Saint Nicholas was a 4th-century saint and Greek bishop in Myra (modern-day Turkey). Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker. He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, and thus became the model for Santa Claus (whose modern name comes from the Dutch Sinterklaas).
Note: Merry Christmas!
Itzamná is one of the most important gods in Yucatec Maya mythology. His name in the Mayan language means caiman, lizard or large fish. Thought to reside in the sky, he was considered the god of creation, the inventor of writing and was also worshiped as the god of medicine. In his human form, Itzamná is portrayed as an old, wise priest often wearing an elaborate headdress. In modern culture, Itzamna has shown up in the Earth-616 universe of Marvel comics.
Happy 12/12/12, numerologists! Today is the last repeating date for 89 years. Some people think December 21, 2012 (or December 12, 2012) is going to be a big day. Nine days from today, on 12/21/12, the ancient Maya calendar will end its current cycle and a new cycle will begin. That’s right, folks, the count is starting over again. Misinterpretation of the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar is the basis for the popular belief that a cataclysm will take place on December 21, 2012. While the Maya calendar is simply advancing to the next b’ak’tun, don’t let this fact stop you from fawning over dreams of your long-awaited apocalypse of choice. Maybe you should learn to swim?
Sedna is the mermaid goddess of the sea and marine animals in Inuit mythology. The creation myth of Sedna describes how she came to rule over Adlivun, the Inuit underworld. As the sea-mother and provider of food for the Inuit people, she is the patron of fisherman and hunters. Sedna is known by other names in Greenland and Canada, including Arnakuagsak, Arnapkapfaaluk and Nerrivik.
Heidi and I are currently in beautiful Reykjavík, Iceland. This is the third day of our vacation in Europe.
Astronaut Jesus was conceived in 2004 by Argentine design collective Doma. A limited edition, five-color silkscreen poster exclusive to Andr8id was printed in 2004 and a matching vinyl toy was manufactured by adFunture in 2005. The visually striking toy is a 9.5″ (24 cm) figure with a removable helmet and a swiveling right arm. Doma is best known for their visual designs and installation arts.
I am amused by the concept that Jesus has been in outer space overseeing the world and will one day return to fix our problems. It would be fun to have my own Astronaut Jesus figure, but only a few hundred exist in the world, so I’m not holding my breath. After the original run of 500 Astronaut Jesus figures, six small limited edition runs were manufactured in different colors during 2005 and 2006, including a hot-pink flocked Wooster Collective Edition.
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus’s most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Mary’s presence at the crucifixion and tomb of Jesus is consistent with her role as grieving wife and widow. But we’re pretty sure she was just a trusted disciple. Unless she totally was his wife, or a concubine, or prostitute or some other appropriated mythological archetype.
Happy Zombie Jesus Day on Sunday. Or, rather, Happy Lich King Day!
In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is often portrayed as the son of the goddess Venus, with a father rarely mentioned. His Greek counterpart is Eros. Cupid is often portrayed as a nude (or sometimes diapered) winged boy or baby armed with a bow and arrows. These days we know him as a symbol of a certain commercialized holiday popularized by a greeting card company.
A Mesoamerican deity whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and means “feathered serpent.” The worship of a feathered serpent deity is first documented in Teotihuacan about 2,000 years ago. Among the Aztecs, Quetzalcoatl was related to gods of the wind, of Venus, of the dawn, of merchants and of arts, crafts and knowledge.
I’m not sure I can call this 8-bit representation of Quetzalcoatl a success since my girlfriend referred to him as “a cat-dinosaur-flower.” Her description seems pretty accurate, really. Since today is the Chinese New Year, perhaps we can call him a dragon.
Mama Quilla is the moon goddess, according to the Inca mythology. She rules marriage, the lunar calendar and the menstrual cycle, and is considered a defender of women. The most common origin story says she is the daughter of Viracocha (the god of civilization) and Mama Cocha (the sea goddess). Inti (the sun god) is her brother and husband.
After 33 days in Peru, we are finally due to return home to Oregon on January 6.
Inti is the sun god, according to the Inca mythology, as well as a patron deity of the Inca Empire. The most common origin story says he is the son of Viracocha (the god of civilization) and Mama Cocha (the sea goddess). Mama Quilla (the moon goddess) is his sister and wife.
The sea and fish goddess in Inca mythology in the Andes region of South America. She is the protectress of sailors and fishermen. In one legend she mothered Inti and Mama Quilla with Viracocha, the Inca supreme god.
The great creator god in the pre-Inca and Inca mythology in the Andes region of South America. Viracocha was one of the most important deities in the Inca pantheon and seen as the creator of all things (the universe, sun, moon and stars, time and civilization itself). He was intimately associated with the sea and worshiped as god of the sun and of storms.
P.S. Happy New Year!
In the Hawaiian religion, Pele is the goddess of fire, lightning, wind and volcanoes. She is a popular figure in many stories of ancient Hawai’i known as Hawaiian mythology. Legend has it that she is a fickle and dangerous lover who sometimes kills her husbands. She is believed to live in the Halema’uma’u crater of Kīlauea.
The falcon-headed Horus is one of the oldest and most significant deities in the Ancient Egyptian religion. He was often the ancient Egyptians’ national patron god and was worshipped from at least the late Predynastic period through Greco-Roman times. He was born of the goddess Isis and her brother Osiris, the god of the underworld.
Isis is a goddess in the Ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. She was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife as well as the matron of nature and magic. Her brother, Osiris, became her husband. After Osiris was murdered, she awoke him from the dead in order to impregnate herself, and later gave birth to Horus.
Note: Cleopatra represented herself as the reincarnation of Isis.
Osiris is a god of the Ancient Egyptian religion, usually identified as the god of the afterlife, the underworld and the dead. He is classically depicted as a green-skinned man with a pharaoh’s beard. He is the brother and husband of Isis. After being murdered, he was resurrected in the underworld. Horus is considered his posthumously begotten son.
Ra is the ancient Egyptian sun god. By the Fifth Dynasty he had become a major deity in Ancient Egyptian religion, identified primarily with the midday sun. All forms of life were believed to have been created by Ra, who called each of them into existence by speaking their secret names. He is considered the first being and the originator of other Egyptian deities.
In Haitian Vodou, he is the intermediary between the loa and humanity. He is the master linguist, the trickster, warrior and the personal messenger of destiny. He stands at a spiritual crossroads and gives (or denies) permission to speak with the spirits of Guinee. Papa Legba’s colors are red and black (as worshipped in New Orleans voodoo rituals).
A sacred figure venerated in Mexico, probably a mix of Mesoamerican and Catholic beliefs. The name literally translates to “Holy Death” or “Saint Death.” A reverence toward death can be seen in the widespread Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead. Catholic elements of that celebration include the use of skeletons to remind people of their mortality.
Note: Today is also All Souls’ Day.
Metatron – No. 557
Metatron is an archangel in Judaism. According to Jewish medieval apocrypha, he is Enoch, ancestor of Noah, transformed into an angel. There are no references to Metatron as an angel in the Jewish Tanakh or Christian scriptures (New and Old Testament). Although he is mentioned in a few brief passages in the Talmud, Metatron appears primarily in medieval Jewish mystical texts and other post-scriptural esoteric and occult sources. In Rabbinic tradition, he is the highest of the angels and serves as the celestial scribe.
While he does have a cube (for understanding the tree of life?), Metatron is not to be confused with the sentient robotic lifeform Megatron (of Transformers fame), though both are described as having formidable power. Metatron can also be found in Megami Tensei role-playing video games. Happy New Year!