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Spelt (Triticum spelta) is the hardy hybrid of a domestic wheat and a type of wild goat-grass (Aegilops taschii). First evidence of spelt cultivation is c. 5000 BCE, at the end of the Neolithic and approaching the Chalcolithic or copper age. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Einkorn Wheat - First Domestic Crops White Pigments of Ancient Artisans Oldest Cult Megaliths - Gobekli Tepe Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Genetic evidence shows spelt wheat can also result from hybridization of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) and emmer wheat. The much later appearance of spelt in Europe might occur due to a second phase of hybridization between emmer and T. aestivum. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Recent DNA evidence supports an independent origin for European spelt through this hybridization. Spelt spreads to the Balkan Peninsula. Europe gets spelt from interaction with the Near East during the Bronze Age (c. 3300 - 1200 BCE). See also: Emmer Wheat - First Domestic Crops Gold-of-Pleasure: Bronze Age Crops Broad Beans (Fava) - Bronze Age Crops Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Spelt first appears in Transcaucasia, northeast of the Black Sea. Remnants of spelt are unearthed at Neolithic sites as late as c. 2500 - 1700 BCE in central Europe. The Neolithic (c. 10,000 - 2200 BCE) can overlap the Bronze Age, as civilizations enter the metal ages at wildly differing times. The Bronze Age in Anatolia arrives c. 3300, while the Nordic Bronze Age begins c. 1700 BCE, after forges in Anatolia are already working steel. See also: Blacksmiths: Iron, Metal, Gods & Myth Bronze Age Trade of Mesopotamia Mythic Fire Gods - Vulkan of Germania Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books During the Bronze Age, spelt spreads widely in central Europe. In the Iron Age spelt becomes a primary wheat species in southern Germany and Switzerland. By c. 500 BCE, it's common in the agriculture of south Britain. In Iron Age Britain, correlations with settlement show an increase of spelt cultivation. Spelt tolerates damp areas of the country with heavy soils. The crop is grown by people moving into these lands. See also: Black Pigments of Ancient Artisans House Spirits of Germanic Mythology Weld Yellow: Ancient Nature Pigments Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Nutrition analysis shows spelt to be high in crucial vitamins and minerals. Like other wheat species it contains gluten. The nutritional value is per 100 g (3.5 oz) of uncooked spelt. According to health guidelines spelt is rich (over 20% of daily requirement) in protein and fiber. Vitamins and minerals include: Manganese - 143% Phosphorus - 57% Magnesium - 38% Thiamine or B1 - 35% Zinc - 35% Iron - 34% See also: Cress, Watercress: Natural Health of Ancients Khella - Ancient Health & Herbology Victorian Health: Sea Water Hydrotherapy Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Spelt also a good source of Vitamin B6 (18%), potassium (13%) and folate (11%). In the Bronze Age more people are consuming healthier foods through agriculture started in the distant Neolithic. Spelt is among the species of hulled wheat, or wheat needing to be processed after threshing. This removes the inedible glumes or hulls from the heads. Other hulled wheats are Einkorn, emmer wheat and farro (durum) a type of emmer. See also: The Anxious Victorian - Mental Health Orpiment - Painter's Golden Poison Terrazzo Floors & Neolithic Masons Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Also called husks, the hulls protect the grain from weather and the awns or bristles guard against predation by birds. Spelt is adaptable in cold climates and suited to storage. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure In the Middle Ages, spelt is cultivated in parts of Switzerland, Tyrol, Germany, northern France and the southern Low Countries. By c. 800 CE spelt is a major European crop, and remains so for over a thousand years. See also: After the Ice Age - Neolithic Builders Before the Vikings - Early Northern Cultures Terramare Culture - Bronze Age Italy Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Spelt is introduced to America in the 1890s. In the 20th century bread wheat or common wheat (Triticum aestivum) replaces almost all spelt crops. Today 95% of wheat in the world is T. aestivum. Spelt continues to be grown and used for artisan baking. Also known as dinkel wheat, it's the main ingredient of dinkelbrot (dinkel bread) in Germany and Austria. Spelt flour is sold in grocery stores. Unripe spelt grains may be dried and eaten as grünkern ("green grain"). See also: German House Spirits: Beer Donkey (Bieresel) Fairy Rings, Moon & Nature Magic Reiker For Hire, Victorian Era & Nixies Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Bavarians make beer out of spelt, and Belgium brews its own. Recently spelt has moved back into the realm of interest, partly inspired by artisan breads and specialty beer. See also: Copper: Ruddy Metal of Myth & Magic Uluburun - Bronze Age Shipwreck Saffron - Most Precious Ancient Spice Back to Top

Emmer wheat (hulled wheat) is one of the first grain crops, along with einkorn wheat. Initially domesticated in the near East, emmer still grows in the wild. Due to its hardy nature emmer wheat is a subject of agriculture experiments at the dawn of the Neolithic Revolution. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Adventure See also: Terrazzo Floors & Neolithic Masons Limonite: Ancient Earth Pigments Eye of Ra Egypt - Wrath of the Woman Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. dicoccum and T. t. conv. durum) is among the first and most popular cultivated crops of the ancient world. It still grows wild in the mountains of Asia, Middle East and Europe. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Adventure A type of awned wheat, emmer produces bristles or awns to protect its seeds. Other awned crop plants include barley and rice. The current common domestic wheat (Triticum aestivum) is awnless. One aspect of cultivation involves dissuading hungry birds and pests. See also: Lord Rodent (Ninkilim) Sumerian Pest God German Myth - Harvest Spirits Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Book 5 - The Corn Spirits Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In the wild, the emmer plant head bursts open when ripe and scatters seeds to the ground. As emmer undergoes cultivation and selective seeding, the ripe seed head of the domestic emmer evolves to stay closed, making it easier to harvest the wheat grain. Agricultural domestication of emmer wheat goes back to Paleolithic times c.12,800 BCE in the Levant. People Israel, Jordan and Lebanon are farmers and growers. The Ice Age ends c. 10,000 BCE. Hahhima - Deadly Hittite Frost Demon After the Ice Age - Neolithic Builders Mythology: Gods of Mycenean Greece Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Global temperatures increase by about 6°C. This leads to development of agriculture, domestication of animals, growth of ancient cities and civilizations. Emmer wheat is among the seven ancient foods of Israel (Deuteronomy 8:8 of the Hebrew Bible). Moses names the seven foods as wheat, barley, grape, fig, pomegranates, olive, and date. These plants provide nourishment to the people over the course of the year. Their first fruits are the only acceptable offerings at the temple. See also: Pomegranate - Food of the Ancients Figs - Food of the Ancient World Nixies - Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Humans learn the nature of agriculture and plant cultivation over thousands of years. In Jordan, people cultivate figs (Ficus carica) by c.11,300 BCE. At the same time, rice is grown in the Yangtze River Basin. The pre-Neolithic Revolution enters a phase of agriculture experiments. Knowledge of seasons and growing cycles is essential. By 10,000 BCE crop cultivation is successful throughout the Fertile Crescent. Younger generations bring new ideas to farming. See also: Sacrificial Creation Myths: Early People Nature Spirits of German Mythology Weld Yellow: Ancient Nature Pigments Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Between 9000 and 5000 BCE peas, lentils, and olive trees are introduced into active agriculture. The Mediterranean is a paradise for crops, prey animals goat domestication, seafood, settlement and trade. By 6000 BCE, people start to gain a tolerance for lactose. Beginning c. 5500-4500 BCE The Egyptians cultivate emmer. The Chalcolithic Age begins c. 4300 BCE. Copper is popular in knives, utensils, and tools such as the sickle. Stone sickles, first used in Israel, date to the Epipaleolithic era (c. 18,000 - 8000 BCE). See also: Milk & Dairy: Ancient Lactose Gene Woad, the People's Blue: Ancient Pigments Jimson Weed, Witches & Zombies Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Sickles at archaeological sites are generally signs of agriculture. Either grasses or reeds are cut for stalks, fuel or in building; or harvested as domesticated cereals. To process the wheat, after cutting, the grain is threshed, or loosened from stalks by beating vigorously. