Re: There was Three Smiths

--- In cybalist@..., "João S. Lopes Filho" <jodan99@...> wrote:

> PIE Smith God: One or Three
>
> It's clear to me that PIE myth had a triad of Three Smith Gods

(perhaps originally carpenters).

> Let's see:
>
> The Three Cyclopes (Greece) : Brontes, Steropes, Arges
> The Three Rbhu (India) : Rbhuks.an, Vaja, Vibhu
> The Three (or Four) Elves, Ivaldir's sons (Scandinavia) : Alfrigr,

Grerr, Bergling ...or...Eitri, Brokk, Sindri

> The Three Irish Smiths : Goibniu, Luchtar and Creidne (or Cian,

Samain and Goibniu)

>
> And more:
> The Four/Three Telkhines? - Ormenos, Lykos, Akteus and

Megalesios ...or... Argyron, Khryson and Kalkhon

> The Three Builders of Thebas walls - Amphion, Zethos, Lokros
> The Three Builders of Trojan walls - Poseidon, Apollon and Aiakos
>
> My hypothesis is that there were Three Smith Gods, possibly three

men that was turned into gods to honour their great squills. Their
were:

> THUNDER - names

meaning "thunder", "thunderer", "strong", "noisy", "copper/bronze"

> LIGHTNING - names

meaning "quick", "violent", "penetrant", "hot", "burning", "gold"

> FLASH - names meaninh "shining", "white", "gleaming", "silver"
>

The Telkhines seem to be associated with the Kabeiroi, the Daktuloi,
and the Cretan Kouretes. These groups are considered to be
magicians, craftsmen, and metalkworkers.
In the work "Themis: A Study of the Social Origins of Greek
Religion", Jane Ellen Harrison discusses specifically the Kouretes.
The Kouretes were in myth a group of armed dancers who protected the
infant Zeus by rattling their shields and spears together. Harrison
shows, with the help of "The Hymn of the Kouretes", that this was
likely part of an initiation ceremony resembling many worldwide, and
that the din of the spears and shields served to frighten the child
being initiated, playing the role of the young Zeus. The Kouretes
themselves would be initiated men from within the tribe. In order to
maintain the efficacy of the ceremony, the identity of the Kouretes
had to remain a secret of the initiated men.
By extension, the author argues that the related semi-divine
Telkhines etc. would also be secret identities of initiated members,
who thus guard and pass on the lore of metalworking etc.

-Mr. Caws