tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87431027507213488632024-03-27T13:04:18.640-07:00Old European cultureoldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.comBlogger843125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-44735288840029137012024-03-06T02:12:00.000-08:002024-03-06T02:12:42.809-08:00Meroitic language<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This article was originally an <a href="https://twitter.com/serbiaireland/status/1765144501570461787" target="_blank">X thread</a>. So are most of my articles actually, as I publish all my stuff on X first. But this thread is different, as in it I wanted to show how I do my research and how fast you can find things if you know what you are looking for...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddu9pLa7ddK2_Ons4Iz1oo0ixYUTYggwGokJY71ZPpNQZ9CCBfhj1WzMthhvYaZfofrOFSI92hPNMzOMw9DM6QWAwQSPPyOSmC3SzTvZ45at8wWxfLgMMEpbFAva4ykQ08bij37CyDgZM9m2eW8gDbH6AHnfGfeh9gl922NN8-FLuvR0Kb94bq0anT-Y/s723/Screenshot%202024-03-06%20at%2009.30.31.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="584" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddu9pLa7ddK2_Ons4Iz1oo0ixYUTYggwGokJY71ZPpNQZ9CCBfhj1WzMthhvYaZfofrOFSI92hPNMzOMw9DM6QWAwQSPPyOSmC3SzTvZ45at8wWxfLgMMEpbFAva4ykQ08bij37CyDgZM9m2eW8gDbH6AHnfGfeh9gl922NN8-FLuvR0Kb94bq0anT-Y/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-06%20at%2009.30.31.png" width="258" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Before I saw this post 6 hours ago, I had never heard of "Meroitic language" and have never seen one of these objects before. But I had a funny feeling that I knew what was depicted on it...So I did some googling, and it turns out I was right. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Check this out:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So my hunch was that the relief depicted some kind of connection between water (obvious, as the wavy lines are water bing poured out of the two jars) and summer solstice (not so obvious, but these two jars, for some reason, reminded me of the "twins symbol")...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigmC2BUrCGSDHl7hfwvkvhTEt-x6rUoAoAvUjVZ6rvQ3ltIX7xNyEQcpdWgNVuYM0s9hW3KQfp3AcI99A_xX-fjCBVsw0cveIAYgNdFYc2DuMDvLADl5ktt-DWfclE1ZpG9xhdPMhX2u9fBMWrS5o7ALAJuwS4pHXvbFDqi7L-JK5peX1gtV5-hSV0Ueg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigmC2BUrCGSDHl7hfwvkvhTEt-x6rUoAoAvUjVZ6rvQ3ltIX7xNyEQcpdWgNVuYM0s9hW3KQfp3AcI99A_xX-fjCBVsw0cveIAYgNdFYc2DuMDvLADl5ktt-DWfclE1ZpG9xhdPMhX2u9fBMWrS5o7ALAJuwS4pHXvbFDqi7L-JK5peX1gtV5-hSV0Ueg" width="240" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Twins which mark summer solstice...I talked about these twins in several of my articles. First in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/06/hayagriva.html" target="_blank">Hayagriva</a>". </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Surya's wife Saranyu transforms into a mare and runs away from her husband. Surya eventually finds her, turns himself into a white stallion and...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">After which Saranyu delivers horse head twins called Ashvins...</span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicsBkm_t9nvjlQQXbG5iLXANsdUXJ7n2lV_2NReimhXK6JRgBBtoGO-uXsRju94bgu-3dxUMT2TUrgE0QgY4SK8iGu2wth5SdjVpcFFtgm2nvBg-B1kVg3OjUAUdg8SNqffAfWfx5AYCPQ5fsHioSfcqe3LPDvH9kkr9k-UudpAmL8LwKGfiZ5aBc5U4k" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="360" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicsBkm_t9nvjlQQXbG5iLXANsdUXJ7n2lV_2NReimhXK6JRgBBtoGO-uXsRju94bgu-3dxUMT2TUrgE0QgY4SK8iGu2wth5SdjVpcFFtgm2nvBg-B1kVg3OjUAUdg8SNqffAfWfx5AYCPQ5fsHioSfcqe3LPDvH9kkr9k-UudpAmL8LwKGfiZ5aBc5U4k" width="192" /></span></a></div></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Horse zodiac symbol is disguised as Dioskuri, divine twin horsemen. The guys who wanted to marry "the daughters of the white horse". </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiiHo5m96sxG1aHgLwQj4wePOy904iTMncavM5gEA8yT6z2LoZKLlQnKQ8zzU9qVvFS_tXhCLb_9rm-GaC6gieO4-6SyErEM-eFM7hAsENu6dSNsWH3DoZ2QWp1zLZ7ytKrxwfPIX-ynroBZ9iGrWAnNs87XGdlmTw9pcw4m57FHctsPyHg-zlHBcE8Gks" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="680" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiiHo5m96sxG1aHgLwQj4wePOy904iTMncavM5gEA8yT6z2LoZKLlQnKQ8zzU9qVvFS_tXhCLb_9rm-GaC6gieO4-6SyErEM-eFM7hAsENu6dSNsWH3DoZ2QWp1zLZ7ytKrxwfPIX-ynroBZ9iGrWAnNs87XGdlmTw9pcw4m57FHctsPyHg-zlHBcE8Gks" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">They mark Summer Solstice, the peak of the horse mating season, characterised by wild stallion fights for mares...</span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2OekchNYYbglcV7PXUpgXGg9Nf12YpwYWIp74n1NDcYOhLr07tEJRXBnKBgFOlkf_b-Oyvo-pqiZusnzZjIeUXClZCfOhqb0Xshx7AWTS1oYzcILe3MFxdPxaUSXtp3R8tpGSqkKBtBWzb50_p1cv6My0swt8pd4jwuJag6Z_rrpQ6wuVLqpXOcqKgRU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="620" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2OekchNYYbglcV7PXUpgXGg9Nf12YpwYWIp74n1NDcYOhLr07tEJRXBnKBgFOlkf_b-Oyvo-pqiZusnzZjIeUXClZCfOhqb0Xshx7AWTS1oYzcILe3MFxdPxaUSXtp3R8tpGSqkKBtBWzb50_p1cv6My0swt8pd4jwuJag6Z_rrpQ6wuVLqpXOcqKgRU" width="284" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">We find them in Sasanian Iran, on this plate with youths and winged horses drinking water from a jar ca. 5th–6th century AD. I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/12/dioscuri-plate-from-iran.html" target="_blank">Dioskuri plate from Iran</a>"...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhx8JFO5mfJxRYrlDPlAvjWnG2gtMNgGvAcLrH6_PU9Yehtc6hfYpkEBJBKw4bKt0v2An5_t9s-ogMmE0dpIwhw2UqsBPIwbHSN1-aGO_UfjGLAFh1kGCb6jWA5e0cmJ8hkjuXLLiwQpgE4Uy0WWDO3b6hTjJXrCrWni_a32kQpCIRjZnjuMM0KgyG6A8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhx8JFO5mfJxRYrlDPlAvjWnG2gtMNgGvAcLrH6_PU9Yehtc6hfYpkEBJBKw4bKt0v2An5_t9s-ogMmE0dpIwhw2UqsBPIwbHSN1-aGO_UfjGLAFh1kGCb6jWA5e0cmJ8hkjuXLLiwQpgE4Uy0WWDO3b6hTjJXrCrWni_a32kQpCIRjZnjuMM0KgyG6A8" width="243" /></span></a></div></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In Mesopotamia (no horses in site), they appear as these two charming gentlemen: Lugal-irra and Meslamta-ea, "who were both closely associated with Nergal, and could be either regarded as members of his court or equated with him"...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieDwhkj3RbFAux7ppuRuy-bq7KifPzRWSxshajMaBEtX71QovPKNq3aBrani_91ojPLF4miUgqm_JgcQ-1kdbxKT_wJbhlEADe1ppAl758jpFhTb8V6To2lNNVYLIIjEVeHr7TT1oF55uHzJkPW5qZ3HzVhuwP9hia04SPdIMv-48Tij-05Zm8ulCXSa0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="680" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieDwhkj3RbFAux7ppuRuy-bq7KifPzRWSxshajMaBEtX71QovPKNq3aBrani_91ojPLF4miUgqm_JgcQ-1kdbxKT_wJbhlEADe1ppAl758jpFhTb8V6To2lNNVYLIIjEVeHr7TT1oF55uHzJkPW5qZ3HzVhuwP9hia04SPdIMv-48Tij-05Zm8ulCXSa0" width="240" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">These two dudes "typically appear together in cuneiform texts and could be described as the "divine twins", and were linked to Gemini constellation. They were regarded as protectors of doors, "possibly due to their role as the gatekeepers of the underworld"...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Hmmm...Twins guarding doors (of the underworld)? This looks like a door to you?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiW9xW8BgVTYYtoT7Qt7ffE-puYD7cLYga8c5hif_C0r7g3l44yR5JYGNYsSrmt32wvM0ODIPrgjd-QaBdeNx3FJVvgCoUc4abBaO6ef4QEUPubyAgiCW2HdiD4JE71wXUnP8WVzRYZUuc4-uQVwaMpXpz8XWrAFSkJxrX6iGfWD6eSTLFo5txTEavBmBI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiW9xW8BgVTYYtoT7Qt7ffE-puYD7cLYga8c5hif_C0r7g3l44yR5JYGNYsSrmt32wvM0ODIPrgjd-QaBdeNx3FJVvgCoUc4abBaO6ef4QEUPubyAgiCW2HdiD4JE71wXUnP8WVzRYZUuc4-uQVwaMpXpz8XWrAFSkJxrX6iGfWD6eSTLFo5txTEavBmBI" width="240" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Very interesting, knowing that right after the summer solstice, we enter the hottest time of the year, Jul/Aug, the domain of Nergal, the god of the underworld...</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In Central America we find Hero Twins who pour the water of heaven (rains there arrive in Jun/Jul). I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2023/01/resurrection-of-maize-god.html" target="_blank">Resurrection of the maize god</a>"...</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOW9odMBttGJyV5ax4e1glmq8q54gzIKgwtgGzr1Tyx5uXmw6tQR_ygmQ27M7eDs1UGsBc78eHhwi2UskNUwA2JoEFTHUCSpQSW_KAy_jajHVv44GF70_JFMc93AzFCSi3BxOIfpeTbiZAp3jdpPrbuRHgcnuYfRDAIyBumjSstZphovkdGSb3dSi-6Pg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="680" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOW9odMBttGJyV5ax4e1glmq8q54gzIKgwtgGzr1Tyx5uXmw6tQR_ygmQ27M7eDs1UGsBc78eHhwi2UskNUwA2JoEFTHUCSpQSW_KAy_jajHVv44GF70_JFMc93AzFCSi3BxOIfpeTbiZAp3jdpPrbuRHgcnuYfRDAIyBumjSstZphovkdGSb3dSi-6Pg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And finally, and most importantly for our current thread, we find them in Egypt, where god Hapi, the god of the annual flooding of the Nile, was "often depicted as twins, tying papyrus and lotus flowers together". Papyrus flowers in Apr/May (beginning of summer), and lotus in Jul/Aug (end of summer) and the knot the twins tie is...Summer solstice...I talked about him/them 🙂 in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/09/lotus-and-papyrus.html" target="_blank">Lotus and papyrus</a>"...</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVFs2YCrrdnxnZLVfkatOdrSl26Dv1dcGmqeiMxOsnQbqsHVTF6GzENn5TIBJW0j5rl-u0YsQNGQ-qFl3c70D-PApAmILN_Y5-HBq4jXW-YfmdFcb4aVkux2XZjZ4Z-YxD9uxNBE1_85jL9uh83Osk6b7C6ZHld6Ue5dqXgZmHAbcKcmjiAIImAAm1WIs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="401" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVFs2YCrrdnxnZLVfkatOdrSl26Dv1dcGmqeiMxOsnQbqsHVTF6GzENn5TIBJW0j5rl-u0YsQNGQ-qFl3c70D-PApAmILN_Y5-HBq4jXW-YfmdFcb4aVkux2XZjZ4Z-YxD9uxNBE1_85jL9uh83Osk6b7C6ZHld6Ue5dqXgZmHAbcKcmjiAIImAAm1WIs" width="240" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br />Anyway, now that you know why I thought twins were important, </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So, I first went on the museum website and I found the official description of the object <a href="https://isac-idb.uchicago.edu/id/0a1454cc-e8f8-474c-bc38-447e5996e2d4" target="_blank">here</a>:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhE0idcgCZBtHeZ5gT47fULzXquzzZWAFunc6AOK2GjmO0VQLWhdOV8KQKzFcQigm-w7K5Wo0Bkh0adFI96WEm6RWpNovPz23BsO6YXxAM0C0N-G6wSOFj88-wXfd_qM9iEIdVIa70-VwW248MgIguiTbTPFMmrw5K3ss4UyBkQHaHMjvIqfELI985VjcQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhE0idcgCZBtHeZ5gT47fULzXquzzZWAFunc6AOK2GjmO0VQLWhdOV8KQKzFcQigm-w7K5Wo0Bkh0adFI96WEm6RWpNovPz23BsO6YXxAM0C0N-G6wSOFj88-wXfd_qM9iEIdVIa70-VwW248MgIguiTbTPFMmrw5K3ss4UyBkQHaHMjvIqfELI985VjcQ" width="240" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"Offering table, from Ballana, dates to Meroitic phase IIIB-IV, decorated in relief with two kohl jars and four loaves and has a Meroitic inscription"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So I then went to find out what the hell were "kohl jars". Well, they were jars, like <a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/543990" target="_blank">this one</a> from New Kingdom, dated to 1492–1473 BC and currently in Met Museum. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibQOj_4eJHJiDB4rFG9YG7m7E7ncByu0RI7Ta0MqUGM4enYcI6epioj0sPE23A2c2nYo-woJntwygdBvEVVe0EqFmZaZhbHPJZNWa7ZD8U5JvQYGXPAE857OgjI-RhWJQyeWvRV5RAgE2LROMuqb-4O1r2Ial2qo_TFwZOh23Mzoz1bskJo4XJNh5SoUE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="359" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibQOj_4eJHJiDB4rFG9YG7m7E7ncByu0RI7Ta0MqUGM4enYcI6epioj0sPE23A2c2nYo-woJntwygdBvEVVe0EqFmZaZhbHPJZNWa7ZD8U5JvQYGXPAE857OgjI-RhWJQyeWvRV5RAgE2LROMuqb-4O1r2Ial2qo_TFwZOh23Mzoz1bskJo4XJNh5SoUE" width="239" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Used for storing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohl_(cosmetics)" target="_blank">kohl</a>, an ancient eye cosmetic, made by grinding stibnite. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivnR1OfY2T2-GGx_B7B0sUaguQ5LWz0xVWO-gBZwMg3DjqlRNJgexTxLm0xawM9FeDpW3PoyR1X1XUCOzhAIcqWh65ml6YQ9TLSYubZr0CWd2_PxbZZvWC7t37hE1R6LVDpRgiYE3EuWLdj7yEi622CZ8mCXgarkeDIUneE8SLqUIFT6OmBhXeOB115qc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="360" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivnR1OfY2T2-GGx_B7B0sUaguQ5LWz0xVWO-gBZwMg3DjqlRNJgexTxLm0xawM9FeDpW3PoyR1X1XUCOzhAIcqWh65ml6YQ9TLSYubZr0CWd2_PxbZZvWC7t37hE1R6LVDpRgiYE3EuWLdj7yEi622CZ8mCXgarkeDIUneE8SLqUIFT6OmBhXeOB115qc" width="256" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The Ancient Egyptians (both men and women) wore kohl on their eyelids as protection against the glare of the sun. Outlining the eyes could also have been a way of drawing a protective amulet, such as the Wadjet Eye, right onto the skin.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0plcxVaJE_SsuupLVmZ1JYZ6wuXlxkW5GaSArbd4PkrkQz8DYFtDgHElmKDyrq-Y3QEMrHHlrOdm1ZQmmQkdk58UvVvxFYhI9dPJqkeCDNXLdCUTMNYuMhQlrueLTZBad3X6XAb9Y5ORAQ7WoViCOl_biAvUHsdXi30F-P1ZSzgfu3G6QVLLBv6K9DmE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="300" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0plcxVaJE_SsuupLVmZ1JYZ6wuXlxkW5GaSArbd4PkrkQz8DYFtDgHElmKDyrq-Y3QEMrHHlrOdm1ZQmmQkdk58UvVvxFYhI9dPJqkeCDNXLdCUTMNYuMhQlrueLTZBad3X6XAb9Y5ORAQ7WoViCOl_biAvUHsdXi30F-P1ZSzgfu3G6QVLLBv6K9DmE" width="150" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Anyway, I couldn't find any link between kohl and kohl jars and water, so I was about to give up and write this off as a false hunch, but I decided to just do one last thing and check where exactly was the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meroitic_language" target="_blank">Meroitic language</a> spoken. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">It was spoken here. In the area between today's Aswan in Egypt and Khartoum in Sudan...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilkAq0H5yVk0awFLjlghNRGjqq_vlV-YEOQY7SuciuDwON_s9o5T9AK-sMMCgd4B6Be7ms2-jWHJru7037HdSUYfBB6fvXQZBe9-ZLoaIQIvKyqVNEwa9m4O8mXuPQTuH-RCGBk11mVxENXCGAmNOUs7THvULoyj-kDJJODDJ-X-caydszNfhA8J2Egg0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="680" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilkAq0H5yVk0awFLjlghNRGjqq_vlV-YEOQY7SuciuDwON_s9o5T9AK-sMMCgd4B6Be7ms2-jWHJru7037HdSUYfBB6fvXQZBe9-ZLoaIQIvKyqVNEwa9m4O8mXuPQTuH-RCGBk11mVxENXCGAmNOUs7THvULoyj-kDJJODDJ-X-caydszNfhA8J2Egg0" width="244" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br />And so, in the spirit of "if all you have is a hammer (animal calendar markers), everything looks (actually is) like a nail (deified calendar)", I went to check the local climate...</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And what is very interesting about this part of the world is that it has a very long dry season and very short wet season, and that the rains arrive right around...summer solstice...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2QQn6XleQLIgDKORXSvzpS3i8dCvn0PWifqBEEoSxje-CBZPdE1rg3Vm3WK_EaNCqgQCk0d5qmwI501MvJwa8ZX6hAL6f-3G_MnW0H4jLMn_WTMiXN_0QbMjJsRTo8x-1EbsY038PWy82kViUCnPwL_x48HeGm7Ed5rP-v5ahXQ7xT6Had3rIaDAHBvM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="680" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2QQn6XleQLIgDKORXSvzpS3i8dCvn0PWifqBEEoSxje-CBZPdE1rg3Vm3WK_EaNCqgQCk0d5qmwI501MvJwa8ZX6hAL6f-3G_MnW0H4jLMn_WTMiXN_0QbMjJsRTo8x-1EbsY038PWy82kViUCnPwL_x48HeGm7Ed5rP-v5ahXQ7xT6Had3rIaDAHBvM" width="309" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So my hunch that the two jars with water pouring out of them somehow links water and summer solstice was right...But what does this have to do with kohl jars? Nothing. University of Chicago was wrong. These were not kohl jars at all. They are hes-vases...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/4015" target="_blank">Here is one</a>, currently in the Brooklin museum, from the Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty. I have no idea how I came across this page. AI decided to help me I guess...I doubled it so you can see how they resemble the vases from the offering table...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLQa3B3a5kNONQYaa9jVdQ0wzjP92UFIKC8g0vFPS32tA24rN4i3Vde22-9navvZid0g56fy5N4cjYImB7NEJDSJNUdhmmwRT5GKnsNVoLJdY2aSvAWI_68Biaa-8APXA--gnTP46lKWCD_8Eo16DzIhkCEiRg9dje0FU4BZwQ_duZPIgvpWhJdRhgS_s" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLQa3B3a5kNONQYaa9jVdQ0wzjP92UFIKC8g0vFPS32tA24rN4i3Vde22-9navvZid0g56fy5N4cjYImB7NEJDSJNUdhmmwRT5GKnsNVoLJdY2aSvAWI_68Biaa-8APXA--gnTP46lKWCD_8Eo16DzIhkCEiRg9dje0FU4BZwQ_duZPIgvpWhJdRhgS_s" width="275" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The hes-vases were special vessels used to hold ritually purified water. These containers were frequently left as tomb offerings so the deceased could drink the water...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Thirsty dead? Again? I talked about the "thirsty" dead first in my posts "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/01/thirst.html" target="_blank">Drought</a>" and "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/01/white-feast.html" target="_blank">White feast</a>" about South Slavic beliefs that the dead are linked to rain and grain fertility...And that thirsty ancestors will "drink rain from the clouds and will cause drought".</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6jlfyFH6KGWsUp8Zg0SJ1-FYeAWU3RxtijHXUnEo4hIAzvra3KcgkHhP8V2axr1e0E-NkureIwEYIXl-sXX3oDNaleYbw67lpLHa1EqlwRT4sWMN3hE9RMpNCSKgOcSqQ5mXeswUh6w0IkkmbLsLikA_K71FDsh9-TL4TsL10gZoqWparpbH85zGWDP4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="639" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6jlfyFH6KGWsUp8Zg0SJ1-FYeAWU3RxtijHXUnEo4hIAzvra3KcgkHhP8V2axr1e0E-NkureIwEYIXl-sXX3oDNaleYbw67lpLHa1EqlwRT4sWMN3hE9RMpNCSKgOcSqQ5mXeswUh6w0IkkmbLsLikA_K71FDsh9-TL4TsL10gZoqWparpbH85zGWDP4" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I then talked about "thirsty dead" in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2023/01/lapis-manalis.html" target="_blank">Lapis Manalis</a>" about Roman belief that the dead are linked to rain and grain fertility...BTW, do you see the similarity between cup and ring marked stones and rain caused ripples on water? Or is it just me?</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXGM5qmhtytxJZICSRj7eOT540ssHMHaJ_WL0emCDaWBYb_I-o_V_k94kTlQ8sWrcxRNg6e59eKAh0Ns88aVqaqK9dVmXE67RTivX3zPTH8pBT7lV8j3Pzy3NzkfyruKqkmksoqEz54sF6rMpKIYywvHkaOOdYUZPoJrWOymcxtPHE_7t9PMM3zfXjQsA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="868" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXGM5qmhtytxJZICSRj7eOT540ssHMHaJ_WL0emCDaWBYb_I-o_V_k94kTlQ8sWrcxRNg6e59eKAh0Ns88aVqaqK9dVmXE67RTivX3zPTH8pBT7lV8j3Pzy3NzkfyruKqkmksoqEz54sF6rMpKIYywvHkaOOdYUZPoJrWOymcxtPHE_7t9PMM3zfXjQsA" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I finally talked about "thirsty dead" in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2024/02/care-of-dead.html" target="_blank">Care of the dead</a>" about Hittite and Sumerian belief that the dead are linked to rain and grain fertility...And if you forget to respect the sacred bond with the dead...</span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbpk93672BgeNzspOgVIknfA31KqnvAHGYZm5kNZ3RywSUVX47BUiYUlMtEMiEtLgLZSgWogZW94uopM61ATZzn8OWXiKqma9RY_dBEJhAxXQLy3rjb-Pp5MproRu9qO7smkQ5vw79ZHdKypfLTrKXd5VTDXDrSVEe8vtet_B9xYwTzwrOZ-aaSFnZc94" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="680" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbpk93672BgeNzspOgVIknfA31KqnvAHGYZm5kNZ3RywSUVX47BUiYUlMtEMiEtLgLZSgWogZW94uopM61ATZzn8OWXiKqma9RY_dBEJhAxXQLy3rjb-Pp5MproRu9qO7smkQ5vw79ZHdKypfLTrKXd5VTDXDrSVEe8vtet_B9xYwTzwrOZ-aaSFnZc94" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br />Hmmm ritually purified water...Was this purification intended to turn water back to rain? The pure water that falls from the sky that can be drank without fear of diseases?</span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCHw7Wi6eOBDEy4DJOi0089vS-_bJmCGbeixj6z8VlrrYd5a43-JmAtEDtD0QA-R9sASIkO6W78lcJ9SCUtTWQ7yDz22KD-79j8lTE3-x0-Kka4PlhavIHIxupsDvyITLOip19bp31d2I9FPvJ01s5YAaskE2aSvrYDdO2HCV4_iizuEB2AiXPGl8hBXI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="680" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCHw7Wi6eOBDEy4DJOi0089vS-_bJmCGbeixj6z8VlrrYd5a43-JmAtEDtD0QA-R9sASIkO6W78lcJ9SCUtTWQ7yDz22KD-79j8lTE3-x0-Kka4PlhavIHIxupsDvyITLOip19bp31d2I9FPvJ01s5YAaskE2aSvrYDdO2HCV4_iizuEB2AiXPGl8hBXI" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So we have water pouring out of hes-vases, which normally contain water for the dead and loaves of bread...Again we see the link between water, the dead, rain and bread...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(This was not in the original thread, but I just remembered <a href="https://twitter.com/serbiaireland/status/1600623370751598592" target="_blank">this thread</a>: </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Sycamore tree goddess, originally Hathor, and later Isis, both goddess of flood, pouring water which is depicted with ankh (life) symbols inside it...Tomb, Siwa Oasis, 400-600 BC. Egypt...Is she pouring water of life from a "Hes-Vase"?</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPEuwKy2Et4Dls_IbaAJWQO9_yumitVDBivPHa8MZ-t0h0bFKWq6GF4LNvs4ATpDrpX81F-iPcScBXVVBeoPYn2YpeC1PgwMWlHd3_aT1ilIv9aqCsV8SIAreF2FDoTif74pg52HB5xp9ZgtKtWyJa3JAkKitcJDMoi00ezlm0PNjk_laMzoPYklZS-R8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="387" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPEuwKy2Et4Dls_IbaAJWQO9_yumitVDBivPHa8MZ-t0h0bFKWq6GF4LNvs4ATpDrpX81F-iPcScBXVVBeoPYn2YpeC1PgwMWlHd3_aT1ilIv9aqCsV8SIAreF2FDoTif74pg52HB5xp9ZgtKtWyJa3JAkKitcJDMoi00ezlm0PNjk_laMzoPYklZS-R8" width="165" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Now I was wondering why would water from the twin vases be pouring on the two loaves of bread. Maybe there is some kind of cereal that directly depends on the rain that starts falling around summer solstice...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And It turns out I was right again...<a href="https://fews.net/sites/default/files/documents/reports/Sudan%20Outlook_122018.pdf" target="_blank">Sorghum</a> is a staple crop in Sudan. Sorghum grows during the rainy season (Jun-Sep). Once harvested, it is ground and stored for the dry season...and is used to make kisra flat breads...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvQiM-igb1F8BZ6aLLwa0Mev49YOc1X2q50PrFy5h42z6Xq5zmEAX3JOC5cGbHlKPZfszUx9mHwaxrgUTn77DkoxK0iA1ntJKb1IHo9NS0MYd0p8wXzdIXugr06p_Lb9mib9goUx4XJXBkSNdRDhQXZwqS62PLdd3xJplaANvy3FNlUwJ2UIbtXwbpLyc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="679" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvQiM-igb1F8BZ6aLLwa0Mev49YOc1X2q50PrFy5h42z6Xq5zmEAX3JOC5cGbHlKPZfszUx9mHwaxrgUTn77DkoxK0iA1ntJKb1IHo9NS0MYd0p8wXzdIXugr06p_Lb9mib9goUx4XJXBkSNdRDhQXZwqS62PLdd3xJplaANvy3FNlUwJ2UIbtXwbpLyc" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhX0zCFekyqAeDfTcPMWqI_Rt1TsAYlKAwglfoMaFLmpa2H5VjJQ-nLFuuPhJC_2ANV9OTluK2YfYn_9rDvX1VNVczVBj16Zx65CUmDD9eCCmh9VRk08a9P7S_4KeyZgVmEE28A1ONZ3F0Dav5oRrUzPXyUTDhgELSh9QizEtrDKCu4OjQ6vgNHNAP9VYc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="616" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhX0zCFekyqAeDfTcPMWqI_Rt1TsAYlKAwglfoMaFLmpa2H5VjJQ-nLFuuPhJC_2ANV9OTluK2YfYn_9rDvX1VNVczVBj16Zx65CUmDD9eCCmh9VRk08a9P7S_4KeyZgVmEE28A1ONZ3F0Dav5oRrUzPXyUTDhgELSh9QizEtrDKCu4OjQ6vgNHNAP9VYc" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And just when I decided I had found enough info to write this thread, while I was looking for a nice pic of traditional sorghum kisra flat breads, I stumbled across "<a href="https://womensliteracysudan.blog/2019/02/17/kambala/" target="_blank">Sky and Earth – A Nuba Mountains Folktale</a>"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Nuba Mountains lie just below Khartoum, and this story proves conclusively that my hunch about the twin(s) jars was 100% right. Here it goes:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">“At the beginning of time, the sky and the earth lived together as one..."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> "...The Nuba people remember a day when a young woman from the Nuba was grinding sorghum on the grindstone. As she worked, she unintentionally struck the sky with her elbow. The sky was insulted and decided to leave the place and take up residence far away from the earth..."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"...The people were unhappy about this and did not know how to continue their lives which had become gloomy and miserable without the sky, its rainy clouds and its shining sun..."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> "...They held a meeting and agreed to send an envoy to the sky to persuade it to come back. The envoy somehow managed to convince the sky to come back. It agreed on one condition: that it would return only once a year and would be invited to return each time..." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"...This is how the seasons were created and how the Nuba Mountains received their first Kujur, the rainmaker, who since that time has continued to mediate between the earth and sky. The kujur has passed on his ability to make rain to his children and the children of his children..."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The end...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Now here is the best bit (from "<a href="https://www.sudanarchive.net/?a=d&d=SNRV19400000-01" target="_blank">Sudan Notes and Records Volume 23</a>"): </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRWwogwuKBGHyDl9Fn4JIurEDra1yY9Z9v_Kb3SH6AFAeSyF-pL9EeZYblxU7elJnA5SgSX3LIDHLs-2X21opwDtnYY6vXKly5XePb9_qV0d3gKnmmzbkj-WDbz2nqE5NED7yDdZ4Om58VXhPK93H-bFkm2YVFrP5h0mH0tJLGSTfTMeV00enwywjRl2s" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="182" data-original-width="679" height="86" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRWwogwuKBGHyDl9Fn4JIurEDra1yY9Z9v_Kb3SH6AFAeSyF-pL9EeZYblxU7elJnA5SgSX3LIDHLs-2X21opwDtnYY6vXKly5XePb9_qV0d3gKnmmzbkj-WDbz2nqE5NED7yDdZ4Om58VXhPK93H-bFkm2YVFrP5h0mH0tJLGSTfTMeV00enwywjRl2s" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The only person equal to the Kujur is "a man who fathered twins" as "father of twins is the most important person"...Why? The only explanation is that the ancient Sudanese associated rain season with twins...Gemini...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Neat...Oh and in September, right after the rains stopped and the first harvest started, Nuba people hold Kambala festival, which celebrates the harvesting of grain and is associated with initiation rites for young Nuba men.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And we know that rain is linked with grain, semen and male fertility...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">PS: Dear <a href="https://twitter.com/ISAC_UChicago" target="_blank">@ISAC_UChicago</a> I would really like to know what is written on this offering table, if you know yourself. But I find it interesting that in Meroitic language</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">at(a) means "bread" and ato means "water"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">PS: please correct the object's description...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">That's it. It took about half an hour to find all this info...</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To read more about ancient animal and plant calendar markers, start </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/p/animal-solar-year-markers.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">…then check </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/search?q=%22animal+calendar+markers%22&max-results=20&by-date=true" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">the rest of the blog posts related to animal calendar markers</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't add to this page, and finally check </span><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=thread%20(from%3Aserbiaireland)%20-filter%3Areplies&src=typed_query&f=live" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">my twitter threads</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't convert to blog post...I am 9 months behind now...</span></span></p>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-73319012307433997192024-03-05T04:51:00.000-08:002024-03-05T04:51:18.879-08:00Prince Stefan Prvoslav<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This is the Church of the Đurđevi Stupovi Monastery in Berane, Montenegro. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjv3GsrHb9l1WXV59N7TX3Ud66JlG1-CXA8_IdEAiw76O4WhDNFaWtQCgKs7stga_EvC9iybY0kvtmmdSWrh6h3beYo7D1xSM_mMj-fp2aOab_9_DQgoru_LZ9_UoxxPR_DG7NMdTxTrxlPtKKsX1V3ZVAdyhOP3-_cTSGXxDghxQg_jQV6aMA-F-ae5A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="680" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjv3GsrHb9l1WXV59N7TX3Ud66JlG1-CXA8_IdEAiw76O4WhDNFaWtQCgKs7stga_EvC9iybY0kvtmmdSWrh6h3beYo7D1xSM_mMj-fp2aOab_9_DQgoru_LZ9_UoxxPR_DG7NMdTxTrxlPtKKsX1V3ZVAdyhOP3-_cTSGXxDghxQg_jQV6aMA-F-ae5A" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">It was built in 1213 as a memorial to the Serbian Prince Stefan Prvoslav, whose grave is in the nave...His grave slab is decorated with a very interesting symbol: triskele of Celtic Scordisci type.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjspNzI0GgiF02CBimD6RXCO3IaIqF-5s7VHR7tsTTLjMUQ1PEOVedLqPX1IJUNeelhTz-I9uThSSP16GzTTUtZ1fks5jcyiWga-HZftyKmOtNw3SwFtwhdCXIf4HPZwbIcYNAe3rY6Jj1yAkYhrWXz8BTOwGfh8EygPi3038ER49cyA1yWdO6GLEY1t3k" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="209" data-original-width="360" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjspNzI0GgiF02CBimD6RXCO3IaIqF-5s7VHR7tsTTLjMUQ1PEOVedLqPX1IJUNeelhTz-I9uThSSP16GzTTUtZ1fks5jcyiWga-HZftyKmOtNw3SwFtwhdCXIf4HPZwbIcYNAe3rY6Jj1yAkYhrWXz8BTOwGfh8EygPi3038ER49cyA1yWdO6GLEY1t3k" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcSiQzYIl_Q2HXH5yfOMz9J4g2gDHU4QOhNGOeoY61hhsC23beFy01wVHi7crdpzZTQ-O8j4QCJYLwo2yUmyAunaDVXtDfmPmmESNasqhfMoP6Jf-TbPgmuHfOecpIp_eMapGDd1Lpzdc42bwI0JwQPPRuXvFIqa0pty394KQHM0joDbfNFeyeI4XVDu0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="359" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcSiQzYIl_Q2HXH5yfOMz9J4g2gDHU4QOhNGOeoY61hhsC23beFy01wVHi7crdpzZTQ-O8j4QCJYLwo2yUmyAunaDVXtDfmPmmESNasqhfMoP6Jf-TbPgmuHfOecpIp_eMapGDd1Lpzdc42bwI0JwQPPRuXvFIqa0pty394KQHM0joDbfNFeyeI4XVDu0" width="178" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scordisci" target="_blank">Scordisci</a> were a Celtic Iron Age cultural group centered in the territory of present-day Serbia...From the 3rd c. BC until the 1st c. AD they ruled over a tribal state which at its zenith also included parts of Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCn4_F6mtFfkk7n7CVzXxb2lMK-EEi3vybgWESHv5WTsRocEelww0YDLkQ0BD1gS19c2NChgeNdw10VqsSyjfnW7WdJ8Bvq22yH-o98LLUswf51a-h0UOe5vlrSfJjFd8q3mPek99XQfuqdPTQmiTal9OxQ_0oVNCKKzZ0YstK79Mv5Ow_kxBVTBhFowI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="680" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCn4_F6mtFfkk7n7CVzXxb2lMK-EEi3vybgWESHv5WTsRocEelww0YDLkQ0BD1gS19c2NChgeNdw10VqsSyjfnW7WdJ8Bvq22yH-o98LLUswf51a-h0UOe5vlrSfJjFd8q3mPek99XQfuqdPTQmiTal9OxQ_0oVNCKKzZ0YstK79Mv5Ow_kxBVTBhFowI" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">During the 3rd and 2nd c. BC they successfully fought Romans in the Balkans. You can read more about this on the <a href="https://balkancelts.wordpress.com/2016/11/23/the-struma-massacres-114-bc/" target="_blank">Balkan Celts</a> blog... </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnrrW7BdQidI9JAe4Qsj_Uw9njhqID01X-VT-8VLl0gtfxw9e7UclEUfygRdZ8AAf__ozxmlOxtbs1qQZ6B9ROCAcqXqJM_041YCIjtBWgm8uiySbwpiJ36lNqdalD7Ep-f1lOwgr7c7_M_IToJoNshzC1vTspFrIiHYErreeLT7p5tqoapb6-EmpL3zo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="614" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnrrW7BdQidI9JAe4Qsj_Uw9njhqID01X-VT-8VLl0gtfxw9e7UclEUfygRdZ8AAf__ozxmlOxtbs1qQZ6B9ROCAcqXqJM_041YCIjtBWgm8uiySbwpiJ36lNqdalD7Ep-f1lOwgr7c7_M_IToJoNshzC1vTspFrIiHYErreeLT7p5tqoapb6-EmpL3zo" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Lucius Annaeus Florus in his Epitome XXXVIIII (<a href="https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Florus/Epitome/1J*.html#XXXVIIII" target="_blank">The Thracian War</a>), says about them: "The cruelest of all the Thracians were the Scordisci...their haunts among the woods and mountains..."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">They are the guys who lived in the fortress on Veliki Vetren peak on Mount Juhor, Central Serbia...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTalmGUjMCx_-Ju-074yThnG18UIv3dubHVNoXXGc0YR3n7SZLiczutWHKqTtJ8uORVeFo8GYoRrk_k1xq1gQWN2UOKjwcdH04vwwPwBwh3eVdrg8HTDC5lqEZv12UlmSd2fepRGbYHnXsdprrPgelN6oAUPHo5pds3X173Vq7N8S1YHRWFhc-z-NNMZg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="360" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTalmGUjMCx_-Ju-074yThnG18UIv3dubHVNoXXGc0YR3n7SZLiczutWHKqTtJ8uORVeFo8GYoRrk_k1xq1gQWN2UOKjwcdH04vwwPwBwh3eVdrg8HTDC5lqEZv12UlmSd2fepRGbYHnXsdprrPgelN6oAUPHo5pds3X173Vq7N8S1YHRWFhc-z-NNMZg" width="290" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg34tZ8l1SEeL3YftBWEZwQZ6Hm2Q7fWl2HTK_q355OJ1veps97Jh5a3_UKZC-XSRkdp89kuVapvIFdJCf6-nqdwFbUtenN8zc_fzhRrA8_J9foF6a4ve-EgiL194W0AKCoTUeAyd-leP4_79XYUVoJIUzN7Pu0LTGK-73vafcbzwIqJlVbEEEYEmNUyx4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="580" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg34tZ8l1SEeL3YftBWEZwQZ6Hm2Q7fWl2HTK_q355OJ1veps97Jh5a3_UKZC-XSRkdp89kuVapvIFdJCf6-nqdwFbUtenN8zc_fzhRrA8_J9foF6a4ve-EgiL194W0AKCoTUeAyd-leP4_79XYUVoJIUzN7Pu0LTGK-73vafcbzwIqJlVbEEEYEmNUyx4" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"14 horsemen came down from Devil's Town on Veliki Vetren peak, Serbia, on foggy nights and abducted young girls, croaking like Ravens" (Local legend). 14 sets of cavalry equipment were found in the Celtic opidium on Veliki Vetren peak 🙂 </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Where this button was found...With the identical triskele symbol...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwbVDgspUcWlC8Uz6jQxJ76JbAc60Y03Z_y69y4XgvIEeD7Oxnj2yIdAexv0e_Zf9QGNQSF0u8117u1L2BbP7lZvobvjp8nA1TyYSK_6bcrRlc4tsbQhMsC_VTE7OxzRJjvvmG8jlOAHaQTjIMcFCItCc4Yti15eIDyiJPXJVKMU3kADAi8V756nwiecc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="272" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwbVDgspUcWlC8Uz6jQxJ76JbAc60Y03Z_y69y4XgvIEeD7Oxnj2yIdAexv0e_Zf9QGNQSF0u8117u1L2BbP7lZvobvjp8nA1TyYSK_6bcrRlc4tsbQhMsC_VTE7OxzRJjvvmG8jlOAHaQTjIMcFCItCc4Yti15eIDyiJPXJVKMU3kADAi8V756nwiecc" width="256" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">From my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/10/veliki-vetren.html" target="_blank">Veliki Vetren</a>"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">During the 1st c. BC their power begins to weaken and eventually they were crushed in 15 BC by Tiberius, and became Roman subjects, after which they started fighting for the Romans as mercenaries...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">After the Roman conquest in the 1st century AD, their territories were included into the Roman provinces of Pannonia, Moesia and Dacia. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjxLPxGpZZTDU23NYeigr_6OIbYMejIP5oiu_jucSOgM0lsTqW7oAmkcBcOLJcsMl6C57po5pwkO_h6AUZP2R_gVYbdyJlLW4WaVm57jRMPZxID8tqrBC-cCgVodB8ZWs6mRd2rwaXq8MJvu-NaCHM1zp5qZkMtXpBr9f-r1ZoxZJVvD-vsHG8mYyhTYc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="454" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjxLPxGpZZTDU23NYeigr_6OIbYMejIP5oiu_jucSOgM0lsTqW7oAmkcBcOLJcsMl6C57po5pwkO_h6AUZP2R_gVYbdyJlLW4WaVm57jRMPZxID8tqrBC-cCgVodB8ZWs6mRd2rwaXq8MJvu-NaCHM1zp5qZkMtXpBr9f-r1ZoxZJVvD-vsHG8mYyhTYc" width="160" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Strabo's Geographica (20 BC–23 AD) says that "the Major Scordisci, lived between moths of Sava and Morava rivers (Serbia)"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So what happened to Scordisci after they became "Romans"? Well they stayed in the Balkans...And most likely became one of (many) Serbian ancestors...Look at Serbian genes...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Is this why Serbian Prince Stefan Prvoslav has a Scordisci triskele on his grave slab? Or maybe this is just a meaningless squiggle...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIl5clcvddlTdRq2C4YLBdLi8ZbZU3SWgaNZ5mYU6VLQOll4Jx5obqXjj5ALgQQEb5tHTiTDkFrzbMDkSTDKfDzpXkYHKCXqn30sMU-mzLvLwzeG_wMY7Vf9K2mr8BP21fwqDeI3Q65cltzdwkwgTf6LUnardCfaTN-Ppq9hizNPdXWSzce4F9h3NDLYo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="359" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIl5clcvddlTdRq2C4YLBdLi8ZbZU3SWgaNZ5mYU6VLQOll4Jx5obqXjj5ALgQQEb5tHTiTDkFrzbMDkSTDKfDzpXkYHKCXqn30sMU-mzLvLwzeG_wMY7Vf9K2mr8BP21fwqDeI3Q65cltzdwkwgTf6LUnardCfaTN-Ppq9hizNPdXWSzce4F9h3NDLYo" width="240" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">BTW, do you remember my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/04/smrt-marka-kraljevica-death-of-prince.html" target="_blank">Death of Prince Marko</a>" about Celtic style "ritual killing" of weapons during warrior funerals, depicted in Medieval Serbian folk epic poems? </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUu9A5WI-H0XyVnZ5EnhFpBvKmvReWgccYcV9db9G775_pJYeqXQP-h5Yp8Tvgd6j90A27LFB-wrKlpRVfUbjKUQDsUfMK3S89we1j3j-uswLrBZ6PG_Dlq4YDuYFWInx9gWMmDAEuIf3w8AR3HV-sut7v-a7Cbvh6n7Cx8ujjxK9m5wFyX0Co5x1PuEc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="663" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUu9A5WI-H0XyVnZ5EnhFpBvKmvReWgccYcV9db9G775_pJYeqXQP-h5Yp8Tvgd6j90A27LFB-wrKlpRVfUbjKUQDsUfMK3S89we1j3j-uswLrBZ6PG_Dlq4YDuYFWInx9gWMmDAEuIf3w8AR3HV-sut7v-a7Cbvh6n7Cx8ujjxK9m5wFyX0Co5x1PuEc" width="234" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">More about Scordisci can be found on this great site "<a href="https://balkancelts.wordpress.com/tag/scordisci/" target="_blank">Balkan Celts, Journal of Celtic Studies in Eastern Europe and Asia-Minor</a>"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">But I don't think you will find anything there about Serbian Prince Stefan Prvoslav's grave...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">PS: By @LazarStojkovic</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And let’s not forget this…</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVegyAQPBKogY7Cq6vp-JN1bmYVwEAFUP4tY7lgWWCzofkhIb2nc5LHIW3CJ-iMuaaBp8jRulgaR37zAwHWedFwQ4j4ACXsMBrOvIsV3t_xm-4mdJJT_Brg5Az52eVpp_ZJjZvQjbtngKGkpT30KbBaW_p9uX4Knc-rXIB7q-Yj5vKnL5kxr51nclv90s" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVegyAQPBKogY7Cq6vp-JN1bmYVwEAFUP4tY7lgWWCzofkhIb2nc5LHIW3CJ-iMuaaBp8jRulgaR37zAwHWedFwQ4j4ACXsMBrOvIsV3t_xm-4mdJJT_Brg5Az52eVpp_ZJjZvQjbtngKGkpT30KbBaW_p9uX4Knc-rXIB7q-Yj5vKnL5kxr51nclv90s" width="169" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In “<a href="https://archive.org/details/RankaKuicSrpskiIKeltskiJezik/page/n29/mode/2up" target="_blank">Red and White: Serbian-Celtic Parallels</a>" (In Serbian), the late Serbian linguistic scholar, Celticist, and academician Professor Ranka Kuić identified ~600 words shared between Welsh and Serbian.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">For comparison, that’s about 10x the number of words shared between the languages considered to be the members of the Finno-Ugric language group...</span></p>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-55345809607323667342024-03-04T06:26:00.000-08:002024-03-04T06:26:30.287-08:00Date beer<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">A late 3rd millennium BC seal found in the Hurian city of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urkesh" target="_blank">Urkesh</a> located in northeastern Syria. Pic from "<a href="http://128.97.6.202/attach/GBDalProfondo.pdf" target="_blank">Dal profondo del tempo</a>" by Giorgio Buccellati, one of many great Urkesh related resources found on <a href="http://urkesh.org/main/main%5E.htm" target="_blank">urkesh.org</a>... </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-IH_dle06w2rHyG9oUCznybJCfSnVbbwBsrx-uivmmGxy0ARJT8xb_l3ndixyKeWRE_18QHXkg1ApWr7N5Um2SvrnQ_YhICZFlgOHDdXx7pyN6aXNbVa17i9eC-LSMMSzuqqEhLpL2E33hpEmfWUjSeejmC7HMFTZpbqxUoZ20WtlGYG9kWv2EiafkIM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="1200" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-IH_dle06w2rHyG9oUCznybJCfSnVbbwBsrx-uivmmGxy0ARJT8xb_l3ndixyKeWRE_18QHXkg1ApWr7N5Um2SvrnQ_YhICZFlgOHDdXx7pyN6aXNbVa17i9eC-LSMMSzuqqEhLpL2E33hpEmfWUjSeejmC7HMFTZpbqxUoZ20WtlGYG9kWv2EiafkIM" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">What does it mean?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In the article we read: "...a representation of an act of worship. The two attendants, or priests, they just cut off the head of a young bull. The one on the left still holds the knife in his hand, while the one on the right holds it suspended the animal for the hind legs..."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"...The bull's head is placed at the base of a small palm tree trunk, with a jar on top...Does the seated woman mix something in a container - the blood of the sacrificed animal? "</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">What I think is depicted here is indeed an act of worship. Of alcohol...And Ishtar...Yes I think that is Ishtar sitting on that throne next to the date palm tree trunk...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">You can read about the link between Ishtar and the date palm tree (the Mesopotamian Tree of Life) in "<a href="https://jstor.org/stable/23789949" target="_blank">Western Asiatic Tree Goddess</a>" by Irit Ziffer...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Here is one of the artefacts cited in this paper that shows this link between Ishtar and date palm. An Akkadian seal depicting Ishtar sitting on her lion throne, with worshippers standing in front of her, while people at the back are shown harvesting dates...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7e2AAUsZO4nIUwoaDRPMDCbsqvKZnpNlDtGOqMamRCavVGUvQC6nZGsFS2FJ_k2qDJimggn48YjwNnoJVQD32fal2TuVA0Nu6_VRgsxWA--99gJCI2V-eu4tII02kOa5nv7yhYBk5p_L5w8fjjAdgvRTT8x6yIWpOabRpbC9eKh6CvNs3HplBfzdYG_E" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="1200" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7e2AAUsZO4nIUwoaDRPMDCbsqvKZnpNlDtGOqMamRCavVGUvQC6nZGsFS2FJ_k2qDJimggn48YjwNnoJVQD32fal2TuVA0Nu6_VRgsxWA--99gJCI2V-eu4tII02kOa5nv7yhYBk5p_L5w8fjjAdgvRTT8x6yIWpOabRpbC9eKh6CvNs3HplBfzdYG_E" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This seal can be found in "<a href="https://archive.org/details/dieentwicklungde0000boeh/page/228/mode/2up" target="_blank">Die Entwicklung der Glyptik während der Akkad-Zeit</a>" by Boehmer, R. M. published in 1965. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">But what does this mean? What is the actual link between date palms and Ishtar...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Enter animal and plant calendar markers...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">There is this girl, Inanna/Ishtar, who loves standing on lions? Why does she do this? </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQGovJV-hG3CLk3mOZgwCRi0QkpIvgAklH4rFPeL4RfYOabHVsWgfMjqlhRdoBTcVv5AWF1gjsMhv6_GehQ6bf30SpsI9OK75s9UqrMfiWm1tARlPl4cZiXjybdTfEciHZZZpLbtf6XCSGkPrPBlXO_unD2zf7R75DaxJFkxJghtG24wVuZgNBN9S6CiU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1078" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQGovJV-hG3CLk3mOZgwCRi0QkpIvgAklH4rFPeL4RfYOabHVsWgfMjqlhRdoBTcVv5AWF1gjsMhv6_GehQ6bf30SpsI9OK75s9UqrMfiWm1tARlPl4cZiXjybdTfEciHZZZpLbtf6XCSGkPrPBlXO_unD2zf7R75DaxJFkxJghtG24wVuZgNBN9S6CiU" width="216" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Well...standing on a lion means "In Leo"...(Jul/Aug)...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And you know how everyone thinks that Inanna/Ishtar "The queen of heaven", "The morning star" is Venus...Well, when this "mythology" was developed, Sirius rose before the sun, in Leo (Jul/Aug), pretending to be "the morning star"...I talked about her in my posts "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/05/ninshubur.html" target="_blank">Ninshubur</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2024/02/inana-and-sukaletuda.html" target="_blank">Inana and Šukaletuda</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/01/under-blazing-sun-sirius.html" target="_blank">Under the blazing Sun Sirius</a>"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In "<a href="https://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.4.07.4#" target="_blank">A hymn to Inana as Ninegala</a>" we can read "Inana, great light, lioness of heaven..." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Why is she "lioness of heaven"? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This, combined with Inanna's obsession with standing on lions only makes sense if she is Sirius, rising with the sun in Leo...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Leo here has nothing to do with constellation Leo...Well it didn't originally...Leo (Jul/Aug) marks the beginning of the main mating season of Eurasian lions...