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Adventure A method of threshing or shelling the wheat is develops in Egypt. Farmers spread the loosened sheaves on a round enclosure of hard ground. They drive oxen, sheep and other animals over it to trample out the grain. See also: Lahar: Flock & Sheep Pastoral Goddess Rise of Pan: Fertility Goat God Péh₂usōn Arcadia - Greek Lands of Ancient Gods Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books This enclosure is on elevated land. When the stalks are removed the wind blows away the chaff and leaves the grain. A contemporary practice in some places is to spread the grain on a country road so it's be threshed by vehicle wheels. Use of flails for threshing is a common practice. Different flail types develop for the various grains. Made of two pieces of wood joined by a rope or chain, flails have characteristics of Japanese nunchaku. See also: Jade - Jadeite, Nephrite & Jade Roads White Pigments of Ancient Artisans Weapons & Warfare of Bronze Age Europe 1 They are among the weapons used by both eastern and western farmers in battle. Other farm tools such as the staff and sickle also take their places among weapons of ancients. The flail is one of the symbols of the Egyptian Pharaoh, often depicted in art. In later times animal-powered threshing machines are developed. Below is one from France, 1881 CE. Hit the image to see the bigger picture. See also: Lammašaga: Sumerian Angel Goddess Nigella Sativa: Black Seed of Healers Butter - Food of Peasants & Barbarians Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Beating stalks with sticks eventually evolves to creation of the flail, common in Egyptian art and still used today in some places. After this comes the winnowing, separation of wheat from chaff. The simplest method is to throw it all in the air and let the wind do the work. Ancient Egyptians and others use tools such as winnowing forks and combs. Shovels are also used to toss up the wheat. In ancient Greece, the winnowing fan or cradle is sometimes used to hold babies. Infant Zeus is put in a golden one when Rhea hides him from Saturn. See also: Black Pigments of Ancient Artisans Ancient Marsh Muse - Rough Horsetail Pagan Solstice Fests: Saturnalia Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The grains might also be put through a woven sieve to separate smaller, unwanted particles. Once the grain is cleaned this way it's ready for grinding into flour. In the Neolithic era, humans use stone tools to grind grains into flour. The flour they produce is coarser than today's familiar refinery flour, due to the effort needed to hand-mill the grains and other labor-intensive processes such as threshing. Wheat is sent to refineries and processed into the fine white flour on the shelves today. See also: House Spirits of Germanic Mythology Wild Women and Winter Tales Nanshe - Nature Goddess of Dreams Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Already during the Stone Age milling by hand is done on a significant scale. The oldest evidence of bread-making is 11,800 BCE in the NE Jordan desert. Flour, ground local tubers and water, mixed into dough and baked on hot stones, is a recipe for bread. See also: Alchemy: Science, Philosophy, Magic A Viking Christmas Yule Herbology & Lore - Chamomile Back to Top

Einkorn wheat is one of the first crops to be domesticated, along with emmer wheat. The earliest Einkorn domestication appears at Neolithic sites such as Gobekli Tepe and Catal Hoyuk in Anatolia, today's Turkey. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Çayönü Tepesi: Blood of the Earth German Myth - Harvest Spirits Ephedra - Oldest Medical Stimulant Herb Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Einkorn is the most primitive form of wheat on Earth. It has only 14 chromosomes, whereas modern wheat contains 42. Early grain domestication goes back to c. 11,800 BCE. The Ice Age is ending and the climate's warming up. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Inhospitable ice-bound places like Northern Europe and Asia become grassland and forest. Their soils are inundated with glacial silt. Lakes and streams of meltwater add to the fertility of the lands. See also: Çatalhöyük (Catalhoyuk) Neolithic Anatolia Terrazzo Floors & Neolithic Masons Megaliths & Building at Gobekli Tepe Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Organic matter, clay, calcium, minerals are ground up by slow movement of the glacier. The silt can be carried a long way before deposited by glacial melt or retreat. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Einkorn wheat (German Einkorn, 'one grain') can refer to the wild species (Triticum) or its domesticated form. It gets its name because each spikelet, sections of the wheat head, contains only one grain. See also: Flooding of the Nile - Nature & Myth Soap & Medicine Herb of Ancients German Folklore - Irrwurz or Mad Root Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Steppes and savannah ripple in the breeze, where desert exists today. Ancient animals populating the lands include the Eurasian Lion, the Aurochs and the saiga antelope. Other animals, like mammoths, giant ground sloths and the American horse go extinct. In the hill country in the northern Fertile Crescent, Einkorn grows wild. It's farmed in Anatolia and has a wider distribution, into the Balkans and south to Jordan, a major Neolithic agricultural center. See also: Papyrus (C. papyrus): Sacred Reeds of Aaru Ancient Egypt Remedies: Ebers Papyrus Gods of Ugarit c. 1800 - 1200 BCE Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books As a wild wheat Einkorn usually grows less than 70 cm (28 in) tall, and edible seeds are few. The difficulty in gathering grains from wild Einkorn arises because wild seed shells break open and scatter seed on the ground, or the seeds cling to a passing animal. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure In the domestic form, Einkorn has evolved to enclose the grains so they're not cast off the head. The domestic form is known as "petit épeautre" in French, "einkorn" or "littlespelt" in English, "piccolo farro" in Italian, "Einkorn" in German and "escanda menor" in Spanish. See also: Orpiment - Painter's Golden Poison Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Black Pigments of Ancient Artisans Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Cultivating the plant to the point it stops releasing ripe seeds might take as little as 20 or up 200 years. Intact seed heads are easier to gather. Humans can then break apart the seed heads and scatter any kernels not eaten. Over time, experimentation and selective breeding, the human preference for intact seed heads creates the domestic variety. Domestic Einkorn has larger and contains more edible kernels than the wild variety. See also: Plant Lore: Stinking Nightshade, Henbane Queen Eleanor & the Calamitous Crusade Alchemist Dippel: the Frankenstein Files Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle However it's not a self-reproducing crop, due to the seed enclosure. If a head falls the seeds rot. Survival of the domesticated plant relies on human planting and harvesting. As usual it all starts with hunter-gatherers. In the Fertile Crescent, archaeological evidence in Syria shows harvesting may have started c. 30,000 years ago. Gathered from the wild for thousands of years, Einkorn wheat is first domesticated approximately c. 7800 BCE. See also: Gold-of-Pleasure: Bronze Age Crops Linen, Hemp & Cotton - Fabrics of Ancient Egypt Telipinu - God of Farming & Crops Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Evidence from DNA fingerprinting suggests Einkorn is first domesticated near Karaca Dağ, an inactive shield volcano in southeast Turkey. Its eruptive period is about 100,000 ya, leaving rich volcanic soils and layers of organic mineral stone. In this area several farming villages are found. The domestication of Einkorn may be subject to intensive agriculture to support nearby Göbekli Tepe cult site. Other places of interest in the area include Çayönü Tepesi, a Neolithic skull and blood sacrifice cult. See also: Çayönü Tepesi: Blood of the Earth A Myth of Hahhima, Frost Demon God Herbology & Lore: Stinging Nettle Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books One benefit of Einkorn is the self-pollinating nature of the plants. Desirable traits of Einkorn can be cultivated with low risk of cross-fertilization by wild plants of dubious merit. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure From the northern part of the Fertile Crescent, cultivation of einkorn wheat spreads to the Caucasus, the Balkans, and central Europe. Einkorn wheat is more common in cool climates than emmer, the other domesticated wheat. See also: Castor Oil, Wigs & Death in Ancient Egypt Cattle Goddesses & the Cosmic Cow Neolithic Nubia & Early Egyptians Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Thus the cultivation of Einkorn in the ancient near East gives way to emmer wheat c. 2000 BCE. In Mediterranean nations like Italy, southern France, and Spain, Einkorn was never greatly cultivated. Einkorn becomes the staple grain of central north Europe, with a strong spread of use throughout the northern hemisphere. It has benefits but also drawbacks. Einkorn wheat has low yields; however it can survive on marginal soils where other species of wheat will not. See also: Arcadia - Greek Lands of Ancient Gods Caspian Tiger: Bronze Age Wild Predator Mythic Fire Gods: Hephaestus of the Greek Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books As people food, Einkorn is eaten boiled, as whole grains or in porridge. Like other ancient types of wheat, Einkorn is classed as "covered wheat" as its kernels don't break free of its seed coat (glume) with threshing. It's harder to separate husk from seed. It's considered especially nutritious due to high levels of essential phosphorus, potassium, pyridoxine and beta-carotene. Einkorn is commonly eaten in northern Provence (France). It's bulgur grain or animal feed in countries such as India, Italy, Morocco and Turkey. See also: White Pigments of Ancient Artisans