This essay will explore the pagan symbolism of Satan. It directly addresses the controversy of why some Satanists identify themselves as pagan. It will trace the origins of Satan back, to the beginning, it may at times address biblical context, but my focus is dedicated to pagan origins and attributes of Satan. There are many reference books which address the birth of Satan. Many of those references will be found throughout this paper. This essay will also explore the differences between Satan, devil and demon. These labels are often interchangeable when discussion the topic of Satanism. There are many books and articles which address the differences between all the types of Satanism, and what is considered the True and Authentic Satanism. This paper will not fall into endless abyss of that pretentious debate. There are many resource books which address the How To or education For Dummies (series reference), this paper is not an instruction manual for would-be Satanists. Satanism, is vast. It is no longer the Satanism from the late 1960's, and has evolved into a variety of philosophical paradigms, and religions. Satanism is, but is not limited to: Humanism,. Atheism, Hedonism, Libertine Philosophy, Objectivism, Human Psychology, Sociology, Luciferianism, Setianism, Asetianism, Theism, Religious, Spiritual, Non-Spiritual, Humanistic, Materialistic, Carnal, Left-handed, Right-handed, and Middle-pillar. In order to truly understand what each Satanists believes and practices, you should engage them in dialogue. It can not be assumed that because a person self-labels as a Satanist, they are either an Atheist or a Devil-worshiper. Things are not so black and white, but often many shades of gray but most often neutral. It would take a small volume library to cover the topic of Satanism properly. I will provide some references at the conclusion of this essay for further research. They are not
Before I can address Satan as a pagan symbol, I must address the term pagan. I have written in the past about the use and mis-use of this term, in the form of diatribes. This is a more serious approach to the term and its meaning. Latin, is an Italic dialect, which was spoken in the Italic peninsula, along with Greek, Celtic and Etruscan language. Eventually all of these languages were taken over by imperial Rome, but not before they left their mark on the Latin language. Before the collapse of the Roman Empire, Latin became standard in places like Spain, France, Romania, and other surrounding areas. Latin had become absorbed into what we now refer to as Italian, Spanish, French, Romanian and other romance languages. Language study has relied heavily on existing antiquarian manuscripts and artifacts. There are surviving pre-Abrahamic (religions of Abraham) religious texts referred to as pagan rites. During your own quest for truth, you will find the following references referred to (and often): History of Livy Virgil's Aeneid Ovid's Metamorphosis (Classical era) as well as a heavy reliance upon Greek myths. The problem is, that when examining Greek mythology, outside of the Roman names for gods, there is very little historical reference to Roman culture. It is heavily Greek. This often confuses scholars into believing that the two are identical.
An additional source, is the Golden Bough. However, it is riddled with inaccurate theories and focuses too much on irrelevant detail if one were looking for something truly Roman. Context is everything. Especially when examining language. To further complicate matters, there is a heavy Etruscan influence which by the study of Etruscan culture, you can see as far back as 8th century BCE. The Etruscans influenced the early Greeks and vice versa, plus the Etruscan language is not considered IndoEuropean. So now you have Italic languages (which are pretty muddy as it is) being brought into the fold of what is considered Latin today. If you want to truly understand the evolution of the term pagan, I strongly recommend that you delve into language study. For the sake of keeping this paper as condensed as I possibly can, I am only going to focus on paganus to deliver my point of view. There are many forms and the etymology study could be an entire chapter in itself. In antiquity, the term was used to address people living in rural areas, outside of cities. In the Roman Empire, any person not living in the more civilized cities (vs. rural villages) were referred to as paganus (post-Classical Latin). This context can be compared to calling a person living in the country in the 21st century, a hick. It had negative connotations. Consider the terms 'hick' or 'hillbilly', these terms are meant to communicate that the person is uncivilized, un-socialized, rustic, uneducated, and a lowerclass citizen. The same applies to the term pagan. This term was used in such a fashion, that the country
Hebrew is considered to be a Semitic language. A language family of Middle Eastern origins. This includes, but is not limited to: Akkadian, Amharic, Arabic, Aramaic, Ge'ez, Hebrew, Maltese, Phoenician, Tigre and Tigrinya. Language is inter-woven with culture, so you can not study a language without first understanding the culture it belongs to. How would the culture have used a specific word such as Ha'Satan, and are there varying contexts? One can be a Semite, without being a Hebrew. A Hebrew is not reduced to being a Jew. A Semite, is any person having been a descendant from the original settlers of the Arabian peninsula. When addressing the usage of Ha'Satan in Old Testament, the language and the people using that language is central to understanding both context and translating that into a language can understand - especially if they do not speak Ancient Hebrew. I provide you with this guide of key-words for your own research:
The Satan
Ha'Satan, in the Hebrew language ,
He'Ivrit
Standardized English Pronunciation: Ha-Sah-tahn. The Hebrews would have spoken it: He-vrit (t is sort of silent) ,in this form meant The Accuser. In Arabic, ash-Shayn. The Adversary. This is where Satan gets an English name. Ha'Satan, in early Hebrew simply meant adversary. This does not mean enemy, the evolution of adversary changes with the paradigm shift, within Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures, as does the meaning of the term Ha'Satan. I refer you to the following resource:
