Tag Archives: mythology

November 19, 2013 · 1:49 am

VIETNAMESE MYTHOLOGY: THE TRUNG SISTERS

The Trung Sisters, national goddesses of ancient Vietnam, atop their war elephants

The Trung Sisters, national goddesses of ancient Vietnam, atop their war elephants

THE TRUNG SISTERS – Trung Trac and her sister Trung Nhi occupy a special place in Vietnamese mythology. If you want a glib or simplistic comparison to approach their story with think of them as an ancient Vietnamese version of Lakshmibai of Jhansi in the history of India or Joan of Arc in Western lore. In the early 40’s C.E. Trung Trac led an uprising against the latest Chinese occupiers withher sister acting in a much smaller capacity according to all accounts but the Trung Sisters  are always mentioned as a team and iconography usually depicts them together astride their battle elephant.

 Trung Trac’s uprising, consisting largely of former noble families and by all accounts (even on the Chinese side) large numbers of female combatants, succeeded in driving the occupying forces far to the north. She then abolished all the Chinese taxes and restored Continue reading →

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August 22, 2013 · 9:02 pm

IROQUOIS EPIC MYTH: HODADEION PART EIGHT

Iroquois

Iroquois

Part 8: Niagara Falls Death Trap  – As part 7 concluded Hodadeion, the Iroquois god of magic, was alarmed to find that the twin enchantresses who were in reality two giant white herons had flown him in a huge basket to a rock at the top of what is now called Niagara Falls. They had stranded him there surrounded by a massive volume of water roaring its way past the small outcropping of rock the demigod was on, ultimately descending in a loud roar of falling liquid.

Hodadeion did not know what fate awaited him in that precarious position, or what dire menace the Heron Maidens expected to assault him in his perilous situation but he Continue reading →

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August 15, 2013 · 8:19 pm

AUGUST 15TH’S RITUAL FOR THE CHINESE MOON GODDESS: THE SENSES-SHATTERING ORIGIN

Yi the Divine Archer

Yi the Divine Archer

On August 15th the Chinese people offered up gifts to Chang-O, their moon goddess. Balladeer’s Blog presents the story of Chang-O, her husband Yi the Divine Archer, and the origin of that ritual.

I.WHAT’S UP WITH YI?  – Yi the Divine Archer from Chinese mythology deserves to be remembered in one breath with some of the other great heroes and monster slayers from belief systems around the world. Most people are only familiar with his feat of shooting down multiple suns that appeared in the sky one day, but this article will provide a light- hearted look at all of his fantastic adventures. 

Yi is Continue reading →

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August 13, 2013 · 11:16 pm

MYTHOLOGY: THE EPIC OF AIWEL LONGAR

Aiwel Longar

Aiwel Longar

Once again Balladeer’s Blog examines a neglected epic myth from around the world. Previously I have dealt with epics from the Navajo, Vietnamese, Iroquois, Aztec, Hawaiian, Chinese and other belief systems.

The mythic tale of Aiwel Longar comes from the Dinka pantheon. Nhialic is the supreme deity to the Dinka and the first man and woman he created were Garang and Abuk. The Dinka people live in the Upper Nile in Sudan, as they have for centuries.

AIWEL LONGAR

I often cover the way in which cultures which come into contact borrow mythic material from each other to embellish their own respective belief systems. The story of Aiwel Longar clearly influenced (and vice versa) Egyptian, Jewish, Christian and Muslim myths. It also bears striking similarities to the Gnostic Hymn of the Pearl.

PART ONE – Born as simply Aiwel, this figure was a gift from the god of the Nile River to Aiwel’s widowed and childless mother. The infant already had a full set of teeth when his mother picked him up out of the Nile River, where the river god had set him adrift.

Like many mythic figures Aiwel could Continue reading →

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August 7, 2013 · 10:31 pm

IROQUOIS EPIC MYTH: HODADEION PART SEVEN

Iroquois Confederation

Iroquois Confederation

Continuing the adventures of the Iroquois god of magic, Hodadeion.

PART 7 – THE TWIN HERONS – Hodadeion moved swiftly through the forest. He wanted to put as much space between himself and the giant horned serpents as possible before they grew hungry again. He continued heading north and at length came upon a pathway guarded by two enormous white herons. Each bird was bigger than a horse and at the sight of the demigod they attacked him, trying to claw and peck at him while simultaneously battering him with their powerful wings.

