Search Results

Scribes assume positions of importance and influence in the ancient world. Many speak several languages and are skilled in such diverse areas as religious texts, secular work, drawing up building plans, mathematics, translation and administration. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Adventure See also: Proto Writing: Signs of the Times Scribes & Writing - Ancient Mesopotamia Garnets - Gemstones of Blood and Life Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books One of the most important professions in ancient Egypt is that of scribe, a person schooled in the arts of writing. Scribes are considered gifted and highly intelligent. They may know several languages and have excellent understanding of geometry and science. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Adventure They might supervise the inscriptions on massive stone statues. The work itself is done by sculptors or stone workers, who like other artisans are considered manual laborers. See also: Nefertum: He Who is Beautiful Gods of Egypt Aruna, Hittite God of the Sea Eridu - City of Ancient Gods Mesopotamia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Although highly skilled, artisans never attain the status of scribes. In ancient Egypt very few are honored for their work. Scribes, especially royal ones, receive honors of the state and elaborate burials. Scribes might themselves inscribe works such as stelae and boundary stones. Limestone is the preferred rock of carvers in ancient Egypt, followed by sandstone and steatite, or soapstone. Another practice is smoothing a layer of clay over a base, for hieroglyphs. See also: Pomegranate - Food of the Ancients Lapis Lazuli: Vibrant Blue Gem of Ancients Enki (Ea) God of Water & Creation Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In Egypt, writing takes hold c. 3250 BCE. It's invented by the ibis-headed god Thoth and possibly his daughter Seshat. Scribe of the Gods, Thoth is wise in the ways of science and morality. God of the Moon, reckoning, learning and writing, he's creator of all languages. Writing in ancient Egypt takes three major forms: hieroglyphic - meaning 'sacred writing', the picture-based first script of Egypt hieratic or cursive - the main script used from 3rd - 1st millennium BCE. It's usually written in ink with a reed pen on papyrus demotic script - from c. 500 BCE, for shorthand, commerce and arithmetic See also: Elixir of Life: Alchemy & the Emperor Papyrus (C. papyrus): Sacred Reeds of Aaru Linen, Hemp & Cotton - Fabrics of Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The hieroglyph for "scribe" is made of stylized representations of the scribe's ink-mixing palette, a vertical case to hold writing-reeds, and a leather pouch to hold black and red ink blocks. The 'scribe' glyph is in the top row of the text below, toward the right, without the two dots on the box. The marks of this text are impressed into damp clay with a variety of tools, and allowed to air dry. See also Natron - Ancient Embalming & Household Salts Khet, the Body: Death Rites of Ancient Egypt Butter - Food of Peasants & Barbarians Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books As in Mesopotamia, scribes are typically young males of elite or wealthy families. There are exceptions, as female scribes are held in high regard especially as temple priestesses. A scholarship might be given to a talented child of the lower class. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Adventure Sons of scribes follow their fathers in scribal tradition. Children start training as young as five years old. Some school days can last up to twelve hours. Students are given homework on top of it, making for a grueling existence. See also: Scribes & Writing: Ancient Beginnings Cylinder Seals of the Ancient World Dream Interpretation (Oneiromancy) - Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books A scribe school master, often running the school from home, has space for only so many students and can charge top price. A hopeful student might have to take an intelligence test. It's about 12 years of study to complete ancient Egyptian scribe school. Scribes learn mastery of materials such as ink. Ink is an Egyptian invention, as are split nib reed pens and paper from the papyrus plant. The first inks are a mix of black lamp soot and vegetable gum or beeswax. See also: Egyptian Blue - First Synthetic Color Mulberry Tree (Morus): Uses, Folklore & Myth Nekhbet - Vulture Goddess of Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Egyptians experiment with other organic matter to make ink of different colors. Red ochre and soot or charcoal makes red or black colored ink. For white, ground gypsum is popular. Papyrus is the preferred writing surface, but clay is also popular. Hieratic script is used for common documents such as catalogs and official paperwork. The style also finds its way into literature and religious texts. In scribe schools, hieratic script occupies a larger part of the curriculum than hieroglyphic writing, and is taught earlier. See also: Sailing - Bronze Age Sails & Sailcloth Egyptian Blue Faience - Ceramic Glass Papyrus (C. papyrus): Sacred Reeds of Aaru Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Scribes document extensive administrative, commercial and economic activities and policies. Stories of Egypt's lower classes and knowledge of foreign lands exist because scribes write them down. Demotic scribes use rush pens with stems thinner than that of a reed (2 mm). The end of the rush is cut at an angle, then chewed. Chewing separates the fibers resulting in a short, stiff brush. Egyptians call the Demotic script sš/sẖ n šꜥ.t, "document writing." See also: Turquoise: Precious Stone of Ancients Sekhmet - War Goddess of Ancient Egypt Myth & Metallurgy - Metals of Antiquity Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Scribes of ancient Egypt record information from complex to banal about the deeds and achievements of rulers, civil behavior, battles, laws of policy, architectural plans for building projects, and works of literary art. Attaining a level of privilege after many years of study, scribes are part of the royal court. Scribes are exempt from conscription into the army, and don't have to pay taxes. Heavy manual labor is not required of them as it is of the lower classes. See also: Ullikummi - Rock Monster of Legend Egyptian Blue Lotus: Visionary Beauty Carnelian - Gems of the Ancient World Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The scribal professions work with painters and artisans who decorate buildings with reliefs and processional scenes, people or hieroglyphic text. In tombs, scribes help preserve the great deeds of the future occupant. Most priests and priestesses are also scribes. Only 1 - 5% of people in ancient Egypt are literate, up to 7% by c. 500 BCE. Scribes attain a status higher then simple copyists or letter-readers. Colossal buildings are erected according to the direction and supervision of the scribe. See also: Ptah: God of Creators & Creation Egypt Taweret - Hippopotamus Goddess of Egypt Rhinestones: Treasures of the Rhine Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Egypt develops the first postal system c. 2400 BCE. The organized courier service sends written documents such as decrees by the Pharaoh throughout the lands. The first mail system for citizens is invented by Persians c. 550 BCE, using horses for fast delivery. Scribes are usually paid in grain, a valuable trade commodity. In the ancient world, scribes are recording history for future archaeologists to find. Much of modern knowledge about ancient Egypt comes from the actions of the scribes in their various capacities. See also: Nixies - Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Tooth Worms of Ancient Mesopotamia Ammit - Eater of the Heavy Heart Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Scribe God Thoth appears in the Egyptian Book of the Dead. He plays a role in the "Weighing of the Heart" in the duat, the part of the Afterlife in which demons reside. In the scene above, the deceased, in white linen, is brought into duat by psychopomp Anubis. The heart of the deceased is weighed against a feather of Ma'at, Goddess of Justice. Thoth notes down the result of the weighing. The demon Ammitt waits to gobble up the heart if it's too heavy. This one passes the test. The deceased is led to greet Osiris. See also: Ornithomancy - Prophecy by the Birds Sphinx - Mythical Monster of Ancients Flooding of the Nile - Nature & Myth Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books There's more to the story, as the deceased must pass through 21 goddess gates guarded by demon gods. Eventually the brave soul prevails. Benu takes the deceased by boat to the reed isle of Osiris, to whom person is presented. A Pharaoh might even become Osiris. Thoth may be a representative or reflection of the sun god, Re (Ra). He commonly has the head of an ibis, sometimes a baboon. Thoth is thought to be worshiped as a Moon God as far back as c. 6000 BCE. See also: Apep - Primal Chaos God of Egypt Cress, Watercress: Natural Health of Ancients Benu - Ba Heron God of Ancient Egypt Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle According to one myth Thoth is self-created at the beginning of time. In the form of an ibis he lays the cosmic egg containing all of creation. In this way he's connected in the origin myth to Benu, whose cry at the dawn of time defines the form of creation. Like the Heron God Benu, Thoth is found in the Afterlife realm due to his connections with water. Water can be seen as a portal to other dimensions. The ibis associated with Thoth is the African sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus). See also: Ancient Arabia - Stone Age to Bronze The Way to Aaru - Egyptian Paradise Mountain Gazelle: Wild Ancient World Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Egyptian title for scribe is sesh meaning “to draw”. The ancient Egyptian goddess of scribes and writing is Seshat. Her worship dates back to c. 2800 BCE. Wise and powerful, she's daughter of scribe god Thoth. Her name means "female scribe". She's often depicted wearing leopard skin. See also: Baltic Amber - Gold of the North Seshat - Scribe Goddess Ancient Egypt Black Pigments of Ancient Artisans Back to Top