Elaine Pagels, Professor of Religion at Princeton University, The Origin of Satan. Is a fairly decent book, she tracks the 'Ha'Satan' from early Hebrew on through the development in the Hebrew Bible from 6th century BC to the 1st -3rd century B.C., and covers the early Christian development 1-3 BC. She also covers the Daimons, in Classical Greek, Roman and Christian usage. I like this book, in that it's a very scholarly written text, which demonstrates true research findings without a bunch of rhetoric. excerpt, that I believe is relevant: Pagels writes: "In the Hebrew Bible, as in mainstream Judaism to this day, Satan never appears as Western Christendom has come to know him, as the leader of an "evil empire," an army of hostile spirits who make war on God and humankind alike. As he first appears in the Hebrew Bible, Satan is not necessarily evil, much less opposed to God. On the contrary, he appears in the book of Numbers and in Job as one of God's obedient servants -a messenger, or angel...In Hebrew, the angels were often called "sons of God" (bene `elohim)...the Hebrew term the satan describes an adversarial role. It is not the name of a particular character. Although Hebrew storytellers as early as the sixth century BCE occasionally introduced a supernatural character whom they called the satan, what they meant was any one of the angels sent by God for the specific purpose of blocking or obstructing human activity. The root stn means "one who opposes, obstructs, or acts as adversary." (The Greek term diabolos, later translated "devil," literally means "one who throws something across one's path.")...The story of Balaam in the biblical book of Numbers, for example, tells of a man who decided to go where God had ordered him not to go. Balaam saddled his ass and set off, "but God's anger was kindled because he went; and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the road as his satan" [le-satan-lo] -that is, as his adversary, or his obstructor. This supernatural messenger remained invisible to Balaam, but the ass saw him an and stopped in her tracks:" This gives credence to Hebrew usage of Ha'Satan, as simply a title. Another great resource is: The Birth of Satan: Tracing the Devil's Biblical Roots by T.J. Wray, Greg Mobley. ISBN 1403969337 You'll have to use your imagination, to enter a time before these stories were collected and written down. It is a well known fact, that the Bible was not written in a day, nor was is codified as one book, for quite some time. It is a collection of works (some of which have been omitted). Prior this Judaism, and later Christianity and even later Islam, there were folk lore, legends, and mythologies in use by peoples around the globe. Many of which made contact with each other on trade and exploration routes. In nearly every culture you can find some form of a watcher, good, evil, heaven and hell. Judeo-Christianity did not invent these ideas, they merely adopted them. This is why you see African influences in Europe, and Asian in Europe, and European in America, and South America, etc. Before there were these 'religions' (and I use that loosely), people call this 'paganism', but this was not paganism to the people who practiced it. In ancient Rome, the term pagan was used as an insult. In modern language it might sounds something like: "Look at you country hicks and your rural folk practice! Ha ha ha, you are uncivilized!" Many Neopagans, believe the term in history was used as it is today from the beginning. It was not. Those religions called pagan were not pagan to the people that practiced them until much later in language
This is especially relevant, when addressing how the Daimones were viewed by the Greeks, and by other cultures reading the works of the Greeks. You will detect paradigm shifts in culture within this text. Helios-Horus is called to as "ruler of the world" or "lord of the world," and "daimon of sleepless fire"... Early Hebrews would have interpreted this to mean 'god', or at the very least in control of the dominion of men. Hellenized Jews and Christians, changed the idea of The Satan. So when sitting back and trying to determine the distinct differences between the Jewish and Christian faiths, this plays an important role. The Ha'satan in Old Testament, vs. New Testament are different. In OT, The Satan, as a role, seems to be taking its instruction from God itself. By NT it is one singular entity who is in control of legions of Demons, and holding dominion over the earth and of men. I would like to add to this, that this helps others to understand the kinship of Satanists and Daemonolators. Daemonolatry, draws heavily from the early Greek usage and understanding of Daemons. Daemonolatry is a historical pagan religion, which includes Satan in its pantheon of forces. While modern Daemonolators pull from the mythologies of the Near East, most address daemons as benevolent forces, vs. gods to be worshiped.
Eden's Serptent: Its Mesopotamian Origins by Walter R. Mattfield, M.A. Ed Another fairly explored book, that discusses the Mesopotamian origins of the protagonist, pre-biblical - biblical.
This is the 9th Gate to the Kingdom of Shadows, from the book The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte. You may be familiar with this work used in the film The Ninth Gate, 2000. I painted this a while back but changed the engraving slightly. It uses elements from both the book and the film. I was tempted to paint an apple in her hand but decided against it at the last moment. While the symbolism is seemingly biblical at first glance, I am using it to communicate other ideas as well. The Hesperides lived together in a garden, along with the dragon Ladon. There are names associated with the individual nymphs, and they are often called Aigle, Arethusa, Erytheia, Hespera, and Hesperethusa. Together, the nymphs sang enchanting and beautiful songs.
Hesperides
Sound familiar?
The following images and descriptions have been collected and supplied by Walter R. Mattfield:
Agathos Daimon in the form a great serpent with a cock's comb (?) atop its head and a beard or goatee below its mouth. The bearded clothed bust in the niche above the serpent with a grain modius (a measuring bucket for wheat) on its head may be the alternate human representation of the Agathos Daimon? Does the cock's comb allude to cocks who crow at sunrise and the goatee to the setting sun as an aged man? The Agathos Daimone was assimilated to the sun-god. Antinous, a handsome youth who was the Roman Emperor Hadrian's (ruled ca. 117 AD) companion and lover who died under mysterious circumstances in Egypt. He is portrayed here as the Graeco-Egyptian Agathos Daimon, The Agathos Daimon Serpent is on his left forearm.
Mosaic from the House of the Evil Eye, Antioch, 2nd century A.D. showing the Kako Daimon (Caco Demon) or "Evil Spirit" naked, with enlarged penis between his legs. His brow is described as either possessing horns or wings. Near him is the "Evil Eye" being pecked at by a raven and stabbed by a trident and a sword, and attacked by a scorpion, snake, millipede, spotted leopard (or cat?) and dog.
I would like to point out, that the enlarged Penis, was used by Greco-Romans as a protective agent. I have discussed this in depth-in some of the Roman topics on the main board of paganspace.net, a social networking forum I belong to. What is now being called the evil spirit would not have been evil to the Ancient Greeks. Clearly the allegory is to demonstrate a protection and ward against the Evil Eye (Malocchio, in Italian).
Paganspace.net
http://www.paganspace.net/profile/SIN
Agathodaemon enthroned as ruler of the world (the orb held in its hand symbolizing the world) adored by Thoth, an Egyptian baboon-god who greets at sun-rise the sun with barking. The Agathodaemon is here being assimilated to the sun as ruler of the world (drawing after a gemstone).
