Sappho was a Greek poetess from the Island of Lesbos who lived around the 7th or 6th century BC. The modern day LGBT community claims her as a sort of patron saint, a lesbian poetess who wrote with much ardour about the beauty of women. This, however, is far from the image history and her own writings portray of her. According to Homer, her contemporary, she had nine children, and a surviving fragment from her poetry speaks of how delightful she finds one daughter of hers, called Cleis. What little survives of her poetry seems to be about Sappho yearning for a man or even rejecting one on the basis of age difference. Her opponents of the time claimed she was a promiscuous woman who really got around, while Meander, who lived 200 years around her death, alleged that she had commited suicide after being rejected by a man she loved.
There is a complete poem of Sappho where she allegedly called upon the Goddess Aphrodite to make a girl had unrequited love for fall for the poetess, but in ancient Greek, third-person singular verbs can refer to both men and women. Much of her poetry was dedicated to heterosexual marriage, the bride and the bridegroom, their happiness etc. She often lamented at the tragic fate of women, at how unworthy men tricked them, but she also sang to the beauty of how the man's love for a woman makes the world go round
Forwarded from 📖 Indo-European Culture (J)
What is Wicca?
Wicca is a form of British neopaganism invented in the 1950’s. It has no correlation with actual British paganism nor any type of paganism from anywhere. Wicca has different varieties. Started with Gardnerian, branched off into Alexandrian, Dianic, etc., but nowadays, most Wiccans are eclectic Wiccans, meaning they follow the basics of the first varieties of Wicca, but also incorporate other things from outside of that into their personal practice.
So, let’s start with the basics. The word Wicca in itself makes no sense at all when used in this way. The word wicca in Old English means ‘male witch,’ and wicce is the female equivalent. These both derive from Proto-Germanic *wikkjaz, which meant ‘necromancer.’ Wicca was never a religion, and Wiccans never existed.
Who do Wiccans "worship"?
The god and goddess in Wicca are the horned god, an Irish deity, and the triple goddess, a Welsh deity. They are called the Lord and Lady, despite the fact these two deities never have any contact with one another in lore nor did any European peoples ever worship them as a pair. In fact, all European peoples worshipped the pan-European father sky and mother earth archetypes as the Lord and Lady, but this is completely disregarded in Wicca.
Witchcraft?
The practice of Wicca, usually called witchcraft, has absolutely nothing to deal with the any form of British pagan witchcraft. Galdor? Spæ? You will never see these fundamental aspects of British paganism mentioned among Wiccans. Wiccan witchcraft is based on a combination of English Christian cunning folk practices of the 15th through 19th centuries, and ceremonial magick, yes magick with a k, from Semitic countries.
The symbol
Let's talk about that star. The pentacle. Earth, air, fire, water and spirit. The pentacle is a symbol that can be found in places from all over, however, Europe just isn’t one of those places. Unless you count the butter churning stave found in one particular Galdrabók from 17th century Iceland. Not to mention that calling upon the 4 elements is only found in the Slavic countries of Europe, and never the British Isles.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Wicca is NOT a European religion. It is hardly a religion at all
Wicca is a form of British neopaganism invented in the 1950’s. It has no correlation with actual British paganism nor any type of paganism from anywhere. Wicca has different varieties. Started with Gardnerian, branched off into Alexandrian, Dianic, etc., but nowadays, most Wiccans are eclectic Wiccans, meaning they follow the basics of the first varieties of Wicca, but also incorporate other things from outside of that into their personal practice.
So, let’s start with the basics. The word Wicca in itself makes no sense at all when used in this way. The word wicca in Old English means ‘male witch,’ and wicce is the female equivalent. These both derive from Proto-Germanic *wikkjaz, which meant ‘necromancer.’ Wicca was never a religion, and Wiccans never existed.
Who do Wiccans "worship"?
The god and goddess in Wicca are the horned god, an Irish deity, and the triple goddess, a Welsh deity. They are called the Lord and Lady, despite the fact these two deities never have any contact with one another in lore nor did any European peoples ever worship them as a pair. In fact, all European peoples worshipped the pan-European father sky and mother earth archetypes as the Lord and Lady, but this is completely disregarded in Wicca.
Witchcraft?
The practice of Wicca, usually called witchcraft, has absolutely nothing to deal with the any form of British pagan witchcraft. Galdor? Spæ? You will never see these fundamental aspects of British paganism mentioned among Wiccans. Wiccan witchcraft is based on a combination of English Christian cunning folk practices of the 15th through 19th centuries, and ceremonial magick, yes magick with a k, from Semitic countries.