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxiWD00GKrvt4x8ez5zioCeoQ5e7WJmFYKM6skGHv7XEF3Gblci-c7tbLzorDVSQYYS4fCkBGy4ot5qeHKdIMeL-Bj3sn1HwBGUVpHV5rLkMd0Gt4il8C78k2BRmIOiynSuSALzpssmy1WfcHwZ2Dczl-Ws9F5myXZEx1VW-k0U5JY-4YEZzc83BRzM8E" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxiWD00GKrvt4x8ez5zioCeoQ5e7WJmFYKM6skGHv7XEF3Gblci-c7tbLzorDVSQYYS4fCkBGy4ot5qeHKdIMeL-Bj3sn1HwBGUVpHV5rLkMd0Gt4il8C78k2BRmIOiynSuSALzpssmy1WfcHwZ2Dczl-Ws9F5myXZEx1VW-k0U5JY-4YEZzc83BRzM8E" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhl66RjCfKET3LKrVuUSRIdlT3WzxcFHLn4uc_3eu4L1PtUvqVs8adq5XS80WTsmLOOqg4Yfhie4Wb8Hw8Go_ZUAqeaNJ-sqHlZE7fWXfMXIus7Kp6917WaIk6YnFU3u-oGSQg4apSXO6DeOXrcOAqevxx2FqNGRULqu-vH_kkUhZWrz_XraQ1Ba1PcWvA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="785" data-original-width="2048" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhl66RjCfKET3LKrVuUSRIdlT3WzxcFHLn4uc_3eu4L1PtUvqVs8adq5XS80WTsmLOOqg4Yfhie4Wb8Hw8Go_ZUAqeaNJ-sqHlZE7fWXfMXIus7Kp6917WaIk6YnFU3u-oGSQg4apSXO6DeOXrcOAqevxx2FqNGRULqu-vH_kkUhZWrz_XraQ1Ba1PcWvA" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">What does this have to do with date palms? When Leo (Jul/Aug) marks the beginning of autumn (Aug,Sep,Oct)...Which comes after summer (May,Jun,Jul)...Summer which starts in Taurus (Apr/May)...Hence Bull as symbol of summer and Lion as symbol of autumn...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2019/10/symbols-of-seasons.html" target="_blank">Symbols of the seasons</a>"...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjuRvA-uzwusJz07On_FSpsWRd-Ax7BhvdjVNcRAND9gJLYv8ITMWyqe4l99Zj7RZWVSNbUiUu7vfEjP4Ct-j1uwUUZEZYHACBAV5m_ADnTKUnc92nv4v19e1LO78gnXAnd1G4AJeWApAaWDuX2zXgW2qO22k11lpSv-UQlVs2AWk1fbi1ueCi32obtso" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="372" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjuRvA-uzwusJz07On_FSpsWRd-Ax7BhvdjVNcRAND9gJLYv8ITMWyqe4l99Zj7RZWVSNbUiUu7vfEjP4Ct-j1uwUUZEZYHACBAV5m_ADnTKUnc92nv4v19e1LO78gnXAnd1G4AJeWApAaWDuX2zXgW2qO22k11lpSv-UQlVs2AWk1fbi1ueCi32obtso" width="231" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Date harvest season starts in Jul/Aug...In Leo...When Ishtar stands on lions (Sirius rises with the sun in Leo)...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">When lion (autumn) kills (ends) bull (summer) it's time to harvest dates. You can read my analysis of this seal in "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/10/lion-killin-bull-under-date-palm.html" target="_blank">Lion killing bull under date palm</a>"... </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzDhqBMaDrnCAHSqhkOmCOD_t4trcrsdi0KrHHK8KvISvfwkeM2rIvR0PaGTYs5wUoaEvrXhM7-beUt6mgHGl4obww1faOVWqP_9xICLTVR4fv1-oVF-0TrJkUA6aLZh7Tsn1CXowdfTWfxMY3qjcUsebHnz28VwTMmqCJvQ6DhSUEqdNUyIn-ywUqAo8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzDhqBMaDrnCAHSqhkOmCOD_t4trcrsdi0KrHHK8KvISvfwkeM2rIvR0PaGTYs5wUoaEvrXhM7-beUt6mgHGl4obww1faOVWqP_9xICLTVR4fv1-oVF-0TrJkUA6aLZh7Tsn1CXowdfTWfxMY3qjcUsebHnz28VwTMmqCJvQ6DhSUEqdNUyIn-ywUqAo8" width="272" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Taurus here has nothing to do with stars...It originally marked the beginning of the calving season of the Eurasian wild cattle (Apr/May)...I talked about this in my posts "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2016/05/ram-and-bull.html" target="_blank">Ram and bull</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/12/foundation-peg-of-goddess-nanshe.html" target="_blank">Foundation peg of goddess Nanshe</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/04/cow-and-calf-ivory.html" target="_blank">Cow and calf ivory</a>"...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOT3nMMSPi1iaPWwLsTGGRSsEJw-cH1a0VO2JJYvjDrSdPmnEiMdRad6x44q3cQq-ePfnT9J2K28dE_KdQJEf_n0aPjvwJ-un0toh1eH6PqSD30vJJHt5LDvDNgs2KYea2U5WMZRd2ByJFp5teyYsTzzU1bFmlVJ0_4sAYLivIYYkN9x1ez_M-3wvc1ME" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1103" data-original-width="735" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOT3nMMSPi1iaPWwLsTGGRSsEJw-cH1a0VO2JJYvjDrSdPmnEiMdRad6x44q3cQq-ePfnT9J2K28dE_KdQJEf_n0aPjvwJ-un0toh1eH6PqSD30vJJHt5LDvDNgs2KYea2U5WMZRd2ByJFp5teyYsTzzU1bFmlVJ0_4sAYLivIYYkN9x1ez_M-3wvc1ME" width="160" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So the dates are harvested when the bull of summer dies...Hence the dead bull, from whose head a palm tree grows...Did Hurians marks this time of the year by actual bull sacrifices, I don't know. I personally think that this is a symbolic way to depict "the end of summer"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Ok so we now know what the link between Ishtar and date palm tree and dead bulls is...But what is Ishtar mixing in the pot depicted in front of her? And why is there another pot depicted standing on top of the date palm tree trunk?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">To find the answer to this questions we need to turn to drink...I am currently drunk, so it is fitting that I am writing about drink...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRYdqhmaUNq9W_O6kbEIujdrNqzMJtr1b5xbvi-RnCLWcu2eCMO30dtenunx45Svxm4TkuQYJTa7W0KdxT31BCbYTqBeLZc1wZwF5uu9cLheNz3IgrZba5AFQsCWbLVtWdvSiIOBDDYPBhr0qIYi4MhneRazVL-coWS6OMmFC82_up1l_YIS9_7XGpiKg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="928" data-original-width="1198" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRYdqhmaUNq9W_O6kbEIujdrNqzMJtr1b5xbvi-RnCLWcu2eCMO30dtenunx45Svxm4TkuQYJTa7W0KdxT31BCbYTqBeLZc1wZwF5uu9cLheNz3IgrZba5AFQsCWbLVtWdvSiIOBDDYPBhr0qIYi4MhneRazVL-coWS6OMmFC82_up1l_YIS9_7XGpiKg" width="310" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">When you mention booze in ancient Mesopotamia, everyone thinks of beer, made from grain...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">But there was another alcoholic beverage which was very popular in Mesopotamia, and which Sumerians called "The Juice of Life"...You can read about this in "<a href="https://jstor.org/stable/7328?seq=3" target="_blank">The Date-Palm in Antiquity</a>" by Paul Popenoe</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">We don't know how this drink was made. But we know that there are two different date alcoholic beverage: the date fruit drink and the date sap drink, so The Juice of Life is one of these two...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Date sap is tapped by cutting into the terminal bud and running the sap through a spout into a clay vessel. Around 10 litres of sap can be collected per day. And it takes about 6-8 hours to ferment the juice into 4%-5% alcoholic beverage...You can read about this in "<a href="https://books.google.ie/books?id=3kcYDxLU04AC&pg=PA389&lpg=PA389&dq=date+palm+terminal+bud+alcohol&source=bl&ots=h6Od6gFHn3&sig=ACfU3U27TMzvPcwpHLBNCK6ScdPN2hsF_Q&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwih0pzt9c32AhWGYMAKHb8TDJIQ6AF6BAgsEAM#v=onepage&q=date%20palm%20terminal%20bud%20alcohol&f=false" target="_blank">Dates: Production, Processing, Food, and Medicinal Values</a>"...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhlSeMIkez1HOeqBoY0T3kN4H_tyST1SNneOm3_LqGNyfi8S8X73w_9tP8R30Cw05nr-a0885QZ4fytX8ncN6Ofl4Nc3Ul_8Y1wKxzD6qS657DIpFEn5tnpx-AtgvY8aC9lJwMNtphK30HPtmEPNZVGYvsOli8SZ7VBRpEUddTkVIQiJi4s7nVJR9aa6s" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="1200" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhlSeMIkez1HOeqBoY0T3kN4H_tyST1SNneOm3_LqGNyfi8S8X73w_9tP8R30Cw05nr-a0885QZ4fytX8ncN6Ofl4Nc3Ul_8Y1wKxzD6qS657DIpFEn5tnpx-AtgvY8aC9lJwMNtphK30HPtmEPNZVGYvsOli8SZ7VBRpEUddTkVIQiJi4s7nVJR9aa6s" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This drink is made throughout date growing regions of Asia and Africa even today. The sap can be extracted out of the tree year round, although the best time to do it is during dry season. Which in Syria is Apr/May - Oct/Nov...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJXoutCKyEG3lhKQi1LIyDdy7KPGFa0W_QMMeNI-nARTdoAHMkAxnp2kTVdN5hRwwfC7kkjZQRa6XNGdmLC6JALAyPD-tHB_8dG13tANnNcQSTHQQjY25MZOHXedPNKxIBtKgjw8qiBjgbUcBSMWDgLOFdNnLCqu3e307lRUdlMRqmjuSGXYOHXUrSVqQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="661" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJXoutCKyEG3lhKQi1LIyDdy7KPGFa0W_QMMeNI-nARTdoAHMkAxnp2kTVdN5hRwwfC7kkjZQRa6XNGdmLC6JALAyPD-tHB_8dG13tANnNcQSTHQQjY25MZOHXedPNKxIBtKgjw8qiBjgbUcBSMWDgLOFdNnLCqu3e307lRUdlMRqmjuSGXYOHXUrSVqQ" width="284" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">But that doesn't match "the death of the bull of summer" animal calendar marker depicted on our seal...And would not explain what Ishtar is doing with the pot in front of herself...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Let's see how the date fruit drink is made...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In "<a href="https://blogs.helsinki.fi/sacredtexts/2017/12/22/date-beer-brew-it-like-the-ancient-babylonians/" target="_blank">Date beer: brew it like the ancient babylonians</a>" we can read that: </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"...Although the research literature tends to call date fruit drink “beer”, the beverage is actually closer to cider. It is produced from fruit and water and fermented using natural yeast in the dates..."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">...The ancient Mesopotamians themselves have not provided us with an actual recipe for brewing date beer. However, we have a date beer recipe from antiquity, recorded by the pharmacologist Dioscorides in the first century CE..."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"...According to Dioscorides, date beer was brewed using crushed dates and water which were put into a cask and let ferment for ten days. On the eleventh day, the beverage was ready to be consumed..."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And so what I think is depicted on the Hurian seal is Ishtar (or whatever they called Goddess of the Palm Tree) pounding date palm fruit in a mortar with a pestle...Date fruit which is harvested "after the bull of summer dies"...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiL1tHNP0Y0D4zwVifvntfRXxGQKdJVk6ODJi6hMkd2IKwUlbzn2qdfNoTtyidQ5iiu8j8HqPINYWtb_TNuLgef04ur2jFeD_4xtIcLRx6ibno5DT9FZ9pmlmA1NVo7jPOnylOMEgKYQt85uLtlou6QuTLLfZzFtEm8K1wlfDO8FE38N3U9Mb2ND4ImWgE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiL1tHNP0Y0D4zwVifvntfRXxGQKdJVk6ODJi6hMkd2IKwUlbzn2qdfNoTtyidQ5iiu8j8HqPINYWtb_TNuLgef04ur2jFeD_4xtIcLRx6ibno5DT9FZ9pmlmA1NVo7jPOnylOMEgKYQt85uLtlou6QuTLLfZzFtEm8K1wlfDO8FE38N3U9Mb2ND4ImWgE" width="249" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In order to produce date palm "Juice of Life" which is symbolically depicted by the beer drinking pot placed on top of the date palm trunk, where date fruit is found, symbolically depicting "the beer made out of the fruit of the date palm"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Here is another seal from "<a href="https://archive.org/details/dieentwicklungde0000boeh/page/228/mode/2up" target="_blank">Die Entwicklung der Glyptik während der Akkad-Zeit</a>" by Boehmer, R. M. published in 1965 showing a seated god(?) drinking sitting under a date palm tree...Indication that what is being drunk is a date drink? The Juice of Life?</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjM96O3v7D2snuxSh4P1KRNQVPiSpK85pTI3LwwIWnbDok1RRYRC9h7GP0gMAZvxTBFqidbqcgrOewvy8OdAojLho0d5KdoNyuOLO6oGMeVFcNzKP4IgVMvC_KOEcMGEqYpEcLuR-TkQtm83klNwhUqJBJh9jT8jOL0-q0O1c7JnPNJ0g458OZuY6O0l88" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="940" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjM96O3v7D2snuxSh4P1KRNQVPiSpK85pTI3LwwIWnbDok1RRYRC9h7GP0gMAZvxTBFqidbqcgrOewvy8OdAojLho0d5KdoNyuOLO6oGMeVFcNzKP4IgVMvC_KOEcMGEqYpEcLuR-TkQtm83klNwhUqJBJh9jT8jOL0-q0O1c7JnPNJ0g458OZuY6O0l88" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">That's it...What do you think? All makes sense now?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To read more about ancient animal and plant calendar markers, start </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/p/animal-solar-year-markers.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">…then check </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/search?q=%22animal+calendar+markers%22&max-results=20&by-date=true" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">the rest of the blog posts related to animal calendar markers</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't add to this page, and finally check </span><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=thread%20(from%3Aserbiaireland)%20-filter%3Areplies&src=typed_query&f=live" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">my twitter threads</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't convert to blog post...I am 9 months behind now...</span></span></p>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-26340652643399076352024-03-03T04:21:00.000-08:002024-03-03T04:21:12.240-08:00El Argar culture<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The late 3rd millennium BC, was a time of huge upheaval in Iberia. The existing social structures collapsed...When the dust settled, around 2200BC, a new civilisation, known as El Argar culture, emerged in this area...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVGPjufeX1TuU4BiUwWJjFh7USIfsvDg08OWCaaJYAhHVKsM1D-BRm0c-zR3FFS_b3DjULBo9N6W4HSTQEEQ73RjHalPLXQ23Myy-7HD3pGvHXo6WdXh9iLzDR1WrsMCmMWgrwP66PMP6CIO_bSTrUNSfdXKJc190bPvhtmDuTq58o1S9oLZG3Hk20dyU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="680" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVGPjufeX1TuU4BiUwWJjFh7USIfsvDg08OWCaaJYAhHVKsM1D-BRm0c-zR3FFS_b3DjULBo9N6W4HSTQEEQ73RjHalPLXQ23Myy-7HD3pGvHXo6WdXh9iLzDR1WrsMCmMWgrwP66PMP6CIO_bSTrUNSfdXKJc190bPvhtmDuTq58o1S9oLZG3Hk20dyU" width="316" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">People of this culture built amazing hillforts, like the La Almoloya citadel...Which were at the time also built in Eastern Mediterranean (including Greece)...And nowhere in between...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOxViq5VxOzTCtCszIVc12TMUqesaY7RcaUZel67aeT8VfOgLc0Z_McEXEf0UzyJfqLwAZ7kcKcJVkbyiORmhsNmqMchiw_MI6HNCpckSWdJGU9ro7cptbw9KKWpb33xkkisGCWhnuZDpLR6fTaOCHuZS4m7Q28Fxu7kdj2L-fvI_TxeQIpwmy9g4h8q4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="680" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOxViq5VxOzTCtCszIVc12TMUqesaY7RcaUZel67aeT8VfOgLc0Z_McEXEf0UzyJfqLwAZ7kcKcJVkbyiORmhsNmqMchiw_MI6HNCpckSWdJGU9ro7cptbw9KKWpb33xkkisGCWhnuZDpLR6fTaOCHuZS4m7Q28Fxu7kdj2L-fvI_TxeQIpwmy9g4h8q4" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br />They were metalworkers and warriors...Who were buried in single graves...Located under the floors of houses...Again feature of the cultures in Eastern Mediterranean (including Greece)...And nowhere in between, and nowhere else in Iberia...</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7BAFGq4qldNbQQomYIfwk4PdqMXWbZJ8TyEj6iuUNLV1G3ivEuZ-0nDxIdb1FOVAdGURu9Az9lwvglPtQR9BwKbugcvseTHL6IWFBQxwEbF9SWvOAGMibPODtCMATTo-7Ajp-iw0rqBvUsiGJH-GuiAmB_A4-2oO-zhYRnko61L-YSKwG0XfBTvmLmRo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="680" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7BAFGq4qldNbQQomYIfwk4PdqMXWbZJ8TyEj6iuUNLV1G3ivEuZ-0nDxIdb1FOVAdGURu9Az9lwvglPtQR9BwKbugcvseTHL6IWFBQxwEbF9SWvOAGMibPODtCMATTo-7Ajp-iw0rqBvUsiGJH-GuiAmB_A4-2oO-zhYRnko61L-YSKwG0XfBTvmLmRo" width="309" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Eventually they started burying their dead in pithoi (large grain jars)...Again feature of the cultures in Eastern Mediterranean (Greece)...And nowhere in between, and nowhere else in Iberia...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcdta4M5Ck9l5TLNrGhCXfNwILRWXunW7gq4XjMg2-mIwGY1cIlhmgIAwJEeA80dMBLBSSdjp5SydAXx0HS6xFcDn-Qzc75E2DaSKy3vvgJzC-mP0KVriuQ0LUFyPe5YpBOO6GtPTx4eFHBNq3ym-wYWEfOj6Ao2ATviBQ2VoP01MFv21vLZcFZTISsK0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="556" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcdta4M5Ck9l5TLNrGhCXfNwILRWXunW7gq4XjMg2-mIwGY1cIlhmgIAwJEeA80dMBLBSSdjp5SydAXx0HS6xFcDn-Qzc75E2DaSKy3vvgJzC-mP0KVriuQ0LUFyPe5YpBOO6GtPTx4eFHBNq3ym-wYWEfOj6Ao2ATviBQ2VoP01MFv21vLZcFZTISsK0" width="196" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This is only possible if there was a direct maritime link between somehow culturally related groups of people in Greece and Southern Spain...We know that these kind of maritime links existed since Neolithic, so no surprises there...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/07/neolithic-seafarers.html" target="_blank">Neolithic seafarers</a>"...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjolNwC9A6WMzpm2bvGfqZJsVlIW_uA_azF78LaTcXlUx6zLU86uBTca_QRAbOGE7AEnCOefpLk476qn7S6nVOek2XkOETqzZR-TT8LclvbyEpsev4km-Wk07YFZqsgZDN-n37oxLZ54R9zpbUm0HtuaEERxdiKKPheDWjbR-zjEe1jDaCGrohKK4-O4Ws" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="320" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjolNwC9A6WMzpm2bvGfqZJsVlIW_uA_azF78LaTcXlUx6zLU86uBTca_QRAbOGE7AEnCOefpLk476qn7S6nVOek2XkOETqzZR-TT8LclvbyEpsev4km-Wk07YFZqsgZDN-n37oxLZ54R9zpbUm0HtuaEERxdiKKPheDWjbR-zjEe1jDaCGrohKK4-O4Ws" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">BTW, these maritime routes probably facilitated extremely fast spread of Megalithic culture throughout Europe. I talked about this in my post "</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/08/childe-was-right.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">Childe was right</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"...And they stayed in use ever since...</span></span></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEji6tuXKh9r_8Q8Ay9bTKnPX1j9zOwtsAV6-Loe1A8RNa8TxQgQ33CSz--vF7HgIWEF-8F0hOtog9NA3uZDW3EizVon_zTGbyPa5q83n6acO1VwRxGagJJR8TNIqrE-sePG34wjOXwF6a9sM7wzYBkl9Vo3JHYhwpwjDfXU44ga4QGIA1qwGGqN7ZlaU2A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="320" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEji6tuXKh9r_8Q8Ay9bTKnPX1j9zOwtsAV6-Loe1A8RNa8TxQgQ33CSz--vF7HgIWEF-8F0hOtog9NA3uZDW3EizVon_zTGbyPa5q83n6acO1VwRxGagJJR8TNIqrE-sePG34wjOXwF6a9sM7wzYBkl9Vo3JHYhwpwjDfXU44ga4QGIA1qwGGqN7ZlaU2A" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">You also might want to have a look at this post, "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/10/giants-ring.html" target="_blank">Giants ring</a>", about the arrival of the first farmers to Ireland...By boat of course...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">These warriors used deadly halberds as their titular weapons...Warrior grave with halberd...You can read about this in "<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ojoa.12120" target="_blank">Halberdiers and Combat Systems in the Argaric</a>" and "<a href="http://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2024/IberCrono_12.pdf" target="_blank">The absolute chronology of Argaric halberds</a>"...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8VcqFUs8h0x1JuDCmxO_Fb3BvwkDUbDP5UDnXQ4tqki9g1WfB6BEJsFnO7oeBreqXSLudVCx2gJJ2jktk4u5184TS5yB-8KEzg9d8qMvrGhQAxmqYUPg2zHIjG-MydVQUnEcylNfYVMKhtrw51m7EeCtw-pk6pNZhVUMCkopD_MGOTE0XrsqvahtxxC4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="680" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8VcqFUs8h0x1JuDCmxO_Fb3BvwkDUbDP5UDnXQ4tqki9g1WfB6BEJsFnO7oeBreqXSLudVCx2gJJ2jktk4u5184TS5yB-8KEzg9d8qMvrGhQAxmqYUPg2zHIjG-MydVQUnEcylNfYVMKhtrw51m7EeCtw-pk6pNZhVUMCkopD_MGOTE0XrsqvahtxxC4" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br />Halberds, the scull slicers I talked about in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2024/03/halberds.html" target="_blank">Halberds</a>" about the reconstruction of the Bronze Age halberds from Ireland, which seem to have been propagated through a maritime trade links going along Atlantic and North Mediterranean coast.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJoOtQpAZ0Al0yKY5jt-BwD9gUnwTUrn-LRpeJMzDpVnsnicda9q84jgJER6BHBpjMahMWSpO-iKm7D5gQSaeTn3flYjWMNWssdsY_nR4XQxXk-i3HFLXOh0iRovjf5S4LftxxHiLc8E_r90SBVlfraeJKH5-3DGWmi9A95tq3pnrWPVc998s4hhP3fr0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="300" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJoOtQpAZ0Al0yKY5jt-BwD9gUnwTUrn-LRpeJMzDpVnsnicda9q84jgJER6BHBpjMahMWSpO-iKm7D5gQSaeTn3flYjWMNWssdsY_nR4XQxXk-i3HFLXOh0iRovjf5S4LftxxHiLc8E_r90SBVlfraeJKH5-3DGWmi9A95tq3pnrWPVc998s4hhP3fr0" width="200" /></span></a></div></div></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Interestingly, <a href="https://phys.org/news/2021-03-elite-women-el-argar-years.html" target="_blank">El Argar warriors (apparently) could have been either ruled by women, or there was a group of elite women who could have played some significant role in the society (priestesses)</a>...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Archaeologists came to this conclusion based on the same type of diadems found on the heads of women buried in the El Algar culture graves with extremely rich burial offerings...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilDvnQZzSuVvm_2au60Ji3s89UWIx3GnBMbZiO8u5C91xuSmIaRhIfXEcMw2qHjUnUWQSA1fQ2K4iEk2EEqPqkluQe1HGTzu3fg1v4JPUa5kg5Bd6YpKW7MjRh4aNK-v4xlisWJA12IvAN2ZQqa905eY4YIrg-B7lk5TQs_AMU632pPptlgotlkf41bKE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilDvnQZzSuVvm_2au60Ji3s89UWIx3GnBMbZiO8u5C91xuSmIaRhIfXEcMw2qHjUnUWQSA1fQ2K4iEk2EEqPqkluQe1HGTzu3fg1v4JPUa5kg5Bd6YpKW7MjRh4aNK-v4xlisWJA12IvAN2ZQqa905eY4YIrg-B7lk5TQs_AMU632pPptlgotlkf41bKE" width="240" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">For instance, burial from La Almoloya, with remains of a man aged 35-40, and a woman aged 25-30, buried with over 30 prestigious objects, many of which were made or embellished with silver and almost all belonging to the female. Including the diadem...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Hmmm...Bronze Age warrior society with high status women...This sounds so Old Europe...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">My favourite bit: <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abi7038" target="_blank">El Algar culture marks the beginning of complete male genes replacement in Iberia. All males found in El Algar burials are R1b, Yamna related.</a>..</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Ancient human DNA from southern Iberia reveals social and genomic changes during the emergence of the Bronze Age in Europe.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Sooo...You know the story about bad macho warrior Indo-Europeans who killed all the peaceful farmer Old-European, and replaced Neolithic matriarchate with Bronze Age patriarchate and ruined everything...Things were a bit more complicated than that, it seems...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">But we already saw that Indo-European vs Old-European thing is pretty much dead and buried by genetic data...I talked about this here in my post about Lengyel vs Baden culture...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/10/so-indoeuropean.html" target="_blank">So Indoeuropean</a>"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So more reason to laugh at the whole Indo-European vs Old-European thingy. BTW, I started laughing here, in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2016/07/vinca-culture-fortifications.html" target="_blank">Vinca culture fortifications</a>" about Vinča warriors (Army figurine group from Stubline)...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_bW38xRwQZPDsATlcNkxDh3QlsBihPKICJMNsSV8FzrRyFvPuw-X4ZyHLwhjmSq7UAZKBbIPaxkm7JHmR-aqQ0jQYqbxDOe9b_tMPkJ9KduDSql77o4Nif9st6dKdd3B9-JF8gshrpXU7wMy3mJDC_zwpVKpnTDNyt2GLYji4yJPvEPdAFlBXnGTUUIA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="680" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_bW38xRwQZPDsATlcNkxDh3QlsBihPKICJMNsSV8FzrRyFvPuw-X4ZyHLwhjmSq7UAZKBbIPaxkm7JHmR-aqQ0jQYqbxDOe9b_tMPkJ9KduDSql77o4Nif9st6dKdd3B9-JF8gshrpXU7wMy3mJDC_zwpVKpnTDNyt2GLYji4yJPvEPdAFlBXnGTUUIA" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">But the important thing for me, is that here again we have proof of long distance maritime links in Bronze Age, this time between Eastern Mediterranean and South Iberia...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Which is important when we know about Irish legends talking about Bronze age immigrants (the guys who brought R1b genes, metalwork, single cyst burials, bling...) arriving to Ireland using this maritime route...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRnRg6hkJUIKd2FF69GxsYYFdLTbhENZG0yUP14oc47XFn-rkmlU_NWVq3Qf2_GxHySnMu1iHbMHwe36OXwmMMJt0XRcIFmnlnlmfPgMnhpGIKZTJKs3FyaG7Ub7ed7jmOQA-pTOj0ln7qTLCWp1aCuoXD2Un95YIxjEzBz-GKk0JCkmejWEgJMp_Twc0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="680" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRnRg6hkJUIKd2FF69GxsYYFdLTbhENZG0yUP14oc47XFn-rkmlU_NWVq3Qf2_GxHySnMu1iHbMHwe36OXwmMMJt0XRcIFmnlnlmfPgMnhpGIKZTJKs3FyaG7Ub7ed7jmOQA-pTOj0ln7qTLCWp1aCuoXD2Un95YIxjEzBz-GKk0JCkmejWEgJMp_Twc0" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I talked about the Irish oral histories and archaeology which seems to support them in "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/p/montenegrian-tumuluses.html" target="_blank">Montenegrian tumuluses</a>"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">See these gold discs with crosses? These ones are from the Balkans, dated first half of the 3rd mill. BC. They appear in Ireland in the second half of the 3rd mill. BC.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkIfxJe223VZm4WJMlv9VcPXwZa2jRDHbNYlzgt04BR7oK3DUYI8nO9PVPv4bYm4OlRNlo1RUAIerpqjEF9ulUfykOKKzD5yd8KJ_neg5W0TOCTaafKRs-pPtFthI9Bfmn8QUNcj2sHxjWGGNNjYnudnzw--3MiMaH7obdrRMDOhtijCMqe0jxEBKAUss" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="400" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkIfxJe223VZm4WJMlv9VcPXwZa2jRDHbNYlzgt04BR7oK3DUYI8nO9PVPv4bYm4OlRNlo1RUAIerpqjEF9ulUfykOKKzD5yd8KJ_neg5W0TOCTaafKRs-pPtFthI9Bfmn8QUNcj2sHxjWGGNNjYnudnzw--3MiMaH7obdrRMDOhtijCMqe0jxEBKAUss" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjfh-E4kbOsSWUnmq0Z7dev93q35nqD37Ak0i81PvP5hvlL6fwiAMjv8EAmcoPqhk-fsdKOyGskxGbe_7sbzKOyKMyKlRS7TpGBwYYs3aW27EEc7SLTp9qIEf5SEamsgTWYsHUGux01UfPB_-YBQFxu6PpmPPfXB2BeqREpKaU1H7MLEiNcVLYwEg0Mcg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="275" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjfh-E4kbOsSWUnmq0Z7dev93q35nqD37Ak0i81PvP5hvlL6fwiAMjv8EAmcoPqhk-fsdKOyGskxGbe_7sbzKOyKMyKlRS7TpGBwYYs3aW27EEc7SLTp9qIEf5SEamsgTWYsHUGux01UfPB_-YBQFxu6PpmPPfXB2BeqREpKaU1H7MLEiNcVLYwEg0Mcg" width="183" /></span></a></div><p></p>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-17057744430143713022024-03-03T02:45:00.000-08:002024-03-03T04:12:12.403-08:00Halberds<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">One of many Bronze Age halberds found in Ireland...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsmMi6OdRlqTEH6WnT36QGlld77W5TqWAj8rIIYpm6wyatrrDYjRUVqt0LehSq4jFNTD0GTRe7xRuQuyY_6bv-BhEFMiBucR7ZqP581rtqXnTt1EYFIz6BkyfSpp-Da4VPpmwMpSovQ0yirOysIPkDohGpRZPhRs85haHJ--Hg9gPofO9dL6rQLfQh4pY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="680" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsmMi6OdRlqTEH6WnT36QGlld77W5TqWAj8rIIYpm6wyatrrDYjRUVqt0LehSq4jFNTD0GTRe7xRuQuyY_6bv-BhEFMiBucR7ZqP581rtqXnTt1EYFIz6BkyfSpp-Da4VPpmwMpSovQ0yirOysIPkDohGpRZPhRs85haHJ--Hg9gPofO9dL6rQLfQh4pY" width="320" /></span></a></div></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">You know when you were a kid, and you were told that you can't play until you finish your homework? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This must have been how Ronan O'Flaherty felt when he started work on his archaeology PhD in UCD, Ireland...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The title of his thesis was "The Early Bronze Age Halberd in Ireland - Function and Context" and in it he tried to see if he could disprove this:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"Irish halberds have traditionally been regarded as non functional, ceremonial artefacts. In particular, the mode of hafting and the slightness of the haft head have been cited as reasons why this artefact could not have been put to any practical use"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I know that all he wanted to do was: </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">1. Cast replicas (Left) of the Bronze Age halberds from the National museum (Right), using the same copper with a very low arsenic level of 0.2%, and without cold-hammering or sharpening of the blades...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8zdQZCULwv3dUt7syipNyFEwSv9ICD9WyHPPvgB23q9JQog3k3yxTy_PY93w0geidtJHUdoakMjmPc11JuJGzCOPKna_-Wm-fm-2r8m3A6eNd6smlU8zQbGWM7X5ZZMC1hckRLPb_I1SG7XNmsMsawY_mywcHdqgCZJaUHH98IQCDWti0KAEJEVeMwKw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="680" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8zdQZCULwv3dUt7syipNyFEwSv9ICD9WyHPPvgB23q9JQog3k3yxTy_PY93w0geidtJHUdoakMjmPc11JuJGzCOPKna_-Wm-fm-2r8m3A6eNd6smlU8zQbGWM7X5ZZMC1hckRLPb_I1SG7XNmsMsawY_mywcHdqgCZJaUHH98IQCDWti0KAEJEVeMwKw" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">2. Haft the halberd replica (Left) based on rock carvings from Mt. Bego, Italy (Right), showing people using (well at least holding high above their heads) the original Bronze Age halberds...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwPi2dCZ64T4z-n_Xno7C4CXCD7W_epr5OZmNYl8QHgq_RptD194cTlbGjH0bErO7Od1E-3etNlw_cNObuGerhSm7KE5bGcLVLkHlex8zVbDbQB4d3fTKDwHE5PlGmA0m2qLgfk-E1L6a2x4HOjoqeGOLCrspRNc79sS4pKbgwanvPmhn-GFhWSPEtovg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="468" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwPi2dCZ64T4z-n_Xno7C4CXCD7W_epr5OZmNYl8QHgq_RptD194cTlbGjH0bErO7Od1E-3etNlw_cNObuGerhSm7KE5bGcLVLkHlex8zVbDbQB4d3fTKDwHE5PlGmA0m2qLgfk-E1L6a2x4HOjoqeGOLCrspRNc79sS4pKbgwanvPmhn-GFhWSPEtovg" width="135" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiE8PSja8T-lNQ2s08_jetGRPURWaYY_ZSQd41zV4xoNfBfqh_sy1LrIbgBGF5ODokix-HF1AqhhatITP01zElXuq9RpvE00W3Q7W_Uy1aunt3GfN07TJ8XxNBHootj_SW5KENLT_JHeQ0ZgJSuq0FhvbRGigpjgXwSCe9BSVjUPbH-cR1-M8D6OSXO_HQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="554" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiE8PSja8T-lNQ2s08_jetGRPURWaYY_ZSQd41zV4xoNfBfqh_sy1LrIbgBGF5ODokix-HF1AqhhatITP01zElXuq9RpvE00W3Q7W_Uy1aunt3GfN07TJ8XxNBHootj_SW5KENLT_JHeQ0ZgJSuq0FhvbRGigpjgXwSCe9BSVjUPbH-cR1-M8D6OSXO_HQ" width="251" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">3. Whack some sculls, of the same strength as human sculls, like sheep ones, repeatedly, with the replica halberds, to see what happens...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7uPXGvlIkNbXBGPahWevIQxFcmZPX5NvJDBxhfBqnwuEY_zPDD6Y3cGNIb349fyWZA40HjFPGsfkhR0cd7Iqr6sWtLfcy9NA4oLysv1U8aCQCIS8lidV9eIVM4_JfuOtfOMZa61r-GUPwMYmTsy9XVbaZRQ2zVPaaBx3TbIDL3Sr_mGjnueIb5FWY8OY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="487" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7uPXGvlIkNbXBGPahWevIQxFcmZPX5NvJDBxhfBqnwuEY_zPDD6Y3cGNIb349fyWZA40HjFPGsfkhR0cd7Iqr6sWtLfcy9NA4oLysv1U8aCQCIS8lidV9eIVM4_JfuOtfOMZa61r-GUPwMYmTsy9XVbaZRQ2zVPaaBx3TbIDL3Sr_mGjnueIb5FWY8OY" width="288" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">But before Ronan could do all this fun stuff, he had to do the homework...He collected all the available data about all the so far discovered European Bronze Age halberds...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgA0yHSzGFMQM8Wz0Dbsv3tJ2RxVNDAVwfZDVCp3DZoynC0dgEhbOF0fufqOFg3-4P8ZGLBOoCwa0JnRMPb0lpehA4NLiREsY8GJhQJH9xhwpXojxSTdPWv_LL4bfQDh6p-J2QFaCq4jwJlsGCxbFR1YY3q2tBhfNqfJn-bvXj1IqAA6_Ilb_G8QSKrbCY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="680" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgA0yHSzGFMQM8Wz0Dbsv3tJ2RxVNDAVwfZDVCp3DZoynC0dgEhbOF0fufqOFg3-4P8ZGLBOoCwa0JnRMPb0lpehA4NLiREsY8GJhQJH9xhwpXojxSTdPWv_LL4bfQDh6p-J2QFaCq4jwJlsGCxbFR1YY3q2tBhfNqfJn-bvXj1IqAA6_Ilb_G8QSKrbCY" width="308" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">He then investigated the Early Bronze Age mining and metalworking industry in Ireland and the type of metal and metal artefacts produced during that time, so that he could try to replicate the material and the production of the Bronze Age halberds as closely as possible...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAgJxs8XRc6HlA5hv0mbj-m2JGFPsJL8X58j6czaDuvUgLlmrL53CQzYkM-W5-97g6Kzo05-jukJkNCBCyLkH7SahLk4x0L7P--qX499AYEHtrUZLf3zC2jotJclUHZ9wHJ1uB5Pe0M33upb5nc9QL6R96HxbAq1qXJ-9KGyq0g1xH7tETLcFhzPGMiZ0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="680" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAgJxs8XRc6HlA5hv0mbj-m2JGFPsJL8X58j6czaDuvUgLlmrL53CQzYkM-W5-97g6Kzo05-jukJkNCBCyLkH7SahLk4x0L7P--qX499AYEHtrUZLf3zC2jotJclUHZ9wHJ1uB5Pe0M33upb5nc9QL6R96HxbAq1qXJ-9KGyq0g1xH7tETLcFhzPGMiZ0" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Then he investigated the hafting of Bronze Age halberds...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKAkJfetBo3p25nBYi0eptZeU88A3QB0bfyobIxVILxCJOPOFcVgNpO54o0lGU1tmS5uzc1Gzn-ILPR45k-rA1iN4GCuaIJB29WglgkqR1B5Bw0y5xeETX5I7vI821zjBoA8dpHRwBT2LCYtGFYFGPwlUh2ltnf7lXHAycvWltBR5etrQeySerfIfyr5k" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="680" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKAkJfetBo3p25nBYi0eptZeU88A3QB0bfyobIxVILxCJOPOFcVgNpO54o0lGU1tmS5uzc1Gzn-ILPR45k-rA1iN4GCuaIJB29WglgkqR1B5Bw0y5xeETX5I7vI821zjBoA8dpHRwBT2LCYtGFYFGPwlUh2ltnf7lXHAycvWltBR5etrQeySerfIfyr5k" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And finally the use of halberds in battle (from available medieval sources)...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzvu_9st55ViRuOv_HxjUvR-voOTNOaxCUZiK1QxCvJ1wyxWUdZBI7_-j-53MIGr__9wsfEIuFyKaqVutxezKHsI4D7cGfR016-FhndfEMrjOdSpqa7Iu_LekVG--sN92uYhcLeu3Yoik37sDwPD50L3KYdHLejq2RE_YF0lSlYsdO8CF6BrKJf4jUiiY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="680" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzvu_9st55ViRuOv_HxjUvR-voOTNOaxCUZiK1QxCvJ1wyxWUdZBI7_-j-53MIGr__9wsfEIuFyKaqVutxezKHsI4D7cGfR016-FhndfEMrjOdSpqa7Iu_LekVG--sN92uYhcLeu3Yoik37sDwPD50L3KYdHLejq2RE_YF0lSlYsdO8CF6BrKJf4jUiiY" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Once he did his homework, Ronan went out to play...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And this is his report:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The replica halberd...revealed itself to be a frighteningly effective weapon, slicing skulls open with disturbing ease and proving very comfortable to handle. A short (couple of feet) chopping blow, was sufficient to pierce the skull, often very deeply indeed...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMhEhd2CVv1ZNftZEagJ5_D-QNVeFFoVd32qIVBdo0Jbx1OojQ2jieHE4a63hgahGLLDkduDi5LBdLx9JEwxI6AFha8llxkHtMcmXZYpmT03cNkh-nWGi0oxSk9Zh3Kwl5TbIErOJKrD5J0udYpgmC978fZBdCPra2f6d5LDBaYfhFxgPHnfODJ1RoLmU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="300" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMhEhd2CVv1ZNftZEagJ5_D-QNVeFFoVd32qIVBdo0Jbx1OojQ2jieHE4a63hgahGLLDkduDi5LBdLx9JEwxI6AFha8llxkHtMcmXZYpmT03cNkh-nWGi0oxSk9Zh3Kwl5TbIErOJKrD5J0udYpgmC978fZBdCPra2f6d5LDBaYfhFxgPHnfODJ1RoLmU" width="200" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">[The weapon would have been even more efficient] "if it was used by an expert", and "if it wasn't for a certain 21st century distaste of committing such violence in the first place"...Love this 🙂</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Repeated blows against twenty sheep skulls, of similar strength to a human skull, failed to inflict all but the most minor damage to the halberd and there was no indication that it could not continue in such use for a prolonged period of time.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The small rounded end of the blade ensured that the full force of the blow is administered to a tiny area of the skull first, virtually guaranteeing a puncture each time.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The fact that the end of the blade was rounded rather than brought to a sharp point added strength to this area, which otherwise might have bent or even snapped on first impact.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This suggests that the blade was designed for impact on bone rather than muscle, where a sharp pointed weapon would seem more appropriate than a blunt-nosed one.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Ronan conclusion: There is no doubt in my mind that the Irish halberd is very carefully designed as a most effective weapon. [Maybe not all] Irish halberds were used in this way, but they certainly could have been and it certainly appears to be the basis for their design.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In addition, the replica halberd survives in a condition which I would categorise as "perfect" in a museum example, suggesting that even these perfect halberds could have seen some use.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Ronan's papers:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"<a href="https://academia.edu/6095439/The_Early_Bronze_Age_Halberd_in_Ireland_Function_and_Context?pop_sutd=true" target="_blank">The Early Bronze Age Halberd in Ireland - Function and Context</a>"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"<a href="https://academia.edu/1640660/Up_close_and_personal_-_impact_damage_on_Irish_halberds" target="_blank">Up close and personal - impact damage on Irish helberds</a>"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">To me, most interesting bit of his work is found in boring homework section: the distribution of high concentration halberds sites indicates that they were connected by a well established maritime trading route...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLv83Uytt1sRM1oDIFJ61g2_gGJw1w7kAvRHDwjuReLF9kRmyQgBGAkXF7CzbrbEXsNndM0pb4YButIQUvZiz0ljKDuV9QX_lrCK28i6Rzhz3-hTgDdvCrNK2QNopEsgLbYXeAjPwcAzA3MeGc20xwIf2Y-QXEuLWu4PaVwAHsnsuDacx54Jdce80HQYY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="680" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLv83Uytt1sRM1oDIFJ61g2_gGJw1w7kAvRHDwjuReLF9kRmyQgBGAkXF7CzbrbEXsNndM0pb4YButIQUvZiz0ljKDuV9QX_lrCK28i6Rzhz3-hTgDdvCrNK2QNopEsgLbYXeAjPwcAzA3MeGc20xwIf2Y-QXEuLWu4PaVwAHsnsuDacx54Jdce80HQYY" width="308" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Central European Unetice culture was built around navigable rivers which empty into Baltic sea...From there you can navigate around Scotland to Ireland, Wales and England and along the French coast to Brittany, and then to Iberia, Italy, Greece...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCVdjn8XE4k5SggFhNXMrlqM6OX0qU-F5qcXZmhyEQETEMzcfSqCDdL7ona0KlRcNVrFu_8DEAZB1ORdC_JSVz6dok1CVuaPsfAM3fJkehsj_qYreMMIZ_mm2ItlxlmxnPGv2LSzVSueOo4Kz7VUXxnnPXH-cXQNTSNJTif_bTijU1aBUfo4WfWgS5-1o" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="680" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCVdjn8XE4k5SggFhNXMrlqM6OX0qU-F5qcXZmhyEQETEMzcfSqCDdL7ona0KlRcNVrFu_8DEAZB1ORdC_JSVz6dok1CVuaPsfAM3fJkehsj_qYreMMIZ_mm2ItlxlmxnPGv2LSzVSueOo4Kz7VUXxnnPXH-cXQNTSNJTif_bTijU1aBUfo4WfWgS5-1o" width="308" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I can bet that all the other inland sites with halberds lie on navigable rivers which empty into the seas along this route...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The existence of maritime trading routes along Mediterranean and Atlantic coast has been attested since Neolithic. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And it was always linked with mining, first for material for stone tools and weapons and then metal for metal tools and weapons...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/07/neolithic-seafarers.html" target="_blank">Neolithic seafarers</a>"...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgO8CfbCigi1Ky5pFbNwqR85kEh3YY63PUfFVSz5c0wOegHW0THpmUf9V7VPvP1kRKxdX6v09DJecQ-yqgHCjdbFLasF_OHySK7oja8yL7TWk8wNVB6sUDJXtVOoLX29Jkq3xt2_WGIhDmgy0AQba-JARFvBxt2H7REhjN-ppM00j3Gf0Mrzc-2WkTIzfA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgO8CfbCigi1Ky5pFbNwqR85kEh3YY63PUfFVSz5c0wOegHW0THpmUf9V7VPvP1kRKxdX6v09DJecQ-yqgHCjdbFLasF_OHySK7oja8yL7TWk8wNVB6sUDJXtVOoLX29Jkq3xt2_WGIhDmgy0AQba-JARFvBxt2H7REhjN-ppM00j3Gf0Mrzc-2WkTIzfA" width="240" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">These maritime routes probably facilitated extremely fast spread of Megalithic culture throughout Europe. I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/08/childe-was-right.html" target="_blank">Childe was right</a>"...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEji6tuXKh9r_8Q8Ay9bTKnPX1j9zOwtsAV6-Loe1A8RNa8TxQgQ33CSz--vF7HgIWEF-8F0hOtog9NA3uZDW3EizVon_zTGbyPa5q83n6acO1VwRxGagJJR8TNIqrE-sePG34wjOXwF6a9sM7wzYBkl9Vo3JHYhwpwjDfXU44ga4QGIA1qwGGqN7ZlaU2A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="320" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEji6tuXKh9r_8Q8Ay9bTKnPX1j9zOwtsAV6-Loe1A8RNa8TxQgQ33CSz--vF7HgIWEF-8F0hOtog9NA3uZDW3EizVon_zTGbyPa5q83n6acO1VwRxGagJJR8TNIqrE-sePG34wjOXwF6a9sM7wzYBkl9Vo3JHYhwpwjDfXU44ga4QGIA1qwGGqN7ZlaU2A" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I think this is very very interesting...Particularly when we look at the Irish oral histories, first time recorded in Medieval time, which talk about the existence of such maritime routes along Mediterranean and Atlantic coast during Bronze Age...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_G60gWeOp737X84_BRg3rHwWr65Pgw4HeZDH84AgxUpgMPI304H0EbSDmxTV_mWOMayduNtnI6ifiseVJLlKJQeXFGQYRTXRvBro4myseHdy2X8FEfFIStiYrfC-XwthYhNCQz83UVwC4tTLGi46Q7hj1S-YPg7LxICgkq35osAjFsaErPjy2tU3N_K8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="680" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_G60gWeOp737X84_BRg3rHwWr65Pgw4HeZDH84AgxUpgMPI304H0EbSDmxTV_mWOMayduNtnI6ifiseVJLlKJQeXFGQYRTXRvBro4myseHdy2X8FEfFIStiYrfC-XwthYhNCQz83UVwC4tTLGi46Q7hj1S-YPg7LxICgkq35osAjFsaErPjy2tU3N_K8" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I talked about the Irish oral histories and archaeology which seems to support them in the posts linked from this jump page "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/p/montenegrian-tumuluses.html" target="_blank">Montenegrian tumuluses</a>"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">That's it for today...</span></p>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-33709268501812884332024-03-02T09:38:00.000-08:002024-03-02T09:38:13.345-08:00Boeotian solar pyxis<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Boeotian clay pyxis depicting the "Mistress of the Animals and some animals"; Late 7th century BC. Currently in the Antikensammlung Berlin</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOxSAbC6-F7__xCKy0dArKjR5KlOLEFRQ1JWTp6McWX3kIk4z1UpoHqru_PNUk1vuedTDt73AGpK0oiMICiJ52DxWgHkmN1ZFAG8SO43HgP-hmXLv_iVkEdP9y9QOH0DFb3jQ2CRqfTNkSPMQqOZ42iN0vYEboTz4INGtPKbTe0GWf56ylPzbw6uAJP-k" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="552" data-original-width="680" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOxSAbC6-F7__xCKy0dArKjR5KlOLEFRQ1JWTp6McWX3kIk4z1UpoHqru_PNUk1vuedTDt73AGpK0oiMICiJ52DxWgHkmN1ZFAG8SO43HgP-hmXLv_iVkEdP9y9QOH0DFb3jQ2CRqfTNkSPMQqOZ42iN0vYEboTz4INGtPKbTe0GWf56ylPzbw6uAJP-k" width="296" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">But I can tell you few things about the decorations:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">They are all solar symbols.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">On the lid we see two snakes.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Snake is a pure solar animal. It is in our world when sun is here (day, hot half of the year) and it is in the underworld when sun is there (night, cold half of the year)...I first talked about it in these posts: "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-chthonic-animal.html" target="_blank">The chthonic animal</a>" and "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/01/enemy-of-sun.html" target="_blank">Enemy of the sun</a>", but have since then talked about "solar snakes" in many other posts, like </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">"</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/01/letnitsa-treasure.html" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Letnitsa treasure</a><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">", </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/05/nude-winged-hero-dominating-snakes.html" target="_blank">Nude winged hero dominating snakes</a>"</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2023/08/mystery-seal.html" target="_blank">Mystery seal</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2023/01/snake-god-from-hatra.html" target="_blank">Snake god from Hatra</a>", </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">"</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/05/goat-and-snake-from-kortik-tepe.html" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Goat and snake from Kortik tepe</a><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">", </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">"</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/09/goat-petroglyphs-from-iran.html" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Goat petroglyphs from Iran</a><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">", </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">"</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/01/pegasus-and-chimera.html" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Pegasus and Chimera</a><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">"...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3TMIHf2_4avD3kLXfNLUEI_EwMFXKU91AayJxXR35i1TlPGgeGbVhz1P0rKIFU37h-y6GWIYpynyonJ6n1TruaQ8l5nwdzgYWnD21bLLwBaoUcaJToK4wtyIRMSBDY4c6-BWNlaGlO9iCDDR2oBURo5l7QPA-EAysDQfEnAeN__CB0DZ3Y59UJ-Q54t8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="638" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3TMIHf2_4avD3kLXfNLUEI_EwMFXKU91AayJxXR35i1TlPGgeGbVhz1P0rKIFU37h-y6GWIYpynyonJ6n1TruaQ8l5nwdzgYWnD21bLLwBaoUcaJToK4wtyIRMSBDY4c6-BWNlaGlO9iCDDR2oBURo5l7QPA-EAysDQfEnAeN__CB0DZ3Y59UJ-Q54t8" width="271" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Even more interestingly, two snakes have a specific meaning as a calendar marker </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">for Apr/May, beginning of summer, domain of the sun. Why? Cause the mating season of the most common Eurasian snakes starts in Apr/May...