Agathodaimon figurine in bronze of a beardless young man with a grain modius (?) atop his head and a sheaf of wheat (?) or a victory palm branch in his left hand (?) Alexandria, Egypt. (Roman Period, 100-200 AD) Agathodaimon figurine in silver, 1st-2nd century AD a mature bearded (?) man holding a cornucopia or horn of plenty in left hand and a patera in his right hand. (Boston Museum of Fine Art)
Agathos Daimon as a large snake, with goatee under its chin; Greek: drakon (English: "dragon") meaning "large snake." The Agathos Daimon was assimilated to the Egyptian Ra or Re the sun-god (Greek Helios, Roman: Sol) and called "The Eternal Eye." Perhaps the "Eye of Ra" above the serpent's head alludes to its epithet "The Eternal Eye"? The eye represented the sun-god. In Egyptian myth the sun rises as a young man and sets as an aged man, perhaps this accounts for the Agathos Daimon's appearance in art forms as both a beardless young man and a mature bearded man? Agathos Daimon shown with a sun disc atop its head. In texts it is associated or assimilated to the Graeco-Egyptian sun-god Helios-Horus and called "the Lord of the World."
Photo and description credits: Walter R. Mattfield, M.A. Ed.
Coin of the Roman Emperor Trajan, circa 1st century A.D., issued for Egypt, showing on its reverse side the Agathodaemon as a large serpent.
Fresco showing two agatho daemons accompanied by other Egyptian gods including Isis in a boat (Roman Empire period)
Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster (also known as Zarathustra, in Avestan) and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Persia (Iran). The term Zoroastrianism is, in general usage, essentially synonymous with Mazdaism (the worship of Ahura Mazda, exalted by Zoroaster as the supreme divine authority). Primer research: http://www.dmoz.org/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/Zoroastrianism/ Introduction to Zoroastrianism:
Article Excerpt:
Zoroastrianism
"4) Good and Evil The solution of the problem of Evil has been attempted by every Great Prophet, and though the ways of looking at it have been different in different lands and at different epochs, still there is a fundamental similarity of treatment. Zarathushtra has tackled the problem in His characteristic manner. He had made Asha the very key-stone of His Teaching, and we have seen that to Him Asha meant the Eternal law which impels all creation to progress Godwards. To Him life upon this Earth meant a constant endeavour to tread this Path. Life therefore was unceasing endeavour, a continuous activity-what the Hindus have named Karma Yoga, or the Religion through Action. The Prophet expected all his followers to be active partisans on the side of Asha; consequently all that helps the forward progress of humanity is Good, all that tends to hinder it is Evil. Zoroaster preached about the two Spirits, but His Philosophy is by no means dualistic. This idea of dualism did, indeed, creep into the religion during the later stages of its development; but in the Teacher's own days and in His own words, the idea developed is most emphatically not dualistic. It is not dualistic in the sense usually understood, namely of conceiving two co-eternal, co-equal powers, one good and one evil, who are for ever at war with each other. The concept of Zarathushtra is something essentially different. He tells us that there are the Two Spirits-The Good and the Evil-at war with each other. They form the antithesis of each other in every respect. But in two must important respects His Teaching differs from the popularly conceived idea of 'Dualism'. In the first place the conflict is bound to have an end. The books, even the later books which were responsible for all this later confusion of thought, speak of the ultimate triumph of the Good Spirit (Spento-Mainyu) and the hiding of the Evil One (Angro-Mainyu) 'underground'. And the Prophet Himself categorically declares in the Gatha (Y., xxx, 10), 'Then indeed shall the support of Falsehood come down, and broken shall be its power', that Evil shall ultimately perish. If, therefore, one of the two powers in the so-called 'Dualistic' system is ultimately to perish, we cannot in reason say that the system teaches that these two powers are either co-equal or co-eternal. And yet in another aspect and perhaps in a more fundamental respect is the system of Zoroaster not dualistic. The Two Spirits are not 'self-created' as may be expected in a truly 'Dualistic' system. For both these emanate from and are the creation of Ahuramazda. These Twin Spirits first emanate from Him, the Eternal Lord of all Life and these Twain working together create and maintain the whole of this Universe. As Prof. Jackson has very well expressed it, these Twin Spirits do not exist independently but each in relation to the other; they meet in the higher unity of Ahuramazda. They exist before the beginning of the world, but their opposition only comes to its expression in the world that we see. Though it has not been very clearly stated that these Two Spirits are 'created by Mazda', still, at least in one place in The Gathas (Y., xxx, 1), I believe that such a statement is made. It is a disputed passage and the Pahlavi tradition seems to support this translation. This is not the place to enter into a grammatical discussion as to the meaning of this passage, but I would render the opening lines of that verse as, Now I will speak to those who desire (to hear), about these Two who are created by Mazda, which (teaching) is indeed for the wise. Then again in Yasna, xix, 9, Ahura Mazda speaks of the Two Spirits as His own, implying that they both emanated from Him. Thus though not explicitly, still by implication, we may conclude that the Two Spirits represent the double emanation from the Eternal, when the Eternal 'breathes out into manifestation'. They may be compared to the twofold Powers, Purusha and Prakriti (or Spirit and Matter), which have been
See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenistic_civilization
you decide.
