Dear Cyblaists:
----- Original Message -----
From: cas111jd@...Sent: Saturday, July 14, 2001 12:27 AMSubject: [tied] Re: Neptune, Poseidon, Danu, etc.Good points all, Mr. Caws.
I find it intriguing that so many deities and heroes became
identified with their arch-enemy, the 'world serpent' in its various
forms, to an extent that they were even depicted as it, with
characters such as Cadmus turning into one as well as slaying one. I
don't know how to explain it. It must be some trophy thing.<snip>[PCR]I think few would disagree with the idea that one of the principal classes of objects for worship was the powers of nature.But every power has perceived beneficial as well as harmful aspects.At some very early date, perhaps a deity that controlled the weather was visualized as providing the cooling wind AND causing the destructive storm but this put people at a great disadvantage psychologically.At some point, the beneficial aspects of weather were separated, and the destructive aspects symbolized by a new deity.In the case at hand, I believe that the planet Jupiter was a visual symbol of the god who controlled weather; and that Typhon was separated out of this deity to assume control over the destructive aspects of weather.Similarly, with Athena, who, in my opinion, is a sun-goddess, the Medusa represents the destructive power of the sun, with which venomous snakes are frequently associated.Because of this mixed origin, the heroes/heroines and their antagonists share a close and lasting relationship, which is sometimes blurred at the edges.PatPATRICK C. RYAN | PROTO-LANGUAGE@...
(501) 227-9947 * 9115 W. 34th St. Little Rock, AR 72204-4441 USA
WEBPAGES: PROTO-LANGUAGE: http://www.geocities.com/proto-language/
and PROTO-RELIGION:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/2803/proto-religion/indexR.html"Veit ec at ec hecc, vindgá meiði a netr allar nío,
geiri vndaþr . . . a þeim meiþi, er mangi veit,
hvers hann af rótom renn." (Hávamál 138)