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Rock the Gods.

  • 23 months ago · Quote · #1

    pawnsolo2

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    T h e  G o d d e s s   A t h e n a

    The Goddess Athena of Piraeus

    The Statue of the Goddess Athena (c. 340 BCE), 
    at the Piraeus Museum, Athens, Greece.

      Daughter of Zeus, and only by him, the Goddess Athena was not generated by any woman. She leaped from the head of Zeus, already adult, dressed with her armor.  
       But the mother is not completely missing from the miraculous birth of Pallas Athena. According to Hesiod's account of the weddings of Zeus, the King of the Gods chose Metis as his first wife. She was of all beings "the most knowing" (as the word metis is interpreted), or "of many counsels" as translated in the sense of the Homeric epithet polymetis. 
       As she was about to give birth to the Goddess Athena, Zeus deceived his pregnant wife with cunning words and assimilated her into his own body. Mother Earth and Father Sky had advised him to do this so as to prevent any of his descendants from robbing him of his kingly rank. For it was destined that the most brilliant children were to be born to the Goddess Metis: first, the daughter Athena, and later a son, the future King of Gods and men. 
       In the most ancient account, the Iliad, Athena is the Goddess of ferocious and implacable fight, but, wherever she can be found, she only is a warrior to defend the State and the native land against the enemies coming from outside.  
       She is, above all, the Goddess of the City, the protectress of civilized life, of artesian activities, and of agriculture. She also invented the horse-bit, which, for the first time, tamed horses, allowing men to use them.  
       She is the favorite daughter of Zeus; and that's why he let her use his insignia: the terrible shield, the aegis and his devastating weapon, the ray.  
       The most used expression to describe her is "the bright eyed". She is the first of the three virgin Goddesses, also known as Maiden, Parthenos, and from this name was taken the name to the most important Temple dedicated to her, the Parthenon.  
       In poetry she is the incarnation of Wisdom, Reason and Purity.  
       Athens is her city; the olive tree, created by her, is her tree; the owl, is the birth consecrated to her.  

    M Y T H O S
  • 23 months ago · Quote · #2

    pawnsolo2

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    The Death of Achilles

    		 Onwards

    Ovid Metamorphoses
    Nestor tells of the death of Achilles

    (Cygnus, son of Neptune, was killed by Achilles at the beginning of the war - his father Poseidon turned him into a swan)

    But Neptune still grieved for the son whose body
    was now a swan's, and most of all he hated
    Achilles with a deadly hate. Ten years
    The war went on, and Neptune sought Apollo:

    "Dearest to me of all my brother's sons,
    Who helped me, and for nothing, build the walls
    Of Troy, is it not pitiful to see
    These walls about to topple? Is it not
    Pitiful that so many thousands perished
    Defending them, the nameless dead, and Hector
    dragged in the dirt around the town? Achilles,
    Fiercer and bloodier than the war itself,
    Destroyer of our workmanship, lives on,
    Keeps out of my reach, or I would make him feel
    The power of my trident. You can find him
    Better than I can, with invisible arrow:
    Bring him to suddden death!"

                                                    Apollo nodded;
    His own, and Neptune's, grievance drew him earthward,
    Cloud-wrapped to the Trojan columns. There he saw
    Paris in off-hand fashion taking pot-shots
    At Greek nonentities. As very god
    He spoke rebuking Paris:

                                "Why waste arrows
    On common rabble? If you care at all
    For vengeance, for your people, hit Achilles,
    Revenge your murdered brothers!"

                                                        And he pointed
    To where Achilles stood, his bright sword reaping
    The Trojan ranks, and Apollo swung the bow,
    Guided the hand of Paris, and old Priam
    Could almost smile, for the first time since Hector
    Had been brought low.

                                            How much better
    To have been killed outright by a manly woman
    Than womanish man, to have the Amazon,
    Penthesilea, whom he slew, been victor
    With her great battle-axe!