Pay special attention to the wild man of the steppe. He has animal companions, and the animals do not mistrust until he is exposed to the Harlot. After satisfying his sexual lusts (having the knowledge from eating the forbidden food), the animals now see him as human, vs. the hairy mananimal he once was. He begins to wear clothes and live in cities. The harlot, represents civilization. Civilized man, is a flesh eater, when animals were once his companions, they are now slaughtered for their flesh. This is a bit different than the Garden of Eden of Genesis, but you see similarities. The changes that occur, once Adam 'knows' Eve (sex), and the events that follow. Adam and Eve, are cast out of the garden, God gives them clothing and they reside elsewhere in 'civilization' vs. the garden. Edin, is now a place to fear for man whereas in the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had no need to fear - especially the beasts of the wild. Outside of the Eden, however was another matter. There are other comparisons to be made within the creation myths of Ancient Mesopotamians. Scholars have noted an animosity existed to some degree between the tent-dwelling nomadic herdsmen and the settled peoples of the land, the dwellers of villages and cities. This theme seems to be apparent, as it relates to the use of pagan in antiquity in Rome. Walters writes: ""Adapa's fall from innocence" was in his naive, innocent trust in his god. He apparently thought that if he was blameless before his god and scrupulous in doing all his assigned tasks, as this god's servant, his god would not betray this trust. He believed his god would not deal falsely with his servant, his god would reciprocate by doing only good for his loyal servant, always ready to care for and look out after his servant's well-being. Adapa's innocence, his trust in his god, was betrayed. Ea of Eridu in Sumer (modern Iraq) did not want Adapa to possess immortality. He foresaw that Anu the supreme god who dwelt in heaven would offer Adapa food of life and water of life conferring immortality on him and consequently all of mankind. To prevent this from happening Ea tricked Adapa into believing the bread of life and water of life were in fact the bread of death and the water of death and if he consumed either he would surely die. So, when Adapa was offered these items by Anu's servants Gishzida and Dumuzi, he refused to consume them . Apparently Anu was upset to learn that Adapa had cursed the southwind deity, breaking its wing and causing breezes to stop blowing over Lower Mesopotamia. This was forbidden knowledge, man was not supposed to know how to overpower a god. So an upset Anu summoned Adapa from Eridu in Sumer to appear at his heavenly abode to give account of himself. Upon realizing Adapa had been given these powers by Ea, Anu apparently concluded if this man has a god's forbidden knowledge (able to control the forces of nature via curses and incantations) he might as well be made a full-fledged god by having immortal life, thus the bread of life and water were presented for him to consume. Why did Ea not want man (Adapa) to possess immortality? Ea is portrayed as a wily trickster god, he is a god of great wisdom, and in some myths responsible for man's creation. Apparently Ea realized the
Religious tablets excavated at Ras Shamra, at one time Baal had no sanctuary amongst his Canaanite worshipers. The construction of a temple began, but the shit hit the fan. Provoked by Baals adversaries, disputes and bloody encounters arose. After these had been settled, the gods, assisted by various divinities, began to build the sanctuary. It appears that Latpon was appointed overseer, but he, lazy as he was wise and immortal, refused to take part in the work, while the goddess Asherats own handmaid busied herself in making bricks for the walls. Baal himself helped in the building of his sanctuary, by felling cedars on the mountain sides for the structure of the temple, hurling his lightning, which the poet ingeniously compares with a saw.
The tablet also describes the death of Baal. Yahweh gained favor with the people.
The priests who wrote Exodus (15:11) explain his prominence in Jewish worship then and today by acclaiming: "Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods." "O Lord" is an English title that Bible translators repeatedly and quite deceptively give for the Hebrew word "YHW" in which the ancient Jews failed to add the written vowels. Josh. 24.2, 14. and Ezek. 20.7., 24 we are told that both in Mesopotamia and Egypt the Israelites worshipped other gods. YWH is only one of the gods of the Bible, who appears nearly 7,000 times in the Old Testament. Here's an excerpt I find relevant: Larry, two of the most respected Jewish archaeologists and professors in Tel Aviv, Israel are telling the truth about the multiple gods of the OT [Old Testament] and prove, just as the bible itself does, that Yahweh was also Baal/Moloch and was married to his own mother. This, of course, follows the Sumerian Genesis to a T. The link tells the entire sordid tale.
These are the reported idols depicting Yahweh of the OT!!!! There are also altars dedicated to him with the same drawings. No wonder the chief editor of the Dead Sea Scrolls, John Strugnell, after having one drink too many went on a live interview and blurted out what a horrible religion the Hebrews had and that it should have never been allowed to exist!!! John Allegro, who was among the original DSS [Dead Sea Scrolls] translators, also warned people about the sex and drugs involved in the bible religions and who Yahweh really was but he just got his career and life destroyed by the Vatican for his efforts. Several of the RC [Roman Catholic] priests/translators became alcoholics, left the church and married due to what they discovered in the DSS. Those results are finally being published for the world to read for themselves, but the ignorant Christians will just blame it all on the Devillike they do everything else they dont like. Professor Finkelstein is one of the top archeologist in Israel and wrote the book The Bible Unearthed, and there is also a wonderful video of the same title on Google. He is an honest Jewish man, and he will not lie for religion. It is a great and enlightening video for those who truly want the honest truth." Source: Einhorn Press Baal religion revolved around the cycles of nature necessary for survival and prosperity in the ancient world, primarily growing crops or raising livestock, as well as the growth of human populations. "This cosmic battle was not understood as a historical event of the past, but occurred anew each year and was reenacted in cultic ritual. Marduk represents the forces of order, the coming of spring with its renewal of life and the end of the reign of the chaos and death of winter. Marduk is the spring sun that gives life and renewed energy to the earth. Tiamat represents those forces that threaten human existence, the threat of a disordered world in which springtime never comes. The ancient theme of an original primeval ocean that threatens to break out and engulf the world in killing salt water is also seen in Tiamat. Creation, in
In terms of some pagans romantic desire to unite the human race: 1. By clinging to labels of pagan vs. Abrahamics is segregation and alienation 2. By claiming that these are OUR religions, and those belong to THEM is segregation and alienation. 3. By ignoring the similarities and embracing the differences this is segregation and alienation. 4. By propagating anti-Abrahamic rhetoric, this segregates and alienates So what is it that today's modern pagans really want? Clearly, they don't really seek to be unified with brethren in the community in which they live, or with their neighbors across the sea. Many wish to be accepted in their local communities but they sure are working pretty hard to alienate themselves. Ghandi, is a modern day hero to many modern pagans, he is quoted often and by many. He says: Be the change that you envision. Reader ask yourself this: What do I envision as a unified species, and what am I working towards to unify them? Do I even care? Why do I care? Do I prefer discourse or harmony? Why do I prefer either? How does any of this affect my life? Among the philosophies some Satanists adhere to, is Hermeticism, because at the end of the day Humanist ideals ring true. It's all the same, we are embracing many of the same principles of belief we just label them differently.
Syria of the two rivers (Mesopotamia) and Aram-Zobah, Syria of the watchmen, (Coelosyria), when Joab returned, and smote twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. See Chronicles The number killed, is often considered a copy error. There is a possibility it has deeper meaning. In other interpretations, 'Adversary' is replaced with 'Enemy'.
