Toward the Light

Tag: paganism

  • Yule Blessings

    Yule Blessings

    Blessings to you from the Earth Mother.
    Blessings to you from the Sky Father.
    Blessings to you from the Great Spirit.
    May you have a wonderful Holiday.
    The time has come for the sun to be reborn.

    What is Yule?

    • Yule is an ancient multi-day Pagan winter solstice festival dating back thousands of years (long before jews invented Christianity).
    • Yule (21 or 22 Dec in the Northern Hemisphere, 20 or 21 June in the Southern Hemisphere) is an important Pagan holiday.
    • We celebrate the longest night of the year, the shortest day, the return of the sun, and the eventual return of spring, life, and fertility.
    • Yule is a bright, light-filled feast with friends, family and loved ones.
    • It is a perfect reminder in the dark depths of winter that light and life are always present.
    • The word Yule may have Anglo-Saxon origins relating to the word wheel in reference to the sun’s cycles.
    • Christmas is a perverse corruption of Yule.

    How is Yule celebrated?

    Feasting

    • Farmers slaughter cattle and hunters provide boar and stag for feasting.
    • Wine, beer, and other spirits created in the previous six months are consumed.
    • Plenty of wheat products are eaten. This includes breads, cookies, and cakes.

    Evergreen Trees

    • Evergreen trees are valued at Yule because they represent protection, prosperity, and the continuity of life.
    • The evergreen trees remind us that although everything seems dead, life continues.
    • People hang gifts for the gods in the groves of evergreen trees and shrubs.

    Yule Log

    • The oak tree is considered the most potent force because it is a strong and solid wood that represents triumph and victory.
    • Pagans light bonfires during Yule and these are typically made of oak wood.
    • The fire is kept burning at a slow rate for 12 days and then the ashes are sprinkled in the field for good luck.

    Plants and Berries

    • Plants like mistletoe, ivy, and holly are brought indoors to assure safety to the residing woodland spirits over the harsh winter months.
    • In particular, ivy stands for healing, fidelity, and marriage, and is fashioned into crowns, wreaths, and garlands.
    • Druids greatly value the power of mistletoe and they dance around oaks that bear mistletoe.

    Symbols of Yule

    The symbols are of fertility, life, renewal, and hope. In addition to the above-mentioned symbolism:

    • Colour. The main colours are red, green, and white. The holly’s red berries mean blood of life, the mistletoe’s white berries stand for purity and necessity of wintertime, and green symbolizes continuity of life.
    • Holly.The masculine element and protection (due to the prickliness of the leaves).
    • Yule Tree. The Tree of Life. It is decorated with symbols of deities, as well as natural objects such as pine-cones, fruit, candles, and berries.
    • Wreaths. These symbolize the cyclical nature of the year and also friendship and joy.
    • Carol singing. People go from door to door singing songs. In return, they are given a small gift as a symbol of blessings for the new year.
    • Bells. Bells are rung to ring away the darkness of winter, and to welcome the sunshine of spring.

    A Pagan Yule song: Solstice Carole
    Lively Celtic music: The Laxey Reels (Laxey is in Isle of Man)

    Keep the yid out of Yule.

  • Odinism

    Odinism

    Recovery from the Christian catastrophe

    Origin of European religions

    European religions seem to be based on one story re-told since pre-Deluvian (Atlantean) times. This story was well-recorded in the ancient Egyptian religion. We can look at the Egyptian records to see the origin of European religions.1

    Osiris


    Osiris with an Atef crown made of bronze

    Function and appearance
    In ancient Egypt he was revered as a father-figure and god of life, fertility, agriculture, vegetation, the dead, resurrection, and the afterlife.2 He was green in colour, like the Green Man (Odin) of European pre-Christians, and he could be depicted with horns, like our Green Man.1 He symbolizes our oneness with the Earth, and as the Green Man, Odin became the god of the forest.3 Ireland has an especially deep connection to the colour green and green men.1

    European names after Osiris
    Among Celts the Green Man was also known as Cernunnos or Herne the Hunter, further known as the mighty hunter Nimrod and Odin. Also, add an H on the end of Osiris and we get OsIrish.1

    Date connection
    Osiris was killed on the 17th day of the 3rd month of the ancient calendar and the Irish St. Patrick celebration is on 17 March.1

    Eye and rainbow
    Osiris is also connected to the eye (iris) and rainbows (Iris the Greek goddess of the rainbow). Odin sacrificed his eye to gain wisdom, a rainbow connects our world (Midgard) to the realm (Asgard) of gods, and Bifrost is a burning rainbow bridge between Midgard and Asgard.

    Crucifixions

    Osiris
    Osiris was shown stretched on the immense cross formed by the junction of the meridian and the equator. He was suspended in the Phrygian mysteries to a cruciform tree which was cut up and distributed as a talisman, and which became the Lignum Vitae. This represents “salvation by wood” (Thomson, 1872).4

    Osiris, Horus and Prometheus
    “Osiris and Horus [one of the most significant ancient Egyptian deities, served many functions] were crucified as “saviours ” and “redeemers”; the sufferings, death, and resurrection of Osiris forming the great mystery of the Egyptian religion. Prometheus [a Titan god of fire], of Greece, was with chains nailed to the rocks on Mount Caucasus, “with arms extended,” as a saviour; and the tragedy of the crucifixion was acted in Athens 500 years before the Christian era” (Hardwicke, 1899).5

    Odin
    “I know that I hung, on a wind-rocked tree, nine whole nights, with a spear wounded, and to Odin offered, myself to myself; on that tree, of which no one knows from what root it springs” (Odin’s Rune-song, Hávamál).6

    Esus
    In addition to the above-mentioned crucifixion stories (cross, tree, wood, sacrifice, crucifixion, saviour, redeemer, death, resurrection) that pre-date the Jesus crucifixion tale, there is the story of Esus (Celtic: “Lord,” or “Master”).7 From Britannica:7

    “Esus was a powerful Celtic deity, one of three mentioned by the Roman poet Lucan in the 1st century AD; the other two were Taranis (“Thunderer”) and Teutates (“God of the People”). Esus’ victims, according to later commentators, were sacrificed by being ritually stabbed and hung from trees. A relief from the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris portrays him as a bent woodman cutting a branch from a willow tree.”

    Esus became Jesus
    To clarify, Esus was a killer carpenter (a wood cutter who stabbed and hanged people from trees). Although the New Testament is quiet about this aspect of J/esus’ character, Esus became Jesus for the purposes of Christianity. Both Esus and Jesus were carpenters, both were involved in human sacrifice on wood (Jesus was allegedly sacrificed on a wooden cross) and both were involved in stabbing (Jesus was supposedly stabbed while on the cross).

