ET ORIGINS Ler een es MYSTERY | SCIENCE Ld ces i} J j IN THE ANCIENT WORLD rita prow Nel eeleelrR Coll ee Stella Novus td. | Issue 35 | Jan-Feb 2022| $4.99CONTENTS Ancient Origins Magazine | Issue 35 | Jan-Feb 2022 14 solving the Babylonian Container Mystery 30 Deities and Monsters of Love and Lust 38 The Heady Origins of Valentine's Day 4.4 The Sacred Band of Thebes: Warriors and Lovers Until Death 56 7 Touching and Sometimes Tragic Love Stories 70 Neolithic Romeo and Juliet: The Lovers of Valdaro 72 Ovid's Art of Love, Relationships, and Adultery 4 Sex Pottery of Peru: Moche Ceramics Shed Light on Ancient Sexuality Q_ The Graveyard Prostitutes of Rome and Beyond Q6 The Sex Lives of Neanderthals and Modern Humans Q8 Exploring Ancient Methods of Contraception 106 Yuki-onna: Japan’s Snow Woman with a Heart of Ice withA... ENT ORIGINS magazine@anclent-origins.net ancientoriginsmagazine.com |REGULARS 04 Editor's Note 06 ArchaeoNews 08 Origins Rising: Seekers of the Lost Ark 1Q Fabulous Creatures: The Original Party Animals Artifact World: Medieval 114 Chastity Belts are a Myth 116 Academy of Taste: Ancient Aphrodisiacs CHIEF EDITOR Alicia McDermott ART DIRECTOR Santiago Giraldo THOR COORDINATOR Micki Pistorius EDITOR Cecilia Bogaard ADVERTISING MANAGER loannis Syrigos CONTRIBUTORS WuMingren Mark Olver Sarah Ashley Cowie Nathan Falde Martin Fisher Douglas Kenyon Mark Miler OTe ee ae ee aca ene ceHE oldest love poem discovered to date appears on a Sumerian tablet from 2000 BC. It’sa racy message full of desire: “YOU HAVE CAPTIVATED ME, LET ME STAND TREMBLING BEFORE YOU; BRIDEGROOM, I WOULD BE TAKEN TO THE BEDCHAMBER.” Love is a powerful emotion. The strange thing about itis that even though we experience it in a deeply personal way, love has a history. In the past - just as today ~ it's expressed itself in all kinds of relationships, held different ‘meanings, and created bliss and havoc. Love has inspired all forms of art and religion, but also caused wars and controversy. From the temporary and often misguided madness of desire to the lasting love of family, friends, and pets, and even the love of learning - anything we think ourselves capable of today in the love department has been tried, tested, praised, and abused by people in the past too. In this issue we explore romantic love in various tones. First, we find it in the form of lust, which brings excitement, drama, and sex. The sexy side of romance shows up in the erotic ceramics created by Peru's Moche culture, graveyard prostitutes who fulfilled dark desires in ancient Rome, and the items people used to get sex and avoid pregnancy in the past. We tell you which of today’s favorite aphrodisiacs come from antiquity and the truth about chastity belts! But there’s more to love and romance than just sex. So, we also uncover the romantic, and sometimes tragic, stories of devoted couples from long ago. We reveal the forgotten story of the Sacred Band of Thebes an fourth century BC fighting unit consisting of 300 soldiers, who were not only supreme warriors but coupled lovers as well. You'll also discover the story of the Lovers of Valdaro, who have been called a Neolithic Romeo and Juliet and remain locked in an eternal embrace. Finally, prepare yourself to swoon over the touching love stories of seven legendary couples. You may be shocked by Ovid's love advice from ancient Rome and the 31 rules that were provided for ‘courtly love’ in the Middle ‘Ages. But those are not the only surprises this issue holds, we also expose the dark origins of Valentine's Day, the chilling tale of a Japanese snow spirit, and the possible solution to what all those strange containers from ancient Babylon mean. THE ANCIENT WORLD ALICIA MCDERMOTT Chief Editor, Ancient Origins Magazine EXPERTS IN THIS ISSUE... FREDDY SILVA Freddy Silva isa best-selling author and leading researcher on ancient civilizations, restricted history, sacred sites, and their Interaction with consciousness, He's published seven books in six languages, produced 13 documentaries, and leads private tours to sacred sites worldwide. MARTINI FISHER ‘Martini Fisher is a mythographer and author ‘who gathers myths and legends from around the globe to present them in a relevant and approachable way for modern audiences.SUBSCRIBE we and SAVE Pal Re cee SENT ORIGINS ie ox 1 FULL YEAR ancient origins magazine.com only *29,.99II By Micki Pistorius Oldest Genealogy Found in Neolithic Tomb Genome sequencing of 35 individuals from the best-preserved Neolithic tomb at Hazleton North long cairn in the Cotswolds region, Gloucestershire, England has revealed that one man fathered 27 children by four mothers. Five generations of a single family are represented in compiling the oldest known family tree, as they were all buried in the same tomb over the course of a century during Britain’s Neolithic period, over 5,700 years ago. The research indicates that men were buried with their fathers and brothers, a clear example of patrilineal descent, with later generations being buried at the Neolithic 6 ‘tomb and connected to the first genera- tion through male relatives. Apart from ‘two of the daughters (who clearly died during childhood) being buried in the ‘tomb, the absence of the remains of adult women suggest that they were buried with their male partners, or outside this burial structure completely. However, Dr. Chris Fowler of Newcastle University says that the choice of an individual's burial in either the north or the south chamber depended on the first-generation woman from whom they descended, indicating that first-generation women occupied a significant social and cultural space in the collective memories of the community.Gazing Cig uray of Amenhotep | For the first time after his CEE ee me oa Deena eae of Pharaoh Amenhotep |. Since the discovery of his mummy Bates au e ee un CR etn cl scanning technology scientists Cre ac Reg Con eRe AOL? University of Cairo radiologist Ro kad Amenhotep | had a narrow Cre eur as CTA ee eS resembled his father Ahmose | Amenhotep I's brain was found Peau er feature not shared with most Cae Ra Oe Rd Mc Mees ad BC, when it was relocated from its original place of burial to Luxor, by priests who lovingly enue at) CRs eo oA nasa Son eo aed jewelry and amulets in place Ce ona Seca sae Cero ek ee eon et meet sy been poisoned or simply have Cee kee SCN Re Cite Me eed Ryd Continued preservation operations of the slave ship Clotilda will commence in early 2022 as the ‘Alabama Historical Commission has pledged to spend up to $1 million on this project. The almost: intact shipwreck was