialic are
"regarded as one and the same".
He was an important sky god, to some clans an ancestor and
creator god of the Dinka people, and he manifested himself in the fertilizing
water that fell from the heavens.
The Dinka believe that in the beginning the sky was very
low, so low that man had to be extremely careful when hoeing or pounding grain
so as not to hit the sky. One day the greedy woman Abuk pounded more grain than
she was allotted, using an especially long pestle. Deng was so angered by this
that he cursed mankind, saying people would have to work harder for the fruits
of the earth and in the end would also have to die.
Lightning is Deng’s club, and rain and birth are
manifestations of his presence. If one is struck by lightning, one is not to be
mourned because it is believed that Deng has taken that person directly to
himself.
Among the Nuer, Deng is considered to be "a foreign
deity" and "a bringer of disease".
Gandharvas
Classification: Divine or Heavenly beings/Demi Gods
Associated: Music, messengers,
Literary References: Mahabharata
In Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, a Gandharva is a distinct
heavenly being. It is also a term for skilled singers in Indian classical
music.
They are male nature spirits and husbands of the Apsaras.
Some are part animal, usually a bird or horse. They have superb musical skills.
They guard the Soma and play beautiful music for the gods in their palaces.
Gandharvas are frequently depicted as singers in the court of the gods.
Gandharvas in the historic sense acted as messengers between
the gods and humans. In Hindu law, a Gandharva marriage is one contracted by
mutual consent and without formal rituals.
The Gandharvas of ours are a class of Hindu demigods who are
said to inhabit the heavens of the war God Indra along with the Apsaras. as
natural spirits are associated with the fertility of the earth.
The Gandharvas Guard, the soma the sacred drink. Soma, in
ancient India, an unidentified plant the juice of which was a fundamental
offering of the Vedic sacrifices. ... The personified deity Soma was the
“master of plants,” the healer of disease, and the bestower of riches.
The Soma drink conveyed divine powers to the Gods and draws
comparisons the ambrosia of the Greek Gods.
In Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, A Gandharvas united with
and Apsara and produced the first two humans Yami and Yama.
Gandharvas can fly through the air, and are known for their
skill as musicians. They are connected with trees and flowers, and are
described as dwelling in the scents of bark, sap, and blossoms. They are among
the beings of the wilderness that might disturb a monk meditating alone.
What is beauty?
Beauty is defined the quality or aggregate of qualities in a
person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the
mind or spirit.
Such objects include landscapes, sunsets, humans and works
of art. Beauty, together with art and taste, is the main subject of aesthetics,
one of the major branches of philosophy
One difficulty for understanding beauty is due to the fact
that it has both objective and subjective aspects: it is seen as a property of
things but also as depending on the emotional response of observers.
Because of its subjective side, beauty is said to be
"in the eye of the beholder". It has been argued that the ability on
the side of the subject needed to perceive and judge beauty, sometimes referred
to as the "sense of taste", can be trained and that the verdicts of
experts coincide in the long run. This would suggest that the standards of
validity of judgments of beauty are intersubjective, i.e. dependent on a group
of judges, rather than fully subjective or fully objective.
Conceptions of beauty aim to capture what is essential to
all beautiful things. Classical conceptions define beauty in terms of the
relation between the beautiful object as a whole and its parts: the parts
should stand in the right proportion to each other and thus compose an
integrated harmonious whole.
Hedonist conceptions
include the relation to pleasure in the definition of beauty by holding that
there is a necessary connection between pleasure and beauty. that for an object to be beautiful is for it
to cause disinterested pleasure. Other conceptions include defining beautiful
objects in terms of their value, of a loving attitude towards them or of their
function.
A quality or feature that is most effective, gratifying, or
telling.
A quality or combination of qualities that gives pleasure to
the mind or senses and is often associated with properties such as harmony of
form or color, proportion, authenticity, and originality.
We have dedicated much worship the concepts of beauty.
Hathor
One of the most ancient goddesses of Egypt, Hathor stands
for beauty, love sexuality, and dance. As a goddess of love and beauty, she is
the archetype of the goddess of beauty.
Aphrodite, the Greek goddess associated with love, passion
and procreation, symbolizes the classical representation of beauty.
Lakshi She who leads ones goals if the Hindu goddess of
wealth fortune, love beauty, joy and prosperity
Oshun the Yoruba Orshia represented love, beauty wealth and
prosperity.
The Euro- pean beauty standard is the notion that the more
closely associated a person is with European features, the more attractive he
or she is considered; these standards deem attributes that are most closely
related to whiteness, such as lighter skin, straight hair, thinner lips and
slimmer, less pronounced hips and rear ends.