The reason you see 'Biblical Hebrew' terms: Tanakh was composed mostly in Biblical Hebrew and Biblical Aramaic (the Book of Daniel, some parts of the Book of Ezra and a few other passages). According to the Talmud, much of the contents of the Tanakh were compiled by the "Men of the Great Assembly" by 450 BCE, and have since remained unchanged. Modern scholars believe that the process of canonization of the Tanakh became finalized between 200 BCE and 200 CE. When I attended Catholic High School, my Ancient History classes were my favorite. I also loved how they were objectively taught. The teachers of both History and Science, were not nuns. Nor were they theologians. They were secular teachers. Saint Clare High School, thank you for that education and further driving my passions. Even when the more religiously slanted students questioned the material being taught (as it related to Theology), the teachers handled those questions objectively. As you see the stories traced through history, it becomes apparent that these stories were in existence long before the Hebrews codified their own religious beliefs, and wrote them down.
Religion: I refer you to these books: Ancient Civilizations of the Near East & Mesoamerica The Ancient Near Easat Volue I, Edited by James B. Pritchard The Ancient Near East Volume II,Edited by James B. Pritchard What MakesCivilization?, David Wengrow
Consider the demons of Ancient Egypt. At close examination, the Egyptians didn't seem to have a clear distinction between what they considered gods and demons. Based on the writing we have discovered, coupled with artifacts we can assess that the Egyptians believed in super-natural forces. Some of which, I might add, they have believed were 'real' creatures living in the wild among the animal kingdom. Vivid imaginations, or did they experience their own apparitions and manifestations? It would serve you well to examine trance culture, and religious ritual, ceremony and ecstatic euphoria. As well as selfhypnosis. There was a big focus on the 'hunt' in Egyptian civilization, not just for survival but it was considered subduing the wild and controlling these 'forces'. Many of the artifacts show these creatures holding magic wands, some of hippos teeth. Egyptian and Nubian artifacts show that these ideas were not only wide-spread, but in use by a huge region.
The Egyptians had protective demons, as well as demons which could cause strife for man. These hippo wands were given mostly to women and children, to protect them against these harmful demons which would bring illness. The men would take the warrior position and seek to battle these forces directly using their magic and magical weaponry.
Not
My ode to Pax Romana, photo credit SIN JONES, December 2010 AS. Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (23 September 63 BC 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. Born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, he was adopted posthumously by his great-uncle Gaius Julius Caesar in 44 BC via his last will and testament, and between then and 27 BC was officially named Gaius Julius Caesar. In 27 BC the Senate awarded him the honorific Augustus ("the revered one"), and thus consequently he was Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus. Because of the various names he bore, it is common to call him Octavius when referring to events between 63 and 44 BC, Octavian (or Octavianus) when referring to events between 44 and 27 BC, and Augustus when referring to events after 27 BC. In Greek sources, Augustus is known as (Octavius), (Caesar), (Augustus), or (Sebastos), depending on context. The Emperor credited to the Pax Romana, the Roman Peace. In January of 27 BC, the Senate gave Octavian the new titles of Augustus and Princeps. Augustus, from the Latin word Augere (meaning to increase), can be translated as "the illustrious one". It was a title of religious rather than political authority. According to Roman religious beliefs, the title symbolized a stamp of authority over humanityand in fact naturethat went beyond any constitutional definition of his status.
Augustus was granted the right to hang the corona civica, the "civic crown" made from oak, above his door and have laurels drape his doorposts. This crown was usually held above the head of a Roman general during a triumph, with the individual holding the crown charged to continually repeat "memento mori", or, "Remember, you are mortal", to the triumphant general. Additionally, laurel wreaths were important in several state ceremonies, and crowns of laurel were rewarded to champions of athletic, racing, and dramatic contests. Thus, both the laurel and the oak were integral symbols of Roman religion and statecraft; placing them on Augustus' doorposts was tantamount to declaring his home the capital. However, Augustus renounced flaunting insignia of power such as holding a scepter, wearing a diadem, or wearing the golden crown and purple toga of his predecessor Julius Caesar. If he refused to symbolize his power by donning and bearing these items on his person, the Senate nonetheless awarded him with a golden shield displayed in the meeting hall of the Curia, bearing the inscription virtus, pietas, clementia, iustitia"valor, piety, clemency, and justice." The cult of Divus Augustus continued until the state religion of the Empire was changed to Christianity in 391 by Theodosius I. Theodosius was the last emperor to rule over both the eastern and the western halves of the Roman Empire. During his reign, the Goths secured control of Illyricum after the Gothic War - establishing their homeland south of the Danube within the empire's borders. He also issued decrees that effectively made the Catholic Church and Nicean Christianity the official state religion of the Roman Empire. For the first part of his rule, Theodosius seems to have ignored the semi-official standing of the Christian bishops; in fact he had voiced his support for the preservation of temples or pagan statues as useful public buildings. In his early reign, Theodosius was fairly tolerant of the pagans, for he needed the support of the influential pagan ruling class. However he would in time stamp out the last vestiges of paganism with great severity. When he no longer needed their support, those pagans were discarded and their power removed.
His first attempt to inhibit paganism was in 381 when he reiterated Constantine's ban on sacrifice. In 384 he prohibited haruspicy on pain of death, and unlike earlier anti-pagan prohibitions, he made non-enforcement of the law, by Magistrates, into a crime itself. In 388 he sent a prefect to Syria, Egypt, and Asia Minor with the aim of breaking up pagan associations and the destruction of their temples. The Serapeum at Alexandria was destroyed during this campaign. Theodosius died on Jan. 17, 395, leaving the East to Arcadius and the West to a younger son, Honorius, who had been proclaimed Augustus in 393. This division of the empire became permanent. A serious illness soon after his accession prompted Theodosius's early baptism, which Christian Roman emperors usually postponed till their deathbeds. This made him very susceptible to the pressures of the Church, and he came particularly under the influence of Ambrose, the strong-willed bishop of Milan, who repeatedly placed him under heavy penance when his justice was hotheaded or severe. Theodosius was a devoted persecutor of Christian heresies, and in 391 he officially closed all the empire's temples and forbade the practice of all pagan cults. Recommended books: The Emperor Theodosius and the Establishing of Christianity by Noel Q. King The Later Roman Empire by A.H.M. Jones Theodosius: the empire at bay by Stephen Williams
Arcadius, was considered a weak ruler of the Eastern Empire. He was dominated by both his wife, and court politics.
Aegyptus sive de providentia, Synesius of Cyrene is a mythology/allegory which describes the events of the attitude towards the Goths at this time, as well as the anti-barbarian movement of the Empire.