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4c9xq5BjsxjYpKiGG-uK8_q8oXKnFDUr-PX26yCyAW-whaDCNM9A8tXeE40ln4kIYGSViMgaGhFbwxSY_sqin4nnVRHZT6azvTKc_7A0TWf2z1YYW9CkGX2UZstG9DWAnTeTSsXdVSwTcrzhRR4lyNH5xcYGdG8ZOBCXyl0G8l9tqfIvdT_HOgzBroDA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4c9xq5BjsxjYpKiGG-uK8_q8oXKnFDUr-PX26yCyAW-whaDCNM9A8tXeE40ln4kIYGSViMgaGhFbwxSY_sqin4nnVRHZT6azvTKc_7A0TWf2z1YYW9CkGX2UZstG9DWAnTeTSsXdVSwTcrzhRR4lyNH5xcYGdG8ZOBCXyl0G8l9tqfIvdT_HOgzBroDA" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And which is why Hermes (who was born in Apr/May) was by Apollo (the sun god) given the Caduceus, staff with two entwined snakes...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/10/lyre-of-apollo.html" target="_blank">Lyre of Apollo</a>" </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOP2Q0C_8imezr7W3yADqHHrvDNOq7seM1TQxTykU2SUCeRopNbCLGKkcVQzVEypQiux5552RQebsfipSt-TLI1RXHesORx01r3iLPK0JaTGXS49wjHiR52WjLcsYuAr9dpXCG7_Q3jk4Lhu1qDKMSrnqPMZ_2TG3XePNIn9pdxs0GiZ9Cxa_bO6dSuEM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="313" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOP2Q0C_8imezr7W3yADqHHrvDNOq7seM1TQxTykU2SUCeRopNbCLGKkcVQzVEypQiux5552RQebsfipSt-TLI1RXHesORx01r3iLPK0JaTGXS49wjHiR52WjLcsYuAr9dpXCG7_Q3jk4Lhu1qDKMSrnqPMZ_2TG3XePNIn9pdxs0GiZ9Cxa_bO6dSuEM" width="161" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Between the two snakes we see crosses...I talked about crosses as ancient solar symbols in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2023/11/the-cross-of-shamash.html" target="_blank">The cross of Shamash</a>" about this b</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">eaker</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">, </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Sialk South Mound, Kashan, Isfahan, Late Calcolithic period, Sialk III7 period, ca. 3750-3350 BC, the National Museum of Iran, Tehran, Iran</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEH91CsBshTrkJ7MeG7McjABXwaphb2CPzVcIiIZPibdZ-A8weFDfcgvry8sOLvbg9p53tBloaT6A_TvFHDxhadRnnZFRyaOT4Z-4bVYYkpLBR7Vr4ph95HIbhr6V1TaAtEx-uEhZyV5r3s_JLaOJ-tCawUkmC3FRfc9WWhdwAFG_8Q7fOoeFLKrJIb1o" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="510" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEH91CsBshTrkJ7MeG7McjABXwaphb2CPzVcIiIZPibdZ-A8weFDfcgvry8sOLvbg9p53tBloaT6A_TvFHDxhadRnnZFRyaOT4Z-4bVYYkpLBR7Vr4ph95HIbhr6V1TaAtEx-uEhZyV5r3s_JLaOJ-tCawUkmC3FRfc9WWhdwAFG_8Q7fOoeFLKrJIb1o" width="180" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In short, the cross was since the earliest times in Mesopotamia used as the symbol for the sun (god)...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUN9fx7DzvGfn85GB0hsWpq12o7c6DNtIkq2NUDMuyRdG5LrKfRYHyNGkZdMV0_GJM-6KTDzz0SoxW8Rwf6_Ilb730IytRAZRlheytWS6kMhGJNnNYYR7yPBNPO3gchbC54DoD-svwuPwg-vE0rkv5QwXHL3pzEj4I0lFpWITfFRd8WzXkn3nckmh_vg/s1294/shamash%20cross.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1282" data-original-width="1294" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUN9fx7DzvGfn85GB0hsWpq12o7c6DNtIkq2NUDMuyRdG5LrKfRYHyNGkZdMV0_GJM-6KTDzz0SoxW8Rwf6_Ilb730IytRAZRlheytWS6kMhGJNnNYYR7yPBNPO3gchbC54DoD-svwuPwg-vE0rkv5QwXHL3pzEj4I0lFpWITfFRd8WzXkn3nckmh_vg/s320/shamash%20cross.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And on both sides of the two snakes we see swastikas, another ancient solar symbol. I talked about it </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">in my post "</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2024/03/kolo-vrt.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">Kolo-vrt</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">", about this a</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">ncient (officially medieval???) standing stone, Bosnia. Depicting solar wheel (swastika) and solar dance (kolo)... Pic by Kemal Čolak...</span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNsZqvjK84aY49YRpz8N4DTCTxeBPxuo3ylhGpQmsMssGqnudqO9iAq7HoLzaqCQmxHVvsNmJK20dFf4DrZz3c3FH-QJloD88o5D-lzi-KJfKyUz8H2AvAPQxAc6slNpNpDbmBnwGpJqBshD1CKrKTWV9v0rddMjAe2D2SNrTExpi-x_GWNzpIxJgj9A/s518/stecak%20kolo%20swastika.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="517" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNsZqvjK84aY49YRpz8N4DTCTxeBPxuo3ylhGpQmsMssGqnudqO9iAq7HoLzaqCQmxHVvsNmJK20dFf4DrZz3c3FH-QJloD88o5D-lzi-KJfKyUz8H2AvAPQxAc6slNpNpDbmBnwGpJqBshD1CKrKTWV9v0rddMjAe2D2SNrTExpi-x_GWNzpIxJgj9A/s320/stecak%20kolo%20swastika.jpg" width="319" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Anyway, on</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> the sides of our </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">pyxis, </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">we have more swastikas, crosses and horses...Why horses?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Horses are solar animals.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Roman silver coin of the Pyrrhic war (275-270 BC) Apollo wears a laurel- wreath & a galloping horse beneath the "star". </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Thanks @HawkeJon</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">for the pics.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlFgB3Z554qew58isShwK_qCOTtOjDowXIlti203xPm4p5j-gHhF_rYnFpiurdnf01IUhdOoOvNcaHYd2WfRrJ27rLJqmC9XpkCldF1cqgTUtKVmO_UPTOdYN_4CTwlkILshsqdAWKjmoLbFzPpTbJ9-GPhgr0Q_c61mc3YW1mzx9WrVinhsbgjgHvXE/s1024/Pyrrhic%20coin%201.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="916" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlFgB3Z554qew58isShwK_qCOTtOjDowXIlti203xPm4p5j-gHhF_rYnFpiurdnf01IUhdOoOvNcaHYd2WfRrJ27rLJqmC9XpkCldF1cqgTUtKVmO_UPTOdYN_4CTwlkILshsqdAWKjmoLbFzPpTbJ9-GPhgr0Q_c61mc3YW1mzx9WrVinhsbgjgHvXE/s320/Pyrrhic%20coin%201.jpeg" width="286" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmR5tpuq1zuVuLDJYSakUV_3cAKAWDHMwUscLr-Vt4oG7BArzGrEIUzCh79mZaVf_rNqee1NcwXlKs5Q02BBiOQ5PjJuGU-FgGbaK68Lx8JB8Yja1t9KoWE4crYszluAfbv8fsdKrXqXNyR8mvnmaWZEgqi0RGD8P6627ZScShNSfO1Z0f6NCPSrje-CU/s1024/Pyrrhic%20coin%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="992" data-original-width="1024" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmR5tpuq1zuVuLDJYSakUV_3cAKAWDHMwUscLr-Vt4oG7BArzGrEIUzCh79mZaVf_rNqee1NcwXlKs5Q02BBiOQ5PjJuGU-FgGbaK68Lx8JB8Yja1t9KoWE4crYszluAfbv8fsdKrXqXNyR8mvnmaWZEgqi0RGD8P6627ZScShNSfO1Z0f6NCPSrje-CU/s320/Pyrrhic%20coin%202.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The "star" is The Sun...Above The Solar Horse...Symbol of The Sun God Apollo...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And articles about solar horse (equid):</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Mesopotamia "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/11/shamash-playing-with-solar-horse.html" target="_blank">Shamash playing with the solar horse</a>"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">India "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/06/hayagriva.html" target="_blank">Hayagriva</a>"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">China "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/09/longma.html" target="_blank">Longma</a>"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Europe "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/11/archaic-rider.html" target="_blank">Archaic rider</a>"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The reason why equids are solar animals and the reason why they are linked with Sun gods, stems from the fact that horse fertility is governed by sunlight and their mating season peaks at the summer solstice...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7gF-FYV5PtnYBnbRPbdI4M9s2roTM42kz_Aw3PWvkIqdVzF9ij9hh8QbP3F-898vysA-fgv08MNZ3HrWRYttxLOrCFoZtsEZ3wFdn5UFYvYPLJUNziEGnW7O1ZUVbIIGYk4_wNrKWnUBEIz0nVaNxT4ybLmhmEUHNsVrWpcyUtxStNCHtZefJjT4LpPo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="360" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7gF-FYV5PtnYBnbRPbdI4M9s2roTM42kz_Aw3PWvkIqdVzF9ij9hh8QbP3F-898vysA-fgv08MNZ3HrWRYttxLOrCFoZtsEZ3wFdn5UFYvYPLJUNziEGnW7O1ZUVbIIGYk4_wNrKWnUBEIz0nVaNxT4ybLmhmEUHNsVrWpcyUtxStNCHtZefJjT4LpPo" width="284" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Sun god in his horse drawn chariot...</span></p><p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUEFRQ0fR767nuv2VkbFixQ_EvpVCMJFjjiK2xJYrxhcf-PD1W88TaJLDNFBs9CBDeiYkTBcigBSXTlVBM2QbkmjhFrypNkoGLN1-OhECE_f9H86p9ctNTaBN8J9hZo92OlZ3Cvn4FSda3iMsq7pJynZBpegoqFtzrVCYFhjEjOt0Wij-ZoD4M0iLu8Y/s440/helios%20chariot.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="440" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUEFRQ0fR767nuv2VkbFixQ_EvpVCMJFjjiK2xJYrxhcf-PD1W88TaJLDNFBs9CBDeiYkTBcigBSXTlVBM2QbkmjhFrypNkoGLN1-OhECE_f9H86p9ctNTaBN8J9hZo92OlZ3Cvn4FSda3iMsq7pJynZBpegoqFtzrVCYFhjEjOt0Wij-ZoD4M0iLu8Y/s320/helios%20chariot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So, we have an interesting situation where the mating season of the most common Eurasian snakes, vipers, and the mating season of the wild Eurasian horses, the two animals depicted on our pyxis, with crosses and swastikas, both start in Apr/May, beginning of summer, the time of the year dominated by the sun...</span></div></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj66QjcRAsF9r4_JxaHj9vBDBS3seHxt7CJDxxlc-wpZoACbij3u9_dcYCWVMaYJdCOvMjIKLhI5mKYxhEX8xphkaZPfEVWrA0uTwL_cVQru5jHjO1SJ8vG7wrbsvlWvEKF5UuOuvfjYWEDD6r6rgnmg65CBiQiqWpm8usezzRvcE83-8oTwjNr42v748E" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="360" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj66QjcRAsF9r4_JxaHj9vBDBS3seHxt7CJDxxlc-wpZoACbij3u9_dcYCWVMaYJdCOvMjIKLhI5mKYxhEX8xphkaZPfEVWrA0uTwL_cVQru5jHjO1SJ8vG7wrbsvlWvEKF5UuOuvfjYWEDD6r6rgnmg65CBiQiqWpm8usezzRvcE83-8oTwjNr42v748E" width="267" /></a></div></span><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Finally, t</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">he "Mistress of the Animals" is Artemis, the "terrible" twin sister of the "terrible" sun god Apollo...This girl: </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Artemis, of the original, archaic type, before people forgot her real meaning...From the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Artemis,_Corfu" target="_blank">Temple of Artemis, Corfu</a></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJR8UOJLcyq9taGdwMZdcs6ZL9wfEP44eC_a8ut69OEpCKATgbFH_-Qj1nwtJDRT_QL08ZWmj_yuNOfnMLBlajLnSeCCRLmLY7O9OMLFSTfCRdmUoHHei0MM1nFfIFGxRhcerFYi15HD0HvtI7b8MOlhhodfgtmVk8hgybGeFbullFA4VM0brut51iQ68" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="680" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJR8UOJLcyq9taGdwMZdcs6ZL9wfEP44eC_a8ut69OEpCKATgbFH_-Qj1nwtJDRT_QL08ZWmj_yuNOfnMLBlajLnSeCCRLmLY7O9OMLFSTfCRdmUoHHei0MM1nFfIFGxRhcerFYi15HD0HvtI7b8MOlhhodfgtmVk8hgybGeFbullFA4VM0brut51iQ68" width="320" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Definitely not moon goddess here with all these snakes. And lions (wink wink, notch notch)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">On our pyxis, the Winged Archaic Artemis is holding two ducks or gees...Both migratory water birds...Spring bird migration in Greece peaks during late April-early May...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEishCLMyOD_fmuUb94ibAIYhEBDQnPKkay74yP00TN2X7NgesXjaxlIv4BxdqznkIx9T66BkVasRo-w2EKYtTLU-MySZJI7XLQbT9UKHP6uA58sZ-HpwxtK_GtogjCPz-7e5hg0sU6BTZ7BR1Nw_dam1r51Re_9A_lRQvuh394zoGxNN8vU77xpRiFnMh4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEishCLMyOD_fmuUb94ibAIYhEBDQnPKkay74yP00TN2X7NgesXjaxlIv4BxdqznkIx9T66BkVasRo-w2EKYtTLU-MySZJI7XLQbT9UKHP6uA58sZ-HpwxtK_GtogjCPz-7e5hg0sU6BTZ7BR1Nw_dam1r51Re_9A_lRQvuh394zoGxNN8vU77xpRiFnMh4" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The "rosettes" are another symbol of the sun...Or Sirius...Which is in the sky with the sun, during the day, between Apr/May and Jul/Aug. At least it was during the time when our mythologies were made. Will write about this soon...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">But it could also just mean "spring flowering season" which in Greece also peaks in Apr/May...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqV8cbbCLnchETe-lR2WUY99TZTM7IDKQ5gA5FA-YqJpxLkqmrA72GMq8Me7hV8MuS5yXq3eM-cVFdfMrttNIxDW6QW_LIiR8dUEx2mjrYnZcuCjjBrqgaVQhwdMcK1Ml8FmQ_JiViSmzI7vlXWwLX0WKN7wbC8aVP6MSkcA1TKuuj20c5nfzH76fUkM/s640/spring%20greece.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqV8cbbCLnchETe-lR2WUY99TZTM7IDKQ5gA5FA-YqJpxLkqmrA72GMq8Me7hV8MuS5yXq3eM-cVFdfMrttNIxDW6QW_LIiR8dUEx2mjrYnZcuCjjBrqgaVQhwdMcK1Ml8FmQ_JiViSmzI7vlXWwLX0WKN7wbC8aVP6MSkcA1TKuuj20c5nfzH76fUkM/s320/spring%20greece.webp" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Soooo...Not only are all the symbols on this Larnax solar symbols, but they also all seem to point at the same time of the year, Apr/May, beginning of summer...</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To read more about ancient animal and plant calendar markers, start </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/p/animal-solar-year-markers.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">…then check </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/search?q=%22animal+calendar+markers%22&max-results=20&by-date=true" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">the rest of the blog posts related to animal calendar markers</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't add to this page, and finally check </span><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=thread%20(from%3Aserbiaireland)%20-filter%3Areplies&src=typed_query&f=live" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">my twitter threads</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't convert to blog post...I am 9 months behind now...</span></span></p>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-18254876150011525882024-03-02T09:02:00.000-08:002024-03-02T09:02:21.819-08:00Dancing with deer and birds<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Medieval "stećak" standing stone, Bosnia, with the depiction of the ritual circular solar dance "kolo", meaning wheel, solar wheel, solar year. There are also depictions of birds and deer...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9yIatBR_cyaKQZi-Jd9f8w32QXb8W4qZBSM17ShzMXEAn5ZJ2rIEwBMBiBX8P8WoCzppmRJKAs3c_u3Y-gpMTMYGaiez1veFM0ur1erY6u25YvLKMkPndKiFRRAFkiZiPiuyqYiGWhLK4h9wnNGAczkgQ6HtBSxBsSs9bCqszX4XLC3aAsVs-QdocXBo/s1600/stecak%20kolo%20deer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1594" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9yIatBR_cyaKQZi-Jd9f8w32QXb8W4qZBSM17ShzMXEAn5ZJ2rIEwBMBiBX8P8WoCzppmRJKAs3c_u3Y-gpMTMYGaiez1veFM0ur1erY6u25YvLKMkPndKiFRRAFkiZiPiuyqYiGWhLK4h9wnNGAczkgQ6HtBSxBsSs9bCqszX4XLC3aAsVs-QdocXBo/s320/stecak%20kolo%20deer.jpg" width="319" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I talked about "kolo", also known as "oro", in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2024/03/kolo-vrt.html" target="_blank">Kolo-vrt</a>". </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNsZqvjK84aY49YRpz8N4DTCTxeBPxuo3ylhGpQmsMssGqnudqO9iAq7HoLzaqCQmxHVvsNmJK20dFf4DrZz3c3FH-QJloD88o5D-lzi-KJfKyUz8H2AvAPQxAc6slNpNpDbmBnwGpJqBshD1CKrKTWV9v0rddMjAe2D2SNrTExpi-x_GWNzpIxJgj9A/s518/stecak%20kolo%20swastika.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="517" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNsZqvjK84aY49YRpz8N4DTCTxeBPxuo3ylhGpQmsMssGqnudqO9iAq7HoLzaqCQmxHVvsNmJK20dFf4DrZz3c3FH-QJloD88o5D-lzi-KJfKyUz8H2AvAPQxAc6slNpNpDbmBnwGpJqBshD1CKrKTWV9v0rddMjAe2D2SNrTExpi-x_GWNzpIxJgj9A/s320/stecak%20kolo%20swastika.jpg" width="319" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Kolo is a common motif on these standing stones. But, it is interesting that on this stone there are 9 dancers in both groups...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Q4UF2GABwLwHhINe1Zk7g4rXxYnR7Z602HpUI0s0ylR8JqCGtK7hH_CJ6HB5RfxHCxqpPr5rDNvkUnzs7l7mmSAZl99-nqGjVOJmmeuTaDZKmUq2ll7KFq-o-IGGNkKiUEPk_3Qyo02pEx3NhulE55qex055lgos9bgjGC-n2VCd5PD22IrA0QsrVR4/s1600/stecak%20kolo%20dancers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1594" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Q4UF2GABwLwHhINe1Zk7g4rXxYnR7Z602HpUI0s0ylR8JqCGtK7hH_CJ6HB5RfxHCxqpPr5rDNvkUnzs7l7mmSAZl99-nqGjVOJmmeuTaDZKmUq2ll7KFq-o-IGGNkKiUEPk_3Qyo02pEx3NhulE55qex055lgos9bgjGC-n2VCd5PD22IrA0QsrVR4/s320/stecak%20kolo%20dancers.jpg" width="319" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I wonder if this is deliberate? Here's why:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Deer are depicted during rut, Sep/Oct/Nov, the only time when bucks can be seen with fully grown antlers and their harems of does...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgITzih1LgrZzZ9sFJEi_rEuZdNyG9IXPieFo410AFrULvJ6FTXPnioNPOlJ3oHuTy8_noVvUCWs7_zXLZxOTyRsJkSL1ei7qThbb6JRdkboBFVfu0Ee_l8AQRVp_9A8DYB0TZsx78cWgk4gHw8fRfJezQ5FwAd6EaOnIReQTJQZKNhF8Ushixa62iE8/s640/deer%20rut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="640" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgITzih1LgrZzZ9sFJEi_rEuZdNyG9IXPieFo410AFrULvJ6FTXPnioNPOlJ3oHuTy8_noVvUCWs7_zXLZxOTyRsJkSL1ei7qThbb6JRdkboBFVfu0Ee_l8AQRVp_9A8DYB0TZsx78cWgk4gHw8fRfJezQ5FwAd6EaOnIReQTJQZKNhF8Ushixa62iE8/s320/deer%20rut.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">These are Croatian Slavic month names...Number 9 is...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3CbLoPnPoQmNev7Qvq0WuB-Hv_cu9Kdoy8tuHRIesVR6KGS_yV5FXX4xTjrNDKK2mp4m8RmB7fvMt_xNK7ReJlWsvsqe6KmmW9Z0-eHPD0qai2cJu-zsYRVa7h3IT60h2rt6xOpl1xmlOYT9tOv9J1pMHkc1NRSDmmzyw0Z5PqmSY7xxJ0ElnK8uLYg/s1676/croatian%20calendar.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1676" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3CbLoPnPoQmNev7Qvq0WuB-Hv_cu9Kdoy8tuHRIesVR6KGS_yV5FXX4xTjrNDKK2mp4m8RmB7fvMt_xNK7ReJlWsvsqe6KmmW9Z0-eHPD0qai2cJu-zsYRVa7h3IT60h2rt6xOpl1xmlOYT9tOv9J1pMHkc1NRSDmmzyw0Z5PqmSY7xxJ0ElnK8uLYg/s320/croatian%20calendar.png" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So the birds could then depict migratory birds, which leave Bosnia in Sep/Oct/Nov...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73e7GqSevNKE960pLCSjgxr3Q3WYxrhgcZYDz5B4KDKysjygbJDxPW9rIhWecGA_qGMktaa01cykCJw1Vw3Ekzy4OnjOuv7eLDNk5T2skktVrpjA05WivAtxjpDr-vDAfLwQZBRHlvtoPwqpRRfpoEvNBHYvTD9va2Z1Nm1jl06l62rUecFlXNssj3KQ/s320/migratory%20birds%20right.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73e7GqSevNKE960pLCSjgxr3Q3WYxrhgcZYDz5B4KDKysjygbJDxPW9rIhWecGA_qGMktaa01cykCJw1Vw3Ekzy4OnjOuv7eLDNk5T2skktVrpjA05WivAtxjpDr-vDAfLwQZBRHlvtoPwqpRRfpoEvNBHYvTD9va2Z1Nm1jl06l62rUecFlXNssj3KQ/s1600/migratory%20birds%20right.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">All very interesting...</span></p><div><br /></div>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-11282020339093509412024-03-02T08:56:00.000-08:002024-03-02T08:56:40.569-08:00Kolo-vrt<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Good morning! The sun is shining, time to get up and have some fun!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNsZqvjK84aY49YRpz8N4DTCTxeBPxuo3ylhGpQmsMssGqnudqO9iAq7HoLzaqCQmxHVvsNmJK20dFf4DrZz3c3FH-QJloD88o5D-lzi-KJfKyUz8H2AvAPQxAc6slNpNpDbmBnwGpJqBshD1CKrKTWV9v0rddMjAe2D2SNrTExpi-x_GWNzpIxJgj9A/s518/stecak%20kolo%20swastika.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="517" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNsZqvjK84aY49YRpz8N4DTCTxeBPxuo3ylhGpQmsMssGqnudqO9iAq7HoLzaqCQmxHVvsNmJK20dFf4DrZz3c3FH-QJloD88o5D-lzi-KJfKyUz8H2AvAPQxAc6slNpNpDbmBnwGpJqBshD1CKrKTWV9v0rddMjAe2D2SNrTExpi-x_GWNzpIxJgj9A/s320/stecak%20kolo%20swastika.jpg" width="319" /></span></a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Ancient (officially medieval???) stećak </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">standing stone, Bosnia. Depicting solar wheel (swastika) and solar dance (kolo)... Pic by Kemal Čolak...</span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The swastika represents spinning motion...Of what? Big Dipper around the Northern Star? Possibly...But also the ever spinning solar year, as one spin of the Big Dipper around the Northern Star marks one solar year...</span></p></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpj4zgLfBBCmWoLBLc2wkkZfu9hdU42DMvnhj0FhuH_uiPPXDpzwQcSYTqakmizWaD1OhdwdLDr6iSG3alTksUIR0LxL3z8y2h6pgPQTXpOaJqmGvCM-PPzjSYAOO7hOdSUUmctUEzvjYRWlv3GBDv6EWUFzz_twXw8hTHtRu0qA_abJ8i9_x1mSfZmo/s358/the%20big%20dipper%20cross.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="358" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpj4zgLfBBCmWoLBLc2wkkZfu9hdU42DMvnhj0FhuH_uiPPXDpzwQcSYTqakmizWaD1OhdwdLDr6iSG3alTksUIR0LxL3z8y2h6pgPQTXpOaJqmGvCM-PPzjSYAOO7hOdSUUmctUEzvjYRWlv3GBDv6EWUFzz_twXw8hTHtRu0qA_abJ8i9_x1mSfZmo/s320/the%20big%20dipper%20cross.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">These are Neujährchen (New Year sweet breads) from Rheinland. They are baked fresh on New Year's Eve and are given as presents to friends and family on New Year's morning. Apparently they represent solar year with 4 seasons...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Rgof_R3f1AuBoSaWM2U5EyCjR1UM71E0Wsv13D7-7aqQeJYOWnnRSvXZqIlQlwv0juhMoUv0yiFokE6ridqVCkLF62SqOJ7JoOccjuNP8eFq25LlEyQzO40f05lhXf7v_3XjNth-C5JtbQoilkIqdHDTavudbkp5AHL6Up2sWcrSYzrZz8MfnBDFaJQ/s1050/solar%20bread%20germany.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Rgof_R3f1AuBoSaWM2U5EyCjR1UM71E0Wsv13D7-7aqQeJYOWnnRSvXZqIlQlwv0juhMoUv0yiFokE6ridqVCkLF62SqOJ7JoOccjuNP8eFq25LlEyQzO40f05lhXf7v_3XjNth-C5JtbQoilkIqdHDTavudbkp5AHL6Up2sWcrSYzrZz8MfnBDFaJQ/s320/solar%20bread%20germany.jpeg" width="213" /></span></a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Same curly swastika was found on solar bread from the Balkans. I talked about them in my post "<a href="http://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2018/03/solar-breads-from-croatia.html" target="_blank">Solar breads from Croatia</a>"...</span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNswdBGwYPJ2lKCasxobZ76vMhsU1of5mxLPZ3_iY-2YIebxgLqL7W2HSNzTzqwm3_3PsS9-P0g-InqbVGjZYNTmakOQ9ufNQvUh24Buyfuvk6Vydz5AvhxnbFJsL9VkiFI4hHSIYl1omoOz_ZAOu-Z1MNdNZlzb09clT62OUWGD-qEp_k5X8ZBHL0x1k/s320/solar%20bread%20croatia.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="261" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNswdBGwYPJ2lKCasxobZ76vMhsU1of5mxLPZ3_iY-2YIebxgLqL7W2HSNzTzqwm3_3PsS9-P0g-InqbVGjZYNTmakOQ9ufNQvUh24Buyfuvk6Vydz5AvhxnbFJsL9VkiFI4hHSIYl1omoOz_ZAOu-Z1MNdNZlzb09clT62OUWGD-qEp_k5X8ZBHL0x1k/s1600/solar%20bread%20croatia.jpeg" width="261" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I talked about solar bread representing solar wheel in my <a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2023/03/koloocheh.html" target="_blank">article about Koloocheh</a>, Persian ceremonial New Year cakes. In the article I talk about the origin of the name Koloocheh and about Slavic kolač (kolach) ceremonial wheel shaped cakes and breads...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The spiral on the Koloocheh also represents a spinning motion...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfr0F5sbyq8plf6y0j9NYxggSN28xrCRUu6pIErrVHe4DgP7goNtD-xE3wxFnDcYTned9SQ1y86gwf9TNRcqqrvuo-UwaR0zx2Y6EuWpw3DbW01KEfNMeN9noWgcLzZlTRW0Rp4FFKJOkiCAjiUGO_s3z7jY9BL7fM8UawLUrE3zPqyYWQKhSbiHbISo/s526/Koloocheh.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfr0F5sbyq8plf6y0j9NYxggSN28xrCRUu6pIErrVHe4DgP7goNtD-xE3wxFnDcYTned9SQ1y86gwf9TNRcqqrvuo-UwaR0zx2Y6EuWpw3DbW01KEfNMeN9noWgcLzZlTRW0Rp4FFKJOkiCAjiUGO_s3z7jY9BL7fM8UawLUrE3zPqyYWQKhSbiHbISo/s320/Koloocheh.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The word "kolač" comes "kolo" (wheel, spinning circle). Hence "kolo" also being the name for the Slavic ceremonial circular dance...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span face=""helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The depiction or the Serbian circular dance "kolo" or "oro" from the 14th century Serbian monastery <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesnovo_monastery">Lesnovo</a> which is located in today's Republic of Makedonija...It is danced "under the sun"...Or god...</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"> </span></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I talked about this in my posts "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/04/oro.html " target="_blank">Oro</a>" and "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/04/shield-of-achilles.html" target="_blank">Shield of Achilles</a>"...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGN44ZIaaITrAxnqFD7ALrKD8rvVXytdmXBoVckOBQZQcoNoUTTBW6-DNMm5n2aonvc2K46ihw5amx1dlPLUn9mz2oKH5S0mfKjFUyCtTQfox_kIaKZ2BhiR8BHpzR1W_oo7B39cdLIjq9lNnfFvmXU9MC5gRcAklR2nhpcHXfRAu0SAmuM4Hg3ZoH08k/s1289/kolo%20lesnovo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1289" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGN44ZIaaITrAxnqFD7ALrKD8rvVXytdmXBoVckOBQZQcoNoUTTBW6-DNMm5n2aonvc2K46ihw5amx1dlPLUn9mz2oKH5S0mfKjFUyCtTQfox_kIaKZ2BhiR8BHpzR1W_oo7B39cdLIjq9lNnfFvmXU9MC5gRcAklR2nhpcHXfRAu0SAmuM4Hg3ZoH08k/s320/kolo%20lesnovo.jpg" width="254" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-63972252894927105202024-02-29T15:03:00.000-08:002024-02-29T15:03:46.003-08:00Kassite seal with Apkallu<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Kassite seal (18th-12th centuries BC) from Syria. National Museum of Damascus. Not 100% sure about provenance, so any confirmation would be welcome. But I am 110% sure about the meaning of the symbols we see depicted on this amazing seal...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNhThKcYGsqSyVePsikPOnruHq8HIfMeuWPh_EN6M4C4ygbdID7aa-bgT5q9h8inGWxgFdlwiDMU0Lhu9M7kMBpmluEH6oOp-hVJMqzhG2EtFqc3V9H3Sa9jbhizTHHOyMwc2YAxYKzSVUO-2-kBSiq2YeNgXj5KdvWtJYbfVQxyFdpqngzb37CdFTj0M" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNhThKcYGsqSyVePsikPOnruHq8HIfMeuWPh_EN6M4C4ygbdID7aa-bgT5q9h8inGWxgFdlwiDMU0Lhu9M7kMBpmluEH6oOp-hVJMqzhG2EtFqc3V9H3Sa9jbhizTHHOyMwc2YAxYKzSVUO-2-kBSiq2YeNgXj5KdvWtJYbfVQxyFdpqngzb37CdFTj0M" width="309" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In the centre we have a male figure, wearing a long skirt and a horned hat (which identifies him as a god). Which god? Well, the same god depicted on this water basin from Assur: Ea/Enki. I talked about it in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2024/02/basalt-water-basin-from-assur.html" target="_blank">Basalt water basin from Assur</a>"</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipp5qJqSJA7zFxLNtJeDRU2TcqjsTZ3Yk6sQvI2EGELzVKt1eNIJhL62HwBCQ3R-YQ-RLyHQjENNadhPf_t0-1aegfbqE8KjQ6ZOvPKKkBPoSBJfsOPhLBRGLp8ICR40U7VWTTCGPmaiuQ7YP8r1s8-AJyqKgpROlCjk3IE0A8twNds5UMpQpKpKbJJFM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1038" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipp5qJqSJA7zFxLNtJeDRU2TcqjsTZ3Yk6sQvI2EGELzVKt1eNIJhL62HwBCQ3R-YQ-RLyHQjENNadhPf_t0-1aegfbqE8KjQ6ZOvPKKkBPoSBJfsOPhLBRGLp8ICR40U7VWTTCGPmaiuQ7YP8r1s8-AJyqKgpROlCjk3IE0A8twNds5UMpQpKpKbJJFM" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br />Enki is flanked by Apkallus, the holy carp (men) of Enki...I talked about them and what they represent in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2024/01/apkallu.html" target="_blank">Apkallu</a>"...In short they are deified giant Mesopotamian carp, these monsters...Which every year, during the annual flood, swim upstream for spawning...Towards Abzu, the source of Tigris and Euphrates...And Enki, who is (in) Abzu...</span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOClI0_5iL_frcqp7X4qeNWdtTJCGd91Mn9tbtOjV0fD7xE-d4OnHjocO5sfPGS-4LHpGzhfsYVrjbY52I-T5-g6htsPWbopXr55YXEjF54VFeeLPjicc5BDZLfstyTUU0-joPeiuBCEfkM8F6WFrB-lO0yP01pJWKcY2BdRQHXwK1Bc1mCMffxYRv7Q/s543/euphrates%20carp.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="424" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOClI0_5iL_frcqp7X4qeNWdtTJCGd91Mn9tbtOjV0fD7xE-d4OnHjocO5sfPGS-4LHpGzhfsYVrjbY52I-T5-g6htsPWbopXr55YXEjF54VFeeLPjicc5BDZLfstyTUU0-joPeiuBCEfkM8F6WFrB-lO0yP01pJWKcY2BdRQHXwK1Bc1mCMffxYRv7Q/s320/euphrates%20carp.jpeg" width="250" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">On the water basing from Assur the water is pouring out of two jars in the sky, which represent rain clouds. On our seal, the water is instead pouring out of the two beaks of the two headed eagle which is depicted flying above the god...Why?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This is climate in Syria. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxR46ncgW5LU4Wlh-UhyDDb2yNIG-KJ30pgIuCcTLU7BxiN5Zd1cB7Q6sXvNKdBILm3a8b8tRRdhLiulVLmJrv0muvDfuM1_dFxTi3Ne9cV0VAni_dP5i7pEXrAYyODVJFWv_Tm-PWiMqW0NeOhyRFopQcogbptBVWAvAWGsCk-vAC_Wp2yGZRJ_dJ-os" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="680" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxR46ncgW5LU4Wlh-UhyDDb2yNIG-KJ30pgIuCcTLU7BxiN5Zd1cB7Q6sXvNKdBILm3a8b8tRRdhLiulVLmJrv0muvDfuM1_dFxTi3Ne9cV0VAni_dP5i7pEXrAYyODVJFWv_Tm-PWiMqW0NeOhyRFopQcogbptBVWAvAWGsCk-vAC_Wp2yGZRJ_dJ-os" width="267" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaq1io6lQYZZbIQHbkbeAtLJ8nI1pEycA4usuhP5qN3yM_EjOIoiSiUx_UMSVx0zRsUAZIi6InW3vYS1yhtwEX2BFjLKRGP2_wM0o9Ln37WA9vLH3kGXnOrzQ5nOceQxDsdavtdClQKqyLKFmnfz7xSjc8nV6ZPvYNYY8p4PPg2s1UVfcHiE8yIG7jc-Y" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="661" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaq1io6lQYZZbIQHbkbeAtLJ8nI1pEycA4usuhP5qN3yM_EjOIoiSiUx_UMSVx0zRsUAZIi6InW3vYS1yhtwEX2BFjLKRGP2_wM0o9Ln37WA9vLH3kGXnOrzQ5nOceQxDsdavtdClQKqyLKFmnfz7xSjc8nV6ZPvYNYY8p4PPg2s1UVfcHiE8yIG7jc-Y" width="284" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">You can see that in Syria, climatic year is divided into hot, dry and cool, wet half...The end of the dry half and the beginning of the wet half is marked by the arrival of first rains, in Oct/Nov...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Rains arrive exactly when old world vultures start their mating flying routines...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-qEOofU_Sqt59zhV0gZG4LJbm83WyUMWWLKNCAZTYylzGE6NcPSiHtgWiQydwjjEorm9fyCZE7Xx7W4DTxCBJBZKQelHJY4pDH2UOTDKR5LAh8Plwrx-8XynANxJvcSZvxLROKRGaIVWpwvIAymhYP2Abwc6T1XkRp-_rSVm_pMQB7EE9iX7WWiLIfNk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="1098" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-qEOofU_Sqt59zhV0gZG4LJbm83WyUMWWLKNCAZTYylzGE6NcPSiHtgWiQydwjjEorm9fyCZE7Xx7W4DTxCBJBZKQelHJY4pDH2UOTDKR5LAh8Plwrx-8XynANxJvcSZvxLROKRGaIVWpwvIAymhYP2Abwc6T1XkRp-_rSVm_pMQB7EE9iX7WWiLIfNk" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Which from the ground look like "double headed eagle"...Hence water pouring out the the beaks of the double headed eagle...It's an animal calendar marker for the beginning of the vulture mating season and the beginning of the rain season...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZ1-vcbI_dfSqq8ZGmGoXUMNO7kJy1JVwx0w8U8EXtQD2kehq6QgqXOvmI9DtCPKnE9d-MENBdsqDAL1bahQdtTixx8l8UdyoDEPiooYx5aywCXWs3d96yMZEIhADTgeQsJKknyQi8C8qsuU-15HycC54rYJYJAJ1YqKhEZfNVqQiEju7xsHMlDXQfQog" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="714" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZ1-vcbI_dfSqq8ZGmGoXUMNO7kJy1JVwx0w8U8EXtQD2kehq6QgqXOvmI9DtCPKnE9d-MENBdsqDAL1bahQdtTixx8l8UdyoDEPiooYx5aywCXWs3d96yMZEIhADTgeQsJKknyQi8C8qsuU-15HycC54rYJYJAJ1YqKhEZfNVqQiEju7xsHMlDXQfQog" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Another depiction of this areal eagle dance which brings rain</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Eagle dance...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Montenegro 1963AD</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_0BtporRAFjozEpcntyqYwOGXadd1bSQ3iiK3mRmry59ztSNfOi5-3vDlsT98cM2ZZV4xV-eLyq9wsR72Bfu_jOnSiZC4PpSzv4CtL0DiVzVZFedPE8Y-sqpSTe0cyFGjYv3oUesbvUwKCgymMWE1Asw-Y3UxBr0_tCEN-wGcUOc2XGNwboU8nwQANxk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="388" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_0BtporRAFjozEpcntyqYwOGXadd1bSQ3iiK3mRmry59ztSNfOi5-3vDlsT98cM2ZZV4xV-eLyq9wsR72Bfu_jOnSiZC4PpSzv4CtL0DiVzVZFedPE8Y-sqpSTe0cyFGjYv3oUesbvUwKCgymMWE1Asw-Y3UxBr0_tCEN-wGcUOc2XGNwboU8nwQANxk" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Syria, 1800BC</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjAeuvOLhPqV7dhfCJBrkuhYsINPqyQG2BaSwBXJVlRMOG20zb0D47Tz3CNehFr5QBRTsSPkgKx1SzXhZ52ifioTOXq3nOIzYG2-C9FDfMq58XcVFHUiwhDFmZjffndKigBG3iYshjTIA_L7S59MpXxPwo9y3DliLH9Tv94b9vEjQ63P0J4vavpAAVKhM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="224" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjAeuvOLhPqV7dhfCJBrkuhYsINPqyQG2BaSwBXJVlRMOG20zb0D47Tz3CNehFr5QBRTsSPkgKx1SzXhZ52ifioTOXq3nOIzYG2-C9FDfMq58XcVFHUiwhDFmZjffndKigBG3iYshjTIA_L7S59MpXxPwo9y3DliLH9Tv94b9vEjQ63P0J4vavpAAVKhM" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Eagle (vulture) couples dance above the mountains at the beginning of their mating season, which coincides with the beginning of the rain season in Fertile Crescent...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/10/eagle-dance.html" target="_blank">Eagle dance</a>"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This is why the rain (god) was in Mesopotamia originally imagined as huge black eagle, then as an eagle man, then as a man with a pet two headed eagle...I talked about it in many posts, this one "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/10/mysterious-creature.html" target="_blank">Mysterious creature</a>" is a good starting point...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhErxdIs2HHpYTUe-z14pi2tdTOGF_djMfjCBrn6hZ8-XkGSpl_PFQVCb_XI3_I52dwNa7aWJnzzYiE7zGI0KKMIaFeRo4KgktjkXM1ajIYylM23KW1s3676xvgzeENlAVxAC93pHqWWq1_Hda96VlEq619V1ju6r58l3_WfRTN6Tc6Y9wHiishbqvpeXY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="770" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhErxdIs2HHpYTUe-z14pi2tdTOGF_djMfjCBrn6hZ8-XkGSpl_PFQVCb_XI3_I52dwNa7aWJnzzYiE7zGI0KKMIaFeRo4KgktjkXM1ajIYylM23KW1s3676xvgzeENlAVxAC93pHqWWq1_Hda96VlEq619V1ju6r58l3_WfRTN6Tc6Y9wHiishbqvpeXY" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The water flowing out of the eagle's beaks is followed by two prancing male Ibex goats. Why? Well, the beginning of the rain season in Mesopotamia also coincides with the beginning of the mating season of the Ibex goats which live in the North-Eastern mountains...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQjf-uFIEJDaicvZO2-lAc0r_Kh6wdza1r1Xxyhb3JeVAahHDNnm5c8D7L1XovVArB59lsjL11pPpPckLvdi_7qA31c2lUnsL-iu59Zb8jI4Z74OFaIlHO5bI8RuXiAu9hmYT4e8UPjS8sNp3JoTbKBS4YjIZoh9n0mkwgf66nMKMRH1AszLlRVbRnMNQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="491" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQjf-uFIEJDaicvZO2-lAc0r_Kh6wdza1r1Xxyhb3JeVAahHDNnm5c8D7L1XovVArB59lsjL11pPpPckLvdi_7qA31c2lUnsL-iu59Zb8jI4Z74OFaIlHO5bI8RuXiAu9hmYT4e8UPjS8sNp3JoTbKBS4YjIZoh9n0mkwgf66nMKMRH1AszLlRVbRnMNQ" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Mountains which are Abzu, the source of the two great rivers. Mountains which are Enki who is (in) Abzu...Majority of the water from Tigris and Euphrates comes from the snowmelt from these mountains...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvP4OZfE0TMyW7Hm8NpELM9J3t3ihjvk3p3SrIiUFx0WsAjfZaW_8qPVhZpvsyl8_orlt7eZrVfZSzDOzo8_PVcs5CwyvVXYwIgTqp6a4qFZcNVZnswiz0g2rRPUr4TjEobDR95p2dTvniZbzI_ymDCz_HsJGs8yG7WFtmhwaLyAhhG4KQCakVBYOAWV8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="1200" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvP4OZfE0TMyW7Hm8NpELM9J3t3ihjvk3p3SrIiUFx0WsAjfZaW_8qPVhZpvsyl8_orlt7eZrVfZSzDOzo8_PVcs5CwyvVXYwIgTqp6a4qFZcNVZnswiz0g2rRPUr4TjEobDR95p2dTvniZbzI_ymDCz_HsJGs8yG7WFtmhwaLyAhhG4KQCakVBYOAWV8" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/09/problems-of-abzu.html" target="_blank">Problem with Abzu</a>" and many other...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Hence mountain goats of (rain) water depicted on the shoulders (slopes) of Enki/Ea/Abzu...Actually some people suggest that this god is actually Assur, and not Enki/Ea...Actually, they are both the same deified source of fresh water, under different names. I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/12/assur.html" target="_blank">Assur</a>"...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiCZfj0aLe8KazscseuV7i6VgCVty9lBTYTU0CtJ8ph7GVDgzI2yoOqRNm4kyX0HhLWzp4PH011JwNioxP447L8xiByLFgnQWXwRqy2f0M1k03ju2GekE6XtzNDJcAuhDPLES5oqhmqF71aYFRajwO17gTdqdsj0Jk0bPEXl72yu_b2K1JCDQw-FrPHCU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="529" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiCZfj0aLe8KazscseuV7i6VgCVty9lBTYTU0CtJ8ph7GVDgzI2yoOqRNm4kyX0HhLWzp4PH011JwNioxP447L8xiByLFgnQWXwRqy2f0M1k03ju2GekE6XtzNDJcAuhDPLES5oqhmqF71aYFRajwO17gTdqdsj0Jk0bPEXl72yu_b2K1JCDQw-FrPHCU" width="169" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Some say that this is also Assur...Sure 🙂 Assur, the great imposter...One of many...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Why did so many Mesopotamian "Supreme" gods have an attribute "The Great Mountain"? Cause they all wanted to be Enki...But there is only one Enki, who is (in) Abzu, "place that is a big mountain"...All the others are just imposters...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/09/the-great-imposter.html" target="_blank">Great imposter</a>"...</span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjummqIfIJloU7hl1joD_lSwEhAS_mBTsxilX81FPERQmtK0-mX7Nf8oZkqA4_APTL3U-QS4iArUhArSkv19nfz--RVrS7wSwyYH4vmHpHNQ66l4abmrWDPUY84RmKlrbfvuaRCf5QpVhibohRNs1Zm7m-gO5ObVW8VUfHJ4pjpzaJR_MxpsElmNi6XI30" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="623" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjummqIfIJloU7hl1joD_lSwEhAS_mBTsxilX81FPERQmtK0-mX7Nf8oZkqA4_APTL3U-QS4iArUhArSkv19nfz--RVrS7wSwyYH4vmHpHNQ66l4abmrWDPUY84RmKlrbfvuaRCf5QpVhibohRNs1Zm7m-gO5ObVW8VUfHJ4pjpzaJR_MxpsElmNi6XI30" width="266" /></span></a></div></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"Abzu, place that is a big mountain, princely crown of the heaven and earth. To the lord Nudimmud (Enki), (give) praise!"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Enki/Ea, the god of sweet water standing between two mountains, with trees and flowers...Enki is identifiable by the fact that he is holding two jars from which a water is pouring out, and which are symbols of the source of Tigris and Euphrates... </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Super important image...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">So water flows through two great rivers from eagle / goat to fish...Here is why: </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiV135G_j9HoJImV-ISBhVaFQr4BRmOIfbthJAz6ShXMJAbCZ342je0kW30DOj3rjPzryx65xW6dRtV8oZc8r_29qUVl13tORl3q-M_03QlFwTYfssutVnQw8sQTpSkGUQm5u3HWOgNDEHDK1zJ7Xjr7zZUIEmbOI5hEuzLrIdtp4kHMa-Cx29W0ioKSrQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="756" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiV135G_j9HoJImV-ISBhVaFQr4BRmOIfbthJAz6ShXMJAbCZ342je0kW30DOj3rjPzryx65xW6dRtV8oZc8r_29qUVl13tORl3q-M_03QlFwTYfssutVnQw8sQTpSkGUQm5u3HWOgNDEHDK1zJ7Xjr7zZUIEmbOI5hEuzLrIdtp4kHMa-Cx29W0ioKSrQ" width="267" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Goatfish, the sacred animal of Enki, the Sumerian god of fresh water, is a complex animal calendar marker for the wet half of the year in Mesopotamia...Between the mating season of wild goats and the mating season of giant Mesopotamian carps...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/03/goatfish.html" target="_blank">Goatfish</a>"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And the water out of Enki/Ea/Abzu/Mountains and flows towards "the tree of life" which in Mesopotamia is a palm tree, which grows out of the jar representing a spring, a well, an irrigation channel...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/04/when-utu-steps-up-into-heaven.html" target="_blank">When Utu steps up into heaven</a>"...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJ4jRbozIreqi9uFfswaq_wTGbwNPge6UPBwJEspJiEXHtnZ2JhqVGGQy0ffv0vryNZGChKaEPAw1rymOwbiGW2BJl7ZgQGQaMiSMXOWPKQ4fanwbZenUKhwmHxtcoegg3f1ZvY4GQs8jxAjgs9jE7cYfsmvjIZcn9fN6O7i00qWK4V1Ke_3AYXx9YFR8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJ4jRbozIreqi9uFfswaq_wTGbwNPge6UPBwJEspJiEXHtnZ2JhqVGGQy0ffv0vryNZGChKaEPAw1rymOwbiGW2BJl7ZgQGQaMiSMXOWPKQ4fanwbZenUKhwmHxtcoegg3f1ZvY4GQs8jxAjgs9jE7cYfsmvjIZcn9fN6O7i00qWK4V1Ke_3AYXx9YFR8" width="160" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">A date palm is also a plant calendar marker for Jul/Aug, when Leo (symbol of autumn) kills Taurus (symbol of summer)...cause this is when date harvest starts in Mesopotamia...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/10/lion-killin-bull-under-date-palm.html" target="_blank">Lion killing bull under palm tree</a>"...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3pXDpEnr_QvxJJZ7hpetyXPLn9YP6CQPZqk6CHyGcsh9-MjR-1QFTNWgOaF1FNXcOYX8Z_1XgWDcBOx7EheHPDnDSW9Q_41flT4b-b1ch9JPohi2p6FJaVi5KfBTzFodf2bT8hNltEcVmi7g_zSXHAOuJoLoKn0O4Fa4owV320kP985yHJpd45-hGCgA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3pXDpEnr_QvxJJZ7hpetyXPLn9YP6CQPZqk6CHyGcsh9-MjR-1QFTNWgOaF1FNXcOYX8Z_1XgWDcBOx7EheHPDnDSW9Q_41flT4b-b1ch9JPohi2p6FJaVi5KfBTzFodf2bT8hNltEcVmi7g_zSXHAOuJoLoKn0O4Fa4owV320kP985yHJpd45-hGCgA" width="272" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This is also when the annual Tigris and Euphrates flood ends, and the drought season starts...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhc-SfvQyGuCo6VQqchZ67BwKPStYSALjlFoLCdhSB0kMFdg17MWsvHhkE8r3GtjP8mTCnuC6at1On1eXFENPgtrga0AReVXL8n6A3tMMvcl5mmN-YJLpWIVTYD17MT8UQRxa4yFUu9JUX6gv0KxFC_uL-jaBMmdsoHp4cGLNOuajp9o2xMsQ7vYbEVwVI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="343" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhc-SfvQyGuCo6VQqchZ67BwKPStYSALjlFoLCdhSB0kMFdg17MWsvHhkE8r3GtjP8mTCnuC6at1On1eXFENPgtrga0AReVXL8n6A3tMMvcl5mmN-YJLpWIVTYD17MT8UQRxa4yFUu9JUX6gv0KxFC_uL-jaBMmdsoHp4cGLNOuajp9o2xMsQ7vYbEVwVI" width="159" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br />So this seal is basically a hydrological calendar for Mesopotamia, where significant dates are depicted using animal and plant calendar markers...</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGILi6Uxv2aWwCYXJEXOP2X0__-_rH-xTGY9wmZ5MtySZnrduoFQth7YJluqUikkIg6YrQ52hHZw3kfgwaJRZlNpqs774ZbePAKEmV97OdHcXhyg7SRbPohQdLRVdpyOoFjP2aANvU27pX6AbWjzHZLEDTiqEBWbxA2SRjFtYZlyxFuVQ9WjNWf_PCUhs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGILi6Uxv2aWwCYXJEXOP2X0__-_rH-xTGY9wmZ5MtySZnrduoFQth7YJluqUikkIg6YrQ52hHZw3kfgwaJRZlNpqs774ZbePAKEmV97OdHcXhyg7SRbPohQdLRVdpyOoFjP2aANvU27pX6AbWjzHZLEDTiqEBWbxA2SRjFtYZlyxFuVQ9WjNWf_PCUhs" width="309" /></span></a></div><p></p><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To read more about ancient animal and plant calendar markers, start </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/p/animal-solar-year-markers.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">…then check </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/search?q=%22animal+calendar+markers%22&max-results=20&by-date=true" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">the rest of the blog posts related to animal calendar markers</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't add to this page, and finally check </span><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=thread%20(from%3Aserbiaireland)%20-filter%3Areplies&src=typed_query&f=live" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">my twitter threads</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't convert to blog post...I am 9 months behind now...</span></span></div>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-52412310299562897552024-02-29T07:28:00.000-08:002024-02-29T07:28:58.204-08:00Inana and Šukaletuda<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The other day I came across this article: "<a href="https://academia.edu/1247599/Inana_and_Sukaletuda_A_Sumerian_Astral_Myth" target="_blank">Inana and Šukaletuda, a Sumerian Astral Myth</a>" in which Jeff Cooley argues that "Inana and Šukaletuda" is "A Sumerian Astral Myth describing the annual movement of the planet Venus in the skies above Sumer"...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6bXunoLmFgcT6AQYsSdG134A_nny1i7122konGCFLaoEHHDwmpTB7PgXmiYQCzXbvGILSwB33c_we1qPtaZbk-wOfAXVCD31aztjtaKsnh-m8xP3W-d3lXoHnvDfLsxzGgdvTPsOtIPbs21zIOBq6Qj2iVzs-xJ5b2CqLpMN2vDTFQkZPcMxdoq8O20/s320/star%20of%20inanna.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="301" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6bXunoLmFgcT6AQYsSdG134A_nny1i7122konGCFLaoEHHDwmpTB7PgXmiYQCzXbvGILSwB33c_we1qPtaZbk-wOfAXVCD31aztjtaKsnh-m8xP3W-d3lXoHnvDfLsxzGgdvTPsOtIPbs21zIOBq6Qj2iVzs-xJ5b2CqLpMN2vDTFQkZPcMxdoq8O20/s1600/star%20of%20inanna.jpg" width="301" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I would like to disagree...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I would like to propose that the myth "Inana and Šukaletuda" is indeed "A Sumerian Astral Myth". Describing "annual movement of the star Sirius in the skies above Sumer" and not the "annual movement of the planet Venus in the skies above Sumer"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Here is Sirius, rising before the sun, pretending to be "the morning star"... Otherwise known as Inanna/Ishtar "The queen of heaven" and "Lioness of heaven"...The one that poses on the lion...In Leo...Girl which has some serious "conflicts of interest" with Nergal, Shamash, Sun in Leo...I first talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/05/ninshubur.html" target="_blank">Ninshubur</a>"... </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mne0SP0txwwHffJ9nHGaNCgQr5TJISuOtKNsqFGgLkbE9deTcsp6wGEPt6iLfcFTsXE53o9tKTqu_uiDxFhxBeZekA_m9MRgrUNOafoOnsZZjLlscUuOupVIdPgZIeQP4jzSPVsLd3OQM_R-n6lHhdMOZevktLhS6-ik-Pc9P5HV8g7E4z7ucPCEdQ8/s1425/ishtar.