Common Germanic Deities  

Posted by Unknown in , , , , ,

Common Germanic Deities Image

One of the Wodin chorus chanting Spam in the caf'e

In the original 1887 poem, Wednesday's child is loving and giving.

Wednesday - the name comes from the Middle English Wednes dei, which is from Old English Wednes daeg, meaning the day of the Germanic god Woden (Wodan) who was a god of the Anglo-Saxons in England until about the 7th century.

Wednes daeg is like the Old Norse Odinsdagr ("Odin's day"), which is an early translation of the Latin dies Mercurii ("Mercury's day"). Though Mercury (the messenger of the gods) and Woden (the king of the Germanic gods) are not equivalent in most regards.

Russian does not use pagan names but instead uses sred'a, meaning "middle," similar to the German Mittwoch. Portuguese uses the word quarta-feira, meaning "fourth day."

Hope that clears that up. There's not much of the day left.


Anemones Wind Flower  

Posted by Unknown

Anemones Wind Flower Image
THE NAME "WIND FLOWER" IS OFTEN GIVEN THIS BEAUTIFUL LITTLE PLANT BECAUSE MANY OF THE SPECIES INHABIT WINDY PLACES. IN FACT, THE WORD ANEMONE COMES FROM THE GREEK, "ANEMOS", WHICH MEANS "WIND" THIS FLOWER ORIGINALLY CAME FROM THE COUNTRIES ALONG THE EAST COAST OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA. IN MYTHOLOGY THE "ANEMONE" WAS DEDICATED TO "APHRODITE "OR "VENUS", AND AN EVEN MORE FAMOUS LEGEND CONNECTS THE "ANEMONE" WITH THE LOVE STORY OF "APHRODITE" AND "ADONIS. "

THE "ANEMONE" IS SAID TO BE DERIVED FROM THE YOUNG MORTAL, "ADONIS", WHO WAS FAMED FOR HIS BEAUTY, AND WHO WAS A REIGNING FAVORITE OF "APHRODITE", THE GODDESS OF LOVE. HE WAS KILLED WHILE HUNTING, AND CHANGED BY "APHRODITE" INTO THE "ANEMONE". ACCORDING TO THIS MYTH, THERE WAS ONCE A GOLDEN-HAIRED BOY, ADONIS, WHO APHRODITE LOVED MORE THAN ANYTHING. AND, WHEN ADONIS LIVED WITH APHRODITE,THE TWO LOVERS WOULD GO HUNTING IN THE WOODS. AS ADONIS CHASED GAME THROUGH THE FOREST, THE GODDESS WOULD ALMOST ALWAYS BE FOLLOWING CLOSELY BEHIND, IN HER SWAN DRIVEN CHARIOT, DRESSED AS A HUNTRESS.

BUT THE LOVES OF THESE GODS AND GODDESSES SEEMED ALWAYS TO BE FATED SO WE CAN BE ASSURED THAT SOMETHING VERY SAD WAS TO HAPPEN. AND SO THE BEAUTIFUL ADONIS ONE DAY, WHILE HUNTING, CAME TO A MOST TERRIBLE DEATH. IT SEEMS THAT APHRODITE'S EX-LOVER, ARES, THE GOD OF WAR, HAD GROWN JEALOUS OF HER AFFAIR WITH THE MORTAL, SO, ONE DAY WHILE ADONIS WAS HUNTING ALONE, ARES DISGUISED HIMSELF AS A BOAR AND ATTACKED ADONIS, CAUSING HIM LETHAL INJURIES. APHRODITE HURRIED TO ADONIS IN HER CHARIOT, BUT HIS SOUL HAD ALREADY DESCENDED INTO THE UNDERWORLD.

IN DESPAIR, APHRODITE THREW HERSELF UPON A BANK IN THE GROVE WHERE THE ADONIS HAD BEEN SO CRUELLY SLAIN, SHE WEPT BITTER, BITTER, TEARS. BUT EVEN HER TEARS WERE IMMORTAL, AND WHEREVER THEY FELL, THERE SPRANG UP A DELICATE LITTLE CRIMSON FLOWERTHE ANEMONE. AND IT IS SAID THAT IN THE FLOWER, ADONIS LIVES AGAIN AS THE SPIRIT OF THE WIND.

Soft stealing from beneath the snow,
I saw a pretty wind flower blow;
Fair were its petals, streaked with red,
Like sunset on a snowflake shed. "How dar'st thou, gentle flower, to brave This early spring,- far better save
Thy fairy bloom, to grace the day
When wind and storm have passed away! My humble gifts would be no boon Among the myriad flowers of June;
Now when the earth is brown and bare,
One little spot I make more fair. "I LOVE AMONG THESE LINGERING SNOWS
TO STAND, THE HERALD OF THE ROSE;

FOR SADDEST EYES GROW BRIGHT TO SEE


THE PROPHET-FLOWER, ANEMONE."

by M. ALICE BRYANT



Keywords: bran blessed  turkish fire  every occasion  solar deity  brigid bride  slovenian korant  invokation lord  saxon rune poem  gnosis hymn glory  berashith essay  mock mock rousseau  essay chaos  

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