Re: Greek Gods I : APOLLO

I think two points can be made at this juncture. First, the majority
of the evidence indicates that initially Apollon was not an IE god.
Second, Apollon was initially both a solar and lunar deity. However,
this solar-lunar deity is discrete from the Hellenic Silenos. I've
read that the Etruscan Apulu-Apulun was a storm god. On closer
inspection I found that Apulu-Apulun was actually a sun god that was
closely associated with Losna-Lusna-Louna. The names of these two
gods often appear together on Etruscan ritual mirrors, reflective
symbols of solar-lunar deities. The Etruscan Apulu-Apulun.

Still if one looks at the single largest early source of information
about the nature of the Apollonian cult, the Iliad, its clear Apollon
is a bowman, destroyer, and a god of pestilence. Its also clear that
Apollon's early totem animal was the wolf. Interestingly, In the
Early Hellenic period Apollon is often associated with a Syrian
deity, Reseph. As you know Reseph is called the plague-bringer and
depicted with arrows and quiver. The Ras Shamraian Keret text has
Reseph gathering a fifth of his "onto himself," clearly a reference
to death by plague. Reseph in the dragon-slayer Ugaritic myth is
similar to Apollon in the Delphic myth of Python. In the Ugaritic
Text 1001, Reseph's arrows defend Baal during the battle with a giant
dragon. Reseph's arrows eventually kill the dragon and rescue Baal. I
believe the Anatolian counterpart to Reseph is Yarris.


JS Crary