Thoth is among the most ancient of Egyptian deities. God of wisdom, knowledge, scribes, magic and the moon, he's considered the inventor of hieroglyphs. Later he teaches hieratic script to humans. As a Moon God he's worshipped by c. 6000 BCE. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Seshat - Scribe Goddess Ancient Egypt Scribes & Writing - Ancient Egypt Tooth Worms of Ancient Mesopotamia He becomes a scribe god after the invention of hieroglyphic script in Egypt c. 3100 BCE. Thoth is often shown as a man with head of an ibis. The bird associated with Thoth is the African sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus). READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Thoth might also appear as a baboon with a crescent on its head, or a man with head of a baboon. The crescent represents the lunar barque symbol. In this form he's A'an or A'ah-Djehuty, the god of equilibrium. See also: Proto Writing: Signs of the Times Steatite (Soapstone) - Ancient World Egyptian Blue - First Synthetic Color Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Fundamentally, Thoth is the God of All Things. Ancient people view him as a self-created entity formed at the beginning of time, much like heron god Benu whose call determines the form of creation. Thoth is master of both physical and moral or divine law. He makes the calculations for the placement of the heavens, stars and Earth. See also: Sistrum (Sistra) Music: Ancient Egypt Scribes & Writing: Ancient Beginnings Garnets - Gemstones of Blood and Life Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books He has credit as author of all works of science, religion, philosophy and magic. Later Greeks declare him the inventor of astronomy, astrology, numerical science, mathematics and geometry. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure He also invents surveying, medicine, botany, theology, civilized government, the alphabet, reading, writing, and oratory. Thoth is the true author of every work of every branch of knowledge, human and divine. See also: Ancient Wild Predators - Eurasian Lion Alchemist Dippel: the Frankenstein Files Turquoise: Precious Stone of Ancients Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books With Ma'at as spouse, Thoth is considered the father of scribe goddess Seshat, whose worship dates back to c. 2800 BCE. Seshat is the inventor of hieratic writing in Egypt, and Thoth teaches it to humans. His wife Ma'at (Maat) is the supreme Goddess of Justice. She might appear as a winged woman or a set of scales. She and Thoth play a significant role in the weighing of the heart ritual, which takes place in duat, the part of the Afterlife before the paradise Aaru. See also: Music of Ancient & Medieval Egypt Cylinder Seals of the Ancient World The Way to Aaru - Egyptian Paradise Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the ritual, the heart of the deceased is weighed against a feather of Ma'at. If the heart is heavier than the feather, the demon Ammit devours it and the deceased is stuck in duat. If the deceased passes the test, the person moves on to more challenges before Aaru. At the weighing, Thoth the divine scribe notes the results. The inscription may be given to the deceased as proof of a light heart. After several tasks the deceased shows credentials to Benu, the Heron God, who will take him in a boat to the reed island of Osiris. See also: Benu - Ba Heron God of Ancient Egypt Owl - Death, Messages, Mystic Wisdom Tin - Essential Metal of Antiquity Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In lore, Thoth is responsible for the creation of the 365-day calendar. According to the myth, the year is only 360 days long and Nut, the Sky Goddess, is sterile during these days, unable to bear children. In a game of senet, Thoth gambles with the Moon God Khonsu for 1/72nd of the moon's light (360/72 = 5), or 5 days, and wins. During the five days Nut and consort Geb give birth to primary Gods Osiris, Set, Isis and Nephthys. See also: Mušḫuššu - Snake Dragon Animal of Marduk Fairy Rings, Moon & Nature Magic Taweret - Hippopotamus Goddess of Egypt Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The earliest mentions of Khonsu come from the Egyptian Pyramid Texts in c. 2400 BCE. The writings describe his violence, claiming his diet consists of the hearts and heads of men. He kills lords and eats their flesh. Fortunately for men, he later shows no sign of this. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Khonsu enters the major part of Egyptian mythology during the New Kingdom (after c. 1550 BCE). When he does, he's often equated with Thoth. Both moon gods can be represented as baboons or with baboon traits. See also: Striped Hyena - Bronze Age Wild Scorpion Men of Babylonia Rhinestones: Treasures of the Rhine Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books To the ancient Egyptians baboons seem to have secret or hidden knowledge, expressed in their dawn chatter. They're considered to communicate with the gods, even seen as superior to humans. In one afterlife spell the deceased appeals: "I have sung and praised the Sun-disc I have joined the baboons And I am one of them!" See also: Egyptian Blue Lotus: Visionary Beauty Byblos Vibrant Port City: the Egyptians Nanaya - Goddess of Erotic Love Also from the Pyramid texts, the Osiris resurrection myth comes into being. The story achieves popularity around c. 1550 BCE. In the central Osiris resurrection myth, Osiris is murdered by Chaos God Set, who first imprisons him in a lead chest to drown in the Nile. When the deed is discovered, Set cuts Osiris into pieces. After much searching, Isis finds most of his body parts. See also: Queen Eleanor & the Calamitous Crusade Elixir of Life: Alchemy & the Emperor Figs - Food of the Ancient World Thoth gives Isis the words to restore her husband, allowing the divine couple to conceive Horus. It must be done by divine copulation, for the only body part of Osiris not found by Isis is his penis. After that, Osiris becomes Lord of the Afterlife and dwells in the land of the dead. Isis hides in the reed marshes to raise their son. When Horus comes to adulthood, he battles Set to avenge Osiris. The fighting is hard but won by Horus, with Thoth as adviser. See also: Greenstone, Scribes & Cylinder Seals Animal Spirits - Goat, Hare, Falcon Dream Interpretation (Oneiromancy) - Ancient Egypt Creator of hieroglyphs, Thoth the divine scribe of the underworld is patron of all scribes. As a scribe god Thoth is worshipped throughout ancient Egypt and admired in other lands, for hieroglyphs aren't just beautiful art pictures. They have spoken sound equivalents. Speech and writing are the creators of each other. A symbol for scribe is the ibis. An ancient scribe might wear an amulet or charm of Thoth as a necklace or brooch, or have a figurine or picture of Thoth in the place of work. See also: Nekhbet - Vulture Goddess of Egypt Sacred Scarab: Lucky Bug of Ancient Egypt Bronze Age Europe - the Amber Roads Symbols of Thoth include ibis, especially African sacred ibis; moon disk, papyrus scroll, reed pens, writing palette, stylus, baboon, scales. His planet is Mercury, known to Egyptians as Sebeg. This is a later association, made by the Greeks. Mercury is also the 'star' of Set. As a Moon god, Thoth relates to measurements and cycles of the moon. Phases of the moon give insight to early astrology and astronomy. Astronomy comes into practice c. 1000 BCE. See also: Ammitt - Devourer of the Dead Rhytons - Animal Vessels of the Ancients Kaska - Mountain Raiders of Anatolia Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle By then astrology is already an ancient art. It originates in Mesopotamia in the 3rd millennium BCE and spreads to India. In the west, Greek civilization develops the concepts further during the Hellenistic period, after c. 323 BCE. Cycles of the Moon determine festivals, rituals, religious and civil events. Thoth is gradually seen as a god of wisdom and magic. He determines the measurement and regulation of events and of time. In this capacity he's known as secretary and advisor of Ra. See also: Butter - Food of Peasants & Barbarians Myrrh - Mystique, Death & Divinity Humbaba: Giant Mountain Forest Man Thoth is longest worshipped Egyptian God, from his cosmic beginnings as a moon god in the Neolithic age to the patron of scribes and inventor of (almost) everything. More recent appearances in popular culture ensure the god goes on. See also: Goddess Nisaba - First Lady of Writing Giant Cinnamon Birds of Arabia Bizilla - Shining Love Goddess Sukkal Back to Top