Cress, Watercress: Natural Health of Ancients Cinnamon - Spice Trade of Ancients Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Bulgur is a main ingredient in kibbeh, a spiced meat dish Kibbeh is a national dish of Lebanon and Syria, and popular throughout the Levant. Soaked but not cooked, bulgur is an important part of tabouleh salad. Einkorn is immune to many diseases. It's salt-tolerant, a quality bred into plants such as durum wheat. It's also high in gluten, which triggers adverse food reactions in susceptible people. Otherwise it's healthy and rich in fiber. Gluten exists in wheat, spelt, barley and rye. See also: Jimson Weed, Witches & Zombies Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore Eschenfrau: Wicked Ash Tree Woman Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Einkorn doesn't have the D chromosome, which seems to be connected with wheat intolerance in many humans. It's considered the easiest of all wheats to digest. Einkorn is cultivated in northern Europe through the Middle Ages and into the 20th century. The last meal of Ötzi the Iceman, Europe’s oldest mummy, contains Einkorn. Dating back to 3300 BCE, stomach contents show Ötzi has a repast of meat, an herb, and bread made from Einkorn wheat shortly before his death. See also: Hathor: Cosmic Cow Goddess of Ancient Egypt Broad Beans (Fava) - Bronze Age Crops Cult of the Bull - Prehistoric Aurochs Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Ötzi is thought to be killed by an enemy attack. An arrowhead is embedded in his shoulder. It appears Ötzi bled to death. He's mummified through freezing, at an altitude of 3200 m (10,500 ft) above sea level in the Tyrolean Alps. See also: Ancient Deities: Proto Indo European Gods Hünenburg: Bronze Age European Trade Hub Folk Magic: Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) Back to Top

The link between sacrifice and creation already exists when Proto-Indo-Europeans emerge as a significant language group c. 4500 - 2500 BCE. Blood sacrifice is connected to the vital fertility of the land and the continuance of life. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Fertility Rituals - the Sacrificial God Hathor: Cosmic Cow Goddess of Ancient Egypt Milk & Dairy: Ancient Lactose Gene Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books An important part of fertility rituals, blood sacrifice is patterned on early creation myths. Myths evolve to explain conflicting or violent stories as rational parts of the overall ideology. Blood sacrifice doesn't have a complex rationale until people assign it one. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Everyone knows the death of one thing precludes the birth or beginning or another. New trees grow from those fallen and rotted wood returns to earth. Flesh of the dead sustains the living. The people recognize the evidence everywhere in daily life. See also: Book of the Heavenly Cow - Myths of Egypt Eye of Ra Egypt - Wrath of the Woman Herbs & Natural Remedies - Ancient Egypt Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Mythology of the Proto-Indo-Europeans is based on a fundamental Pantheon of Gods. They include the Sky God, Earth Mother, Divine Twins, Dawn Goddess, Sun Goddess and Moon God. Later, a God of fields, roads and flocks appears in myth, as well as a Weather or Storm God. Before creation, the Gods dwell in a place of nothingness until a catalyst occurs. See also: Thoth - Ibis Scribe Moon God of Egypt Khella - Ancient Health & Herbology Proto Writing: Signs of the Times Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Proto-Indo-European creation myth tells of twin giants, Manu and Yemo, strolling across the cosmos, shaking the vast nothingness with their footsteps. They're accompanied by a primordial cow. Before this time nothing exists. According to the Rigveda (c. 1500 - 1000 BCE): "There was neither non-existence nor existence then there was neither the realm of space nor the sky which is beyond. There was neither death nor immortality then. There was no distinguishing sign of night nor of day." See also: The Igigi - Why Humans are Created Cattle Goddesses & the Cosmic Cow Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Manu decides to sacrifice his brother and create the earth. It's not known whether Yemo agrees to this, but the process of creation begins with blood sacrifice. Blood represents fertility of the soil. Blood in the earth enriches the soil. The people know this to be true. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure From Yemo's body Manu forms the natural elements, the earth and stars. He's aided by the Sky God, Divine Twins and the Weather God, who is a later addition to the myth. See also: Owl - Death, Messages, Mystic Wisdom Khet, the Body: Death Rites of Ancient Egypt Nekhbet - Vulture Goddess of Egypt Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Because of his divine connection, Manu becomes the first High Priest. He sets the standard for sacrificial offerings, ritual behavior and communication with the Gods. Sacrifice is necessary for the land to thrive, and not just any sacrifice. The point is to offer the ultimate sacrifice, the blood of a King, God ... or brother. In the Hebrew Bible story, Yahweh tells Abraham to sacrifice his son. Naturally it's a test to see how much of a sacrifice Abraham is prepared to make. See also: Myth & Metallurgy - Metals of Antiquity House Spirits of Germanic Mythology Ziu - Ancient Sky God of Germania Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Having begun the creation cycle Manu then sacrifices the primordial cow. Animals and plants spring from her body. Post-mortem, Yemo becomes the first King. Mortals of certain social classes arise from his body: priests from his head; warrior class from his chest and arms; and commoners from his legs and sexual organs. The First Warrior is Trito. As the mythical warrior protagonist he sets guidelines for future hopeful heroes. See also: Pagan Pantheon - Anu, Oldest of the Gods Hesperus (Vesper) the Evening Star Egyptian Blue Faience - Ceramic Glass Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Yemo, as the first being to die in the primordial sacrifice, and the first King, assumes the role of God of the Underworld. The Underworld is the source of groundwater. Vegetation grows from below and in later cultures vegetation gods often dwell in the Underworld. To the warrior Trito the Gods give a gift of cattle. The cattle are stolen by a three-headed serpent, called *H₂n̥gʷʰis, meaning 'serpent.' For his first heroic deed Trito fights the monster to get the cattle back. See also: Nixies - Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Nature Spirits of German Mythology Butzemann, Witches & Nyx - Scare 'em Good Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle At first the battle goes badly for him, but the Gods give him an energizing drink. Aided by the Weather God Trito rallies and slays the serpent. He gives the cattle to a priest to make a proper sacrifice, which the priest does. Trito is now the hero warrior. Through his deeds he maintains the cycle of mutual giving between gods and mortals. Here arises early mythology of cattle-raiding cultures and stories of Proto-Indo-European, Celtic and other cattle raids of folklore. See also: Emmer Wheat - First Domestic Crops Oldest Cattle Cult 6000 BCE - Arabia Horse Burials & Sacrifice: Ancient World Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Theories of the Proto-Indo-European creation myths come from reconstructions, historical precedent, descendants of the language and environmental influences of the time. Similar patterns develop across various cultures. See also: Ancient Deities: Proto Indo European Gods Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Before the Viking Age - Gods of the Sámi Back to Top

When the Sun disappears, the frost demon Hahhima holds the land in his icy grip. An entity of cold and numbness, Hahhima has an arsenal of weapons including frost, snow, sleet, hail, extreme cold, freezing rain, ice, ice storms and blizzards at his command. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Erra - Plague Demon of Mesopotamia Disease Demons & Doctors: Ancient Mesopotamia Namtar: Underworld Sukkal & Disease Demon Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Hahhima is a demonic frost god of the Hittites. His father is the divine smith and home protector god, Hashamili. While demons themselves are not worshipped in ancient Anatolia, demon deities can hold places on the Hittite God Lists. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Hahhima is a contrasting force to his father who relates to fire. Demons can be invoked for protection. Specific songs, prayers and incantations are done to appease the many demons, so they hold off their destructive forces. See also: Yazilikaya: Sacred Site of the Hittites Teshub: Hurrian Bronze Age Storm God Ḫulbazizi - Ancient Exorcism Ritual Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Alternately, bright loud celebrations with firecrackers and bells can frighten evil spirits away. Supplicants might ask a demon to use destructive powers against other malignant entities. The relationship between Mesopotamian wind demon Pazuzu and baby-eating Lamashtu is a good example. Disappearance of the Sun (Ishtanu, Ištanu) When the gods search desperately for Ishtanu the Sun God of Heaven, they can't find him. Is he offended? Is he dead? Time goes by. Darkness and cold cause famine and sickness among the mortals. The people have no offerings to give. They freeze in their beds and plead for help. See also: Bull of Heaven - Inanna vs Gilgamesh Ancient Deities: Proto Indo European Gods Sun Goddesses of World Mythology Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Tarhunna, god of storms, thunder and lighting, rainfall and snowstorms, sends Inar (Inarra; Luwian - Annari) to find the Sun. Inar is the god of wilderness and wild animals. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Ištanu the Sun God of Heaven is considered a male manifestation of the Sun Goddess of Arinna. His female dyadic partner is the chthonic Sun Goddess of the Earth, associated with the night time, when the Sun travels beneath the earth to rise again in the East. See also: Divine Light - Sun Goddess of Arinna Ancient Wild Predators - Eurasian Lion Gallu (Galla) Demons of Ancient Kur Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books His name Ištanu denotes power and strength. It comes from an early proto-language meaning 'man' or 'masculinity'. To find the Sun, the god Inar calls his wild animals together. He discovers the sea god Kiashe, an age-old enemy of the Gods of Heaven, spread a net to catch the Sun at dusk, where the Sun goes into the Earth. Hahhima holds the Sun prisoner while his icy fingers grasp the mortal domain. See also: Botanical Alchemy - White Dead Nettle The Igigi - Why Humans are Created Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Inar travels to the realm of Hahhima. Winter mountains and caverns of ice tower all around him. Icicles hang from the sky and grow from the frozen earth. Cold mist clings to his face and hair. His presence is detected by Hahhima. Even though Inar is a god, Hahhima has almost absolute power in his realm. Before Inar can react, Hahhimu freezes him solid and makes him part of the landscape. See also: Tollense Valley Battlefield: Ancient Germania Sekhmet - War Goddess of Ancient Egypt Baltic Amber - Gold of the North Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books When Inar doesn't return, Tarḫunna decides to go himself into the realm of the destructive Frost God. Armed with bolts of lighting, strong and fierce, Tarhunna is a match for any demon. War god Zababa of Kish, agriculture god Telipinu, the Sea God Aruna and other deities insist on coming along. Sparks fly as divine Smith Hashamili makes powerful weapons and armor for the battle. See also: Divine Light - Sun Goddess of Arinna Seduction of Hedammu, Father of Snakes Namni & Hazzi - Mountain Gods Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Demon god Hahhima carries the destructive force of the malevolent sea god Kiashe. The Gods and the Frost Demon battle for many days. The land shakes with the force of their blows. Tarhunna hurls sizzling lightning bolts. The sword of Zababa cleaves through frost and ice to free Inar. The God of wild animals creates great white bears to harry the demon. See also: Bull of Heaven - Inanna vs Gilgamesh Ancient Deities: Proto Indo European Gods Earth Mother - Goddess of Life Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Telipinu calls forth his powers, speaking spells of nurturing warmth and growth. Hashamili lets loose the fires of creation, and at last Hahhima is overwhelmed. As he runs away to keep from melting beneath the deific onslaught, the heroes rescue the Sun. Light and fertility return to the earth. See also: What is the Philosopher's Stone? Hyssop (Hyssopus) - Plant of Mystic Lore Lukka: Bronze Age Warrior Sea People Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In the realms of gods and mortals, all is well once more. This is only one version of the many stories, myths and legends of the ancient world. The Hittites love to adopt or assimilate deities, and their pantheon is one of the most complex of the Bronze Age. Gods of the Hittite Empire can have Hatti, Hurrian, Luwian, pre-Hittite or other origins. Between cultures and kingdoms gods are introduced, paired, gender-changed or assimilated usually for political and diplomatic reasons. See also: Urash (Uraš) Primal Queen of the Gods Pagan Pantheon - Anu, Oldest of the Gods Ambrosia: Divine Nectar & Immortal Gods Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books God adoption is evident in other cultures such as the Egyptians, who bring the household protector god Bes into their cosmology. People place figurines of deities like Bes around the house to ward off harmful magic and protect against the evil eye. Above, he's made of Egyptian blue faience. Bes is originally from the mystical Land to Punt. See also: The Shekelesh - Bronze Age Mysteries Hattusa Green Stone - Mystic Secrets Rosemary: Immortal Essence & Balm of Kings Back to Top

Orpiment is a golden orange or yellow arsenic sulfide mineral. Found in volcanic fumaroles, low-temperature hydrothermal veins, and hot springs, orpiment is widely used in art, medicine, and other applications until the 19th century. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Lead White & Minium Red: Colors to Die For Red Madder: Organic Ancient Colors Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Orpiment is a lemon yellow to golden brown crystal often found in fibrous aggregates. It varies in shape and texture. It can be botryoidal, or resembling a cluster of grapes. It can be reniform, granular or powdery. Less often it forms as prismatic crystals. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure It has a Mohs hardness of 1.5 to 2 (softer than gold) and melts at 300 °C (570 °F) to 325 °C (620 °F). It's fairly easy to grind into powder pigment. The earliest oil paintings are thought to contain orpiment. See also: Queen Eleanor & the Calamitous Crusade Black Pigments of Ancient Artisans 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 Orpiment can be combined with indigo dye, creating rich dark green. In the Wilton Diptych (c 1395-9), the green pigment is used in egg tempera. Renaissance artists such as Raphael (Sistine Madonna 1513–14) use orpiment in painted clothing or background. Orpiment takes its name from the Latin auripigmentum (aurum, "gold" + pigmentum, "pigment"), due to its deep-yellow color. Unstable and toxic, orpiment is nonetheless a favorite of pigment and dye makers and painters, with few bright yellows in the palette. See also: Limonite: Ancient Earth Pigments Gold-of-Pleasure: Bronze Age Crops White Pigments of Ancient Artisans Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Limonite (yellow ochre) and weld are two primary sources of yellow before the discovery of cadmium by accident in 1817. German scientist Friedrich Stromeyer is in the lab heating zinc when he notices one batch turn bright yellow. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure He considers it suitable for artists' pigments. The cadmium colors, from yellow through to red, are not sold commercially until the 1840s. Until then, orpiment is still the brightest yellow available. See also: Alchemy: Science, Philosophy, Magic Kaolinite: White Pigment with Benefits Mythic Fire Gods - Vulkan of Germania Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Used as a pigment, orpiment has a color described as lemon or canary yellow, and occasionally as golden or brownish yellow. It may be formed through sublimation, the intense heating of a solid which becomes a gas without going through a liquid phase. In sublimation an impure form is heated, turns to gas, and the gas re-forms to tactile matter in a cooler zone nearby. In this case it's the orpiment. An arsenic sulfide mineral, it often presents itself in the area of sulfur mines. See also: Sulfur - Treasures of the Underworld Mercury (Quicksilver): Miracle Metal of Alchemy Woad, the People's Blue: Ancient Pigments Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Orpiment is among the few bright yellow pigments available to artists until the 19th century. Extremely toxic, orpiment is incompatible with other, common, pigments such as lead. It dislikes copper-based materials including verdigris and azurite thus mixes poorly. Medieval painting guides eschew mixing orpiment with lead white, red lead or verdigris. It has been mixed with indigo, red iron oxide, Prussian blue, green bice (artificial malachite) and smalt, blue glass colored with cobalt oxide and ground into pigment. See also: Prussian Blue - Delight of Artists & Poisoners Egyptian Blue Faience - Ceramic Glass Alchemist Dippel: the Frankenstein Files Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Orpiment repulses wet plaster and can't be used in fresco painting, in which the paint must bind with the wall plaster. Hunters and warriors apply toxic orpiment to arrowheads. It's also used to kill insects. Orpiment may form with realgar, another arsenic mineral. In Chinese, the names for orpiment and realgar are Ci-Huang (female yellow) and Xiong-Huang (male yellow). Orpiment is usually yellow hued and realgar is deep orange or red. See also: Red Ocher (Ochre) Ancient Pigments Striped Hyena - Bronze Age Wild Elixir of Life: Alchemy & the Emperor Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books As an arsenic product the mineral can cause arsenic poisoning especially through ingestion or inhalation. Arsenic poisoning is often difficult to identify because it can build up gradually. Symptoms of arsenic poisoning include: abdominal pain nausea, vomiting diarrhea cough chest pain dyspnea (shortness of breath) pharyngitis (sore throat) arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm) See also: Ninsun - Lady of the Wild Cows Jimson Weed, Witches & Zombies Winter Tales - 4 Novellas Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Because of its striking color, orpiment piques the interest of alchemists in China and Europe, looking for a method of making gold. Alchemists are particularly fond of toxic pigments, elements and