    The Celtic Cross
    The solar saviour, crucified upon the cross of the seasons, is portrayed by the Celtic Cross, which often sits on an obelisk-like base.1

    Paganism was the norm

    All peoples of ancient times were pagan: the ancient Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Babylonians and Teutons (Germanic peoples — their modern representatives include the Germans, Dutch, Flemings, Danes, Swedes, Norwegians, Icelanders, Anglo-Saxons of England and lowland Scotland, and all their descendants in the New World), Celts and Slavs. The polytheistic Hindu and Shinto faiths of India and Japan respectively, are forms of paganism that survived into modern times, as are the animist religions of sub-Saharan Africa. In a sense paganism is the only universal form of religion known to man. Odinism is but one branch of the pagan family of religions.8

    Further, polytheism (the belief in many gods and goddesses) is a common feature of ancient religions. These pagan or ‘natural’ religions are in contrast to the ‘prophetic’ or ‘revealed’ religions allegedly founded much later by individuals like Confucius, Buddha, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed.8

    Odin fragments in Christian society

    Saint Michael

    Odin was transformed into St. Michael, the warrior-angel who led the hosts of Heaven.3

    Christmas

    The pre-Christian festival for celebrating the coming of the sun (longer, warmer days and a new growing season) involved cutting down the Yule tree and burning the Yule log.3 The evergreen Yule tree (stripped of its meaning in the Christian “Christmas tree”) symbolized Yggdrasil and life.9 Among his many roles, Odin was a bringer of gifts, including sunshine and life. Druids honoured him by tying gilded apples to the Yule tree as a symbol of fire. As occurs at Christmas (but without the depth of meaning), in return, sacrificial harvest gifts were left in socks, boots, and clogs for Odin’s holy eight-legged steed Sleipnir (glider).3

    Santa Claus (Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas)

    This concept began with Odin. Until the early 1900s, Santa Claus was in the image of a fur-clad Odin / Herne with deer antlers sprouting from his head. From ancient times, horns on humans symbolized divinity and fertility. The current image of Santa Claus with his white fur-trimmed red velvet outfit was created by the Coca Cola company in the early 1900s.3

    Santa Claus’ reindeer sleigh

    “Sleigh” is from “Sleipnir,” the name of Odin’s eight-legged steed that could gallop at immense speed across the entire nine worlds. As Odin had to travel to the underworld at times, the eight legs of Sleipnir are also symbolized by the eight legs of funeral pallbearers carrying a coffin.3

    Valhalla

    Valhalla (one of Odin’s three great halls in Asgard — the realm of super-conscious awareness) was changed into a limited concept of Heaven in Christianity.3

    Wednesday

    This day of the week (Wotan’s day) was originally named in honour of Wotan / Odin.3

    Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen

    Odin appears in the first three of these music dramas by Richard Wagner: Das Rheingold (Entry of the Gods into Valhalla — listen here), Die Walkuere (The ride of the Valkyries — listen here) and Götterdämmerung (Siegfried’s Funeral March — listen here).

    J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings

    Tolkien acknowledged the influence of pagan mythology in this book2 and in particular the Norse god Odin seems to have played a key role in the development of Gandalf’s character. Ways in which Odin is represented by Gandalf include:

    Horses
    Odin has a legendary horse, Sleipnir (eight legs, can run on the ground and through the air at great speeds). Gandalf has Shadowfax (no equal among horses in Middle-earth).10

    Spear / sword / staff
    Odin has a legendary spear Gungnir (also carried as his staff when wandering the earth as an old man; the spear never misses its mark when thrown11); Gandalf has a legendary sword Glamdring and the stave he carries has magical properties.10,11

    Sacrifice for wisdom
    Odin hangs himself, with a spear in his side, on the tree Yggdrasil for nine days in order to gain wisdom and power. Gandalf sacrifices himself defeating the Balrog, and is given back his life with increased wisdom and power after this fight.10,12

    Wandering wizards
    Odin and Gandalf both take the form of an old, grey beggar with a wide-brimmed hat and grey cloak when they wander the mortal world and deal with the inhabitants.13 Gandalf the grey is a version of ‘the Odinic wanderer’.14

    Diminished earthly forms of themselves
    In his earthly guise, Odin accrues many names, e.g. Broad-hat, Long-beard, Grey-beard, Bearer of the (Magic) Wand, Way-weary, Wayfarer, and Wanderer. Similarly, Gandalf is the name of his diminished version of his Maia state, in which he is known as Olorin.10,14

    Association with birds
    Both use birds as sources of information and occasionally quick transport. Odin has Huginn and Muninn, two ravens that fly over the world to bring him news.11 Similarly, Gandalf is brought tidings from the eagle, Gwaihir Windlord.10 They are even similar in thought and deed, as both use their bird companions to gather news about earthly people whom they care for and protect.

    Apocalypse

    The ‘end of times’ are described in Norse mythology as Ragnarok, a series of apocalyptic events that define the end of the world, where giants of frost and fire band together to fight against the gods in a final battle that destroys the planet, submerging it under water.15 Although Ragnarok is not exclusively about Odin, notable features include:

    • Warnings to man. Betrayal, societal breakdown; devastating and unending winter for three years; global warfare.16
    • Warnings to others. A rooster warns the giants, a second rooster warns the dead, a third rooster warns all the gods about the beginning of the end; a trumpet blast (the god Heimdal blows a thunder blast on the Gjallar-horn to awaken the nine worlds) brings selected dead people back to life.15,17
    • Location. This final battle between good and evil occurs at Vigrid (equivalent to Armageddon, Revelation 16:16).15,16
    • The battle. The seas are torn, the World Serpent (so large that it surrounds Earth and grasps its own tail) raises itself from the depths of the oceans to join the battle; dragons release fire that destroys all life on Earth;15 a giant wolf (Fenrir) swallows the sun and moon and causes stars to crash into Earth; mountains collapse into fragments, and the entire planet quakes in an immense bedlam of molten lava.16
    • Regeneration. There will be a new Heaven and a new Earth, repopulated by a man (called Lifthrasir) and a woman (called Lif) who sheltered from the holocaust in Yggdrasil, the World Tree. The sons of the old gods remain alive, the god of purity and justice (Balder) is reincarnated, and together they create a new race of divinities, to rule a newly purified and rejuvenated universe.16,17

    Odinism


    Odin in his guise as a wanderer, by Georg von Rosen (1886)

    Odinism (Wotanism) is essentially a profound understanding of the laws of Nature and of our purpose in life. The Gods and other icons symbolize humankind’s struggle from egocentric limitations toward the highest evolutionary levels of super-conscious awareness.9 Odinism is the religion of our Forebears.18 It was the main religious belief over all northern Europe and part of the central regions as well as the British Isles,18 i.e. Odinism is the ancestral religion of many or most people living in what are now Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Russia, Austria, northern Italy and Spain.19

    Odin (Wotan) is the central figure in this religion.18 The name Odin is etymologically connected with the Latin “vadere” and means movement, or source of movement, power, a manifestation of the highest god as ‘the mover of things’.18 He is the supreme god, god of Heaven, Heaven itself; the fountain-head of wisdom and founder of poetry, writing, and culture; lord of battle and giver of the highest blessings, especially of victory; later, of magic and sorcery. His is the creative power: out of Ash and Elm he made man and woman.20 Usually Odin is shown as a distinguished old man with a wide-brimmed, floppy hat concealing his face. From his throne (Hildskialf) he can see all of the nine worlds and witness the activities of man and god.21

    “Pagan” and “heathen” were Christian insults

    People who prayed to Odin called themselves Odinists (or Wotanists),22 as do Odinists today. However, Christians expressed their contempt for those (Odinists) who revere gods and all their creations by calling them pagans (pagani: villagers, equivalent to the modern insult, “peasants”) and later heathens (from Old English hæðen: not Christian or Jewish).2,18 The terms “heathen” and “pagan” are synonymous and interchangeable.8

    Endurance and recovery of Odinism

    Where I live (Isle of Man) in the British Isles, until the early 1900s, Odin still featured prominently in Manx culture, e.g. in 1903, for Fair-days here, people still made cakes of ginger-bread moulded into the figures of Odin, his wife Frigga, their son Thor, Odin’s horse Sleipnir and a rooster (likely Goldcomb, who crows in Valhalla).20 Odinism and our true culture never completely died out here, and as is occurring in other Celtic nations, it’s now making a strong recovery.