By 399, Arcadius order the demolition of all pagan temples. As Emperor, he was charged with bringing the empire to peace by uniting the people with one singular religion The Laws of Arcadius were set forth. An overview of Christian Law 4th Century Honorius, Theodosius younger son was put in charge of the Western Empire. We are talking of a boy of 10. The Popes of Rome, as well as the Military (General Stilicho), were his primary advisors. He reigned in the midst of the anti-Barbarian movement and was often influenced to make strategic moves to wipe them out. This would cause retaliations and several battles which would lead to the sacking of Rome in 410. Honorius moved the capital to Ravenna in 402 because it was easier to defend against the constant attacks by the Barbarian tribes. After an invasion by the Visigoths in 402 he fled to Asti, Stichilio led the Roman army to victory but a huge Barbarian army (500,000+) lead another attack in 406, when they are defeated again. Honorius was at Bononia in 408, when he heard of his brother's death. Stilicho went off to the Constantinople to maintain order but while he was gone Olympius (a minister) had Honorius' ear. Convincing him of conspiracy and Stilicho was aligning with the Barbarians to over-throw Honorius. He was arrested, and executed. Honorius had any associates of Stilicho killed, to include his son. His wife (the second daugther of Stilicho) was removed from the throne and Honorius' mother put in her place. Honorius was being used by any influential politician or clergyman of the time. Which eventually lead to the sacking of Rome in 410. Churches and temples remained unharmed but the affect on the Roman people was far more damaging. Honorius did little to defeat his enemies which controlled Rome, called The City of God, by the Roman people.
"I thought that my fowl Rome had perished.' So great, they say, was the folly with which this emperor was possessed." Source: Procopius, The Vandalic War He died in 423 of Edema, having no heir Joannes was appointed for about a year until Theodosius II appointed Valentinian III.
Theodosius II became Emperor of the Eastern Empire (son of Theodosius I). He reigned 408 - 450, and was responsible for Law Code and a University in Constantiople. All the laws since Constantine I were collected, and formalized into a system of law. It was published Codex Theodosianus in 438. Basically, all of the laws of the now Christian Empire since the year 312, which were also brought to the Western Empire. It contained 65 decrees aimed at Christian Heretics. The "Law" was enforcing Christianity across the divide Empire of Rome.
In 399, it began, that all pagan religions would be wiped out by the destruction of temples, on through 438 with laying down the law. The Druids were a special focus, attributed to the alleged practice of human sacrifice. Claudius had forbidden their rituals in 54 AD, and was enforced by future emperors. The Jews were expelled from the city of Rome with Tiberius. They were causing too much discourse within the city, but with the arrival of the first Christians, they too were claiming to have the word of Christ so he decided to push them out as well. At this time, was the 'Jewish Tax, which allowed Jews to practice their religion within Rome. In spite of having paid the tax, both groups were forced out - only to return later, when the religion of Rome became Christianity. Although Constantine is being attributed of being the first Christian Roman Emperor, he was Baptized on his death bed and there is no written record of him ever having been Christian during his lifetime. He persecuted a specific group of Christians (Donatists) but mostly out of fear, same as the laws he enacted against divination, and other magic in fear it would be used to rise up against him as Emperor. There was a very small population of Christians by the end of his reign, and if he intended to Christianize the Empire he would have done so during his reign. He did however write against pagan religions, giving credence to the idea that he was becoming progressively more Christian towards the end of his life. Any law he was putting forth were attributed to his fear over those he thought might rise against him. Not that it was wholly Christian minded, and this can be examined further by looking at some of the things he did during his 'Christian' era, to include the murder of his son, wife, and enuch priests of Egypt.
Many of these laws were written only months apart, based on the goings-on within the Roman capital.
16.10.7
Those who make pagan sacrifices or prayers will be penalized with the loss of property. Suffice to say, as time goes on the attitude towards pagan religion gets more harsh as time goes on.
By 450 and with the death of Theodosius II, Marcian becomes emperor who would enforce the law by penalizing officials for not enforcing it on the citizens. The penalties got more strict, by 457 (Leo I) who would not only hit the officials but any person having knowledge of pagan rites or practice (472). Money, a seizure of property - hit them in the wallet, and the tattle on their neighbors. So now you have the people persecuting the people to not only keep their own money but gain favor with officials. Zeno, is Eastern Emperor 474-475, there was a campaign against Zeno attributed to the religiosity of the Empire. Leontius, was the candidate supported by pagans, in hopes of reviving the old religions. Zeno regained his position in 476, and went after Leontius who hid out and managed to escape Zeno for about 4 years but was captured in 488 along with Illus, and was executed. As a result of the revolt, harsher anti-pagan laws were put in place but now aimed at pagan intellectuals attempting to revive ancient practices. When Anastasius took the throne in 491, Christianization of the empire was considered irreversible. Any pagan hoping for a return of polytheism, as well an abolition of anti-pagan laws had to put on a good face or else succumb to them. THIS, is precisely how paganisms make it in to Biblical doctrine. Pagan ideologies are given a new aesthetic. The early intellectuals which were converted to the new religion could easily take pagan stories and give them the fancy window dressing of the new saga. This was commonplace, and detecting pagan symbolism was not persecuted as vehemently as people are led to believe. Many of these stories were written hundreds of years after Jesus was to believed to have lived. NT, took the OT stories to a new level. Hellenized Jews and Christians were writing the stories of OT, and into the next era. As Hellenized paganism is being suppressed, the stories would remember them but with a new face.
SEE: The Decline of Hellenized paganism on Wikipedia for closer examination of this time-line "The early rise of Germanic Christianity was, thus, mainly due to voluntary conversion on a small scale. In the 4th century some Eastern Germanic tribes, notably the Goths, an East Germanic tribe, adopted Arianism. From the 6th century, Germanic tribes were converted (and re-converted) by missionaries of the Roman Catholic Church, firstly among the Franks, after Clovis I's conversion to Catholicism in 496. The Lombards adopted Catholicism as they entered Italy, also during the 6th century. Unlike the history of Christianity in the Roman Empire, conversion of the West and East Germanic tribes took place "top to bottom", in the sense that missionaries aimed at converting Germanic nobility first, which would then impose their new faith on the general population. The Franks were converted in the 5th century, after Clovis I's conversion to Catholicism. In 498 (497 or 499 are also possible) he let himself be baptised in Reims. With this act, the Frankish Kingdom became Christian, although it would take until the 7th century for the population to abandon some of their pagan customs.[5] This was typical of the Christianization of Europe. Christian and pagan practices would effectively exist in parallel".