It is said than an Asian or Chinese “epitome of beauty”
should have fair skin, a slim face, large eyes and a “tall,” narrow nose. —
The phrase “black is beautiful” referred to a broad embrace
of black culture and identity.
In its philosophy, “Black is beautiful” focused also on
emotional and psychological well-being. The movement affirmed natural
hairstyles like the “Afro” and the variety of skin colors, hair textures, and
physical characteristics found in the African American community.
The idea and concepts of beauty transcend the physical
expressions of geometry and precise and delve into ideas of self-image, tribalism,
and racist constructs. It is influenced by media representation, social taboos,
and colonial aspirations.
Mihos he who is true beside her
Classification: Neter/god
Region/Culture: North African, Kemetic, Later Egyptian
Associated: war, protection, and weather, as well as that of
knives, lotuses, and devouring captives
The son of the goddess Bastet and the god Ptah. He is depicted in leonine form he was
venerated at the cult center Leontopolis in Lower Kemet which included
enclosures for live lions.
whose name means "he who is true beside her"
A sanctuary in his honor war built at Bubastis by Osorkon
III
He was depicted as a lion or a lion-headed man. When shown
as a lion-headed man, Mihos would wear a short kilt and any one of a number of
headdresses. He would often be shown holding a knife and with a bouquet of
lotuses near him.
He helped Re in the daily battle against Apep. Mihos was a
god of war and a patron of sacred places. A late Greek text described him as a
god of storms and darkness.
As a protector and guardian of Egypt he was given titles
such as the "Lord of the Massacre", the "Lord of Slaughter"
and the "Wielder of the Knife".
The role of Mihos also included upholding the 'Spirit of
Ma'at' upholding the principles of truth, morality and justice. In this role he
was given the titles of "Helper of the Wise Ones" in reference to the
gods Ma'at, Thoth, Seshat and Imhotep and the "Avenger of Wrongs" in
reference to ensuring justice according to the laws of Egypt.
Like his mother Bastet (see picture below), the symbol of
Mihos was the the flint knife or dagger used in ancient Egypt that was called a
Khop. Depictions of Mihos also included him wielding these knives.
Baiame the Sky Hero
Classification: Creator God
Culture: Australian aboriginal
Period of worship: from antiquity
Biame is a creator god revered as the supreme being and instrument
of good. Principally by the Wiradyuri and Kamilaroi groups of aboriginals in
the southeast of Australia.
His voice is represented when the bull roarer native instrument
is swung. .
The Baiame story tells how Baiame came down from the sky to
the land and created rivers, mountains, and forests. He fashioned two men and
two women from the Red Earth of Australia He then gave the people their laws of life,
traditions, songs, and culture. He also created the first initiation site. This
is known as a bora; a place where boys were initiated into manhood. When he had
finished, he returned to the sky and people called him the Sky Hero or All
Father or Sky Father
He is the father of Daramalan and is identified in the
Heavens by the Southern Cross
It was forbidden to mention or talk about the name of Baiame
publicly. Women were not allowed to see drawings of Baiame nor approach Baiame
sites—which are often male initiation sites (boras).
In rock paintings Baiame is often depicted as a human figure
with a large head-dress or hairstyle, with lines of footsteps nearby. He is
always painted in front view; Dharramalan is drawn in profile. Baiame is often
shown with internal decorations such as waistbands, vertical lines running down
the body, bands and dots.
Arawa she who is
beloved
Culture/Region - East
African moon goddess. Associated with the Suk and Pokot tribes of Kenya and
Uganda
Associated: The Moon, lunar cycles
Sacred Stone: Moon Stone
Sacred Number 29
Arawa was the daughter of Tororut who was the creator and
Seta (a fertility goddess).
The Moon Goddess is an important deity in many cultures around the
world where they form a central role in mythology.
The moon is associated with the divine feminine as in many tribal
societies the feminine cycles were linked to the phases of the moon. Through
this Arawa is connected to womanhood.
The Moon was important in ancient calendars, helping people
to measure time and to determine when the best time was for planting and
harvesting crops. And she is thus tied to the fertility of the land.
She is a beloved and benign deity who is venerated by dance
and festival.
Tienoltsodi
Classification: God/Spirit
Culture Navajo
Associated: Oceans and Fresh Water
Sacred Stone: Turquoise
He controls the waters which have fallen on to Earth. As
distinct from those in the Heaven which are rule by the rain god Tonenili.
He is described as a kind god who ensures the fertility of
the land and keeps the sky clean.
He was venerated in dance and may have been the object of
token worship as well.
Through his association with water, he is associated with
fertility and the renewal of life.
Hi natural enemy is the god Hastsezini, who invented fire
and thus the mantle of fire god.
Myth tells us that the Fire gods grew mad with his power and
threatened to consume the entire Earth for his pleasure.