The symbol
Let's talk about that star. The pentacle. Earth, air, fire, water and spirit. The pentacle is a symbol that can be found in places from all over, however, Europe just isn’t one of those places. Unless you count the butter churning stave found in one particular Galdrabók from 17th century Iceland. Not to mention that calling upon the 4 elements is only found in the Slavic countries of Europe, and never the British Isles.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Wicca is NOT a European religion. It is hardly a religion at all
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Solar blessings upon you all.
@solarcult
Solar blessings upon you all.
@solarcult
ON JARILO: JAROVIT OF THE POLABIAN SLAVS AND HIS WAR FUNCTION
Jarovit can be translated into Furious Lord or Young Lord, but it can also be translated into Furious One or Young One, due to the suffix it (another example being rechit, meaning the one who talks a lot). Unlike other names under which this deity appeared, Jarovit didn’t survive through folklore, but on the other hand, Jarovit is the only variation of Jarilo’s name, which was recorded in the Middle Ages.
Jarovit can be translated into Furious Lord or Young Lord, but it can also be translated into Furious One or Young One, due to the suffix it (another example being rechit, meaning the one who talks a lot). Unlike other names under which this deity appeared, Jarovit didn’t survive through folklore, but on the other hand, Jarovit is the only variation of Jarilo’s name, which was recorded in the Middle Ages.
Otto of Bamberg, a German bishop that lived in the 12th century, mentioned Jarilo in his chronicle under the name Gerovit and compared him to the Roman God of War, Mars. Shrines dedicated to him were built in the towns of Hobolin (Havelberg) and Wołogoszcz (Wolgast). On the wall of Wołogoszcz temple, there hanged a golden shield, dedicated to Jarovit. It was bigger than regular shields and it was coated in golden tiles. This shield was the most sacred object in this temple and nobody could touch it in time of peace. In time of war, it was taken down and was carried in front of the army, which led to boost of morale. The army of Wołogoszcz believed that they will be victorious because they have the protection of the shield and Jarovit on their side. One day, a German priest took the shield from the temple and because it was the time of peace, and nobody could touch the shield, he managed to escape without resistance. Otto of Bamberg also took notes on what the priests of the temple said. They talked about Jarovit being a fertility God that makes the development of plants and animals possible.
ON JARILO: SURVIVAL OF JARILO WORSHIP THROUGH ST. GEORGE
St. George was a Roman soldier of Christian faith who had a Hellenic background. His legend talks about a dragon that lived in a lake near the city of Lide. The Dragon often came out of the lake and feasted upon anyone who has gotten too close. It also had a foul, poisonous breath which made people sick and they often died because of it. At some point townsfolk finally went with their complaints to the city ruler. He told them that in order to get rid of their dragon problem they have to sacrifice a child to the Dragon each day. Finally, one day, time came for the Lord’s daughter to be sacrificed, and when she came to the lake, St. George appeared in front of her and upon spotting the dragon, took his spear and pierced the Dragon’s head. His day was celebrated on the day of his death, on 23rd of April, later due to calendar changes Orthodox Christian Slavs started celebrating him on 6th of May.
St. George was a Roman soldier of Christian faith who had a Hellenic background. His legend talks about a dragon that lived in a lake near the city of Lide. The Dragon often came out of the lake and feasted upon anyone who has gotten too close. It also had a foul, poisonous breath which made people sick and they often died because of it. At some point townsfolk finally went with their complaints to the city ruler. He told them that in order to get rid of their dragon problem they have to sacrifice a child to the Dragon each day. Finally, one day, time came for the Lord’s daughter to be sacrificed, and when she came to the lake, St. George appeared in front of her and upon spotting the dragon, took his spear and pierced the Dragon’s head. His day was celebrated on the day of his death, on 23rd of April, later due to calendar changes Orthodox Christian Slavs started celebrating him on 6th of May.
The connection between Jarilo and St. George is apparent. Like George, Jarovit of Polabian Slavs was depicted as a spearman. Both Jarilo and George are depicted as young men who ride a horse, both are celebrated in springtime, when the land is the most green and they share very similar names. Worship of St. George is very prominent. We see that Serbs of Vojvodina, who live farming lives, often worship St. George as their family’s patron saint. This is the strongest evidence we have about St. George being connected to the farming cult, just like Jarilo was.
Forwarded from Das Volk Des Nordens
Our ancestors didn’t really worship these Gods, right? They were all just “symbols,” right?