discovered in 2019 in the Mobile Delta, at the confluence of the Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers on Alabama's Gulf of Mexico coastline, In 1860 Captain William Foster admitted to burning and sinking the Clotilda in the Mobile Delta after he and the shipowner and slave trader Timothy Meahler were charged with violating the 1808 Congressional act prohibiting the trans-Atlantic slave trade. They had illegally imported 110 men from the West African Kingdom of Dahomey. These slaves were among a relatively small number of first-generation Africans to be emancipated, when slavery ended in the United States at the conclusion of the Civil War in 1865. Seeking to preserve their traditions and the Yoruba language, 32 of the survivors of Clotilda, led by Cudio Kazoola Lewis, purchased a few acres of land about three miles from Mobile and established Africatown, a haven for thousands of emancipated slaves. Today itis recognized as a historic neighborhood and remains home to approximately 2,000 mostly African-American residents, about 100 of whom are the descendants of Clotilda survivors. n survey image ofthe Clotilda 7aa TNS iil) Cems Te Cue ae pe UCP Deere c not just fictional entertainment. iced Reece) Pee eae) Sree) Poeaenc isa sco rece ee ec aera in search of the lost Ark of the Covenant and other treasures of te uel See nae Ree ae Petes Oe ned ee Oma ees ca ke detailed how an illicit 1909 project ees cue aca but still managed to trigger a crisis ue eaten een ge eRe Ree Army. eet rac was editor and pe Co ne Cea Rees Valter Juvelius, an obscure Cee cree ee ea Re Mec Cee eee eee ne ee rea and he persuaded Captain Montagu Caen CRU RD Cu ec oe Re ete acl Ce eee a Mes ad DNR seen) rest of their story, you will need Po ee cota ad ECU ee eto Tene ag do Ree ees mls a ager ees eas cen ica first went missing Rane Cay Ca Israelite Coney Ce eS eS ener . ahd pee aod Oe eon end eel niet ‘Auch Cathedral, Midi-Pyrénées, fen ana Para ees Pelenciag Bet ger cna SO enna ns Ue Ata ee eae Rs PRONE ed Renee cr) Caeser ay Eon ae eT and the Seal best-selling author Ce meee eas Ark might be found in Ethiopia ROC aac Queen of Sheba. Pee nec ea a Ol Beem Reno a Jerusalem narrative. In Atlantis eee see a ne Race ca Ce ese eee) Pd Cea ae Nee Ee Ta Rr tes Paras oe A See Erennaaco Road Res aa erie Se historical evidence, Moskoff believed the Uae See Mea) ee eo Rr Cea ees Pea eer) RR ee at Cesarean a aes Seen e CT Re ec) CCD ten ar eae une os Rene aceon Renee aRIMC Rec anse be approached, Moskoff believed, Po eke ogi cleansing of ritually impure priests, nen Tne ore Se RUE ea Pe Eee Ue eed CU EAE ean ee Be eI ao a he declared, could lead us to Cee Pen ea ee COIS Se ead een asd Na oe acre a eae RE er Ra eta of the Covenant, or what's left Cato eee) Creare Cue ed ae ae University of London professor, COU an Caen wannabe, Tudor Parfitt. But unlike eee eee a OT meat eee PSs asses ee eee knows precisely where the real Cee aes Taree Rue ou ee by its present-day guardians, the Nera Coe osc ancient priestly tribe of Levites Rec ke uals aD Re aca Top right image: Replica ofthe Ark of the Cover Nene Omen Georg SOS eR er See te RR eu see aa Pee race ee of the Lemba priests which eee sna , Peace Cea Rca Dee char Ree a ute ae Reger aris Cee ee) Dea eee The original gold covering, itis See RnR Ce en RNR) Meike cue om Pete e an Ren ackur) Dee neue Ra) PMC Cus aer Re une M ea Pee eae a ae aoe ee DCm se Be ee me of what is arguably the most teats corer acces in history. The last time we Cee nae roa SE emer Tomato Ce ee aaa new book, ‘Ghosts of Atlantis,’ is published by Inner Traditions/ Bear and Company. For more information visit the web site Se ee |es > ” — Fauns & Satyrs CHRISTIAN Stu a of yes BUX r ie wtisgeU tel f en) Courts Cee ane tuo ee aC ete Ancient Times, with horns and the legs and thighs Peer ee RelA) nC a Sia Ce Rane PAu eR ea) CRU REL CINCO Ele Wace ECM rc nec ae Reo une caste Eee er ene an RCTS is ne es een Detainee OP Au ea i ae Oe aE SAUCE og acc) eee ‘as males. Given their penchant for frolicking with nymphs, the Cem eee eu Pere Nast uk eM ui eer Re Cu ee en gc ae Ce ae Mec) Re Me etary Rue tna Co Couey loved drinking RA) RUA nee ae Men lurved to make love ~ something Nee ee ecu depictions of them in sculpture Buea inevitably shown in an unfeasible Ete a ene er See uae Reece eet areas eee) ee cae te Menace eee es eT Meee ees Re cucu enc fifth century onwards, when early aT Mes ame fauns and satyrs as dark, evil, and Cn eted ee oct kee reputation for lasciviousness. In fact, by the Middle Ages the popular EE RC eee a IMR rn Rages was almost identical tothe image of Roam cu Cah d Res eth i cu oe cen IMC ee am Mae eee kc aT cee ae eee SAR Rae Nema eee tet a) by, they became less bestial, UC eee) Pear aE Pros cc Rear Ca eA SE ames SU ce CoS ea nea ae ioc) Oe CNR Sa Se ee OTC t Despite this undoubted public relations setback, fauns and satyrs, enjoyed a return to popularity aout eee Mca aoe Cy EM SISeac Reece Pee ee Nome tn tus Pearce eae elena ue Oa urt ue n Cre aR a eee ee Cae cn the 20th century the faun had Paces ice ks Teco Tumnus) in the 1950 parable of a Are cag Rae tee acs But, ina qi Pew se OR kta ac cca MEU uu ey Sen Cae PoE CTUDon’t Miss The Adventure! Presented as the complete novel for the first time. Download this 145 page graphic novel and enjoy the adventure! In the 1980s, a group of researchers discover the spectacular ruins of Atlantis beneath the waters of the so-called Bermuda triangle. 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The purpose of this container is rightly mysterious. It appears throughout Sumer and Babylon, half a world away in Yucatan, and, 6000 years earlier, it was carved upon Pillar 43 at Gobekli Tepe, one of the world’s oldest standing stone enclosures. But what exactly was the purpose of this container? A look at cross-cultural symbolism in the images provides an answer. 