    More generally, although Odinism was almost exterminated in the fifteenth century,23 it was kept alive and passed on by actual practitioners.9 Indeed, according to Odinic Rite Australia,19 in Australian (and British and US) law, Odinism is described as “the continuation of … the organic spiritual beliefs and religion of the indigenous peoples of northern Europe as embodied in the Edda ….” [my emphasis]

    As is evident from the many Odinist organizations around the world (see Resources below), the strong recovery of Odinism is widespread. It’s also interesting to consider the substantial history of some Odinist groups, e.g. The Odin Brotherhood23 claims an unbroken historical lineage from 1421.

    How intelligent Odinists view the myths

    The myths were not intended to be read as a history of actual events. Odinists believe in the spiritual truths expressed in myth, not the story as such.8 Similarly, although the gods and goddesses are depicted as human-like, intelligent Odinists knew the Aesir are gods, divine spirits, not humans. Our Forefathers depicted the gods as human-like because our human minds find it easier to grasp spiritual truths when they are expressed in familiar terms. Every detail of the gods’ physical attributes and behaviour recorded in the myths indicates an underlying spiritual truth.8

    Other names for Odin

    Apart from his German name, Wotan (Wuotan in the High German form), Odin is also called Woden.18 Among Celts, Odin was also known as Cernunnos, Herne the Hunter, the mighty hunter Nimrod, and the Green Man. In Isle of Man, Odin’s names included Grim (on account of his broad-brimmed hat or a hood), a name that occurs in two of our runic inscriptions; Gautr (Father); Ygg (Awe); Lord of the Gallows (all who died by hanging were dedicated to Odin); Hnikar (a water-god — commemorated in the Nickey fishing boat rig and the ancient place-name “Nikkeson,” a pool on the Glen Roy river). As in other places, on this Island the term “Old Nick” refers to Odin.20

    Among old Germans, Odin / Wotan was known as All-Father, Lord of Hosts, Lord of the Spear, Smiter, All-Knowing, Fulfiller of Wishes, Farspoken, Shaker, Burner, Destroyer, Protector, and Gelding.3

    Odinist Cosmology


    Yggdrasil, illustrated by John Howe

    In Odinism there isn’t a simplistic dichotomy of ‘Heaven and Earth’. Odinist mythology explains that, just as there are many gods, there are also many ‘worlds’, i.e. many planes of existence, or dimensions of reality, interconnected, overlapping and inextricably enmeshed with one another. The myths describe these different aspects of consciousness as the Nine Worlds.8 This integrated, dynamic and evolving psycho-spiritual model represents the complexity of our being in ways that are uniquely suited to the European psyche.

    This is a short version of a detailed explanation given by experienced Odinist, Jost Turner (1994):9

    Yggdrasil

    All existence is allegorically placed in nine worlds, protected and sustained by a great tree called Yggdrasil. Yggdrasil is key to a complete understanding of all the allegories.

    At the very top of Yggdrasil sits an eagle (intuitive faculties of the super-conscious) with a hawk (all-seeing eye of intuition) perched between its eyes.

    A squirrel (Ratatosk; life energy travelling up and down the spine) runs up and down Yggdrasil’s trunk carrying insults between a serpent (Nidhogg) gnawing at the root and the eagle at the top (conflict between demands of the senses and aspirations to higher awareness).

    The Nine Worlds

    Yggdrasil is the axis of nine worlds. These worlds are on three levels, symbolizing three basic levels of consciousness.

    The three levels of consciousness

    1. The worlds of (i) Asgard (for our principal gods, the twelve Aesir), (ii) Vanaheim (for the Vanir, another and perhaps older family of gods), and (iii) Alfheim (for the Light Elves, a god-like race of elves). Within Asgard is a realm (Valhalla) of joyous life after death for those who were self-disciplined and overcame subconscious barriers to reach early stages of super-conscious awareness.
    2. The worlds of (i) Midgard (for mortals), (ii) Nidavellir (for the dwarfs), (iii) Svartalfheim (for the dark elves), and (iv) Jotunheim (for the giants).
    3. The worlds of (i) Niflheim (a dark and cold realm for the dead), and (ii) Muspellheim (world of fire).

    The first level is linked to the second level by a flaming rainbow bridge of shimmering light (Bifrost).

    Roots into the levels of consciousness

    Yggdrasil has three great roots. Each root is sunk into one of the three levels of consciousness:

    1. Under this root is the Well of Urd, by which sit three goddesses of destiny.
    2. Under this root is the Well of Mimir, which is a great source of wisdom.
    3. Under this root is the Spring of Hvergelmir, the source of many rivers, and where Nidhogg (the above-mentioned serpent) and other serpents tear apart corpses and gnaw at the root.

    Odinist Values


    Druid with an oak tree

    Nature

    Like aware people today, Odinists experienced the natural world as a living thing, toward which the natural attitude is respect and reverence.18 In Odinism, Nature is Divine, man is part of Nature, and there is a natural communion between man and Nature.18 Odinists saw all creatures as expressions of God and all human races as playing valuable roles within a Divine process.24,25

    Odinists continue to acknowledge Nature as a true manifestation of the spiritual. They see consciousness as an intrinsic property of creation, from the level of atoms through to creatures with complex nervous systems like ours. This does not mean that simpler systems have human-like thoughts or feelings, only that everything in the universe has the capacity for consciousness in some form, however faint. This ancient knowledge is consistent with what modern scientists know as the primacy of consciousness. Odinists see all animals, plants, mountains, rocks, seas, rivers, islands, Earth and the cosmos as a whole, as spiritually endowed and alive to some degree.8

    Concerning rocks in particular, in many lands shapeless stones have been adored. Among several ancient nations the idea of Divinity was symbolized by a rough stone. Circles of upright stones have been found in Japan, China, India, the Pacific Isles, Persia, Arabia, Palestine, Barbary, North and South America and in every country of Europe, including the British Isles.26

    The Druids

    The name “Druid” comes from the Indo-European word ‘dru’, meaning oak.27 Druids were priests of the Celts. They saw all life as sacred and worthy of protection. Druids venerated the earth and plants, especially trees. The oak symbolized tradition, wisdom, longevity28 and the omnipotent God.27 Their ceremonies were held in oak-groves27 and the oak tree was absolutely sacred to the Druids.28 Chopping down a great oak was punishable by death. Other sacred wood was the yew, hawthorn and more especially the rowan tree. A Druid’s staff was usually made from wood of the yew tree, a tree believed to be the guardian of the mysteries.28

    Spirituality

    As is already evident from the above, Odinists and Celts in particular were deeply spiritual.28 Although Odinism is a most spiritual religion, Odinists do not despise material aspects of human nature and the world. However, Odinists recognise that humans are primarily spiritual beings — we are instances of an imperishable and eternal Self.8

    Odinism includes concepts of:

    • A soul
    • Life after physical death
    • A relationship between level of awareness during life in this world and level of continued consciousness
    • A realm of highest joy reserved for those who overcame ego-consciousness and reached states of super-consciousness
    • Continued evolution of consciousness after physical death
    • Esteem for the dead, including all our ancestors8,9,22,28

    Creativity


    A Celtic torc in the British museum

    Modern man associates civilization with buildings but Celts did not value these things. Instead, their values and genius are expressed in original and high quality fine art, jewellery, weaving, music and eloquence. Celts made exquisite abstract designs in metal and incised stone. Concerning music, the ancient Greek god Apollo (received his trademark harp from his brother Hermes who invented the instrument) was also a god of the Celts. This is reflected in the ancient history of the Irish harp, which is as much a symbol of the Celts as the Shamrock.28