It would be difficult to showcase purely 'Christian', 'Jewish', or 'Islamic' ideologies for this reason. On through the ages, as the Bible was codified, edited and released in various versions. You can see the presence of pagan stories, characters, and practices through out. When addressing the pagan symbolism expressed through the character, later known as simply 'The Devil' what part of this character is wholly Abrahamic?
At this point, I have expressed the attributes of this devil which can be traced back to Platonic, Hellenist, and Neo-platonic ideologies: Good vs. Evil Ancient stories, with re-tooled paradigms Consequences for disobedience and not appeasing God(s)
Invoked and evoked through the creators: mankind In terms of the 'earth-based', or 'nature-based' ideologies espoused through neo-paganism; one could argue that the cosmology of Satan is wholly natural. The invention of Satan was an inevitability attributed to man's nature. For rejecting Satan's existence in the human psyche would be unnatural. Satan was birthed from old stories, mythologies, culture to culture around the world. Satan did not fall from the heavens unto the earth, it has been ever present in the earth-dwellers.
Source: Year Book Australia, 2004. Australian Bureau of Statistics. http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/dc057c1016e548b4ca256c47002.... Retrieved 2005-03-27. The wide-spread of Christianity in Australia dates back to the Colonial era. Because Christianity offered Australians much in terms of charity and welfare, it was able to gain a firm footing down-under. It was a give and take with regard to Aborigines. On one hand, it had such an impact on their culture that it began to change, shape and mold to the Christian view. On the other, many activists worked towards preservation of the Aborigine culture and history.
News reports show Church powers trying to get a tighter grip on the people: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/09/14/1094927585127.html Seems that there are dividing faiths Catholic, Pentecostal, Lutheran, and Pentecostal animosity. Based on the surveys I've seen, the Catholicism maintain 50% of adherents. It seems to be suffering a decline: http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=13462 http://au.christiantoday.com/article/christianity-is-dwindling-in-a... Celtic Christianity in Australia: http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cornwall/hi/people_and_places/religion_...
From the religion point of view the population of Australia can be rated as: Christians-- 70.9%, Buddhists 1.9%, Muslim1.5%, Hindus0.5%, Jewish0.4%, Sikh0.1%, No religion15.5%, others0.4%.
Not even down-under is immune! Catholicism is heavily pagan with a devil at its core!
Al-Jilwah
The texts of the Yezidi people have been examined and classified as Devil Worship. The central character in their own Cosmology is Malek Teus, often equated with the devil. This is a misunderstanding, and mistranslation. Malek Teus, is similar to an angel, with peacock symbolism. Malek Teus, within the stories gained favor with God, so the Yezidi people try to emulate Malek in order to gain favor with God themselves. They aspire towards God, therefore they are not devil worshipers but rather devotees of God. It's a common misconception, therefore this is why many Satanists correlate the Yezidis with Satanism. Quoting myself from other writing: "The Hebrew word for Angel is Mal'ak (Mal'ek)which means: messenger, dispatch as a deputy, or ambassador (it has also been interpreted to mean 'Master', in this case 'Master Angel'). The Angel of the Yedzidi's is 'Mal'ak Taus' symbolized by the peacock. It is often referred to as the 'Peacock Angel'. I often wondered if the symbolism of angels is what inspired the creation of faery characters in mythology. If we take a look at the peacock angel, and the beautiful colors of the peacock feathers, it could be the inspiration for fairy wings (then of course the inspiration from the insect kingdom i.e. butterflies, dragonflies, cicada flies), then there's the issue of determining which stories pre-date Abrahamic religion. The Yedzidi people aspire to be like Mal'ak to gain favor with God. The Muslims demonize Mal'ak Taus, and he is often considered the devil himself which is why the Yedzidi people are often called 'devil worshippers'. This is a common misconception. The main characters in the Yedzidi belief system are 7 main Angels. Mal'ek Taus is often referred to as a 'she' character but I have also seen it referred to as a 'he' character. Mal'ek Taus was born in a summerland where the mountains are violet and the skies clear. Her father was a king of the people, her mother a sad, foreign face. They wed for political reasons; the breeding was mixed. Their seal color was blue, the crest held a star. And the Shining Star, poor Taus, was heir to that house.