15WHAT IS ADC Laeee CR ee ee a LU ee ee eee eae ee Unlimited satisfaction one low price Cheap constant access to piping hot media Protect your downloadings from Big brother Safer, than torrent-trackers 18 years of seamless operation and our users' satisfaction PRE Aer 4-09 Tea Mima ole Tity AvaxHome - Your End Place We have everything for all of your needs. Just open https://avxlive.icuSSS and bestows a king with the tree fru To understand the container mystery, it’s important to understand the Apkallu, a group of seven sages, emissaries, and mediating figures entrusted by a creator god to bring the civilizing arts to humanity following a catastrophic flood. Their story is repeated almost verbatim in diluvial myths of many ancient cultures, the only changeable aspect being their names. The quintessential image of the Apkallu is that of two eagle-, or perhaps falcon-headed people standing either side of a flowering tree, picking its fruit, and the manner in which they hold the container suggests the fruit are to be placed in said receptacle. Sometimes the figure of the supreme deity Ahura Mazda is depicted inside a winged disc above the axis of the tree, implying its close to God, and thus, wisdom. This culturally shared image is known as the World Tree or Tree of Knowledge, and served as both focal point and foundation of all teachings and traditions. The iconic container appears throughout Nimrud and its. To solve the riddle, it see the images together, because, placed in context, they appear to form a kind of triptych conveying a running commentary. Such a series of panels, removed from one of the rooms at Nimrud, ~IsHiOused in the British Museum. ‘One'panel shows two Apkallu ©» administering to the sacred tree; in the ‘next, an Apkallu has turned from the tree E au Wit" all the while holding that mysterious fontainer, Clearly, the king is conferred _ Some special privilege. aThe featured king is identified as Ashubarsipal, who was also appriest, a high initiate of the temple, and thus privy to secret knowledge that only such a position could allow. We know he held this position because in a separate frieze he is depicted holding a beehive above his head, a clear indication he has been initiated into the secrets of the beehive. We shall return to this thought later because itis the purpose of the container. OF YSON A OD/uinasnyy YsHG uf ‘The king fadepictéd holding a bechive above his hed, ppgIn the next panel, Ashubarsipal is no longer surrounded by the Apkailu, he himself has been transformed into a winged figure holding a tree fruit and the container. Meanwhile, in the following image, he stands in direct contact with the Tree of Knowledge and points directly at Ahura Mazda inside his solar disc. Obviously, the king has partaken of the tree fruit, and the knowledge it contains has transformed him into an Apkailu, allowing him direct access to God. What appears to be portrayed here is a ritual, the very same one practiced hundreds of years later by every gnostic cult across the world, one that gave initiates a direct access to restricted knowledge, part of which dealt with the laws of nature and how to harness them. So far, then, the mysterious banduddd seems to be associated with a form of restricted knowledge that links the mortal world with that of the gods. At this point in our investigation into the container, the story takes a subtle right turn: this object and the tree fruit don’t always appear together. In various friezes and clay seals, the first Apkallu, Uan (later transliterated to Ou-anna, Oannes, and Above: King Ashurnasirpal of the Assyrian Empire and officials John), is depicted holding the container Relief from North-West Palace at Nimrud, about 865-860 BC. in one hand and a scroll in the other. Sometimes he appears to be sowing seeds, Below: Oannes with the bandudld container. This allows us to speculate that the container may in fact be a standalone symbol, like a badge of office, or a position that one has attained — the holder of the container is either a representative of godly knowledge or is in possession of it. Of course, it would be useful if this supposition were repeated in another culture. As it happens there is another time and place where the container makes a remarkable appearance: the Yucatan. 18 OP V5 Ag Do /ueasis08ar4One of the most controversial archaeological discoveries in the Olmec world concerns a unique carving of what ancient alien theorists adamantly believe to be an astronaut riding a space capsule. ‘The fact that the object in question is in the shape of a rattlesnake does not seem to faze them. Such a myopic view is simply an inability to LaVenia understand the symbolic language Stela 19, the of the Olmec, who appear to be the earliest known carvers of this magnificent stela. Bree What is immediately apparent is that the snake wears a unique feathered crown much like the one depicted on the Apkallu. type container. What appears to be portrayed here is a ritual, Teta VoaacvenS one practiced hundreds of Ber Vec Ecc on ia aaalejele cult across the world, one that Pes tinterlcocy a direct access to restricted knowledge, part Colm iveloamelcclig Salm EN CKOd nature and how to harness them.‘The serpent has always been a culturally shared symbol of earth energy as well as its regenerative power. In Central ‘America, it came to represent the periodic rebirth of the initiate following a secret initiation, which later became known in western religious tradition as a resurrection. Rejuvenating god-men such as Kukulkan and Quetzalcoatl, and the real-life people who subsequently followed their example, are shown being consumed by, dressed as, or even emerging out of the mouth of a serpent. During this restricted ritual the candidate was guided into a chamber or cave, was administered a mild narcotic, crossed into the Otherworld for several days, and returned to his (or her) living body to carry on as before. The lucky individual was deemed “risen from the dead,” for he had walked in the world of the gods and discovered the operative forces of the cosmos, even the very nature of the soul. Applying this understanding to the Olmec stela, we now see a very relaxed Olmec initiate inside the protective cocoon of the serpent. This Olmec “astronaut” appears to be traveling towards another reality, a man embarking on an Otherworld journey to become as a god, a kukulkan. What connects him with the Apkallu named Uan/Oannes is that both individuals are holding the very same container. And while Uan holds a scroll of some importance in his other hand, our Olmec journeyman holds nothing, implying that the container is a standalone symbol, a vessel identifying the carrier as a person in contact with the Otherworld, or at the very least, possessing knowledge associated that realm, emer eet cere“About the pomegranate I must say nothing," whispered the traveler Pausanias in the second century, "for its story is somewhat of a holy mystery." And he was right. In symbolism and mythology, the pomegranate takes on the role of point of contact, between our world and that of the gods. In later Greek myths, it appears in the story of Persephone as a metaphor of rebirth as well as the regenerative cycle of nature, after she marties the god Hades and is given six pomegranate