    Ethics

    True Odinists embrace the cause of the Aesir.8 Therefore they:

    • Act in ways that promote and respect Nature, order, life and creativity
    • Shun harmful behaviour that threatens the well-being of the folk, faith and family
    • Reject all forms of totalitarianism
    • Accept common law for the common good

    Odinist ethics are not expressed as prohibitions and commandments. They are stated as virtues (the Nine Noble Virtues29) to be practised by all Odinists: Courage, Truth, Honour, Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, Industriousness, Self-reliance and Perseverance.8,29

    Sacrifices

    Sacrifice was the most widespread form of communal worship practised by pagans in ancient times. A gift was offered to the gods in order to earn their favour and rewards.8 Intelligent pagans knew that the sacrifice is symbolic and that — as with all gifts — it’s the thought that counts. Sacrifice to the gods demonstrated devotion by the worshipper.8 In modern times Odinists do not practise animal sacrifices but they continue to apply the underlying theological principles. The form of sacrifice practised by modern Odinists is the libation of mead, accounts of which have been recorded in the literature. It was known in ancient times as the Cup of Remembrance.8

    Theologically the pagan sacrifice is a ‘sacrament’ (Christianity borrowed this term from paganism), i.e. it is a symbol which effects what it symbolises and symbolises what it effects.8

    Religious festivals observed

    Odinists worship the gods in feasting and merry-making. The calendar used by Odinists in Britain today is based on festivals most widely celebrated by our ancestors, especially those which survived as part of our people’s folklore. There are six major feast days: The solstices and equinoxes, Sigurd’s Day (23 Apr) and Heroes’ Day or Einheriar (11 Nov).8

    Other religious rites

    Pledge of Faith. This initiation rite is a solemn and formal public declaration that occurs after an Odinist reaches the age of majority. The priest proffers the oath-ring, which the aspirant grasps while repeating the pledge.8

    Handfasting or Wedding ceremony. The couple make solemn vows together while holding the altar oath-ring in their hands, and finger-rings are exchanged to serve as a reminder of this act. Then the Thor’s Hammer is laid upon the bride and groom by way of blessing. Odinists hold the ties of marriage and family relationships to be sacred.8

    Naming ceremony. New-born babies receive their name and in accordance with an old pagan custom (prevalent long before the introduction of Christianity) water is poured over the infant.8

    Laying to Rest. This may take the form of burial or cremation.8

    Thor’s hammer


    A Thor’s hammer pendant

    All religions have an emblem or symbolic device. In Odinism this is the Thor’s Hammer. The Eddas call it Miollnir, i.e. the ‘Crusher’ or ‘Grinder’. From the literature it is apparent that Odinists have used this symbol in their liturgies since ancient times. It is primarily a sign of Divine reverence, commitment to work with the Aesir gods in their struggle against the forces of chaos, and protection by the gods.8

    Places of worship


    Acropolis and Areios Pagos in Athens by Leo von Klenze (1846)

    Pagan temples such as the Acropolis and the Pantheon were among the grandest monuments built in Europe. Odinists also built and used countless other temples for celebrating their rituals.8 It seems that in the British Isles, Druids and others also used the Bronze-age stone circles (referred to above) as temples.26 Odinists aim to restore a network of temples in every country but in the meantime they meet in house groups called ‘Hearths’. Odinists also hold outdoor ceremonies at sites of special spiritual or historical significance or natural beauty.8

    Congregation leadership

    Provided they enjoy the confidence of their fellow Odinists, any adult Odinist, male or female, who has made the Pledge of Faith, may lead a congregation or perform priestly duties.8

    Sacred texts

    Odinists pay special attention to texts known collectively as the Eddas. They provide the most important primary sources of information on the old religion, and its theology, mythology and cosmology.8

    Other primary sources

    Other enlightening Odinist literature includes: The Icelandic Sagas and Snorri Sturluson’s ‘Heimskringla’; Saxo Grammaticus’s Latin work, ‘Gesta Danorum’; the medieval German ‘Song of the Nibelungs’; various Old English works, like ‘Beowulf’ and ‘The Nine Herbs Charm’; the Old High German ‘Merseburg Charms’; various other literary sources, such as the English, Norwegian and Icelandic rune poems; Tacitus’s ‘Germania’; Bede’s ‘Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation’; and the German ‘Wayland-Dietrich Saga’.8

    No proselytising

    Odinists aim to share knowledge of their cultural heritage with their compatriots but they do not try to convert adherents of other religions. They respect others’ rights to make their own decisions in religious matters. Further, although paganism is universal, the Odinist form of paganism is ethnospecific. Therefore Odinists would encourage people of other races to cherish their indigenous form of paganism, as pagans of all nations value being true to oneself and one’s ancestors.

    Odinists deplore Christian and Muslim missionary work among less developed peoples, undermining their traditional customs and imposing alien moral and cultural standards on them.8

    Our future

    In Odinism, Örlög or Wyrd is the cosmic web of cause and effect that is influenced by, and influences, everyone. Örlög is not set in stone, for our choices in the moment are constantly modifying it. This differs from the concept of “fate,” because it does not imply being utterly bound by a predetermined future. Nonetheless, it means that we cannot escape the consequences of our actions. In Old Norwegian, the term ‘OR-LOG’ means something like First Law, Primal Law, Ultimate Law (The Law of God) and the ultimate purpose of Creation. The word ‘Wyrd’ is Old English and means ‘destiny’. Although ‘Wyrd’ is sometimes interpreted as ‘fate’, this is incorrect as our destiny is influenced by choices that we make now.29

    Specifically, our Örlög / Wyrd depends on the extent to which we choose action that is biologically viable for our race, species and the Nature upon which all our lives depend. This applies equally to Jews. Like the ‘goyim’, most Jews are victims of deadly indoctrination by their ‘elites’. Whether they are called Khazars, Sabbateans, Frankists, Bolsheviks, Maoists, Maccabeans or Sicarii, Jews’ destiny is intertwined with that of the non-Jew and Nature.

    Örlög and the Odin archetype

    From Carl Jung (1936):30

    1. The gods are personifications of psychic forces.
    2. Human control ends when archetypes start to function.
    3. As the god of rage and battle, Odin represents the archetype of the awakened Aryan man.
    4. Inevitably, Odin will reveal the restless, violent, stormy side of his character.
    5. When this occurs, it will be like a hurricane that breaks loose while people still believe it’s fine weather.

    Odinic rage in an Englishman’s poem

    The Beginnings, a 1917 poem by English writer Rudyard Kipling (1865 – 1936):

    It was not part of their blood,
    It came to them very late,
    With long arrears to make good,
    When the Saxon began to hate.

    They were not easily moved,
    They were icy — willing to wait
    Till every count should be proved,
    Ere the Saxon began to hate.

    Their voices were even and low.
    Their eyes were level and straight.
    There was neither sign nor show
    When the Saxon began to hate.

    It was not preached to the crowd.
    It was not taught by the state.
    No man spoke it aloud
    When the Saxon began to hate.

    It was not suddenly bred.
    It will not swiftly abate.
    Through the chilled years ahead,
    When Time shall count from the date
    That the Saxon began to hate.