     

    The Death of Achilles
    Design for a tapestry

    Peter Paul Rubens
    1630-32
    Paris kills Achilles
    19th century engraving
    Apollo directs the hand of Paris

    Attic red figure pelike
    c. 460 BC
    Achilles, who is invulnerable except for his heel, dies of a wound inflicted there
    18th century engraving-etching

    Johann Balthasar Probst

     

  • 22 months ago · Quote · #3

    pawnsolo2

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    The Sex Cult of Venus

    Submitted by Sean Williams on Mon, 06/22/2009 - 12:30

    Today the name ‘Venus’ conjures images of the little planet you can see in the clear night’s sky. You might even get the vision of a Botticelli-hewn beauty breezing in atop a seashell, or any other renaissance renderings – Titian, Velasquez et al. Yet the ancient Roman goddess was once much more than a mere picture of prettiness. An incarnation of earlier eastern and Hellenic deities, Venus was reprised in so many roles that during her heyday she would’ve been visiting the heavens’ psychiatrist for hourly sessions. Yet it was during the tenure of Julius Caesar that this theologically schizophrenic image met her own renaissance; the subject of a huge number of temples, statues and cults. Caesar even believed she was his natural ancestor, and built part of his famous Roman Forum in her honour. So who was Venus, where did she come from – and how did she spark one of the most feverish cults in ancient Rome?

    An Incarnation of an Incarnation

    Venus was far from an original concept when Caesar began his infatuation. Some form of the goddess had been swimming around in the ancient world as far back as 4000 BC, in the dusty city-states of the 'cradle of civilization', Mesopotamia. During the UrukPeriod (Circa 4000 – 3100 BC), Inanna became one of the most important focal points for the Sumerian people. Representing sexual love, fertility and war, Inanna played a vital role in many of the famous Sumerian epics – most notably in that of Enmerkarand the Lord of Aratta, in which she transfers her favour and hegemony from the courts of Aratta to those of Uruk.

    Lely's Venus, currently in the British Museum, is one of the most iconic visions of the goddess
    Inanna would then be more famously incarnated as the Akkadiandeity Ishtar; a barely-clothed symbol for sex and war. As well as bloodthirsty calls for violence in the underworld, Ishtar was famed for her many lovers, several of whom met a fatal end as a result of their dalliances with her.

     

    Indeed, the prominent 19th century writer Donald A. Mackenzie equated Ishtar, and her Semitic equivalent Astarte, with their Greek incarnation Aphrodite – noting that both women were ‘as cruel as they were wayward.’ Mackenzie believes there is a direct link between Tammuz, the unfortunate god who succumbed to Ishtar’s charms, and Adonis, the famous Greek god who died following his affair with Aphrodite. Aphrodite was one of Greece’s most popular deities – yet she was not even the direct forebear of Rome’s Venus. That honour fell to the Etruscans, the forebears of the Roman civilization, who appropriated their own version of Aphrodite in Turan, a goddess of love and vitality who is constantly partnered with her young lover Atunis.

    Practices

    Worship of these ancient goddesses involved a lot more than just offering up prayers and thoughts. Entire cults and daily routines abounded in their honour, with many civilizations forming the basis of their family units around them. Inanna and Ishtar’s influence in the Mesopotamian world was particularly enveloping: Uruk was known as the ‘town of the courtesans’, and the high priestess at a temple dedicated to either of the two deities would choose a young man with whom to celebrate the Akitu, or new year, which fell every spring Equinox.

    This would involve a Hieros Gamos – later known as ritual prostitution – where a child would be conceived in Ishtar or Inanna’s glory. This would later become a ceremony in which all couples would attempt to achieve a mass conception on the same day – useful to the unborn child, as it would be born in the height of winter, when both parents would traditionally be in the home much more often. 

    Historians of antiquity like Herodotus (484 – 425 BC) and Strabo (63 BC – 21 AD) would later try to distance their Hellenistic cultures from the perceived barbarian acts of the Near East, and cited a myriad occasions of ritual prostitution from Assyria, to the Levant and even to the north African Carthaginian Empire. However this can be dismissed as nothing more than cultural jingoism, as the Greek world took to the practice with as much, if not more, zeal than any other ancient culture. Cotytto was a goddess of Thracian, Illyrian and Dacian origin whose calling was the safeguard of prostitutes, many of whom surrounded the empire’s hundreds of temples to Aphrodite known as her ‘priestesses’. In fact, Aphrodite was very openly known as the goddess of prostitutes, and her priestesses were famed for their work in all corners of ancient Greece, with evidence for such acts having been found in Cyprus,Corinth and Cnidus – the latter of which's temple acted as a kind of ancient red light district for sailors weary from travelling the Mediterranean.