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1425" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mne0SP0txwwHffJ9nHGaNCgQr5TJISuOtKNsqFGgLkbE9deTcsp6wGEPt6iLfcFTsXE53o9tKTqu_uiDxFhxBeZekA_m9MRgrUNOafoOnsZZjLlscUuOupVIdPgZIeQP4jzSPVsLd3OQM_R-n6lHhdMOZevktLhS6-ik-Pc9P5HV8g7E4z7ucPCEdQ8/s320/ishtar.jpg" width="287" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I would also disagree that "the only seasonal indicator in the story is that Šukaletuda was building wells near the plants, which is a summer activity"...There are a lot of seasonal indicators in the story, you just need to know a bit about agriculture and climate in the area...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The myth text can be found in the web archives <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20221209100239/https://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/section1/tr133.htm" target="_blank">here</a>. The <a href="https://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/section1/tr133.htm" target="_blank">actual page with the myth text</a> was down when I checked last...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Anyway, the myth's central theme is the rape of Inanna by Šukaletuda, and Inanna's subsequent search for her rapist and his eventual punishment...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Here are the most important bits:</span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Šukaletuda was to water garden plots and build the installation for a well among the plants, but not a single plant remained there, not even one: he had pulled them out by their roots and destroyed them...</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Then what did the storm wind bring? It blew the dust of the mountains into his eyes...He raised his eyes to the highlands and saw the exalted gods of the land where the sun sets. He saw a solitary ghost. He recognised a solitary ghost (goddess) by her appearance...</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">In that plot there stood a single shady tree at that place. The shady tree was a Euphrates poplar with broad shade. After Inana had gone around the heavens, after she had gone around the earth, the mistress became so tired that when she arrived there she lay down by its roots...</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Šukaletuda noticed her from beside his plot. Šukaletuda undid [Inanna's] loincloth of seven divine powers and got her to lie down in her resting place. He had intercourse with her, after which he went back to beside his plot...</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">When day had broken and Utu had risen, the woman inspected herself closely, holy Inana inspected herself closely...Then [Inanna] was considering what should be destroyed because of her genitals...</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">So Inanna is pretty pissed off. She wants is to punish her rapist, but she doesn't know who he is. So Inanna decides to punish the whole of Sumer until the culprit is found...</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">So she unleashes "three plagues":</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">1. She filled the wells of the Land with blood...</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">2. She mounted on a cloud, took her seat there and led a southerly storm flood cross the Land...the dust storm followed her...</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">3. She took...and blocked the highways of the Land with it...</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">But it was all in vain. Inanna could not find the man who had intercourse with her</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Inanna then went to see her father Enki in Abzu. She demanded from Enki that "someone should pay for what was done to her". And Enki said: "All right!" to her.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">With that holy Inana went out from the Abzu. She stretched herself like a rainbow across the sky and reached thereby as far as the earth. She let the south wind pass across, she let the north wind pass across...</span></i></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i>From fear, Šukaletuda tried to make himself as tiny as possible, but [Inanna] had found him among the mountains. Holy Inana now spoke to Šukaletuda: "How ......? ...... dog ......! ...... ass ......! ...... pig ......! So! You shall die!" </i>🙂</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The end...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Sooo...If you want to see why Jeff Cooley things all this points at planet Venus, you can read his paper. I will now try to explain why I think this could be all pointing at Sirius...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Here it goes:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Šukaletuda is portrayed as a terrible gardener, as when Inanna came down to rest under the lone Euphrates poplar tree on his plot, he was building the installation for a well in his garden, which was empty of plants, as everything was dead and uprooted...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">As Jeff Cooley states, building/repair of the irrigation infrastructure is a summer job in Mesopotamia, performed after all the irrigated crops are harvested...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/04/canals.html" target="_blank">Canals</a>" about Utu/Shamash in the canals... </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhera8zJW7O79jTQ4DHJbNN7WLMWhOVCWiYcUgPIroPJ1CVDOCS0WjCNIrdZirmF6bc_nFqKi6lKWqDwqarkqnDauQYHdsw6vgbZBCxoP2NG60ajhs43hVI0P93E5eCQBSZoS_j-R3MtPAV0CslYSuLzo0GTNxjvIOzkwSaihFPz-2_5RNT-clAcTP2JQ/s680/shamash%20in%20canal.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="680" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhera8zJW7O79jTQ4DHJbNN7WLMWhOVCWiYcUgPIroPJ1CVDOCS0WjCNIrdZirmF6bc_nFqKi6lKWqDwqarkqnDauQYHdsw6vgbZBCxoP2NG60ajhs43hVI0P93E5eCQBSZoS_j-R3MtPAV0CslYSuLzo0GTNxjvIOzkwSaihFPz-2_5RNT-clAcTP2JQ/s320/shamash%20in%20canal.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The main crops in Sumer which were planted and harvested yearly were: </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><i>Grains (grown in fields) : barley and wheat. </i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><i>Legumes (grown in gardens): peas, beans, lentils</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><i>Vegetables (grown in gardens): onions, leeks, garlic, lettuce</i></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">These are harvest times for Sumerian crops:</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><i>Barley/Wheat harvests Apr/May/Jun</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><i>Peas harvest Apr/May</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><i>Broad beans harvest Apr/May</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><i>Lentils harvest Apr/May</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><i>Garlic harvest May</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><i>Onion harvest Feb/Mar/Apr/May</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><i>Lettuce harvest Jan/Feb</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So we can see that by May, all the garden crops were already harvested and pulled out of the ground...The fact that Šukaletuda's garden had no plants in it, is not a sign that he was a bad gardener. It is one of those elusive "seasonal indicator" Jeff Cooley didn't spot...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So Šukaletuda raped Inanna at some stage after all the crops were harvested...But when? This depends how you interpret the description of the rape scene...There are two possible interpretations. I first leaned towards the first, but now I think the second fits the story better...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">First possible interpretation:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">After all the garden crops were harvested, storm wind blew the dust of the mountains into Šukaletuda's eyes...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Mountains are located in the East, North and (far) West of Mesopotamia. The mountains from which the storm wind could have blown dust into Šukaletuda's eyes, have to be the Northern mountains...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqm8XQEmEaonDHE66Fbm6LlGG_PyRB_JBLtt78-ubS88-BxsxUh-EU7umzUePZiyfeGXzn_ozdrqCNo92EtVdYJ4kE5REZMxoNtfTsHePihLqEWF_1pr0m5FJK5ox6faj98MGRp-clsb5i98i5FU3Vbf3sG5uvpli01ubGTMjjqOthMjT_kHdmMBN8qU/s1200/zagros%20mountains.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="1200" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqm8XQEmEaonDHE66Fbm6LlGG_PyRB_JBLtt78-ubS88-BxsxUh-EU7umzUePZiyfeGXzn_ozdrqCNo92EtVdYJ4kE5REZMxoNtfTsHePihLqEWF_1pr0m5FJK5ox6faj98MGRp-clsb5i98i5FU3Vbf3sG5uvpli01ubGTMjjqOthMjT_kHdmMBN8qU/s320/zagros%20mountains.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The only dusty wind that blows from the direction of any mountains in Mesopotamia is Shamal, the hot and dry, dusty wind which blows between May-Sep and Dec-Feb, from the north southwards towards the Arabian gulf. The wind causes great dust storms...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZvYXqYRO0SFWZ3intjlealhvlrhEhV4kN4z21D-13tLjN_N0hjZK1P-L32M6GI9TzmhEyfStP7a5SS0e2OlgvYZ4YX0XAq6KdeMUq30Cv7Nuk9pDgCEX7vN_1cOh06nIs1m2BTmURnJZBONwcputdJ6Zi5YdU4cOSNKkjpBRMU3Or4w2AoCfJXY4hlo/s870/sandstorm%20front.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="870" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZvYXqYRO0SFWZ3intjlealhvlrhEhV4kN4z21D-13tLjN_N0hjZK1P-L32M6GI9TzmhEyfStP7a5SS0e2OlgvYZ4YX0XAq6KdeMUq30Cv7Nuk9pDgCEX7vN_1cOh06nIs1m2BTmURnJZBONwcputdJ6Zi5YdU4cOSNKkjpBRMU3Or4w2AoCfJXY4hlo/s320/sandstorm%20front.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And so, fight on time, after all the garden crops are harvested, Šukaletuda is working on his irrigation system, and his eyes are full of mountain dust brought by the first Shamal wind. He looks to the west and sees shimmering (ghostly) Inanna/Sirius setting with the sun...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhuMjawygk6gm8x4s9ZhLO_-x1n7JGpPm1ldSxTCv916tLHDcvg7Wc8iLdTPCbBH-_2ir_MO9oQxyyTBtOfWb8t_OLkFhuk0jZCS2LtBNHzdRxtF4y5yZoEn2x-rWsNwOFCsbG7pbgvTAd17Y4r0yTnVjVwUYyJCXsifok0XIXV48-TSAipompFw_fgRGA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1314" data-original-width="2442" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhuMjawygk6gm8x4s9ZhLO_-x1n7JGpPm1ldSxTCv916tLHDcvg7Wc8iLdTPCbBH-_2ir_MO9oQxyyTBtOfWb8t_OLkFhuk0jZCS2LtBNHzdRxtF4y5yZoEn2x-rWsNwOFCsbG7pbgvTAd17Y4r0yTnVjVwUYyJCXsifok0XIXV48-TSAipompFw_fgRGA" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In 2500 BC Mesopotamia, Sirius set just before the sun (Inanna went to sleep) around the 1st of May...Until the 15th of May, Sirius set, up to an hour before the sun, which is the the time when you can just about see Sirius as faint (ghostly) star in the western sky...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Anyway, Inanna lies down to sleep under a solitary Euphrates poplar tree, with great shade...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkf66zPrFkVOakxMRbZ64EBpYMG1z0eYWDiV7maLj3HT9GbWfQ1MEPmD7464P27j5csDxfS4WGFHEwd1U3XAAVoc92ZsvT5MXAHybWzOxE3uct2SrI3l62TFcx6ibfsGCe-R0kna6wXAZbWSIc-3P0hobFuJGUHnr9uVQQDopYxAzAYlWNXmdYxrXGfjA/s747/lonely%20euphrates%20poplar.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkf66zPrFkVOakxMRbZ64EBpYMG1z0eYWDiV7maLj3HT9GbWfQ1MEPmD7464P27j5csDxfS4WGFHEwd1U3XAAVoc92ZsvT5MXAHybWzOxE3uct2SrI3l62TFcx6ibfsGCe-R0kna6wXAZbWSIc-3P0hobFuJGUHnr9uVQQDopYxAzAYlWNXmdYxrXGfjA/s320/lonely%20euphrates%20poplar.jpg" width="214" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I talked about this amazing tree in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2023/01/euphrates-poplar.html" target="_blank">Euphrates poplar</a>", in which I talked about the golden leaves used to make the amazing diadem of the Sumerian Queen Puabi who was buried in the royal cemetery in Ur, Iraq, around 2600BC...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4leusSOrTMmf9sMORTOkGJ_MrjcEMqSyzvbmMLaYDVhV8gw0HuFEOlDyXUnzuNhDpYbJ1DifNf7wjTbg21rLJjncniTkazkDBSlpDBg8lXyNV6pldiJYFCwuhleEqu-H8LNZvIluDVWmmynCUwBti2l9k4oniQI5F2tdFe8ME4H-TLJhM1jymPfoV8I/s1600/queen%20puabi%20headdress.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1600" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4leusSOrTMmf9sMORTOkGJ_MrjcEMqSyzvbmMLaYDVhV8gw0HuFEOlDyXUnzuNhDpYbJ1DifNf7wjTbg21rLJjncniTkazkDBSlpDBg8lXyNV6pldiJYFCwuhleEqu-H8LNZvIluDVWmmynCUwBti2l9k4oniQI5F2tdFe8ME4H-TLJhM1jymPfoV8I/s320/queen%20puabi%20headdress.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTOWWqQTLXYSMpM2QM_a-yDl08Kui3DaG6Vu10NdbJOLVg3JEF-vnlWw3-oY9BizPTSUyycKXaXcm9QXwnMlxsLQ_U1S8GXvVbNxpsn27kGJYiQLfIUs5ZP7_4LYLGPEKC85-tTUhA_pWlq118r9Pv4-crVdUK9RLioIf8-RddrPMHYKMQ2D_76c3b0o/s1614/queen%20puabi%20wreath%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1614" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTOWWqQTLXYSMpM2QM_a-yDl08Kui3DaG6Vu10NdbJOLVg3JEF-vnlWw3-oY9BizPTSUyycKXaXcm9QXwnMlxsLQ_U1S8GXvVbNxpsn27kGJYiQLfIUs5ZP7_4LYLGPEKC85-tTUhA_pWlq118r9Pv4-crVdUK9RLioIf8-RddrPMHYKMQ2D_76c3b0o/s320/queen%20puabi%20wreath%202.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTvgL3yssh-ikseqHL5O0MDnr07we3I6385MqTNtUPeM0K9ijnBCjpbYuhBRheeRk5Ia91zSEZHjZc1ofjG34OthBA9NwBuG4AoT0qcSOmXEX29iyk60cf-mZ5MiGiW-WQjkib0rp-awh22QJ2bJNpE9dlq_kzvZL_osK0RnpgNzS8u77_UqzUQ8CfbzM/s1781/queen%20puabi%20wreath%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1781" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTvgL3yssh-ikseqHL5O0MDnr07we3I6385MqTNtUPeM0K9ijnBCjpbYuhBRheeRk5Ia91zSEZHjZc1ofjG34OthBA9NwBuG4AoT0qcSOmXEX29iyk60cf-mZ5MiGiW-WQjkib0rp-awh22QJ2bJNpE9dlq_kzvZL_osK0RnpgNzS8u77_UqzUQ8CfbzM/s320/queen%20puabi%20wreath%203.jpg" width="287" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">During Inanna's sleep (Sirius is in the sky during the day with the sun, and therefore invisible), she gets raped by Šukaletuda...Interestingly, Inanna says: </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"I poured out plants from my womb...I poured out grain before my womb...For my husband Dumuzi"...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8whwapEAq0CfU3mt4YsuZk4QZljPc3ulNMZHz0PxlAtQMqa8ohgvS50dS3vMxyK5x3ua-2GW4GcSt7ur_YBxBEsxphzzsI0beGB3mZlP99scxz0J_nq6jGb6rv9HEKXptIgJrWjUwcwjmqaprpl_M1j6VYT80sO-JbaTUhCXVU4DpndGd6YV3kZTgr0g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="282" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8whwapEAq0CfU3mt4YsuZk4QZljPc3ulNMZHz0PxlAtQMqa8ohgvS50dS3vMxyK5x3ua-2GW4GcSt7ur_YBxBEsxphzzsI0beGB3mZlP99scxz0J_nq6jGb6rv9HEKXptIgJrWjUwcwjmqaprpl_M1j6VYT80sO-JbaTUhCXVU4DpndGd6YV3kZTgr0g" width="212" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I talkd about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2023/03/mother-of-grain.html" target="_blank">Mother of grain</a>"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Could the fact that someone else took (out of her womb) what was meant only for Dumuzi be considered as rape? I think so...Which leads to the question: Was Šukaletuda's rape a real rape or just a symbol for something else?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Then sun (Utu) rises, and Inanna (Sirius) rises...In 2500 BC Mesopotamia, this happens in the middle of Leo, at the end of Jul beginning of Aug...When Sirius pretends to be the Morning star...This is why Inanna/Ishtar stands on a lion...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhybluc_nPOTDQ3AXaOJJSPI_AjP2CsyibnhFPl6kgviw7oBuZ8K4dWJ5c7gME5AOcBCOzv4X9uYD0O5Y8HsV72gPa2kwdjFz2b8Q_o_u4oXJEqwbXXAWWnGVO0koNoFRPJIL5TXjYNs-cWEsIAXPX63D11SNr5RVawH3wKtKGmKudE0hZOss676WJc0/s2798/sirius%20rising%20morning.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1598" data-original-width="2798" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhybluc_nPOTDQ3AXaOJJSPI_AjP2CsyibnhFPl6kgviw7oBuZ8K4dWJ5c7gME5AOcBCOzv4X9uYD0O5Y8HsV72gPa2kwdjFz2b8Q_o_u4oXJEqwbXXAWWnGVO0koNoFRPJIL5TXjYNs-cWEsIAXPX63D11SNr5RVawH3wKtKGmKudE0hZOss676WJc0/s320/sirius%20rising%20morning.png" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Inanna inspects herself and realised that she was violated...She gets mightily pissed off, and goes out looking for the perpetrator of this terrible crime...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Second possible interpretation:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Jeff Cooley believes that "Inana, spends some time on earth, sleeping under a poplar tree exhausted from her travels. The gardener rapes the goddess in the brief period after she disappears in the light of dawn and when the sun actually rises"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Which would mean that if Inanna is indeed Sirius and not Venus, the raping of Inanna happens at the end of Jul beginning of Aug. Middle of Leo. When Sirius rises with the sun...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This is the time when ALL the annual crops planted in fields and gardens are definitely already harvested and or dead, and this is the best time when irrigation systems are built and repaired...I explain why in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/04/canals.html" target="_blank">Canals</a>"...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9u5PNTu8cdtqnrpIFL828M0g-o2HDmstXocQkknD4GOKK2ua2mmK-oUhU6h_qCSZAxs8r4_X68lS9dQywtFVECb_fI5PQUZe_bWykd8zMaKCbq_zoQAcoJ4VFDHkosHMv00-B-EC0AGAYcZ700_Wn_lMJOTTg841FSA0fWj_aHZjqTVshLX8cqKmlpo/s1024/shamash%20in%20leo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="1024" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9u5PNTu8cdtqnrpIFL828M0g-o2HDmstXocQkknD4GOKK2ua2mmK-oUhU6h_qCSZAxs8r4_X68lS9dQywtFVECb_fI5PQUZe_bWykd8zMaKCbq_zoQAcoJ4VFDHkosHMv00-B-EC0AGAYcZ700_Wn_lMJOTTg841FSA0fWj_aHZjqTVshLX8cqKmlpo/s320/shamash%20in%20leo.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">End of Jul beginning of Aug is still the time when Northerly Shamal winds blow from the mountains bringing dust...So Šukaletuda's eyes can get filled with it...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Regardless of when Inanna "lied down to sleep", she definitely got up with the sun (Utu). Which is in the middle of Leo...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">She inspects herself and realised that she was violated...She gets mightily pissed off, and goes out looking for the perpetrator of this terrible crime...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And so, Inanna unleash the collective punishment (the three "plagues") on the land of Sumer. Why? To punish the whole of Sumer for taking what wasn't meant to be theirs, the fruits of her womb, which were meant for Dumuzi only?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The tree "plagues" are actually depictions of natural events that (can) happen after Inanna wakes up with Utu (Sirius rises with the sun at the end of Jul beginning of Aug, in Leo...I will here map the plagues to these events...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">1. Inanna filled the wells and canals of the Land with blood...There are two possible natural explanations for this "plague"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">First one is that the Shamal dust storms which blew during the summer, dumped a lot of orange/red dust into the wells which turned the water orange/red...Does this ever happen? Anyone from Iraq to confirm this or deny it?</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGhLWp3NJ9wVlmXIbq45reqqhaySxfW0ZeT-0mO4_vi7u8ANmIY4CH_hE98O8-bprfdETrvDH-wJIVtW4iGcUdW8VNb95aaLn4Wtk5zIF4mGn2oj8fhTLQT9RbmEi2z3x8hxQbRmBLZmAsUdqP-oEXpyMPaaNGj_oymV6bjK5Wra9l_RL-sg5GlkIRBPE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="680" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGhLWp3NJ9wVlmXIbq45reqqhaySxfW0ZeT-0mO4_vi7u8ANmIY4CH_hE98O8-bprfdETrvDH-wJIVtW4iGcUdW8VNb95aaLn4Wtk5zIF4mGn2oj8fhTLQT9RbmEi2z3x8hxQbRmBLZmAsUdqP-oEXpyMPaaNGj_oymV6bjK5Wra9l_RL-sg5GlkIRBPE" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br />We know that when orange/red desert dust clouds merge with rain clouds we get orangey, so called "blood" rain. And that when orange/red desert dust clouds merge with snow clouds we get orangey snow...So this is a possibility...But would need confirmation from Iraq...</span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHUQjp7oxtGSQs-FdfS71gX9TJ0rYb_-NrqKQ8fpc8z3Jk3N2S6BoSaoHsCXbCX-ntnNqQ0s2JVPYi_aizqsM5zM4wu7XuPpfC74GBG2CEA8fKbCa9P2UF-2stPHYsIpqMLA4n4lW7t9FjTgbiqCVpcMAqoIXjKTIjfAsFxQ7816cx_rzrPPD4vHky0nQ/s1200/blood%20rain.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHUQjp7oxtGSQs-FdfS71gX9TJ0rYb_-NrqKQ8fpc8z3Jk3N2S6BoSaoHsCXbCX-ntnNqQ0s2JVPYi_aizqsM5zM4wu7XuPpfC74GBG2CEA8fKbCa9P2UF-2stPHYsIpqMLA4n4lW7t9FjTgbiqCVpcMAqoIXjKTIjfAsFxQ7816cx_rzrPPD4vHky0nQ/s320/blood%20rain.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The second explanation is red algal and bacterial bloom, which can occur in stagnant waters, like slow flowing rivers, swamps, lakes and wells, during extreme heat and when water is full of nutrients, like after Shamal dust storms dumped pile of dust into it...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Red lake Iraq</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjacXmQDBdMe3V6EeeFe24QXi0GAQ8GyLdLJ7asLnsO7GEw8o3VcoYykUc0EXn6rTuUjD3RV6Sb789OXXpd1Bhm1rkSc6UlaLDp3jPDjo_2fG5IgLjvaDqbYt0kmyIUG_KxfBAxOoWnvBTfqWWonHhXJYGnRPrz774neni50sfJYlXJF2yWT1Y76M3AqFo/s720/red%20lake.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="720" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjacXmQDBdMe3V6EeeFe24QXi0GAQ8GyLdLJ7asLnsO7GEw8o3VcoYykUc0EXn6rTuUjD3RV6Sb789OXXpd1Bhm1rkSc6UlaLDp3jPDjo_2fG5IgLjvaDqbYt0kmyIUG_KxfBAxOoWnvBTfqWWonHhXJYGnRPrz774neni50sfJYlXJF2yWT1Y76M3AqFo/s320/red%20lake.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">You can read about this in these articles about lakes in Iraq and Iran turning red in "<a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/147315/iraq-lakes-bounce-back" target="_blank">Iraq lake bounces back</a>" and "<a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/88395/red-lake-urmia" target="_blank">Red lake Urmia</a>"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And this article, "<a href="https://thebiomedicalscientist.net/science/ten-plagues-egypt" target="_blank">Ten plagues, Egypt</a>", about Nile turning red. might be interesting too</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">2. Inanna mounted on a cloud and led a southerly storm flood cross the Land...the dust storm followed her...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Sharqi is the southern and southeasterly dry, dusty wind with occasional gusts of 80 kilometers per hour, which blows from Apr to Jun...and from Sep to Nov...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The second Sharqi period falls right after the driest and hottest part of the year, where we are most likely to see blood water...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7vQA3jyPLSUzX9-Rh12N_-f-EK6ErwwDS0ztzDHC9Hd5x2CXoUujJt78k36DnnfYaa3OFuJH_l3GaJKB-_g_ugPVCOfuo49HD4gOQljc9QIpLuYmVRJC_WktGgv7NTYue0yh75-nRy0fxuaDqX6Cj954GV6HjxYWFltvQlkIDreC9WY_aKzKRb5WZtE/s674/baghdad%20climate.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="674" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7vQA3jyPLSUzX9-Rh12N_-f-EK6ErwwDS0ztzDHC9Hd5x2CXoUujJt78k36DnnfYaa3OFuJH_l3GaJKB-_g_ugPVCOfuo49HD4gOQljc9QIpLuYmVRJC_WktGgv7NTYue0yh75-nRy0fxuaDqX6Cj954GV6HjxYWFltvQlkIDreC9WY_aKzKRb5WZtE/s320/baghdad%20climate.png" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And ends right when the first rains arrive in Oct/Nov. <a href="https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2018-000414-irq" target="_blank">Rains which can sometimes be torrential and cause severe flooding</a>.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbkPzqy7ngeuYBdXjg00WLfMTSQkckvw4B1ZWTslKXeSifK8nQEK6oK4tH3UCuyqI3zQVXIXE_ie8XNbDL2cE8VU94b7A_gIsORHx6gd0k2YoSfuAU5PaNB3B2wNgF8akpqaWwuag-808muwHLYeYfYPbh-jArSfcGF7vu1K3SrhIcTKw6mVAvUxwiRY/s960/floods-in-Zarbatia-district-in-Wasit-governorate-Iraq-November-2018-Iraq-Red-Crescent.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbkPzqy7ngeuYBdXjg00WLfMTSQkckvw4B1ZWTslKXeSifK8nQEK6oK4tH3UCuyqI3zQVXIXE_ie8XNbDL2cE8VU94b7A_gIsORHx6gd0k2YoSfuAU5PaNB3B2wNgF8akpqaWwuag-808muwHLYeYfYPbh-jArSfcGF7vu1K3SrhIcTKw6mVAvUxwiRY/s320/floods-in-Zarbatia-district-in-Wasit-governorate-Iraq-November-2018-Iraq-Red-Crescent.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Just when Sharqi stops blowing, in Nov, winter Shamal season (Dec to Feb) begins, bringing dust storms. Which can be devastating: "<a href="https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/article-abstract/47/12/1141/573874/Oman-corals-suggest-that-a-stronger-winter-shamal?redirectedFrom=fulltext" target="_blank">Oman corals suggest that a stronger winter shamal season caused the Akkadian Empire (Mesopotamia) collapse</a>"... </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">3. Inanna took...and blocked the highways of the Land with it...The bit telling us what Inanna used to block the roads is missing...But we know that <a href="https://thenationalnews.com/uae/sandstorm-clear-up-begins-1.405933" target="_blank">Shamal winds cary so much dust and sand, that they always block the roads by sand/dust piles/dunes</a>...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUP3O2yuq529567jeisIfsrPOAQd26To2o4TQj0qqLjrnjCUqUfC-zgMvVV2SY9btxsHCpPEcJH6731XV8afaX0ZGw2nfKQTAhTh23SIeVwiuIp3rgoIYMlH4C2Pgsh2x9obHiwEzXImjhw-T2_8u0CT5j56LeT1S02shjUZ29VcgTMFnJTdJ5qdvpFQ/s800/blocking%20roads.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUP3O2yuq529567jeisIfsrPOAQd26To2o4TQj0qqLjrnjCUqUfC-zgMvVV2SY9btxsHCpPEcJH6731XV8afaX0ZGw2nfKQTAhTh23SIeVwiuIp3rgoIYMlH4C2Pgsh2x9obHiwEzXImjhw-T2_8u0CT5j56LeT1S02shjUZ29VcgTMFnJTdJ5qdvpFQ/s320/blocking%20roads.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So here we have 3 naturally occurring (annual) events, which chronologically follow the rising of Sirius (Inanna) with the sun (Utu) in the exact order depicted in the myth: blood water (Jul/Aug/Sep), South wind (Sep/Oct/Nov), storm flood (Oct/Nov), dust storm (Dec/Jan/Feb)...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Neat, right? So what's left? Inanna then went to see her father Enki in Abzu. She demanded from Enki that "someone should pay for what was done to her". Jeff Cooley, like basically everyone else, takes that Abzu is underground water source...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I have, I think successfully argued that Abzu is actually the source of Tigris and Euphrates, the mountains located North-East of Mesopotamia...I talked about this in this in many of my posts. You can start here, in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/09/problems-of-abzu.html" target="_blank">Problems with Abzu</a>"...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivnA_6ShCqAFoeZxejOKUbbZ-zjomW5Ml-z9eVh6zoDS5n-ZX3COIUhPXkzJuX4ki7_hvwdBH_SusbCpeW9sp4DPYDPp_mySpX6fZRvm4L5fxz1Owmz0RExN6-hnmiKbdpNVgYcdcw67OFRfS3nbrPXenPbyporTduQ55CbHuDhfUH1ca8f_aBFDumqLU/s623/enki%20in%20abzu.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="623" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivnA_6ShCqAFoeZxejOKUbbZ-zjomW5Ml-z9eVh6zoDS5n-ZX3COIUhPXkzJuX4ki7_hvwdBH_SusbCpeW9sp4DPYDPp_mySpX6fZRvm4L5fxz1Owmz0RExN6-hnmiKbdpNVgYcdcw67OFRfS3nbrPXenPbyporTduQ55CbHuDhfUH1ca8f_aBFDumqLU/s320/enki%20in%20abzu.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Now Enki is (the god of) Fresh flowing water, which is during the winter trapped in the snow and ice in the North-Eastern mountains...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Majority of the water from Tigris and Euphrates comes from the snowmelt from these mountains...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Snowmelt runoff</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nlVWTZb_y_iA8u-GIvr-H77c-9ia15yoIUr0KEXbhHQDCTSmJdRsiLSu__prWEAto4778spMBabU6nXQdrpDFpwmU2c-jstYSy-A4C3Q0X8icF8hn5fG80cyoMtG_Rj_AZbRhUiKF-VEsW4wqOgIHbQVP3UQoxI7QhMZM_Ivx7KFQMrHdKXoubMsLWQ/s966/snowmelt%20runoff%20iran.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="966" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nlVWTZb_y_iA8u-GIvr-H77c-9ia15yoIUr0KEXbhHQDCTSmJdRsiLSu__prWEAto4778spMBabU6nXQdrpDFpwmU2c-jstYSy-A4C3Q0X8icF8hn5fG80cyoMtG_Rj_AZbRhUiKF-VEsW4wqOgIHbQVP3UQoxI7QhMZM_Ivx7KFQMrHdKXoubMsLWQ/s320/snowmelt%20runoff%20iran.png" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Tigris and Euphrates flow</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRcrhz9lJyEffxsoCcszLykAD9tTujGIbKZyBKI1eBvLl2sfP2VkcANg3-czXdLWmut4mMYXCLoOVxjTHlIOd956B6Wcfj0yThLEaoFWJD1QpRmLgVLbnLd0cY4Lj1XEVxd2MM6H-myY2BESFKWT9QBqnXducdTshc5S7gpp3pXg01M8bYf_UNvk_gEo/s519/tigris%20and%20euphrates%20discharges.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="343" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRcrhz9lJyEffxsoCcszLykAD9tTujGIbKZyBKI1eBvLl2sfP2VkcANg3-czXdLWmut4mMYXCLoOVxjTHlIOd956B6Wcfj0yThLEaoFWJD1QpRmLgVLbnLd0cY4Lj1XEVxd2MM6H-myY2BESFKWT9QBqnXducdTshc5S7gpp3pXg01M8bYf_UNvk_gEo/s320/tigris%20and%20euphrates%20discharges.jpeg" width="211" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">It is in Jan/Feb that young spring sun (Utu/Shamash) starts climbing these mountains to release the waters (Enki/Ea) trapped in the ice and snow (Snowmelt starts)...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLl_AwuVM4vP6ORqgR_fqlxpP5OxrEODRV4qTgRxB6PvfbA6LYSbCmTYYIiu8OXrV9PraXd3W1AiVCZDjqGKeLk1s7smI4iPiOsXPEx-btSBXMc9jQCozIFIWvoO1Gd-e6n6Vr5D7q14_0IGAYqNZ2rfch2TNAb1MtNpF0v57V_Trdf-2tLnMBG2PByk/s572/shamash%20young%20and%20old%20-%20young.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="572" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLl_AwuVM4vP6ORqgR_fqlxpP5OxrEODRV4qTgRxB6PvfbA6LYSbCmTYYIiu8OXrV9PraXd3W1AiVCZDjqGKeLk1s7smI4iPiOsXPEx-btSBXMc9jQCozIFIWvoO1Gd-e6n6Vr5D7q14_0IGAYqNZ2rfch2TNAb1MtNpF0v57V_Trdf-2tLnMBG2PByk/s320/shamash%20young%20and%20old%20-%20young.png" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I talked about this in these posts: "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/05/shamash-young-and-old.html" target="_blank">Shamash young and old</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/04/when-utu-steps-up-into-heaven.html" target="_blank">When Utu steps up into heaven</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/05/utu-or-enki.html" target="_blank">Utu or Enki</a>"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So if Inanna wanted to catch Enki in Abzu, the best time would be during winter (Nov/Dec/Jan) and spring (Feb/Mar/Apr)...Which is what she did.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Interestingly, after meeting Enki, Inana "stretched herself like a rainbow across the sky, and reached thereby as far as the earth"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This is the only time when you can see a rainbow stretched across the Iraqi sky is during rain season, winter/spring...This is also the only time when you can see Sirius rising in the East in the evening, traveling across the night sky, and setting in the West in the morning...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKHNCvz4mJSafMeTyNIU5KfSlFa8IKRhNQ0k-SEuf5R9qpv47GIOSyyor0Yj-NrxKJVXYgLZld13cRWNgvKTKlos1lhatqachTYPKUYXqMWwY7deD4tb6SuA6NbcOFG6_CLv1FqCKL9_A8xyqeuHjqgVs1ibUsWEFcf47pZ45nQ1ImXTZBu9TCXxBaBc/s512/rainbowiniraq.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="384" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKHNCvz4mJSafMeTyNIU5KfSlFa8IKRhNQ0k-SEuf5R9qpv47GIOSyyor0Yj-NrxKJVXYgLZld13cRWNgvKTKlos1lhatqachTYPKUYXqMWwY7deD4tb6SuA6NbcOFG6_CLv1FqCKL9_A8xyqeuHjqgVs1ibUsWEFcf47pZ45nQ1ImXTZBu9TCXxBaBc/s320/rainbowiniraq.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">According to the myth, after Inanna "stretched like a rainbow across the sky", she let the south wind pass across, she let the north wind pass across. After which she found Šukaletuda...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Interestingly, during that time, when Inanna/Sirius is "stretched like a rainbow across the sky" and when real rainbows are stretched across the sky, first southerly winter Sharqi winds blow (Sep-Nov), and then northerly winter Shamal winds blow (Dec-Feb) below Inanna/Sirius...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Again, chronologically, this fits perfectly...That's it...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Jul/Aug - Inanna gets raped</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Sep/Oct/Nov/Dec - three plagues</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb/Mar/Apr - visiting Abzu, rainbow stunt, finding Šukaletuda </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Soooo...What do you think?</span></p><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To read more about ancient animal and plant calendar markers, start </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/p/animal-solar-year-markers.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">…then check </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/search?q=%22animal+calendar+markers%22&max-results=20&by-date=true" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">the rest of the blog posts related to animal calendar markers</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't add to this page, and finally check </span><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=thread%20(from%3Aserbiaireland)%20-filter%3Areplies&src=typed_query&f=live" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">my twitter threads</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't convert to blog post...I am 9 months behind now...</span></span></div>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-13211347530406477972024-02-27T02:52:00.000-08:002024-02-27T02:52:55.584-08:00The damned<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> A strange medieval stone panel in the National Museum of Ireland. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3s4kPsWfRbAnUaowMu8L8wNtSlnYLMvFcA-XOQl8wjcIS5cyVj0-iM5tcwgO03cTjnOW-EObO2zSaK4cjP6U6qhbMTxBubZJxmSFvpLMZrOOGTgUfkX44EApSIHfNc2kpwfME8Io9fzHSCnXSEItIskveIVsjEHeVBu7dr-Ax7C5AkhSeK1gxAbttvaI/s680/devil%20and%20goats.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="612" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3s4kPsWfRbAnUaowMu8L8wNtSlnYLMvFcA-XOQl8wjcIS5cyVj0-iM5tcwgO03cTjnOW-EObO2zSaK4cjP6U6qhbMTxBubZJxmSFvpLMZrOOGTgUfkX44EApSIHfNc2kpwfME8Io9fzHSCnXSEItIskveIVsjEHeVBu7dr-Ax7C5AkhSeK1gxAbttvaI/s320/devil%20and%20goats.jpeg" width="288" /></span></a></div></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">It is thought to date to around the 15/16th century. It depicts the Devil (in the form of a dragon) driving the Damned (in the form of goats) into Hell.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">It is funny that when it comes to animal calendar markers, goat is the symbol of winter (Nov-Apr)...And a fire breathing dragon/snake is the symbol of summer (May-Oct)...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Have you ever thought why in the Book of Revelation, Satan appears as a Great Red Dragon? And why hell is burning hot? Did you know that in Levant, Mot, the god of death, the enemy of "The God", Baal, The Devil, was equated with sun? I talked about this in my posts "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/06/oldest-arabic-poem.html" target="_blank">The oldest Arabic poem</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/08/anat.html" target="_blank">Anat</a>"...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUobJGmq_YPJzCvEbXWOnrc0v9h5SLC29NwFEbVsE5S1SB7vutAXp4xiB0ywoMZaAJ-DAnPcoAPKSfDK9Ay0ZS_kl79au-ArCIbID9gT6jRCwBC5zzdlOor-ELBEhj2iadRfZht674KmL2StQ2fe-csH0zjdIwVg2HXae4zlwQHa7ERp2rPooBfUIIRs/s1366/blazing%20sun%20copy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="954" data-original-width="1366" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUobJGmq_YPJzCvEbXWOnrc0v9h5SLC29NwFEbVsE5S1SB7vutAXp4xiB0ywoMZaAJ-DAnPcoAPKSfDK9Ay0ZS_kl79au-ArCIbID9gT6jRCwBC5zzdlOor-ELBEhj2iadRfZht674KmL2StQ2fe-csH0zjdIwVg2HXae4zlwQHa7ERp2rPooBfUIIRs/s320/blazing%20sun%20copy.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The burning late summer sun, which causes droughts and creates hell on earth...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIjKgERHreHLRZYsV5FrkQsoosBu-Qg2dAUAM6kDs_Rqqel7GKb0LFlnLF6vqUkBIMZyyymTR_gHwL0u3CbLTADGiChrBJA0BZgiCES-WK_aVYHxllrd44IAsv72DCv9R3duCHQWh1od31YLrWk_hqcemkv-nayxmRYhSkefSoQRCzT8qa16oAGdtwEI/s1250/syria%20drought%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="753" data-original-width="1250" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIjKgERHreHLRZYsV5FrkQsoosBu-Qg2dAUAM6kDs_Rqqel7GKb0LFlnLF6vqUkBIMZyyymTR_gHwL0u3CbLTADGiChrBJA0BZgiCES-WK_aVYHxllrd44IAsv72DCv9R3duCHQWh1od31YLrWk_hqcemkv-nayxmRYhSkefSoQRCzT8qa16oAGdtwEI/s320/syria%20drought%201.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This guy, <span color="inherit" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit; text-align: inherit; white-space: inherit;">the "monster" which is hot dry Mesopotamian summer. </span></span><div><span color="inherit" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit; text-align: inherit; white-space: inherit;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTa4i_EAf9Fw5im6z2vg9r5Wj0d_iqtpx6FJ2Cg1O6Wag0a1uf0F3dumTFNdZbTQ4VePiptGw8b0mi8M5-LVBKNOMyyQQ-8DPrALPkD-ihe0rRlP0WlQPzg71o508zMfcK2Dhci_QTnTOp_JsmHZ9pmfW9znlT9MDOQnOJZtrW1U7OwnedkAvBnngqEWo/s674/baghdad%20climate.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="674" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTa4i_EAf9Fw5im6z2vg9r5Wj0d_iqtpx6FJ2Cg1O6Wag0a1uf0F3dumTFNdZbTQ4VePiptGw8b0mi8M5-LVBKNOMyyQQ-8DPrALPkD-ihe0rRlP0WlQPzg71o508zMfcK2Dhci_QTnTOp_JsmHZ9pmfW9znlT9MDOQnOJZtrW1U7OwnedkAvBnngqEWo/s320/baghdad%20climate.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMRzBrrNb968KN3yn8KAlk-1wP-grN7QonV_fZxWA-cvM5_jlyepWyBXAVbjbwaWr3BPaapdHY4OWrenQh3Lo0CF07xj2xYxbY8ZdNi8e6seFw-4zRxJ70lJaOo04JKUcbon0l3L4Sp2yRUgghEs9edeot9OQo2eRjX7w7_a1fP0S71uaK8hLkXJtEhE/s756/year%20-%20wet%20dry%20persia.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="756" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMRzBrrNb968KN3yn8KAlk-1wP-grN7QonV_fZxWA-cvM5_jlyepWyBXAVbjbwaWr3BPaapdHY4OWrenQh3Lo0CF07xj2xYxbY8ZdNi8e6seFw-4zRxJ70lJaOo04JKUcbon0l3L4Sp2yRUgghEs9edeot9OQo2eRjX7w7_a1fP0S71uaK8hLkXJtEhE/s320/year%20-%20wet%20dry%20persia.png" width="320" /></span></a></div></div><div><span color="inherit" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit; text-align: inherit; white-space: inherit;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span color="inherit" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit; text-align: inherit; white-space: inherit;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Depicted using animal calendar markers: starts in Apr/May, Bull head, Taurus, peaks in Jul/Aug, Lion body, Leo and ends in Oct/Nov, Scorpion tail/Eagle wings and talons, Scorpio/Eagle. I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/09/angra-mainyu.html" target="_blank">Angra Mainyu</a>"...</span></span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdfUBikWkYHtm8vSN-m3j8bgWVc1QWStyL4TegNaQTn-ZhH40gmSuoV6VEyXUKm5sDKXzQPhfYD-sztizVXTKIPMBTOlflKMRh1rS4HEGEOo0JK1PGGdtVd5wWV_iltxK-zd8orzq11FZKNpcrcmqZ5pJyVkyw-bK1QBUDcvDWxoGsCn8YLVxsitVFRQ/s505/ninurta%20and%20Angra%20Mainyu%20dates.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="190" data-original-width="505" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdfUBikWkYHtm8vSN-m3j8bgWVc1QWStyL4TegNaQTn-ZhH40gmSuoV6VEyXUKm5sDKXzQPhfYD-sztizVXTKIPMBTOlflKMRh1rS4HEGEOo0JK1PGGdtVd5wWV_iltxK-zd8orzq11FZKNpcrcmqZ5pJyVkyw-bK1QBUDcvDWxoGsCn8YLVxsitVFRQ/s320/ninurta%20and%20Angra%20Mainyu%20dates.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="css-175oi2r" style="align-items: stretch; background-color: white; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-175oi2r r-1s2bzr4" style="align-items: stretch; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; list-style: none; margin: 12px 0px 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-1rynq56 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-37j5jr r-1inkyih r-16dba41 r-bnwqim r-135wba7" data-testid="tweetText" dir="auto" id="id__r6ijv3qmybc" lang="en" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1419; display: inline; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: 24px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; text-overflow: unset; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Deified animal calendar marker at its best. Nergal, the god of death, personification of the destructive sun, as a man-lion.</span></span></div><div class="css-1rynq56 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-37j5jr r-1inkyih r-16dba41 r-bnwqim r-135wba7" data-testid="tweetText" dir="auto" id="id__r6ijv3qmybc" lang="en" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1419; display: inline; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: 24px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; text-overflow: unset; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHeyRbftBY72sPG8FQkHN2Ah4FN8N0ZEICyLnTRc3qpWDYLscjP9m09XEnGYVgsyYKYRynUexI9FStSHQtlsX_F5VCa-N6vFQSA6Wh40G3n8fie0w45foRDBIF4vv0I6l5Uc-jWqzDqiI4My9bh0j7YeM3EoBwuI8-O4W8ukVOwl2xXAlpevPUL2Un9i4/s611/nergal%20man%20lion%20no%20wings.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="611" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHeyRbftBY72sPG8FQkHN2Ah4FN8N0ZEICyLnTRc3qpWDYLscjP9m09XEnGYVgsyYKYRynUexI9FStSHQtlsX_F5VCa-N6vFQSA6Wh40G3n8fie0w45foRDBIF4vv0I6l5Uc-jWqzDqiI4My9bh0j7YeM3EoBwuI8-O4W8ukVOwl2xXAlpevPUL2Un9i4/s320/nergal%20man%20lion%20no%20wings.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div></span></div></div></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Leo marks the beginning of the Eurasian lion mating season. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJyHcT4muP-JLm9GQWIcpqWn0-D4t95boCYqDzgT4YPTuvV1JwJxx9Ymk-yQcuJulq975Elc5SAFT6e8PXd3x_-FMI9pCugC2ageKJGegcD1EisbNgol0cE1DaunLeeIE7IDxNW4YUDgv_qTGNCmG3CUaUyA-VKlqFOpBD9sznxJFXE9jPS_YNAnrQ5cU/s2500/asiatic%20lions%20mating.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="2500" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJyHcT4muP-JLm9GQWIcpqWn0-D4t95boCYqDzgT4YPTuvV1JwJxx9Ymk-yQcuJulq975Elc5SAFT6e8PXd3x_-FMI9pCugC2ageKJGegcD1EisbNgol0cE1DaunLeeIE7IDxNW4YUDgv_qTGNCmG3CUaUyA-VKlqFOpBD9sznxJFXE9jPS_YNAnrQ5cU/s320/asiatic%20lions%20mating.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVLTJqla2CCOz5tr4yYZ3DdDyrcbhCEjVtKpIQaKRHxv8waKFR4LF55RzC9NTksATzrciPniWhgelQq0Fce_MjzVHia7nT-HghX3R8Sh_Xggpj04e0Xajk_ABPJJn_fxjmvd2rcFdPozwhzRUIGRSCxvBPjXUgO9aTnMhcQVvhe2Mpqh-uHx4FePsBpo/s2048/india%20mating%20lions.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVLTJqla2CCOz5tr4yYZ3DdDyrcbhCEjVtKpIQaKRHxv8waKFR4LF55RzC9NTksATzrciPniWhgelQq0Fce_MjzVHia7nT-HghX3R8Sh_Xggpj04e0Xajk_ABPJJn_fxjmvd2rcFdPozwhzRUIGRSCxvBPjXUgO9aTnMhcQVvhe2Mpqh-uHx4FePsBpo/s320/india%20mating%20lions.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">It also marks the hottest and driest part of the year in Mesopotamia...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/05/winged-superhuman-hero.html" target="_blank">Winged superhuman hero</a>"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">You know the dragon...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5goS7UsD93D52ldyjC8NVSF32h1JbRRzZ2-f3lLCzmqk0siW4bFSYd2Z7m14wwLXtr2RUKC9_mnPopcrTA7QpJ_F8tx6d59cpNYzTBGTcKCFcBf6_Bo4xPUXYcEUrDdV8vFO4XOZGeqsu9L6pNxjXc1ImJQP8LyBI7Os5pxuCz8ZMWIlQ-gsJNJjr=s800" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5goS7UsD93D52ldyjC8NVSF32h1JbRRzZ2-f3lLCzmqk0siW4bFSYd2Z7m14wwLXtr2RUKC9_mnPopcrTA7QpJ_F8tx6d59cpNYzTBGTcKCFcBf6_Bo4xPUXYcEUrDdV8vFO4XOZGeqsu9L6pNxjXc1ImJQP8LyBI7Os5pxuCz8ZMWIlQ-gsJNJjr=s320" width="320" /></span></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The dude depicted on this very interesting metal plaque from the so called "Letnitsa Treasure", a 4th c. BC Thracian hoard discovered near Letnitsa, Bulgaria...Depicted as part of one of the most common themes from Balkan fairytales: a princess being kidnapped by a dragon...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/01/letnitsa-treasure.html" target="_blank">Letnitsa treasure</a>"...</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">On the other hand goat is symbol of rain, (water of) life...</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Because in Mesopotamia, Iran, Levant, Eastern Mediterranean, rains arrive when Ibex goats start mating, in Oct/Nov...</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LkuJl8JADr3Ath130pmvCBI-9gtJ56yTs_oT3xD5hUstR2pZyAYDF5QDBi8WRrtRp9BqgAlfdRpEDZ8HXsI9ehD9PIYxmCm84k-Fsqz9cTuPNr4_L8aC04ofhIfanfcjbR687_uVsxBgAImstvGaxqhKZq-W1-EMZc9GtXsT6c8kN38H_5_5XRjXx6k/s491/bezoar%20fighting.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="491" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LkuJl8JADr3Ath130pmvCBI-9gtJ56yTs_oT3xD5hUstR2pZyAYDF5QDBi8WRrtRp9BqgAlfdRpEDZ8HXsI9ehD9PIYxmCm84k-Fsqz9cTuPNr4_L8aC04ofhIfanfcjbR687_uVsxBgAImstvGaxqhKZq-W1-EMZc9GtXsT6c8kN38H_5_5XRjXx6k/s320/bezoar%20fighting.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I talked about ibex goat as "Goat of Rain", an animal calendar marker linked to rain, and cool wet half of the year, old Mesopotamian winter, in many posts, such as,</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> "</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/09/problems-of-abzu.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">Problems with Abzu</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">", "</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/03/relief-from-dur-sharrukin.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">Relief from Dur Sharrukin</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">", "</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/03/goatfish.