seeds as her only source of nutrition during her six months in the Otherworld, The story carries obvious overtones describing the bi-annual solar cycle, but more to the point, those six seeds appear on the wristband of the Apkallu picking the tree fruit. And in sacred art every detail carries meaning. Incidentally, Persephone’ ek mother Demeter was the presiding goddess of Greek temples where the living resurrection ritual was performed. During i this induced near-death experience, the initiate entered the Otherworld alive and returned with knowledge of the gods. Proserpine” (18 Dante Gabriel Rossetti, alludes to the mythology ‘of Persephone and the pomegranate. pavelet iad perenne e-ret ice mentee say nothing, for its story is‘somewhat of EB re) \mernecoa ae22 This final act was performed inside a bridal chamber, which in many cultures took on the shape of a beehive; even the priestesses who attended to the near- comatose candidate were called “bees”. To reach this state the candidate was given a mild narcotic to dispel his or her fear. Coincidentally, the chambered pomegranate is also a surrogate for a poppy's narcotic capsule, given its comparable shape and chambered interior. In another Greek myth, Orion is wedded to ,, whose name means pomegranate. Other Greek dialects call the pomegranate rhoa, thus linking it with the Earth goddess Rhea. -e the myth is based on the older story of the resurrected god-man Osiris, whom the ancient Egyptians identified with Orion, a link is established between the tree fruit and the resurrected individual, particularly as all living resurrection rituals in Egypt came under the tutelage of Osiris, the guardian of the gate into the Otherworld. The pomegranate is also associated with the Olympian goddess Hera, whose crown is the shape of the calyx of this fruit. In fact, when one dissects a pomegranate it begins to take ona passing similarity to the shape of the object held by the Apkallu. The Greek resurrection ritual was a continuation or adaptation of earlier Zoroastrian Mysteries traditions. The highest level of Zoroastrian initiation involved an induced near-death experience into a place called pairi daeza, the model for the Christian “paradise.” %‘Above: Apkalli with spine cone - or fruit? Right: See the pomegranate flowers in bloom, __» and how the petals and fruit appear strikingly similar. plant and its fruit were respected in ‘the Zoroastrian ritual, not just because it was the sacred plant inhabiting this garden of Eden, but since the plant is evergreen throughout the year, naturally it became a figurative representation of the perfection of nature, not to mention the immortality of the soul, the prime objective of the initiate undertaking the ritual. The concept is enshrined in Persian mythology with the hero Isfandiyar, who eats ‘a pomegranate and becomes invincible. This "Mysteries tradition is likely to be the one King Ashubarsipal would have been privy to.It seems that wherever the container appears it is associated with the knowledge of the Otherworld, the realm of the godly, 0 by implication, the container becomes the receptacle of that knowledge, while identifying the carrier as an individual who possesses it. Additional support for this appears in the description of the priestly king race of Ireland, the Fir Bolg, literally “Bag Men,” who ruled parallel with the Tuadhe Anu and, like them, possessed skills that allowed them access to the kind of specialist knowledge found only in a transcendental state. By their very nature as intermediaries between worlds, the Apkallu materialized already equipped with such wisdom. For humans, on the other hand, it required the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge to journey into the Otherworld and return as a god. In Mysteries schools, such candidates were declared reborn or “risen.” This idea is supported in the anthropomorphic bird feature of the Apkailu, which immediately suggests an eagle, or perhaps a falcon — not unlike the Egyptian anthropomorp! falcon gods Horus and Seker, both of whom. represent rebirth. Horus, of course, was the magically conceived child of Isis and Osiris, the central characters in the Egyptian resurrection myth which forms the foundation of “raising” rituals performed in secret chambers as far back as 2300 BC, proof of which is encapsulated in the Pyramid Texts of Unas, as well as the Treatise of the Hidden Chamber inside the false tomb of Thutmosis Ill. RITUAL BAPTISM ‘What links this train of thought to our main inquiry is the initial phase of this ritual, which began with a baptism, and where the famous container puts in another appearance. In Sumerian rituals, real-life banduddd were filled with water by an Apkullu priest, who is instructed by the god Ea to “take the bucket, the hoisting device with the wooden bail, bring water from the mouth of the twin rivers, ‘over that water cast your holy spell, purify it with your holy incantation, and sprinkle that water over the man, the son of his god.” 24 SpoIsaqoPyThe effect of sprinkling this sanctified water was ptr — a release of dis-harmony from the recipient in what is probably one of the oldest descriptions of a ritual baptism. In Babylonian times only a high-ranking adept was allowed to perform the baptism. His title, Nasiru, means “preserver of secret knowledge,” a tradition that endured for a considerable period and was practiced by one later, famous nasiru, a Uan called John the Baptist. Was the container a metaphorical vessel for restricted knowledge? Perhaps. A good number of physical containers have been unearthed. They are stone or clay figures, some measuring a mere six inches, each adorned with all manner of motifs: entwined serpents, lions feasting on a bull, a woman holding two serpents, a falcon, a doorway flanked by entwined spirals, a wall of gates, and others. To anyone who understands the Mysteries’ secrets these visuals all convey various teachings once taught to secret groups, knowledge that when applied raised the consciousness of the initiate, leading him or her to stand apart from the unenlightened - “the dead.” These false containers—for they have no practical use —may have once served as mnemonic de teachings. If so, it opens the debate into the purpose behind one of the world’s oldest sacred sites, Gdbekli Tepe, for the banduddd appears carved on one of its T-shaped pillars, along with images of birds, animals, and a scorpion. Interestingly, one clay banduddd was found near Nimrud bearing an image of two women in the form of scorpions. Was Gdbekli Tepe a special classroom, an