Anubis manifests with the body of a man and head of a jackal, a wild canine common to Egypt and the near East. He can also be all animal. He's either a golden jackal or Egyptian jackal, actually a wolf. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure In the Neolithic and Bronze Ages both species inhabit parts of Egypt and Africa. The golden jackal is widespread in Eurasia. See also: The Way to Aaru - Egyptian Paradise Papyrus (Cyperus papyrus): Plant of Aaru Kohl: Eye Beauty Magic of Ancients Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Anubis keeps a low profile for many centuries. His rise to power coincides with that of the Romans in the first millennium BCE. A god of funerary rites and embalming, Anubis plays an important role in the Afterlife. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure He's sometimes shown embalming the deceased. He acts as a guide or psychopomp to the newly dead, bringing the person into the first part of the Underworld, Duat. See also: Ammitt - Devourer of the Dead Nekhbet - Vulture Goddess of Egypt Steppe Trade Routes: Before the Silk Road Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books He takes part in the weighing of the heart. Egyptians believe the soul is in the heart. If the heart is lighter than a feather of Ma'at (Maat) winged goddess of justice, the deceased may proceed. If not, the hybrid demon Ammitt eats the heart and the unfortunate dead one must stay in Duat. If the heart is light, the conscience free of guilt or regret, the deceased faces 21 Goddess Doors each guarded by a deity or demon. The person might have to say an incantation, answer a question, perform an act of courage, skill or wit, or beat the guardian in a competition. See also: Taweret - Hippopotamus Goddess of Egypt Apep - Primal Chaos God of Egypt Curse of the Evil Eye & Apotropaic Magic Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle At the end of it all, Anubis waits to escort the deceased to the sanctum of Osiris, god of the Dead, who welcomes the person to the Egyptian paradise of Aaru. After that, the work of the jackal-headed god is done, at least for that one. Anubis is a link between the world of the dead and that of the living. He comes into this role during the Middle Kingdom (c 2000 - 1700 BCE) when Osiris takes over as Lord of the Dead and the weighing of the heart ceremony has its start. See also: Land of Punt: Pre-Bronze Age Kingdom of Riches Bird Woman Elwetritsch: German Folklore Suri (Śuri): Ancient Etruscan Fire God Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The reason Anubis has a jackal's head is because jackals are often seen around the tombs of the dead, thus associating them with death and the afterlife. A continuing problem in ancient Egypt is the digging up of graves by golden jackals, feral dogs and wolves. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The Egyptian jackal is not a jackal at all, but a subspecies of grey wolf sometimes called the Egyptian wolf. It's found in Egypt and most of Africa. A jackal can develop a small forehead protrusion or horn, usually covered by hair, considered a magical symbol. See also: Asray: Ugaritic Underworld Goddess Ancient Wild Predators - Eurasian Lion Striped Hyena - Bronze Age Wild Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Anubis as an ancient God dates back to at least 3100 BCE. The name Anubis is a more recent term, from the Greek name of the God in 7th century BCE. For the many centuries in between, he's called Anpu or Inpu. His epithets are too many to list. They include Lord of the Sacred Land, the Dog Who Swallows Millions, Master of Secrets, and He Who is in the Place of Embalming. See also: Turquoise: Precious Stone of Ancients Copper - Ruddy Metal of Mystic Magic Nefertum: He Who is Beautiful Gods of Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the Early Dynastic period (c. 3100 - 2686 BCE) Anubis is shown in full jackal form. Statues, carvings or wall art of the jackal resting on a platform, alert with ears pricked up, are common in historical Egyptian palace decor. Anubis is the most important god of the dead until the Egyptian Middle Kingdom (c. 2000 - 1700 BCE), when Osiris takes on the major role as lord of the Underworld. Anubis retains a revered rank among the Gods. See also: Animal Spirits - Wolf, Mouse, Swan Pomegranate - Food of the Ancients Rise of the Phoenicians - Early Years Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books As the Embalmer he carries the imiut fetish. In use since c. 3100 the fetish is a skin of cat or bull tied to a pole with a tail ending in a lotus bud. The pole is inserted into a stand. Its purpose is not known, but it's been part of funerary rites for centuries. In the Osiris myth, Anubis embalms the title character. Osiris is a primeval king usurped by his brother Set. Isis, the wife of Osiris, restores the king's body. Osiris posthumously fathers Horus, the Falcon Headed God. See also: Mythology: Gods of Mycenean Greece Arcadia - Greek Lands of Ancient Gods Animal Spirits - Goat, Hare, Falcon Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Eventually Horus restores order and ousts Set from the throne. Osiris is then fully resurrected. He's often depicted with green skin due to the connection between vegetation and the Great Earth. Anubis becomes patron god of embalmers. Later scenes of embalming show the presiding priest wearing a canine mask during the embalming and mummification process. See also: Rosemary: Immortal Essence & Balm of Kings Inanna (Ishtar) - Goddess of Ancients What is a Ziggurat? Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Although he doesn't often appear in myth, Anubis enjoys widespread popularity as a deity in Egypt. His major cult centers are Lycopolis (city of the wolf) and Cynopolis (city of the dog). He's worshipped throughout the land. See also: Dragons: German Harvest & Nature Spirits Lotan - Chaos Sea Dragon of Ugarit Erinyes - Vengeful Women of Ancient Greece Back to Top

The Afterlife of Egypt includes judgment of a life lived. Demonic hybrid Ammit takes her part in the judgment ceremony. She's a triple threat, part lion or leopard, part hippopotamus and part crocodile, merging aspects of the three most dangerous animals in Egypt. See also: Owl - Death, Messages, Mystic Wisdom Ishara - Goddess of Death & Desire Khet, the Body: Death Rites of Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Ammit is a demon and has no cult of worship. With ceaseless hunger she plays a significant role during the judgment of the Dead. Below, her name in hieroglyphs show two owl figures, as the Owl relates to the Underworld. When a person dies, the first stop is Duat, the Land of the Dead. Anubis, Underworld God and Guardian of the Scales, holds the hand of the deceased at far left. Here, a representation of the Goddess Ma'at adorns the top of the scales. See also: Ebla - Shining Jewel of the Bronze Age Kumarbi - Castration Gods of Creation Ornithomancy - Prophecy by the Birds Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The jackal-headed god Anubis is the dominant underworld figure in c. 2900 BCE. It's also said a cat sits among the judges at the end of a person's life. The divinities weigh the heart of the deceased against a feather of Maat, Goddess of Truth. The dead person is also given 42 incantations and 42 prayers to recite. Numbers may vary. Thoth, the ibis-headed god of wisdom, magic, medicine, the moon, hieroglyphs and judgment, records the results of the weighing. See also: Suri (Śuri): Ancient Etruscan Fire God Egyptian Blue Lotus: Visionary Beauty Hesperus (Vesper) the Evening Star Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The feather of Ma'at symbolizes balance and truthfulness. The heart or Ib represents the soul of the deceased. The Ib is the key to judgment and the journey to Aaru, paradise of the Egyptians. The anatomical heart is the haty. The Ib refers to the heart as a metaphysical entity which embodies thought, intelligence, memory, wisdom, bravery, sadness and love. Ib carries a divine flame or light. See also: Sphinx - Mythical Monster of Ancients Mot - Death & the Ugarit Underworld Shapshu: Sun Goddess of Canaanites Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books If the heart weighs less than the feather, the deceased is considered pure. The dead person can then undertake the long and perilous journey to Aaru, the Paradise of the Egyptians. The deceased must get through up to 25 doors, each guarded by a demon, god/dess or ferocious creature. When the deceased finally reaches Aaru, it's a place of peace and abundance, islands of reeds and fertile lands, where souls live in happiness for eternity. See also: Asray: Ugaritic Underworld Goddess Ancient Wild Predators - Eurasian Lion Sekhmet - War Goddess of Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books If the heart weighs more than the feather, it fails the test. Ammit, true to her name Eater of the Heavy Heart, gobbles it up. Soulless, the dead person must remain in the Land of the Dead, regretting for eternity the sins not regretted in life. These rituals are noted in the Egyptian Book of the Dead. The grave goods of rulers and officials often include copies of the Book of the Dead, so the person is prepared for life beyond the grave. See also: Ornithomancy - Prophecy by the Birds Sulfur - Treasure of the Underworld Sun God of Heaven - Hittite Solar Deity Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books During the Middle Kingdom (2000–1700 BC) Osiris begins to replace Anubis as Lord of the Underworld. In the Roman era, beginning c. 30 BC, tomb paintings depict Anubis holding the hand of deceased persons to guide them to Osiris. Not every culture includes judgment of the Dead. In Mesopotamia for instance one is confirmed to be dead by the Underworld Goddess Ereshkigal, and noted by her scribe. Then, it's up to friends and descendants to supply libations and comforts for the dead. See also: Nefertari Queen of Peace Ancient Egypt Turquoise: Precious Stone of Ancients Ancient Greece - the Mycenean Invasion Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Like Egypt with its rich burial sites, Mesopotamia also develops entire cities or necropolises, usually located near a source of water and in the west, the direction of the setting sun. There the dead can live in peace, visited by dutiful descendants. In ancient Egypt, demons have supernatural powers and hierarchal positions. Ranked below the Gods, they have no place of worship. They're elements of chaos and epitomize evil. Still, they have their uses. See also: Nekhbet - Vulture Goddess of Egypt Lord Rodent (Ninkilim) Sumerian Pest God Anatolia - Alaca Höyük City of the Sun Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Ammit is a guardian demon. This type of demon remains true to a certain place, such as the Land of the Dead, Duat. Demons are often hybrids of humans and other animals, shown in grave pictures so the deceased would know them. Guardian demons appear as a hybrid of animals meant to be feared, incorporating the ferocious traits of the beasts. They were thus easily differentiated from deities associated with humanity. See also: Egyptian Blue - First Synthetic Color Taweret - Hippopotamus Goddess of Egypt Sobekneferu - Queen of the Pharaohs Back to Top

