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Gods, Heroes & Myth Over time things change, the gods & goddesses become fairies, spirits & ghosts, the fairies & ghosts become kings, queens, heroes & saints, the kings & saints become legends, the legends become just stories. But stories, because they are the best expression of our souls to the outside world, never die.
This PowerPoint is primarily a source for mythologies of various Gods and Godesses. Many people have different definitions of what Mythology really is. "Mythology is known as the body of myths of a particular culture, and the study and interpretation of those myths. Myth may be broadly defined as a narrative, that through many retellings, has become an accepted tradition in a society.
Abnoba: Goddess of the Black Forest NAME: Abnoba, Dianae Abnobae, Dea Abnoba, Abnoba the Huntress SYMBOLS: The forest, the rivers running though the Black Forest and others. PLACE OF WORSHIP: The Black Forest, by a river bank, mountain in the Black Forest, shrines DETAILS: Abnoba was the Celtic Goddess of the Black Forest itself, a mountain in the Black Forest, childbirth, and a number of rivers; the river Avon is thought to be named for a variation of her name. Which has to say something about how wide ranging this Goddess was to make it from the Black Forest to Avon!
Kuan Yin: Goddess of Compassion Name: Kuan Yin. Also: Avalokitesvara (India male), Ta-Pei Kuan Shih Yin P'u-Sa, Kannon (Japan), Quan'Am (Vietnam), Kanin (Bali.) Symbols: Lotus Pod Usual Image: The earliest images were of a slim androgynous man, later the image changes to a Chinese woman in flowing robes, usually holding a child. Form of Worship: It is said that to call on Kuan Yin's name is blessing enough. Details: The Goddess that is now known the world over as Kuan By the 5th century this Bodhisattva had become female and was known as Kuan Yin the One Who Hears the Cries of the World. It was not long after that, that she became the embodiment of mercy and compassion. She is said to be able to take any form and come to the aid of those who call on her aid.
Venus: The Goddess of Sex & Love NAME: Venus. (Greek) Aphrodite which means Foam Born. SYMBOLS: A sea shell. A scepter MAJOR TABOOS: Celibacy. While in one of her forms she protected women who wished to remain chase. She also, often dealt harshly with those who rejected sex or love in their life. While today she is thought of as a "mere" goddess of love, this is a mistake as she was, for many hundreds of years, one of the most powerful deities of the Greek/Roman pantheon. As the Goddess of sexual passion & love the immaterial girl was naturally noted for her many lovers among both the gods and mortals. Her power was so great that one form was not enough to carry out all her duties.
Morpheus: The God of Dreams NAME: Morpheus, son of Hypnos the god of Sleep. IMAGE: Hard to say as his primary ability was being able to take the form of anyone, down to their clothing, and mannerisms, knowing what phrases they use and speaking them using their voice. PLACE OF WORSHIP: While his father Hypnos had a number of temples, it does not appear that Morpheus was ever worshipped. Though he has appeared in many songs, poems and pieces of art over the years. Morpheus the Greek God of dreams was the greatest of the children of Hypnos and the Grace known as Aglia or Brightness. Which is appropriate as what is a dream but a bit of brightness in the darkness of slumber? Dreams were always left to Morpheus and his siblings.
Akh: The Goddess Who Might Be You NAME: Akh. The Shining One, which first was known as the Ka & Ba. Appearance: The akh was depicted as a crested ibis. However, there is probably only a phonetic relationship between the bird and the concept. Symbol for the Ka: two outstretched arms forming a U or cup shape, for the Ba a human headed bird. Meaning: In the world of the living the akh, most commonly referred to as the "effectiveness" of kings or officials, operated on behalf of their gods or kings (respectively). Anyone though could be akh-effective or do akhu-effective deeds. These deeds did not need to be glorious or useful, but simply concrete acts that affected eternity and helped maintain ma'at. Each person was made up of many parts, the body, the heart, the name, the shadow, the ka (life force,) & the ba (personality) etc... It was believed that keeping as many of these together was best for an auspicious afterlife, hence their art of mummification, among other things.