    Caesar's Venus

    Caesar built his Temple to Venus Genetrix within the impressive Roman Forum complex
    It was Rome, however, who really took to Aphrodite’s image and ran with it. Like most other Roman deities, Venus had a number of epithets with which she carried out a wide variety of roles. Among these were the mundane, such as Venus Felix – ‘Lucky Venus’ – who occupied the areas around Rome’s Via Sacra; its main road.

     

    Yet many more incarnations found themselves on the racier side of religion, for example the mildly ludicrous Venus Kallipygoshttp://heritage-key.com/sites/all/modules/extlink/extlink.png); background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; zoom: 1; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">  – ‘Venus of the Pretty Bottom’ – whose image of a woman looking sultrily at her bare behind was hugely popular initially in Syracuse, but eventually throughout the empire. Venus Erycina – ‘Venus from Eryx’ – who represented impure love, and had a temple dedicated to her on Capitoline Hill. She was the goddess of prostitutes, and she was worshipped through her priestesses in ritual sex inside the temple. Strangely, Venus Verticordia – ‘Venus the Changer of Hearts’ – was supposed to dissuade from vice, and she was conversely worshipped through via virgin priestesses; her followers abstaining from sexual activity.

    Yet by 46 BC, Julius Caesar had announced the cult of Venus Genetrixhttp://heritage-key.com/sites/all/modules/extlink/extlink.png); background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; zoom: 1; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"> , ‘Mother Venus’, who was worshipped via a temple in Caesar’s grand forum complex in Rome. Genetrix was originally a sculpture by the 5th century BC Athenian sculptor Callimachus, and stood in a pose by which her robe fell just enough to expose her left breast whilst simultaneously retaining her feminine figure. She also held the apple won in the Judgement of Paris, an important episode in the Greek Trojan War myth. Caesar would then revamp this much-replicated image by declaring Venus Genetrix the mother of his Julia gens; being as he believed the mother of the Trojan hero Aeneas. Her temple was a lavish marble affair, with eight columns on the façade, on a raised podium reached via two lateral staircases. It was burnished with gems, statues and famous paintings, many of which featured himself and Cleopatra, the Egyptian queen with whom Caesar conducted a grand affair – which would eventually lead to Egypt’s subjugation. There is little evidence of the style of worship at Caesar’s temple, but many scholars believe ritual prostitution to have been commonplace.

    'Venus, over here!' The goddess still has plenty of pulling power today
    Thus, thanks to Caesar, the cult of Venus/Aphrodite/Inanna had come round full circle – from the sandy cities of the Middle East to the temperate temples of Rome. And despite what Roman chroniclers may have said about the proliferation of religious prostitution in their empire, a goddess of sexual love, worshipped through ritual sex, is one of the many constants of the ancient world. The advent of Christianity and its relatively puritanical views on sex all but killed off the sex cult, but during the world's polytheistic zenith it was one of the firmest pillars of society. Indeed, Venus' image of sexual beauty, in reposed demur and partially exposed eroticism, is as popular as ever - with hundreds of classical and renaissance depictions, such as Lely's Venus, theCapitoline Venus and the Venus de Milo (pictured, right) drawing throngs of admirers from all over the world.

     

  • 22 months ago · Quote · #4

    pawnsolo2

    Cool 

     

    The Norse Gods and Immortals

     

     

     Aegir God of the sea. Married to Ran and lives under the waves near the island of Hlesey.

    Aesir  A group of warrior gods led by Odin who inhabit Asgard.

    Balder Son of Odin and Frigg. Known as a gentle and wise god. Killed accidentally by his brother Hod. Will return after Ragnarok.

    Bolverk The alias Odin adopted when disguised as a giant to win the mead of poetry.

    Bor  Son of Buri and father of Odin, Vili and Ve.

    Bragi  God of poetry and eloquence. Son of Odin and husband of Idun.

    Buri  Ancestor of the gods. Created by the cow Audmula licking him from ice.

