The Minotaur
The story of the Minotaur is one of the most well known tales of Greek Myth. Yet the Minotaur actually has many stories and is not the monster he is presented as but a Horned God. A symbol of Strength and Courage, a Protector of Crete. There are some variations in what kind of god some argue he is a sun god, others a war/earthquake god. But the Minoans held cattle as extremely central to their spirituality. Various tales speak of how the Minotaur came to be: From the classic tale of curses and lust, some where the Minotaur was gifted its human form by the gods for protecting its herd, a story of love and perseverance, one where he is the child of Zeus and a cow, another tale speaks of a beauty and the beast style curse. The drop from god to monster likely sprung from the Greeks habit of taking gods of nearby people and demoting them to monster and having them slain by a Greek hero, such as the story of Medusa. This resulted in the tale of Theseus.-TLK
The story of the Minotaur is one of the most well known tales of Greek Myth. Yet the Minotaur actually has many stories and is not the monster he is presented as but a Horned God. A symbol of Strength and Courage, a Protector of Crete. There are some variations in what kind of god some argue he is a sun god, others a war/earthquake god. But the Minoans held cattle as extremely central to their spirituality. Various tales speak of how the Minotaur came to be: From the classic tale of curses and lust, some where the Minotaur was gifted its human form by the gods for protecting its herd, a story of love and perseverance, one where he is the child of Zeus and a cow, another tale speaks of a beauty and the beast style curse. The drop from god to monster likely sprung from the Greeks habit of taking gods of nearby people and demoting them to monster and having them slain by a Greek hero, such as the story of Medusa. This resulted in the tale of Theseus.-TLK
The Enkomi Horned God Statue
In Enkomi, Cyprus a statue was found around a century ago. It depicted a man wearing a horned (Bull Horns) headdress possibly even a horned god. It was not the only Horned Idol discovered the other was the Ingot God a slightly smaller and more warlike figure. They are both dated to approximately 12th century BCE. This has been used by some to support the concept of the Minotaur as ancient horned god.
In Enkomi, Cyprus a statue was found around a century ago. It depicted a man wearing a horned (Bull Horns) headdress possibly even a horned god. It was not the only Horned Idol discovered the other was the Ingot God a slightly smaller and more warlike figure. They are both dated to approximately 12th century BCE. This has been used by some to support the concept of the Minotaur as ancient horned god.
Latvian Blue Cow
The Latvian Blue Cow is a unique cow species from Latvia in the Livonian region. They are extremely old going back thousands of years, with their exact origin date unknown. In Livonian folklore Mâra (goddess of cows, milk, sea, fertility, willow trees, butter, mothers, etc in Latvia) was said to drive seven (sometimes 12) cows out of the sea to graze, these first cows are described as being blue in color.
The Latvian Blue Cow is a unique cow species from Latvia in the Livonian region. They are extremely old going back thousands of years, with their exact origin date unknown. In Livonian folklore Mâra (goddess of cows, milk, sea, fertility, willow trees, butter, mothers, etc in Latvia) was said to drive seven (sometimes 12) cows out of the sea to graze, these first cows are described as being blue in color.
In the Lascaux Cave Paintings of France The Bulls/Aurochs are plentiful, especially in the subsection known as "The Hall of Bulls" dating to 14-16,000 BCE.
🤩3
The Almabtrieb, Swiss Cow Parade
The Almabtrieb is a festival that is part Cattle Drive part Oktoberfest that is held in the Swiss alps. The tradition is said to have started in the middle ages and each region has their own unique flavor. It involves handmade crowns of bark, fire branches, local flowers, etc being placed over cows, the lead/crown cow (The Kranzrind) is usually given the most ornate crown (Fuikl). As winter approaches they are moved in Early Fall down the mountain to the valleys, all the while a large cultural festival takes place. The presence of Cattle in the alps dates back over 5000 years, long before Christianity.
The Almabtrieb is a festival that is part Cattle Drive part Oktoberfest that is held in the Swiss alps. The tradition is said to have started in the middle ages and each region has their own unique flavor. It involves handmade crowns of bark, fire branches, local flowers, etc being placed over cows, the lead/crown cow (The Kranzrind) is usually given the most ornate crown (Fuikl). As winter approaches they are moved in Early Fall down the mountain to the valleys, all the while a large cultural festival takes place. The presence of Cattle in the alps dates back over 5000 years, long before Christianity.