[tied] Re: Gk. Lyssa

--- In cybalist@..., cas111jd@... wrote:

> --- In cybalist@..., "João S. Lopes Filho" <jodan99@...> wrote:
> > The Erinyes/Furiae were called "Zeus's bitches" (in the canine
> sense, of
> > course). The idea is interesting, although I cant remember

another

> IE
> > equivalents.
>
> This seems to rather a dead end, IMO. Artemis was likewise called
> the 'Great Bitch', but this was as the leader of hunting hounds.
> Artemis had little appearance in the Iliad other than to be beat
> silly and humiliated by Hera.
>
> Dogs are associated with hunter- and huntress- god(esses) in the IE
> mythologies, but they have nothing to do with madness. They are

also

> associated with the Underworld goddess as guardians. The Erinyes
> might be considered an aspect of the hell-hounds, I guess.

As far as the Erinyes/Furies go:
The erinyes punish the wicked, especially those who were direspectful
to parents, gods, supplicants. If they were associated with dogs,
then, they might serve a similar role as the hounds of Artemis did
with Actaeon-To devour the irreverent.

One goddess particularly associated with dogs is Hecate who does have
a hunting connection going on, but evenm more so with magic, death,
and the underworld. Hecate was also said to be accompanied by the
furies.

One story told of how Hecate and her hounds ran across graves,
retreiving the souls of the dead to bring to the underworld.

Hecate was also a protector of flocks. This goes along with a general
connection between hunting, flocks/herds, and the underworld that
many deities share regardless of gender.


Cort Williams