metals such as lead, mercury and sulfur. In alchemy, mercury and sulfur, along with salt, are believed to be the tria prima, three elements from which all else is made. Orpiment also has been found in the decorations of Tutankhamun's tomb and ancient Egyptian scrolls, and on the walls of the Taj Mahal. See also: Salt Trade - the Most Precious Mineral Lead: Death Metal of Metallurgy Great Women Artists - Käthe Kollwitz Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In Egypt, lumps of orpiment pigment have been found in a tomb of the 14th century BCE. In China, orpiment is known for use in coloring lacquer. Orpiment is identified on Central Asian murals from the 6th to 13th centuries. In a traditional Thai painting technique, still in use, yellow ink for writing and drawing on black paper is made with orpiment. Medieval European artists import orpiment from the near East. See also: Scribes & Writing: Ancient Beginnings Cassiterite - Tin Source of Ancients Chalcanthite: Crystal Blue Explosion Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Orpiment is found on wooden altar fronts in Norway, polychrome (multi-colored pottery) sculptures and folk art. It's also popular in Bulgaria, Russia, and former Yugoslavia. In Venice, records show orpiment is purchased for a Romanian prince in 1600. European use of orpiment isn't common in art until the 19th century. It's found in the palettes of some Impressionist artists. They're also among the first to use cadmium colors. See also: Kermes Insect & Ancient Red Pigments Khet, the Body: Death Rites of Ancient Egypt 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 In medicine, ancient Greek physician Hippocrates uses orpiment and realgar to treat ulcers, not fully aware of their carcinogenic and otherwise toxic natures. Arsenic and compounds have been used to treat diabetes, psoriasis, syphilis, skin wounds and joint pain. Orpiment is used today for the production of fireworks and pigments. In rural India orpiment mixed with two parts of slaked lime is still used as a depilatory. It's also used in the tanning industry to remove hair from hides. See also: Pretty Poisons: Holly, Yew, Mistletoe German Myth & Folklore: Elves Lammašaga: Sumerian Angel Goddess Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Yellow orpiment degrades into water-soluble arsenic oxides. Because of their solubility, arsenic oxides spread into the immediate environment. In artworks using orpiment, migrating, degraded arsenic oxides are found throughout the multi-layered paint system. See also: Arsenic: Murderous Metal & Miracle Cure Spiritual Magic - Numbers Three & Nine Al-Mi'raj: Unicorn Hare of Arab Myth Back to Top

Papyrus (Cyperus papyrus), papyrus sedge, paper reed, Indian matting plant, or Nile grass, is an aquatic flowering plant native to Africa. A member of the sedge family, papyrus is ubiquitous in the daily lives of the ancients. It's been used as paper since c. 3000 BCE. See also: Scribes & Writing - Ancient Egypt Eye of Ra Egypt - Wrath of the Woman Ammit - Eater of the Heavy Heart Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books From papyrus comes one of the first known types of paper. Papyrus grows in abundance on sunny river shores and marshes, forming tall stands of bushy reeds. It likes slightly alkaline waters. Papyrus grows in fresh water unlike its bracken-loving relative, Chantaburi. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Descriptions of the Egyptian paradise Aaru include islands of papyrus. Aaru also means 'papyrus'. The stalk is light with spongy pith or inner stem. Papyrus stalks bound together are used to make river boats and homes. Boats are caulked with bitumen for waterproofing. See also: Myrrh - Mystique, Death & Divinity The Way to Aaru - Egyptian Paradise Bashmu (Bašmu): Voracious Serpent Dragon Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle On wood vessels and stone constructions, papyrus is carved on prows and pillars. Parts of papyrus are edible. Like water lilies the papyrus plant grows from tough thick rhizomes underground, spreading easily in nutritious riverbed soil. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure As language evolves papyrus paper is readily available in Egypt and beloved by Greeks, who trade at the Phoenician at Byblos on the Levant coast. Byblos comes to mean papyrus in Greek. The bible is refered to as the 'book of byblos'. See also: Owl - Death, Messages, Mystic Wisdom Creation, Cattle & the Cosmic Cow Egyptian Blue Lotus: Visionary Beauty Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Papyrus paper has drawbacks. If not kept at certain temperature and humidity levels it's vulnerable to mold or brittleness. Still, it's light and easy to transport, and various colors of ink can be used. Standard colors of the Egyptian scribes are black, white and red. The Egyptian goddess of scribes is Seshat. She's the daughter of Thoth, the Egyptian scribe god. Seshat wears a leopard skin dress and carries her stylus and palm staff. She's also called "Mistress of Builders" and "Mistress of the House of Books". See also: Seshat - Scribe Goddess Ancient Egypt Thoth - Ibis Scribe Moon God of Egypt Sailing - Bronze Age Sails & Sailcloth The identity of the plant growing out of her head is not known. It gives her the epithet "Seven-Horned." Due to the wealth of papyrus in the Nile delta in the glory days of ancient Egypt, early travelers call the Mediterranean the "Green Sea" when sailing north on the Nile. Papyrus also grows in swampy parts of Africa and rain forests. It's recommended as a pond plant in gardens. The big papyrus heads are preferred nesting sites by such birds as the papyrus canary. See also: Linen, Hemp & Cotton - Fabrics of Ancient Egypt Nabu (Nabû) - Ancient God of Scribes Ebla - Shining Jewel of the Bronze Age Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The pith or inner stem can be cooked and is sweet enough to eat fresh. The big woody rhizomes can be extracted for fuel or to make bowls and other tools or housewares. Ashes of the reed can be applied to mouth ulcers to stop them from spreading. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Boats of papyrus are depicted on wall paintings and reliefs. Images show people cutting the reeds and binding them. Such vessels are still made in southern Sudan. Pieces of stem are used by fishmen as floats. See also: Terrazzo Floors & Neolithic Masons Benu - Ba Heron God of Ancient Egypt Chaoskampf: Order & Chaos Battle Out Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Other uses for papyrus include baskets and blankets. As incense it has an aromatic woody scent, earthy and spicy. To make paper, papyrus reeds are cut, soaked, carefully worked into sheets and allowed to dry. The reed is so popular it almost goes extinct. Parts of soft papyrus are used as tampons in early Egypt, as described by the Papyrus Ebers of c. 1500. Also known as Ebers Papyrus, they're a collection of medical knowledge and treatment advice. See also: Ancient Egypt Remedies: Ebers Papyrus Warrior Portal Gods Lugal-irra & Meslamta-ea Taweret - Hippopotamus Goddess of Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The flowering heads of the plant are used to make garlands in offering to the Gods. Considered a gift of the Nile, papyrus is essential not only to daily life but the post-life beliefs of the Egyptians and the paradise Aaru. Papyrus and its close relatives are rare today in the Nile Delta of Egypt, where once they're plentiful. Papyrus is more common in other Nile countries such as Uganda. See also: Lapis Lazuli: Vibrant Blue Gem of Ancients Kothar (Kothar-wa-Khasis) Artisan God Ugarit - Trade Hub of Bronze Age Syria Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Overall the papyrus plant is described as "Least Concern" by environmental agencies. Although papyrus is almost extinct by the mid-twentieth century, it has been "re-discovered" and is now cultivated with success. See also: Asherah: Goddess of Childbirth & Fertility Sun Goddess of the Earth: Hittite Underworld Wild Women and Winter Tales Back to Top

Zababa is patron deity of the city of Kish, Mesopotamia, in today's Iraq. Gods are often attributed multiple aspects and he's no exception. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Adventure 2024 Zababa is mentioned as an akitu agriculture festival deity, as patron God of Kish and consort of healing and fertility Goddess Bau. His primary focus is as a war god and protector of Kings. See also: Brunhilde: Tragic Germanic Warrior Queen Horse in Dreams - Meaning of Horses Arsenic: Murderous Metal & Miracle Cure Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the ancient near East times are turbulent but progressive. Zababa's popularity grows in Mesopotamia as the Old Kingdom Babylon rulers (c. 1894 - 1595) develop a fondness for his warrior aspect. Overall his tenure of worship is a long one, from c. 2900 - 550 BCE. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Adventure 2024 The Eagle is the symbol of Zababa. The god is often shown as a standard with the eagle on top. Beyond Kish, temples to Zababa and Bau exist in Ur, Assur, Lagash and other Babylonian sites. See also: Animal Spirits - Bear, Stag & Eagle Ornithomancy - Prophecy by the Birds Sun God of Heaven - Hittite Solar Deity Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle A boundary stone (kudurru) of Nebuchadnezzar I mentions Zababa in a sequence of primary gods. The seventh king of the Amorites, Samsu-Iluna credits Zababa and Ishtar (Inanna) with helping rebuild the city walls. He's named in other hymns of praise or kingship. The principle warrior god of the Meso-Babylonians, Ninurta, is displaced in Kish by Zababa. In some areas worship of Ninurta and Zababa exist together. With his wife Bau, Zababa enjoys regional popularity. See also: Minoan Genius (Genii) Helper Spirits Divine Light - Sun Goddess of Arinna Ereshkigal Goddess of Underworld & Night Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Bau is a live-giving entity, possibly associated with ancient creation myths. She's best known as a healer goddess, described at times as a divine midwife. Artistic depictions show her with scorpions or water birds. The scorpion symbolizes medicine, poison and defense (against disease). Water relates to healing and spiritual harmony. Bau's sukkal is the Goddess Lammašaga, an entity of the lamma, or female protector deities. Later, Bau is equated with healing goddess Gula. See also: Dromedary Camel: Animals of Ancient Arabia Germanic Mythology - Brook Horses Scorpion Men of Babylonia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The father of War God Zababa is primal God Enlil, a chief deity of the Sumerian pantheon. Enlil is a sky and storm god based in Nippur, whose worship becomes cross-cultural. He's considered one of the oldest gods, son of Anu (An) the first God. Zababa has a long-lived and praiseworthy family heritage. He's originally married to Goddess Inanna, Queen of Heaven. Bau becomes his wife after the Old Babylonian Period but Inanna continues her cult in Kish. See also: Neolithic Skull Cults & Ritual Skulls Curse of the Evil Eye & Apotropaic Magic Pazuzu - Demon God of Mesopotamia Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Always ready for battle, Zababa is also a god of warrior wisdom. The sukkal of Zababa is Papsukkal. Papsukkal has a quiet existence in the background, efficiently performing his duties as helper deity. He rises to prominence in the 1st millennium BCE. Two minor goddesses are associated with the entourage of Zababa as well, especially his temple Edubba. A divine duo, they're known as Daughters of Edubba: Iqbi-damiq, meaning "she said 'it is fine!'" and Hussinni, meaning "Remember me!" See also: Egyptian Blue Faience - Ceramic Glass Tumulus Culture - Nordic Bronze Age Inanna (Ishtar) - Goddess of Ancients Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Pairs of Divine Daughters are mentioned throughout the land. Other deific duos include the Divine Twins of Creation, primordial gods Duri and Dari, and the Hurrian fate goddesses Hutena and Hutellura. See also: Bronze Age Afterlife & Burial Beliefs Oldest Cattle Cult 6000 BCE - Arabia Baltic Amber - Gold of the North Back to Top

Ninsun is a goddess of Mesopotamia, mother of legendary king of Uruk, Gilgamesh. She's revered through the lands as a goddess of wisdom, health, dream interpretation, herds and cow-herds. Her symbol is a wild cow. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Adventure See also: Book of the Heavenly Cow - Myths of Egypt Oldest Cattle Cult 6000 BCE - Arabia Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the Epic of Gilgamesh she advises the hero and explains his dream. Kings of Uruk adopt her as their sacred mother, making them brother to Gilgamesh and reinforcing their divine connection to the throne. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Adventure Her father is the god Anu, and her mother is the Great Goddess Urash. She's sometimes considered the mother of Dumuzi (Dumuzid), a vegetation god who has to spend half a year in the Underworld Kur. See also: Kur - Underworld of Mesopotamia Pagan Pantheon - Anu, Oldest of the Gods Creation, Cattle & the Cosmic Cow Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Besides Gilgamesh, Ninsun and her husband, deified king Lugalbanda of Uruk, have ten children. The cow herself is a symbol of motherhood, generosity and abundance. She produces milk, butter, cheese and more cows. Cows are domesticated by c. 8200 BCE, but Homo sapiens is lactose intolerant. Ingesting milk and dairy from cows, sheep and goats, despite the effects, creates a healthier human and a mutant gene. The adaptation permits many people to consume dairy products. See also: Milk & Dairy: Ancient Lactose Gene Horse in Dreams - Meaning of Horses Early Fire Gods - Vulkan of Germania Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In society, cattle are a sign of wealth and prosperity. Kings are recorded as giving thousands of cattle as gifts and temple offerings. In the cross-cultural hierarchy of sacrificial animals, the human male is most important, followed by the bull, then cow. The wild cow is Bos primigenius, or the Aurochs. During the Bronze Age and much later the Aurochs is most widespread wild cattle, which include the gaur (Bos gaurus). A wild variety of cattle, it's still found in hilly country of India, Myanmar and Malay peninsula. See also: Cattle Goddesses & the Cosmic Cow Fairy Rings, Moon & Nature Magic German Folklore - Irrwurz or Mad Root Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle During the Bronze Age three subspecies of aurochs exist: the Eurasian, Indian and North African aurochs. They inhabit temperate forests and grasslands. Earliest evidence of cattle domestication is the Pre-Pottery Neolithic cultures in the Taurus Mountains. The earliest known cattle cult is in northwest Arabia dating to c. 6000 BCE. The last Aurochs is killed in 1627 CE. Since then, attempts have been made to genetically reconstruct them. See also: Cult of the Bull - Prehistoric Aurochs White Pigments of Ancient Artisans Ornithomancy - Prophecy by the Birds Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Cosmic Cow is a feature of Egyptian myth and art. She may be the goddess Hathor or primeval deity Nut. She stretches her body across the firmament. The speckles on her belly are the stars and constellations. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Adventure Writings from the Mesopotamian city Lagash refer to Ninsun as a lamma or protector deity goddess. The lamma may be an early incarnation of the guardian angel. Lamma figurines can be worn as protective amulets or placed in the home as domestic protectors. See also: Çatalhöyük (Catalhoyuk) Neolithic Anatolia Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Cleopatra the Alchemist of Greece Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Lamma or lamassu wears a flounced robe and her headdress wrapped with multiple horns is weathered down. She's about 5,000 years old, made of bronze and baked clay. The Lamma are multiple goddesses. As well, certain goddesses are given lamma attributes. Ninsun is sometimes depicted leading her husband by the wrist, although lamma goddesses usually walk behind those they protect. She's also ascribed the power to bestow a lamma of protection to a king. She's associated with Lammašaga, who's usually the sukkal of Bau. See also: Shamhat: Sacred Prostitute & the Wild Man Lammašaga: Sumerian Angel Goddess Sprites: Ethereal Creatures of Faerie Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the Epic of Gilgamesh Ninsun welcomes wild man Enkidu into the family. Enkidu lives in the forest and is "civilized" over two weeks by the sacred prostitute Shamhat. In Old Babylonian texts Ninsun is sometimes equated with Gula, a medicine goddess on the rise. The worship of Gula becomes second only to that of Inanna (Ishtar) in ancient Mesopotamia. See also: Gula - Medicine Goddess of Mesopotamia Woad, the People's Blue: Ancient Pigments Humbaba: Giant Mountain Forest Man Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Throughout the second millennium BCE new gods take root, but worship of Ninsun continues through to the first millennium BCE and later. In Seleucid Uruk (c. 320 BCE), she's celebrated during the New Year's festival of Inanna. The meeting of Ninsun and her husband Lugalbanda is a myth of the Early Dynastic period (c. 2900 - 2575 BCE). Only one legible copy survives. Ninsun offers beer bread to Lugalbanda, after which she spends the night with him in a mountain house in Elam. See also: Jimson Weed, Witches & Zombies Nanaya - Goddess of Erotic Love Mountain Gazelle: Wild Ancient World Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Upon awaking, she receives a tablet and explains to Lugalbanda they must go to Uruk to meet the ruler. When they arrive, goddess Inanna appears, to explain to Lugalbanda how to approach the father of Ninsun to request her as his wife. The ending shows a celebration, no doubt the wedding of the two. Some sources suggest the birth of Gilgamesh comes from these incidents. See also: Witches' Night - Hexennacht Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore Red Ocher (Ochre) Ancient Pigments Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Ninsun also plays a role in the Epic of Gilgamesh when she advises her son not to accept the offer of goddess Inanna to be her consort. The result is that Inanna wheedles the Bull of Heaven from her father and sends it to kill Gilgamesh. Associated with dream interpretation, Ninsun helps Gilgamesh understand his dreams foretelling the appearance of Enkidu, whom he doesn't yet know. Ninsun prophesizes a great friendship between them. References suggest they are more than friends. See also: Istustaya & Papaya - Dyad of Destiny Warrior Portal Gods Lugal-irra & Meslamta-ea Bull of Heaven - Inanna vs Gilgamesh Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Ninsun prays to sun god Shamash and his wife Aya, goddess of the dawn, to help Gilgamesh in his travels. She convinces Shamash to give Gilgamesh thirteen winds to help him on his way the great cedar forest of Humbaba. At one point, she admits he's destined to dwell in the Underworld alongside deities such as Ningishzida, a vegetation god, and Irnina, personification of victory. Ninsun holds Sun God Shamash responsible for Gilgamesh's planned journey and expects Shamash to help him. See also: Kusarikku - Bull Men of Mesopotamia Shamash (Utu) Sun God of Mesopotamia Striped Hyena - Bronze Age Wild Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In the later Old Babylonian version, Gilgamesh prays to Shamash himself, without the intercession of his mother. Neither Ninsun nor dream sequences appear in the Hittite translation of the Epic of Gilgamesh, known from Hattusa. As with any other deity, worship waxes and wanes. Ninsun has been characterized as a well-known goddess in all periods. Her qualities as benevolent creator appeal to women. She's among the medicine or protector deities invoked in pregnancy, childbirth and infancy. See also: Sphinx - Mythical Monster of Ancients Sun God of Heaven - Hittite Solar Deity Cress, Watercress: Natural Health of Ancients Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The spiritual milk of the Cow Goddess can nourish a nation. Major industries spring up around all she produces. Even the faerie folk love milk. She is the true originator of the milk of human kindness. See also: Mountain Gazelle: Wild Ancient World Hippomancy: Sacred Horse Divination The Mystic Victorian - Fortune Telling Back to Top