    Day Son of Night and Delling. Said to ride around the earth on his horse Skinfaxi.

    Earth  Daughter of Night and Annar.

    Einherjar  Band of dead warriors in Valhalla who await Ragnarok.

    Eir Goddess of healingFjorgynLover of Odin and mother of Thor. Also referred to as Earth.

    Forseti  God of Justice. Son of Balder and Nanna.

    Freyja  Main goddess of the Vanir (fertility gods). Daughter of Njord and sister of Freyr.

    Freyr Important god of the Vanir. Son of Njord and brother of Freyja.

    Frigg  Main goddess. Wife of Odin and mother of Balder.

    Fulla  Goddess servant of Frigg.

    Gangnrad Pseudonym of Odin when he visits Vafthrudnir.

    Gefion  Fertility goddess. Associated with the plough. Tricked the king of Sweden out of a tract of his land.

    Grimnir  Pseudonym of Odin when he visits his foster son Geirrod, King of the Goths.

    Gullveig A Vanir goddess (probably Freyja) who is burned three times by the Aesir.

    Harbard Odin disguised as a ferryman when he wrangles with Thor.  

    Heimdall Watchman of the gods and owner of the horn Gjall. Son of nine mothers. Often identified with Rig, the creator of three races of men.

    Hermod Son of Odin. Rode to Hel to try and rescue his brother Balder.

    Hod Son of Odin. A blind god who accidentally killed his brother Balder. he will return after Ragnarok.

    Honir A long-legged, indecisive god. Sent to the Vanir to seal the truce between them and the Aesir. He will survive Ragnarok.

    Idun Guardian of the golden apples of youth and wife of Bragi.

    Lofn Goddess of ilicit unions.LokiThe sly, trickster god. Son of two giants. Also known as the Sly One, the Trickster, the Shape Changer and the Sky Traveller. Becomes increasingly more evil. He is responsible for the death of Balder. Bound until Ragnarok.

    Magni Son of Thor and the giantess Jarnsaxa. Will inherit Thor's hammer Mjollnir with his brother Modi after Ragnarok.

    Mimir  Wise Aesir god. Sent to the Vanir to seal the truce between the two groups of gods. Killed by the Vanir, his head is kept by Odin.

    Modgud Maiden guardian of the bridge over the river Gjoll in Jotenheim.

    Modi Son of Thor and the giantess Jarnsaxa. Will inherit Thor's hammer Mjollnir with his brother Magni after Ragnarok.

    Moon Son of Mundilfari. Guides the moon on it's course.

    Nanna Wife of Balder and daughter of Nep.

    Narvi Also known as Nari. Son of Loki and Sigyn who was killed by his brother Vali.

    Night Daughter of Narvi and mother of Day. Rides around the earth on her horse Hrimfaxi.

    Njord A Vanir god associated with wind and sea. Husband of Skadi and father of Freyja and Freyr.

    Norns Urd "fate", Skuld "being" and Verandi "necessity". Three goddesses of destiny.

    Od Missing husband of Freyja who she constantly mourns for.

    Odin God of poetry, battle and death. Chief god of the Aesir. Also known as the "all-father", the "terrible one", "one-eyed" and "father of battle".

    Ran Wife of Aegir who dragged drowning men down with her net.

    Rig Pseudonym of Heimdall and the creator of three races of men.

    Rind Goddess and lover of Odin. Mother of Vali.

    Saga Goddess and drinking companion of Odin.

    Sif Wife of Thor whose golden hair was cut off by Loki.

    Sigyn Wife of Loki.

    Sjofn Goddess of human passion.

    Sun Daughter of Mundilfari and guide of the sun.

    Syn Goddess of the accused at trial.

    Thor God of Sky, thunder and fertility. Associated with law and order in Asgard and guardian of the gods. Son of Odin and Earth and husband of Sif. Also known as the "thunder god" and "charioteer".

    Thrud Daughter of Thor. Promised to the dwarf Alvis.

    Tyr War god. Son of Odin who sacrified his hand in the binding of Fenrir.

    Ull God of archery and skiing.

    Vali Son of Loki and Sigyn. Turned into a wolf and killed his brother Narvi.

    Vali Son of Odin and the giantess Rind. Conceived to avenge the death of Balder.