From the Frisian Law of 785 (Lex Frisionum):
If anyone breaks into a shrine and steals sacred items from there, he shall be taken to the sea, and on the sand, which will be covered by the flood, his ears will be cleft, and he will be castrated and sacrified to the god, whose temple he dishonoured.
From the Frisian Law of 785 (Lex Frisionum):
If anyone breaks into a shrine and steals sacred items from there, he shall be taken to the sea, and on the sand, which will be covered by the flood, his ears will be cleft, and he will be castrated and sacrified to the god, whose temple he dishonoured.
Forwarded from Αρυολογία☀️ (The Indo-Europeans)
The #Mitanni Kingdom (1500 - 1350 BCE) was a Hurrian-speaking realm ruled by a Royal caste of Old-Indic speakers. The kings, from first to last, took Indo-Aryan names, such as Ṛtadhaaman ('abode of Ṛta'), Tvesaratha ('an attacking chariot') and Ṛtasmara ('remembering Ṛta'). That many of them contained the Ṛgveda's central moral concept, Ṛta (Cosmic Order), demonstrates the antiquity of the religious practises of the Indo-Aryan peoples.
In a 1380 BCE treaty with another Indo-European people, the Hittites, the Mitanni King Kurtziwaza named four Vedic deities, Indra, Varuṇa, Mitrá and the Aśvin, as witnesses.
In a 1380 BCE treaty with another Indo-European people, the Hittites, the Mitanni King Kurtziwaza named four Vedic deities, Indra, Varuṇa, Mitrá and the Aśvin, as witnesses.
ON JARILO: JARILO'S DAY CELEBRATION
Jarilo has been connected to a celebration that usually goes by the same name. The celebration of Jarilo takes place in spring. In Belarus, it was celebrated on 24th of April and in Banat region of Serbia it takes place on 7th of May. On the other hand, in Russia, it was celebrate in early June and unlike in other parts of Slavdom, here Jarilo is pictured as an old man. Folklore content is the same from Slovenia, to Russia. Jarilo is physically represented by a doll. Young people would go out to the fields and dance around, enjoying their time. At one point, they will make a figure of Jarilo with a big phallus out of straw or clay. The doll would be taken to its resting place in the same manner a deceased would be taken. Jarilo was usually carried by women and girls, with loud tears and cries. The men who followed the ritual commented how the women have the right to mourn him, for he was sweeter than honey. They would burn, bury or drown the doll and continue celebrating.
Jarilo has been connected to a celebration that usually goes by the same name. The celebration of Jarilo takes place in spring. In Belarus, it was celebrated on 24th of April and in Banat region of Serbia it takes place on 7th of May. On the other hand, in Russia, it was celebrate in early June and unlike in other parts of Slavdom, here Jarilo is pictured as an old man. Folklore content is the same from Slovenia, to Russia. Jarilo is physically represented by a doll. Young people would go out to the fields and dance around, enjoying their time. At one point, they will make a figure of Jarilo with a big phallus out of straw or clay. The doll would be taken to its resting place in the same manner a deceased would be taken. Jarilo was usually carried by women and girls, with loud tears and cries. The men who followed the ritual commented how the women have the right to mourn him, for he was sweeter than honey. They would burn, bury or drown the doll and continue celebrating.
ON JARILO: JARILO'S DAY CELEBRATION II
Dr. Sreten Petrovich, Serbian philosopher and professor of aesthetics, who went through small villages and towns and collected lore, writes in his book Serbian Mythology: Mythology, Magic and Rituals – Researching Svrlyig Region about how people of the Svrlyig region celebrated the day of St. George. It all starts two days prior to George day.
“Rise young men and women, so we can go out and pick flowers, pick flowers so we can knit wreaths, first wreath for the bread which will feed all, second wreath for the sheep that will first be milked, third wreath for the lamb which will be sacrificed.”
Folk song from Buchum dedicated to this ritual
Dr. Sreten Petrovich, Serbian philosopher and professor of aesthetics, who went through small villages and towns and collected lore, writes in his book Serbian Mythology: Mythology, Magic and Rituals – Researching Svrlyig Region about how people of the Svrlyig region celebrated the day of St. George. It all starts two days prior to George day.
“Rise young men and women, so we can go out and pick flowers, pick flowers so we can knit wreaths, first wreath for the bread which will feed all, second wreath for the sheep that will first be milked, third wreath for the lamb which will be sacrificed.”