observatory, an astral marker, or all of the above? If the container really is emblematic of the repository of knowledge of the gods — and the wisdom that it confers on the carrier — then its echo is heard yet again across time and space in the story of another famous receptacle containing the laws of the Universe — the Ark of the Covenant. = Banduddo-tike artifact from the Jiroft culture: ie me Ne26 ‘Dogon Ritual Dance During the 14th century the Dogon people arrived in the Bandiagara escarpment in Mali to escape -1slamization. Each village has a democratically elected headman called Hogon, who is also their spiritual leader, as many Dogon continue to practice an indigenous polytheistic Afric Masked dances and masquerades at funerals are a feature-of their cultut known. The Dogon are also famous for their sculptures of stylized esl ‘of human or mythical figures and the strange, pre-colonial knowledge 6f the Sirius star system that is pervasive in their culture, embodied in hundreds of objects, symbols, woven blankets, and carved statues. Zi “ “ANS 27. — io rs ‘ — er ee a y .atS | MYTHICAL AGENTS OF ADORATION AN! Tee re ae Cee ennn ess tine, cultures throughout history. Dam OER From China to ancient G1 PrN Cerri Contributions by: Khadija Ta COO Coke en Chee tocaYUE LAO - THE CHINESE GOD OF LOVE AND HIS RED SILKEN THREADS Rather than using a bow and arrow, this Cupid of Chinese mythology would tie together the feet of those destined to fall in love. Yue Lao is personified as an old man and depicted in a story known as the Old Man Under the Moon. Chinese mythology espouses the concept of fate, ‘meaning the idea that destiny was decided before birth. Stories of Yue Lao claim that the old man would consult the Book of Marriage and then use red string to tie together the feet of predestined couples to bind them as husband and wife. The fictional story by Li Fuyen, a writer from the Tang Dynasty (618 to 907 AD), claimed that a young man named Wei Gu challenged Yue Lao to predict who his future wife would be. Yue Lao pointed ‘Yue Lao at the Wong Tai Sin Temple in Hong Kong. to the plain daughter of a blind woman and a disappointed Wei Gu ordered his servant to stab the girl. Time passed and the prophecy came true, a fact Wei Gu only discovered years later when he noticed a wound on his wife's body which she explained was from having been stabbed by a servant years before. When Wei Gu had children, Yue Lao refused to play his part and Wei Gu’s bloodline came to an end. Nowadays people flock to. ‘Yue Lao temples throughout Asia to pray to the so-called matchmaker love god, and locations such as the Xia Hai City God Temple in Taiwan or the Yueh Hai Ching Temple in Singapore have become popular destinations for those looking for love. Devotees should place a piece of red string on the deity and are often asked to provide offerings of money. 3132 THE HORNED GOD PAN AND HIS UNREQUITED LUSTS It is almost impossible to separate Pan and sex; he is a deity remembered from the ancient Greek pantheon as a lusty god and the patron of sex for the sake of lust and physical logical. satisfaction. ue Pan represented contrary nature, . seme Pan'smyths instant gratification are full of and living in the conquests and dalliances but are void of long- term partners. Although Pan moment, to the ancient Greeks he also represented the price of such represented abandon, which eae oftentimes involved gratification and living in heartbreak, regret, the moment, and loneliness. to the ancient Greeks he also represented the price of such abandon, which oftentimes involved heartbreak, regret, and loneliness. ‘An uncivilized god in a civilized world, Pan's first role has always been that of the shepherd, the guardian between civilization and the wild. Much like the goat, which could never truly be domesticated, Pan has always retained a bit of his feral nature. Unlike many other depictions of male gods, Pan is often depicted with an erect phallus. This is significant as, in the ancient world, depictions of small penises were more culturally valued. Meanwhile large penises were associated with characteristics such as foolishness, lust, and ugliness. The ideal ani was rational, intellectual, and authoritative as his small penis allowed him to remain coolly Therefore, while depictions the ways that were deemed “acceptable” to society. In one of the stories involving Pan, the beautiful moon goddess Selene nt Greek man of nudity among the gods of ancient Greece were common, gods with erect members were not (except Priapus, who you'll read about ina moment). The fact that Pan was generally depicted with an erection tells us that he was a sexual god, although not in a) oe oe <<,had received a gift of white oxen from Pan. Although Selene evidently appreciated Pan's gift of love, she was not interested in Pan himself. (One night, Pan promised to present her with a beautiful fleece made of delicate white wool. However, when Selene entered the woods to claim her gift, she found Pan dressed in the guise of a white sheep. Unaware that she was being deceived, Selene climbed upon his back and much to her surprise was passionately ravished by Pan. Selene was not the only one pursued by Pan. Syrinx was a beautiful wood nymph from Arcadia, famous for her strong passion for hunting. (One day Pan saw Syrinx in the backwoods on her way to hunt. Delighted by what he saw, Pan decided to approach her. However, Syrinx ran away from him, The nymph ran as fast as she could, but Pan followed in hot pursuit until her path was cut by the river Ladon. Desperately, Syrinx appealed to Zeus to rescue her and Zeus turned her into a reed. Enraged, Pan smashed the reeds into pieces. However, he was quickly struck with remorse. He wept and kissed the broken reeds until he discovered that his breath could create sounds from them. He therefore made the reeds into a musical instrument that would carry the lost nymph’s name. Although he called the instrument Syrinx, the instrument is more commonly referred to as “Pan Pipes” or “Pan Flutes”. Everywhere he went, Pan took his beloved Syrinx with him, delighting deities and mortals alike with its harmonious sounds. PRIAPUS: ‘A WELL-ENDOWED BUT HAPLESS GOD Fresco of Priapus, Casa dei Vetti, Pompeii The ancient Greeks also worshipped a grotesquely misshapen god called Priapus. This deity had an enormous, permanently erect phallus, and was the son of Dionysus and Aphrodite. Although most men would probably be envious of Priapus’s endowment today, the hapless god was cursed by Hera to make him ugly, impotent, and foul of mind. AA fresco in the House of Vettii in the ancient ruins of Pompeii shows the god weighing his huge member against a bag of gold. According to Italian Dr. Francesco Galassi, this fresco reveals poor Priapus suffered from severe phimosis—a painful, unhygienic condition where the foreskin of the penis cannot be retracted, and the erect penis does not return to its flaccid state. Several votives of Priapus have been found, apparently serving as an apotropaic ‘measure (having the power to ward off evil or to cure illness). Besides being the protector of male genitalia, he was also the protector of sailors, beehives, flocks, and fruit plants, especially vineyards — which makes sense, given that Dionysus was his father. 