    References

    1. Hunt, Kyle (2015 ). The Egyptian Connection to Our European Religion, Renegade Tribune, 6 Aug 2015.
    2. Wikipedia: Osiris
    3. McVan, Ron, (2017). Who is Wotan? Renegade Tribune, 24 Dec 2017.
    4. Thomson, Arthur Dyot (1872). On Mankind: Their Origin and Destiny, p 560, Longmans, Green.
    5. Hardwicke, William Wright (1899). The Evolution of Man: His Religious Systems and Social Ethics, p 244, Watts & co.
    6. Thorpe, Benjamin (1865). The Edda Of Sæmund The Learned (Edda Sæmundar Hinns Froða), from The Old Norse Or Icelandic, London, Trübner & Co.
    7. Britannica (2021). Esus, Celtic deity
    8. Odinist Fellowship, London
    9. Turner, Jost (1994). The Path of Wotan
    10. Tolkien, John R. R. (1995). The Lord Of The Rings, Harper Collins.
    11. The Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri’s Edda (1916), by Snorri Sturluson.
    12. The Poetic Edda, also known as the Elder Edda, Saemund’s Edda (1908). Edited and translated by Olve Bray.
    13. Pitts, J. A. (2011). The Quiet Sense of Foreboding That Is Norse Mythology, Tor.com, 26 Oct 2011.
    14. Drout, Michael D. C. (2006). Old Norse Literature, J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia Scholarship and Critical Assessment, New York: Routledge.
    15. Black, John (2020). The Story of Ragnarok, The Ancient Norse Apocalypse, 25 Jun 2020, Ancient Origins: Reconstructing the story of humanity’s past.
    16. Patrick (2017). Twilight of the Gods: The Coming of Ragnarok, Renegade Tribune, 25 Feb 2017.
    17. Mackenzie, Donald A. (1912). Teutonic Myth And Legend
    18. Christensen, Else, in Heathenism (2017), Renegade Tribune, 15 Jun 2017.
    19. Odinic Rite Australia
    20. Kermode, P. M. C. (1904). Traces of the Norse mythology in the Isle of Man. Read before the Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society, Ramsey, 18 Dec 1903.
    21. Roberts, Morgan J. (1994). Norse gods and heroes, publisher Friedman Group.
    22. Pastenaci, Kurt (1935). The Nordic Foundations of Europe, translated from the Third Reich original Die Nordischen Grundlagen Europas by Kurt Pastenaci, which appeared in the Feb 1935 issue of Der Schulungsbrieg.
    23. Odin Brotherhood
    24. Mills, Alexander Rud (1957). The Call of Our Ancient Nordic Religion: Reflections on the Theological Content of the Sagas. Coventry, England: Northern World Pub.
    25. MacCulloch, J. A. (1911). The religion of the ancient Celts, Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark.
    26. Renegade (2020). Stone Worship of the Ancient Irish, Renegade Tribune, 20 Jun 2020.
    27. Kelley, Ruth Edna (1919). The book of Hallowe’en, Boston: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard.
    28. McVan, Ron (2011). Way of the Druid, Pub. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
    29. Nine noble virtues of Asatru
    30. Jung, Carl Gustav (1936) in The Wotan Essay, Renegade Tribune, 15 Dec 2015.

    Resources

    Odinist organizations online

    Odin Brotherhood This is a “secret society for men and women who value knowledge, freedom, and power.”

    Odin Brotherhood in Spanish

    Odin Brotherhood in South America (Spanish)

    Odin Brotherhood in Portuguese

    Odin Brotherhood material in Afrikaans: Odhin Broederbond

    North America

    The Asatru Alliance

    Asatru Folk Assembly

    Odinia International

    Rune Gild

    The Troth

    Britain

    Odinist Fellowship

    The Odinic Rite

    Germany

    Eldaring.de

    VfGH e.V. |

    Netherlands

    Het Rad

    Italy

    Comunità Odinista

    Russia

    Асатру-Магические Тайны Севера

    Australia

    Odinic Rite Australia

    For information about Odinism and links to other Odinist organizations around the world, see WikiPagan.

    Publications

    Creed of iron: Wotansvolk wisdom by Ron McVan (1997) with forward by David Lane.

    Articles on Wotanism and Religion by David Lane.

    Literature listed by the Odinist Fellowship

    The Prose Edda (aka Younger Edda)
    ‘Edda’ by Snorri Sturluson, translated by Anthony Faulkes (Everyman).

    The Poetic Edda (aka Elder Edda)
    ‘The Poetic Edda’ translated by Carolyne Larrington (World’s Classics)
    ‘Poems of the Elder Edda’ translated by Patricia Terry (University of Pennsylvania Press)
    ‘The Poetic Edda’ translated by Lee Hollander (University of Texas Press)
    ‘The Elder Edda – A Selection’ translated by Paul Taylor, W H Auden & Peter Salus (Faber & Faber)

    Popularisation of the Myths
    ‘The Norse Myths’ by Kevin Crossley-Holland (Penguin Books)
    ‘Tales of the Norse Gods’ by Barbara Picard (Oxford University Press)

    Icelandic Sagas
    Njal’s Saga’, ‘Laxdaela Saga’, ‘King Harald’s Saga’, ‘Orkneyinga Saga’ and ‘The Vinland Sagas: The Norse Discovery of America’ all translated by Magnus Magnusson and Hermann Pálsson (Penguin Classics)

    Scholarly Works on Teutonic Heathenism
    ‘Gods of the Ancient Northmen’ by Georges Dumézil, translated by Einar
    Haugen (University of California Press)
    ‘Gods and Myths of Northern Europe’ by Hilda Ellis Davidson (Penguin)
    ‘The Lost Beliefs of Northern Europe’ by Hilda Ellis Davidson (Routledge)
    ‘The Lost Gods of England’ by Brian Branston (Thames & Hudson)
    ‘Gods of the North’ by Brian Branston (Thames & Hudson)

    Scholarly Works on the Runes
    ‘Runes’ by Ralph Elliott (Manchester University Press)
    ‘An Introduction to English Runes’ by R I Page (Methuen & Co)
    ‘Rudiments of Runelore’ by Stephen Pollington (Anglo-Saxon Books)

    History of the Period
    ‘Anglo-Saxon England’ by Sir Frank Stenton (Clarendon Press)
    ‘The Anglo-Saxons’ by David Wilson (Pelican Books)
    ‘The Vikings’ by Johannes Brondsted (Pelican Books)


    Odin as the god of rage and battle

  • The Code in wine

    The Code in wine

    Post outline
    Introduction
    Wine and Space
    The Spirit of Place
    Divine Feelings
    Wine and Truth
    Conclusion

    Introduction

    The Anunnaki civilization of humans (discussed in the posts Family from afar — link to follow) would have likely included teaching us to ferment alcoholic beverages. Perhaps our ET creators and educators were involved in the earliest known instances of wine production on Earth, including that of the Caucasus region (today’s Georgia) 6,000 BCE, Persia (Iran) 5,000 BCE, Armenia c. 4,100 BCE, and Sicily c. 4,000 BCE (Wikipedia). As evidence (discussed in the posts Family from afar — link to follow) shows that the Anunnaki civilized the people of Sumer (c. 4,500 – c. 1,900 BCE, in southern Mesopotamia — modern-day Iraq), and Mesopotamia generally, they would have certainly been involved in developing the beer and wine culture of that region.

    The remainder of this post is based on The Wine Culture of Mesopotamia by Oleg Cherne (2023) of Code de Vino (Spanish: The Wine Code).

    Wine culture started in about 2,600-2,500 BCE in Sumer, the first country in which wine became an important part of social life. Previously Sumerians knew how to make beer, which played a similar role to that which wine later adopted. Wine was seen as a gift from the gods, a materialized divine substance, a divine entity itself, a natural force to be worshipped, a sacred drink.