Durga: The Warrior Goddess NAME: Durga, Parvati, Bhagawati SYMBOLS: Severed Head, Lotus, Bell, Sword, Noose, Bow, Arrows, Spear, Trident, Shield. USUAL IMAGE: A beautiful woman with golden skin and ten arms (sometime eight) dressed in red. Often she is shown holding the severed head of a demon in one hand while making a blessing with the other, showing that she means harm only to evil. She is fearsome but can be very calm. Kali was projected from her forehead in a rage and is always wrathful. DETAILS: In Vedic culture all Goddesses are one Goddess known as Diva. One of the first manifestations of that Goddess was as Durga the Warrior Goddess. This came about in the ancient times when a demon by the name of Mahishasura earned the favor of Lord Shiva due to the demon's strong devotion. He blessed Mahishasura with the gift that no man or god could harm him. Letting his gift go to his head, the Buffalo Demon started a reign of terror.
Sarasvati: Mother of Wisdom, Learning & Music. USUAL IMAGE: A beautiful fair skinned woman wearing ether yellow or white . She has a genial expression and four hands which represent the four aspects of human personality in learning: mind, intellect, alertness and ego in which she holds a veena, a book, a lotus & prayer beads. Sometimes she is shown holding a drum or a pen or making a sign of blessing with one of her hands. She is credited with presenting the gift of writing to mankind so that her songs could be written down and preserved. Sarasvati is often depicted on the back of a swan or peacock She is the Goddess of learning, knowledge, speech, and music. It is said that she invented the language of Sanskrit and that she is the inspiration for all sciences. One myth of this Goddess is that she is a jealous rival of the Goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, and that pursuing wealth alone will assure that Sarasvati's gifts will desert you.
Thor: The God of Thunder Name: Thor. Also Tor, Donar, Oku-Thor, Atli, Asabrag, Vingthor and many others. Symbols: The main symbol of Thor was a stylized hammer which as turned up in many archaeological digs in silver, iron and other metal. Thor was also noted for his Belt of Strength, his iron gloves and his chariot which was drawn by two goats Tanngnjostr (Teeth-Grinder) & Tanngrisnir (Teeth-Barer.) Usual Image: Thor was thought of as a large mature man with red hair and beard (which gave off sparks when he was angry) he had a wide forehead and fierce eyes. Then and now, Thor was one of the most popular Gods of the Norse pantheon. Though called he son of Odin, there are other accounts that claimed he was older then the All Father. Of all the Norse Gods and Goddesses his followers numbered the most, while there were few, if any members of the cult of Odin, perhaps he was considered ether too powerful, too remote or too dangerous? Today of course, many people know of Thor mainly through comic books.
I had a fine time putting together this PowerPoint, and I hope that you and your friends will find the fun infectious. I only picked a handful of Gods and Goddesses. If interested the Internet offers you a wealth of knowledge and hundreds of images of all kinds of deities, heroes, and strange creatures of every description. :Besides it is delightful to learn: In tribute to Hercules and his Labors, a huge or heroic task is said to be Herculean. A Sisyphean one requires continual effort that never quite pays off, after Sisyphus. It's because of a mythological king named Tantalus that to tantalize entails holding something desireable just out of reach. The Midas touch, or the gift of profiting from whatever one undertakes, is named for a legendary king of Phrygia. A book of maps gets its name from Atlas, the Titan who supported the heavens on his shoulders. Something colossal in size or power is said to be titanic, after the Titans. It's a Procrustean effort that forces evidence into a theory when it doesn't fit, just as Procrustes violently adjusted his guests to fit their bed. Stygian can mean infernal, gloomy or characteristic of death, since it comes from the river Styx. Promethean describes a daringly creative or defiantly original act, because of the Titan Prometheus. A point of vulnerability is an Achilles' heel. The word panic comes from the shepherd god Pan.