3334 PATASOLA: DESTRUCTIVE FEMME FATALE OF THE SOUTH AMERICAN JUNGLE The Patasola has been depicted in the form of a seductive, beautiful, young, woman who lured men away from hunting packs and into her jungle. The Patasola (one foot) of South American folklore is a female monster who inhabits mountain ranges, virgin forests, and dense jungles. Protector of plants, rivers, trees, and animals, Patasola was said to be unforgiving when humans entered her domain with the intent of destroying it, cursing hunts and causing landslides to block tracks through the jungle. In classic femme fatale style, the Patasola only appeared to male hunters and woodsmen, The Patasola has been depicted in the form of a seductive, beautiful, young woman who lured men away from hunting packs and into her jungle. Once the men were lost, she would reveal her true self, a one-legged, one-breasted, bulging eyed, fanged, hook-nosed, big- lipped, tangled haired beast, with a hunger for human flesh and a thirst for drinking warm blood. In most accounts the leg was said to terminate in an animal's hoof. Despite her disability, she was reported as moving nimbly through the trees and undergrowth. Javier Ocampo Lopez, a Colombian historian, writer, folklorist and professor presents her as a scorned, unfaithful, or otherwise “bad” woman. All over the world, but maybe especially in Latin American tradition, myths and legends of a darker nature often served as moral tales offering cautionary advice. Folkloric legends such as the Patasola reinforced gender norms and sexual behavior, with far-reaching effects on the collective unconscious. Unfortunately, this sexual ideal often inadvertently creates nuclear families headed up by a strong, machismo patriarch with an obedient and domestically aligned wife. Although the Patasola is a classic femme fatale archetype, defined simply as a sexy woman who leads men into danger, it can also be said that she represents the guilt and pain suffered by men who think with their “little heads” before their big ones.Xochiquetzal. Public domain. Xochiquetzal, Goddess of Beauty and Loveas depicted in the Codex Borgia, Public Dornain, The Aztecs believed that Xochiquetzal’s domain was love, beauty, and pleasure, and she was the patroness of lovers and prostitutes. XOCHIQUETZAL: AZTEC GODDESS OF BEAUTY, PLEASURE, AND LOVE According to the Aztecs, Xochiquetzal was the goddess of beauty, pleasure, and love. Commonly associated with flowers, plants, song and dance, Xochiquetzal was believed to have been a powerful goddess who was not to be trifled with. The Aztecs believed that Xochiquetzal’s domain was love, beauty, and pleasure, and she was the patroness of lovers and prostitutes, as well as artists, silversmiths, and weavers Although Xochiquetzal was a goddess of the finer things in life, she was a powerful deity in her own right. Xochiquetzal was one of the Aztec deities honored during Toxcatl, an annual festival, before which a virgin was chosen to impersonate the goddess. During the festival she was sacrificed and her skin flayed. A priest of the goddess would then wear the woman’s skin and sit at a loom. While the priest pretended to weave, devotees of the goddess would dance around him, confessing their sins to an idol of the goddess. After this, they would draw blood from their tongues as an offering to atone for their sins in a ritual bath. 3536 AINE: RADIANT CELTIC GODDESS OF LOVE, SUMMER, AND SOVEREIGNTY Aine is often remembered as a Celtic goddess of love, but she was also a deity of wealth, sovereignty, and the summer. Her sensitive and joyful personality brought her many followers in the Celtic world. The heart of her cult was located in Limerick, Ireland, though her fame spread like the sun's rays over many other regions. One may assume that the goddess of love would have had bright and happy myths surrounding her, however the legends about Aine are rather depressing, Stories often told of the goddess being raped and murdered. Yet these sad stories actually brought her closer to the women who lived in the tough Celtic world. It is important to remember that when the Celtic army worked for others or fought for their land, women also had to protect their homes, towns, and settlements. Therefore, death, cruelty, and sexual abuse were unfortunately quite common for women. Despite the sad tales, Aine brought women hope and reminded them of the joys of summer and more pleasant times. This may be why she was worshipped instead of some other deities. In ancient Irish legends, Aine is described as a Faery Queen, a goddess of the earth and nature, and a lady of the lake. It was believed she brought luck and good magic to her worshippers. Aine is also known as the goddess who taught humans the meaning of love. She took many human men as lovers and bore many Faerie-Human children. There are countless stories about her escapades with human lovers. Most of the stories about Aine and her lovers were happy and peaceful tales, but some were also sad or disturbing. One may assume that the goddess of love would have had bright and happy myths surrounding her, however the legends about Aine are rather depressing. One of the unpleasant legends speaks of a man who didn't want to learn the meaning of love, but was only driven by his sexual desires. This lout was the King of Munster called Ailill Aulom. According to the traditional story, Aine bit off his ear when he raped her, leading people to call him “One-eared Aulom.” In Old Irish law, kings needed to have a perfect appearance and a complete body. Thus, Aulom lost his authority. This story shows that Aine was also a powerful goddess of sovereignty. As a deity, she granted power to good people, but could also take it away.APHRODITE: GODDESS OF LOVE AND BEAUTY ‘The Greek goddess Aphrodite may be the most famous, and complex, of the female Olympians. Known