    Evidence on clay jars found in the Tigris Valley dated 3,000 BCE, indicates that Sumerians mixed wine with beer, honey and apple juice. Further, an alcoholic beverage of wheat and grape is referred to in the epic of the Sumerian king (‘ensi’, Sumer.) called Bilgamesh or, in its Akkadian (Semite) variant, the Epic of Gilgamesh (written c. 2,100–1,200 BCE ). The story of Gilgamesh also mentions the search for the drink of life, which was apparently wine.

    Wine and Space

    Sumerians perceived space according to horizontal, vertical and tangent planes. This concept of three planes seems consistent with the structure of the universe (Twelve Parameters in Four Fabrics of Three Parameters each) according to Wilbert Smith based on his communication with ETs (see the Family from afar posts for details). The horizontal and vertical planes:

    • The horizontal plane is connected to water, including underground water, which is the force that nurtures plants including wheat and grapes. As the Sumerian god of liquids among many things (including creation, wisdom, farming, art, crafts, healing), Enki was associated with making and drinking fermented beverages. More specifically, for Sumerians the goddess Geshtinanna (‘vine of the sky’, Sumer) expressed the force of wine.
    • The vertical plane is connected to planets and stars, regulated from top to bottom according to their frequency of perception. There are seven frequencies, the top of which is An (the sky), or the god of An (Anu, subsequently known as Odin / Wotan in European paganism).

    Note: The significance of the above-mentioned numbers 3, 7 and by implication 4 (3 + 4 = 7) and 12 (3 x 4 = 12) is discussed in the Family from afar posts, including the beautiful correspondence between structures made by human/oids on Mars and Earth.

    In Sumer and subsequently Assyria (c. 2,025 – 609 BCE), the main purpose of wine was to create a connection with the Divine. Sumerians and Assyrians consumed wine to tap into a certain frequency of the vertical plane for Divine power and connection to gods. It is perhaps for the purpose of accessing different frequencies that Sumerians mixed wine with other liquids. This interpretation of the beverage mixing seems plausible as each deity had its own corresponding frequency.

    The Spirit of Place

    Wine did not express just any power. It specifically expressed the power of a certain place — the association of that location and its characteristics with cosmic forces.

    Divine Feelings

    Sumerians valued wine for its enrichment of feelings. These feelings were Divine revelation, sacred, and had a special power to help build an empire.

    Wine and Truth

    Connection to the Divine was the supreme value. As it enables this connection, wine was the supreme truth.

    Conclusion

    1. Beer and wine are sacred drinks.
    2. Since the beginning of civilization these alcoholic beverages were used to create a connection with the Divine.
    3. To experience the cosmic power of a certain place, we would consume beer / wine from that place.
    4. As per the meaning (a dynamic relationship with our Creator in all aspects of the natural world for the purposes of love, health and humanity) of the D&M pyramid on Mars (discussed in the Family from afar posts), beer / wine enables a connection to our Creator via aspects of nature (fluids, plants, the cosmos) for the purposes of love (reverence for the Divine and its creations), health (the life force of beer / wine) and humanity (including the social / religious context of beer / wine consumption).
    5. The recovery of our natural religion and spirituality includes culturally-informed production and consumption of beer / wine.

  • From where did Jews steal ideas for the Jew Jesus hoax?

    From where did Jews steal ideas for the Jew Jesus hoax?

    Jews’ Jew “Jesus” hoax is based on natural religion originating with our Aryan gods (known by names including Anunnaki, Tall Whites, Nordics, Pleiadians) from the Pleiades stars. Stanley Wilkin (2019, University of London, Jesus and Bel Christianity and the Continuation of Paganism) explains that Christianity is based on Mesopotamian religion and in particular the Anunnaki supreme god, called An in Sumerian and Anu in Akkadian. As is shown in the posts Family from afar [link to follow], there is compelling evidence that humans were created and civilized by these Aryan gods from Pleiades and that sky-god religions based on these Aryan gods have continued until today.

    Pagan origins of the Bible

    Old Testament

    The Bible was once believed to be the oldest book in the world, with completely original stories. That was before excavations in Mesopotamia in the mid-19th century revealed that Hebrew scribes stole biblical stories from pagan sources. Translated cuneiform showed that many biblical stories originated in Mesopotamia (World History). Examples of the Hebrews’ self-serving theft are presented below.

    The Epic of Gilgamesh

    The Epic of Gilgamesh, some of which dates back to 2,100 BCE Mesopotamia, is a foundational work in religion.

    Epic of Gilgamesh and Hebrew Bible similarities

    There are striking similarities between the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Hebrew Bible (similar to the Christian Old Testament), which dates back to the 8th/7th centuries BCE. Wikipedia notes that accounts of the following subjects in the Epic and Bible are correlated:

    Garden of Eden

    In both stories a human is created from the soil by a god and lives in nature; he is introduced to a female congener who tempts him; the man accepts food from the woman; he covers his nakedness; he must leave his former home, unable to return; a snake steals a plant of immortality from the hero.

    Advice from Ecclesiastes

    “A triple-stranded rope is not easily broken.” This rare proverb about the strength of a triple-stranded rope is in both books.

    Genesis flood story

    The Genesis flood story follows the Gilgamesh flood tale point by point and in the same order. This close match indicates that the Genesis flood story originates in a Mesopotamian account. In the Epic, the man who is told to build a boat before the great flood is called Utnapishtim. In Genesis he is named Noah.

    Woman created from a man’s rib

    In the Epic, the Sumerian goddess of life, Ninti, was created from Enki’s rib. It seems that this story served as the basis for the tale in Genesis about Eve being created from Adam’s rib.

    The Epic of Atrahasis

    The Epic of Atrahasis dates back to at least c. 1,650 BCE.

    Creation of humans

    The Epic explains the creation of humans by the Anunnaki gods Anu, Enlil, and Enki (rulers of the sky, Earth, and freshwater sea respectively) for the purpose of doing manual work such as farm labor and maintenance of rivers and canals. The work was undertaken by mother goddess Mami. She created humans by shaping clay, spat upon by all the gods, into figurines mixed with the flesh and blood of the slain god Geshtu-E. After 10 months humans were born from a specially made womb.

    The flood

    The Epic contains the flood story: Enki (a) warns the hero Atrahasis of Enlil’s plan to destroy mankind by flood, (b) tells him to build a boat to escape, (c) says that the boat should (i) have a roof “like Abzu” (a subterranean, freshwater realm presided over by Enki), (ii) have upper and lower decks, and (iii) be sealed with bitumen.

    Atrahasis boards the boat with his family and animals, seals the door, and the storm and flood begin. The flood ends after seven days and Atrahasis offers sacrifices to the gods.

    Enuma Elish

    Enuma Elish (also known as The Seven Tablets of Creation) is a Babylonian creation myth dated to the 9th century BCE. It is a story of the great god Marduk’s victory over the forces of chaos and his establishment of order at the creation of the world.

    There are many similarities between Enuma Elish and the Atrahasis epic. Enuma Elish describes the creation of the world and the creation of man destined for the service of the Mesopotamian deities.

    According to this account, before creation, when only the primordial entities Apsu and Tiamat existed and co-mingled, there were no other things or gods. Then from the mixture of Apsu and Tiamat two gods issued: Lahmu and Lahamu. Then Anshar and Kishar were created. From Anshar came the god Anu, and from Anu, came the god Nudimmud (also known as Ea). Within the Apsu, Ea and Damkina created Marduk.

    Marduk told Ea that he would use his own blood to create man, and that man would serve the gods. Ea advised one of the gods be chosen as a sacrifice; the Igigi advised that Kingu be chosen. His blood was then used to create man.