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">Goatfish</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">", "</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/12/flamingos-from-susa.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">Flamingos from Susa</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">", "</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/10/goat-carrier.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">Goat carrier</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">", "</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/09/iranian-goat-of-rain.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">Iranian goat of rain</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">", "</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/12/strider.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">Strider</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">", "</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/08/a-vessel-from-tepe-hissar.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">A vessel from Tepe Hissar</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"... </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">BTW, Baal, The God...was the rain god...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So what we have depicted on this Irish relief is "Triumph of (summer, sun) evil over good (winter, rain)"???</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Interesting, right?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">BTW, this has nothing to do with Mathew 25. I talked about Mathew 25 in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2017/02/goats-and-sheep.html" target="_blank">Goats and sheep</a>"...</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhx_WcOsGUqSA97EnBl4AX8huVIdNkyu4Z4-pmVu3PF9hT1Uik7vlMhfHI5irVzo1nEAJFifpcsCoWd5-TyyQClj27tApblmIkpzO4jiQ4_Xq0beLdN4xbbpSiK-XOnH9ymsLoL7Gan4k/s1600/goats+and+sheep.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhx_WcOsGUqSA97EnBl4AX8huVIdNkyu4Z4-pmVu3PF9hT1Uik7vlMhfHI5irVzo1nEAJFifpcsCoWd5-TyyQClj27tApblmIkpzO4jiQ4_Xq0beLdN4xbbpSiK-XOnH9ymsLoL7Gan4k/s640/goats+and+sheep.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Judgement, Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna. Italy, 5th-6th century<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In it I explained that this </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Christian scene is inverted, a mirror image of the celestial scene. The blue cold angel is St Mitar (Martin), Samhain, the beginning of the winter. The red angel is St George, Beltane, the beginning of the summer. Between them is Imbolc, the beginning of Spring...</span></span></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5ZNe7fKpIxZhJRJIozat_dGy75CNC3qhFwMBWq9ICTARhUh5UIkZzm3MEP_kylSAGzQre3Zti8zdKeT_zuiw6DsM9ES4CGDU68JTMhZ_mQYL1Tj_cvyEuPZWEpC2SSh8KeIP9Og2KHk/s1600/goats+and+sheep.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5ZNe7fKpIxZhJRJIozat_dGy75CNC3qhFwMBWq9ICTARhUh5UIkZzm3MEP_kylSAGzQre3Zti8zdKeT_zuiw6DsM9ES4CGDU68JTMhZ_mQYL1Tj_cvyEuPZWEpC2SSh8KeIP9Og2KHk/w320-h256/goats+and+sheep.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></span></a></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">But now, that I know a lot more about animal calendar markers, and the link between Old Mesopotamian religions and Christianity (check my post <a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2023/11/alexamenos-graffito.html" target="_blank">A</a></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2023/11/alexamenos-graffito.html" target="_blank">lexamenos graffito</a></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">), I think that I was wrong, and that this Christian icon actually depicts this:</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0hrfl2oeliFAQgDqKH_6MIxGkpO409LiVck9Oz9eqbGXYYIzP2SFBUCu78TyYjNSJBDcw2PZLvs7SromjeAlGLMkQ3gxQ2wUvGPruwMMZRjaAj2dlRXah6bUyxjgrnu9QSTQEBhQaU_TH8DPvfwKcgOTh82HTYvC0bTwZwVMgWd66XrrkcNay4AGTSo/s982/year%20-%20goat%20ram%20shamash.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="982" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0hrfl2oeliFAQgDqKH_6MIxGkpO409LiVck9Oz9eqbGXYYIzP2SFBUCu78TyYjNSJBDcw2PZLvs7SromjeAlGLMkQ3gxQ2wUvGPruwMMZRjaAj2dlRXah6bUyxjgrnu9QSTQEBhQaU_TH8DPvfwKcgOTh82HTYvC0bTwZwVMgWd66XrrkcNay4AGTSo/s320/year%20-%20goat%20ram%20shamash.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The blue cold angel is St Mitar, Oct/Nov the beginning of the winter, cool wet half of the year, marked by a goat. The red angel is St George, Apr/May, the beginning of the summer. Between them is Sun, Shamash, "who came back" (sun reborn at winter solstice) pointing at ram (Mar/Apr)...</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I talked about goat and ram animal calendar markers in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2024/02/goatfish-with-ram-head.html" target="_blank">Goatfish with ram head</a>"...</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sacrificial lamb actually, as ram (Aries) has to be killed (has to end), so summer, the domain of Shamash, can begin in Taurus...I talked about this in my post "<a href="http://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2018/07/aries-must-die.html" target="_blank">Aries must die</a>" about the sacrificial lamb...</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Or, if we remember this stuff from my post "<a href="http://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2017/06/you-will-trample-great-lion-and-serpent.html" target="_blank">You will trample great lion and serpent</a>":</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">God most high...Happy summer solstice guys...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Snake: Apr/May, beginning of the main snake mating season, beginning of summer.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Lion: Jul/Aug, beginning of the main lion mating season, end of summer.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6Mcx5VfUtkS4nv8FS9hgWrKlKebO71Fru7RKEyZRP8bB9oGAGtcN6WyjEwyIhMW9ZEzODQ9ovl2R17GQUWGd2WGUSW9bFeeJ0F9Ng54S6WmwpGLxA3y3hnlaTpuCg1qWW_VxNA4I01g/s1600/sun+most+high.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="294" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6Mcx5VfUtkS4nv8FS9hgWrKlKebO71Fru7RKEyZRP8bB9oGAGtcN6WyjEwyIhMW9ZEzODQ9ovl2R17GQUWGd2WGUSW9bFeeJ0F9Ng54S6WmwpGLxA3y3hnlaTpuCg1qWW_VxNA4I01g/s400/sun+most+high.jpg" width="227" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And the fact that Christ is sitting on a throne, then maybe, the Mathew 25 actually depicts this:</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpEkfjcxq0bPTO_0c85OAQEeUZjulWGM2-d7ABzctrHDf3nAzDxlznx6hONJAXURtGEFxkvYBflmjUBd6cYsODToMz6Rq0yprl6Wrajr6P74Ucw66DkE-zmJt7VNg6J4rj5VrE2zpmLjr3eAjgfuIcG27fXGYhWbfZ9tD_0AD61mOk0vOhaj7_W2-F7c/s982/year%20-%20goat%20ram%20shamash%20nergal.png" style="font-family: Times; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="982" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpEkfjcxq0bPTO_0c85OAQEeUZjulWGM2-d7ABzctrHDf3nAzDxlznx6hONJAXURtGEFxkvYBflmjUBd6cYsODToMz6Rq0yprl6Wrajr6P74Ucw66DkE-zmJt7VNg6J4rj5VrE2zpmLjr3eAjgfuIcG27fXGYhWbfZ9tD_0AD61mOk0vOhaj7_W2-F7c/s320/year%20-%20goat%20ram%20shamash%20nergal.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And the Christian scene is not inverted, mirror image of the celestial scene. But the actual symbolic depiction of the Sun God on his throne...</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I just wonder if this is sun on the summer solstice, or is this sun in Leo, The Dragon...Nergal...</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Q-01nivhHDl3sDvk1rLnSobIe4t3xJeG3boAI48vHO4nlrK_IY_PlmS9bVyGXngJrmSVvS_q5xc0wLgaosgMxhYL8QM7Ndm7t537AXY3VxaGRmuJIW-hDjfuXePhsNXn5we_XUGJkeIdOYC1q06tTpq0_DRa8mD_xb6cp9EXYyXhT-vvF28ISsvRuPo/s982/year%20-%20goat%20ram%20nergal.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="982" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Q-01nivhHDl3sDvk1rLnSobIe4t3xJeG3boAI48vHO4nlrK_IY_PlmS9bVyGXngJrmSVvS_q5xc0wLgaosgMxhYL8QM7Ndm7t537AXY3VxaGRmuJIW-hDjfuXePhsNXn5we_XUGJkeIdOYC1q06tTpq0_DRa8mD_xb6cp9EXYyXhT-vvF28ISsvRuPo/s320/year%20-%20goat%20ram%20nergal.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Unfortunately, the more I learn about all this, the more I am convinced that the last is true...</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To read more about ancient animal and plant calendar markers, start </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/p/animal-solar-year-markers.html" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">…then check </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/search?q=%22animal+calendar+markers%22&max-results=20&by-date=true" target="_blank">the rest of the blog posts related to animal calendar markers</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't add to this page, and finally check </span><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=thread%20(from%3Aserbiaireland)%20-filter%3Areplies&src=typed_query&f=live" target="_blank">my twitter threads</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't convert to blog post...I am 9 months behind now...</span></span></div></div>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-21853042349845683102024-02-27T01:22:00.000-08:002024-03-03T08:11:51.397-08:00Goatfish with ram head<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Have you ever seen this symbol? It consists of a goatfish, which on its back, close to its tail, has a pedestal with a ram's head...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTNxJP9kabCwPbeWEkDVaXuS_BKxVcJ80G5hVJclr9NLyjTgd5MqxHdFxXqx5ySp6wBJ0tD9w-QYIqhkUnecyrI85OlWSk8TVqXFE4Ft7VgCA0yXFi5tsMLAspn25ZIawEITiCN9yJ_QFPT5F5ap3bZuzIH9MXa2dIycFrLBIEn9kKVijKIT3i51Ysds/s275/goatfish%20with%20ram%20head.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="275" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTNxJP9kabCwPbeWEkDVaXuS_BKxVcJ80G5hVJclr9NLyjTgd5MqxHdFxXqx5ySp6wBJ0tD9w-QYIqhkUnecyrI85OlWSk8TVqXFE4Ft7VgCA0yXFi5tsMLAspn25ZIawEITiCN9yJ_QFPT5F5ap3bZuzIH9MXa2dIycFrLBIEn9kKVijKIT3i51Ysds/s1600/goatfish%20with%20ram%20head.png" width="275" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">What does this mean? Apparently, no one really knows. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Well, let's see if Animal Calendar Markers can help us solve this "mystery"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This symbol is found on several Mesopotamian <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kudurru" target="_blank">Kudurru</a> boundary stones. This particular example is from the Stele of Marduk-apla-iddina which records the grant to Marduk-apla-iddina I (ca 1171-1159 BC) by Kassite king of Babylon, Meli-Shipak II (ca. 1186–1172 BC )</span></p><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjDw90QbxkoLuTAzLkCxno1-bN63mFJdSnnsBs6dlwKkXfLEXmNxJXH3LiuEMizuPIko1A31MvrkPQof3JMAOneze_GLTEkJiG-dD2z02Y4UiwXFINL-X8yuRNgXkBPX9bu2-7XWXFe21g0UqEQcKoq631ZgM58OO2n1LbhO-h-oVtpX18gxIUfucY5o/s534/kudurru%20with%20goatfish%20with%20ram.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="236" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjDw90QbxkoLuTAzLkCxno1-bN63mFJdSnnsBs6dlwKkXfLEXmNxJXH3LiuEMizuPIko1A31MvrkPQof3JMAOneze_GLTEkJiG-dD2z02Y4UiwXFINL-X8yuRNgXkBPX9bu2-7XWXFe21g0UqEQcKoq631ZgM58OO2n1LbhO-h-oVtpX18gxIUfucY5o/s320/kudurru%20with%20goatfish%20with%20ram.jpeg" width="141" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Anyway...Remember my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/03/goatfish.html" target="_blank">Goatfish</a>", about the meaning of the symbol of Goatfish? Symbol for the wet season in Mesopotamia, which starts with rain, when ibex goats mate (Oct/Nov), and ends with flood, when carps mate (Apr/May)...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgtTzWHMR-yU-fJUPnKZhzgQ2sO-5Kj2bKGB_eovSh2lcJpiiVM0yyyuCM3FfM7-iqrkc8HjmJ2sF6TEmEswKgjDv68L1WNblbOIelEWwDznDEhK7tJ5MZjxDkdjoTRdwXSNvpTA4DjQkxwA-tc8_zvF_4qpQFCU-e9DOo0-4VoyQM7PDq4S-vRi24bvE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="680" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgtTzWHMR-yU-fJUPnKZhzgQ2sO-5Kj2bKGB_eovSh2lcJpiiVM0yyyuCM3FfM7-iqrkc8HjmJ2sF6TEmEswKgjDv68L1WNblbOIelEWwDznDEhK7tJ5MZjxDkdjoTRdwXSNvpTA4DjQkxwA-tc8_zvF_4qpQFCU-e9DOo0-4VoyQM7PDq4S-vRi24bvE" width="267" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This is why Goat-Fish is the symbol of Enki/Ea, the god of fresh water and the annual flood, who is sometimes depicted standing on Goat-Fish...</span></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8CHZUAPTFwz95LetLLBeIKRvp5_6AFtkilJ-J6DYUFpzJdrr5cDsjM_ysRISoZMP_pY7iNpyoUWxsO5FoAX2aZ4-XpgCAwORa5D48l1fhfXp1SZLp0SrC-zTvjvTBZd84XDRXWGi5fTpoBDhUuEUZ2VL7N-D-tLzyptULxfFiizBly2aNnheVL6f9Buw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="363" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8CHZUAPTFwz95LetLLBeIKRvp5_6AFtkilJ-J6DYUFpzJdrr5cDsjM_ysRISoZMP_pY7iNpyoUWxsO5FoAX2aZ4-XpgCAwORa5D48l1fhfXp1SZLp0SrC-zTvjvTBZd84XDRXWGi5fTpoBDhUuEUZ2VL7N-D-tLzyptULxfFiizBly2aNnheVL6f9Buw" width="218" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Now towards the end of the wet period, Oct/Nov-Apr/May, in Mar/Apr, close to the fish tail of the goatfish, we find Aries, Ram...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQQX7z-K7eq8YcJdoR0Momq4Hp9vth5Y4MkR9Swb6E6rPKiVklGDuc44ePhYJbZ2PD3ZJEkfsUAgRq1cjSzVXtqEk-iOTBwNsLSfk7sHLaulX1rFmPsE_jIVkcK7qnXRnThGepnsskqTb6in6pPMt6QS2xWbADHgOxTx4xUSDmIF-Y57cJUY7dwOMcW4/s239/aries%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="226" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQQX7z-K7eq8YcJdoR0Momq4Hp9vth5Y4MkR9Swb6E6rPKiVklGDuc44ePhYJbZ2PD3ZJEkfsUAgRq1cjSzVXtqEk-iOTBwNsLSfk7sHLaulX1rFmPsE_jIVkcK7qnXRnThGepnsskqTb6in6pPMt6QS2xWbADHgOxTx4xUSDmIF-Y57cJUY7dwOMcW4/s1600/aries%20copy.jpg" width="226" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Animal calendar marker that marks the end of the lambing season of the wild and domestic sheep...And the beginning of the milking season...Very important time of the year...I talked about the origin of Aries in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2018/07/aries-must-die.html" target="_blank">Aries must die</a>"... </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi2DYsxovy1iAAVbGN22LmKFOPhy-tL-4i5jXf973Cfs_nIymHZJMMk4kzBPhFjLJFXYgdCYrP0rRUsv-6qaen5vRLb-WZ7TkzEAag_GFwzCcorfpO_RCj2scVliXkeKafGgZn7OOmTaNwNHk7s_BFYcfSk0-ziKL0G1pE9fufuoh_2HUoPwxlL7QgBits" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="680" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi2DYsxovy1iAAVbGN22LmKFOPhy-tL-4i5jXf973Cfs_nIymHZJMMk4kzBPhFjLJFXYgdCYrP0rRUsv-6qaen5vRLb-WZ7TkzEAag_GFwzCcorfpO_RCj2scVliXkeKafGgZn7OOmTaNwNHk7s_BFYcfSk0-ziKL0G1pE9fufuoh_2HUoPwxlL7QgBits" width="320" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Great, but why is Ram combined with Goat-Fish, symbol of wet season? Because it is "during the sheep lambing season" Feb/Mar/Apr, that the snowmelt suddenly intensifies in mountains surrounding Mesopotamia...</span></p><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDcUmLo0qEatqtnIk6V4ZMpVE7zNZbUMp1S8iJLemuO3ZobUFuPPQBgwnW0yAXAjuO9j43dtsaecqrnhP5KWm2tFHxzbcLfN4k6J2Ycuo3Ca-j-VzV8Lf3FVEgvaPRaPpKP5TZykKjsJnH-DeJiUrOMaPv5axukDg7OJHdxOcXd45udlFCkb_tiNUv6bU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="680" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDcUmLo0qEatqtnIk6V4ZMpVE7zNZbUMp1S8iJLemuO3ZobUFuPPQBgwnW0yAXAjuO9j43dtsaecqrnhP5KWm2tFHxzbcLfN4k6J2Ycuo3Ca-j-VzV8Lf3FVEgvaPRaPpKP5TZykKjsJnH-DeJiUrOMaPv5axukDg7OJHdxOcXd45udlFCkb_tiNUv6bU" width="294" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And the water level in Mesopotamian rivers suddenly starts to rise...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwzaYCnHPitY3JxHL_mtZKDxWc8Z6zKASRiyLHp6Q7oeftLM1aNmTvMScMorMbP71xqh-DzPIzY9jj8ue-C_kX1Iay7OMJIV20DIaWjap6LYHw1hZoLSv5ueEBYuhKu5KIstTnsv6fZhsBfMng6rlE5iClkVZGVtkiZkWlvmEemAb3OEA2hxJSVFWBZ8/s519/tigris%20and%20euphrates%20discharges.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="343" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwzaYCnHPitY3JxHL_mtZKDxWc8Z6zKASRiyLHp6Q7oeftLM1aNmTvMScMorMbP71xqh-DzPIzY9jj8ue-C_kX1Iay7OMJIV20DIaWjap6LYHw1hZoLSv5ueEBYuhKu5KIstTnsv6fZhsBfMng6rlE5iClkVZGVtkiZkWlvmEemAb3OEA2hxJSVFWBZ8/s320/tigris%20and%20euphrates%20discharges.jpeg" width="211" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So we have Goat (Oct/Nov) -- Ram (Mar/Apr) -- Fish,Carp (Apr/May)...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTZicGP1b_5kivFfLpYOe0ec-vUHssKwUr7ZXapYPm9HMKpIewXOjvvDAdE4ul5YToLM0m_C3BQhX8W4skNGK3VcULKrtUPIVw3JgmTOfu9ovZTgXzz-ajy_ByS6syzc_cqb5EKiqobXEWahHDHTrABaw8qX04O8-g0eD8wgQB9kOtJhTsIRnmVtFD05U" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="680" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTZicGP1b_5kivFfLpYOe0ec-vUHssKwUr7ZXapYPm9HMKpIewXOjvvDAdE4ul5YToLM0m_C3BQhX8W4skNGK3VcULKrtUPIVw3JgmTOfu9ovZTgXzz-ajy_ByS6syzc_cqb5EKiqobXEWahHDHTrABaw8qX04O8-g0eD8wgQB9kOtJhTsIRnmVtFD05U" width="289" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Makes sense?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">PS: To see that I am not seeing things, actually, that I am seeing things the way the ancient Mesopotamians and Iranians saw them, check my post about <a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/11/sagittarius-from-isfahan.html" target="_blank">Islamic zodiac from Isfahan</a>. Here is the relevant bit: </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The combination of the snowmelt and rainfall results in sudden increase of the Zayandehrud river water level starting in Mar/Apr...In Aries...The also the rainiest time of the year in Isfahan...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Monthly flow chart for the Zayandehrud River, from the paper "<a href="https://researchgate.net/publication/237643915_An_overview_of_the_hydrology_of_the_Zayandeh_Rud_Basin" target="_blank">An overview of the hydrology of the Zayandeh Rud Basin</a>" </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCo5zHB8lIGsLtEXE0o9OZbf6yY2NERmZcde6JDbBrXTIdMGNal0b_YTmDZqFl-EyWrCyhG3MwYyM1zxZrYKO3Gq-jM9xj13w81-0TPVEHN-2AhMocla0DiLJIfuBEPRv7VbYjE7BPA5c/s639/Zayandeh+river+flow.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="639" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCo5zHB8lIGsLtEXE0o9OZbf6yY2NERmZcde6JDbBrXTIdMGNal0b_YTmDZqFl-EyWrCyhG3MwYyM1zxZrYKO3Gq-jM9xj13w81-0TPVEHN-2AhMocla0DiLJIfuBEPRv7VbYjE7BPA5c/s320/Zayandeh+river+flow.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Aries ram, depicted as a wild sheep, mouflon, with blue (water like) horns, lying in water...Describing exactly what is happening in Isfahan in Mar/Apr...In Aries...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ddi2I7npqAH8aBPjKLbcVzzJu4T0d7rbVM1ldDvuz-Oe_7FHswKWILJjTGikumnq87kAlRZvgnLhBWPXbuHG2NBLLRTg3e_rKyne0rkznKitwNPpxPqUQNv69snI16haYsMkciF1j5I/s832/isfahan+aries.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="832" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ddi2I7npqAH8aBPjKLbcVzzJu4T0d7rbVM1ldDvuz-Oe_7FHswKWILJjTGikumnq87kAlRZvgnLhBWPXbuHG2NBLLRTg3e_rKyne0rkznKitwNPpxPqUQNv69snI16haYsMkciF1j5I/s320/isfahan+aries.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To read more about ancient animal and plant calendar markers, start </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/p/animal-solar-year-markers.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">…then check </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/search?q=%22animal+calendar+markers%22&max-results=20&by-date=true" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">the rest of the blog posts related to animal calendar markers</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't add to this page, and finally check </span><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=thread%20(from%3Aserbiaireland)%20-filter%3Areplies&src=typed_query&f=live" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">my twitter threads</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't convert to blog post...I am 9 months behind now...</span></span></div>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-11413930342119641032024-02-24T10:08:00.000-08:002024-02-24T10:08:44.767-08:00Kambala<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"<a href="https://archaicwonder.tumblr.com/post/156698436541/achaemenid-cylinder-seal-with-horned-cattle-5th" target="_blank">Achaemenid (?) cylinder seal</a>, 5th c. BC, depicting a squatting female (?) figure holding a pair of long horned cattle (?) by the tips of the horns; between the cattle a vase with water and plants coming from the top".</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4U2kVgS1gDwmetvO2l-y-0o0uFUja2XRnXDyfa55gj7yDyeKjL6rFCEVW_an9f9nQQz-8rD4ghzkdhxIrnUZGjmGdcGosNkMoyI5F-zCeyW_RpZWxL5EUc0lMEByGPDDFX52f24X_bSUSWJYAY2ySURnEI5J-jXJ4UaWCjorQ4vaXGXbpMlPUcwkQyY/s564/buffalo%20rider%20seal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="564" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4U2kVgS1gDwmetvO2l-y-0o0uFUja2XRnXDyfa55gj7yDyeKjL6rFCEVW_an9f9nQQz-8rD4ghzkdhxIrnUZGjmGdcGosNkMoyI5F-zCeyW_RpZWxL5EUc0lMEByGPDDFX52f24X_bSUSWJYAY2ySURnEI5J-jXJ4UaWCjorQ4vaXGXbpMlPUcwkQyY/s320/buffalo%20rider%20seal.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Full analysis:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">First, I don't think this is a female figure...Judging my the big boner and the big muscles, this is a male figure...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Second, I don't think these animals are cattle...Judging by the horns, these are wild water buffaloes...</span></p><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQ1iV1QXjxfoPyr-EPAFmTOQmr0lRFcCzwIdqCz3AWlNJ3cGki8ujwW_5NHWSlLUmMxSYNs99bUFjdPkekLA518c-2jIP3oW75m57lJJkldPaIovOG6qprx05EM4p7pNTBomZoOPr6vOG75tF2rBDo_e5Gnu31E86bBGLDH45NeKSJdr1MUnYdJFOS0g/s1280/wild%20water%20buffalo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQ1iV1QXjxfoPyr-EPAFmTOQmr0lRFcCzwIdqCz3AWlNJ3cGki8ujwW_5NHWSlLUmMxSYNs99bUFjdPkekLA518c-2jIP3oW75m57lJJkldPaIovOG6qprx05EM4p7pNTBomZoOPr6vOG75tF2rBDo_e5Gnu31E86bBGLDH45NeKSJdr1MUnYdJFOS0g/s320/wild%20water%20buffalo.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Third, I don't think this is an Achaemenid cylinder seal. I don't think Persians depicted naked heroes on their seals...So hmmm, hmmm and hmmm about the description. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">But there is something really interesting about the scene depicted on this seal: a man riding two buffaloes...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The same scene can be seen every year in the southwestern Indian state of Karnataka...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I am talking about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kambala" target="_blank">Kambala</a>, the annual buffalo race which takes place between Nov and Mar... </span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnBEs3KfcXSzhC9GkzQHIQPJiM5dlDLg1a9X1xuDhgzoIYVazOe3gA3FuphXZJEoWfnEBkGcy_dLcKeEvRHPdZHzO2objx2fQOG9HHyu-c7Dyep79g8wz1RGpS_KXW15hQdL-UWD7AIy3EDFpTjvLcSMLEiB8coQZZauHbWFxHxCdT-PC_kSz6R6eJyM/s1024/kambala.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="1024" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnBEs3KfcXSzhC9GkzQHIQPJiM5dlDLg1a9X1xuDhgzoIYVazOe3gA3FuphXZJEoWfnEBkGcy_dLcKeEvRHPdZHzO2objx2fQOG9HHyu-c7Dyep79g8wz1RGpS_KXW15hQdL-UWD7AIy3EDFpTjvLcSMLEiB8coQZZauHbWFxHxCdT-PC_kSz6R6eJyM/s320/kambala.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I think that the race most likely originally only took place in Nov, because this is the time right after the kharif rice harvest season, and just before the rabi rice plowing and planting season...Check <a href="https://drdpat.bih.nic.in/Status%20Paper%20-%2002.htm" target="_blank">the rice agricultural calendar for India</a>...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">BTW, If you are wandering what kharif and rabi seasons are, check this article out...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Depiction of the Kharif (wet) season (May to November) and the Rabi (dry) season (November to May) through animal and plant calendar markers on an Indus Valley civilisation vase...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/05/kharif-and-rabi-seasons.html…" target="_blank">Kharif and Rabi season</a>"...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXE9xnu1Fuz1zB_dHw9RJoLgARGDZJ88oQIW4TymryzCEwINF4mNjiLO1vq5gZOA6d_Qpvfh4Jw-icL9YNVC5ikQfSRtCUjmbxbp9OAAbtcmEAmJTUYf-G_BgqgLwvGMKpU0jq7w3XcfgRXp2axIm9vLI81Oikikb4KCmP2jTU65VC8U4KkWXIvtXcojY/s730/kharif%20and%20rabi%20vase.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="730" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXE9xnu1Fuz1zB_dHw9RJoLgARGDZJ88oQIW4TymryzCEwINF4mNjiLO1vq5gZOA6d_Qpvfh4Jw-icL9YNVC5ikQfSRtCUjmbxbp9OAAbtcmEAmJTUYf-G_BgqgLwvGMKpU0jq7w3XcfgRXp2axIm9vLI81Oikikb4KCmP2jTU65VC8U4KkWXIvtXcojY/s320/kharif%20and%20rabi%20vase.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Interestingly, the water buffalo is an ideal animal calendar marker for marking the end of the kharif (wet) season and rabi (dry) season. This is because buffaloes are seasonal breeders in most of their range, and typically bread starting from Oct/Nov...</span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvq4ygNFCBIAzdsj32i-wqR-9bxbedSKnOBlvd6gQ8eA92eplkGRjP-o8uB0EL2scn9vbCgfCVnpEKT3IL9i_pAI5DaVrE4hOHCiW1WTltNyzqnys_X2S2deGz9gW4bdbqHAeDvOy2rgGt7IkwmkVPWbpidPfATkkxoHd7iPfhRKB-M-XwAjxc4xUc4aI/s500/karnataka%20climate.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="500" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvq4ygNFCBIAzdsj32i-wqR-9bxbedSKnOBlvd6gQ8eA92eplkGRjP-o8uB0EL2scn9vbCgfCVnpEKT3IL9i_pAI5DaVrE4hOHCiW1WTltNyzqnys_X2S2deGz9gW4bdbqHAeDvOy2rgGt7IkwmkVPWbpidPfATkkxoHd7iPfhRKB-M-XwAjxc4xUc4aI/s320/karnataka%20climate.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPa8nsqZKfHA6_FbnNxvTlX1WNcXEMOJRqnFkoXHCf74Lo75uz4jARx99lw2QIi35shyJdvuClRrcF-YsUFigWp580CWqDUsy5jipAxJUPNWokLvx6-0VRTWMDYdWpUVWLgxTk5WWISk6JfMe0IdRDw2FKve86b8l4zuV-WwBc0LyzjPmkXNFIO9Aq6g/s517/buffalo%20mating.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="399" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPa8nsqZKfHA6_FbnNxvTlX1WNcXEMOJRqnFkoXHCf74Lo75uz4jARx99lw2QIi35shyJdvuClRrcF-YsUFigWp580CWqDUsy5jipAxJUPNWokLvx6-0VRTWMDYdWpUVWLgxTk5WWISk6JfMe0IdRDw2FKve86b8l4zuV-WwBc0LyzjPmkXNFIO9Aq6g/s320/buffalo%20mating.jpeg" width="247" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />It is the wet season that brings life and prosperity to India, which are in Indian mythology attributed to devas. This is why buffalo, the animal calendar marker which marks the beginning of the dry season, became "buffalo demon", the enemy of devas...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2023/12/proto-durga.html" target="_blank">Proto Durga</a>" about this clay tablet from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harappa" target="_blank">Harappa</a> with a "narrative scene"...</span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2VSfbHFbf-udwr0kMd6EOPsGaX51OjxWstb0U_etqQ8KFCbqWcFsGynGvBejn59Bf7jN2AsNXLIlg6YCU8s2NxQkiju7soLVjPvkkE4jiyUPdnfiaP0e8uE_yp1QCIv087CnXmUZDFZYUg7UPMn02IbJytUtIhtp75fXO6J1pjsZY7jI01nUBowL-4go/s960/buffalo%20killer%20harappa.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="960" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2VSfbHFbf-udwr0kMd6EOPsGaX51OjxWstb0U_etqQ8KFCbqWcFsGynGvBejn59Bf7jN2AsNXLIlg6YCU8s2NxQkiju7soLVjPvkkE4jiyUPdnfiaP0e8uE_yp1QCIv087CnXmUZDFZYUg7UPMn02IbJytUtIhtp75fXO6J1pjsZY7jI01nUBowL-4go/s320/buffalo%20killer%20harappa.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Now if we look at the climate in Mesopotamia, where our buffalo rider seal was made. </span></p><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzduMnUM9fncaJKwcc2d5tXzXopXVU3atm08Yr_lannZZGMMmk4eD-AEzZky3_ynEELSUbzLz7OWq6ahyZORePM0NAYBSeddjwlpXbZj9qKngmsC3ArtUBTs2Q7STqn75JTms7WTawGDpDsENRgF8A0NT9fkthbJtCTj-aY_5MERaSxsNzJ0XrXpn9iBg/s674/baghdad%20climate.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="674" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzduMnUM9fncaJKwcc2d5tXzXopXVU3atm08Yr_lannZZGMMmk4eD-AEzZky3_ynEELSUbzLz7OWq6ahyZORePM0NAYBSeddjwlpXbZj9qKngmsC3ArtUBTs2Q7STqn75JTms7WTawGDpDsENRgF8A0NT9fkthbJtCTj-aY_5MERaSxsNzJ0XrXpn9iBg/s320/baghdad%20climate.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">We can see that the climate there is the opposite of the climate in India...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiknVkLYQs6GVHYs6PVC0niUwtQHlEHjYVcTPixqfopBsYU00KlOHvLYBHKRLPYRLcwvMFYJn4d_V709ynWqa2l1mZqP2jldGAKCxzGVJ7FRpjiYhUw4rh39AoGykHO52WWbxj_CJsaPuFZHSy7VS060thKjfDB_w5HSqWzpKOX6AI96zeJpmAcTa2C-48/s661/india%20climate.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="661" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiknVkLYQs6GVHYs6PVC0niUwtQHlEHjYVcTPixqfopBsYU00KlOHvLYBHKRLPYRLcwvMFYJn4d_V709ynWqa2l1mZqP2jldGAKCxzGVJ7FRpjiYhUw4rh39AoGykHO52WWbxj_CJsaPuFZHSy7VS060thKjfDB_w5HSqWzpKOX6AI96zeJpmAcTa2C-48/s320/india%20climate.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Because water buffalos mating season starts in Oct/Nov, at the start of the rain season, buffalos are on Mesopotamian seals used as animal calendar markers for the beginning of the wet season...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-p-bUAmUbSmhMZqOdYmy1wUe0S1ZFyDHPbFnWmjGgg6n4XW_4Z_R0xm8MqR9-QXLcbfQEtXT4emzbhTbg7gyr_19k1U74a2kBv4l4jCUHLdy1zb6VppYCKlPmyKzMl02VUbKrdumdjo70ax5oUjwg-PToChGKCHa28bnHH9wgf-pIelZS7OU4P3xd1Q/s805/year%20-%20wet%20dry%20buffalo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="805" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-p-bUAmUbSmhMZqOdYmy1wUe0S1ZFyDHPbFnWmjGgg6n4XW_4Z_R0xm8MqR9-QXLcbfQEtXT4emzbhTbg7gyr_19k1U74a2kBv4l4jCUHLdy1zb6VppYCKlPmyKzMl02VUbKrdumdjo70ax5oUjwg-PToChGKCHa28bnHH9wgf-pIelZS7OU4P3xd1Q/s320/year%20-%20wet%20dry%20buffalo.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And are depicted drinking from a jar overflowing with water. I talked about this scene in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/11/buffalo-licking-jar.html" target="_blank">Buffalo licking jar</a>" in which I analysed this Akkadian cylinder seal from the 3rd millennium BC...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsl-a48oGu0u8TTKMmC3ZvzUoBd0FoaoWttnjE7X8FrQmalDtwYGysUSVb0XiNRpqif23zZbr9EsUzFKviCJAJ_GCssXXQoumsN0JNDMfP7I7QKZr11r-x9Yb84EUBufwEtGUWZs0o1c9u2KbNF8R8PHDRWwqqgut1PistE4On94yQTgl5EdJTE5Gprs/s576/buffalo%20rivers%20seal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="576" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsl-a48oGu0u8TTKMmC3ZvzUoBd0FoaoWttnjE7X8FrQmalDtwYGysUSVb0XiNRpqif23zZbr9EsUzFKviCJAJ_GCssXXQoumsN0JNDMfP7I7QKZr11r-x9Yb84EUBufwEtGUWZs0o1c9u2KbNF8R8PHDRWwqqgut1PistE4On94yQTgl5EdJTE5Gprs/s320/buffalo%20rivers%20seal.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">BTW, it is the similarity between this Akkadian seal and the original buffalo rider seal, that makes me doubt very much if the original seal is Achaemenid seal at all...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The jar the buffalos are drinking from is the same jar held by Enki/Ea, the god (of the) the source of the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. It symbolically represents Abzu, the source of Tigris and Euphrates...Which is said to be (where) Enki (resides)...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3gigB6j9XgUpc4z3NSF4zBXCcBUHCtVD0sqaVew-Rn8i-il6hqti-E1exLwA_t6n_JxysxFvDVqY92QT8hlsGcUs1MopRLJpkbN5rvfCZXkqLYjbnMQc1nOw88iFjik5-I5ByhYNVJpN3VG_xFrh8w9YsY7lfduv_aCMQkyiRHETrYHzLj4TWTWRWpc/s706/enki%20on%20his%20throne%20and%20two%20streams%20from%20a%20jar.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="706" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3gigB6j9XgUpc4z3NSF4zBXCcBUHCtVD0sqaVew-Rn8i-il6hqti-E1exLwA_t6n_JxysxFvDVqY92QT8hlsGcUs1MopRLJpkbN5rvfCZXkqLYjbnMQc1nOw88iFjik5-I5ByhYNVJpN3VG_xFrh8w9YsY7lfduv_aCMQkyiRHETrYHzLj4TWTWRWpc/s320/enki%20on%20his%20throne%20and%20two%20streams%20from%20a%20jar.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And that source are the mountains north and east of Mesopotamia...Check this article and the linked articles for more info about Enki, who is (in) Abzu, the source of all sweet water...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Why did so many Mesopotamian "Supreme" gods have an attribute "The Great Mountain"? Cause they all wanted to be Enki...But there is only one Enki, who is (in) Abzu, "place that is a big mountain"...All the others are just imposters...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/09/the-great-imposter.html" target="_blank">The great imposter</a>"</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinATWw3iHJGbM_c1Z7Tv_WwCmOiQpv7jVAI1y4eq1hVM_8DL2TO_L95QlXaWn71-VMJ8p_Zk0QnfcGEr5GQ5JmG_NnQ_aVjr3GrzMVwncTmMGs_ZhGiddZwIuTMlblYgZXIvql4_mbEYt7sfkmU1m-NHo9qGTWQhmYt_Jr35YR04_YRM9qJgaXwrEv4Rc/s623/enki%20in%20abzu.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="623" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinATWw3iHJGbM_c1Z7Tv_WwCmOiQpv7jVAI1y4eq1hVM_8DL2TO_L95QlXaWn71-VMJ8p_Zk0QnfcGEr5GQ5JmG_NnQ_aVjr3GrzMVwncTmMGs_ZhGiddZwIuTMlblYgZXIvql4_mbEYt7sfkmU1m-NHo9qGTWQhmYt_Jr35YR04_YRM9qJgaXwrEv4Rc/s320/enki%20in%20abzu.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Back to buffalo as an animal calendar marker. The calendar marker is derived from the time buffalos mate. Which is always at the same time, from Oct/Nov. But because of the opposite climates in Mesopotamia and India, opposite mythological meanings got associated with buffalos...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So, Zoroaster said that "daevas" were "wrong" or "false" gods that should be rejected...Were Iranian "daevas" actually Indian "devas"? And if so, what could have turned devas (good guys) into daevas (bad guys)??? Well, the opposite climate of course...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2023/02/daevas-vs-devas.html" target="_blank">Devas vs Daevas</a>"...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgArxmqAPiTE-9p4VxueiidgpGqL84INvEgPCCbyGnrlrG8MXm4oUl1ZbfvQ2d_h04iDBy7Ouy8Mvp1lZyPF9hHF0NaHpvUK0LMZ9jzKQrwXrmi9QcuwKV7BTDAv8BWyzbi80iNWKnP-UvAmaU4ICgc7aHARypth1cOGq0sqCcZxB_QyMsR6CUVJCm3KYc/s1434/year%20-%20india%20mesopotamia%20buffalo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="1434" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgArxmqAPiTE-9p4VxueiidgpGqL84INvEgPCCbyGnrlrG8MXm4oUl1ZbfvQ2d_h04iDBy7Ouy8Mvp1lZyPF9hHF0NaHpvUK0LMZ9jzKQrwXrmi9QcuwKV7BTDAv8BWyzbi80iNWKnP-UvAmaU4ICgc7aHARypth1cOGq0sqCcZxB_QyMsR6CUVJCm3KYc/s320/year%20-%20india%20mesopotamia%20buffalo.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Finally, lets get back to our original seal. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4U2kVgS1gDwmetvO2l-y-0o0uFUja2XRnXDyfa55gj7yDyeKjL6rFCEVW_an9f9nQQz-8rD4ghzkdhxIrnUZGjmGdcGosNkMoyI5F-zCeyW_RpZWxL5EUc0lMEByGPDDFX52f24X_bSUSWJYAY2ySURnEI5J-jXJ4UaWCjorQ4vaXGXbpMlPUcwkQyY/s564/buffalo%20rider%20seal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="564" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4U2kVgS1gDwmetvO2l-y-0o0uFUja2XRnXDyfa55gj7yDyeKjL6rFCEVW_an9f9nQQz-8rD4ghzkdhxIrnUZGjmGdcGosNkMoyI5F-zCeyW_RpZWxL5EUc0lMEByGPDDFX52f24X_bSUSWJYAY2ySURnEI5J-jXJ4UaWCjorQ4vaXGXbpMlPUcwkQyY/s320/buffalo%20rider%20seal.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And the comment from <span style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit; text-align: inherit; white-space: inherit;"><a href="https://twitter.com/another_barbara" target="_blank">@another_barbara</a>: </span>The buffalos are in fact standing on a muddy field - just like the etymology of the word kambala says. Kambala is derived from 'Kampa-Kala ' the word 'Kampa' is related slushy, muddy field...And the fields get slushy, muddy in Mesopotamia when the rains arrive...In Oct/Nov...When buffalos start to mate...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span>To read more about ancient animal and plant calendar markers, start </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/p/animal-solar-year-markers.html" target="_blank">here</a><span>…then check </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/search?q=%22animal+calendar+markers%22&max-results=20&by-date=true" target="_blank">the rest of the blog posts related to animal calendar markers</a><span> I still didn't add to this page, and finally check </span><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=thread%20(from%3Aserbiaireland)%20-filter%3Areplies&src=typed_query&f=live" target="_blank">my twitter threads</a><span> I still didn't convert to blog post...I am 9 months behind now...</span></span></p></div>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-9054654790814680452024-02-23T04:21:00.000-08:002024-02-23T04:21:59.203-08:00Two lions killing bull<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Pre-Achaemenid Silver Compound Zoomorphic Vessel. Silver, 8th-6th c. BC. <a href="https://miho.jp/booth/html/artcon/00000814e.htm" target="_blank">Currently in the Miho Museum, Japan</a>. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtguUPMTMN_uuXGqh2MgPP04hner3uErDjk89XfI0eBVn6Rr7qVBNHb07J5lWBm2TEZjX9PswEFPDmi1u6EsVSFrPg0xlgNsqBY5RQBPQWhgppLpBr4RLGaPYH2vE_VyqywX8Ai9TGQJOMI02aZ8SEPkRifxqYSY1-htTWGFg8RjqRQQFZH9GGXDs254/s600/lion%20coalition%20hasanlu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="498" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtguUPMTMN_uuXGqh2MgPP04hner3uErDjk89XfI0eBVn6Rr7qVBNHb07J5lWBm2TEZjX9PswEFPDmi1u6EsVSFrPg0xlgNsqBY5RQBPQWhgppLpBr4RLGaPYH2vE_VyqywX8Ai9TGQJOMI02aZ8SEPkRifxqYSY1-htTWGFg8RjqRQQFZH9GGXDs254/s320/lion%20coalition%20hasanlu.jpg" width="266" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This unusual vessel features a pair of rampant lions, interlocked forelegs on each other's shoulders, standing on a prone bull...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The lion that treads on the bull's head has a round opening in the back of its snarling mouth that serves as a spout. The second lion has a small circular hole in its head through which the vessel can be filled. This hole was once sealed with a now missing stopper...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Wow...Really cool...But what does this all mean? The museum page says: "The absence of any clear religious imagery suggests that this object has a political or dynastic symbolism"....I would beg to differ...🙂</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Bull and Lion are two of the 4 most common symbols of the seasons:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Ram, marks lambing of Eurasian wild sheep</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Bull, marks calving of Eurasian wild cattle</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Lion, marks mating of Eurasian lions</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Goat, marks mating of Eurasian wild goats</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2019/10/symbols-of-seasons.html" target="_blank">Symbols of the seasons</a>"...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnt77FQkvR6YEY19k9ufl_ioMKikXqDAXK1pBwiSVHfOjDzAZD4xLxB6E7pqps4eGaY822AZVkJ9OpgaPh0TKCfIkU_XuwsDlz_wabCdp74GJAOHjMXrGGn8jyQNxqRrXTd-ZY6UJh10FtJkgONzxFtd4S44ABR5jXjBcZeKBdW6oXWeyqleWR5201JQE/s387/season%20animals%20with%20names.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="372" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnt77FQkvR6YEY19k9ufl_ioMKikXqDAXK1pBwiSVHfOjDzAZD4xLxB6E7pqps4eGaY822AZVkJ9OpgaPh0TKCfIkU_XuwsDlz_wabCdp74GJAOHjMXrGGn8jyQNxqRrXTd-ZY6UJh10FtJkgONzxFtd4S44ABR5jXjBcZeKBdW6oXWeyqleWR5201JQE/s320/season%20animals%20with%20names.png" width="308" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Taurus (Apr/May), originally had nothing to do with stars. It is the ancient animal calendar marker marking the beginning of the calving season of the Wild Eurasian cattle...I talked about it in these (and many other) articles: "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2016/05/ram-and-bull.html " target="_blank">Ram and bull</a>" "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/04/cow-and-calf-ivory.html" target="_blank">Cow and calf ivory</a>"...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvV5ikd_5unkASQ3XCd2JN3lM6fQWk0LXcMJklxq_0MDcoulAkQbbzZZEtCD2nX9sBzimarhwiv9XkTv0cS1U5mjYq0ogBHpI5pPNFbTH77gyqIlDARMBxx9ymlQvc7GE22fSlQK8bDbs7f-D2nmyl3LssDl7O3hjbkNNehlrRM_2KYq47yIJr4HtFaM/s1103/cow%20calf.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1103" data-original-width="735" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvV5ikd_5unkASQ3XCd2JN3lM6fQWk0LXcMJklxq_0MDcoulAkQbbzZZEtCD2nX9sBzimarhwiv9XkTv0cS1U5mjYq0ogBHpI5pPNFbTH77gyqIlDARMBxx9ymlQvc7GE22fSlQK8bDbs7f-D2nmyl3LssDl7O3hjbkNNehlrRM_2KYq47yIJr4HtFaM/s320/cow%20calf.jpeg" width="213" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Leo (Jul/Aug), originally had nothing to do with stars either. It is the ancient animal calendar marker marking the beginning of the mating season of the Asiatic lions. I talked about this in these (and many other) articles: "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/12/lion-radiating-heat.html " target="_blank">Lion radiating heat</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/07/mahishasuramardini.html" target="_blank">Mahishasuramardini</a>"...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIe_aLgxKC4l9L5RWUL2Y0zMTbbzhONXnkGSw1_OOY84QONgxjLWJW7t4TxVTOPD0ZfuOVYmbUt736grQa59j2ishKExvT-rJi9rQjfqb8-PqKVPk4L1KRxNkmvn1coJOMR3SbdGjPPkUnZwaD4zADMpuGYkTCJagorXkO44O5UPyc2NUbEgByB6fP1vU/s2048/india%20mating%20lions.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIe_aLgxKC4l9L5RWUL2Y0zMTbbzhONXnkGSw1_OOY84QONgxjLWJW7t4TxVTOPD0ZfuOVYmbUt736grQa59j2ishKExvT-rJi9rQjfqb8-PqKVPk4L1KRxNkmvn1coJOMR3SbdGjPPkUnZwaD4zADMpuGYkTCJagorXkO44O5UPyc2NUbEgByB6fP1vU/s320/india%20mating%20lions.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And here is something interesting that I only found out today: As opposed to the African lions, who live in mixed male female groups, Asiatic male lions live separately, in groups of (mostly) two, and they only mix with females during mating season. You can read about it in this <a href="https://nature.com/articles/s41598-020-74247-x" target="_blank">Nature article</a>...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7LU50kkGvdNpQ3XNwkL9PDNzVCXA4mmXm43CpRG6YIX_W-YErHs6B-90BMYaapgvaVfSTavwZ1JOd5gCvMFbxPoamyaH7i7MNYLdode102buz5XVZxNKo4YX7Y6MrAy9m1SEiGjVednBE41nKpNZWIDXGunuuKl2LUlR5ywSi3hnxb_3uJUMIbS83k4/s800/lion%20coalition.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7LU50kkGvdNpQ3XNwkL9PDNzVCXA4mmXm43CpRG6YIX_W-YErHs6B-90BMYaapgvaVfSTavwZ1JOd5gCvMFbxPoamyaH7i7MNYLdode102buz5XVZxNKo4YX7Y6MrAy9m1SEiGjVednBE41nKpNZWIDXGunuuKl2LUlR5ywSi3hnxb_3uJUMIbS83k4/s320/lion%20coalition.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Lion killing bull is an ancient (religious) symbol...More precisely, ancient deified calendar marker for the end of Jul, beginning of Aug. When autumn (Aug/Sep/Oct, starts in Leo, Jul/Aug) ends (Kills) summer (May/Jun/Jul, starts in Taurus, Apr/May)...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Silver vessel in the form of a lion killing a bull. Western Iran, 7th-6th c. BC. Exhibition "Splendours of the Ancient East: Antiquities from the Al-Sabah collection"...</span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYGYRH3kGAxUeDDtCbpXAr5lLYLYburqcbLKPvjTSM4PhJt8wa_Kp7pBR_bFx3RYJdeaGGYQghov1DssCviD2Da0KLwhGaIJF1Ji2oiYttrkqTOSu5-jzexI6GKW0i16BBI6S8g8sEM2pc_Q8G0obNLsSuJl5KTBFPxHdqwm6vvBUT012bd8sxMCqdOQ/s2048/silver%20lion%20killing%20bull.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYGYRH3kGAxUeDDtCbpXAr5lLYLYburqcbLKPvjTSM4PhJt8wa_Kp7pBR_bFx3RYJdeaGGYQghov1DssCviD2Da0KLwhGaIJF1Ji2oiYttrkqTOSu5-jzexI6GKW0i16BBI6S8g8sEM2pc_Q8G0obNLsSuJl5KTBFPxHdqwm6vvBUT012bd8sxMCqdOQ/s320/silver%20lion%20killing%20bull.webp" width="320" /></span></a></div><div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">We find this scene depicted throughout the part of Eurasia where Asiatic (actually Eurasian) lions once lived. So what is so amazing about Jul/Aug that it's animal calendar marker deserved to be deified? Check these two charts. What happens in Jul/Aug?</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj6fELObFzWnRvbVEDtJmSUxFsRIhHt3eE0ZTVxmqE6mxupR9R4UlgaKPuybLSk5wyG2vTRbahc8jnBMwteErq9C-557CylsQXWmLFOf4awqq6urJnVxrFCLXcBQrGvSX5eJpvYG80ooyEpnKAkRGyVKGvVz0yT9d6_BsnEwfeC1xO26sbEv9DuuhpZL8/s756/year%20-%20wet%20dry%20persia.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="756" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj6fELObFzWnRvbVEDtJmSUxFsRIhHt3eE0ZTVxmqE6mxupR9R4UlgaKPuybLSk5wyG2vTRbahc8jnBMwteErq9C-557CylsQXWmLFOf4awqq6urJnVxrFCLXcBQrGvSX5eJpvYG80ooyEpnKAkRGyVKGvVz0yT9d6_BsnEwfeC1xO26sbEv9DuuhpZL8/s320/year%20-%20wet%20dry%20persia.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvD9MozvaFA7RDDhfnhQTECyJcONOKKRkrICxfRZvbBwY7dn6csCXIR8LsG77dCTrmMGRp6RMZht8M2MuQ8i5_49OfDcxu047ml6BPSIh24Fpt93Y_ieaHXZ4H8if7PSuKvyy9uJukCDT4qqxqS4XW96TR-ZJ8D3ZD1Bba2X3fnfiRPQDL4vcJXV4zZFs/s674/baghdad%20climate.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="674" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvD9MozvaFA7RDDhfnhQTECyJcONOKKRkrICxfRZvbBwY7dn6csCXIR8LsG77dCTrmMGRp6RMZht8M2MuQ8i5_49OfDcxu047ml6BPSIh24Fpt93Y_ieaHXZ4H8if7PSuKvyy9uJukCDT4qqxqS4XW96TR-ZJ8D3ZD1Bba2X3fnfiRPQDL4vcJXV4zZFs/s320/baghdad%20climate.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This is Nergal, the deified destructive "burning" sun, was depicted as a lion man, because Jul/Aug, Leo, is the hottest and driest part of the year in Mesopotamia...Talked abut him in my post "<a href="http://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/05/winged-superhuman-hero.html" target="_blank">Winged superhuman hero</a>"...