    Valkyries Beautiful women who carried dying warriors to Valhalla.

    Vanir Fertility gods.

    Var Goddess of marriage oaths.

    Ve Son of Bor and brother of Odin and Vili.

    Vidar Son of Odin and the giantess Grid who will avenge Odin's death after Ragnarok.

    Vili Son of Bor and brother of Odin and Ve.

    Vor Goddess who knows all.

    The Realms of Norse Mythology    

    Alfheim The land of the light elves in AsgardAlgronIsland where Odin (Harbard) stayed for five years

    Asgard Land of the Aesir

    Bilskirnir Thor's hall in Asgard

    Birfrost The flaming rainbow bridge between Asgard and Midgard

    Breidablik Balder's hall in Asgard

    Elivagar The eleven rivers that flow from the spring of Hvergelmir in Niflheim.

    Eljudnir Hel's hall in Nifleheim

    Fensalir Frigg's hall in Asgard

    Folkvang Site of Freyja's hall in Asgard

    Franang's Falls Waterfall in Midgard where Loki, diguised as a salmon, was caught by the gods.

    Gimli Hall of the gods after Ragnarok

    Ginnungagap The void between Muspell and Nifleheim before the creation.

    Gladsheim Sanctuary of the gods on the plain of Ida.

    Glitnir Silver and gold hall of Forseti, son of Balder, in Asgard.

    Gnipahellir Cave in front of Niflheim where the hound Garm is chained up.

    HelT he realm of the dead in Niflheim, ruled over by the monster Hel.

    Himinbjorg  Heimdall's  hall in AsgardHleseyIsland near the undersea hall of Aegir and Ran.

    Hlidskjalf Odin's high thrown in Valaskjalf.

    Hnitbjorg Stronghold of the giant Suttung.

    Hvergelmir Spring in Niflheim under the root of Yggdrasill.

    Idavoll The central plain of Asgard. Contains the halls of Gladsheim and Vingolf.

    Iving River dividing Asgard from Jotunheim

    Jotunheim Land of the giants

    Lyfjaberg Mountain beside Menglad's hall in Jotunheim. 

    Lyngv iIsland on lake Armsvartnir where Fenrir is bound.

    Lyr Menglad's hall in Jotunheim

    MidgardThe realm of mankind.

    Mimir's WellWell of wisdom under the root of Yggdrasill in Asgard which is guarded by the head of Mimir.

    Muspell Southern land of fire guarded by the giant Surt.

    Nastrond Site of the hall of evil-does in Hel. The dragon Nidhogg knaws at corpses here.

    Niflheim Land of freezing mist and darkness and home of Hel.

    Okolnir Land of warmth created after Ragnarok. Site of the hall of Brimnir.

    Sessrumnir Freyja's hall in Asgard.

    Sindri Red gold roofed hall which will appear after Ragnarok.

    Sokkvabekk Saga's hall in Asgard

    Svartalfheim Realm of the dark elves.

    Thrudheim Thor's realm in Asgard and site of his hall Bilskirnir.

    Thrymheim Stronghold of the giant Thiazi which was passed on to his daughter Skadi.

    Utgard Realm in Jotunheim ruled by Utgard-Loki.

    Valaskjalf Odin's hall in Asgard.

    Valhalla Hall presided over by Odin where the Einherjar await Ragnarok.

    Vanaheim Land of the Vanir in Asgard.

    Vigrid Plain in Asgard where the final battle will occur.

    Vingolf Hall of the goddesses in Asgard.

    Ydalir Ull's hall in Asgard.

    Yggdrasill The world tree (Hodmimir's wood)

    BodnOne of the jars filled with the mead of poetry.

    Brising's Necklace Golden necklace given to Freyja by dwarfs.

    Draupnir Odin's golden ring which produced eight rings on every ninth night.

    Finbulvetr The three year winter that will preceed Ragnarok

    Gjall Heimdall's horn.

    Gleipnir Magical rope used to bind Fenrir.

    Gungnir Odin's spear.

    Mjollnir Thor's hammer.

    Naglfar Ship made of dead men's nails. Will carry the giants to the final battle at Ragnarok.

    Odronir Cauldron containing the mead of poetry.