as the goddess of love, beauty, desire, and sexuality, from ancient times to modern literature she has been depicted as a beautiful woman, often accompanied by the winged godling Eros (the Greek god of passion and physical desire). There are two versions of Aphrodite's birth, the first one being that she was born from the union of Zeus and Dione. In the second version she was born from the sea foam produced by the severed genitals of Uranus (the father of Cronus). No matter how she came to be, the one thing that all Venus fresco in the Temple of Venus in Pompeii, Italy. myths agree upon is that her beauty mesmerized the gods of Olympus. Therefore, to prevent Aphrodite from creating problems between the male gods, Zeus married her off to Hephaestus. Aphrodite had countless lovers despite her marriage, making Hephaestus a laughingstock among the deities. The most famous of her affairs was with the war god, Ares. It was from this union that Eros was born, Hephaestus was aware of the affairs but there was litle he could do to stop his wife. Ultimately, he divorced her, to preserve the small amount of honor he still had. Born out of sea foam, Aphrodite is closely associated with the sea, and was viewed as a protector of those travelling by sea (there are many sanctuaries dedicated to her). She was also the goddess and protector of prostitutes. The ancient Greeks would pray to Aphrodite for a variety of reasons: to deal with marriage problems, search for love, when travelling by water, and to protect warriors in times of battle. In Roman mythology her equivalent is Venus. m The ancient Greeks would pray to Aphrodite for a variety of reasons: to deal with marriage problems, search for love, when travelling by water, and to protect warriors in times of battle. 37Bx oe a; A n Cae Py Mian - Ail Pe ae i Mi Da a: ‘< ee Shi ax Ae - Loepa ecestosd n February 14, couples Se Rage) eur eee eau Cee are) CO eRe) Pe Meech Ceca ns TCU ut Renee Ca Cynics consider it to be a Hallmark greeting-card holiday, Ce Ree eR gers os kee ad Gere Une eoe Sect ICSU Yea a Ne OT ea Rn ET fee ee ‘occurred from February 13 - 15 Cee a sae Du eg ccc Ried Peru ue ate Poin ey ee eee mL eee uni car) eect Reece) COS ua ein Conran eum ec reenl Nia ian en hoc Nene NaS Greek not a modern creation; litisie owerey Fi ‘i " Plutarch inate Gees Pores Ecotec stg RLS cooley Creams Pea ncrcis eer cl Eo reRO ny een enc eee Valentine's Day, the supposed day of love, it can be difficult to ascertain exactly where and Te Cee eg ced Neem) holiday, It is celebrated in many countries, but its classification as Pome ue an eee hens Nee agen aol Sea Semen eae ees Cer ECL mc Poem ad said to have Pagan origins. Grrr SW LS ate Me a Restos ter) Dei Oc ed Perea ean gre TENS ene ec] of the magistrates run up and Cen Reem for sport and laughter striking Ce ea ec] Cea ee Ar us eRe esha e way, and like children at school Secu believing that the pregnant will thus be helped in delivery, and Re nine aaa In Lives of the Principal Saints Ceca DEC ated 39Dp ltretteg aay rece Perec nnn Svone ps tte tts Peer cen! eee) be drawn to create Seems this could have given rise to the modern Prt Romeo nta Nena Pate notes. ng i a is recorded stating that during Lupercalia men and women would place their names in jars and the names would be drawn to create pairings. Some argue this could have given rise to the modern ritual of exchanging Valentine's Day love notes. However, there is no direct evidence linking Valentine's Day to Lupercalia, or to the practice of pulling names to pair men and women. Regarding the choosing of partners, in 1382, Geoffrey Chaucer authored Parlement of Foules, in which he wrote “For this was on seynt Volantynys day, Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.” This translates to “For this was on St. Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate.” ‘There has been an assumption that Chaucer was referring to February 14 as Valentine's Day, but there are many arguments by which Chaucer could have been referring to any number of days during the year. For example, it is unlikely that birds in the area would be choosing a mate during the winter month of February.CHRISTIAN ORIGINS OF VALENTINE’S DAY Another possibility for the origin of Valentine's Day involves the Christian priest, St. Valentine. Itis alleged that the Roman Emperor, Claudius Gothicus (third century AD) banned marriage to prevent young men from avoiding military draft by marrying. Valentinus, a Christian priest, agreed to perform secret marriages. However, it has been argued that no such ban on marriage ever took place, and that Claudius Gothicus, in fact, urged men to take multiple wive: Another tale of St. Valentine claims that a priest by this name was jailed when he fell in love with the warden’s daughter. He would write her notes signed “Your Valentine,” for which he was eventually beheaded. There are several legends concerning more than one St. Valentinus during the reign of Roman Emperor Claudius Gothicus. They are all said to have converted non-believers through miracles and era oe er eeePena eS there was nothing romantic about their legends; in fact, the emperor is said to have had them and the converts put to death. The priests were all beheaded. Medieval Christians, at the time of compiling the Acta Sanctorum, were more concerned about the relics of saints than the historical veracity of the legends. Which is why several churches display bits and pieces of a St. Valentine’s body - even the skulls, which may account for the legends of beheading or the popular phrase “falling head over heels in love.” Valentine’s Day is celebrated on. 2 February 14 in many Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion it has the rank of ‘commemoration’ in the calendar of saints. The calendar of saints for the Lutheran church includes the feast of St. Valentine. However, the feast of St. Valentine was removed from the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints in 1969. MODERN VALENTINE'S DAY Valentine's Day has continued to evolve. In 1797, mass-produced Valentine's cards came into production, after the publication of a book called The Young Man's Valentine Writer. Rather than writing individual notes to their beloved, men could copy from these scripts. In 19th-century England, paper Valentines became very popular, adorned with embellishments such as ribbon and lace. Mass production of Valentines in the United States began in 1847 when Esther Howland, inspired by a Valentine received from Europ began selling Valentine cards through her father’s stationery