</span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwiJBfq1aNWJk8w3S7_Ygdt-KtUaRxIdYek-ULs9j-ZziBsvNW46CTnG5U0apIZXxFxksXeb7yGTSdq0wBE-SNwJoJFA9zq4U0JEhTjk5uUpBpdu0hc228ljHyG8uGWdnoUR5U-FKLIkPTpQtMVussjvaEZjQxuLlY3LrYUTPb1RbfMl73NulKK80FB9k/s611/nergal%20man%20lion%20no%20wings.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="611" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwiJBfq1aNWJk8w3S7_Ygdt-KtUaRxIdYek-ULs9j-ZziBsvNW46CTnG5U0apIZXxFxksXeb7yGTSdq0wBE-SNwJoJFA9zq4U0JEhTjk5uUpBpdu0hc228ljHyG8uGWdnoUR5U-FKLIkPTpQtMVussjvaEZjQxuLlY3LrYUTPb1RbfMl73NulKK80FB9k/s320/nergal%20man%20lion%20no%20wings.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">That lion killing bull was a calendar marker became crystal clear to me when I saw this: composite Bull-Lion, bronze, Iran, 1500-1000 BC. Currently in the Cleveland Art Museum. The meaning of this object is unknown. It is presumed that it has served as an object of worship in a temple or shrine...I talked about this object in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/12/bull-lion.html" target="_blank">Bull lion</a>"...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpcFvzez2Tdww2HIrmu2SjRC81RMyPJ5KxahlwHWVyP2-ps2MtEkgaj7LJemFgEhCzgLHKnPTaF-L5Nk8JXLCbB7PxPekHY3DN-SLskI-3yqK6w3GDArA4b8Da2pAWd5TttYdq_kMZl0T9ZXmPfKPHF4Rdbu1bz6c6Y4kXGZV1OVcxjNJDOUEGzCi4OzI/s3400/bull%20lion.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2627" data-original-width="3400" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpcFvzez2Tdww2HIrmu2SjRC81RMyPJ5KxahlwHWVyP2-ps2MtEkgaj7LJemFgEhCzgLHKnPTaF-L5Nk8JXLCbB7PxPekHY3DN-SLskI-3yqK6w3GDArA4b8Da2pAWd5TttYdq_kMZl0T9ZXmPfKPHF4Rdbu1bz6c6Y4kXGZV1OVcxjNJDOUEGzCi4OzI/s320/bull%20lion.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Worship of who? Shamash (Sun) of course...As Nergal, in Jul/Aug, the point when summer (bull) and autumn (lion) meet (one body with two heads)... </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Now what is interesting is that for later Achaemenid Persians, Nergal, The Lion Man, became "Angra Mainyu", The Devil...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/09/angra-mainyu.html" target="_blank">Angra Mainyu</a>"</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHT-nDGqd_vKXKJw9WnUkryVTpWSA_IECMUL44ZdlbcwPokTW8JT5SsBklF9F9sXRifs4w0f5QRtJlqxgtc9TL_BrLaPv4hlRG-DdeAbFDclUruZjlP_wwjcvS2iB8HFEc8mypeQYZ2_0queADXZKNLDYrNfuUnHVT5qQDA4Q-ajN7xpV1TTFyAI3t4jc/s505/ninurta%20and%20Angra%20Mainyu%20dates.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="190" data-original-width="505" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHT-nDGqd_vKXKJw9WnUkryVTpWSA_IECMUL44ZdlbcwPokTW8JT5SsBklF9F9sXRifs4w0f5QRtJlqxgtc9TL_BrLaPv4hlRG-DdeAbFDclUruZjlP_wwjcvS2iB8HFEc8mypeQYZ2_0queADXZKNLDYrNfuUnHVT5qQDA4Q-ajN7xpV1TTFyAI3t4jc/s320/ninurta%20and%20Angra%20Mainyu%20dates.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Which had to be killed...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Why were Persian kings so obsessed with killing lions? Well they were't really killing lions. They were symbolically killing dry season...Which starts in Apr/May, Bull, peaks in Jul/Aug, Leo and ends in Oct/Nov, Scorpio/Eagle...I talked about it in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/02/the-king-killing-angra-mainyu.html" target="_blank">King killing Angra Mainyu</a>".</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1itrQ8dRW9cZl9bA6ms5WI1nqoM5a1lsNhaC1CY66phLUJQaYST-k98UPnGTLixWmmdV-sMXSYkF9xzUFW2sIW_Si-Uz1hRXA-nGBcxenv1ys9noljIqshC1j6A1Jyr5FwgP7ED-thab4k0VnJPoYxAB95xIZeHokpirIz3S8dkACrQPAWhcLsDOd3OM/s1024/king%20killing%20summer.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="651" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1itrQ8dRW9cZl9bA6ms5WI1nqoM5a1lsNhaC1CY66phLUJQaYST-k98UPnGTLixWmmdV-sMXSYkF9xzUFW2sIW_Si-Uz1hRXA-nGBcxenv1ys9noljIqshC1j6A1Jyr5FwgP7ED-thab4k0VnJPoYxAB95xIZeHokpirIz3S8dkACrQPAWhcLsDOd3OM/s320/king%20killing%20summer.png" width="203" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">You can read more about the religious symbolism of the Lion killing Bull scene in these articles:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2023/08/mystery-seal.html " target="_blank">Mystery seal</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2023/03/cypriot-stamp-seal-with-cow-and-calf.html " target="_blank">Cypriot stamp seal with cow and calf</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/10/black-basalt-stone-of-esarhaddon.html" target="_blank">Black basalt stone of Esarhaddon</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/09/angra-mainyu.html" target="_blank">Angra Mainyu</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/07/bull-leaping-in-syria.html" target="_blank">Bull leaping in Syria</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/10/lion-killin-bull-under-date-palm.html " target="_blank">Lion killing bull under date palm</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/05/butt-chewing.html" target="_blank">Butt chewing</a>"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And so...Just another lion killing bull scene, with a twist? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To read more about ancient animal and plant calendar markers, start </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/p/animal-solar-year-markers.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">…then check </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/search?q=%22animal+calendar+markers%22&max-results=20&by-date=true" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">the rest of the blog posts related to animal calendar markers</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't add to this page, and finally check </span><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=thread%20(from%3Aserbiaireland)%20-filter%3Areplies&src=typed_query&f=live" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">my twitter threads</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't convert to blog post...I am 9 months behind now...</span></span></p>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-22904498384537654142024-02-21T10:13:00.000-08:002024-02-29T07:23:52.781-08:00Basalt water basin from Assur<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">God of fresh water and annual flood Ea/Enki flanked by fish-cloaked Apkallus. Part of the 7th century BC basalt water basin from Assur, Iraq. Pergamon Museum, Germany...</span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh28SCuoiYmNqrei4sZamW6CQhTyIacZrmwmIeqqRl1OuzPbnpX4frQD_h_6yOnwsfjOq_WULaB4YI71iwcYlESKQqu4tibre_LdCBoP2QEX-j-nLkE8ostzFsCphk1U4O0nJ6nIGhzhqWgrEOX6H-yvIJeGV64S5nJF58ICfscuKjwNAO20LTqHqXKE10/s1038/enki%20and%20apkallu.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1038" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh28SCuoiYmNqrei4sZamW6CQhTyIacZrmwmIeqqRl1OuzPbnpX4frQD_h_6yOnwsfjOq_WULaB4YI71iwcYlESKQqu4tibre_LdCBoP2QEX-j-nLkE8ostzFsCphk1U4O0nJ6nIGhzhqWgrEOX6H-yvIJeGV64S5nJF58ICfscuKjwNAO20LTqHqXKE10/s320/enki%20and%20apkallu.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Ea/Enki is often depicted as the source of the two great rivers, Tigris and Euphrates, which either flow out of his shoulders, or out of a cup that he holds in his hands...Enki is (in) Abzu, The Northern mountains/highlands, the source of Tigris and Euphrates...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvqF2FQ3w_qiGUb_ILf8RXa5-y72qJGFSgyQrTxvbM_UzTBmByIZGzjnSUXJ_-Q0D5AXnJauLZyxbkYmRiPe8lUl_JepDTc5p9wmOXSMQxZceNjvEsvsfzJ23_yIoeL52PXPwziGPsCMA45hWOLUuRbXkFSktB3aBi_KqvJDIwn4dRliQDXjDFmj3u6g/s270/enki%20source%20of%20two%20rivers.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="126" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvqF2FQ3w_qiGUb_ILf8RXa5-y72qJGFSgyQrTxvbM_UzTBmByIZGzjnSUXJ_-Q0D5AXnJauLZyxbkYmRiPe8lUl_JepDTc5p9wmOXSMQxZceNjvEsvsfzJ23_yIoeL52PXPwziGPsCMA45hWOLUuRbXkFSktB3aBi_KqvJDIwn4dRliQDXjDFmj3u6g/s1600/enki%20source%20of%20two%20rivers.jpeg" width="126" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I love the fact that on the relief from the water basin from Assur, the water is depicted flowing out of the "jugs" in the sky (rain), into the "jug" held by Enki/Ea (Abzu, mountains/highlands which are source of Tigris and Euphrates) and then out of it as two great rivers...</span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhru12QE6xKf4rF978uoBQOhTWkAlo7_Kb3IFhSYyMvonMZh3NU-ZCbAYBUNU3K8Y9iOkUCp7efO1iezoWmIPd-HVMDh5-H7uVq18beI6_7avAQX3oi9Xl8YoSrFQ0XJ7_LaHgTZtpi7M2Cx8aG5grVTSLXLXC1-mUR9gBLdlNBCifSiTKXYQMJZ_4DONw/s1038/enki%20and%20apkallu%20description.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1038" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhru12QE6xKf4rF978uoBQOhTWkAlo7_Kb3IFhSYyMvonMZh3NU-ZCbAYBUNU3K8Y9iOkUCp7efO1iezoWmIPd-HVMDh5-H7uVq18beI6_7avAQX3oi9Xl8YoSrFQ0XJ7_LaHgTZtpi7M2Cx8aG5grVTSLXLXC1-mUR9gBLdlNBCifSiTKXYQMJZ_4DONw/s320/enki%20and%20apkallu%20description.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">What about the fish dudes?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Fish are often depicted swimming towards Enki. I talked about this in my posts "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/05/adda-seal.html" target="_blank">Adda seal</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/03/goatfish.html" target="_blank">Goatfish</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/05/utu-or-enki.html" target="_blank">Utu and Enki</a>"...</span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6M8Ixwb6YNAh2UKuyCabVbfNNf68EIJs_FtCxYXCedCshk9LH2tPpq03od1rV_doypHy2RmGNcT3MrOxqUSMBUBzzPsGQgtwdG0pGc6w1TtWecNRTDLqZxCdNLC1pBmHbZJCOxZ9GOlMSRGp6KbdqGgkkZDtUBr_J2Mta6VLo87x-eh1PHErDMI6q9c/s400/enki%20jar%20two%20streams%20goatfish%20fish.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="363" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6M8Ixwb6YNAh2UKuyCabVbfNNf68EIJs_FtCxYXCedCshk9LH2tPpq03od1rV_doypHy2RmGNcT3MrOxqUSMBUBzzPsGQgtwdG0pGc6w1TtWecNRTDLqZxCdNLC1pBmHbZJCOxZ9GOlMSRGp6KbdqGgkkZDtUBr_J2Mta6VLo87x-eh1PHErDMI6q9c/s320/enki%20jar%20two%20streams%20goatfish%20fish.jpg" width="290" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">These are giant Mesopotamian carps, migratory fish which migrate upstream, towards Enki who is (in) Abzu, the source of Tigris and Euphrates, for spawning during the flood...Hence the expression "carp flood" found in Mesopotamian texts...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqQhmNhR-cpz8gjjtAl6MbLookHv0H3c2JMxB4TprNIvyqaLwdxRFImjdcnCb2D7F0vi401J7cDCJUSwk-Xx9nvmQ0KFL65NXHhKDdw7oAB8oJHHZ2oCE4tzvG9CFHvQxXu-W2zhyKor0iwhq_iVvfKPeObD9AJ-tpcgSjXrXjduVq7y3v7YZb_KVq1U/s543/euphrates%20carp.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="424" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqQhmNhR-cpz8gjjtAl6MbLookHv0H3c2JMxB4TprNIvyqaLwdxRFImjdcnCb2D7F0vi401J7cDCJUSwk-Xx9nvmQ0KFL65NXHhKDdw7oAB8oJHHZ2oCE4tzvG9CFHvQxXu-W2zhyKor0iwhq_iVvfKPeObD9AJ-tpcgSjXrXjduVq7y3v7YZb_KVq1U/s320/euphrates%20carp.jpeg" width="250" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">These were then seen as Enki's messengers, and on the Stella of the Vultures, we can read that they were "sent with messages to Enki"...You can read about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/03/goatfish.html" target="_blank">Goatfish</a>".</span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">These giant fish were eventually turned into Apkallu, which are on the Assur basin seen "facing" Enki. Apkallu were seen as proxies through whom Enki, the god of wisdom and civilisation, established civilisation in Lower Mesopotamia...Basically Neolithic settlers from Anatolia...I talked about them in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2024/01/apkallu.html" target="_blank">Apkallu</a>"...</span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> <br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREoGsPrdV54l-kZ09AX8S8ryBBXDmvXfl9nQt4cxlTX8BmE0LjoMI-7Xgho6VStLshPW1gQe1RqyWvpD0c0gUmS-FR3-jLpuOj215YM6qaqkKXb90Y9NJ66ZU_l7A87T52nTrTrQt4K6R2YkYXq-ehjNq7Z5c0julh1QlpxlIufORoPwg0LVv1pKaWB8/s400/apkallu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="285" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREoGsPrdV54l-kZ09AX8S8ryBBXDmvXfl9nQt4cxlTX8BmE0LjoMI-7Xgho6VStLshPW1gQe1RqyWvpD0c0gUmS-FR3-jLpuOj215YM6qaqkKXb90Y9NJ66ZU_l7A87T52nTrTrQt4K6R2YkYXq-ehjNq7Z5c0julh1QlpxlIufORoPwg0LVv1pKaWB8/s320/apkallu.jpg" width="228" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So that wasn't so difficult to understand, right? Well if you know what animal calendar markers are and how to interpret them...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To read more about ancient animal and plant calendar markers, start </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/p/animal-solar-year-markers.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">…then check </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/search?q=%22animal+calendar+markers%22&max-results=20&by-date=true" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">the rest of the blog posts related to animal calendar markers</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't add to this page, and finally check </span><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=thread%20(from%3Aserbiaireland)%20-filter%3Areplies&src=typed_query&f=live" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">my twitter threads</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't convert to blog post...I am 9 months behind now...</span></span></div>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-14021752914644267392024-02-21T08:21:00.000-08:002024-02-25T06:24:45.196-08:00Feast plaque from Louvre<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Another amazing object I discovered during the 5 hour long stroll I took with my son through the Mesopotamian section of the Louvre museum last weekend. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEgbicaMrPjB8eht2EtjR-gFea_onaK2WJoBxOGmdodfvk0BeuBvRczXQ21Jb2J41X-Rlh3G2FTL7LJ8mAQ-PN6CnA9S8SitSm1TdT-lEBuQiKEMM-5q51Hn4n3qvLXimDjx-vrqRD9y_tbwkZMzRwzz0NfswpLAtUfewqigSBPBeuwQfz8iGVLHub3A/s656/bas%20relief%20boat%20goat%20bull.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="656" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEgbicaMrPjB8eht2EtjR-gFea_onaK2WJoBxOGmdodfvk0BeuBvRczXQ21Jb2J41X-Rlh3G2FTL7LJ8mAQ-PN6CnA9S8SitSm1TdT-lEBuQiKEMM-5q51Hn4n3qvLXimDjx-vrqRD9y_tbwkZMzRwzz0NfswpLAtUfewqigSBPBeuwQfz8iGVLHub3A/s320/bas%20relief%20boat%20goat%20bull.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Perforated votive limestone plaque, Mesopotamia (where?), ca. 2700-2650BC...<a href="https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010155077" target="_blank">Currently kept in Louvre</a>...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The official description: </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"...decoration is arranged in three registers. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">A banquet scene occupies the first register...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In the second register, a stag and ox are placed on either side of the central perforation. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">A banquet scene in a boat occupies the third register..."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So what's so amazing about this?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">First amazing thing is that the museum curators didn't identify the two animals depicted between the two banquet scenes correctly. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The animal on the left is not a stag. It's an ibex goat. And the animal on the right is not an ox. It's a calf...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">VERY VERY IMPORTANT...How can you expect to correctly interpret what is depicted on this object, if you don't identify the correctly what is actually depicted on it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Oh wait, they never attempted to interpret what was depicted on this object...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So let me try to do it...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">But really, this object is amazing because it connects three other objects I talked about earlier, and basically links all the symbols depicted on these objects together...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">First object is this perforated votive limestone plaque, from the same period (and most likely the same area) as our original votive limestone plaque. I talked about it in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/10/green-pastures.html" target="_blank">Green pastures</a>"...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3jADZhfQfBOz_bEsomjGSSFIU5JEEW046TOAzHDATky8kzN2qQ4nHmOBG8tau5CsH0zjbK5cjW1jzd5dXIFQEUQFa4JKc9e6nvUr-85Tv_Qu2Vs5C_YpD333_3YZT6DpQAZ_lS52I41Y/s914/tel+asmar+statues+plaque.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="832" data-original-width="914" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3jADZhfQfBOz_bEsomjGSSFIU5JEEW046TOAzHDATky8kzN2qQ4nHmOBG8tau5CsH0zjbK5cjW1jzd5dXIFQEUQFa4JKc9e6nvUr-85Tv_Qu2Vs5C_YpD333_3YZT6DpQAZ_lS52I41Y/s320/tel+asmar+statues+plaque.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">It too depicts a banquet scene in its top register. The other two registers depict two ibex goats and two calves, two very important animal calendar markers used extensively in Mesopotamia...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">According to the paper "God or worshiper", the first "banquet" scene actually depicts worshipers in front of Abu the god of green pastures, and his consort, goddess of fertility...But this paper says nothing about goats and calves...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">What goat and bull calf depict are beginning and end of the fertile, bountiful, time of the year in Mesopotamia, the cool, wet half, winter, which starts in Oct/Nov (ibex goats mating) and ends in Apr/May (auroch cattle calving). The time of plenty, the party time...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzmSzXmmX_Io9DrzqGCPQaQFakyPUy67I_P1geTwOkHrMXlzWTcfnWJjQ7HoHQb9BPAE2jIqkfrp4VKTCdPInD2zwOlLFd3NsDxjz6ct-FtAMU0pFYQkyK4F8rECCSO4Fodtac1jttXGBN4-CTtRWU8BGLoikigC4sHMOZKzQjUUBI_LI81VEBFmHZtKA/s756/year%20-%20goat%20bull%20mesopotamia.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="756" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzmSzXmmX_Io9DrzqGCPQaQFakyPUy67I_P1geTwOkHrMXlzWTcfnWJjQ7HoHQb9BPAE2jIqkfrp4VKTCdPInD2zwOlLFd3NsDxjz6ct-FtAMU0pFYQkyK4F8rECCSO4Fodtac1jttXGBN4-CTtRWU8BGLoikigC4sHMOZKzQjUUBI_LI81VEBFmHZtKA/s320/year%20-%20goat%20bull%20mesopotamia.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I talked about ibex goat as an animal calendar marker in many posts, such as,</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"> "</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/09/problems-of-abzu.html" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Problems with Abzu</a><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">", "</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/03/relief-from-dur-sharrukin.html" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Relief from Dur Sharrukin</a><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">", "</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/03/goatfish.html" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Goatfish</a><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">", "</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/12/flamingos-from-susa.html" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Flamingos from Susa</a><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">", "</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/10/goat-carrier.html" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Goat carrier</a><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">", "</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/09/iranian-goat-of-rain.html" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Iranian goat of rain</a><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">", "</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/12/strider.html" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Strider</a><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">", "</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/08/a-vessel-from-tepe-hissar.html" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;" target="_blank">A vessel from Tepe Hissar</a><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">"... </span></p><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I talked about bull/calf as an animal calendar marker in many posts, such as, "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/12/foundation-peg-of-goddess-nanshe.html" target="_blank">Foundation peg of the goddess Nanshe</a>", "</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/04/cow-and-calf-ivory.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Cow and calf ivory</span></a><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">", </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">"</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/05/butt-chewing.html" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Butt chewing</a><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">", </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">"</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/10/bulls-and-grain-bowls.html" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Bulls and grain bowls</a><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">", "</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/10/how-grain-came-to-sumer.html" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;" target="_blank">How grain came to Sumer</a><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">", </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/07/bull-leaping-in-syria.html" target="_blank">Bull leaping in Syria</a>"</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">...</span></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Anyway, the second object is this seal, dated to 2300–2150BC, depicting Enki, god of fresh water and the annual flood, in a boat. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4PgcqqbfZ_fgAqfUcwCUm7EHHjZup-rRw6kjTKGhqB-QtEJCDFXSNWX6Zdr3RUiF0W5Mra5xIdpgN1LqC9D4kcFyMHMpAp-NlopSpcukfBgitCw45wBeKwwVWC0Sra7qsCdsCEYyX_IeSeKtLuOQao-cPsxRLh5XHqQFOEPPIBxrxLXritC7QIgCJNmk/s472/enki%20in%20a%20boat.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="472" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4PgcqqbfZ_fgAqfUcwCUm7EHHjZup-rRw6kjTKGhqB-QtEJCDFXSNWX6Zdr3RUiF0W5Mra5xIdpgN1LqC9D4kcFyMHMpAp-NlopSpcukfBgitCw45wBeKwwVWC0Sra7qsCdsCEYyX_IeSeKtLuOQao-cPsxRLh5XHqQFOEPPIBxrxLXritC7QIgCJNmk/s320/enki%20in%20a%20boat.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In my article </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"</span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/06/enkis-little-boat.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">Enki's little boat</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">", </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I explained why Enki's boat is actually the symbol for the annual flood. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The third object is this seal, from the same period as he previous one, also depicting Enki's flood boat, but this time, above the boat we have an ibex goat and an auroch bull...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnFhOrj9eJE8Pm9TR3Byaweg9SXNMCZwQ_P0ifWCOWB4E49XcOfEzeG4DngoGv3t51t5wWWDaCxYegG7lloeXmlTL8zRrBzcj34kP1qLKJIZBKJXBRQS-6MgiMK8BHb3wvQILhkyvAbyp5m_afarYAVkRaTKHEY72Xs_TEmTBRnFC0Qq18B0h3A83ryIg/s590/goat%20bull%20and%20enki.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="590" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnFhOrj9eJE8Pm9TR3Byaweg9SXNMCZwQ_P0ifWCOWB4E49XcOfEzeG4DngoGv3t51t5wWWDaCxYegG7lloeXmlTL8zRrBzcj34kP1qLKJIZBKJXBRQS-6MgiMK8BHb3wvQILhkyvAbyp5m_afarYAVkRaTKHEY72Xs_TEmTBRnFC0Qq18B0h3A83ryIg/s320/goat%20bull%20and%20enki.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In my article "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/06/rain-and-flood.html" target="_blank">Rain and flood</a>" I explained the relationship between these two animal calendar markers and the annual flood. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"By hand Winter guided the spring floods, the abundance and life of the Land..." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This is climate chart for Southern Mesopotamia...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8R6-IQMvzqLf-6v8hEJq0KakBFc4DCpEy9MBuwRKdq8JvlkB8MZi4ziZ7K0wWyM9D7t8i4kfyzc7OvWL7rjJbbMgy5jwt8ngpPHR5ytlRxnTGnIN8bMCTTlKsWMfavkqUzXRMDewqXykoyvol5q5PFyHki2C2zuOWLn4s-6IRUDPecaW3mnjNT7n/s674/baghdad%20climate.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="674" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8R6-IQMvzqLf-6v8hEJq0KakBFc4DCpEy9MBuwRKdq8JvlkB8MZi4ziZ7K0wWyM9D7t8i4kfyzc7OvWL7rjJbbMgy5jwt8ngpPHR5ytlRxnTGnIN8bMCTTlKsWMfavkqUzXRMDewqXykoyvol5q5PFyHki2C2zuOWLn4s-6IRUDPecaW3mnjNT7n/s320/baghdad%20climate.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Winter, cool, wet, fertile half of the year in Mesopotamia starts in Oct/Nov (ibex goats mating) and ends in Apr/May (auroch cattle calving)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And as I said, this last votive plaque links all these objects and the symbols depicted on them together. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEgbicaMrPjB8eht2EtjR-gFea_onaK2WJoBxOGmdodfvk0BeuBvRczXQ21Jb2J41X-Rlh3G2FTL7LJ8mAQ-PN6CnA9S8SitSm1TdT-lEBuQiKEMM-5q51Hn4n3qvLXimDjx-vrqRD9y_tbwkZMzRwzz0NfswpLAtUfewqigSBPBeuwQfz8iGVLHub3A/s656/bas%20relief%20boat%20goat%20bull.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="656" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEgbicaMrPjB8eht2EtjR-gFea_onaK2WJoBxOGmdodfvk0BeuBvRczXQ21Jb2J41X-Rlh3G2FTL7LJ8mAQ-PN6CnA9S8SitSm1TdT-lEBuQiKEMM-5q51Hn4n3qvLXimDjx-vrqRD9y_tbwkZMzRwzz0NfswpLAtUfewqigSBPBeuwQfz8iGVLHub3A/s320/bas%20relief%20boat%20goat%20bull.png" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Top: God of green pasture and goddess of fertility?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Middle: animal calendar markers marking the beginning and end of winter</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Bottom: Enki, God of annual flood in his procession boat. Enki who was also known as Goat of Abzu and Bull of Abzu...And of course before me, no one knew why...Sad...I know I am not that smart...I talked about this procession boat in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/09/problems-of-abzu.html" target="_blank">Problems of the Abzu</a>"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">All having a splendid party, party, party time...Between goat and bull calf...</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To read more about ancient animal and plant calendar markers, start </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/p/animal-solar-year-markers.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">…then check </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/search?q=%22animal+calendar+markers%22&max-results=20&by-date=true" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">the rest of the blog posts related to animal calendar markers</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't add to this page, and finally check </span><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=thread%20(from%3Aserbiaireland)%20-filter%3Areplies&src=typed_query&f=live" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">my twitter threads</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't convert to blog post...I am 9 months behind now...</span></span></p>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-18457155470919933912024-02-17T09:06:00.000-08:002024-02-17T09:06:31.702-08:00River in the sky<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derveni_papyrus" target="_blank">Derveni papyrus</a> is an ancient Greek papyrus roll, dated to 340 BC, containing an allegorical commentary on an Orphic poem, a theogony concerning the birth of the gods, produced in the circle of the philosopher Anaxagoras...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPR4xK-gIlg3gVbTlDqSY0GbPWSvWFLLhIINt7wbuSqPxlIgoUxxtWmJAzDi-2gjVzAKPZLdnsUS9E6ewOvQ5V8ydsSMAaI_i3QsoprgJftvaeblkiuhTRNoEazUah9Bv0ohfeXqL6dZn1tZSuhTMz7n0BP2oTly4v9QHqY9_wtgpMGn57m4816YhQ9m0/s396/Derveni-papyrus%20picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="253" data-original-width="396" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPR4xK-gIlg3gVbTlDqSY0GbPWSvWFLLhIINt7wbuSqPxlIgoUxxtWmJAzDi-2gjVzAKPZLdnsUS9E6ewOvQ5V8ydsSMAaI_i3QsoprgJftvaeblkiuhTRNoEazUah9Bv0ohfeXqL6dZn1tZSuhTMz7n0BP2oTly4v9QHqY9_wtgpMGn57m4816YhQ9m0/s320/Derveni-papyrus%20picture.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And <a href="https://chs.harvard.edu/ioanna-papadopoulou-an-introduction-to-the-derveni-papyrus/" target="_blank">in it</a>, we find this...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"...It is unclear to the many, but quite clear to those who have correct understanding, that Oceanus is the air and that air is Zeus...But the ignorant ones think that Oceanus is a river, because he adds 'wide-flowing'..."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimj66RvpFvR8WJOEHFBNjtRpxE88fn_P9qULwk9Ze-4Hc96ewJ7jAbI2Y7aTfsN3eh2bdStASchDfht55QFBSNFWdF9RrUNRfvalc_gC3umtjAJGCZbcTw-wPBmS5qjne4eWQx_G-h_-cqxoZJ8aleM2m7fL_WJPAFTH65RDAds8ZodVuMQleer1Vesjc/s572/derveni%20papyrus%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="442" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimj66RvpFvR8WJOEHFBNjtRpxE88fn_P9qULwk9Ze-4Hc96ewJ7jAbI2Y7aTfsN3eh2bdStASchDfht55QFBSNFWdF9RrUNRfvalc_gC3umtjAJGCZbcTw-wPBmS5qjne4eWQx_G-h_-cqxoZJ8aleM2m7fL_WJPAFTH65RDAds8ZodVuMQleer1Vesjc/s320/derveni%20papyrus%201.png" width="247" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Eeeee what???? Oceanus, the biggest river, the source of all water, is in the air and is Zeus (rain)???? How can we possibly interpret this???</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Well....Ever heard of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_river" target="_blank">Atmospheric river</a>?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">A giant river, the biggest river on earth, flowing in the sky, with many channels, the source of all the rain and the source of all water in all the earthly rivers...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicfC_erXdxbuRtOTQZetmX9UGSpcw_PMQyyTpPs1qMjKzPkvceS32iaFSV00xUFk1i064SUBmtSkfaOPrMcj-3Wp7q-Jw51-qdhR3x1REDHAWAdaSERvfFuNuBjV-m5Usjo28yuFlNHkap8_1h2g-MfbhzYWOWSWH4RsJ0fTzaKl8_dBe4En1O9vMPbOw/s760/atmospheric%20river%20world.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="760" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicfC_erXdxbuRtOTQZetmX9UGSpcw_PMQyyTpPs1qMjKzPkvceS32iaFSV00xUFk1i064SUBmtSkfaOPrMcj-3Wp7q-Jw51-qdhR3x1REDHAWAdaSERvfFuNuBjV-m5Usjo28yuFlNHkap8_1h2g-MfbhzYWOWSWH4RsJ0fTzaKl8_dBe4En1O9vMPbOw/s320/atmospheric%20river%20world.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Some of these <a href="https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/24/5125/2020/hess-24-5125-2020.html" target="_blank">channels reaching Europe</a> too...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQ3J-XZloeI79afehFK_QLhbE2SEPym3oll1ev6NLClMMTJ7cWi39Gp7Rh434b2VPCiFcX8-4BBCk6tVcBX-TdjVPW_f1849zDylG6757V3BfnTJGRqdUjTA6MhBtdecBc76A-EslmddE010tOlIW02ugTE6GxS1PvVEs538J2_gWlCw8xIIZziBFGZ8/s860/rivers%20in%20the%20sky.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="860" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQ3J-XZloeI79afehFK_QLhbE2SEPym3oll1ev6NLClMMTJ7cWi39Gp7Rh434b2VPCiFcX8-4BBCk6tVcBX-TdjVPW_f1849zDylG6757V3BfnTJGRqdUjTA6MhBtdecBc76A-EslmddE010tOlIW02ugTE6GxS1PvVEs538J2_gWlCw8xIIZziBFGZ8/s320/rivers%20in%20the%20sky.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So is this what the authors of the Derveni papyrus are talking about? If so, and I do think so, then that means that those Orphic dudes knew some serious shit...</span></p>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-69038567907861936022024-02-17T08:46:00.000-08:002024-02-17T08:46:50.334-08:00Invisible archer<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">If arrows are shooting down from the night sky (Orionid meteorite shower)...</span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1Sh2O4t5RwekSpTwp5T5He7p6SidtUaizEzxWcEBj0A2IJNH-eudFqQXMqbsWej6ROX6OWlCGaXX6m9u-gbQZ1Yn80JE1FYp_34oETlIBgGR1SaTpIwiDcBS8u6UxaElCdGnt1VHJEPoBwdbb2e2NNqZnxO-KgfkECcXt_UhI2NmQT99RFQd9aCGRP8/s958/shooting%20stars.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="958" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1Sh2O4t5RwekSpTwp5T5He7p6SidtUaizEzxWcEBj0A2IJNH-eudFqQXMqbsWej6ROX6OWlCGaXX6m9u-gbQZ1Yn80JE1FYp_34oETlIBgGR1SaTpIwiDcBS8u6UxaElCdGnt1VHJEPoBwdbb2e2NNqZnxO-KgfkECcXt_UhI2NmQT99RFQd9aCGRP8/s320/shooting%20stars.webp" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">...there must be an [invisible] archer (Orion) standing somewhere up there shooting them out of his bow...<br /></span><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1n24hYh6Fu9MdJP5mPXPi2tw-sqdoaU8NVXCV26awUx7Y4aceQ9-caSH7WU7UhiwRCa_8UXz6rEOcvfvoIYPwiweiAK4ygGoi2Zt9V5r-QcOzw9ITMC13CQIT8rup4fRMVM5mowFloALu7PfOPmXE28pLp2D2bTHSfXRLaNzBErh9Oa2AKt_2jTilD_4/s632/orion%20archer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="460" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1n24hYh6Fu9MdJP5mPXPi2tw-sqdoaU8NVXCV26awUx7Y4aceQ9-caSH7WU7UhiwRCa_8UXz6rEOcvfvoIYPwiweiAK4ygGoi2Zt9V5r-QcOzw9ITMC13CQIT8rup4fRMVM5mowFloALu7PfOPmXE28pLp2D2bTHSfXRLaNzBErh9Oa2AKt_2jTilD_4/s320/orion%20archer.jpg" width="233" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">An example of an ancient "scientific" explanation for an annual natural event...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Of course, if you look at the stars that form Orion constellation, this is what you see...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KDKYsu-4pirgTYJFiy_5CDApHp8Zi8qHKwwoIpNr-xRgxsR1W2XKZv0B34MTSGWdiMHq-fqZ0o3NGi_fPqbWq2JdVebrScX8SwX0_T_mZuM4lPiXMltaqjfhXHs6Hr3awuGdyeWP8E-UO7QWdzjwmNB_eosbRNPfpzBQLx4wSp-xwSwktAsqlO_p0vQ/s1600/orion%20constellation.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1201" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KDKYsu-4pirgTYJFiy_5CDApHp8Zi8qHKwwoIpNr-xRgxsR1W2XKZv0B34MTSGWdiMHq-fqZ0o3NGi_fPqbWq2JdVebrScX8SwX0_T_mZuM4lPiXMltaqjfhXHs6Hr3awuGdyeWP8E-UO7QWdzjwmNB_eosbRNPfpzBQLx4wSp-xwSwktAsqlO_p0vQ/s320/orion%20constellation.webp" width="240" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The lines were added by people to form the imagined archer which rises in the night sky as the arrow like meteorites, the debris from the Halley comet, start shooting down on earth from Orionid radiant. Right above Orion...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqXnd8V3zW7iaWj2SdkTD83SKJqdAmwapR-k7nDXYDI4S0dJRExfjnwKvC_89NMM3sI-y-DEa9najJ9lV8mIr1TofH0o6wdh3D1o_TYpOmZfCOMuBaNRClbwTtVbA8yIqiFjj0-5pkbD74Sk_APDNvK5Lr6zO9apbCq6sV3WtowdVcZ74Co_-Chh85Mg/s772/orionid-radiant.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="772" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqXnd8V3zW7iaWj2SdkTD83SKJqdAmwapR-k7nDXYDI4S0dJRExfjnwKvC_89NMM3sI-y-DEa9najJ9lV8mIr1TofH0o6wdh3D1o_TYpOmZfCOMuBaNRClbwTtVbA8yIqiFjj0-5pkbD74Sk_APDNvK5Lr6zO9apbCq6sV3WtowdVcZ74Co_-Chh85Mg/s320/orionid-radiant.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Anyway, this is how some people saw and explained Orionid meteor shower, which starts every year in Sep, and ends in Nov, and peaks in mid Oct.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Some other people did't see arrows coming down from the sky. They saw clubs...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIMlX7EMCZD343lWE-_sZqYED7A-q1BqKCVRZB1cX7OXfIz_nPexuSyO2HukqMpAjj77A63VDL4FEMt1CP-OJFPv-r_N_WSu5wIEd7tWORN69fNVFe4V3ChnYQIQnujFdZAxXKkEFFQrci8gOfvGYZ7X79plXahvPu-5gK7D6xF5jv6jagPPJ1Kf0NUY/s810/meteor.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="810" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIMlX7EMCZD343lWE-_sZqYED7A-q1BqKCVRZB1cX7OXfIz_nPexuSyO2HukqMpAjj77A63VDL4FEMt1CP-OJFPv-r_N_WSu5wIEd7tWORN69fNVFe4V3ChnYQIQnujFdZAxXKkEFFQrci8gOfvGYZ7X79plXahvPu-5gK7D6xF5jv6jagPPJ1Kf0NUY/s320/meteor.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih5e6eZYvrEfjRNE085JT6Gt7F8VfzbZBhTq2EUJ-bFsZIQD__sl-uecRuprZfbxRsXNH_dXcMl4bifjQt94gjGUl53lct0ab-rwDRZ24buR0SG_t5iiCWwZAy4qPAESjVNIssr0m0BQxurxf5B7M7nBEG01WLdIB1DeJzCmgZEv0pQSd5XEGefnRhWEI/s320/toljaga.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="229" data-original-width="320" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih5e6eZYvrEfjRNE085JT6Gt7F8VfzbZBhTq2EUJ-bFsZIQD__sl-uecRuprZfbxRsXNH_dXcMl4bifjQt94gjGUl53lct0ab-rwDRZ24buR0SG_t5iiCWwZAy4qPAESjVNIssr0m0BQxurxf5B7M7nBEG01WLdIB1DeJzCmgZEv0pQSd5XEGefnRhWEI/s1600/toljaga.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And so</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6wfdDDOGvEJ3JkzJsiQpeGLxkPsJ1odAyQlGIzsZGWXFQpbFZniMF6vQWtBbhr7VW8KrtwRtoYJzCAnDtZHhas3NavZCCcHPalUTY11HHGEnZHZ9XSIg6uP4udYp218JoFeKMShzlSr0y5SXfD3ng76jxfRDI_F12b6z5oN5P8fGujKgD2wLFg5vAMI/s320/Orion.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="264" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6wfdDDOGvEJ3JkzJsiQpeGLxkPsJ1odAyQlGIzsZGWXFQpbFZniMF6vQWtBbhr7VW8KrtwRtoYJzCAnDtZHhas3NavZCCcHPalUTY11HHGEnZHZ9XSIg6uP4udYp218JoFeKMShzlSr0y5SXfD3ng76jxfRDI_F12b6z5oN5P8fGujKgD2wLFg5vAMI/s1600/Orion.jpg" width="264" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Why was Orion seen by Ancient Greeks as a "the greatest hunter" armed with a cudgel (club)? And why do Bulgarians call Orion "cudgels (clubs)" and why do Serbs call Orion "Baba's (grandmother's) sticks" and all the stars "Baba's (grandmother's) cudgels (clubs)"? I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2018/01/grandmothers-cudgels-clubs.html" target="_blank">Grandmother's cudgels (clubs)</a>"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">You might also like this article, "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/04/jack-and-magic-beans.html" target="_blank">Jack and magic beans</a>", about (thunder) giants living in the sky...And the possibility that our myths about sky gods originated as the best scientific explanation for observed phenomena. If huge rocks are falling from the sky, someone is throwing them...So, giants living in the sky...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">A 15th-century engraving depicts the town of Ensisheim in present-day France being struck by a thunderbolt as a giant rock...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_T7oNL7-LgkRWz-3AmdNMPuD0d_ol_eL4FsW0tKOygJsIsYjYdnBK2WfuPk2zi9D1R9ZaRINcvPmGvRt7Q3saSlTrjUmkAHxSFwpdfXqKMJrjYdERWJkiVqbRMB8WMogAfnDY9JpkI-KqZyqAAQXZFfLNF3iZhuwRUhy45V1xmsq_fBoilMf9QDjV/s936/meteorite%20thunderbolt.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="936" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_T7oNL7-LgkRWz-3AmdNMPuD0d_ol_eL4FsW0tKOygJsIsYjYdnBK2WfuPk2zi9D1R9ZaRINcvPmGvRt7Q3saSlTrjUmkAHxSFwpdfXqKMJrjYdERWJkiVqbRMB8WMogAfnDY9JpkI-KqZyqAAQXZFfLNF3iZhuwRUhy45V1xmsq_fBoilMf9QDjV/s320/meteorite%20thunderbolt.png" width="320" /></span></a></p><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Now guess what happens in Mesopotamia in Oct/Nov? The dry season, the season of drought and death, ends when the first rains arrive...In Oct/Nov...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZctON76yrmMWWbfGXaRjXWxqR8Iy4DsbqTuOuxI2uoEjn-eT-EflPDm3y91l-74mvW3PxAZC9o1hadWL_GTnqV40FEKyipSg5Zs0DW3cUzhPSMHUon4eChpI8eFIOFQCNswYaHW0klU6PvRM5Sn2rqXWQ3h4GZKgEO3yt5G-Uc5liFVXX88rtdElv4o/s674/baghdad%20climate.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="674" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZctON76yrmMWWbfGXaRjXWxqR8Iy4DsbqTuOuxI2uoEjn-eT-EflPDm3y91l-74mvW3PxAZC9o1hadWL_GTnqV40FEKyipSg5Zs0DW3cUzhPSMHUon4eChpI8eFIOFQCNswYaHW0klU6PvRM5Sn2rqXWQ3h4GZKgEO3yt5G-Uc5liFVXX88rtdElv4o/s320/baghdad%20climate.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFnlTRBhlB4fg-nrBjiK6vEyY8ZNgwyDda_9ASBguupeFtzBZrpXpCSy3FX6Ek6S581aDk_7QrMUj0JefLYK-M5NtBiYwC9s7j1wf98jQeQl5xXxXdRcDXZMuq9rMLkkzdgNoRmUfy5ZCxiFj9a_WD9bijoTmGwBZJ2chyUQbb2iJQBFI9DP1wIKZYLs/s756/year%20-%20wet%20dry%20persia.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="756" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFnlTRBhlB4fg-nrBjiK6vEyY8ZNgwyDda_9ASBguupeFtzBZrpXpCSy3FX6Ek6S581aDk_7QrMUj0JefLYK-M5NtBiYwC9s7j1wf98jQeQl5xXxXdRcDXZMuq9rMLkkzdgNoRmUfy5ZCxiFj9a_WD9bijoTmGwBZJ2chyUQbb2iJQBFI9DP1wIKZYLs/s320/year%20-%20wet%20dry%20persia.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And these rains are brought by Ninurta/Ningirsu...The old storm god, the old god of rain...The same guy, depicted here with a bow, killing the blazing sun that causes drought...From my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/05/adda-seal.html" target="_blank">Adda seal</a>"...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4elFI9sB5gPjvie3wRBce7BhXFlGw7iO0j9t7bXCzbRvKOsAzhJzel_aqPzmDE7KWsdS7LtFqOEMLvehJAuq0gwnDnrvklaR74ku8K3FUScxZSw0qUWEyLxKQgKNwU2hw91MkZynZhy3l8NvPWZF03EAce_S6OZHVSk6LQJfSgNdivN9E9NJOrP8gLo/s1015/ninurta%20killing%20sun.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1015" data-original-width="850" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4elFI9sB5gPjvie3wRBce7BhXFlGw7iO0j9t7bXCzbRvKOsAzhJzel_aqPzmDE7KWsdS7LtFqOEMLvehJAuq0gwnDnrvklaR74ku8K3FUScxZSw0qUWEyLxKQgKNwU2hw91MkZynZhy3l8NvPWZF03EAce_S6OZHVSk6LQJfSgNdivN9E9NJOrP8gLo/s320/ninurta%20killing%20sun.png" width="268" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Why was Ninurta/Ningirsu depicted as an archer? Well, originally, I thought that it is because when it rains, you can see a rainbow. And in Mesopotamia this is only between Oct/Nov and Apr/May...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMAT_oJCG-L0-lvahwVSSe1kObprckrDQvBANB0FlUygZAVzW8BpaDKlCEKPbU59wtgF_UGmWkHiBI7XJb2C4F-y70pct1VkV0xIwUpJW9hz7M7wK3Vu4tIpgfkVpE8uq1nGyxs3ZcaGEyPuDxtQD_jM3VMEKMtzz9Sd7NIvupG295EGy14K3ePxJmZI/s1591/rainbow%20judean%20desert.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1591" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMAT_oJCG-L0-lvahwVSSe1kObprckrDQvBANB0FlUygZAVzW8BpaDKlCEKPbU59wtgF_UGmWkHiBI7XJb2C4F-y70pct1VkV0xIwUpJW9hz7M7wK3Vu4tIpgfkVpE8uq1nGyxs3ZcaGEyPuDxtQD_jM3VMEKMtzz9Sd7NIvupG295EGy14K3ePxJmZI/s320/rainbow%20judean%20desert.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In Hindu mythology, rainbow or the Indradhanush is the bow of Lord Indra, the god of lightning, thunder and rains.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">But the Mesopotamians didn't see the rainbow as Ninurta/Ningirsu's bow. They saw it as the rain/thunder god's crown/tiara...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So why then? Maybe because just before the rains arrive to Mesopotamia, the arrows start shooting from the sky announcing the arrival of the Sky god, Ninurta/Ningirsu...The bringer of rain...The Great Archer...Who also shoots thunder and lightning bolts...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Anyway, that's that...Hope you enjoyed it 🙂</span></p>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-60332971590469267292024-02-17T08:08:00.000-08:002024-02-17T08:08:14.919-08:00Yakshi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">2nd century BC relief of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakshini" target="_blank">Yakshi</a>, a nature spirit associated with water, trees and the fertility of the earth, standing on an elephant. Bharhut, Madhya Pradesh...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTONvZZyNrfB9XmxdLZdxLwb8lt0zIToGN1Ra4bYZOTPEQ5oksXkoz3kg01GwVuF_Jo90o7Oh_cPj7rAA2CeHX4179Y3I4UUbwYJSqipRO2GRyLyCsOeIqazjAHfCkE5Fuw2cMepFtyOCkKKw0eawAPatexqW69hORLnDpiSzh1vtwzmAFNPp3KvLwHs/s585/yaksi%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="585" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTONvZZyNrfB9XmxdLZdxLwb8lt0zIToGN1Ra4bYZOTPEQ5oksXkoz3kg01GwVuF_Jo90o7Oh_cPj7rAA2CeHX4179Y3I4UUbwYJSqipRO2GRyLyCsOeIqazjAHfCkE5Fuw2cMepFtyOCkKKw0eawAPatexqW69hORLnDpiSzh1vtwzmAFNPp3KvLwHs/s320/yaksi%202.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Why is Yakshi standing on an elephant? Cause rain/water = fertility...</span><div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Indian elephants mate during Indian monsoon season...This eventually lead to "elephant" becoming an animal calendar marker for "monsoon season"...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfK2ppI609uArR-L3Hi6R8glfu4ZseSd51M8K-9t8aw1Wqgg4IzD7DCVlPiKG4wqJ6A8-C7LeY8NYNorm_utnkmwzwV97AWO3UAdtt8-xj4VV2t2YJ013C4sFQWEYvwlMLlvsHhkinS-Jrm6uT5LUsScM-b77Qopp0Y6tW6X4p06mndm0e-HvRPS1DaI/s776/indian%20elephants%20mating.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="776" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfK2ppI609uArR-L3Hi6R8glfu4ZseSd51M8K-9t8aw1Wqgg4IzD7DCVlPiKG4wqJ6A8-C7LeY8NYNorm_utnkmwzwV97AWO3UAdtt8-xj4VV2t2YJ013C4sFQWEYvwlMLlvsHhkinS-Jrm6uT5LUsScM-b77Qopp0Y6tW6X4p06mndm0e-HvRPS1DaI/s320/indian%20elephants%20mating.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Which is why Indra, the thunder and rain god, rides on a white (cloud) elephant...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fLhCs6sJMTkraWX95Mj1dpPgkKw_qXFIN7qRuceSZT-U7fRqhrhB7gvV4o8AgcJL85GufcdYrUztt412bbKhQCRxfugpLUOoTKJOps6N9VeLlThgf6ExrsKdA16hLaTaaRhHhrDr8LlHcG9IF9HoXYeGkd8hIdN9VUn8nF9oONaoWMzwbhLvXWsPQF4/s768/indra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fLhCs6sJMTkraWX95Mj1dpPgkKw_qXFIN7qRuceSZT-U7fRqhrhB7gvV4o8AgcJL85GufcdYrUztt412bbKhQCRxfugpLUOoTKJOps6N9VeLlThgf6ExrsKdA16hLaTaaRhHhrDr8LlHcG9IF9HoXYeGkd8hIdN9VUn8nF9oONaoWMzwbhLvXWsPQF4/s320/indra.