    Ragnarok The final battle between the Gods and giants. It will cause the destruction of the nine worlds.

    Ringhorn Balder's boat. He and his wife Nanna were cremated in it.

    Skidbladnir Freyr's collapsible ship.

    Son One of the jars containing the mead of poetry. 

    Vimur Torrment added to by the menstruation blood of the giantess Gjalp.

    Von River of Fenrir's slobber.

    Animals and Monsters

    Alsvid One of the horses that pull the sun.

    Arvak One of the horses that pull the sun.

    Audumla Cow created out of ice at the creation. Suckled Ymir and licked Buri out of the ice.

    Fenrir Wolf son of Loki and his giantess mistress, Angroboda. Bound by the gods with Gleipnir.

    Fjalar Cockerall who will call out to warn the giants that Ragnarok has arrived.

    Garm Hound chained in the cave Gnipahellir at the entrance to Hel. He will escape at Ragnarok.

    Gullinbursti Freyr's golden boar.

    Gullinkambi Cockerall who wakes the Einherjar and will warn the gods that Ragnarok has arrived.

    Gullfaxi The giant Hrungnir's horse.

    Hati Wolf that chases the moon. He will catch it at Ragnarok.

    Heidrun Goat that supplies mead for the Einherjar.

    Hel Half dead, half alive daughter of Loki and Angroboda. She rules Hel.

    Himinhrjot The giant Hymir's giant Ox.

    Hrimfaxi Night's horse.

    Hrodvitnir Another name for Fenrir.

    Huginn Odin's raven.

    Jormungand Son of Loki and Angroboda. The serpant that encircles midgard.

    Muninn Odin's raven.

    Nidhogg Dragon that dwels in Nifleheim and chews the roots of Yggdrasil and eats corpses.

    Ratatosk The squirrel that runs up Yggdrasil's trunk and carries insults to the eagle in it's branches.

    Skinfaxi Day's horse.

    Skoll Wolf that chases the sun and will catch it at Ragnarok.

    Sleipnir Eight legged horse owned by Odin. Sired by Svadilfari, the stallion and carried by Loki.

    Svardilfari Stallion that helped to rebuild the walls of Asgard. Sired Sleipnir.

    Tanngnost One of the two goats that pull Thor's chariot.

    Tanngrisni One of the two goats that pull Thor's chariot.

    Men and Women

    Afi Acestor of the peasants

    Agnar Son of King Geirrod of the Goths. Named after his uncle. Rewarded for offering sustenance to Odin.

    Ai Ancestor of Serfs.

    Amma Ancestor of peasants.

    Ask The first man. Created from a tree by the sons of Bor.

    Aurvandil Husband of Groa whose frozen toe was thrown into the sky by Odin where it became a star.

    Berserks Fur wewaring warriors that fought in a frenzy.

    Beyla Wife of Byggvir and maidservant of Freyr. 

    Billing's daughter Girl who succesfully escaped Odin's advances.

    Byggvir Husband of Beyla and servant of Freyr.

    Edda Ancestor of serfs.

    Eldir Servant of the Aegir.

    Embla First women. created out of a trea by the son's of Bor.

    Fafnir Son of Hreidmar and brother of Otter.

    Fathir Ancestor of nobility.

    Fimafeng Servant of the Aegir.

    Ganglati Manservant of Hel

    Ganglot Maidservant of Hel

    Geirrod King of the goths and favorite of Odin. Tortures a disguised Odin and then trips and falls on to his sword.

    Gylfi Swedish King who is tricked by the godess Gefion.

    Hildisvini Freyja's human lover Ottar diguised as a boar.

    Hreidmar Farmer and magician. Father of Otter, Fafnir and Regin. Received a cursed ransom from Odin, Loki and Honir.

    Jarl Claimed as a son by Heimdall and taught the runes.

    Karl Ancestor of peasants.

    Kon Son of Jarl. Learned the runes and bird speech.

    Lif Man who, by hiding in Yggdrasil's branches, will survive Ragnarok.

    Lifthrasir Woman who, by hiding in Yggdrasil's branches, will survive Ragnarok.

    Loddfafnir Mortal who drank from the Well of Urd and entered Odin's hall and thus learnt the wisdom of the gods.