Terrazzo is among the earliest building techniques of humans, dating to 9500 BCE. Terrazzo is an aggregate of crushed stone with a binder such as viscous lime or clay. In Neolithic times terrazzo flooring is a practical way to use limestone quarry rock debris. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Black Pigments of Ancient Artisans Kulla - God of Bricks & Building Limonite: Ancient Earth Pigments Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books An early use of terrazzo flooring is found at the prehistoric settlement and cult center Gobekli Tepe in Turkey. The people quarry limestone bedrock for use in building. The site is famous for T-shaped megaliths, some as tall as twenty feet and weighing several tons. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Gobekli Tepe is composed of a group of large buildings with smaller adjoining rooms. The rectangular rooms, windowless and doorless have floors of polished fired lime similar in technique to later Roman terrazzo flooring. See also: Ninsun - Lady of the Wild Cows Megaliths & Building at Gobekli Tepe White Pigments of Ancient Artisans Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Lime as mortar and the multiple uses of limestone products go back to the prehistoric times of Homo sapiens. It's among the first chemical reactions known by early humans. Limestone and its products are forms of the chemical compound calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is the major component of aragonite, calcite, chalk, lime, limestone, marble, oyster shells, ostrich egg shells and pearls. The ingredients can be cut, crushed, or pulverized and chemically altered with a process of thermal decomposition. See also: Weld Yellow: Ancient Nature Pigments Jimson Weed, Witches & Zombies Ephedra - Oldest Medical Stimulant Herb Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Archaeologists use the term terrazzo to describe floors of early Neolithic buildings c. 9000 - 8000 BCE in West Asia. In the settlement of Çayönü in eastern Turkey, about 90 m2 (970 sq ft) of terrazzo floors are discovered. Other sites showing evidence of terrazzo techniques include Jericho and Cyprus. Early terrazzo flooring consists of burnt lime (quicklime) embedded with crushed limestone and clay. It may be colored red with ochre. Broken or crushed pottery can also be used. See also: Germanic Mythology - Brook Horses Ḫulbazizi - Ancient Exorcism Ritual Creation, Cattle & the Cosmic Cow Crushed limestone gives it a mottled look. Use of fire to produce burnt lime, which is also a medium for hafting implements in prehistoric times, predates the production of fired pottery by c. 1000 years. Also called lime-burning, the process liberates a molecule of carbon dioxide, leaving the element quicklime. This is one of the few chemical reactions known in prehistoric times. See also: Nigella Sativa: Black Seed of Healers Arabian Leopard: Bronze Age Predators Architect Gods & Building in Mesopotamia Adding water to burnt lime creates slaked lime or hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide). The hydration process called "slaking of lime". A sedimentary rock, made of organic materials, limestone exists throughout the world in various compositions and manifestations. In natural formations it's hard enough for building but soft enough to cut from bedrock and rock faces with flint tools. See also: Kaolinite: White Pigment with Benefits Horse in Dreams - Meaning of Horses Oldest Cattle Cult 6000 BCE - Arabia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The word limestone comes from the Latin limus, or mud. In the lime industry, limestone is the source of lime and a general term for rocks with 80% or more calcium or magnesium carbonate. These include marble, chalk, oolite, and marl. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Uncommon sources of lime include coral, sea shells, calcite and ankerite. Further classification is done by composition as high calcium, argillaceous (clay-like), silicious, conglomerate, magnesian (high level of magnesium), dolomite, and other limestones. See also: Sulfur - Treasures of the Underworld Baltic Amber - Gold of the North Gold-of-Pleasure: Bronze Age Crops Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Porous limestone formations such as chalk, talc and calcite appear at the earth's surface, often revealed by natural weathering. Fancy harder limestones include marble, beloved by the Roman Empire. Marble is thrust up to the surface of the earth by seismic action. Burning or calcination of calcium carbonate in a lime kiln at over 900 °C (1,650 °F) converts it into the caustic material burnt lime, unslaked lime or quicklime (calcium oxide) by thermal decomposition. See also: Mythic Fire Gods: Hephaestus of the Greek Soap & Medicine Herb of Ancients Giant Cinnamon Birds of Arabia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Great Sphinx at Giza, Egypt, is carved from a single limestone block. Between its paws is a Dream Stele, explaining a dream by Prince Thutmose. In it, the statue complains of neglect. It tells Thutmose he'll become Pharaoh if he restores the glory of the Sphinx. In ancient Egypt, dreams are media of spiritual divination and connection with the gods. Thutmose cleans and restores the Sphinx, and becomes Pharaoh in 1401 BCE. See also: Sphinx - Mythical Monster of Ancients Lapis Lazuli: Vibrant Blue Gem of Ancients Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The early Egyptians are known to use terrazzo and mosaic techniques. Generally speaking mosaic is made of evenly shaped colored tiles, glass or beads laid into a soft base with the purpose of creating a design, pattern or picture. Terrazzo artisans create floors, tiles, walls, panels and patios by scattering and pressing marble chips and other fine aggregates into a surface such as finished concrete or lime putty. Preliminary work of terrazzo workers is similar to that of cement masons. See also: Eye of Ra Egypt - Wrath of the Woman Mythology: Gods of Mycenean Greece Ancient Egypt Remedies: Ebers Papyrus Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Marble-chip, cementitious terrazzo requires three layers of materials. To begin, cement masons or terrazzo workers build a solid, level concrete foundation 3 - 4 inches (76 - 102 mm) deep. The forms are removed from the foundation and workers add a 1 in (25 mm) of sandy concrete. Before this layer sets, terrazzo workers partially embed metal divider strips in the concrete wherever there is to be a joint or change of color in the terrazzo. See also: Hippomancy: Sacred Horse Divination Ullikummi - Rock Monster of Legend Rhinestones: Treasures of the Rhine Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books For the last layer, terrazzo workers blend a fine stone chip mortar mix which may contain color pigment. Marble is a favorite stone. While it's still wet, workers add more stone chips into each panel and roll a weight of 100 - 125 lb (45 - 57 kg) over the entire surface. Depending on the depth and layers added, flooring, tiles and decor can take up to 90 days to dry completely. Once thoroughly dry they can be glazed or polished. The process takes time, but in some places such as Cayönü Tepesi, Turkey, it remains after 12,000 years. See also: Garnets - Gemstones of Blood and Life Nekhbet - Vulture Goddess of Egypt Anzû - Mesopotamian Monster of Mayhem Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books What is Roman terrazzo? From: https://terrazzomodern.com/ "In ancient Rome, terrazzo was used to create durable and decorative floors for public buildings, bathhouses, and villas. These floors were made using a combination of lime, crushed marble, and water. The mixture was then poured onto the floor and smoothed out to create a flat surface. The surface was then polished to a high shine." See also: Queen Eleanor & the Calamitous Crusade Caspian Tiger: Bronze Age Wild Predators Asteria - Starry Gems of Myth & Magic Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The early mortars of masonry are made of mud and clay. They're found in the buildings of Jericho dating c. 10,000 BCE and in c. 8th millennium BCE construction at Ganj Dareh, Iran. Another early concrete or mortar comes from the ancient Egyptians. They use a mixture of mud, straw and gypsum to build pyramids, the oldest built over 4500 years ago. At one time the pyramids are covered with smooth limestone facing and shine brilliant white. See also: Turquoise: Precious Stone of Ancients Shen Rings Egypt - Divine Protection Spiritual Alchemy: Obsidian Volcanic Glass Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Difference between concrete and cement? Concrete is made of cement (a binding agent of limestone and clay), water, sand, and gravel mixed in different proportions. Mortar consists of cement, water, and lime aggregate. In ancient Rome and Greece, lime mortar is a masonry mortar, made of lime and an aggregate like sand, mixed with water. It gradually replaces the clay and gypsum mortars common to ancient Egyptian construction. See also: Broad Beans (Fava) - Bronze Age Crops Woad, the People's Blue: Ancient Pigments Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In an agricultural context, lime refers to agricultural lime, which today is finely crushed raw limestone not produced in a lime kiln. Otherwise lime most commonly means slaked lime, quicklime or burnt lime. See also: Wadjet - Winged Snake Goddess of Egypt Fairy Rings, Moon & Nature Magic Mulberry Tree (Morus): Uses, Folklore & Myth