Nature spirits, Brook Horses inhabit fresh waters such as rivers, lakes, marshes and streams. Beautiful and alluring, they have a bloodthirsty nature and will drag a person into the water to drown. See also: Nature Spirits of German Mythology Butzemann, Witches & Nyx - Scare 'em Good Horse in Dreams - Meaning of Horses Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Brook Horse can manifest as a creature of incredible beauty. It may be all black or all white, stallion or mare, with flowing mane and tail and big soft eyes with long lashes. In a flash it can turn to a terrible monster. Humans can get stuck to the Brook Horse if they touch its mane. Like the nixie or Nyx, another Germanic water spirit, Brook Horses are beautiful and irresistible. A person who touches the mane becomes entangled, to be pulled to a watery death. See also: Hippomancy: Sacred Horse Divination Song of the Loreley - Lethal Beauty Reiker For Hire, Victorian Era & Nixies Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The Brook Horse's favorite tactic is to let a passerby come close, and coax the human onto its back with endearment in its big brown eyes. Once astride, the person is in the horse's power and can't leap off as the steed victoriously plunges into the water. The Brook Horse is not a horse per se, but a malevolent water spirit in the form of a horse. It can change from graceful and enchanting to a hideous beast hungry for human flesh and blood. Brook Horses are also known to seek vengeance on those who have wronged them. See also: Hünenburg: Bronze Age European Trade Hub German Myth & Folklore: Imps Harvest Spirits: Katzenmann (Cat Man) Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books These canny water spirits can be tricked and captured. Iron will negate their magic. They can serve as plow or carriage horses. However, if they come close to water they'll do their best to escape and drag the hapless owner into the murky depths forever. If Brook Horses escape capture they seek lethal vengeance on the person who imprisoned them. The magical equines are wild spirits of the nether realms, who can never be tamed. Capture is degrading especially as they consider themselves far superior to humans. See also: Castle Frankenstein - Legend & Lore 19th Century: Home Gym, Bicycles, Antiseptic Visigoths, King Alaric & the Ruin of Rome Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Brook Horses are most common in Europe and Scandinavia. In Scotland they're kelpies; the Welsh call them Ceffyl Dŵr. Other water spirits include Wihwin of South America. This malevolent sea creature is shaped like a horse with big teeth. Wihwin lives in the mountain ridges in summer and prowls for human prey at night. The Bunyip, a related flesh-eating amphibious creature, appears in south Australian aboriginal lore. Lurking in swamps, billabongs, waterholes and creeks, it waits to snatch the unwary. See also: Dragons: German Harvest & Nature Spirits Pomegranate - Food of the Ancients German Myth: Lindwyrm, Mare & Pig Demons Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In the Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction series, recurring character Skoldt is a vegan Norwegian Brook Horse. A sensitive guy who loves gardening, he can turn into a monster if threatened. He doesn't like human people and tends to avoid them. The Lora Ley books are a series based on a young woman's discovery of her half-Nyx nature in 19th century Germany. She travels to fantastic realms inspired by myths of Germania, and grows from a rebellious girl to a true warrior woman. See also: Woad, the People's Blue: Ancient Pigments Romanesque - Magic of Light & Stone Victorian Health: Sea Water Hydrotherapy Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Brook Horses and Nyx are among the most beautiful and deadly of Germanic nature spirits. In folklore they're often used as Kinderschrecken, or 'child frights' to keep kids from wandering too close to unstable shorelines, swamps and wells. See also: Giant Cinnamon Birds of Arabia Victorian Trends - Stripes to Taxidermy German Myth - Harvest Spirits Back to Top

Jet black describes a rich dark black, or the blackest black of all, as in jet-black hair. An ancient painter's pigment, jet is also treasured in jewelry as a gemstone and protective talisman. Its popularity escalates with the mourning protocol of the Victorian era. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Neolithic Skull Cults & Ritual Skulls Ancient Marsh Muse - Rough Horsetail Hesperus (Vesper) the Evening Star Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Jet is ascribed protective or facilitating properties since the late Pleistocene or Ice Age. A mineraloid, jet is a type of low quality coal or lignite. It can appear in tones from dark brown to opaque black. Jet can be hard, about 4 on the Mohs scale, or soft, around 2.5, similar to gold. Glass has a hardness of 5 - 6.5. Harder jet forms by carbon compression in salt water, while carbon compression in fresh water makes a softer less dense jet. See also: Black Pigments of Ancient Artisans Curse of the Evil Eye & Apotropaic Magic Baltic Amber - Gold of the North Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle A singular type of jet is mined in Turkey. Oltu stone, named for the region in which it's found, is a smoky black stone which is naturally soft, and hardens on exposure to air. It's also called Turkish black amber. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Jet of any kind is created through millions of years of extreme pressure on decaying wood. The trees of today's jet come from the Early Jurassic period, c. 202 million years ago. The pressure of surface weight and upheavals like buckling or folding create conditions for jet. See also: Butter - Food of Peasants & Barbarians White Pigments of Ancient Artisans Mulberry Tree (Morus): Uses, Folklore & Myth Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Ideally the compressed wood comes from trees of the family Araucariaceae, evergreens once found throughout the northern and southern hemispheres. Their descendants live today in southern regions. Araucariaceae can grow to great heights. A New Zealand kauri tree (Agathis australis) named Tāne Mahuta ("The Lord of the Forest") measures 45 m (148 ft) tall with a diameter at chest height of 491 cm (16 ft). Witches & Witchcraft: Ancient World Eschenfrau: Wicked Ash Tree Woman Rhinestones: Treasures of the Rhine Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Jet is used as jewelry, protective magic and paint pigment by early people. Black is a color of mystery and also definition, as it's often found in the lines of prehistoric caves paintings. It's associated with magic and the night. Early artists grind coals like jet down into a black powder pigment. Binders include water, animal fat or wax. In the Neolithic and earlier, pigments like jet and lignite are used as face and body paint, decor and art. See also: Yarrow (Achillea) Magic & Medicine Limonite: Ancient Earth Pigments Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Jet contains about 75% carbon and 12% oxygen. The rest is sulfur, hydrogen and other elements which can effect the look, density, color or sheen of the stone. When rubbed jet might produce static electricity, a point in common with the petrified tree resin amber. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Jet is especially desirable as mourning jewelry in Victorian times. Wearing dark colors for mourning is a practice of early Rome. The popularity of black at funerals and in mourning begins in the Western world with the death of Albert, beloved husband of Queen Victoria. See also: Milk & Dairy: Ancient Lactose Gene Victorian Trends - Stripes to Taxidermy Hotel of Horror - The Lady Detective Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Victoria wears black until her own death 40 years later. An entire culture grows around the wearing of black for grief. Mourning can continue for many years. Vast mourning warehouses spring up, selling black dye, clothing, draperies, bed sheets, jewelry and more. Women especially follow the mourning fashions. Many dye their entire wardrobes black. There's nobility in grief. Black crepe is the norm for grieving widows, even if it's likely to burst into flames. It's common to carry a lock of the deceased's hair in a brooch or locket. See also: Nekhbet - Vulture Goddess of Egypt Night Raven (Nachtkrapp) Germania Drude: Germanic Demon of Darkness Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In the mid-19th century, the first synthetic black dyes and pigments appear. Aniline black is discovered in the 1830s. In 1863 it receives a patent in the UK. At the same time, other synthetic pigments are being developed. Before then, from the 14th - 19th century, the oak apple or gall-nut, a tumor growing on oak trees, is a main source of black dye and black writing ink. The tumor is a reaction of the tree to an infesting insect. See also: Silver - Queen of Precious Metals Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Neolithic Nubia & Early Egyptians Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The gall-nut is ground to powder, then simmered for about an hour and strained. The black liquid produced can be used for clothing dye or black ink. Before gall-nut black, people use charcoal from the fire or boiled crushed walnut shells. See also: Blacksmiths: Iron, Metal, Gods & Myth Nigella Sativa: Black Seed of Healers Arabian Leopard: Bronze Age Predators Back to Top