Folk song from Buchum dedicated to this ritual
Women of the village go out to the fields, where they gather tall grass. The gathered grass will be used to knit wreaths. They usually go in a group and bring food with them. On their way back, they would pick up sticks with which they will make the frame for the wreaths. After they return home, they put the bags filled with grass somewhere to stay until dawn. In some villages, half of gathered grass is drowned in water. Next to these bags, they put a strainer which holds a “kravaj” that was baked that day, salt and a boiled egg. The next day, before dawn, the whole village would gather and they will bring musicians with them and together they would all, while singing and playing music, go near a body of water (river, spring, etc…) and there they will knit wreaths. With them, they brought the bags filled with grass, some flowers and plants they will add to the wreaths, sticks and also the kravaj, the egg and the salt. They would also bring food and bottles filled with drinks with them. The bottles will later in the evening be refilled with the water in which the grass has been drowned. During this day women would knit the wreaths, young men would sprinkle them with water and the musicians would play. The atmosphere would be very joyous and lively. During this night, young people would rejoice, for they had been given an opportunity to be more open. Young men would hug and kiss their women, but also the women of other men and young women would be happy about it.
Back at the village, in the evening householders would cut sticks from hazel, wild rose and from oak and with them make some sort of arc. Householder’s wife would in the meantime bake bread. When the arc has been completed, on the other side of him, householder’s wife would place a kettle, on top of which she would place the bread, usually it gets pierced, a napkin, a comb, a pierced stone and a ring. The host would dig a small hole under the kettle and, in it, place the kravaj, salt and egg. Sheep would be gathered and each of them would first have to cross through the arc. After that, they will be brought to the kettle and the host would try to milk them and by doing that, fill up the kettle. The bread and other items would get soaked in milk in the process. After the first sheep was milked, they would put a wreath on her head, after which all other sheep are milked. The kettle would be brought to the housewife, so that she could make cheese out of the milk. Kravaj, salt and egg would be taken and placed in an anthill. In the morning, on George day, they are taken out and the anthill would be filled with lamb feces. Then the host would cut up the ears of his lambs, all in a certain way, so that they can be separated from other host’s lambs. One lamb would be ritually sacrificed and then baked. After the feast, the anthill would be filled with the bones of the sacrificed lamb.
ON PERUN: INTRO
Perun represents the Slavic variation of one of the most important archetypes present in Indo-European polytheism, the Thunderer. Depicted as connected to eagles and to the oak, riding a flaming wagon across the sky and wielding an axe, Perun’s description almost completely fits the descriptions of other thunderers such as Thor, Perkunas and Taranis. Just like Thor, Perun was the God of the warriors. In the 6th century Procopius wrote a passage on the Slavs in De bello Gothico:
Perun represents the Slavic variation of one of the most important archetypes present in Indo-European polytheism, the Thunderer. Depicted as connected to eagles and to the oak, riding a flaming wagon across the sky and wielding an axe, Perun’s description almost completely fits the descriptions of other thunderers such as Thor, Perkunas and Taranis. Just like Thor, Perun was the God of the warriors. In the 6th century Procopius wrote a passage on the Slavs in De bello Gothico:
“For they believe that one god, the maker of the lightning, is the only lord of everything and they sacrifice to him cattle and all kinds of victims, but they do not know the fate nor do they think that it has any bearing whatsoever on human beings. Instead, when they get ready for war, they promise that, if they escape, they will make a sacrifice to the God in exchange for their life and once they have escaped, they sacrifice whatever they have at hand, believing that they have bought their safety thanks to the sacrifice. Nevertheless, they also worship rivers, nymphs and some other divine beings and they also sacrifice to them all, making divinations in those sacrifices.”
Procopius, De bello Gothico
This is the earliest writing which notes down the mention of any Slavic deity, as well as a Slavic ritual. We see that Perun was not explicitly mentioned by Procopius, but from later writings and folktales, we can surely say that he was referring to him. He describes Perun as the supreme deity in a henotheistic way. We have to understand that the Slavs which came at that time had two things in mind: war and conquering. Like said before, Perun was the God of the Warriors, so Procopius wasn’t wrong when he depicted him as the highest deity, since he was it to these brave warriors.
Procopius, De bello Gothico
This is the earliest writing which notes down the mention of any Slavic deity, as well as a Slavic ritual. We see that Perun was not explicitly mentioned by Procopius, but from later writings and folktales, we can surely say that he was referring to him. He describes Perun as the supreme deity in a henotheistic way. We have to understand that the Slavs which came at that time had two things in mind: war and conquering. Like said before, Perun was the God of the Warriors, so Procopius wasn’t wrong when he depicted him as the highest deity, since he was it to these brave warriors.