Hodadeion fled as quickly as Continue reading →

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June 12, 2013 · 10:46 pm

IROQUOIS EPIC MYTH: HODADEION PART SIX

Iroquois longhouse lodgePART 6: HORNED SERPENTS – Continuing his journey, Hodadeion the god of magic came to a river across which an impossibly long and thick tree served as a bridge. Believing this might lead to the village of the cannibalistic wizards he was searching for the demigod set off across the makeshift bridge.

When he was halfway across Hodadeion abruptly stopped. He sensed something immense lying in wait on the other side of the river. Frustrated by being detected by their potential prey two enormous serpents with deerhorns on their heads sprang from hiding and hissed insults at the demigod who stood tantalizingly just outside their reach. Unafraid, Hodadeion shouted insults of his own back at the two monstrous serpents, who were as big around as several tree-trunks and as long as Continue reading →

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June 3, 2013 · 10:09 pm

MOON U: A LOOK AT NINE LUNAR DEITIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

moonIn the past Balladeer’s Blog examined sun deities and monster slayers from neglected pantheons of gods from around the world. This time around neglected moon deities will be the subject.

9. PUEPA

Pantheon: Tupari

Comment: Puepa is the husband of the sun goddess Karam in Tupari myths. Though both are aged they retain a great deal of divine power, Karam more so than her husband, hence her brighter light. Eclipses occur when the sun and moon are attacked by the celestial crocodiles who usually guard the realm of Patobkia, god of the dead. Puepa and his wife always succeed in driving the crocodiles off with their power.

For more Tupari deities : https://glitternight.com/2013/04/02/the-top-ten-deities-in-tupari-mythology/

8. HINA

Pantheon: Hawaiian

Comment: Hina was the Continue reading →

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June 2, 2013 · 10:38 pm

IROQUOIS EPIC MYTH: HODADEION PART FIVE

Iroquois2PART 5 – WITCHES WITH HIDDEN HEARTS – Hodadeion the god of magic continued traveling northeast on his quest. Presently Hodadeion spied three hideously old witch-women pounding corn outside their longhouse lodge. The demigod’s sharp eyes noticed that the three women were using human bones as cooking implements and remained hidden in the forest so he could observe the obviously dangerous ladies and devise a strategy for dealing with them. 

As with so many heroes in Iroquois myths Hodadeion suddenly found the breeze blowing through his ears to be the whisperings of the wind god Geha. Hodadeion was Geha’s grandson, after all, and he did not abandon his descendant in his time of need. Geha whispered to the god of magic that the witches were cannibals like the sorcerors who had depopulated so many Iroquois villages. Though very old each member of the trio was far stronger than any mortal man and used human thigh bones from their previous meals to club new victims to death.

Rashly Hodadeion let his anger get the better of him and emerged from hiding. The cannibal witch-women caught sight of him and Continue reading →

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May 29, 2013 · 9:34 pm

IROQUOIS EPIC MYTH: HODADEION PART FOUR

IroquoisPART FOUR – THE EYELESS ONE – With the evil medicine man Hodiadatgon overcome the god of magic Hodadeion continued his quest toward the north to find the cannibal wizards who had depopulated so many villages.

At length he came upon a longhouse lodge in a clearing. Creeping closer, Hodadeion looked within and saw an elderly man with no eyes sitting on the floor of the lodge. The old man was surrounded by furs and meat while the walls of his lodge were filled with the severed heads of men, both young and old. Seeing nothing inside that concerned him Hodadeion decided to move on, only to come out of thick woods to find the exact same clearing with the exact same lodge. Even the old man with no eyes and his macabre trophies lining the walls dwelt inside.

No matter which direction Hodadeion traveled or how long he ventured through the thick forest he always emerged on the clearing where the eyeless old man’s lodge stood. This time while he was standing outside the door the man with no eyes called out to Continue reading →

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May 22, 2013 · 12:04 am

IROQUOIS EPIC MYTH: HODADEION PART THREE

Iroquois confederationPART 3- THE WIZARD HODIADATGON. With the Wasp-Men overcome, Hodadeion the god of magic piled all of their naked bodies in a pile and burned them, all the while being observed by a sinister-looking owl. Then he ordered his wooden soldiers to go back to the cabin he shared with his sister Yeyenthwus and brother Otgoe. The demigod further ordered them to fall in a neat pile once there and revert to their stick forms so that they could be used as firewood by his siblings.

When those tasks were completed Hodadeion continued north on his quest, happily noting the vile owl was nowhere in sight. At length he came upon a large tree stump in the middle of the path he was following. The path was well-traveled so it seemed impossible that a tree had grown and eventually died on the path, leaving  only this tall, thick stump.

Apprehensively the god of magic approached the stump, only to feel himself bounced back as he Continue reading →

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