Nachtkrapp or Night Raven is a large predatory bird found in lore of Switzerland, Germany and the North Lands. Nachtkrapp (Nachtkrappe, Nachtrabe) blends with the shadows unseen as he goes out on his lethal nocturnal journeys. READ - Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction German Mythology Series See also: Yarrow (Achillea) Magic & Medicine Ornithomancy - Prophecy by the Birds Owl - Death, Messages, Mystic Wisdom Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In German the literal translation of night raven is Nachtrabe. 'Krapp' comes from an early form of 'craw' or crop (Ger. Kropf) also referring to the gular skin; or Krapp can be a form of Rabe. Colloquial German drops the last vowel (e) so b makes a hard p sound. A giant raven, completely black, Nachtkrapp is a Kinderschreck figure used to scare children into going to bed and staying there. He lurks in dark hallways, partly open closets, under stairs and among shadows in the corners. See also: Mushussu - Snake Dragon Animal of Marduk Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Warrior Portal Gods Lugal-irra & Meslamta-ea Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books His rustling feathers can summon storms and rain, and his demonic squawk can strike terror into the brave. He's the shadow over the moon and the unseen danger in the closet. Like many of the Germanic harvest spirits and creatures of the night, Nachtkrapp likes to make a meal of any child he encounters. Nachtkrapp is not generally thought to be a demon, but a powerful evil spirit shaped like a bird, who can also access demonic realms. See also: Witches & Witchcraft: Ancient World Music of Ancient & Medieval Egypt Rise of Pan: Fertility Goat God Péh₂usōn Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In Scandinavia, Nachtkrapp has no eyes. Who looks into the hollows of the sockets is fated to die within a certain time. He might also have holes in his wings, and whoever sees them will soon die. In ornithomancy, or divination through the flight and movements of birds, ravens are considered among the most prophetic. They share this distinction with crows, owls and hens. See also: Ornithomancy - Prophecy by the Birds Nekhbet - Vulture Goddess of Egypt Tollense Valley Battlefield: Ancient Germania Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In another manifestation Nachtkrapp is heard but not seen. He shrieks and flaps his wings until all who hear him fall silent. From outside, Nachtkrapp beats at windows or doors with his wings and talons. READ - Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction German Mythology Series Woe betide any who open the way for the malevolent forces of Nachtkrapp. His appearance is unlucky for the household. He can't be pacified with offerings or deterred by magical means. If seen he's an omen of forthcoming death. See also: Ba Bird & Sacred Ram - Ancient Egypt Drude: Germanic Demon of Darkness German Myth & Folklore: Elves Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Conversely, Nachtkrapp can slink quietly through the darkness, with feathers sleek and noiseless. Even if he's not visible, a person can feel a dark oppressive shadow. Like earthly ravens Nachtkrapp is a canny bird of mystery, magic and cross-dimensional travel. If Nachtkrapp is seen by a child, he'll snatch the child back to his realm. There he tears off the limbs of the doomed child, pecks out the eyes and eats the heart. Nachtkrapp is only one of the German bedtime bogeys. Another is the Butzemann. See also: Butzemann, Witches & Nyx - Scare 'em Good Hags in German Myth & Folklore Hippomancy: Sacred Horse Divination Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Ravens in western culture are still believed to be birds of ill omen, death and evil, shown by their all-black attire and love of eating carrion. Black is most associated with death in Europe since the Victorian Era and demise of Prince Albert in 1861. In Sweden, ravens are thought to be ghosts of murdered people who had no Christian burial. If representing non-Christian murder victims, they would number among the pagan Germanic Undead, or Wiedergänger. See also: Rhinestones: Treasures of the Rhine House Spirits of Germanic Mythology Baltic Amber - Gold of the North Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In Northern Europe, ghosts of dead people can't exist as such until the afterlife becomes a widespread belief. Early ghosts or undead entities include angry relatives in c. 500 BCE Greece and angry relatives in c. 1700 BCE Mesopotamia. READ - Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction German Mythology Series In German myth, many Wiedergänger are violence victims - or angry relatives. In Germania of ancient lore, the Undead are manifestations of the living stuck between worlds of life and death. They're hateful and brutal. A Nachzehrer for instance wants to kill its whole family. See also: German Vampires - Nachzehrer German Myth - Werewolves Aufhöcker - Cursed Undead of German Myth Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The restless spirits include the Nachzehrer or German Vampire, the Aufhocker who leaps on the back of a passerby and gets progressively heavier; or the German werewolf. Another entity of the Germanic restless Undead is the Headless Horseman. During the Middle Ages the raven is an embodiment of evil forces in general. It's a bearer or cryptic information, or a spy of wicked intent. In Germany, the common raven is a soul of the damned. It might be seen as a helper of the Christian devil. Lucifer, Venus & Anti-Gods of Mythology Elp: Bronze Age Militant Cattle Culture Witches' Night - Hexennacht Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The first mention of a soul separate from the body is the Kuttamuwa stele, a funeral stele of a royal official from Sam'al in the 8th century BCE. Kuttamuwa requests commemoration by mourners of his life and afterlife with feasts "for my soul that is in this stele". Ravens are also associated with the concept of witches, and considered among their familiars or animal spirits. Other familiars include cats, owls, dogs and wolves. In the myth of Odin, the god king receives wisdom from his ravens at the cost of an eye. See also: Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore Agrippina & Son: Poisonous Plots of Rome Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In Danish folklore, a valravn (Danish: raven of the slain) is a supernatural raven. They're common in traditional Danish folk songs. The valravn originates from observation of ravens plucking out the eyes, tearing up and consuming the dead of the battlefield. The valravn can turn into a knight (rider) after eating the heart of a child. It can also appear as a hybrid wolf and raven. See also: German House Spirits: Beer Donkey (Bieresel) Wild Women and Winter Tales Brunhilde: Tragic Germanic Warrior Queen Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books A valravn who eats a king's heart gains human knowledge. He has superhuman power and can instigate violence and hatred, and lead people astray. The valravn may cross the line between demonic animal spirit and demon. The Guter Nachtkrapp (good night raven) is a localized diversion from the tale of the evil Nachtkrapp. In Burgenland, Austria, the good night raven enters the children's rooms and sings them to sleep. See also: Spelt Wheat - Bronze Age Grain Crops Black Pigments of Ancient Artisans Queen Eleanor & the Calamitous Crusade Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The hoarse croak of a raven can sound like the knell of doom. Corvids are known for imitating or mimicking sounds, from creaky doors to human speech. Such unusual noises might be a sign of Nachtkrapp passing by in the dark. Back to Top