Kulla is a Mesopotamian god of bricks and building. Patron of masons and masonry, he's watches over the brickmaking and building process. He must be banished or exorcised afterward. If not he finds ever more places to build, and the work is never done. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Enki (Ea) God of Water & Creation Architect Gods & Building in Mesopotamia What is a Ziggurat? Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Kulla is invoked together with divine architect Mušdam before the laying of foundation. He's especially connected to the rebuilding of temples after devastation. This is a common enough occurrence in the ancient world. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Invasions, sackings and burning by hostile forces like Sargon the Great or the Zagros Mountain tribes often leads to the re-assembly of temples in the aftermath. Much of Mesopotamia is made of city kingdoms or states responsible for their own rebuilding. See also: Cylinder Seals of the Ancient World Isimud: Two-Faced Sukkal of Enki Zagros Mountains - the Way to Kur Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Aggression among neighbors, neglect, rebellion and famine can all bring the temples tumbling down. As temples contain the wheat supply of a nation, they're a treasure trove for hungry marauders. Later, around the 1st millennium, the brick and building gods are joined by Isimud (Usimu), the sukkal of primordial water god Enki. Isimud is also connected to the foundation of the structure. See also: Bizilla - Shining Love Goddess Sukkal Nanshe - Nature Goddess of Dreams Bronze Age Trade of Mesopotamia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Kulla himself is formed from a piece of clay Enki took from the primeval ocean. The story of Kulla's origin is told as part of the ritual for restoring a temple. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Earliest evidence of Kulla as a god who rules brick-making is the Sumerian myth Enki and the World Order. Kulla oversees the building from start to end. From the first dynasty of Isin (c. 2018–1792 BCE) the myth tells how Enki puts Kulla in charge of pickaxe and brick-mold. See also: Ninurta (Ninĝirsu) - God of the People Disease Demons & Doctors: Ancient Mesopotamia Dromedary Camel: Animals of Ancient Arabia Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Kulla is invoked with divine architect Mušdam and later sukkal god Isimud at the laying of the foundation of buildings. When the buildings are finished Kulla must be expelled. If not, the influence of his presence can require further and never-ending construction. This causes waste, economic loss, confusion, fatigue and neglect of building work elsewhere. See also: Greenstone, Scribes & Cylinder Seals Bronze Age Europe - the Amber Roads Dream Interpretation (Oneiromancy) - Mesopotamia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In a ritual for the repair of a temple, the invocation is described: "If one has to open the foundations of a house, in a propitious month, on a favourable day, when he opens the foundations and lays the brick … you set up an offering arrangement to Kulla, the lord of foundations and brickwork, set out a censor of juniper, libate fine beer, scatter pressed-out sesame, cedar resin, cypress oil, honey, milk, wine ... See also: Figs - Food of the Ancient World Elixir of Life: Alchemy & the Emperor Bau - Healing Goddess of Babylonia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books ... all kinds of stone, silver, gold and all kinds of aromatics into the River god, sacrifice a ram and pour its blood into the foundations." In Neo-Assyrian King Esarhaddon’s (c. 680 BCE) account of the laying of the foundations of Esagil, he recalls: "I performed pure sacrifices to the great gods and Kulla, the lord of the fundament and the brickwork, I laid their foundations [upon a … mixed with] wind and choice beer, and made their superstructure durable." See also: Gala Priests: Clergy of Goddess Inanna Sacred Music of Ancient Mesopotamia Nigella Sativa: Black Seed of Healers Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The other ritual undertaken at the end of construction is the loading of the god onto a boat. With incantations, the god is banished to the Underworld. The construction crew is forbidden to approach the building for three days. Alternatively the divinities are thanked for their assistance. With words and offerings they're asked to return to their homes. See also: Erra - Plague Demon of Mesopotamia Enuma Elish: Marduk & the Chaos Monsters Ancient Mesopotamian Cities - Uruk Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The ziggurat at Chogha_Zanbil, Iran is one of the best preserved examples of ancient near East ziggurats. An inscription found here on a brick explains the ruler's motives and reverence for his patron god Inšušinak. "I, Untaš-Napiriša, son of Humbanumena, king of Anšan and of Susa, anxious for my life to be continually prosperous, so that I may noy be granted the extinction of my prosperous lineage, a temple of baked bricks and a sanctuary of glazed bricks I built; I gave it to Inšušinak of the Siyan-kuk and I a temple tower erected. May what I made and toiled for, as a gift on my behalf, be acceptable to Inšušinak!" See also: Sphinx - Mythical Monster of Ancients Nergal - Ancient Underworld Gods Belet-Seri: Underworld Scribe Goddess Back to Top

Ebony is a coveted item of trade for thousands of years, in the ancient world still in demand today. A solid black hardwood, ebony is found as the core of Diospyros, a persimmon species, and certain other trees. See also: Zagros Mountains - the Way to Kur Land of Punt: Pre-Bronze Age Kingdom of Riches Ephedra - Medical Stimulant Plant of Ancients Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Among the most expensive woods of the world, some Diospyros species are too dense to float in water. Macassar and mun ebony both sink. Highly valued as an ornamental wood, ebony has a fine texture, smooth mirror polish and warm woodsy scent. In the ancient world, it's one of the unique and wonderful trade items coming to Egypt from mystical Land of Punt. See also: Myrrh - Mystique, Death & Divinity Abu - Ancient Vegetation Snake God Elixir of Life: Alchemy & the Emperor Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In the ancient world, Nubia, south of Egypt, is a rich trade stop for gold, ivory, ebony, animal skins and incense such as myrrh. Carved pieces of ebony have been found in Egyptian tombs. Ebony radiates divine or magical qualities. A durable wood, it's especially valued for instrument parts such as guitar fretboards. See also: Bes: Household Protector God of Egypt Lavender (Lavandula) Health and Nature Rise of the Phoenicians - Early Years Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Ebony is primarily used for smaller objects like crucifixes, and musical instruments or instrument parts. It's found in the clarinet, oboe, or piccolo. Ebony is originally used to make black piano, organ and harpsichord keys. Other musical uses include as fingerboard for violin, viola, mandolin, guitar, double bass, and cello. Ebony is also good for tailpieces, pick guards, tuning pegs, chinrests and guitar picks. See also: Soap & Medicine Herb of Ancients Inara & the Dragon - Purulliya Festival Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Traditionally, black chess pieces are ebony, with boxwood or ivory used for white pieces. Due to unsustainable harvesting, ebony resources are now considered threatened. Ebony in Africa and other areas is often cut down illegally. Ebony is one of the most expensive woods in the world, along with African blackwood or mpingo (Dalbergia melanoxylon) takes 60 years to grow sandalwood (from Sanskrit Chandana (čandana, meaning 'wood for burning incense') pink ivory (Phyllogeiton zeyheri, the royal tree of the Zulu people) agarwood (dark resinous wood of Aquilaria tree after infection by Phialophora mold) See also: Puduhepa - Queen of the Hittites Giant Cinnamon Birds of Arabia Wolpertinger - German Myths & Folklore Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The word ebony comes from the Ancient Egyptian hbny, through Ancient Greek ἔβενος (ébenos), into Latin (ebenus) and Middle English. Ebony wood comes from species in south India, Sri Lanka, west Africa, Queensland, New Guinea, Timor, Mauritius and Indonesia. See also: Salt Trade - the Most Precious Mineral Abzu - Primal Waters of Creation Nanaya - Goddess of Erotic Love Back to Top