In Africa, the Swahili speaking tribes have Hetgwauge, a place for wicked souls. It is a dark, dusty and desolate place where Hetgwaulana, lord of the dead, resides. It is a place where the wicked are tortured for their wrong-doings. Book: "The Encyclopedia of Hell." Miriam Van Scott. St. Martin's Press,1998 Excerpt from the book: " SWAHILI HELL: According to African Swahili belief, hell is a deep abyss below the surface of the earth into which the damned are cast. It is the seventh thing God created and accordingly has seven descending levels. The worst sinners, those believed beyond hope of salvation, occupy the lowest realm, which is an icy place of unendurable cold. (Departed souls of moderately evil people could be sent to the sixth circle below the earth for punishment. These spirits had some hope of eventual salvation). The influence of eighth-century Arab traders is evident in the depiction of Swahili hell. As in the Islam faith, the deepest pit of the underworld is ruled by IBLIS (a harsh DEMON), who metes out punishment to his accursed subjects. Traveling merchants from Muslim countries also brought notions of JAHANNAM, the hell of Muslim belief. Their images of a horrible underworld of torment became mingled with indigenous concepts of afterlife justice. The result is a dark realm that features components of both faiths. (o) Hell (North Africa). The original African religions did not know of a place where the souls of the departed would be punished for their sins. The Islamicized peoples, however, have many tales about the horrors of hell more than about the blessings of heaven. In Swahili literature, hell is located beneath this earth and is constructed in the form of a building with seven floors, but much bigger. At the very bottom there are the worst sinners, those who during their lives have consistently denied the existence of God. They shiver eternally in the perennial ice which is crushing them for ever. On the first floor, that is, the upper floor of hell, there are the sinners of moderate
Western Europe: Anaon (Brittany) Anwnn (Celtic) Hittola (Finnish) Niflheim (Norse)* Tartarus (Greece)
Eastern Europe:
Middle East: Drugaskan (Zoroastrian) Aralu (Sumerian) Land of No Return (Babylonian) Gehenna (Hebrew) Jahannam (Islamic)
The Roman God Bacchus, the Wine God, who was equivalent to Dionysus of the Greeks, was depicted on a cross, in the same pose as Christ would be later on (when the Church would adopt the Cross). It is known that such depictions of pagan Gods in the early Greco-Roman world completely determined how Christ was presented. The Chi-Rho emblem, considered the first Christian Cross, was also a pre-Christian symbol: the original Chi-ro signified good fortune. The Chi Rho Cross is a warrior's cross and also a 'Chrismon' (a monogram of Christ). The Chi Rho Cross (or Constantine's Cross) - a sigla, forming a warrior's cross A sign appeared to the Roman Emperor Constantine as a light in the noon-day sky. At the same time, he heard the words, In Hoc Signo Vinces (In this sign you shall conquer). He took this as a sign from God and decided the shape drawn by the light should be an emblem for his military. This emblem became known as Labarum (etymology unclear - possibly a Gaulish/Celtic word. See Lauburu Cross). The shape he saw was of a flaming cross - "a long spear, overlaid with gold". It had a cross bar and "on the top of the whole was fixed a wreath of gold and precious stones, and within this the symbol of the Saviour's name, two letters indicating the name of Christ by means of the initial letters, the letter 'X' intersection 'P' at the centre." (recorded in the 3rd century by Eusebius Pamphili, Bishop of Cesarea in Palestine) The Greek word for Christ is Christos and the Greek lettering is . The first letter '' (chi, shaped like the St. Andrew's Cross) and the second letter '' (rho), form the monogram of Christ (Chrismon). It also became the monogram of Constantine. Coincidentally, the labarum was similar to an existing pagan emblem used as a standard by the Roman cavalry. Constantine was the Pontifex Maximus, chief priest of the classical Roman Pagan religion. So it's easy to see why he warmed to the symbol. However, the timing of witnessing the sign was significant; it was 27th October 312, the day before an important battle on Milvian Bridge in Rome, which he won. Since chi and rho form the monogram of Christ, he understood it was a sign from the Christian God and thenceforth Constantine became more tolerant of Christianity. (Some books indicate that Constantine made Christianity the state religion, but that didn't happen until a century later during the reign of Theodosius.) Let's take a look.
"Tau" cross vestments at yesterday Papal Mass in Cagliari, Italy. Apparently, this "T" shape/cross goes all the way back to ancient Egypt, and has was even a prominent feature in Mayan architecture.
From the same broadcast: "The Tammuz robes are particularly revolting worn with the Dagon fish hats and set before statues of the Babylonian mother of god and queen of heaven. These boys did a fine job of resurrecting the Babylonian religion. I don't know what percentage of the Roman Catholic leadership is deceived as opposed to being deceptive, but it doesn't matter. They claim to act and speak for God so they have condemned their souls and all those they have influenced. The lack of knowledge isn't an excuse--it's deadly." Ichthys was the offspring son of the ancient Sea goddess Atargatis, and was known in various mythic systems as Tirgata, Aphrodite, Pelagia or Delphine. The word also meant "womb" and "dolphin" in some tongues..."Ichthus," an acronym from the Greek, "Iesous Christos Theou Uios Soter," or "Jesus Christ the Son of God, Saviour."
The fish symbol, has been used to represent fertility for thousands of years and pre-dates the Abrahamic religions. The Romans perceived her as Venus, and the term 'Venus' is the origins of such terms such as venereal disease, tied to the 'sex'. dies Veneris, her sacred day was Friday. She is often depicted with her fish. How the symbol became to be known as: Goes back to the Christian persecutions. Christians often had to meet in secret to avoid capture and torture by the Romans, during the era in which Christianity was not favorable. The usage of this symbol, was an 'insiders' form.
In order to meet with fellow Christians without putting yourself out there (which could result in your death!) The top arch was drawn, if the person you were talking with drew the bottom arch to complete the form - this was confirmation that it was safe to speak freely. This symbol later became to be known as a
When Christ alleged to feed the wedding party from one fish, this was the Goddess of fertility and plentifying the food for consumption. The early Jews were polytheistic (with a divine feminine aspect), and were also reading Greek documents, hence this story is adapted into the new mythos.
The cults of Dagon, are also mentioned in the Bible. ( See I Samuel 5:4) Bible, New International Version (1984) "But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained."
The most meaningful orientation is probably to have the fish swimming to the left, as is shown above. The symbol then resembles the first letter of the Greek alphabet, alpha. That recalls Revelation 1:8:
Articles: Pagan Origins of Catholicism The Fish Hat (Mitre) August 5, 2008 by A Watchman http://www.onlinechurch.com.au/pagan-origins-ofcatholicism-the-fish-hat-mitre-2
There are so many stories, symbols and symbolic meanings which can be utilized by a Satanist, but more specifically by a Modern Pagan. Consider what the pope represents to non-Catholics, the devil himself! www.catholicsupplyonline/pope.com
www.catholicsupplyonline/pope.com Stick a statuette of a pope on your altar! Try that on for size! You create your own world, and complete environment. The fear of blasphemy, resides in the hearts of the believers. Are you a believer? Do you believe yourself that this would be seen as a disrespect to others? Why would you think this? Why are you so concerned with respecting the godforms of other believers? Are you a slave to social morality?
SIN JONES www.the-poison-apple.com December 2010 Additional Relevant Resources: Genius, is never revealing all of your sources. The Fourth Way, Ouspensky Works of Frederick Nietzsche Works of Anton Szandor LaVey The Lucifer Principle by Howard Bloom Coyote Satan Amerika, Steven Johnson Leyba The Book of the Law, Aleister Crowley Nemo on Satanism, A Piece of the Action Complete works of Plato Works of Mark Twain Androphilia by Jack Malebranche The Birth of Satan: Tracing the Devil's biblical roots by TJ Wray, Greg Mobley Left and Right of Center by John and Lillee Allee