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Winged Deities
of the Old World |
Egypt
Herodotus stated:
"Of all the nations of the world, the Egyptians are the happiest,
healthiest and most religious."
Map of ancient Egypt:
Mut
or Nekhbet, Queen of the Gods, Mother of all, wife of Amun, depicted
with large wings and a vulture head |
Egyptian religion survived for over 3000
years as a very complex system of beliefs with temples and a priestly
caste. Egyptian religion is actually a group of many local religions,
each worshipping their own set of preferred gods with their own set
of myths and rituals. The myths Osiris are probably the most known
of mythologies, and these myths, as many others, focus on the battle
for power among earthly groups and the seeking of eternal life among
the pharoahs and gods.
The Egyptian gods are depicted as animals, or as animals with a human
head, or a human body with the head of an animal. Some influence of
the formation of early gods may come from west of Egypt where ancient
rock art shows similar combining of human and animal forms in godlike
entities. |
Obelisk from Luxor |
Much of Egyptian symbol,
ritual and myth deals with the afterlife. Embalming and mummification,
as well as elaborate burials are seen as very important to the ancient
Egyptians from about 3000 B.C. A system of writing was developed and
so we have information recorded about the royal belief systems along
with tremendous works of religious art to tell us somewhat of the
ancient religion. Symbols and myths from Egypt spread abroad to influence
other peoples, particularly with the Isis cults.
Osiris:
The real King Scorpion precedes King Narmer?:
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Nekhbet, vulture
goddess of Upper Egypt and Wadjit, cobra goddess of Lower Egypt
Horus
 Egyptian teacher? |
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Greater Syria
Map of Syria:
The North Western group of Semites occupied
the Levant area of Syria, Phoenicia, and Israel to the Mediterranean
coast from about 3000 B.C. then known as Canaan. Canaanite religion
worshipped a pantheon of gods chief of which were Hadad, El, Dagan,
and Baal; and goddesses chief of which were Athtar or Astarte or
Elat, Anat, Shapshu and Qadshu. Fertility cults and rituals as well
as animal sacrifice (and sacrifice of children in some Phoenician
colonies in North Africa) were recorded by the Greek historians.
Phoenician
religion:
Baal of the Canaanites:
Canaanite religion and the Old Testament:
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A cylinder seal
ca. 8/7th century BCE shows gods or genii riding upon the backs
of Cherubim who in turn are associated with a Sacred Tree (East
Canaanite or Assyrian)
Phoenician Fertility
Goddess and Mistress of Animals, ca. 1500-600 B.C. |
Female Cherub
with Tree of Life
ivory plaque from the bed of Hazael,
King of Damascus
late 9th century BCE (Louvre, Paris)
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Winged
female figures guarding a djed column
Ivory plaque from the Palace of King Ahab of Israel,. c. 870 BCE
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Mesopotamia
Map of Iraq:
The Sumerians were the earliest known occupants of the Mesopotamian
region which covers the area surrounding the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers, thought by some to be the cradle of civilization. The Sumerians
were not Semites as the later Akkadians, Assyrians and Babylonians
were. The later Persians and Medes were also not Semites. All of
the Mesopotamian cultures built upon the earlier Sumerian religion.
Zoroastrianism, from a non-Semitic culture was founded on Indo-Aryan
beliefs which evolved from polytheistic to monotheistic, holding
Ahura Mazda as a chief God with Angra Mainyu or Ahriman as the Satanic
enemy of God.
Hamurrabi's Code of laws (King of Babylon 1792- 1750 B.C) first
stated "an eye for an eye."
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proto-Elamite
bull ca. 3000 B.C. |
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Sumerian
goddess Inanna
figures from royal tombs at Ur ca. 2400 B.C.
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Assyrian Lamasu, bull with eagle's wings and kingly human head,
seen ca. 870 B.C. in Nimrud
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Winged
Lions at Susa -- palace of King Darius the Great
ca. 5th century B.C.
with Winged Ahura Mazda above =
Zoroastrianism
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Ahura Mazda carved in stone
Fravahar or symbol of Ahura Mazda |
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Greek
Delphi is an interesting early sacred site originally
dedicated to the earth goddess Gaia. Delphoi means "womb"
and is the site of the omphalos stone which marked the center of
the universe. Delphi was later dedicated to Apollo who had killed
the serpent Python, a child of Gaia, who lived beside the Castalian
spring at Delphi. The spring emitted gases that helped the priestess
oracle, the Sibyl, to sing her prophesies. Occupation at Delphi
dates from the Mycenaean period (ca. 1600-1200 B.C.) with development
of the Apollo Sanctuary beginning about the 8th century B.C. See:
The Oracle at Delphi from The Greeks documentary:
Dating back to 1400 BC, the Oracle of Delphi was
the most important shrine in all Greece, and in theory all Greeks
respected its independence. Built around a sacred spring, Delphi
was considered to be the omphalos - the center (literally navel)
of the world.
People came from all over Greece and beyond to have
their questions about the future answered by the Pythia, the priestess
of Apollo. And her answers, usually cryptic, could determine the
course of everything from when a farmer planted his seedlings, to
when an empire declared war.
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Nike
of Samothrace, Greek Goddess of VictoryA Titan by ancestry, later
fights on the side of the Olympians, ca. 200 B.C.
Painting from Versailles of Hermes with winged helmet and ankles
and caduceus staff |
Depiction of Cupid and the mortal Psyche |
Roman
Lupercalia, Roman festival of purity on February 15:
Valentines Day:
Cupid and Psyche story:
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Reading
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Read chapter 11 prior to the next
class
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Terms to Know
Dualism = the world or deities are divided into two opposing categories.
See:
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