store. Today, retailers around the world sell mass-produced varieties of Valentine cards with images of_ hearts and Cupid and adorned with lace and ribbon. Some of these cards are sentimental and romantic, while others are humorous. Cards are no longer meant solely for one’s beloved, as they are distributed widely among children in school, given to friends, parents, and other family members. There are as many ways to observe Valentine's Day as there are cultures that recognize it European folk tradition ties St. Valentine to the approach of spring. In Norfolk, England, a mystical charact named “Jack Valentine” visits houses delivering candy and presents. In Slovenia, the saint is related to spring, and is the patron of beekeepers. February 14 in Finland is for remembering all of one’s friends, not just lovers. In Japan, China, and South Korea, Valentine's Day is observed with traditional sweets and gifts, but one month later on White Day, March 14, the favor i expected to be returned in kind, with more presents and chocolate. m Happy Valentine’ Day! St. Dwynwen, A Female Patron Saint of Lovers ee PEST Rue ek ae Cae ee ech was Rene eee Rac romantically inclined? In Wales, the Patron Saint of Lovers is a woman and the date for celebrations falls on EPR aa nee! Legend holds that a young noble maiden, Dwynwen, the daughter of eee ace iy Cue eS ae a sd Tea tu kt ec ttc he eae eae RO eC Renae nats eek ear ty PO cee cue which the pious maiden obviously ei Maes aun ek) Peete aCe oC UL eee eee oon prayed to God, who punished Maelon by turning him into a block of ice. Te Oma eeu TN God granted her three wishes. DUC kOe Maelon; the second was that prayers in her name by all lovers should be Sn eee een kts eee ee cena Sal of their passions; and the third wish was that she would never marry, which Re ee ee Ec eae) Perce nes| ric: ‘ BAND OF s0e0n eee y WARRIORS AND LOVERS UNTIL DEAT || BYB. B. WAGNER dl‘The Sacred Band of Thebes was an elite fourth century BC fighting unit consisting of 300 Theban soldiers, who were not only supreme warriors but coupled lovers as well. According to the scholar Plutarch, the creation of the unit took place sometime between 379 and 378 BC, the brainchild of General Gorgidas, a military leader who believed that those who were lovers would fight more ferociously to keep each other alive than those who were not. It was General Pelopidas who then structured this elite unit of coupled lovers-soldiers into a formidable fighting force, which went on to gain the respect of all of late-classical Greece. Their existenc spanned 40 years, from 378 to 338 BC. In 300 BC the Greek city-state of Thebes erected a stone lion on a pedestal in their honor to mark th mass burial site. This site still exists today at the village of Chaeronea, as a memorial to their act of valor and their love, echoing through the ages. 45Ue estecR eae rinaree ch kedscva ace ROTH Roe tench meno nS amis eens would not nai RoR neorme atl = oo aa ar ea mdaHOMOSEXUALITY IN ANCIENT GREECE According to historical scholar Thomas K. Hubbard, since the fourth century BC, male same- gender relationships had been a recurring theme in Greek philosophical discourse. This is emphasized by the popular the belief that each member would not only fight to save their own skin, but to protect their lover as well. Plato stated: “any army made up of such lovers would conquer all of mankind.” It would seem that with such praise from such philosophers sexual regarding this preference notion, it was not for The ancient that strange that pedagogical Greeks did not Thebes would pederasty we put this theory (love between distinguish sexual into practice an older desire simply But Thebes was man and a 5 7 not the only younger boy) by the gender of Gy soliowing embedded couples, but by the this philosophy. within roles of dominance The Spartan ancient Greek tradition of scholarly each member ppititary training culture. played in the also condoned The ancient relationship, _ &Y relationships Greeks did not BN. distinguish sexual desire simply by the gender of couples, but by the roles of dominance each member played in the relationship. It was accepted that sexual relationships could if exist between an Jf older adult male and AV a younger adolescent F (and sometimes pubescent) beardless boy. It was so inherent that in Plato's Symposium (circa 385 to 370 BC) he penned a hypothetical discussion regarding the benefits of having a fighting unit entirely made up of gay lovers. Plato argued that an army made up of gay lovers would be exceedingly effective, due to eee) in ancient Greek pottery. This Poorer ea rieate snes asa strategy of promoting emotional bonding and good morale among the troops. However, their situation was different since many Spartan warriors were not exclusive to a coupled lover within their company and were expected to be devoted to their city-state. Culturally, it would appear that Thebes attempted something novel by using a philosophical ideal as a strategy for perfecting the art of war. This experiment of coupled lovers within a regiment eventually proved very successful when put into practice. CREATING THE CONCEPT OF THE SACRED BAND OF THEBES The history of Thebes spanned as far back as the Mycenaean 47era and emerged in the ancient region of Boeotia, becoming the leading power within the Boeotian Confederacy. Since its early beginnings, Thebes had also infamously maintained hostility against Athens and it sided with the Persian Invasion (480 to 479 BC) shortly after Thermopylae. Thebes remained a continuously adversarial city-state towards not only the Athenians but the Spartans as well. Thebes was much respected in the art of war. In furthering their military strength, the sacred Band of Thebes played a major role in solidifying the Theban reputation as a strong city-state. The original formation of the Sacred Band of Thebes took place shortly 48 after the death of Spartan General Phoebidas at the hands of General Gorgidas, inevitably triggering the expulsion of the Spartan forces from the occupied Theban Citadel of Cadma in 378 BC General Gorgidas envisioned an elite fighting force, encompassing warriors of great prowess, based on merit, who were coupled with lovers of equal standing. Members of the Sacred Band were supposedly selected by their merits and acts alone, void of the influence of status and class in society. Plutarch mentioned that the term “sacred” referred to Theban military units who vowed their undying love for their lovers in front of the Theban Shrine of lolaus, 6 at Older soldier and younger soldier.