    As is the case with the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Epic of Atrahasis, Enuma Elish contains numerous parallels with passages of the Hebrew Bible. In particular, both Enuma Elish and the Bible refer to:

    • Watery chaos before creation
    • Separation of the chaos into heaven and earth
    • Different types of waters and their separation
    • The number seven: seven tablets of the epic and the seven days of creation
    • A similar order of creation events: first darkness, then light, the firmament, dry land, and finally man, followed by a period of rest
    • Dust infused with “godhood”: through a god’s blood in Enuma Elish and by being made in God’s image in Genesis

    Joshua J. Mark (2018) notes major points in the Enuma Elish:

    • Triumph of order over chaos and light over darkness
    • Replacement of old static gods by younger and more dynamic gods
    • The younger gods’ introduction of the concept of change and mutability to the universe through their creation of mortal beings who are subject to death
    • The mortal beings’ task of helping the gods maintain their creation and thereby play an integral role in the eternal work of the gods

    It is notable that these themes also occur in European paganism (Odinism / Wotanism).

    New Testament

    Date of birth

    Although Jesus was supposedly born on 25 December, his birthday was not declared as such until the fifth century. That day was previously named a holiday in honour of the Roman sun god Sol Invictus (Sanders, E. P., 1993, The Historical Figure of Jesus, London, England, New York City, New York).

    General similarities to earlier stories

    The Gospel of Mark

    This Gospel is a Jew retelling of the Odyssey, with Jesus as its central character instead of Odysseus (MacDonald, Dennis R., 2013, Mythologizing Jesus: From Jewish Teacher to Epic Hero, Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield).

    The Gospel of John

    This Gospel contains ideas from Platonism and Greek philosophy: The “Logos” in John’s prologue was devised by philosopher Heraclitus and adapted to Judaism by Philo Judaeus (Philo the Jew) of Alexandria (Porter, Stanley E., 2015, John, His Gospel, and Jesus: In Pursuit of the Johannine Voice, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, pp. 102–104).

    The Gospel of John also seems to have been influenced by symbolism associated with the cult of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, e.g. Jesus’ miracle of turning water into wine at the Marriage at Cana in John 2:1–11 resembles stories that were told about Dionysus (Salier, Willis Hedley, 2004, The Rhetorical Impact of the Sēmeia in the Gospel of John, Tübingen, Germany: Mohr Siebeck) and Jesus’ declaration of himself as the “True Vine” sounds like Dionysus, who discovered the first grape vine (Shorrock, Robert, 2011, The Myth of Paganism: Nonnus, Dionysus and the World of Late Antiquity, A&C Black).

    The Gospel of John also contains parallels with The Bacchae, a tragedy featuring Dionysus as a central character. It was written by Athenian playwright Euripides and first performed in 405 BCE.

    As in the Gospel of John, the central figure is an incarnate deity who arrives in a country where he should be known and worshiped. However, because he is disguised as a mortal, the deity is not recognized and is instead persecuted by the ruling party (Stibbe, Mark W. G., 1993, The Elusive Christ: A New Reading of the Fourth Gospel, The Gospel of John As Literature: An Anthology of Twentieth-Century Perspectives, Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill).

    Like Dionysus in Euripides’ Bacchae, in the Gospel of John, Jesus is elusive, makes ambiguous statements to evade capture, is supported by a group of female followers, and one of the central figures suffers a violent death (Stibbe, Mark W. G., 1994, John as Storyteller: Narrative Criticism and the Fourth Gospel, Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press).

    Water of life

    In the New Testament, Jesus is called the “water of life.” Similarly, a votive altar to Mithras from Poetovio calls him the fons perennis (“the ever-flowing stream”) (Clauss, Manfred, 2001, The Roman Cult of Mithras: The God and His Mysteries, translated by Gordon, Richard, New York City, New York and London, England: Routledge).

    Healing miracles

    The supposed healing miracles of Jesus are similar to the miracles associated with Asclepius, the Greek god of healing and medicine (Edelstein, Emma J.; Edelstein, Ludwig, 1998, Asclepius: Collection and Interpretation of the Testimonies, Baltimore, Maryland: The Johns Hopkins University Press).

    Dying and rising savior gods

    From the article Dying-and-Rising Gods (2018) by Richard Carrier, Ph.D. in ancient history, specialist in the modern philosophy of naturalism and humanism, and the origins of Christianity:

    Many cultures around the borders of Judea had a dying and rising personal savior god. The idea was fashionable. It is unsurprising that some fringe Jews decided to invent their own dying and rising savior, this time a Jew. If any erudite religious scholar in 1 BCE had been asked what a future Jesus cult would look like, he would have described the entire Christian cult precisely, before it even existed.

    Richard Carrier (2018) on the following dying and rising savior gods:

    Osiris

    Like Jesus, he died during a full moon and was resurrected on the “third day.” Like Jesus, after being restored to life in his deceased body, Osiris visits people on earth and then rules from heaven above.

    Dionysus

    In a popular tale about Dionysus (also known as Bacchus), after being killed as a baby, he is resurrected by a human woman (Semele). Dionysus is a “reborn” savior god. Like Christians (1 Corinthians 15:29), those baptized into his cult received eternal life in paradise.

    Zalmoxis

    Zalmoxis is another resurrected savior. He died and rose from the dead. Zalmoxis appeared in his same body and visited his followers to prove he was alive.

    Inanna

    Clay tablets inscribed in Sumer over a thousand years before Christianity describe Inanna’s humiliation, trial, execution, crucifixion, and her resurrection three days later. Inanna was “turned into a corpse,” “the corpse was hung from a nail,” and “after three days and three nights” her assistants ask for her corpse and resurrect her (by feeding her the “water” and “food” of life). Her cult continued to be practiced into the Christian period.

    Adonis

    Adonis, who is sometimes equated with Tammuz, is another resurrected savior. There were national ceremonies of mourning for Adonis’ death followed the next day by celebrations of his return to life and ascending into outer space. It is likely that the resurrection of Adonis was celebrated long before Christianity began.

    Romulus

    Romulus is another resurrected savior god before Christianity. He is murdered, his corpse vanishes, the sun goes out, people flee in fear and mourn his death; then he returns to earth alive, resurrected in a new divine body. Then he preaches his gospel to the disciple Proculus before departing to rule from heaven.

    Asclepius

    By a god (Zeus) Asclepius was turned into a bloodless corpse. Then Zeus restored Asclepius to life. After this resurrection, Asclepius was immortal, eternal, and supernaturally powerful, like Jesus.

    Baal

    The death of Baal (or “Ba’al”) is likely the same death mourned under the name Hadad-Rimmon in Zechariah 12:11. Baal’s corpse is found by Anat and multiple gods declare him dead. After Baal is then buried and funeral rites performed, he is resurrected and lives forever. Later, but before the onset of Christianity, Baal becomes a personal savior god.

    Hercules

    The legend of Melqart became fused with that of Hercules. After Hercules was killed by Typhon, Iolaus restored him to life by ritually burning a quail. After he was raised from the dead, Hercules ascended to heaven with divine power, like Jesus.

    The idea of resurrection, especially of the whole world at a designated end-time, was pagan.

    Richard Carrier concludes:

    • It’s time to face the fact that resurrected savior gods was a pagan idea.
    • All Jews did was invent a Jew one for Christianity.

    Finally, from where did Jews get the idea of calling their fictitious Jew deity “Jesus?”