    Menglad Women who was won by Svipdag and the son of Groa the seeress.

    Mothir Acestor of nobility.

    Mundilfari Mortal father of Son and Moon.

    Ottar Lover of Freyja.

    Otter Son of Hreidmar. Killed by Loki, Odin and Honir, his father was compensated for this with red gold.

    Regin Son of Hreidmar.

    Roskva Farmer's daughter, sister of Thialfi and servant of Thor.

    Snor Ancestor of peasants.

    SvipdagSon of Groa.

    Thialfi Farmer's son, brother of Roskva and servant of Thor.

    Thir Wife of Thrall

    Thrall Son of Ai and Edda and husband of Thir.

    Dwarfs

    Alvis Dwarf who was promised Thor's daughter for his wife, but was tricked by Thor and turned into stone.

    Andvari Dwarf whose treasure hord was stolen by Loki to pay the blood fine for Otter's death. He cursed the hoard that was stolen.

    Brokk Brother of Eitri, who fashioned gifts for the gods with his brother and thus won a wager with Loki.

    Durin Second in command of the dwarfs.

    Dvalin Turned to stone by the sun.

    Fjalar With his brother, Galar, he killed Kvasir and made the mead of poetry from his blood.

    Galar With his brother Fjalar he killed Kvasir and made the mead of poetry from his blood.

    Ivaldi The 'sons' of Ivaldi made three great gifts for the gods.

    Lit Dwarf who was cremated with Balder and Nanna.

    Modsognir Chief of the dwarfs.

    Giants

    Angroboda Mistress of Loki and mother of Fenrir, Jormungand and Hel.

    Aurgelmir Otherwise known as Ymir.

    Baugi Brother of Sutting. He employed Odin, disguised as Bolverk, on his journey to recover the mead of poetry.

    Bergelmir The only giant to escape the flood of Ymir's blood at the creation.

    Bestla Wife of Bor and mother of Odin, Vili and Ve.

    Elli Elderly giantess who wrestled with Thor in Utgard-Loki's court.

    Farbauti Father of Loki.

    Fjolsvid Gaurdian of Menglad's hall.

    Geirrod Attempts to kill Thor in a duel.

    Gerd Wife of Freyr.

    Gilling Giant who, with his wife is killed by the dwarfs Fjalar and Galar. His death is avenged by his son, Suttung.

    Gjalp Daughter of Geirrod. Tried to kill THor by drowning him in Menstrual blood and then by crushing him against the rafters. Killed by Thor.

    Greip Daughter of Geirrod and sister of Gjalp.

    Grid Mistress of Odin. Leant Thor her magic belt, gloves and staff for his fight with Geirrod.

    Gunnlod Daughter of Suttung and guardian of the mead of poetry. Odin seduced her to steal the mead.

    Gymir Father of Gerd.

    Hraesvelg Creates the wind whilst diguised as an eagle.

    Hugi Utgard loki's thought in the form of a young giant. Beat Thialfi in a running race.

    Hymir Owner of a giant cauldron which was taken from him by Thor. Killed by Thor.

    Hyndla Discloses Ottar's ancestors to him while he is diguised as a boar.

    Hyrrokin Pulls Balder's burial boat to the sea.

    Jarnsaxa lover of Thor and mother of Magni.

    Laufey Mother of Loki

    Logi Fire in the form of a giant. Beat Loki in an eating contest at Utgard-Loki's hall.

    Mist Calf Giant made out of clay. Created as a companion for Hrungnir during his fight with Thor. His small heart made him quite useless.

    Narvi Father of night.

    Skadi Daughter of Thiazi and briefly married to Njord. Associated with hunting and skiing.

    Skrymir Utgard-Loki in disguise. met with Thor and his companions on their journey to Utgard.

    Surt Guardian of Muspell who will set the world alight at Ragnarok.

    Suttung Son of Gilling and owner of the mead of poetry.

    Thiazi Abducted Idun and her golden apples. Killed by the gods.

    Thokk Prevented Balder's return from Hel. May have been Loki in diguise.

    Thrym King of the frost giants who stole Thor's hammer and was then killed for it.

    Utgard-Loki Ruler of Utgard and a master of illusion.

