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Good God!
Meet: Mercury Mercury, the Roman god of commerce, protected travelers and transporters of goods, as well as shopkeepers and merchants, especially those dealing in grains, who would pray to him for large profits. He is chosen for this issue because Lughnasadh is the grain harvest. Mercury was the son of Jupiter, king of the gods, and Maia, goddess of the plains. He is one of the twelve major gods of the Roman pantheon. The World History website explains, “He is frequently depicted holding the caduceus, a wand used to reconcile conflicts, and winged sandals for quickly carrying messages for the gods. The wand had been given to him by…
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Good God!
Meet: Prometheus Prometheus is the Greek god of fire, intellect, and champion of mankind. He and Epimetheus, brothers and both Titans, were tasked with creating man. “Prometheus shaped man out of mud, and Athena breathed life into his clay figure,” according to greekmythology.com. The Olympians banished most of Prometheus’ family to Tartarus, leading Prometheus to love man more than the twelve Olympians – so much so that he tricked Zeus who had demanded man sacrifice a portion of all foods to the gods. The story is told that Prometheus wrapped bones in fat, and hid the best meats inside a hide. By choosing the bones, Zeus had to…
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Good God!
Meet the Gods: Adonis One of the gods associated with Beltane is Adonis, the Greek god of beauty, desire, fertility and renewal. He was born a human, but Zeus later turned him into a god at the request of Aphrodite. Therefore Adonis became known as the god of rebirth, but he is also associated with fertility and vegetation. The most popular belief is that Adonis is the son of Theias, the king of Syria, and his daughter, Myrrha (or Smyrna). According to World History Encyclopedia, the king boasted his daughter was more beautiful than Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love. When Aphrodite heard this, she became angry, and “used…
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Good God!
Meet the Gods: Attis One of the gods associated with Ostara is Attis (also spelled Atys, Attis, Attin), the mythical consort of Cybele, the Great Mother of the Gods. The two, most likely indigenous to Asia Minor, were worshipped annually upon the return of spring. While there are several different myths, all end with Attis castrating himself and either dying under a tree or being transformed into a fir tree. Zeus is said to have granted that his youthful body never decay. In some of the many tales, Cybele is Attis’ mother; in others Attis is a young, handsome, human shepherd whom Cybele loved and made her priest,…
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Book Review – Introduction to Norse Mythology for Kids: A Fun Collection of the Greatest Heroes, Monsters, and Gods in Norse Myth by Peter Aperlo
Book Review Introduction to Norse Mythology for Kids: A Fun Collection of the Greatest Heroes, Monsters, and Gods in Norse Myth by Peter Aperlo Publisher: Ulysses Press 256 Pages Release Date: May 11, 2021 Introduction to Norse Mythology for Kids is a great book to begin with an overview of Viking Culture, Norse Myths, Norse Gods, Heroes and Monsters. While this book was written for children, it gives a broad overview of Norse Mythology and culture that would be beneficial to anyone interested in this topic. There is also a chapter dedicated to resources to continue your self education with after this book. Our author begins…
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GoodGod!
Meet the Gods: Saturn Merry meet. In case you don’t have enough holiday activities in December, you can add the 17th to your calendar and observe Saturnalia, one of the most popular ancient Roman festivals. It occurred around the time of Yule. Though originally a one-day event that ignored the distinction between masters and slaves, the activities came to fill an entire week, making for much merry-making and lechery. Saturn was the son of Caelus, Father Sky, and Terra, Mother Earth. (In Greek mythology they were Cronus, Uranus, and Gaia, respectively.) To prevent a prophecy from coming true – that a son would dethrone him –…
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Book Review – Introduction to Greek Mythology for Kids: A Fun Collection of the Best Heroes, Monsters, and Gods in Greek Myth by Richard Marcus, Natalie Buczynsky, and Jonathan Shelnutt
Book Review Introduction to Greek Mythology for Kids: A Fun Collection of the Best Heroes, Monsters, and Gods in Greek Myth by Richard Marcus, Natalie Buczynsky, and Jonathan Shelnutt Publisher: Ulysses Press 187 Pages Release Date: May 11, 2021 The description on the back of the book: “Discover the exciting world of Mt. Olympus! Immerse yourself in ancient Greece with this collection of facts and stories from Greek and Roman mythology. Within these pages you’ll learn about the most powerful Greek gods and goddesses, including Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, and Hades. But this book has more than just immortals! You’ll also discover the…
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GoodGod!
Meet the Gods: Loki With the renewed interest in Norse mythology, Loki has gained popularity. Today he is typically portrayed as mischievous and self-serving, yet charming and lovable. While he’s sometimes an antagonist, he’s rarely a bad guy. In Norse mythology, he is all that and more; he is know as the cunning trickster god, sometimes getting the Æsir (gods of the principal Norse pantheon including Odin, Frigg, Höðr, Thor, and Bald) in trouble, other times getting them out. The son of the giant Farbauti and brother to Thor, Loki is most often in male form, but does not follow gender norms and changes both his sex and…
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GoodGod!
Meet the Gods: Horus Horus was the ancient Egyptian god of the sky, the sun, and kingship, worshiped for more than three thousand years. During that time, he appeared in many manifestations, each embodying a different facet of his being. Egyptians recognized each incarnation to be aspects of the same god. He is best known as the son of Isis and Osiris. His brother, Seth, killed their father, so to keep him safe, Isis hid Horus beside the Nile. When he grew strong, he fought his brother to retake his father’s throne, thus associating him with kingship. Considered Egypt’s first divine king, those on the throne after Horus…
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Book Review – Healing Plants of Greek Myth by Angela Paine
Book Review Healing Plants of Greek Myth by Angela Paine Published by Moon Books 348 pages Publication date: April 29, 2022 Angela Paine’s Healing Plants of Greek Myth has a wonderfully focused subject area which it sticks to very well: exploring the plants which play roles in ancient Greek mythology, especially those which had medicinal use. It’s useful to note that unknown and potentially fictional plants do not make an appearance here; moly, for example, is not explored at all. The book starts with a detailed introduction to the central deities, heroes, and stories of Greek mythology, as well as a lovely description of the author’s visit to…
