12 Gods,or 12 aspects of God?

Big topic with way too much to say....

Hmm, well we definitely know that the ancient Hellines believed in a 'holy trinitry' similar to what Chrisianity adopted, either from them or somewhere else can't really say. But we do find the idea of a 'trinitry' in the Orphic hymns which also present many beliefs on Cosmogony..

For example Ioannis Malalas has mentioned in his "Chronography" the names of "MHTIN", "PHANIS" and "HRIKPAION"

Through his text we come to understand that "MHTIN" represented the first part of the 'trinitry', the 'Father'.
From the name, we can come to understand that "MH - TIS" = "not someone" and may represent the initial transcendent 'substance' that was the starting point of birth for everything material. So we're not talking about a common God/diety but the "Unknown Irrational Beginning" of creation..(big bang)

"PHANIS" as the name states "phainw" = bring to light, show.. was the light, the power that made things visible..

and "HRIKPAION" not really sure what to make of this since most texts I've read connect him/it....whatever,  to "LOGOS" (word) while the name derives from 'ereikw' =  to rend..

Anyway, this idea is supported by the texts of Dionysios Areiopagitis, "Peri Mustikistikhs Theologias" (about mystical theology) where he too, bases his conclusion of God being nothing similar to sensible nor intelligible things but an incorporeal beggining of life..

Much later around the 5th BC, it seems like all Hellinic philosophers took a major turn towards the belief of one God as seen by Socrates and Plato that doubted and attacked the old myths about the many Gods living up on Mount Olympus.

Cicero in his " The Nature of Gods (book 1)" tells us that :

*Anaxagoras says..."the universe was determined and directed by the power and purpose of an infinite intelligence."

*Xenophanes..".considered the whole infinite universe of mind and matter together constituted the divine being."

*Plato..."holds God to be without a body, immaterial."

*Antisthenes says..... "that although popular religion recognizes many Gods, there is only one God"

*Zeno..."takes the view that the divine power is to be found in a principle of reason which pervades the whole of nature."

Well is seems that most religions past from the phase of believing of a one all powerfull God to a polytheistic belief only to return to monotheism.

For example, Stephen Langdon a Prof. of Assyriology at Oxford and Sir Charles Marston, had after their research in the area of Kis (sp?) near Babylon and of the cities of Erech and Our (sp?), that are considered the 'home' of the God ANU, God of the sky and father of all.
Came to the conclusion that while in approx. 3000BC there were approx. 750 different Gods and Dieties, while some time before the number was raised to 5000.
Looking further back, they found that the number drops to 4 and eventually to 2, the God "Anu" and the Goddess "Annini" (Goddess of the sky), which are estimated to be only 1 God under the name "AN" (sky) which gave birth to both the above names and Gods.

T. A. Waddell argues of a pure devolution in the religion of the Chaldeans and Egyptians. Prof. Frankfort based on his finds speaks of a one and only original God (Sun) that only several cent. later is accompanied by 'smaller' Gods/Dieties in Mesopotamia. He also clearly mentions that in Egyprt, it was unacceptable to believe that they saw a God on every corner. This took place many years later..

So the question would be what brought this 'corruption' that lead monotheism to polytheism only to return to monotheism??

It seems like Polytheisms like that of Ancient Greece (or Egypt for the case) would be born of tribal alliances and some cultural mixture. The most possitive characteristic of Polytheism is tolerance: Do you venerate Apollo? Fine, as far as we can integrate your god in our system (for instance making it son of Zeus). Hope you get the point. It doesn't seem like the Greek system was static and rigid but rather that it had some ease to incorporate new divinities like Dyonisos or Cybeles, either by incorporating them to their pantheon or by assimilation to an already existing divinity. It can well be said that it is a very synchretic religion.

If we follow the Theogony, we find a whole evolution of three succesive dynasties of gods, some of them apparently surviving despite the changes (even if relegated to a secondary plane).

In contrast Monotheisms are much more rigid and static. Intolerant as well. They are not able nor willing to accept diferent concepts of the divinity(-ies): just a sole (revealed) God that excludes all the others.

A third type is maybe the Duality, mostly as god-godess (Basque Paganism, Shakti Hinduism, Greek religion in the period of Gaia and Uranos), that is probably closer to Monotheism in concept but often also more open to accept minor deities.

I have the feeling that the Duality is more genuine and original. That under its shadow polytheism developed, specially as Patriarchy took power, and finally a new Patriarchal monotheism of the He-God (Yaveh mostly) became able to overcome Polytheism.

Another factor in ancient religions is the importance of the word, specially written word. Maybe it happened with the Egyptians first (see the symbology surrounding Thoth, the god of priests, the god of words and scribes) but, in any case, modern religions are based in the magic of words, specialy written word. This is truly a problem for them in a historical phase in which image has largely replaced word, specially written word, as means to divulgate knowledge. It is also a problem because, unlike with oral tradition, scriptures can't be reformed as times change. So they get stagnant, stuck in a society that doesn't exist anymore.

Well, anyhow, I don't think that Polytheism is necesarily a corruption but rather a sign of opennes and tolerance towards diferent perceptions (and aspects) of the divine mistery. It may also be significative of a stratified society, in which the diferent roles have diferent patrons (gods in Polytheism, saints in Christianity). In this sense it is also an acknowledgement of the diversity in reality and the contradictory nature of the World - something that Monotheism can hardly adress but through very complex and erudite paradoxes (like the figure of the Devil, or that of Virgin Mary or that of the Trinity).

Yup, or rather, there were events on those days, and some of the symbolism (mistletos and other berries at christmas, the whole bunny and eggs thing at Easter etc) pervails to this day.
Early Christians were quite pragmatic, and basicly introduced Christian festivities ontop of the existing ones.
The anti crowd typicly tend to be Protestants, but they are just bitter because they don't have any exciting festivities. Catholics in my experience are much more relaxed, as are Orthradox christians.

The name Zeus means the one who binds the forces together.

Where does that come from? I've never heard that eytmology of Zeus. Zeus is generally though of as a derivation of an older word for the sky god.

In old mythology, Zeus never had absolute power.


Edited by Imperator Invictus