The Glücksschwein; an adorable little piggy, often made of marzipan that is given out in Germany as a symbol of good luck for the coming year –… Read more “Glücksschwein: Lucky Pig Symbolism”
Category: Comparative Mythology
God, the Devil and Job
Where did we come from? This is probably a fair, perfunctory question before the next one: Where are we going? A projectile’s trajectory is, in a fair… Read more “God, the Devil and Job”
The End Is…Nigh?
Not all mythopoetic cycles come with an ending; while the term Judeo-Christianity is commonly used, it’s worth noting that the two traditions have very different accounts of… Read more “The End Is…Nigh?”
Strawberries: The Fruits of Love
Strawberries and Champagne are the quintessential ingredients for any romantic night in. So how did this tiny fruit become a popular love staple? There is an obvious… Read more “Strawberries: The Fruits of Love”
Re-Sexing the Monomyth: the Heroine’s Journey, and Beyond
Joseph Campbell‘s proposal has stood the test of time, and cinema. The concept, which he derived from a thirteenth century German Grail Romance called Parzival, was straightforward… Read more “Re-Sexing the Monomyth: the Heroine’s Journey, and Beyond”
The Five Suns: the End of the World as We Know It.
Before I begin this post, I need to include a few disclaimers: First, the Spanish Conquistadors were very effective in destroying Meso-American culture. Now, there were sympathetic… Read more “The Five Suns: the End of the World as We Know It.”
Prelude to the Flood: Utnapishtim’s Ark, pt. 1
Imagine this: a divine voice warns you of an impending flood that will wipe out all living things on the face of the Earth. You are ordered… Read more “Prelude to the Flood: Utnapishtim’s Ark, pt. 1”
I Will Raise the Dead to Feed on the Living: Inanna/Ishtar in the Underworld, Pt. 2
We left Inanna/Ishtar banging on the gates of the Underworld, where the Goddess made an undeniable, zombie-apocalypse threat: Gatekeeper, Lo! open thy gate! Open thy gate that… Read more “I Will Raise the Dead to Feed on the Living: Inanna/Ishtar in the Underworld, Pt. 2”
It’s a Living: Working for the Gods
As we’ll see shortly, many of the older Gods, despite Their many powers, really didn’t know how to fashion material things – from weapons to vehicles to… Read more “It’s a Living: Working for the Gods”
Santa Muerte: Give me your Poor, your Tired, your Huddled Masses…
In European Christendom, images of death do exist. However, they are somber affairs, often referred to as memento mori. Memento Mori is Latin for “remember you will… Read more “Santa Muerte: Give me your Poor, your Tired, your Huddled Masses…”