Mushussu (Mušḫuššu) is a Babylonian hybrid animal companion and helper to the god Marduk, from c 626 BCE. Since Marduk vanquished him, the mushussu now obeys him. Mušḫuššu is known as one of the three mythic horned snakes, a hybrid of several creatures. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Night Raven (Nachtkrapp) Germania Ba Bird & Sacred Ram - Ancient Egypt Dragons: German Harvest & Nature Spirits Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books A scaly animal with leonine forelegs, the mushussu also relates to Nabu, considered the son of Marduk. Nabu is a god of literacy and scribes, replacing the Goddess Nisaba. He's popular during the Middle Babylonian Kingdom under the Kassites (c. 1595 - 1155 BCE). READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure In 575 BCE the mušḫuššu appears on the glamorous Ishtar Gate of Babylon. The bold blue edifice is the eighth gate through which a person passes on entering the ancient city. Today the Ishtar Gate is on partial display at the Berlin Museum (below), with the rest in storage. See also: Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Hyssop - Magic & Medicine Herb Lore Ereshkigal Goddess of Underworld & Night Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Mušḫuššu translates to reddish snake, fierce snake or splendor serpent. It's one of the three horned snakes of Mesopotamian legend. The others are Bašmu (Bashmu) and Ušumgallu (Ushumgallu). They're among 11 monsters birthed by Chaos Goddess Tiamat. Hero god Marduk battles the creatures of destruction and defeats them one by one. In some versions Marduk takes the mushussu from the warrior god of snakes, Tishpak, who's also associated with Bašmu. See also: Lead: Death Metal of Metallurgy Bashmu (Bašmu): Voracious Serpent Dragon Ushumgallu: Dragon Lion Snake Sukkal Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Tishpak is the patron deity of Eshnunna (Tell Asmar) in east central Iraq. Acquisition of the animal by Marduk, god of Babylon, symbolizes the conquest of Eshnunna by Hammurabi of Babylon in 1762 BCE. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Once Marduk subdues the mušḫuššu it is friendly, loyal and helpful. It accompanies Marduk on his travels. The serpent dragon soon has its own cult. Its hind legs are talons of an eagle. Two horns curl from its head. It has a long neck and tail, and the tongue of a snake. See also: Feast of Fools - A Lora Ley Adventure Ancient Greece - the Mycenean Invasion Ancient Wild Predators - Eurasian Lion Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Lion part of the mušḫuššu symbolizes royal and divine power. Lions represent courage, dominion, gold, the Sun, ferocity and Kingship. In the wild, the lion is an apex predator whose qualities are much desired. Lions appear in Chinese, Hittite, Greek and other cultures as guardians or gate protectors. They're often part of hybrid creatures such as the griffin and sphinx. See also: Nibelung - Of Worms & Heroes Tiamat - Queen of Chaos & the Sea 12 Days of Zagmuk: Chaos & the King Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Eagle talons of the mušḫuššu represent a visionary bird with swift and lethal attack, also relating to the Sun and the divine. Like the Lion the Eagle is an apex predator, sometimes called King of the Birds. The Eagle reaches great heights as a powerful force of ambition and conquest. Its lands stretch to the horizons. As an animal spirit or totem the Eagle embodies success and innovative ideas. See also: What is a Ziggurat? Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Ancient Greece - the Mycenean Invasion Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Snakes are held in high esteem in ancient Mesopotamia. The region is home to over forty types of snake, ten of them venomous. In pagan animal spirit lore the snake is a symbol of healing, wisdom and primal fears. Snake venom is an element in folk medicine. Shedding its skin the snake relates to renewal or rebirth. The snake is an earthly representation of the mystic dragon. Like dragons, snakes are associated with wealth. In German folklore the dragon snake is a Lindwyrm, who increases treasure by lying on it. See also: Warrior Portal Gods Lugal-irra & Meslamta-ea Asherah: Goddess of Childbirth & Fertility Wadjet - Winged Snake Goddess of Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In Babylonian astronomical texts the constellation Hydra resembles the mušḫuššu. The constellation in earlier records is Bašmu, 'the Serpent'. The snake appears in world myth and culture from prehistory. Below, the Gods Maruk and Nabu each stand on mušḫuššu. The person at center is a worshipper. He's surrounded by heavenly references such as the Star of Ishtar and her symbol, a stylized sacred dove. See also: Alchemist Dippel: the Frankenstein Files Bull of Heaven - Inanna vs Gilgamesh Lavender (Lavandula) Magic of Nature Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The mythical horned dragon is a familiar figure in China and the East. The dragon is over 500 years old, for at that age it grows horns. It's synonymous with wisdom and longevity. However it can also cause misfortune and floods. The Dragon is the only mythological animal in the Chinese zodiac. Dragons often relate to an element, fire, water, earth, wood or metal, each with different qualities. Overall the dragon is a sign of luck, power, charisma and longevity. See also: Silver - Queen of Precious Metals Bronze Age Europe - The Amber Roads Al-Mi'raj: Unicorn Hare of Arab Myth Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Dragon is associated with wealth in the West too, as in the tale of Germanic warrior Siegfried who slays dragon Fafnir for its hoard of treasure. In China and other Eastern countries the dragon is part of mythology by c. 6200 BCE. See also: Weapons & Warfare of Bronze Age Europe 1 Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Pretty Poisons: Holly, Yew, Mistletoe Back to Top

Ushumgallu (Ušumgallu, Ušumgal) is a lion-dragon horned snake demon in Akkadian mythology. Similar hybrid creatures appear in Mesopotamian legends including the horned snakes Bašmu and the mushussu. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: 12 Days of Zagmuk: Chaos & the King Seduction of Hedammu, Father of Snakes Soap & Medicine Herb of Ancients Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the great god list An = Anum Ushumgallu appears as the sukkal (divine attendant) of Ninkilim, whose name means Lord Rodent. Ninkilim is a god of pestilence, wild animals and vermin. He's another god who changes gender during his reign. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure In Sumerian Ušumgallu is ušum.gal, the Great Dragon. It's a hybrid creature described as a dragon lion demon with horns. Although Ushumgallu is sometimes equated with the four-legged winged Dragon Ushum (Ušum) killed by the God Ninurta, they aren't the same. See also: Bes: Household Protector God of Egypt Land of Punt: Pre-Bronze Age Kingdom of Riches Abu - Ancient Vegetation Snake God Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In the Enuma Elish Epic of Creation, Sea Goddess of Chaos Tiamat "clothes the raging dragon in fearsomeness". She gives birth to many monsters including Ushumgallu to battle her traitorous deific offspring. The Enuma Elish features the Babylonian God-Hero Marduk. He's also known as the ušumgallu-dragon of the great heavens. With the rise of the Babylonian Empire c. 626 BCE, Marduk begins to appear more prominently in the myths of conquered people. See also: Bizilla - Shining Love Goddess Sukkal Scorpion Men of Babylonia Abzu - Primal Waters of Creation Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books He battles the forces of Chaos embodied by Tiamat. Marduk conquers titanic monsters and slays the Chaos Goddess. With her body he forms the Earth and Heavens. From the bodies of defeated gods who encouraged Tiamat to kill her children, Marduk makes humans. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure After his conquest of Ushumgallu and the creatures of Tiamat, Marduk puts them to work repairing their destruction. The creative process turns them into protectors of humankind. The Bull Men and Scorpion Men of Babylon are also part of this transformation. See also: Lisin - Medicine Goddess of Ancients Chaoskampf: Order & Chaos Battle Out Lotan - Chaos Sea Dragon of Ugarit Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Marduk's adventures are a mythical remake of tales featuring God-Hero Ninurta a thousand years before. Yet without Marduk we wouldn't have the 12 Days of Zagmuk or such enduring creatures as the faithful snake dragon sidekick Mušḫuššu. In a hymn to Nabu, the Sumerian scribe god, Nabu is called "he who tramples the lion dragon" referring to Ushumgallu or the Mushussu. A late Neo-Assyrian myth says one of the Seven Sages (apkallu) drives the ušumgallu-dragon from É-ninkarnunna temple in Nippur. See also: Apep - Primal Chaos God of Egypt Tiamat - Queen of Chaos & the Sea Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Ushum (ušum) is the name for 'dragon' in Sumerian. Gallu is one or a group of demons. They're especially famous for dragging unwilling mortals into the Underworld, as well as the god Dumuzi. In the 9th century BCE Assyrian King, Aššur-nāṣir-apli II (r. 885 - 859 BCE), places golden icons of the ušumgallu at the feet of Ninurta. With this act the name of Ushumgallu becomes a royal or divine epithet as ušumgal kališ parakkī or 'divine ruler of all the sanctuaries'. See also: Ancient Wild Predators - Eurasian Lion Kur - Underworld of Mesopotamia Sin (Suen): Moon God of Mesopotamia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books As sukkal to Lord Rodent, the God Nikilum, the duties of Ushumgallu are diverse. He's a divine attendant, secretary, messenger, diplomat and manager of the court. Nikilum is thought to be the lord or all wild animals, yet also the creator of pestilence and vermin. See also: Yarrow (Achillea) Magic & Medicine Dromedary Camel: Animals of Ancient Arabia Asray: Ugaritic Underworld Goddess Back to Top In 1258 BCE, a young woman of the northern tribes sets out on a dangerous quest. She takes the Amber Roads and trade routes through unfamiliar territory to the glittering civilizations to the south. She fights through rebellion in Babylon, escapes death in Egypt, and gathers sacred myrrh in the mystical Land of Punt. Everywhere, she asks questions and finds clues to her quest. She has one goal in mind - to rescue her sister from the clutches of a brutal and mysterious people known only as the Cult of the Fire God. Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books