    Jessos

    Jesus-like Jessos (born in 2193 BCE according to the ancient Oera Linda Book, discussed in the post The Oera Linda Book: Explosive power for Aryans) seems like a candidate.

    Esus

    Esus (Celtic: “Lord,” or “Master”)also seems to have inspired the Jew hoaxers. From Britannica (Esus, Celtic deity):

    “Esus was a powerful Celtic deity, one of three mentioned by the Roman poet Lucan in the 1st century AD; the other two were Taranis (“Thunderer”) and Teutates (“God of the People”). Esus’ victims, according to later commentators, were sacrificed by being ritually stabbed and hung from trees. A relief from the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris portrays him as a bent woodman cutting a branch from a willow tree.”

    To clarify, Esus was a killer carpenter (a wood cutter who stabbed and hanged people from trees). Although the New Testament is quiet about this aspect of J/esus’ character, it seems that Esus became Jesus for the purposes of Christianity. Both Esus and Jesus were carpenters, both were involved in human sacrifice on wood (Jesus was allegedly sacrificed on a wooden cross) and both were involved in stabbing (Jesus was supposedly stabbed while on the cross).

    The Anunnaki are commonly depicted with wings, and the concept of winged angels can be traced to the Anunnaki (Stanley Wilkin, 2019, University of London, Jesus and Bel Christianity and the Continuation of Paganism)

  • Music of our gods

    Music of our gods

    There is abundant scientific evidence (referred to in the Family from afar posts) showing that humans were created and civilized by Anunnaki ETs.

    By implication, the music of Sumer (c. 4500 – c. 1900 BCE, the earliest-known civilization on Earth) and Mesopotamia in general, would have been music favoured by the Anunnaki, who were revered as gods by the people of Mesopotamia. By knowing the music of Mesopotamia, we can know the music of our gods, who have remained in our lives under various names (e.g. Odin / Wotan) in natural religion (aka Paganism) until today. Perhaps more surprisingly for some, the music of our gods has also persisted across Earth (and almost certainly beyond) until today, as we will see.

    As the harp is an ancient instrument of angels, and the Anunnaki are enlightened beings who are often depicted with wings in ancient art, we could reasonably expect harp music and strings music more generally, to be favoured by the Anunnaki. The importance of harp music in mythology supports this expectation. The ancient Greek god Apollo (received his trademark harp from his brother Hermes who invented the instrument) was also a god of the Celts. This is reflected in the ancient history of the Irish harp, which is as much a symbol of the Celts as the Shamrock (Ron McVan, 2011, Way of the Druid, Pub. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform).

    1. Music of Mesopotamia

    Points from Ancient Mesopotamian music by Adhid Miri, PhD:

    • The people of Mesopotamia favoured stringed instruments above all others. This is shown by their proliferation in Mesopotamian figurines, plaques, and seals.
    • Specifically, these records show countless varieties of harps, in addition to lyres and lutes, from which modern stringed instruments such as the violin evolved. [So yes, our gods love stringed instruments, especially the harp.]
    • Mesopotamians also used percussion and wind instruments, with the full range of Sumerian and Babylonian instruments including concussion clubs, clappers, rattles, bells, cymbals, sistra (Egyptian rattle), flutes (common in Mesopotamia, usually made from reeds, also made from metals such as silver and gold, and which are the basis of modern flutes, which also have seven finger holes like many of the Mesopotamian flutes) and a piano-like instrument (added to the Sumerian suite of musical instruments by the Babylonians).
    • As with their beer and wine (The Code in wine), music enabled Mesopotamians to have a direct and intimate relationship with the gods. There were many types of music, songs, rituals, and beautiful chants for each deity at religious occasions to enable such Divine connections.
    • In Mesopotamia the sounds of musical instruments became associated with the voices of worshiped gods, who were differentiated by their voices. For example, Enki (later known as Ea), god of the deep sea, was associated with the drum, whose sound personified his essence; Ramman, who commanded the thunder and winds, was the “spirit of sonorous voice;” and the goddess Ishtar was represented musically by “the soft reed-pipe.”
    • As with the earlier Neolithic ceremonies held at megaliths, religious occasions in Mesopotamia were associated with celestial movements.
    • The vast and diverse records of Mesopotamian music have enabled the reconstruction of playable music from that era (a link to an example of such music is below).
    • Music is the common voice of mankind. It transcends boundaries of race, ethnicity, gender, age, socioeconomic status, and nation. In the music of our foundational culture, we are One. [No wonder the Jew is threatened by our universal religion, Paganism, exemplified in the highly sophisticated civilizations of Mesopotamia, and favours instead a strategy of ‘Divide and rule’ along lines of differences that need not be sources of conflict.]

    Points from Music of Mesopotamia (Wikipedia):

    • Musicologist Peter van der Merwe: “The harps, lyres, lutes, and pipes of Mesopotamia spread into Egypt, and later into Greece, and, mainly through the Greek influence, to Rome. Via the Roman empire they then made their way into Northern Europe. From Egypt the same instruments spread south and westward into black Africa, where some of them survive to this day.”
    • Mesopotamian harps spread as far west as the Mediterranean and as far east as Asia.
    • Current East African lyres and West African lutes preserve many features of Mesopotamian instruments.

    On the basis of the above, below are links to videos featuring Mesopotamian musical instruments still widely played in East and West Africa.

    2. Recreated Mesopotamian and Celtic music

    Talented and enterprising people have recreated the melodies of Mesopotamia with the help of ancient musical instruments recovered from burial sites. For example:

    Hurrian Hymn To Nikkal / No. 6 (1400 BCE)

    As the civilization of Sumer (c. 4500 – c. 1900 BCE) substantially overlaps the Bronze Age (c. 3300 to 1200 BCE), we can also hear the voices of our gods during that era in the sounds of these ancient Celtic instruments:

    Ancient Music of Ireland — Celtic and Bronze Age Trumpets

    3. Continuously alive Mesopotamian music

    Examples of music evolved from our foundational culture:

    3.1 China
    Konghou (Chinese harp) music — Mottled bamboo

    3.2 Greece
    Ancient Greek lyre –Rui Fu and and Bendir

    3.3 Sub-Saharan Africa

    As was noted above, Mesopotamian musical instruments are still played in Africa, particularly a bow harp (the Adungu), a lyre (the Nyatiti), and a harp-lute (the Kora). The Adungu and Nyatiti are part of East African culture, and the Kora is important to West African culture.

    Following are links to examples of this music. I favoured natural performances over commercial performances. Although the recording quality of natural performances tended to be inferior, the authenticity of that music tended to be immeasurably superior in my view.

    East Africa

    Music featuring the Adungu (a bow harp of the Acholi people of Northern Uganda and the Alur people of Northwestern Uganda) and the Nyatiti (an 8- stringed lyre from East Africa) is linked below.

    West Africa

    Music featuring the Kora (a stringed instrument that combines features of the harp and lute, and which is used extensively in West Africa) is linked below.

    3.4 Germany

    What does the music of our gods sound like when evolved to the pinnacle of musical achievement, at least to European ears?

    Ludwig van Beethoven — Symphony No. 9

    4. Conclusion

    Together with other aspects of shared culture, including our knowledge of ET Aliens (e.g. as was noted in . . . , Africans like the late Credo Mutwa are well-aware of the human involvement with ET Aliens) and the universal religion of Paganism, our shared history of Mesopotamian musical influences offers an opportunity for global unity in music. This Oneness favours resilience against the evils of our time, allows for the value of differentness (genuine diversity), is consistent with intense opposition to multi-racialism, and is compatible with mutually respectful racial pride (ethnocentrism).


    Creative unity