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Articles about elephant calendar marker, India: "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/02/musth.html" target="_blank">Musth</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/11/samantabhadra.html" target="_blank">Samantabhadra</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/01/modesty.html" target="_blank">Modesty</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/11/ganesha.html" target="_blank">Ganesha</a>"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">2nd century BC relief of Yakshi, a nature spirit associated with water, trees and the fertility of the earth, standing on Makara. Bharhut, Madhya Pradesh...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu7rJEUzcM3xcr5w1DtMBzFPkJlkTAOYuR4tXfOpjbPfEvP82EddonblKJ0-0Yca9-wTGvNMvJyFGHxrbMduzVKlJ56_wd7bLP0NxSfpp1YFXT1zezWui2kthDVUjWrQeUdVlacWfBdzOmaBSgLjfKNecE2rFK3Q87VSO1nIxzcxooBZt9BtRTQWqdyuM/s1317/%20yaksi%201.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="1317" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu7rJEUzcM3xcr5w1DtMBzFPkJlkTAOYuR4tXfOpjbPfEvP82EddonblKJ0-0Yca9-wTGvNMvJyFGHxrbMduzVKlJ56_wd7bLP0NxSfpp1YFXT1zezWui2kthDVUjWrQeUdVlacWfBdzOmaBSgLjfKNecE2rFK3Q87VSO1nIxzcxooBZt9BtRTQWqdyuM/s320/%20yaksi%201.png" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">What is Makara and why is Yakshi standing on Makara? Cause rain/water = fertility...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Relief from the 199-100 BC stupa from Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, India, depicting Makara, the "mythical being" and a vehicle of Varuna, the ex god of rain and water...Actually a complex animal calendar marker for monsoon season...Pic from: <a href="https://vmis.in/ArchiveCategories/collection_gallery_zoom?id=1411&search=1&index=176080&searchstring=makara">vmis.in</a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3b2uI1_aDsZhQ_2hnSphx1zV1azZeA2ottzDW0_1Si0tRIuExDhZLhi_jd8I_GqdELyx2HSDTNCd2PZLJmuNp2gPtIsjQ5aFhzGA7zcIW5QkplBL9BuEkn_6ptc_dy74jrh0l2yO7mLsbuhS1s-UnZr8GfhbbEcBn7ztIQAdowmOgVn-rBe7bc4ED00/s715/makara%20eating%20fish.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="715" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3b2uI1_aDsZhQ_2hnSphx1zV1azZeA2ottzDW0_1Si0tRIuExDhZLhi_jd8I_GqdELyx2HSDTNCd2PZLJmuNp2gPtIsjQ5aFhzGA7zcIW5QkplBL9BuEkn_6ptc_dy74jrh0l2yO7mLsbuhS1s-UnZr8GfhbbEcBn7ztIQAdowmOgVn-rBe7bc4ED00/s320/makara%20eating%20fish.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Makara has many forms, from a simple gharial, fish eating, crocodile, used as a mount by Varuna...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7byWVInp8aOT5bccWZpDFO97jycEmI7BECHPqOUrRXXM6p6Au46PVmPoIl-bQDu9xvS6FtbDQUFgMySmvQFCMbQgJVrOzw2WSS6ikt9dn0JxHmPYbi6dHmUoeZ2cIiyd-A_xdJqYk0OG8RFMghGE1tkZEiSg2vHY0uMsuM39Qpd6S-BK2dOC1QwED_A/s2560/varuna%20on%20makara.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1864" data-original-width="2560" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7byWVInp8aOT5bccWZpDFO97jycEmI7BECHPqOUrRXXM6p6Au46PVmPoIl-bQDu9xvS6FtbDQUFgMySmvQFCMbQgJVrOzw2WSS6ikt9dn0JxHmPYbi6dHmUoeZ2cIiyd-A_xdJqYk0OG8RFMghGE1tkZEiSg2vHY0uMsuM39Qpd6S-BK2dOC1QwED_A/s320/varuna%20on%20makara.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">...to truly incredible composite beings. Like this one...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmO76TA-uF-XFUEJoCmxvwsv1_0cbWWaBwIHQvBqqniA3ZU24J5io112j4j3BOh9I9TPE7ztb0wBZD2iAP3jLtgC7eLkEUu-qeSofHeCWOeOS0yhHZ77BN0HbgbSUeh32f6xouWja1s-aek9dAS_CkL4kTtkWo9psQvJhPfKFxIG8Yw7O5uf8IvnuCLlg/s715/makara%20peacock.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="715" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmO76TA-uF-XFUEJoCmxvwsv1_0cbWWaBwIHQvBqqniA3ZU24J5io112j4j3BOh9I9TPE7ztb0wBZD2iAP3jLtgC7eLkEUu-qeSofHeCWOeOS0yhHZ77BN0HbgbSUeh32f6xouWja1s-aek9dAS_CkL4kTtkWo9psQvJhPfKFxIG8Yw7O5uf8IvnuCLlg/s320/makara%20peacock.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">But interestingly, all the animals that form main Makara parts either mate or give birth or migrate during the monsoon season, and can be used as animal calendar markers for the monsoon season... I talked about Makara in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/10/makara.html" target="_blank">Makara</a>"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Makara is one of the best examples of how complex animal calendar markers are formed from overlapping reproductive behaviour of many different animal species...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And how they are then morphed into "mythical beings" linked to gods which control the part of the year these calendar marker once marked...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Also check this article about "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2023/12/proto-durga.html" target="_blank">Proto Durga</a>", which talks about gharial crocodile as calendar marker, which probably predates Makara, and was the original vehicle of the rain god, before Indra arrived on his elephant...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3_R-CdPaI89z8SxFKqb9SsYwOsc4Ee4PPHuvk0d8N_L534II7mQEChSNXGXMcoALpIvHivgz2vbFSlJWd6B31ESyhUOH2KcsDsL8pFmw-mMOEoEL1_BDwxyAehyxFVU2ZOEacwpB_c39ZD7PJ6sLIuqU3kYu8Nk4VOfkj9zZ6jnF5TS5BJI6JQ5ehTM/s960/buffalo%20killer%20harappa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="960" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3_R-CdPaI89z8SxFKqb9SsYwOsc4Ee4PPHuvk0d8N_L534II7mQEChSNXGXMcoALpIvHivgz2vbFSlJWd6B31ESyhUOH2KcsDsL8pFmw-mMOEoEL1_BDwxyAehyxFVU2ZOEacwpB_c39ZD7PJ6sLIuqU3kYu8Nk4VOfkj9zZ6jnF5TS5BJI6JQ5ehTM/s320/buffalo%20killer%20harappa.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Which is why Yakshi stands on Makaras...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Yakshas have intimate connection with (life giving) waters: "Yakshas control, not so much the waters as mere waters, but that essence in the waters which is one...with the seed (sperm) in living beings"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Rain as semen of the Sky father which fertilises Earth mother an creates life...A common "mythological" theme in areas where we have dry and wet season...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfchD9BIq24n6LPvdcrXKZFLSIg3VhCrYQ-HRoONC6WseXRQGryctG6cR_e6ZVIWUW6uMBtwUWuQfcFyJdB8mbcVLN0mNOh8jF4sugyveWTqzcM3_-7URGIee7tKeJJlnvKSqbDfsMQIYybmoAxhlmREpuqizZz17xlsJSkJ8JkCgnKxIYTX0y0Hbm9A/s612/drought%20rain.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="612" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfchD9BIq24n6LPvdcrXKZFLSIg3VhCrYQ-HRoONC6WseXRQGryctG6cR_e6ZVIWUW6uMBtwUWuQfcFyJdB8mbcVLN0mNOh8jF4sugyveWTqzcM3_-7URGIee7tKeJJlnvKSqbDfsMQIYybmoAxhlmREpuqizZz17xlsJSkJ8JkCgnKxIYTX0y0Hbm9A/s320/drought%20rain.png" width="320" /></span></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Anyway, I think this is kind of interesting...</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To read more about ancient animal and plant calendar markers, start </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/p/animal-solar-year-markers.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">…then check </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/search?q=%22animal+calendar+markers%22&max-results=20&by-date=true" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">the rest of the blog posts related to animal calendar markers</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't add to this page, and finally check </span><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=thread%20(from%3Aserbiaireland)%20-filter%3Areplies&src=typed_query&f=live" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">my twitter threads</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't convert to blog post...I am 9 months behind now...</span></span></p></div>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-22714953653134195622024-02-05T09:08:00.000-08:002024-02-05T09:08:28.382-08:00Care of the dead<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Two Assyrian soldiers forcing Elamite captive to grind bones of his family, 7th - 6th c. BC. This wasn't like most people think an act of random cruelty...Making someone destroy the bones of their ancestors was a deliberate forced act of sacrilege...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizw-zQYVPKIk4YQszCACoCcqcag_wjaaUwKWHhbvl1YisdM7j4OxnP4j4KYZrzazJA2_qwPhEIK-26Tf-3fYyIQ1EsW3dcomVcQJa7n4T3yBBrJOYeABRQqG7893ALd7PV9xQtXsxWb4-mIsKIuQDwAuP_muqnL43u5WTy990Y69LlFDCFa_W3mubSVG4/s1024/grinding%20bones.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1015" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizw-zQYVPKIk4YQszCACoCcqcag_wjaaUwKWHhbvl1YisdM7j4OxnP4j4KYZrzazJA2_qwPhEIK-26Tf-3fYyIQ1EsW3dcomVcQJa7n4T3yBBrJOYeABRQqG7893ALd7PV9xQtXsxWb4-mIsKIuQDwAuP_muqnL43u5WTy990Y69LlFDCFa_W3mubSVG4/s320/grinding%20bones.jpeg" width="317" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Assyrian culture, like all the other Mesopotamian cultures, was built around the cult of the dead. Assyrians, often buried their dead under house floors. They also practiced "kispu", regular, ritual feeding and watering of the deceased after their burial...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Based on this, in the "<a href="https://asor.org/anetoday/2024/01/performing-identity-assyrian-empire" target="_blank">Death as a Stage for Performing Identity in the Assyrian Empire</a>" Petra M. Creamer concludes that "Socially, this indicates deep linkages to familial practices and ancestral memory".</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So, it is precisely because Assyrians respected their dead ancestors so much, that I am sure that them forcing their Elamite captives to destroy the bones of their own ancestors was a lot more than just ordinary act of cruelty...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">We actually know why they did this. There is a King Ashurbanipal’s inscription in which he says that he exposed the grave of the Elamite kings and deprived them of sacrificial food and drink offerings...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Destroying the bones of the enemy ancestors was done for the same reason: To prevent the Elamites from sacrificing food and drink to their dead.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">But why was sacrificing food and drink to the dead so important to the Mesopotamians and their Iranian neighbours?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And we know that it was very important, because we have written records, from the 3rd millennium BC onwards about "kispu" (the care of the dead), which involved regular "feeding and watering" of the dead though food and water sacrifices...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The other day, I came across a paper entitled "<a href="https://jstage.jst.go.jp/article/orient/45/0/45_101/_pdf" target="_blank">Peace for the Dead, or kispu(m) Again</a>" by Akio Tsukimoto, in which he talks about mentions of this practice in Sumerian, Old Babylonian and Kassite records...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In it we can read that the dead were served with food (grain) and drink (water) offerings not only during their funeral ceremonies, but also regularly thereafter, at least once a month, and in some cases possibly even every day...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">There were also two festival dedicated to the dead ancestors with big feasts in which the living ate and drank with the dead. I will talk about these in my next thread.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Importantly, the dead were kept fed and watered because otherwise they would get angry...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Neither Petra M. Creamer nor Akio Tsukimoto explain why feeding and watering the dead was soo important to the Mesopotamians and kind of punishment by the angry dead were they afraid of. But I did, in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/05/house-of-bones.html" target="_blank">The house of bones</a>".</span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKL1u84J8RdgkDRtQFKGeMEgKt9px0p2UkrdatadSc_KGHam5Y6fRk0pYT5STGY-CGT5MwPyRk7jENwEIefl-driL3cJZ5hdCJVilhGa6dKPkLPA8IL4V7SLpqbuGewojZvQWMVYzN1V2BfVew7a2yC6PUQdKn9UPOl_iVQZ32H5359_8ODgnyHZqW2tI/s1200/hittite%20remains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1200" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKL1u84J8RdgkDRtQFKGeMEgKt9px0p2UkrdatadSc_KGHam5Y6fRk0pYT5STGY-CGT5MwPyRk7jENwEIefl-driL3cJZ5hdCJVilhGa6dKPkLPA8IL4V7SLpqbuGewojZvQWMVYzN1V2BfVew7a2yC6PUQdKn9UPOl_iVQZ32H5359_8ODgnyHZqW2tI/s320/hittite%20remains.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In it I talked about the mystery of the missing bones of the Hittite royals. And I proposed that the bones were taken by the Hittites with them, when they abandoned their capital Hattusa, because they wanted to be able to continue to sacrifice food and drink to the dead...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Just like the Chaldean king Meredach, who, when he fled from Babylon to Elam, in front of the advancing forces of Sargon, "took with him all the gods of the land and all the bones of his ancestors from their graves"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And I explained that the Hittites, just like their Mesopotamian and Elamite contemporaries, remembered their dead and sacrificed food and water to them regularly, because forgotten, hungry and thirsty dead ancestors will take revenge on their living descendants...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And one of the ways they would do that is by causing droughts, storms, floods and other natural disasters that would cause grain crops to fail, and would result in famine and the death of the living...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Eeeee where did you get this idea? From here: Serbs and other Balkan Slavs believed that if the dead were not given water, they would drink it from the clouds, and would cause drought. I talked about this in my article "<a href="http://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/01/thirst.html" target="_blank">Thirst</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/01/white-feast.html" target="_blank">White feast</a>"...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7qa6uGd4nGyMbccJmiCt1wY-s8G4tJB0GFGnz5LslEMNaNAtVf1EQeQI16kSmMNlo30TiIUDJ0hX-vDH6qJvV8jt-FFVVDFTYx4haFLqApN7d3O_FxDPtIOhy7iy8fjWE4BRdQiHDx3cNBIRAxDjy-Vmapta3xmtIaWUU3lfacQ2Glnko6qPsfJ14YI/s639/drought%20wheat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="639" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7qa6uGd4nGyMbccJmiCt1wY-s8G4tJB0GFGnz5LslEMNaNAtVf1EQeQI16kSmMNlo30TiIUDJ0hX-vDH6qJvV8jt-FFVVDFTYx4haFLqApN7d3O_FxDPtIOhy7iy8fjWE4BRdQiHDx3cNBIRAxDjy-Vmapta3xmtIaWUU3lfacQ2Glnko6qPsfJ14YI/s320/drought%20wheat.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Serbian belief system, according to ethnographers, was based on the cult of the dead. They regularly shared food and drink with their dead. And they even took the bones of their dead with them, when they were forced to move due to wars or famines. I talked about this in "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/05/house-of-bones.html" target="_blank">The house of bones</a>".</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYse4PYJOxbiDY2Pf1i-ZA59vogAKAJuq-XBfVR0HKgB4_KttI3I0EcJ5cO1NSsY1Kz7q1RDhzYHixmUJ61klZB3FheRvqwiu-4X_zMaNtOh_cBx3b1BNcmH3j-YegKM4LbNYHmJwVe3HMGbf-_SDDcnLVWAZk7YkwFiOiPLqALEm-l5Fqq4OSe7blNg/s1599/zadusnica.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="1599" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYse4PYJOxbiDY2Pf1i-ZA59vogAKAJuq-XBfVR0HKgB4_KttI3I0EcJ5cO1NSsY1Kz7q1RDhzYHixmUJ61klZB3FheRvqwiu-4X_zMaNtOh_cBx3b1BNcmH3j-YegKM4LbNYHmJwVe3HMGbf-_SDDcnLVWAZk7YkwFiOiPLqALEm-l5Fqq4OSe7blNg/s320/zadusnica.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">BTW, this belief in the world of the dead being a thirsty place seems to have been widespread in the past.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandhara_grave_culture" target="_blank">Ghandara culture</a> graves, Pakistan, 1200-800BC...The drinking vessels were placed in graves with drink "for the other world"...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/02/one-for-road.html" target="_blank">One for the road</a>".</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpF_j2tXUFSr9bwgf4eCmtp9E_IpNuu6gz-aG3I5CLlmoPRtYEmMx_R6ktJdx_gZjGqm2OTXte5JoLBXZixPX1nUHSJ7DGHeJgtOJTVPB_GYVUDWw2Sn28vzdF-BKLbVSdf3IJgzOlqRtfZ7HRy1Gm_gNeWuuXdWaWWoAFOE2pXm94ZoF3Tc5TSNm2lSQ/s579/ghandara%20burials.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="579" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpF_j2tXUFSr9bwgf4eCmtp9E_IpNuu6gz-aG3I5CLlmoPRtYEmMx_R6ktJdx_gZjGqm2OTXte5JoLBXZixPX1nUHSJ7DGHeJgtOJTVPB_GYVUDWw2Sn28vzdF-BKLbVSdf3IJgzOlqRtfZ7HRy1Gm_gNeWuuXdWaWWoAFOE2pXm94ZoF3Tc5TSNm2lSQ/s320/ghandara%20burials.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">But how could Serbian/South Slavic folklore help us understand the Hittite culture?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Serbs, like all the other Balkan people, are descendants of pretty much everyone who ever lived in the Balkans...Which is why, I thought then, and still think, we can find so many interesting bits of many old lores in Serbian folklore...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qzppZ8rTQUDp08LOmVnvX_m5mZ_mvZGfw3WTSl3q9I-m67K3rZ5iTWWHypQ7mzKJCHapT7IXtc2txXxNqvuj_Mdr0h6E7h0eIRiJV7oBQRyooMt1cXjrFNImRJx0wUlf74FJpFjaboUar6dT1P2TJ8bCTWrCLik3Bn058XL704LDuMniYik7Cj_M1Go/s680/serbian%20genes.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="680" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qzppZ8rTQUDp08LOmVnvX_m5mZ_mvZGfw3WTSl3q9I-m67K3rZ5iTWWHypQ7mzKJCHapT7IXtc2txXxNqvuj_Mdr0h6E7h0eIRiJV7oBQRyooMt1cXjrFNImRJx0wUlf74FJpFjaboUar6dT1P2TJ8bCTWrCLik3Bn058XL704LDuMniYik7Cj_M1Go/s320/serbian%20genes.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Anyway, back to the Hittites. Remember this depressed dude? This is the statue of the Last Hittite king Suppiluliuma II. And he said: "...humiliation of the Hittite kingdom is the result of the fact that the Hittites have forgotten to respect the sacred bond with their dead..."</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTVqa35L3DiJF9IgDZEW2yiNj5XBirZYP6ukRf5D60wdNkBGM1Wm7tq1T7Xmrdfzshm6Hhc7RyxFWxgzi1TYIgNfOI7Vl4aYLMoLwtt8AW0fFHShsaH36c9nAyRls1zRzcCX6gbZhJDgAsaLhha1kFuyRf1OLnNKub5WgZClm-IgJWklkx-bXnI8KM5E/s800/suppiluliuma%20ii.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTVqa35L3DiJF9IgDZEW2yiNj5XBirZYP6ukRf5D60wdNkBGM1Wm7tq1T7Xmrdfzshm6Hhc7RyxFWxgzi1TYIgNfOI7Vl4aYLMoLwtt8AW0fFHShsaH36c9nAyRls1zRzcCX6gbZhJDgAsaLhha1kFuyRf1OLnNKub5WgZClm-IgJWklkx-bXnI8KM5E/s320/suppiluliuma%20ii.png" width="256" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">He then promises in the name of the Hittite kings and in the name of his subjects that they will do everything in their power to rebuild this sacred bond again...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">But that was too little too late...The Hittite empire collapsed, their capital Hattusa was abandoned and Hittite royals disappeared from the face of the world...Together with the bones of their ancestors...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">It turns out, that I was right about the reason for the Hittite empire collapse. According to this <a href="https://nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05693-y" target="_blank">recent article from Nature</a>, "Severe multi-year drought [my comment: caused by the angry ancestors] coincided with Hittite collapse around 1198–1196 BC"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfd0X5eQMqSO3gkcS9pb64t7T2xxwHlTxknsjTdpj9pQNpDXTj4SZA3ao-ctaXSqy1e-HSwvHTn6gRQ4qNy-0w4xKWyXt3UxzycXLKyC-xL_eXE6eZGHbTeWt6RVXHKMA2LbcSfzixviufRZUhLODzuz5wO_dzLgkdA1Fi72YZ2x19B2RPCCgHlePEEWY/s2662/hittite%20collapse%20drought.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1878" data-original-width="2662" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfd0X5eQMqSO3gkcS9pb64t7T2xxwHlTxknsjTdpj9pQNpDXTj4SZA3ao-ctaXSqy1e-HSwvHTn6gRQ4qNy-0w4xKWyXt3UxzycXLKyC-xL_eXE6eZGHbTeWt6RVXHKMA2LbcSfzixviufRZUhLODzuz5wO_dzLgkdA1Fi72YZ2x19B2RPCCgHlePEEWY/s320/hittite%20collapse%20drought.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">BTW, this is not the only thing found in Serbian/Slavic folklore that I used to unlock the secrets of much older, seemingly unrelated cultures. I discovered the key for unlocking the secrets of ancient animal calendar markers among the Serbian/Slavic snake and goat folklore...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">If it wasn't for that, we would still be looking at all these animals depicted on all these ancient artefacts, and talked about in all these ancient myths, legends, folk stories, without having a clue what they mean...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Anyway, I might one day give you the chronology of the discovery of each animal calendar marker and what helped me figure it out. If anyone cares...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I will stop here. This is just an intro into much more important thread about the Sumerian "Zadušnice" festivals of the dead 🙂</span></p><div><br /></div>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-74019065064984860752024-02-05T05:54:00.000-08:002024-02-05T05:54:43.962-08:00Lions of Delos<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The 7 remaining "Lions of Delos", a group of (possibly) 12 (I would say definitely 12, one for every month of the solar year) lion statues which once lined the monumental avenue, similar to Egyptian avenues of sphinxes, in the 600 BC Temple of Apollo...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO0AVUGeXIIuoWnyYNl_em80Bk_j5VBBY8JA_gdUxzUDXlpZH1mCQ27QPLdVUUm1ZD6OFnfitoWz8lPTX1ll7Mc55dQ6Gr-DI1TfVTS9Agj4rof2j5ngRuiWbzRsj4VZVaMlZEmmZXI6TiWCFTg-6WlpVi0xxmLh_750RcB7jrFREuQ7X-0cZ3iS8a74g/s900/lions%20of%20delos.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO0AVUGeXIIuoWnyYNl_em80Bk_j5VBBY8JA_gdUxzUDXlpZH1mCQ27QPLdVUUm1ZD6OFnfitoWz8lPTX1ll7Mc55dQ6Gr-DI1TfVTS9Agj4rof2j5ngRuiWbzRsj4VZVaMlZEmmZXI6TiWCFTg-6WlpVi0xxmLh_750RcB7jrFREuQ7X-0cZ3iS8a74g/s320/lions%20of%20delos.jpeg" width="256" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The island of Delos was an ancient holy sanctuary, and Greek mythology claims it was the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. The Lions, which had their mouths wide open as if roaring, were initially facing east (towards the the house of the Sun God)...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">If you wanted to make a (First) Temple on a Threshing Floor, and "orient" it (make it to face east), if you wanted to make a "House of God" to face the "House of (Sun) God", how would you do it?</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FoaO3zdqRm0TbDfEulCgda04o0BQiFRit-DXjQMc_RC5DP6WpChYvwAfIH_uVn-cxIUEyuhBq7mPUG4JjiBtyihBW3P6N08q9vrHE9nloRSlzWLX8P0Mi9B7dnSr58PeV8HHYdWIOJNs4QQtZlZ1fBi8BdJ3bln2Gs-J2a8CXh2Uc_sQI_cF5npULO0/s320/threshing%20floor%20observatory.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="229" data-original-width="320" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FoaO3zdqRm0TbDfEulCgda04o0BQiFRit-DXjQMc_RC5DP6WpChYvwAfIH_uVn-cxIUEyuhBq7mPUG4JjiBtyihBW3P6N08q9vrHE9nloRSlzWLX8P0Mi9B7dnSr58PeV8HHYdWIOJNs4QQtZlZ1fBi8BdJ3bln2Gs-J2a8CXh2Uc_sQI_cF5npULO0/s1600/threshing%20floor%20observatory.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I talked about this orientation of temples to face east in my posts "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2017/09/sun-god-from-first-temple.html" target="_blank">Sun god from the First Temple</a>" and "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2017/09/boaz-and-jachin.html" target="_blank">Boaz and Jachin</a>"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Here's the question: why lions? Well, I think comparative mythology, comparative linguistics and animal calendar markers can help us figure this out.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So where do we start? I think we should start with flies...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(In Mesopotamia) "There are flies that bite like bulldogs everywhere...in one's hair and eyes and mouth, in one's bath and shaving-water, in one's tea and in one's towel..." </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-AppM2-BN_nOQJEWXPx988Vr_lvZjIc8wZAx1i__x-eoDxD8-qwUlpFt5-bPRxnYbkAoFortDD6sIiFv6XH6NbVtU55seSW1-Di6jX0nomJAEaBhk2VwrhgOMCPs2GWdphsRaYcVgd_hh4qB9L4h95SXaOslz_Tb256ovRCVJmugd44qi1W3T7nnpGE/s481/fly%20poster.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="481" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-AppM2-BN_nOQJEWXPx988Vr_lvZjIc8wZAx1i__x-eoDxD8-qwUlpFt5-bPRxnYbkAoFortDD6sIiFv6XH6NbVtU55seSW1-Di6jX0nomJAEaBhk2VwrhgOMCPs2GWdphsRaYcVgd_hh4qB9L4h95SXaOslz_Tb256ovRCVJmugd44qi1W3T7nnpGE/s320/fly%20poster.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I talked about the etymology of the Sumerian word for fly and the fact that flies season in Iraq coincides with the hottest and driest time of the year in my post "<a href="From: https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2023/01/fly.html" target="_blank">Fly</a>"...Then in this article, "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2023/01/lord-of-flies.html" target="_blank">Lord of the flies</a>", I talked about Beelzebub, the lord of the flies, who was identified by Jews and Christians with Satan...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And I showed that behind this nickname hides the old Mesopotamian God of Death, Nergal...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Nergal was Mesopotamian god who represented the deified destructive "burning" sun on late summer early autumn, Jul/Aug, the hottest and driest part of the year in Mesopotamia, the time of drought and death...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgAm3lWRf8aYyA2V0BlCg7GOr9c3xQ5v35NnltyidYcL6AsnY1a5p1EiPoMbB06gRVYFeZPvkE5kCXSUcYQWUOxVzYHCBy144QoPg5DecG3_a8CsD_lFOmX_KjvRqdcqyrKCapsZhxurQOTIg48xZSce9Rvx_KZtlNJgjZEhcXMOr9GTNnmxKS7kWjcg/s1366/blazing%20sun%20copy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="954" data-original-width="1366" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgAm3lWRf8aYyA2V0BlCg7GOr9c3xQ5v35NnltyidYcL6AsnY1a5p1EiPoMbB06gRVYFeZPvkE5kCXSUcYQWUOxVzYHCBy144QoPg5DecG3_a8CsD_lFOmX_KjvRqdcqyrKCapsZhxurQOTIg48xZSce9Rvx_KZtlNJgjZEhcXMOr9GTNnmxKS7kWjcg/s320/blazing%20sun%20copy.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDPkeyQDXaerd0uFylRxcSa6z5fikpisvLt2ndkJ_JbyH9PwTWlCgy68BP_zRFTHP2WYlMf-MY5Q69YQTulVda0DepvaZ7j2ABhfZrFY7KcL1-vzP9Y0uh4TkPuWzp16CWV-RRjYA2WQp7GrMsBmtCHxSXUT-o9YeBoGrZTG64Kj8JitDCct2uXN0bYXA/s674/baghdad%20climate.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="674" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDPkeyQDXaerd0uFylRxcSa6z5fikpisvLt2ndkJ_JbyH9PwTWlCgy68BP_zRFTHP2WYlMf-MY5Q69YQTulVda0DepvaZ7j2ABhfZrFY7KcL1-vzP9Y0uh4TkPuWzp16CWV-RRjYA2WQp7GrMsBmtCHxSXUT-o9YeBoGrZTG64Kj8JitDCct2uXN0bYXA/s320/baghdad%20climate.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhut-nRbwLKL7OzdXZoJcuAweEL9jc5M3hCxYk18DFMRM7tw5tqwfBT331-qX7RwJmkL2Nh9gatre2bQpWXdk-Ei1DjT48fFnStqtVLEdqDlGXaWnL2NXsDxnhB0keILmQmCn2YVYstNCdtukbdNRtaw1i4WzfYdNjLrDQ7t9Aj1hMxbVWlK-D_uKUSOLk/s756/year%20-%20wet%20dry%20persia.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="756" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhut-nRbwLKL7OzdXZoJcuAweEL9jc5M3hCxYk18DFMRM7tw5tqwfBT331-qX7RwJmkL2Nh9gatre2bQpWXdk-Ei1DjT48fFnStqtVLEdqDlGXaWnL2NXsDxnhB0keILmQmCn2YVYstNCdtukbdNRtaw1i4WzfYdNjLrDQ7t9Aj1hMxbVWlK-D_uKUSOLk/s320/year%20-%20wet%20dry%20persia.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I first talked abut Nergal in my post "<a href="http://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/05/winged-superhuman-hero.html" target="_blank">Winged superhuman hero</a>"...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPvW2BX_gUZduGKbHALgP3PrTvKFO2ICzaq2DMQTG2k7Z8KCGjOm7Ibt5QctL4ukCA1KkM9xgUi7cxUuc5wAcj14IGMFQJMmKvwCn5LPAsTRO_PxzyODRni6fCkBUB2pPNEBGx0GzPbKY7UDmKh1tz3vHHuZTYjLwZAnEIGX3oydMdYhqxmzMBCeB-w_M/s528/nergal%20with%20wings.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="528" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPvW2BX_gUZduGKbHALgP3PrTvKFO2ICzaq2DMQTG2k7Z8KCGjOm7Ibt5QctL4ukCA1KkM9xgUi7cxUuc5wAcj14IGMFQJMmKvwCn5LPAsTRO_PxzyODRni6fCkBUB2pPNEBGx0GzPbKY7UDmKh1tz3vHHuZTYjLwZAnEIGX3oydMdYhqxmzMBCeB-w_M/s320/nergal%20with%20wings.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Nergal was also the god of plague, because Jul/Aug is also the peak time for flies which spread infectious diseases...Hence, Nergal, the Lord of flies...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7rtoSLfd8USBH095wV8rXSGi9puVeoRb5lACi4J-Lqdh5U3yYtqwFPLH11mEtbGAhRMvbo2UirOQ78pvOwT7sA9UfjqfVN2l8ePADGwvKfdij8q0KxAmivjIk_eJcon2EHQ88qrt5NA5vEPcJ3AntZ8pUtc6QoysKvmWPBi8hSwKUo7sDNuve9FmSBQ/s709/flies.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="709" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7rtoSLfd8USBH095wV8rXSGi9puVeoRb5lACi4J-Lqdh5U3yYtqwFPLH11mEtbGAhRMvbo2UirOQ78pvOwT7sA9UfjqfVN2l8ePADGwvKfdij8q0KxAmivjIk_eJcon2EHQ88qrt5NA5vEPcJ3AntZ8pUtc6QoysKvmWPBi8hSwKUo7sDNuve9FmSBQ/s320/flies.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Now guess who was the lord of the flies in Greek mythology? Apollo...Apollo whose name was most likely derived from one of Nergal's epithets, "Palil" through Late Bronze Age Hittite and Hurrian god of plague Aplu. I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2023/01/palil.html" target="_blank">Palil</a>"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Ok, I can hear you say, what does this have to do with lions? Well, Jul/Aug, the hottest time of the year in the Northern Hemisphere is marked by Leo...Why?</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmBnOXNr7fNQTTQtanvJ0p5Yj4WOaje_odxMD4Sk8l2403BYX_OI39t949zGt8p8nphp2ua5Xdo6ahJhbG13UjbsgCoEgy0mmdGZrGhyphenhyphen9MjmhyphenhyphenpedyYwlixT9ZVlGM65vU_ditlwr3o7ZsFMIOPZcXwqh4laabkOiwcxUurycln4Q4XS28n8MiF1TxnM/s2500/asiatic%20lions%20mating.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="2500" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmBnOXNr7fNQTTQtanvJ0p5Yj4WOaje_odxMD4Sk8l2403BYX_OI39t949zGt8p8nphp2ua5Xdo6ahJhbG13UjbsgCoEgy0mmdGZrGhyphenhyphen9MjmhyphenhyphenpedyYwlixT9ZVlGM65vU_ditlwr3o7ZsFMIOPZcXwqh4laabkOiwcxUurycln4Q4XS28n8MiF1TxnM/s320/asiatic%20lions%20mating.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJGWEbEWpu7BbafQS9uWU5C-LHGZCWKGWz6uIlVo5HBphOlx-ZBfupdmPhVAX-rt1Z4Fy5_95ICJjkSZ4H3_LGTAUlyGTezuLQsEREaUOysaZSRZ2w5oT2bLLdzOJGPYpA9AIqiUbBCVOMdtwSl39fqTqKkBkuYizmX_VxgNjo-vhgVH_lkXkcmOFH_p0/s2048/india%20mating%20lions.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJGWEbEWpu7BbafQS9uWU5C-LHGZCWKGWz6uIlVo5HBphOlx-ZBfupdmPhVAX-rt1Z4Fy5_95ICJjkSZ4H3_LGTAUlyGTezuLQsEREaUOysaZSRZ2w5oT2bLLdzOJGPYpA9AIqiUbBCVOMdtwSl39fqTqKkBkuYizmX_VxgNjo-vhgVH_lkXkcmOFH_p0/s320/india%20mating%20lions.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Asiatic lions mating season started in Jul/Aug and spanned the whole of Autumn (Aug/Sep/Oct)...Which is why autumn starts in Leo (Jul/Aug). And why lion is the symbol of autumn...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2019/10/symbols-of-seasons.html" target="_blank">Symbols of the seasons</a>"...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfgyjTJxKgodnERpJ2lRLY7zx7s7cijKS3h11tp2HatTtBO2spQ7tPp-PrBLGu1k83XFeX_tB6JVyYloSw1DOBtNNew9k75N_Q5a9M-JbiMPom_SN8fTbOpTsVt8-kS-fxqfLBt_SPoTfUbSI5-gkz2F8YDBKfW5hhoHNXxoPwT1MMJ3cxpvzki_E3gA/s387/season%20animals%20with%20names.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="372" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfgyjTJxKgodnERpJ2lRLY7zx7s7cijKS3h11tp2HatTtBO2spQ7tPp-PrBLGu1k83XFeX_tB6JVyYloSw1DOBtNNew9k75N_Q5a9M-JbiMPom_SN8fTbOpTsVt8-kS-fxqfLBt_SPoTfUbSI5-gkz2F8YDBKfW5hhoHNXxoPwT1MMJ3cxpvzki_E3gA/s320/season%20animals%20with%20names.png" width="308" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This marking of Jul/Aug with a lion symbol predates zodiac symbols by millennia. It's an example of an ancient animal calendar marker found embedded in mythologies across Eurasia and North Africa.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">When lions overheat. Bactrian seal with lion radiating sun/heat rays, the same rays radiated by sun god Shamash. Leo, Jul/Aug, start of lion mating season, the hottest part of the year in the northern hemisphere. I talked about this in my posts "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/05/nude-winged-hero-dominating-snakes.html" target="_blank">Nude winged hero dominating snakes</a>" and "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/12/lion-radiating-heat.html" target="_blank">Lion radiating heat</a>"... </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyeLeuuWwrPUbXjfRiCB-eeqbSmmqPVjJ1ceEQOTwXaaNyLcF3rbnvMmQPlIJbeMmrQS8EpNWwDPo7YMn6oa_zIHXnCk1gkZXXOJyBE3cDAuoVCSKCsW26C9ZILNHrSlj3nuuDmzAWN2LaC2R0bzn4-oUBstxR6Ke4_TrlLs9WzwqpGHGJ-eV-F97VC8/s517/bactrian%20black%20lion%20seal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="517" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyeLeuuWwrPUbXjfRiCB-eeqbSmmqPVjJ1ceEQOTwXaaNyLcF3rbnvMmQPlIJbeMmrQS8EpNWwDPo7YMn6oa_zIHXnCk1gkZXXOJyBE3cDAuoVCSKCsW26C9ZILNHrSlj3nuuDmzAWN2LaC2R0bzn4-oUBstxR6Ke4_TrlLs9WzwqpGHGJ-eV-F97VC8/s320/bactrian%20black%20lion%20seal.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">BTW, Nergal, the god of death and plague, which peaks in Jul/Aug (Leo), plague brought by flies which swarm in Jul/Aug (Leo), the lord of the flies, the destructive sun of Jul/Aug (Leo), was also depicted as a lion-man...For (i presume now) obvious reasons...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdc9CDAvE2Q9H8KhlNDbOMuAUOPyc3fDMkwOP6IJICoiwBiLcOJRCHy6A-mw3TWmP5nJ7nQDUBN9Y2yx7DL-J0S_1j7vOwoVyYuOP6kbKN7NH49gTnT3Ik8E3usWBz20P9SzCAXbVJ-gzGfQZ9RkdtVy5wRbQL9PiGT2_wKfyb4MeYeIBtTddUfajRoI/s611/nergal%20man%20lion%20no%20wings.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="611" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdc9CDAvE2Q9H8KhlNDbOMuAUOPyc3fDMkwOP6IJICoiwBiLcOJRCHy6A-mw3TWmP5nJ7nQDUBN9Y2yx7DL-J0S_1j7vOwoVyYuOP6kbKN7NH49gTnT3Ik8E3usWBz20P9SzCAXbVJ-gzGfQZ9RkdtVy5wRbQL9PiGT2_wKfyb4MeYeIBtTddUfajRoI/s320/nergal%20man%20lion%20no%20wings.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Guess where fire breathing dragons with 7 heads, who steal and guard water (cause drought), come from? And dragon killers?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Why was dragon depicted on this Tell Asmar seal, dated to 2200 BC, with lion body and 7 snake heads? Cause snake is the symbol of sun's heat, there were 7 summer months in Mesopotamian calendar, and the hottest part of summer was Jul/Aug, Leo. I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/07/seven-headed-dragon.html" target="_blank">Seven headed dragon</a>"...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHM4IEj659cvFkmTd0YITv-gLTkQgqaen4spGhNCohepMPdfufNiE9v37BoLL5cVO7ijIs1cjZZBE0YaJ1LnNPbCkjaaZjezhq6GuirKqgKk5cA_04zv8zVkCvOOsRABdMFdILv9e1dNzh08PixaSY1rsD5minQBC_YgB9kCwKkOgmxWQIP_hR_ircXDQ/s500/dragon_cylinder%20seal_akkad_tell%20asmar.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="500" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHM4IEj659cvFkmTd0YITv-gLTkQgqaen4spGhNCohepMPdfufNiE9v37BoLL5cVO7ijIs1cjZZBE0YaJ1LnNPbCkjaaZjezhq6GuirKqgKk5cA_04zv8zVkCvOOsRABdMFdILv9e1dNzh08PixaSY1rsD5minQBC_YgB9kCwKkOgmxWQIP_hR_ircXDQ/s320/dragon_cylinder%20seal_akkad_tell%20asmar.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">As the symbol of destructive heat which brings drought, plague, death, lion became the symbol of destructive force, and ultimately, evil...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Why were Persian kings so obsessed with killing lions? Well they were't really killing lions. They were symbolically killing dry season, Angra Mainyu, which starts in Apr/May, Bull, peaks in Jul/Aug, Leo and ends in Oct/Nov, Scorpio/Eagle... I talked about this in my posts "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/02/the-king-killing-angra-mainyu.html" target="_blank">The king killing Angra Mainyu</a>" and "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/09/angra-mainyu.html" target="_blank">Angra Mainyu</a>"...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhum4bhKVRQf2slkqVvLX3bJo9nYZOdgymmMgjR2QiWS2snHUrnIizC-oU_TPNmEAM18s_MspK0u5pxnPuah62n5eNt6yqbcMBRXjtHKrW5hqorAQdkOOv3bNd2bAhYjnxNqlqmcitfvoMXmwoyarit1VJCtWe1O8SW1OZVzplGFvNOrk8V9J42z3Uew38/s1024/king%20killing%20summer.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="651" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhum4bhKVRQf2slkqVvLX3bJo9nYZOdgymmMgjR2QiWS2snHUrnIizC-oU_TPNmEAM18s_MspK0u5pxnPuah62n5eNt6yqbcMBRXjtHKrW5hqorAQdkOOv3bNd2bAhYjnxNqlqmcitfvoMXmwoyarit1VJCtWe1O8SW1OZVzplGFvNOrk8V9J42z3Uew38/s320/king%20killing%20summer.png" width="203" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So...Are you suggesting, I can hear you ask, that Apollo = Aplu = Palil = Nergal = (god of) Destructive Sun of Jul/Aug, the cause of drought, plague and death??? And that this is why the lions lined the Sacred Avenue leading to the Temple of Apollo in Delos???</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">You bet that's what I'm suggesting. Why do you think Apollo was "the most feared of all Greek gods"? Certainly not because of his bad lyre playing...Although that probably didn't help...I talked about animal calendar markers in the story about how Apollo gave King Midas donkey's ears in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/11/onager.html" target="_blank">Onager</a>"...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIx8Lm5U8biNn_urY-shhcgMo1_Qd4Z7SewhSIXQ4qiDDU9YwsIs_dx0ke9Pwux5Lctlk7Pums6NOaKboT4kdlOp998RnDkN6iH_5sveYI4O4NlgRXO4wQHtDOSDTAgXLUCvc_4gDQ2-44Q7wRR-yG9t56qjh2aWjIo8TQJ96A0LdM5UPb37zpCnPu6AY/s510/apollo%20pan%20midas.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="510" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIx8Lm5U8biNn_urY-shhcgMo1_Qd4Z7SewhSIXQ4qiDDU9YwsIs_dx0ke9Pwux5Lctlk7Pums6NOaKboT4kdlOp998RnDkN6iH_5sveYI4O4NlgRXO4wQHtDOSDTAgXLUCvc_4gDQ2-44Q7wRR-yG9t56qjh2aWjIo8TQJ96A0LdM5UPb37zpCnPu6AY/s320/apollo%20pan%20midas.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">You also might find this post, "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/10/lyre-of-apollo.html" target="_blank">Lyre of Apollo</a>", interesting. It analyses animal and plant calendar markers embedded into the story about the birth of Hermes, particularly the part related to him making the first lyre, which he later swapped with Apollo for the caduceus...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEhlzB-gyd8gTeg0R6eZ6w4mIKjgleDh6KOKL1JqR_pBb_zo9Dn2pZV7F-9LCUDGtTFKJpImn3IgvFWA4mZIRqK8os59Uvmnesl_cncv7DefAmNTGTRPbJBD02FybARwgB3T1fPCjpZ7MTnVYC4lSYPjdzJE0S8KL92Jp7EyrNsF6WUGpWSNdd_bcwhqk/s1438/bull%20turtle%20lyre.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1114" data-original-width="1438" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEhlzB-gyd8gTeg0R6eZ6w4mIKjgleDh6KOKL1JqR_pBb_zo9Dn2pZV7F-9LCUDGtTFKJpImn3IgvFWA4mZIRqK8os59Uvmnesl_cncv7DefAmNTGTRPbJBD02FybARwgB3T1fPCjpZ7MTnVYC4lSYPjdzJE0S8KL92Jp7EyrNsF6WUGpWSNdd_bcwhqk/s320/bull%20turtle%20lyre.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To read more about ancient animal and plant calendar markers, start </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/p/animal-solar-year-markers.html" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">…then check </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/search?q=%22animal+calendar+markers%22&max-results=20&by-date=true" target="_blank">the rest of the blog posts related to animal calendar markers</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't add to this page, and finally check </span><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=thread%20(from%3Aserbiaireland)%20-filter%3Areplies&src=typed_query&f=live" target="_blank">my twitter threads</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't convert to blog post...I am 9 months behind now...</span></span></p>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-42110579332395932812024-01-28T04:57:00.000-08:002024-01-28T12:01:13.348-08:00The beard of Osiris<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Figurine of a bearded man by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amratian_culture" target="_blank">Naqada I culture</a>, 3800–3500 BC, from Upper Egypt. Pic by Rama.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-srtbTxZx9dHc3hDMmHvyl9TmbRLLXCAbx94-g_zG5AD172N0DhSJVvwCgSMfte8zLWg02lK8OKI7xNdehkvIn7PIkPA_hBmRqRWDecYgrwNqLKQ_fpBxiXIHIwia_vfv0M4zPCNIZwb69oNhxGXUlJrbT7ipj5yQLWHRF10With-_kL1sxy2h0tFmA/s1920/ancestor%20nakada.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-srtbTxZx9dHc3hDMmHvyl9TmbRLLXCAbx94-g_zG5AD172N0DhSJVvwCgSMfte8zLWg02lK8OKI7xNdehkvIn7PIkPA_hBmRqRWDecYgrwNqLKQ_fpBxiXIHIwia_vfv0M4zPCNIZwb69oNhxGXUlJrbT7ipj5yQLWHRF10With-_kL1sxy2h0tFmA/s320/ancestor%20nakada.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Today I came across this article "<a href="https://researchgate.net/publication/322120703_Heliopolis_and_the_Solar_Cult_in_the_Third_Millennium_BC" target="_blank">Heliopolis and the Solar Cult in the Third Millennium BC</a>"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In it I read about the "Souls of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliopolis_(ancient_Egypt)" target="_blank">Heliopolis</a>", "Souls of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nekhen" target="_blank">Hierakonpolis</a>" and Pharaohs as great prophets, great seers, who received their sacred knowledge and legitimacy from their ancestors...all the way to the procreator god..."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And this got me thinking: Was ancestral worship at the core of the early Ancient Egyptian religion? Is this why Pharaohs wore false beards?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Apparently, Pharaohs (divine rulers) wore false beards to signify their status as a living gods. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_R6YYKBRxGWqA0kRLDDT8gq2Je8rkPEBi_gk7eqk_YKK1M8b371eki4QZa0LBa77mze19iOyJ3K2KXEzA3NJUdRDR6DCDpK9b8Y1ZZ4nAv1apTfkv7wRqTPY3gq86fpv5W-BpUrnz_k40AAcF427g4jW-9h4InNzAOH8t5HOdMulTcV_P53bvYoouKvE/s688/pharaoh%20false%20beard.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_R6YYKBRxGWqA0kRLDDT8gq2Je8rkPEBi_gk7eqk_YKK1M8b371eki4QZa0LBa77mze19iOyJ3K2KXEzA3NJUdRDR6DCDpK9b8Y1ZZ4nAv1apTfkv7wRqTPY3gq86fpv5W-BpUrnz_k40AAcF427g4jW-9h4InNzAOH8t5HOdMulTcV_P53bvYoouKvE/s320/pharaoh%20false%20beard.jpeg" width="233" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And not any god. Osiris. In ancient Egypt, Osiris was considered as being the perfect example for pharaohs...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Thus, in order to get closer to and bond with the perfect pharaoh Osiris, his pharaonic successors wore a false beard to imitate his appearance. But Osiris didn't actually have a real beard himself...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Osiris, wore a false beard in his role as ruler of underworld while he judged the dead. Apparently, he wore the false beard "as a symbol of his great wisdom"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Why would a beard be a symbol of great wisdom? Cause beard is a symbol of an elder, an ancestor...Someone of a great age with great experience and hence knowledge, wisdom...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The older you were, the wiser you became...And longer your beard grew...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And then you died and went to the underworld. So the underworld was full of dead ancestors with long beards...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So Osiris wearing a false beard while judging the dead, was symbolically proclaiming the judgement of the ancestors...Cause it was really the ancestors who judged their descendants...And gave them what they deserved...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Remember this?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"...humiliation of the Hittite kingdom is the result of the fact that the Hittites have forgotten to respect the sacred bond with their dead..." - Last Hittite king Suppiluliuma II. I talked about this in my post "<a href="http://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/05/house-of-bones.html" target="_blank">House of bones</a>"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Statue of Suppiluliuma II, Hatay Archeology Museum, with a pretty depressed looking expression on his face...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxo-thdl3MNyBS1lZ2RBcrwhPFSErL-1-i9RtPErBMM8y16UOHpXG0ZIFRKm-MeNQtBd6nfQIkJbz2qW0CRpOrEchutB_TlCBD6tDUERDUE9y7el2ul_V8PJBrYdKxlTKjCVvK3MnzMdO-PdGZVgsCfXtDo04Oar7OTi8cHwCv4utDWRcdl7T7FVs4f-A/s800/suppiluliuma%20ii.