    Vafthrudnir

    Giant who was killed after being tricked into a knowledge contest with Odin.

    Ymir The first giant who was formed from fire and ice. His corpse made the earth.

  • 22 months ago · Quote · #5

    pawnsolo2

    Cool

    The story of Orpheus and Eurydice, as told by Apollonius of Rhodes, Virgil and Ovid (and retold by Edith Hamilton in Mythology)

    Orpheus: "On his mother's side he was more than mortal. He was the son of one of the Muses and a Tracian prince. His mother gave him the gift of music and Thrace where he grew up fostered it. The Thracians were the most musical of the peoples of Greece. But Orpheus had no rival there or anywhere except the gods alone. There was no limit to his power when he played and sang. No one and nothing could resist him.

    In the deep still woods upon the Thracian mountains 
    Orpheus with his singing lyre led the trees, 
    Led the wild beasts of the wilderness.

    Everything animate and inanimate followed him. He moved the rocks on the hillside and turned the courses of the rivers....

    When he first met and how he wooed the maiden he loved, Euridice, we are not told, but it is clear that no maiden he wanted could have resisted the power of his song. They were married, but their joy was brief. Directly after the wedding, as the bride walked in a meadow with her bridesmaids, a viper stung her and she died. Orpheus' grief was overwhelming. He could not endure it. He determined to go down to the world of death and try to bring Eurydice back. He said to himself,

    With my song 
    I will charm Demeter's daughter, 
    I will charm the Lord of the Dead, 
    Moving their hearts with my melody. 
    I will bear her away from Hades.

    He dared more than any other man ever dared for his love. He took the fearsome journey to the underworld. There he struck his lyre, and at the sound all that vast multitude were charmed to stillness....

    O Gods who rule the dark and silent world, 
    To you all born of a woman needs must come. 
    All lovely things at last go down to you. 
    You are the debtor who is always paid. 
    A little while we tarry up on earth. 
    Then we are yours forever and forever. 
    But I seek one who came to you too soon. 
    The bud was plucked before the flower bloomed. 
    I tried to bear my loss. I could not bear it. 
    Love was too strong a god, O King, you know 
    If that old tale men tell is true, how once 
    The flowers saw the rape of Proserpine, 
    Then weave again for sweet Eurydice 
    Life's pattern that was taken from the loom 
    Too quick. See, I ask a little thing, 
    Only that you will lend, not give, her to me. 
    She shall be yours when her years' span is full.

    No one under the spell of his voice could refuse him anything. He

    Drew iron tears down Pluto's cheek, 
    and made Hell grant what Love did seek.

    They summoned Eurydice and gave her to him, but upon one condition: that he would not look back at her as she followed him, until they had reached the upper world. So the two passed through the great doors of Hades to the path which would take them out of the darkness, climbing up and up. He knew that she must be just behind him, but he longed unutterably to give one glance to make sure. But now they were almost there, the blackness was turning gray; now he had stepped out joyfully into the daylight. Then he turned to her. It was too soon; she was still in the cavern. He saw her in the dim light, and he held out his arms to clasp her; but on the instant she was gone. She had slipped back into the darkness. All he heard was one faint word, "Farewell."

    Desperately he tried to rush after her and follow her down, but he was not allowed. The gods would not consent to his entering the world of the dead a second time, while he was still alive. He was forced to return to the earth alone, in utter desolation. Then he forsook the company of men. He wandered through the wild solitudes of Thrace, comfortless except for his lyre, playing, always playing, and the rocks and the rivers and the trees heard him gladly, his only companions. But at last a band of Maenads [women] came upon him....They slew the gentle musician, tearing him limb from limb, borne along past the river's mouth on to the Lesbian shore; nor had it suffered any change from the sea when the Muses found it and buried it in the sanctuary of the island. His limbs they gathered and placed in a tomb at the foot of Mount Olympus, and there to this day the nightingales sing more sweetly than anywhere else. "

  • 20 months ago · Quote · #6

    More_Ignorance

    love the juxtaposition of the romantic version with Nick Cave's lyrics:

    "Oh Erydice appeared,

    all covered in blood.

    She said "If you play that F***ing thing down here,

    I'll shove it up your orifice."

    Such a sweet thing he is :)

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