The people danced for Tienoltsodi, the god arrived with a
great storm and the flames of the fire god were extinguished.
Ganaskidi
Goddess of harvests,
plenty and of mists.
Verethragna the most highly armed.
Classification God
Culture: Persian Iranian
His sacred animal is the Wild Boar whose iron-shoden feet
crush opponents and is perceived to be ever present in the fierce wind.
"as a giver of victory Verethragna plainly enjoyed the
greatest popularity of old." In Zoroastrian Middle Persian,
the figure of Verethragna is highly complex, parallels have
also been drawn between, Puranic Vishnu, Manichaean Adamas, Chaldean/Babylonian
Nergal, Egyptian Horus, Hellenic Ares and Heracles.
In the Bahram Yasht
Verethragna is described as "the most highly
armed" the "best equipped with might" , with "effervescent
glory" , has "conquering superiority" , and is in constant
battle with men and daemons.
he is connected with sexual potency and "confers
virility" , has the "ability to heal" and "renders wonderful"
ten forms in which the divinity appears: As an impetuous
wind; as an armed warrior and as an adolescent of fifteen and in the remaining
seven forms as animals: a bull with horns of gold ; a white horse with ears and
a muzzle of gold; a camel in heat, a boar a bird of prey (veregna,; a ram ; and
a wild goat.
Verethragna was both identified as Ares and associated with Heracles,
and given the Greek name Artagnes.
Ipy mistress of magical protection
Classification: Goddess/neter
Culture: North African Kemetic/Egyptian
Cult Center: Thebes, Karnak Temple Complex
Associated: Motherhood
Literary references: Pyramid text
Ipy appear as a benevolent guardian and wet nurse to the pharaoh.
She is perceived to exert a benign influence on amulet.
Opet was usually depicted as some sort of combination of
hippopotamus, crocodile, human and lion, though her hippopotamus aspect is
dominant. She was represented as a female hippopotamus, usually standing
upright on legs which have the feet of a lion.
The Hippo itself is associated with the protective nature of
mother as is reflected in the neter Taweret.
First reference to her comes from the Pyramid Texts, where
the king asks that he may nurse at her breast so that he would "neither
thirst nor hunger...forever".
Afterwards, she is
called "mistress of magical protection" in funerary papyri. Under the
epithet 'the great Opet',
She appears to have had a very strong connection with the
Theban area and might have even been considered a personification of that city.
In the theology of Thebes, she was thought to be the mother of Ausar.
Title
Author
Date
Publisher
Reference Number
Ancient Gods Speak, The: A Guide to Egyptian Religion
Redford, Donald B.
2002
Oxford University Press
ISBN 0-19-515401-0
Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt, The
Wilkinson, Richard H.
2003
Thames & Hudson, LTD
ISBN 0-500-05120-8
Conceptions of God in Ancient Egypt: The One and the Many
Hornung, Erik
1971
Cornell University Press
ISBN 0-8014-8384-0
Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, A
Hart, George
1986
Routledge
ISBN 0-415-05909-7
Egyptian Religion
Morenz, Siegfried
1973
Cornell University Press
ISBN 0-8014-8029-9
Gods and Myths of Ancient Egypt
Armour, Robert A.
1986
American University in Cairo Press, The
ISBN 977 424 669 1
Gods of Ancient Egypt, The
Vernus, Pascal
1998
George Braziller Publisher
ISBN 0-8076-1435-1
Gods of the Egyptians, The (Studies in Egyptian Mythology)
Budge, E. A. Wallis
1969
Dover Publications, Inc.
ISBN 486-22056-7
Behhanzin
Classification – God
Culture: Fon People of West Africa
Invoked by fishermen to ensure plenticul catches.
Bera Pennu – she who receives
human sacrifice.
Classification: Goddess
Culture: Khonds in Bengal North India
Sacred Number 8
Associated: Vegetation
A crucial influence on the success of the crop and thus the harvest
she was among the most revered for these people. The Khonds are people of the hills and jungles
of Orissa state, India. Their numbers are estimated to exceed 800,000, of which
about 550,000 speak a langue of the Dravidian language family.
She was the recipient of human sacrifice to ensure good
harvest, particularly of the spice turmeric, and as a protection against
disease and infirmity.
The sacrificial victim or meriah was youthful, often kept for
years as a holy person before death and was always either the offspring of a
previous sacrificial victim, or purchased from impoverished families for the
purpose. He or she was generally strangled, sometimes in the fork of a tree,
after days of festivities. In other instances the victim was cut up alive.
Odin – the king of the Norse gods – demanded human
sacrifices.
In Mesoamerican culture human sacrifices were viewed as a
repayment for the sacrifices the gods had themselves made in creating the world
and the sun.