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxo-thdl3MNyBS1lZ2RBcrwhPFSErL-1-i9RtPErBMM8y16UOHpXG0ZIFRKm-MeNQtBd6nfQIkJbz2qW0CRpOrEchutB_TlCBD6tDUERDUE9y7el2ul_V8PJBrYdKxlTKjCVvK3MnzMdO-PdGZVgsCfXtDo04Oar7OTi8cHwCv4utDWRcdl7T7FVs4f-A/s320/suppiluliuma%20ii.png" width="256" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In the above post, I proposed that what caused the demise of the Hittites was a severe multiyear drought, and that to understand why Suppiluliuma II talked about the dead, we need to look at the beliefs of Serbs and other Balkan Slavs. In the Balkans people believed that if the dead were not given water, they would drink it from the clouds, and would cause drought. You can read more about the eternal thirst of the dead in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/01/thirst.html" target="_blank">Thirst</a>"</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XVXqVOnnf4bv9hhCy0lsrxvizk3UAax6DvQttUEca8bY6DDDRSwtds4PBJePmuWH5MYyBXsNghv_jK6nNDUVbfwkSX4spGdzw1SOTGUtDZvci6cCt4Ik0NeQVCdd3oV1S76d193FWeSVWrHcoC7K8rxZzJQK0DnU1eYPNFNsx-4QKwyvUBIOchoHB8Q/s759/blazing%20sun%20drought.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="759" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XVXqVOnnf4bv9hhCy0lsrxvizk3UAax6DvQttUEca8bY6DDDRSwtds4PBJePmuWH5MYyBXsNghv_jK6nNDUVbfwkSX4spGdzw1SOTGUtDZvci6cCt4Ik0NeQVCdd3oV1S76d193FWeSVWrHcoC7K8rxZzJQK0DnU1eYPNFNsx-4QKwyvUBIOchoHB8Q/s320/blazing%20sun%20drought.png" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Romans linked rain, and agriculture, with the will of the dead too...You can read more about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2023/01/lapis-manalis.html" target="_blank">Lapis Manalis</a>" about the Roman agricultural rituals which link the (thirsty) dead living under (holy) stones, rain and agricultural fertility...</span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_fT3W18kI6zNqaTw3bABwEd0gUZS3ZCx8zKw9vecyP-TiPOMsUvRuc2qdgoBIu02MhhERAqEQ6FX2wVQGuMi7vfQIp9rbOblaYr8myBSMbQ-bP6_2i0kENk65My9tJXOpoJTpa2vSpotDjBoFta0fU0cb1LJvxoh6ogaNS9PUWy9qv2uPZSyDNPE-sk/s868/lapis%20manalis.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="868" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_fT3W18kI6zNqaTw3bABwEd0gUZS3ZCx8zKw9vecyP-TiPOMsUvRuc2qdgoBIu02MhhERAqEQ6FX2wVQGuMi7vfQIp9rbOblaYr8myBSMbQ-bP6_2i0kENk65My9tJXOpoJTpa2vSpotDjBoFta0fU0cb1LJvxoh6ogaNS9PUWy9qv2uPZSyDNPE-sk/s320/lapis%20manalis.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">It turns out, that I was right. According to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05693-y" target="_blank">this recent article from Nature</a>, "Severe multi-year drought coincided with Hittite collapse around 1198–1196 BC"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In Egypt, agriculture depended not on rain, but on the annual Nile flood. And who was the god directly linked to the annual Nile flood that created the black (fertile) soil? Osiris. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Osiris with wheat growing from his body. From the coffin of Nespawershepi.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHs8mpxOa7NMSTAW1kz7WEPLGPj0lj_m069xViX2Ov-fbh16mAUWqlD6eCKUWUXSsvbq_RKt3FXuug6laUtfi2TbgYhytCtw5DsrN-co87U22xlr-G6pcrEMoyiTotGcTFZwH0Q5jnzTOYX0dhfKVKX1xURkfH5AC8iDGqAyaBWEtYnbTND4rha7c3mQ/s1200/osiris%20wheat.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="1200" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHs8mpxOa7NMSTAW1kz7WEPLGPj0lj_m069xViX2Ov-fbh16mAUWqlD6eCKUWUXSsvbq_RKt3FXuug6laUtfi2TbgYhytCtw5DsrN-co87U22xlr-G6pcrEMoyiTotGcTFZwH0Q5jnzTOYX0dhfKVKX1xURkfH5AC8iDGqAyaBWEtYnbTND4rha7c3mQ/s320/osiris%20wheat.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I talked about the link between annual Nile flood, fertile black soil and Osiris in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/06/holy-carp.html" target="_blank">Holy carp</a>"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Osiris the Perfect Pharaoh. He who made the land fertile and who liked to wear a false beard, pretending to be symbolic ancestor...Did Ancient Egyptians also have in their religion the link between the dead and water and fertility? I think so...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Osiris, who was thus emulated by the Pharaohs who wore a false beard to pretend to be Osiris (who wore a false beard to pretend to be an ancestor 🙂)...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">What was the most important role of a Pharaoh? To feed his people of course...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">BTW, this is Diduch (Grandfather, Ancestor), depicted as a sheaf of grain, to symbolically show the link between the dead and the grain fertility...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/04/diduch.html" target="_blank">Diduch</a>"</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8LQC4pr4QGoBSOPvsv1ajzf1590e9l1WwrBIulY1xZcH7jqgDo2DPb4UuyK1ai5rhIR94drzKMZTtj6IWQjT-JX3hOd9ONA-axuMP-MRBIgJ90SeVabx4mO_m7zdr2QOUkqO_C0lIXmGG45AQmCP9KiisNwC-fyqTftwfUVKs8_dV4E9_WnIkMzTkYbU/s1181/diduch%20the%20ancestor.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1181" data-original-width="717" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8LQC4pr4QGoBSOPvsv1ajzf1590e9l1WwrBIulY1xZcH7jqgDo2DPb4UuyK1ai5rhIR94drzKMZTtj6IWQjT-JX3hOd9ONA-axuMP-MRBIgJ90SeVabx4mO_m7zdr2QOUkqO_C0lIXmGG45AQmCP9KiisNwC-fyqTftwfUVKs8_dV4E9_WnIkMzTkYbU/s320/diduch%20the%20ancestor.png" width="194" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This was fun 🙂 What do you think?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I want to thank my friend <a href="https://twitter.com/another_barbara" target="_blank">@another_barbara</a> for this great insightful comment:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I've been thinking about the things you posted since last night. People "planted" their dead in the soil that fed them, scatter their ashes into life giving rivers or seas that provided for them...</span></p>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-40688006552330846012024-01-28T04:24:00.000-08:002024-01-29T03:11:19.737-08:00Dead man loaf<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In Bulgaria, a special loaf of bread was made immediately after a person died, during the washing of the body. It was a simple round loaf, sometimes with a cross. In northeastern Bulgaria it was baked from dough which was made with the water used to bathe the deceased...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Sources:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"<a href="https://etnografskimuzej.rs/wp-content/uploads/Glasnik-Etnografskog-muzeja-u-Beogradu-knjiga-19-godina-19561.pdf" target="_blank">Glasnik Etnografskog muzeja u Beogradu knjiga 19 godina 1956</a>"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"<a href="https://researchgate.net/publication/276317428_Bread_in_the_folk_culture_of_the_Serbs_in_its_pan-Slavic_context" target="_blank">Bread in the folk culture of the Serbs in its pan Slavic context</a>"</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qd0P8f_JANMo-2N9FOpA6ffcd125G3NF6j63XcVY0qS4oBH60woZBZLTyIkybrfFDFfO-fbWrKGKHfMhBIDt2F6YDS3nYioEum5EOlvJdx95cK7nKU1Cme3VYseIEeFKTVAp3Z-okLuMG7uEzXVXv1B7aF0pUplmwzrORS-a6nqo40gWoxr-nZdXKgg/s450/pogaca.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="450" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qd0P8f_JANMo-2N9FOpA6ffcd125G3NF6j63XcVY0qS4oBH60woZBZLTyIkybrfFDFfO-fbWrKGKHfMhBIDt2F6YDS3nYioEum5EOlvJdx95cK7nKU1Cme3VYseIEeFKTVAp3Z-okLuMG7uEzXVXv1B7aF0pUplmwzrORS-a6nqo40gWoxr-nZdXKgg/s320/pogaca.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The dough for the bread was kneaded in a wooden throw. Before the kneading of the bread started, a candle was lit and put next to the through. And the dough was kneaded until the candle burned out...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In some parts of Bulgaria, this bread had to be made by a "clean" woman who had no sexual intercourses, either a virgin girl, a widow or a grandmother...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The name of this bread was пътнина (patnina), meaning "(bread for the) journey". In some parts of Bulgaria, this bread was placed in the coffin with a bottle of water and a bottle of wine, so the deceased would have enough food and drink for his journey to the other world...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This is very interesting. Remember my articles about the pots and pans found in Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Age graves all over the world. Like these <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandhara_grave_culture" target="_blank">Ghandara culture</a> graves from Pakistan, dated to 1200-800BC...Were the drinking vessels placed in graves with drink "for the other world"...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPi3-BdkSvzQKFUeRKOxMssumCE_-Zanuve7EGkA1N_HVfDfOb4w0qFL49NcnKgnBIwpPKe44ivIfYULzzZt4vm5TJp7OrOIDQdE77sji0JBKMcxlLXiizCFfZkntGo1MCp7LdaFpgb7iNYN3Xw5uvV7u8IZxrkzdFMHPttHuQJOcPZMCC-TCZ7E5624/s579/ghandara%20burials.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="579" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPi3-BdkSvzQKFUeRKOxMssumCE_-Zanuve7EGkA1N_HVfDfOb4w0qFL49NcnKgnBIwpPKe44ivIfYULzzZt4vm5TJp7OrOIDQdE77sji0JBKMcxlLXiizCFfZkntGo1MCp7LdaFpgb7iNYN3Xw5uvV7u8IZxrkzdFMHPttHuQJOcPZMCC-TCZ7E5624/s320/ghandara%20burials.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/02/one-for-road.html" target="_blank">One for the road</a>"...Why would the living bother with making sure the dead had enough food and drink in the otherworld? </span></p><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Our ancestors believed that it was the dead ancestors that directly affected the life of the living and in particular the land/grain fertility. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I talked about this in many of my posts like my post about <a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/04/diduch.html" target="_blank">Diduch</a> (grandfather), symbolic representation of the ancestral spirit which governs the lives of the living.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtN-lt6z4YuCUlnTm0p2056bxaT1-Ifdv79R_1rwvKB5LEendSV0oQSx-ThiF2V7saxvMQH6Jm09mbalZA-_RL0NchYI-37SyflRtsUm_fSj7LjwByORw2kyjkXQCNkOkR07oTmQDE5gqLC26101Hmf7ck2hiZcv_p48DUJIDth5zgRLxX7Hune3A2gVk/s1181/diduch%20the%20ancestor.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1181" data-original-width="717" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtN-lt6z4YuCUlnTm0p2056bxaT1-Ifdv79R_1rwvKB5LEendSV0oQSx-ThiF2V7saxvMQH6Jm09mbalZA-_RL0NchYI-37SyflRtsUm_fSj7LjwByORw2kyjkXQCNkOkR07oTmQDE5gqLC26101Hmf7ck2hiZcv_p48DUJIDth5zgRLxX7Hune3A2gVk/s320/diduch%20the%20ancestor.png" width="194" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The dead had to be remembered, and fed and watered by giving them regular food and drink (mostly water) sacrifices. Cause forgotten, hungry and thirsty dead ancestors will take revenge on their living descendants. And one of the ways they would do that is by causing droughts, storms, floods and other natural disasters that would cause grain crops to fail, and would result in famine and the death of the living...</span></div><p></p><div></div><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I talked about this in my posts "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/01/thirst.html" target="_blank">Thirst</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/01/white-feast.html" target="_blank">White feast</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2024/01/soul-breads.html" target="_blank">Soul breads</a>". I talked about the link between the dead and rain and grain fertility in Roman mythology in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2023/01/lapis-manalis.html" target="_blank">Lapis Manalis</a>"....</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Also, remember this? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"...humiliation of the Hittite kingdom is the result of the fact that the Hittites have forgotten to respect the sacred bond with their dead..." - Last Hittite king Suppiluliuma II. From my post "<a href="http://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2020/05/house-of-bones.html" target="_blank">House of bones</a>"... </span></p><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Statue of Suppiluliuma II, Hatay Archeology Museum with a pretty depressed expression on his face...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4syBtJxU3MAwcqYdkofvONE9-p3LepzfeycCWlP6n15uRFU-8mdo6srLOw7f6_XsIOaUCg10A9j6pJBJJ_J8FOQy-e0minDrDCsUVdZEU2zD4JutdArptyv1LqGURN-VS1d5ePIWzehDqXCYxBRjMVaf3l6XJRKZts8xS6pY8Xo2lHUr_R93T39s1Fk/s800/suppiluliuma%20ii.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4syBtJxU3MAwcqYdkofvONE9-p3LepzfeycCWlP6n15uRFU-8mdo6srLOw7f6_XsIOaUCg10A9j6pJBJJ_J8FOQy-e0minDrDCsUVdZEU2zD4JutdArptyv1LqGURN-VS1d5ePIWzehDqXCYxBRjMVaf3l6XJRKZts8xS6pY8Xo2lHUr_R93T39s1Fk/s320/suppiluliuma%20ii.png" style="cursor: move;" width="256" /></span></a></div></div></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This is why people not just buried their dead with food and water, but also regularly feasted with the dead. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Starting from the funeral feast. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In some other parts of Bulgaria, the bread was, while still warm, broken over the deceased person's head, making sure that steam, representing the deceased person's soul, rose the broken bread...The bread was then ritually eaten by the people attending the bathing of the body...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">BTW, in Herodotus 4:73 we read that when a Scythian man died his family would put the body on a cart and take it to all his friends houses. They would bring the body into each house where they would eat and drink together with the corpse...</span></p><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Through the quarterly remembrance feasts. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">There is a custom among Serbs of "feasting with the dead". Four times a year, once per season, on a day called "<a href="https://talkingsoup.com/soup-bowl/zadusnice-serbian-all-souls-day" target="_blank">Zadušnice</a>" (Souls day) a family goes to the graveyard, spreads the tablecloth on the grave, lays food and drink on the grave and has a feast with the dead. </span></div><div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkQ3J6eV8H0m96gvD9RuZAuc03I_Tp33lFHkOLFy0mC-3XLpgs32NzUmOe9D-A6Af2-cCVvTlrEj6Ho6Z6Gv6ZzFL9AuiBZ7H5QD49t8trZPD49L0Q4DuDVy1Nngy9HejT3l7m_jZLq15B30oy1Sv1qxgj2XMkG6Izs3Ld8uzt6U75O6nVo70abH7u2E/s1599/zadusnica.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="1599" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkQ3J6eV8H0m96gvD9RuZAuc03I_Tp33lFHkOLFy0mC-3XLpgs32NzUmOe9D-A6Af2-cCVvTlrEj6Ho6Z6Gv6ZzFL9AuiBZ7H5QD49t8trZPD49L0Q4DuDVy1Nngy9HejT3l7m_jZLq15B30oy1Sv1qxgj2XMkG6Izs3Ld8uzt6U75O6nVo70abH7u2E/s320/zadusnica.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And literally any other feast.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Serbs actually always feasted with the dead. Every family feast was symbolically eaten with the dead. This prompted some Serbian ethnographers to propose that the whole Serbian belief system was based around the cult of the dead...</span></p></div>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-22262718569429545102024-01-28T03:04:00.000-08:002024-01-28T03:04:19.704-08:00Soul breads<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">As late as the mid 20th century, there was a custom in Poland to bake small loaves of bread for the dead on the All Souls day. Because the All Souls day is in Polish known as Dzien Zaduszki (the day for the souls), the bread was also called zaduszki, bread (for) souls...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqsfpejVI7Dgr20ZFcrYVsaUbpLW2UdEsqi0mru4Tnu_cluGG6GhpqB01dVG95nebhvGGiN7C2V8lrL8yQHauLim2nxjHQJr7IpkGBcpbGl8SWPD-4-3rMygn9xXhRZhurR7gPEtHq-BVkXB65wUxuNcw006upAPrY80YGwF1ryqMzS_CTlqeur92gNpY/s1236/polish%20soul%20breads.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="979" data-original-width="1236" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqsfpejVI7Dgr20ZFcrYVsaUbpLW2UdEsqi0mru4Tnu_cluGG6GhpqB01dVG95nebhvGGiN7C2V8lrL8yQHauLim2nxjHQJr7IpkGBcpbGl8SWPD-4-3rMygn9xXhRZhurR7gPEtHq-BVkXB65wUxuNcw006upAPrY80YGwF1ryqMzS_CTlqeur92gNpY/s320/polish%20soul%20breads.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div><p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Originally these were just a plain sourdough flatbreads...But the recipe gradually evolved into this:</span></p><p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Lublin All Souls' Day breads (powałki)</span></p><p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">1 kg of cooked flour potatoes</span></p><p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">2 eggs</span></p><p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">400 g of wheat flour</span></p><p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">100g of fresh yeast</span></p><p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">1 teaspoon of sugar</span></p><p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">2 flat teaspoons of salt</span></p><p><span><span style="font-family: times;"><i>Press the previously cooked and cooled potatoes through a press, add eggs, flour, salt and yeast grated with sugar. Knead the mixture into a loose dough. Tear off pieces of dough, form thick flat patties and place them on oiled baking tray.</i></span></span></p></div></span><p><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i>Decorate each patty with a grid pattern using a fork, and leave them to rise for 30 minutes. Bake for 20-30 minutes in an oven preheated to 160°C. </i></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i>That's the traditional recipe. If you want, you can add cheese, ham, spices or any other topping of filling to suit your taste...</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The origin of this ritual in the old Slavic feast called Dziady, which in Polish means Grandfathers, Forefathers, when the souls of Forefathers would come back to our world to visit their descendants. And the little (soul) breads were made as food for the visiting ancestors.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The soul breads had to be prepared a few days in advance, as people did not want to light the fire on the hearth on All Saints' Day, as they believed that the visiting souls gathered around the house hearth, and they didn't want to disturb them...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Two interesting things here.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">First: Slavs believed that it was the (happy) ancestors (satisfied with the way their descendants treated them) who were the source of all good that their descendants enjoyed. Including (and especially) good grain harvest...I talked about this in my post "</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/04/diduch.html" target="_blank">Diduch</a>" (grandfather), about the East Slavic symbolic representation of the ancestral spirit which governs the lives of the living. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WBXvFMkCoeeUfIQNPkJlDjvCtzdjO1AK7hQhT4x9klSez3QSqdv9InCvc7Z7RKnLi6SzNXt7qApnAHo7_w5rs9opvxjeansGhcjyxRBJJ40itagkkxSk7XwzVFKNXhobEWJQaQrfykTxzTvanaklTCyegWkREwC3VsuvI9wRj3j2GGh43pr_mmZ3SWs/s584/diduch%20and%20making%20diduch.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="584" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WBXvFMkCoeeUfIQNPkJlDjvCtzdjO1AK7hQhT4x9klSez3QSqdv9InCvc7Z7RKnLi6SzNXt7qApnAHo7_w5rs9opvxjeansGhcjyxRBJJ40itagkkxSk7XwzVFKNXhobEWJQaQrfykTxzTvanaklTCyegWkREwC3VsuvI9wRj3j2GGh43pr_mmZ3SWs/s320/diduch%20and%20making%20diduch.png" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So a bread for the dead now makes a lot of sense, right? I talked about the ancestral cult root of Slavic agricultural rituals in many of my blog posts and twitter threads. This post, "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2023/03/wheat-cross.html" target="_blank">Wheat cross</a>", </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">is a good jumping point for exploring this subject further. It talks </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">about the</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> ceremonial "wheat cross" from Romania, which was made on the last day of the wheat harvest to carry the "wheat wreath" from the fields to the village. And about the related Slavic harvest traditions and ritual.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-HsLpxObL1ja4LIXYtjL5GeYR8NhiJYqZ2f5je0ppXE0Q4b1gQwD6rZUrzccL5wTHR4p-VPbNXG6X0Tf1yELr98v4DDCOgslNVpWtciobPJLW4eRPLNHa9WrqJp2rULTq4oE4azukqNudsk-qxKps183tRCwpVIeUjEphocuR2oAdtxhdD2_EXzl5qY/s403/wheat%20cross.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="283" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-HsLpxObL1ja4LIXYtjL5GeYR8NhiJYqZ2f5je0ppXE0Q4b1gQwD6rZUrzccL5wTHR4p-VPbNXG6X0Tf1yELr98v4DDCOgslNVpWtciobPJLW4eRPLNHa9WrqJp2rULTq4oE4azukqNudsk-qxKps183tRCwpVIeUjEphocuR2oAdtxhdD2_EXzl5qY/s320/wheat%20cross.png" width="225" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Second: Hearth as the place where the dead gather when they visit the house of their descendants. I talked about the link between the dead and the hearth in my post about "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2019/12/verige.html" target="_blank">Verige</a>" (hearth chain). </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoAtGJQ6RWYZdtJB1WmMbbxzEYcbiSLd7QOgwqjcdiB9M9LmbqGj8tKvsfxfTgoX5q4uT0QW63cSIsMNIJFzt6qLG0N3v7OlXADN0E_lR5MPUxEZDQta22HOljuAHaYwA1t7q3B1qIL5X2qw59rmc8vUs6fz57sly7nKIzm7MYK_RahmqRyIxmeY5NGJE/s500/verige%20u%20kuci.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="500" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoAtGJQ6RWYZdtJB1WmMbbxzEYcbiSLd7QOgwqjcdiB9M9LmbqGj8tKvsfxfTgoX5q4uT0QW63cSIsMNIJFzt6qLG0N3v7OlXADN0E_lR5MPUxEZDQta22HOljuAHaYwA1t7q3B1qIL5X2qw59rmc8vUs6fz57sly7nKIzm7MYK_RahmqRyIxmeY5NGJE/s320/verige%20u%20kuci.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">As you can see from the above picture, in the past, the hearth was the focal point of every house. So it is easy to imagine that the souls of the dead ancestors would also gather around the hearth to warm themselves up on the cold November night...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This is confirmed by the fact that in the past in Poland, on All Souls eve, people used to set up bonfires on the crossroads, in order to help the souls of the ancestors warm up a bit...Why on crossroads? Allegedly to show wandering souls their way home...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJwkBmzKlFJdaPbYFp985P_V_yKyL2n9OKBlCJ-i9XKvqRvhUMGOxY-8pjAvrcCmZowYimlNQXP-JlnZrhGXhA7K5fdvkjk2LoQPZvAyX9Ok50Gdxr4naam1ast0CTpARXDQ4rjLpug4rXkH0DbM5HZFVGz46xhvhUSOFM4VjZdc9EyNJsScp1-ke4Kw/s1024/wolf%20feast%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJwkBmzKlFJdaPbYFp985P_V_yKyL2n9OKBlCJ-i9XKvqRvhUMGOxY-8pjAvrcCmZowYimlNQXP-JlnZrhGXhA7K5fdvkjk2LoQPZvAyX9Ok50Gdxr4naam1ast0CTpARXDQ4rjLpug4rXkH0DbM5HZFVGz46xhvhUSOFM4VjZdc9EyNJsScp1-ke4Kw/s320/wolf%20feast%203.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">But interestingly:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In some parts of Serbia, on Christmas eve, a single man from a village would go to a crossroads and lay down a feast for wolves. He would then run home without turning...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2019/07/wolf-feast.html" target="_blank">Wolf feast</a>", about the link between wolves and the ancestors in Serbian folklore. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And also:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Diduch (Grandfather), the grain effigy representing "The Ancestor" made in Ukraine for Christmas, was in some areas, burned on New Year's eve, on crossroads, "one of the favorite hangouts of evil spirits and vampires"...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHNmhKV9BIM1z0J8E4cmeaeN3v4q_Y0IsQtJmxppW_0_Lzjw8nymypYeIvUTX4CgfNVq6sT9FFEUy9m6XP6RcJQXBVyyVfTtKe4tPP1nWW8xWQMP0sUG1OB6BIEp61O05m_3dFvo39Mo-OhSk6LUsc4ipXra2tQj0_kxciOADOK667Fyh5f05hRIU-ok/s792/burned%20diduch.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="792" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHNmhKV9BIM1z0J8E4cmeaeN3v4q_Y0IsQtJmxppW_0_Lzjw8nymypYeIvUTX4CgfNVq6sT9FFEUy9m6XP6RcJQXBVyyVfTtKe4tPP1nWW8xWQMP0sUG1OB6BIEp61O05m_3dFvo39Mo-OhSk6LUsc4ipXra2tQj0_kxciOADOK667Fyh5f05hRIU-ok/s320/burned%20diduch.png" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">See how the souls of the ancestors ended up becoming evil spirits and vampires...With a little help of Christian priests...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Finally, some Serbian ethnographers proposed that the belief that the dead gather around the house hearth might also be a remnant of the ancient (really really ancient) practice of burying the dead under and around the hearth...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I am very important! </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgily18MKFGakPSZYhVjst4U8g2PRTNKDCVPJd9iSMdJlfAq-iDMoh33xWjq-aY-Frw7Yff5mCYugFfGRdX9mQFila_CXxeAS8mG4Pt2GHDZk8Z03NX6m4Kkz-yNBLePUuWRa_h-swVxiIH_PUL-XKilWn2N2mCvPAYbZYtpPlMOzdrbHs4O_Ho65WpQrM/s680/vinca%20ancestor.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="680" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgily18MKFGakPSZYhVjst4U8g2PRTNKDCVPJd9iSMdJlfAq-iDMoh33xWjq-aY-Frw7Yff5mCYugFfGRdX9mQFila_CXxeAS8mG4Pt2GHDZk8Z03NX6m4Kkz-yNBLePUuWRa_h-swVxiIH_PUL-XKilWn2N2mCvPAYbZYtpPlMOzdrbHs4O_Ho65WpQrM/s320/vinca%20ancestor.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Love this little guy 🙂 </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Neolithic Vinča culture anthropomorphic terracotta figurine, 5000 BC, Serbia.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"These figurines were found in houses, often near fireplace, sometimes carefully arranged, which indicates that they had ritual, cult value".</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Did they represent the deceased, the ancestors?</span></p>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743102750721348863.post-63869065392667920492024-01-17T13:16:00.000-08:002024-01-17T13:16:19.352-08:00Apkallu<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Gold and lapis lazuli carps found in the grave of the Sumerian <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puabi" target="_blank">Queen Puabi</a> who was buried in Ur around 2500BC...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS00JzLoP2i6lnyX7CAbwy0l-51BXWF55IVZWCdDQt0JFEU997vPG4AKjopkL04Ne4aV3TY090sSIR6nvPVrQmCvjdUtfn9IUSvDaJJwCNRi6AdL92bM0K-O6T9kH4oTdilC6nao0KRvd5BaBIqeBk3_7NcVjZBBLoEDDC-kcNx_7es-jgTsf0vvX1R70/s360/queen%20puabi%20fish.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="360" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS00JzLoP2i6lnyX7CAbwy0l-51BXWF55IVZWCdDQt0JFEU997vPG4AKjopkL04Ne4aV3TY090sSIR6nvPVrQmCvjdUtfn9IUSvDaJJwCNRi6AdL92bM0K-O6T9kH4oTdilC6nao0KRvd5BaBIqeBk3_7NcVjZBBLoEDDC-kcNx_7es-jgTsf0vvX1R70/s320/queen%20puabi%20fish.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Gold for sun and blue for water...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/art/2022/06/13/new-discoveries-in-iraq-upend-story-of-mesopotamia/" target="_blank">The latest data from Ancient Mesopotamian city of Girsu</a> shows that agriculture built around system of irrigation canals existed for a 1000 years before the first city was built...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Which is "surprising" as it was believed that it was agriculture that was the catalyst for emergence of the first Mesopotamian cities and civilisation...Apparently something else triggered this development, "but we don't know what"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Maybe city building fashion was brought to Mesopotamia by outsiders? Ever heard of Apkallu, the "seven sages (demigods)" who brought civilisation to Sumer?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Their names are very interesting:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"He who finished the plans for heaven and earth",</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"He who was endowed with comprehensive intelligence",</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"He who was allotted a good fate",</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"He who was born in a house",</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"He who grew up on pasture land",</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"He who built the city of Eridu",</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"He who ascended to heaven"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I wonder if these were 7 sages, or just 7 epithets of the original culture heroes, who brought civilisation to Mesopotamia...From the same place from where grain was brought to Mesopotamia...From Levant via Anatolia...I talked about it in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/10/how-grain-came-to-sumer.html" target="_blank">How grain came to Sumer</a>"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Anatolia is where before any city was built in Mesopotamia, we find cities like Çatalhöyük...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Where people "endowed with comprehensive intelligence", who were "born in a house" and "grew up on pasture land" and who were "allotted a good fate" to bring them to Sumer where they "conjured the city of Eridu" before they "ascended (went back) to heaven"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">BTW, heaven was by Sumerians seen as a mountain...Most likely the Northern Mountains from which Tigris and Euphrates emerge...So "ascending (going back) to heaven" just means "going back north"...I talked about this in my posts "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/04/when-utu-steps-up-into-heaven.html" target="_blank">When Utu steps into heaven</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/10/eagle-dance.html" target="_blank">Eagle dance</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2014/10/descending-to-hades.html" target="_blank">Descending to Hades</a>"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Ok...I can hear you mumbling...Where are the animal calendar markers? How disappointing... 🙂</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Guess what Apkally were depicted as? Fish men...You know "The Amphibians aliens"...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgej3Jrh9LTQFEjKQmv2oIutU6I8wwcfwAt-MAiXXUJkaTJd3F_M_XyyXQ50d7pz69O5yxrd3TAYUaafFd8lDOJj0_iJVgII-yaACZYxADZ80ndOhA4zjpd-H0iCn4_pqFumQUDd_GZUTDpJF1_kw4nDZt5HqTQwTs2Bfs3FsMFBd8MyyNCS0BuP7MMY4o/s400/apkallu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="285" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgej3Jrh9LTQFEjKQmv2oIutU6I8wwcfwAt-MAiXXUJkaTJd3F_M_XyyXQ50d7pz69O5yxrd3TAYUaafFd8lDOJj0_iJVgII-yaACZYxADZ80ndOhA4zjpd-H0iCn4_pqFumQUDd_GZUTDpJF1_kw4nDZt5HqTQwTs2Bfs3FsMFBd8MyyNCS0BuP7MMY4o/s320/apkallu.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">They were of course aliens...But in a sense "not from lower Mesopotamia" and not "not from Earth"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And they were not fish-men. They were men wearing skins and heads of giant Mesopotamian carps. These monsters...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYsJpWUKXIA3JK2Du-2aAoRG7GZdHBo7Niz5o3n02jY0mAWKjYYa_m_6VXzGu819w0yXpvBPIMo1nEypndFRsHr2kn_-ekMNc6eauqUdvGCLcwzXopkmP7oQzc6VTir8d9MIUPOkFZwbFk4mkeKAuLdAEghlgrHR0fVmCPHzcDJyGAP_N7AesprSPdcA/s543/euphrates%20carp.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="424" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYsJpWUKXIA3JK2Du-2aAoRG7GZdHBo7Niz5o3n02jY0mAWKjYYa_m_6VXzGu819w0yXpvBPIMo1nEypndFRsHr2kn_-ekMNc6eauqUdvGCLcwzXopkmP7oQzc6VTir8d9MIUPOkFZwbFk4mkeKAuLdAEghlgrHR0fVmCPHzcDJyGAP_N7AesprSPdcA/s320/euphrates%20carp.jpeg" width="250" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Remember my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/03/goatfish.html" target="_blank">Goatfish</a>" about the meaning of the symbol of Goatfish? </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCge-sjXZOEgAGVmQCamndj9MQUrubVLSU_7g_AQu5r4biAUENx4f3kblbQp_YkIWsP1myAozCFChN5U__VeXjP6tNALAHJFEqqM47fBs4ykOKb147VBDc69xOHk5cpuPN34zrhmI5fgrenE7gQWbG8hKdEkFc8CbjStVMqm0wscQdEvUz0L6HJoWjdM/s406/goatfish.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="321" data-original-width="406" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCge-sjXZOEgAGVmQCamndj9MQUrubVLSU_7g_AQu5r4biAUENx4f3kblbQp_YkIWsP1myAozCFChN5U__VeXjP6tNALAHJFEqqM47fBs4ykOKb147VBDc69xOHk5cpuPN34zrhmI5fgrenE7gQWbG8hKdEkFc8CbjStVMqm0wscQdEvUz0L6HJoWjdM/s320/goatfish.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Symbol for the wet season in Mesopotamia, which starts with rain, when goats mate, and ends with flood, when carps mate...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBLGuEREtoVhZYERmLLSb1zQGnRb5651osLn6QVhnsjLtLxwy27sWc2cYLj1SxEjgFhzRtGiPWF5ewWL5jLHfh8AIRETjbvF366EXWATPKJPAzSf2Dt53SB9O23xrMWGGkXZnUZwEpKle5pxuj1x2XFjWzDYorXIXsKqpFT4n7XozWdZrqlIRpEnHkHs/s674/baghdad%20climate.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="674" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBLGuEREtoVhZYERmLLSb1zQGnRb5651osLn6QVhnsjLtLxwy27sWc2cYLj1SxEjgFhzRtGiPWF5ewWL5jLHfh8AIRETjbvF366EXWATPKJPAzSf2Dt53SB9O23xrMWGGkXZnUZwEpKle5pxuj1x2XFjWzDYorXIXsKqpFT4n7XozWdZrqlIRpEnHkHs/s320/baghdad%20climate.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlk1A9pRBbvor2EwO6gbdn1pPTQrIX1_50cfnN6vy6AqQ9cEtPdPTADuP6hEt7HahLIOsCD-B8oqxtrTRez6Yj5I45tfjDiSNH2-rQKY14AZFduKJ7CUVeWJsZi82vdsJjw8NFFwzo81Ubq_0gLWePzZzGyR7XWdNso1LZm8-G7NgS1k3llB4FAGN-fA/s756/year%20-%20wet%20dry%20persia%20goat%20fish.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="756" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlk1A9pRBbvor2EwO6gbdn1pPTQrIX1_50cfnN6vy6AqQ9cEtPdPTADuP6hEt7HahLIOsCD-B8oqxtrTRez6Yj5I45tfjDiSNH2-rQKY14AZFduKJ7CUVeWJsZi82vdsJjw8NFFwzo81Ubq_0gLWePzZzGyR7XWdNso1LZm8-G7NgS1k3llB4FAGN-fA/s320/year%20-%20wet%20dry%20persia%20goat%20fish.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In it I talked about the fact that carp swimming upstream for spawning was believed to be them "swimming back to their master, Enki/Ea, god of fresh water and annual flood, who resides in Abzu, source of fresh water"...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08ZVm42lk05N2CPD-bZiIWPXPunP1smCWCEO8pQvrx9SOzUJuH6PpnXJYqvNlPj_BjYF9Op2yaFVR2Lk7bDxY0J0ve8-1Lk52KWGqhwnmcUWkYc0ToGYmLYCpJRgPnzDwT_sKbSbtNowxH7F7Fr91gXbQ5xLNyPuTCYfrOXQauAR2Y9m7mINRxnyI5no/s400/enki%20jar%20two%20streams%20goatfish%20fish.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="363" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08ZVm42lk05N2CPD-bZiIWPXPunP1smCWCEO8pQvrx9SOzUJuH6PpnXJYqvNlPj_BjYF9Op2yaFVR2Lk7bDxY0J0ve8-1Lk52KWGqhwnmcUWkYc0ToGYmLYCpJRgPnzDwT_sKbSbtNowxH7F7Fr91gXbQ5xLNyPuTCYfrOXQauAR2Y9m7mINRxnyI5no/s320/enki%20jar%20two%20streams%20goatfish%20fish.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">That identifies Abzu as the Northern mountains and highlands. I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/09/problems-of-abzu.html" target="_blank">Problems with Abzu</a>" and "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/09/the-great-imposter.html" target="_blank">The great imposter</a>"...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWCP7pHQqZ4o3msq7w5AOCKbIJ9fcaAkVdtTDpDm0UVJIeWPeaIua2CvvlmPgxpmpy9uPbB0uh_Bjv4-E2Rk65mCgiCEhpnCwm-ihSgXRlZ4PfqJm2yu57tzH1zWIdNmoG5gWmNLyJxX3otXLs-_2Isbhy5BsD7sE5WMgMEtfXMv_5Z_ZHrryCnaX2Xg/s1200/zagros%20mountains.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="1200" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWCP7pHQqZ4o3msq7w5AOCKbIJ9fcaAkVdtTDpDm0UVJIeWPeaIua2CvvlmPgxpmpy9uPbB0uh_Bjv4-E2Rk65mCgiCEhpnCwm-ihSgXRlZ4PfqJm2yu57tzH1zWIdNmoG5gWmNLyJxX3otXLs-_2Isbhy5BsD7sE5WMgMEtfXMv_5Z_ZHrryCnaX2Xg/s320/zagros%20mountains.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><p>In the "<a href="https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/42061524/TAYLOR-DISSERTATION-2017.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y" target="_blank">Poem of Erra</a>", we can read this line:</p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">"Where are the seven Apkallu of the apsu, the holy carp, who are perfect in lofty wisdom like Ea's their lord..."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This clearly states that apkallu belong to Enki/Ea...And that they are fish (men)...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Enki/Ea, god of sweet water and the annual flood is shown here holding two jars with water flowing out of them, which represent the sources of Tigris and Euphrates...Standing on a carp fish...I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/09/carp-surfer.html" target="_blank">Carp surfer</a>"... </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSM2NRnq-EErKrKmnUoIFOCMW5QAHjMDQPHHKhTDxwbSt5ZpFh_8s4sYWqJ0G0DMnqfCQXpFB8HB5N63A-dgCuTnIjmy9PIAYuK8Z-83W_ibUoZqfTck9BzNduVIu_kjD2Xbwt35zQPLJgq6HD6-IG7QJTS0pj4Mcmnmu108c_-nUyl5abyQyYpT-19cg/s384/enki%20standing%20on%20a%20carp.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="381" data-original-width="384" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSM2NRnq-EErKrKmnUoIFOCMW5QAHjMDQPHHKhTDxwbSt5ZpFh_8s4sYWqJ0G0DMnqfCQXpFB8HB5N63A-dgCuTnIjmy9PIAYuK8Z-83W_ibUoZqfTck9BzNduVIu_kjD2Xbwt35zQPLJgq6HD6-IG7QJTS0pj4Mcmnmu108c_-nUyl5abyQyYpT-19cg/s320/enki%20standing%20on%20a%20carp.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Now Enki/Ea was seen as the actual source of wisdom and civilisation, and Apkallu were just his proxies, through whom he transmitted knowledge...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And considering that Enki/Ea was in Abzu, which was up north, somewhere at the "source of sweet water", Apkallu made their annual upstream "pilgrimage" from which they returned with more "knowledge from the source"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">And so did the actual giant carp. They swim up the rivers, towards river sources, towards Abzu, for spawning, every Apr/May, during the annual Tigris and Euphrates flood. Which is why in</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;">"</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://academia.edu/2286616/A_study_of_Sumerian_faunal_conception_with_a_focus_on_the_terms_pertaining_to_the_order_Testudines" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">A study of Sumerian faunal conception...</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">" we can read that an Ur III text calls Enki "the (wielder of) the a-eštub (carp flood)”...</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Back to our golden (sun) and lapis (water) fish. Why sun and water and fish? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">It is Utu/Shamash who releases Enki/Ea, the sweet water, from his icy prison on top of the sacred mountains, Abzu...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfN653MY7IIImCkBB-3MP4a1nXPlcgu-Vj78yl4Z2nth-72pMTCjkTGNRhShv6kMF83O4rHbX-9aKyKJxRUDzUCtS8AI8pPDGY3bSA7a6fND39fuWI22o9S58zoVhrrO7nfgYXkjU2hn3ZmQv73h9Rbuow7o_90cHeQUekMxENIQqZUsvjRNAnD4ra/s572/shamash%20young%20and%20old%20-%20young.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="572" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfN653MY7IIImCkBB-3MP4a1nXPlcgu-Vj78yl4Z2nth-72pMTCjkTGNRhShv6kMF83O4rHbX-9aKyKJxRUDzUCtS8AI8pPDGY3bSA7a6fND39fuWI22o9S58zoVhrrO7nfgYXkjU2hn3ZmQv73h9Rbuow7o_90cHeQUekMxENIQqZUsvjRNAnD4ra/s320/shamash%20young%20and%20old%20-%20young.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Over 70% of all the water flowing down Tigris and Euphrates comes from the snowmelt. Snowmelt which is caused by Utu/Shamash. I talked about this in my post "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/05/shamash-young-and-old.html" target="_blank">Shamash young and old</a>"...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The snowmelt peaks at the beginning of summer, Apr/May, in Taurus... </span></p><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_5q-qHlYJ-1Prq1WQBT5QPmyEH0m8h2LWgQ6e-mNfrJT7fwCdnDFuuQchXrxVDLZjSF53esIyt5YLmMx86-wLr5Omqhwc7he5Pd2N-WyI1h2PZrPZ0XClzj1E76nvUClWAl6DFfchwec842kn_NRDyyy-ROcJEw87gWZdWk-wlcjy8jeFSJ7xWMBf/s966/snowmelt%20runoff%20iran.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="966" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_5q-qHlYJ-1Prq1WQBT5QPmyEH0m8h2LWgQ6e-mNfrJT7fwCdnDFuuQchXrxVDLZjSF53esIyt5YLmMx86-wLr5Omqhwc7he5Pd2N-WyI1h2PZrPZ0XClzj1E76nvUClWAl6DFfchwec842kn_NRDyyy-ROcJEw87gWZdWk-wlcjy8jeFSJ7xWMBf/s320/snowmelt%20runoff%20iran.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Which is why Tigris and Euphrates flood also reaches its peak in Apr/May, in Taurus... </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-4O0I86boIjLu9HX3uT-39xVk7m-p2SHh88PxTEJSVLhG-j_iS9lqQcW9M85TlbW8acTOEM6cGgWnKV5pgn-kk3iyQ24-L9wPihfCpvCCDbtfLLcR9OTsxURSZ0DdYRsNv_ewz_z8BsojYEV4YahtrLZe6c4ZOWnlh5imdTYnECe-sr7LXO2tJUi/s519/tigris%20and%20euphrates%20discharges.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="343" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-4O0I86boIjLu9HX3uT-39xVk7m-p2SHh88PxTEJSVLhG-j_iS9lqQcW9M85TlbW8acTOEM6cGgWnKV5pgn-kk3iyQ24-L9wPihfCpvCCDbtfLLcR9OTsxURSZ0DdYRsNv_ewz_z8BsojYEV4YahtrLZe6c4ZOWnlh5imdTYnECe-sr7LXO2tJUi/s320/tigris%20and%20euphrates%20discharges.jpeg" width="211" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Which is why Utu/Shamash was depicted as a golden bull (Sun in Taurus) with flowing lapis lazuli beard (flowing water)...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMCkgkMCXwCM8jExQaABRaExoMTdxa82SjVtBdCbuVR-lE_j200SkrRXzB9urWC_7oh0CfrB2Xj976sctBuXQ0yQY46K8ehrZWPTnvuIVVwLt97ZTMUJ470lwvSlNXY4BcXWYdUPi27h_Bnb99P8xLtHSYQKPBOzuA4iFXtVAhz8cRGCRyvqssFEZ/s1831/bull%20head%20with%20lapis%20beard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1831" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMCkgkMCXwCM8jExQaABRaExoMTdxa82SjVtBdCbuVR-lE_j200SkrRXzB9urWC_7oh0CfrB2Xj976sctBuXQ0yQY46K8ehrZWPTnvuIVVwLt97ZTMUJ470lwvSlNXY4BcXWYdUPi27h_Bnb99P8xLtHSYQKPBOzuA4iFXtVAhz8cRGCRyvqssFEZ/s320/bull%20head%20with%20lapis%20beard.jpg" width="280" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I talked about this in my posts "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/12/solar-bull.html" target="_blank">Solar bull</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/02/elamite-water-bull.html" target="_blank">Elamite water bull</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/05/butt-chewing.html" target="_blank">Butt chewing</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/05/killing-of-bull-of-heaven.html" target="_blank">Killing of the bull of heaven</a>"...And many others...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">By the way, this is the old Taurus, the original Taurus, which has nothing to do with constellations. The old animal calendar marker, marking the beginning of the calving period of the wild Eurasian cattle. I talked about it in my posts "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2016/05/ram-and-bull.html" target="_blank">Ram and bull</a>", "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2022/04/cow-and-calf-ivory.html" target="_blank">Cow and calf ivory</a>"...And many others...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawlugXBnrU8nr1VJGGkNgamwmfXV8eM9NYcKtKzIBn5hgmESN2iIpR3wBdN0zeAaSasfMcIfdrObKj8LQLcqR6HJ2JipocV1L-EscL2fAGhUaz1B9G3Ymj7uOyL_0A-iQkeb9na0QU5JtB7Mc-9fAvpo06vI7LzgYYz1yVfoPYscuaHYgDR-BCIvx/s1103/cow%20calf.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1103" data-original-width="735" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawlugXBnrU8nr1VJGGkNgamwmfXV8eM9NYcKtKzIBn5hgmESN2iIpR3wBdN0zeAaSasfMcIfdrObKj8LQLcqR6HJ2JipocV1L-EscL2fAGhUaz1B9G3Ymj7uOyL_0A-iQkeb9na0QU5JtB7Mc-9fAvpo06vI7LzgYYz1yVfoPYscuaHYgDR-BCIvx/s320/cow%20calf.jpeg" width="213" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Anyway, I think this is kind of interesting...</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To read more about ancient animal and plant calendar markers, start </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/p/animal-solar-year-markers.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">…then check </span><a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/search?q=%22animal+calendar+markers%22&max-results=20&by-date=true" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">the rest of the blog posts related to animal calendar markers</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't add to this page, and finally check </span><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=thread%20(from%3Aserbiaireland)%20-filter%3Areplies&src=typed_query&f=live" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">my twitter threads</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> I still didn't convert to blog post...I am 9 months behind now...</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">PS: Before there were fishmen in Mesopotamia, there were fishmen in the Balkans...I talked about this in my post: "<a href="https://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2021/09/mesolithic-sturgeon-fishermen.html" target="_blank">Mesolithic sturgeon fishermen</a>"</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpmuPR9YA-GyMe9zgu3cQlRTeIzefXu32TnNKgcIiPAYIrNQ7pme4D-VgtedGbH8Ch5rSHNUHbnqbw8Zdd2EPPLN_onuB_xqiFKbs7S04hjdzZhmaxVjf1Fx1XLGF5YDL9BGk7EkO7nszkpjqpmAzP28IGoeGNSGpRO-n3THM66_JGC3ayC1DTrAupuSc/s857/lepenski%20vir%20fish%20man.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="857" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpmuPR9YA-GyMe9zgu3cQlRTeIzefXu32TnNKgcIiPAYIrNQ7pme4D-VgtedGbH8Ch5rSHNUHbnqbw8Zdd2EPPLN_onuB_xqiFKbs7S04hjdzZhmaxVjf1Fx1XLGF5YDL9BGk7EkO7nszkpjqpmAzP28IGoeGNSGpRO-n3THM66_JGC3ayC1DTrAupuSc/s320/lepenski%20vir%20fish%20man.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>oldeuropeanculturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880222013739472782noreply@blogger.com0