Hot on the heels of the dominant Corded Ware cultural phenomenon is the Bell Beaker culture (c. 2800 BCE), named after the shape of the drinking vessels they use. The Bell Beakers occupy most of Europe, north African and the southern Scandinavian coasts. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Neolithic Europe - Danube Valley Culture Bronze Age - Corded Ware Culture Yarrow (Achillea) Magic & Medicine Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Bell Beakers cover an area comparable to the occupied Roman world centuries later, but without centralized authority. Pollen evidence shows a warmer climate after the end of the last ice age 10,000 BCE, promoting migration, agriculture and herding. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure They farm, hunt, fight, and introduce a common ideology or system of beliefs. Specific roles and occupations are accorded men and women, wealthy and poor. Class and gender differences continue to evolve and societies become more regulated. See also: Elp: Bronze Age Militant Cattle Culture Magic: Heka & the Ka in Ancient Egypt Gold-of-Pleasure: Bronze Age Crops Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Animal herding of sheep, goats, and cattle create settled areas of agriculture and livestock breeding. Pigs are especially popular among early people due to low-cost maintenance. The domestic pig originates from the Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa). Bell Beaker is an expansive culture. Populations among the Bell Beaker people form a loosely organized network defined by trade routes, travel and and periods of local or intertribal battles. See also: Ephedra - Oldest Medical Stimulant Herb Bronze Age Ancients - Catacomb Culture Mushussu - Snake Dragon Animal of Marduk Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Most groups operate with independence as there is no one leader or king. Tribes or clans would have a chief and certain region-specific skills such as weaving, dyeing, sewing, metal working or metallurgy, hunting, fishing, pottery, and farming. Like many others, despite a strong agricultural presence, the people have skills of warriors or a specific warrior class. In Proto-Indo-European myth the warrior class goes back to the blood of creation. See also: Divine Twins: Germanic & Greek Mythology Blood Sacrifice, Twin Brothers & Creation Lukka: Bronze Age Warrior Sea People Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the time before human existence, primordial beings Manu and Yemo roam the vast nothingness until Manu sacrifices Yemo to form the earth. From Yemo's body come the first humans and hierarchal social structure of priests, warriors and commoners. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Farmers are fighters. A powerful and widespread cultural group, the Bell Beaker are targets for horse-borne raiders, overly aggressive neighbors and internal strife. Even in peaceful times the people continue to hone weapons and warrior skills. See also: Brunhilde: Tragic Germanic Warrior Queen Saffron - Most Precious Ancient Spice Ka - Life Essence in Ancient Egypt Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Settlements have armies of local warriors and farmer-fighters. Fortifications of wood, as spiked walls or palisades around villages, can be two or three layers deep. They hide traps, pits and dead ends, or funnel the enemy into positions of easy attack by the defenders. Archery continues to develop as arrowhead materials evolve from crafted stone such as flint, volcanic glass obsidian and native metal copper. Due to softness copper is less preferred for tools and weapons, though copper daggers, axes and swords are found. See also: Obsidian: Volcanic Black Glass of Gods Ereshkigal Goddess of Underworld & Night Copper: Ruddy Metal of Myth & Magic Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Much of the Bronze Age expansion is through trade routes. The earliest trade routes are the amber roads from the Baltic Sea to Greece, Egypt and Africa. These and other trade networks exist as land, sea or river routes, often in combination. The Bell Beaker culture sees a series of developments. By c. 2500 BCE the people achieve a state of early civilization. Bell Beaker people show common artefact types. Metallurgy focuses on copper. Trade for bronze brings new ideas in metal working. See also: Bronze Age Europe - the Amber Roads Cult of the Bull - Prehistoric Aurochs Iron Age - Metallurgy & Metal Magic Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books From c. 6000 BCE people have been drinking milk and consuming dairy products despite a natural inability to digest them after infancy. A mutant lactase gene develops, especially in Europe and the near East, allowing people to consume dairy without adverse effects. During the Bronze Age domestic animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and goats provide milk, butter, cheese, wool and food. Animal dung is used as both fuel and crop fertilizer. Fish are popular food for people of rivers and seacoasts. See also: Kulullu - Fish Man Monster of Tiamat Terrazzo Floors & Neolithic Masons Einkorn Wheat - First Domestic Crops Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Fishers use nets, spears or bone hooks. Many settlements arise near fish migration sites. Sacrifice of animals, common in the Bronze Age and Neolithic, enriches the earth with blood and people with meat. Going back to the times of early humans, bone makes tools such as sewing needles, hooks, scrapers, awls and black pigment. Crushed bones are known to encourage crop growth in agriculture. See also: Black Pigments of Ancient Artisans Blacksmiths: Iron, Metal, Gods & Myth Alchemist Dippel: the Frankenstein Files Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Domestication of the horse, c. 3800 BCE among the Ponti-Caspian Steppe people, comes to Europe about a thousand years later. The Bell Beaker develop a strong horse culture. Prior to domestication wild horses are considered a source of food and hides, depicted as early as 30,000 BCE in cave paintings. Ancestors of modern horses appear c. 2200 BCE in western Eurasia, following the decline of the Bell Beaker culture. See also: Stone Age Botai - First Horse People Hippomancy: Sacred Horse Divination Lead: Death Metal of Metallurgy Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The Bell Beakers practice archery, initially developed in the earlier Stone Age. Social stratification gives rise to the class of elites. Ideological concepts such as religion follow a fairly basic structure in Europe. Earliest divinities include an Earth Mother Goddess, a Sky Father God, the Sun and Moon, a goddess of the Dawn, which is often seen as heralding the return of the sun. In Proto-Indo-European myth the Dawn Goddess holds a position of reverence. See also: Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Ancient Cultures: Yamnaya Steppe People Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books She's a symbol of hope and life. Other deities include Divine Twins, a common element in mythology, a weather god and a god of herds and roads much like the later Pan. Weather and Herd gods come to the pantheon later than the others, who exist at the time of creation. See also: Sun Goddesses of World Mythology Anzû - Mesopotamian Monster of Mayhem Ancient Wild Predators - Eurasian Lion Back to Top

Ba-neb-djedet is a four-headed ram god of Lower Egypt. His cult center Djedet gives rise to tales of satanic goat rituals. He's equated with creator god Khnum of Upper Egypt, also a ram-headed or ram deity, and is considered the ba of Osiris, God of the Dead. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Khnum: Ram Headed Potter God Egypt Heh Gods & Eternal Life in Ancient Egypt Magic: Heka & the Ka in Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Mendes is the Greek name for the city Djedet, in the eastern Nile delta of Lower Egypt. In c. 400 BCE the city is called Per-Banebdjedet ("Domain of the Ram Lord of Djedet"). Mendes (Djedet) is a seat of ram worship, similar to the Egyptian Apis rituals. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Principle deities of Mendes are Ba-neb-djedet and his consort, fish goddess Hatmehit. Known as "Foremost of the Fishes", Hatmehit is associated both with annual floods and the resulting bounty of fish from the Nile. Germanic Mythology - Brook Horses Apis - Sacred Fertility Bull of Egypt Terrazzo Floors & Neolithic Masons Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle As Mendes expands as a perfume production center, Hatmehit is associated with pleasing scents and perfumery. Her epithets include "Lady of Punt", "Lady of Myrrh", and "She who creates everyone's scent." With their son Har-pa-khered (Harpocrates, Horus the Child), they form the divine triad of Mendes. Har-pa-khered or Horus the Child wears a youth lock and represents the newborn Sun. See also: Ka - Life Essence in Ancient Egypt Ḫulbazizi - Ancient Exorcism Ritual Creation, Cattle & the Cosmic Cow Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books As in the hieroglyph for child, his finger is in or near his mouth. The same is seen in youthful god Heka, personification of magic. Due to misunderstanding the gesture, in Greek lore Horus the Child evolves to Harpocrates, god of silence, secrets and confidentiality. Ba-neb-djedet can appear as a four-headed ram with curled and/or horizontal horns. Two heads face forward, and two face backward in sculpture in the round, or two face left and two right in wall art such as painting and rock reliefs. See also: Wine God Liber: Liberty & Liberal Libation Wigs & Natural Hair in Ancient Egypt Ashvamedha - Sacred Horse Sacrifice Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Besides being an aspect of the soul, ba is the Egyptian word for 'ram'. Khnum of Upper Egypt is also a ram-headed god. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure An ancient king of Egypt, who reigns c. 2900 BCE for a short time, is called Ba, Horus-Ba or Horus Bird. The hieroglyph for a ram is part of his name. The image of Ba-neb-djed as a ram, ram-headed man or “sacred ram” may be related to the obscure rule of Ba. See also: Jimson Weed, Witches & Zombies Castor Oil, Wigs & Death in Ancient Egypt Scribes & Writing - Ancient Egypt Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Osiris is first mentioned in Egyptian literature c. 2300 BCE. He's sometimes shown with horizontal rams' horns at bottom of his Atef crown, showing his connection to the ram and ram headed gods. In the Myth of Osiris, he's murdered by Set. As Osiris is dead despite a brief resurrection to father Horus with Isis, he lives in the Duat or Aaru, the afterlife. Thus Ba-neb-djedet is the embodiment of Osiris in deific life, having contact with the mortal world. See also: Ephedra - Oldest Medical Stimulant Herb Heqet, Frog Goddess of Egypt Sekhmet - War Goddess of Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Often portrayed as a man-headed bird, the ba is the only part of a person's soul with the ability to leave the tomb. The ka departs the body but remains in the tomb. Sometimes a special ka room is built, with a false or hidden door, where the ka can receive offerings. The ba bird can go out for a while but must occasionally return to the tomb to revitalize itself. Pharaoh's spirit is thought to manifest in ba form so he can enjoy the sensory pleasures of mortal life - taste, scent, etc and perhaps visit those he left behind. See also: Giant Cinnamon Birds of Arabia Ornithomancy - Prophecy by the Birds Benu - Ba Heron God of Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The name Ba-neb-djedet means, “the ba of the lord of the djed”, referring to Osiris. The ba is the part of the soul representing the personality. Ba relates to power, effectiveness, reputation or charisma. Banebdjedet is an aspect of Osiris, who must remain in the Afterlife. As time goes on dieties form multiple ba and ka facets. From the Gods the Pharaoh receives them and soon they become popular, represented by amulets and figurines, for the average person. See also: Witches & Witchcraft: Ancient World Ereshkigal & the Mesopotamian Underworld Copper: Ruddy Metal of Myth & Magic Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The symbols of Banebdjedet include the ram or ram's horns, the was scepter and the djed, or pillar of stability. Considered sacred animals in the city of Djedet rams are mummified at death and placed in their own necropolis or burial center. A religious phenomenon “The Goat of Mendes” is linked by some historians to Baphomet or the false god of the Templars. Others see the "goat" as a satanic symbol or embodiment of demonic powers. A number of factors contribute to the confusion. See also: Arcadia - Greek Lands of Ancient Gods Rise of Pan: Fertility Goat God Péh₂usōn Goats in German Myth: Erntebock & Habergeiß Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In his Histories, Herodotus states the Mendes ram deity is represented with the head and fleece of a goat, "... whereas anyone with a sanctuary of Mendes or who comes from the province of Mendes, will have nothing to do with (sacrificing) goats, but uses sheep as his sacrificial animals ..." In Greek legend Herakles yearns to see Zeus, who prefers to remain unseen. Herakles continues pleading and Zeus decides to compromise. He cuts off the head of a ram and skins the animal. Wearing the fleece and false head, he shows himself to Herakles. See also: Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Shamhat: Sacred Prostitute & the Wild Man Nature Spirits of German Mythology Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Herodotus continues, "That is why the Egyptian statues of Zeus have a ram's head, is why rams are sacred to the Thebans, and they do not use them as sacrificial animals. However there is just one day of the year - the day of the festival of Zeus -when they chop up a single ram, skin it, dress the statue of Zeus in the way mentioned, and then bring the statue of Herakles up close to the statue of Zeus ... See also: Oldest Cattle Cult 6000 BCE - Arabia Neolithic Skull Cults & Ritual Skulls German Myth & Folklore: Elves Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books ... then everyone around the sanctuary mourns the death of the ram. Finally they bury the ram in a sacred tomb." See also: Music of Ancient & Medieval Egypt Çayönü Tepesi: Blood of the Earth Book of the Heavenly Cow - Myths of Egypt Back to Top

Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) is one of the most ancient herbs, used in folk medicine, cuisine, chemistry, magic and spirituality. Hyssop is native to the regions from the east Mediterranean to central Asia and Mongolia and naturalized throughout the world. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Rosemary: Immortal Essence & Balm of Kings Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Sun Goddesses of World Mythology Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Among the best known species is herb hyssop (H. officinalis), introduced with great success outside its indigenous area. Hyssop is edible, related to the mint plant. It forms spikes of white, pink or purple toned flowers. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Along with yarrow, juniper, oregano, sage and rosemary, in magic and spiritual use hyssop has mild psychoactive properties. The narrow leafy stem is studded with purple or blue florets, favorites of bees and butterflies. See also: Pretty Poisons: Holly, Yew, Mistletoe Pomegranate - Food of the Ancients Rhinestones: Treasures of the Rhine Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Hyssop is related to mint, sage, thyme, lavender and rosemary, all of whom have aromatic and medicinal benefits. Taste ranges from minty to licorice, as in the anise hyssop. Leaves and flowers of hyssop are used to flavor soup, salad, stew and mixed greens. In magic and nature lore, hyssop is a plant of cleansing and healing. It can be used to banish evil spirits. Protect a home by hanging a bunch over the door. In Christianity hyssop plays a strong spiritual role. The plant symbolizes a chance to be washed clean of sin. See also: Milk & Dairy: Ancient Lactose Gene Woad, the People's Blue: Ancient Pigments Jimson Weed, Witches & Zombies Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Hyssop can be ingested as tea or in food, or used as a cleansing smudge to banish interference energies. In aromatherapy it clears the mind. This plant opens the third eye chakra, located between the eyebrows. The third eye chakra relates to memory, imagination, daydreams or fantasy, images, archetypes, intuition and awareness. The third eye chakra is a guiding force of meaning and psychic awareness. See also: Reiker For Hire, Victorian Era & Nixies Terrazzo Floors & Neolithic Masons Limonite: Ancient Earth Pigments Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle It's not recommended to take hyssop if pregnant or nursing. As a medicine hyssop can be used to treat: throat problems common cold lung ailments lethargy flatulence phlegm accumulation nervous disorders toothache digestive problems uterine, urinary infections or ailments asthma colic roundworms Hyssop helps balance intellect and intuition. It can give confidence and help resist overthinking or over-analyzing a situation. It relates to the sixth sense and gut feelings. It's considered to facilitate contact with the dead. See also: Ancient Greek Cultures: People of Minos German Nature Spirits: Evolution Sulfur - Treasure of the Underworld Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Hyssop repels cabbage moths and flea beetles. It's a hermaphrodite plant with both male and female sex organs. Apollo himself is a bi-sexual god. As a hermaphrodite hyssop relates to primordial rhythms and hermaphrodite gods who self-form at the time of creation. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Hyssop attracts creatures of the sun such as hummingbirds, butterflies and honeybees. Honey of hyssop is rich and fragrant. In mythology hyssop relates to Greek and Roman Sun God Apollo and Asclepius, Greco-Roman God of Medicine. See also: Wandering Womb - Ancient Medicine Heh Gods & Eternal Life in Ancient Egypt Emmer Wheat - First Domestic Crops Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Hyssop is a plant of Asclepius, a half-mortal son of Apollo taught medicine by the centaur Chiron. His healing powers strengthen until he can resurrect the dead. Hades, God of the Underworld, complains to Zeus, king of the Olympian Gods. After some thought Zeus concludes Asclepius has too much power as a healer. Fearing Asclepius will close the gap between humans and Gods, Zeus kills him with a thunderbolt. After his death, Asclepius becomes a divine judge. See also: Primeval Deities: Goddess of the Dawn Zircon - the Primordial Gemstone German Folklore - Irrwurz or Mad Root Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Chemicals thujone and phenol are active in hyssop essential oil and give it antiseptic properties. Components such as pinocamphone and cineole can stimulate nervous system but may provoke epileptic seizures. Two to three drops can cause convulsions in children. Hyssop is part of the recipe for Chartreuse, a strong pungent green liquor whose name is used for the color bright glowing green. It's also a primary component in absinthe. See also: Sacrifice of the Male: Temple at Uppsala German Myth & Folklore: Imps A Viking Christmas Yule Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Hyssop is resistant to drought, and tolerant of chalky, sandy soils. It loves full sun and warm climates. Hyssop is considered to give magical protection against the evil eye. See also: Figs - Food of the Ancient World Nixies - Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Pagan Solstice Fests: Saturnalia Back to Top