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Perkūnas (Thunderer) is the Baltic God of thunder, lightning, storms, rain, fire, war, law, order, fertility, mountains and oak trees. As a Sky God he dwells in the divine mountain realm. Regularly he battles the forces of Chaos. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Baltic Ancient Mythology & Folklore Electrum: Metal of Money & Myth Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Sylvia Rose Books In folklore Perkūnas (Perkunas; Latvian: Pērkons, Old Prussian: Perkūns, Perkunos)  is best known from songs, legends and fairy tales. Many are collected late in the 19th century and published in 1889 by Scottish poet and scholar Andrew Lang (1844-1912). Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Because of a long and often localized history, Lithuanian Perkūnas the Thunderer has a number of alternative names. They include Dundulis, Dindutis, Dūdų senis, Tarškulis, Tarškutis and Blizgulis. Telipinu - God of Farming & Crops Tarhunna (Tarḫunna) Storm God of the Hittites A Myth of Hahhima, Frost Demon God Sylvia Rose Books The name of storm god Perkūnas comes from Proto-Indo-European Perkwunos, equivalent to perkwus, a word for "oak", "fir" or "wooded mountain". Like the linden the oak is a strong symbol of Baltic lore. Fir would be silver fir (Abies alba or Ger. Tannenbaum). According to legend, in antiquity Perkūnas is worshiped beneath the Stelmužė Oak in Lithuania, a tree almost 2000 years old. Now, the oak has been damaged during its long reign and branches are breaking. Acorns of the oak are planted in a protected forest. Tannenbaum - About the Yule Fir Tree German European Traditions - the Linden Tree Urnfield Bronze & Iron Age Burials The tree is also commemorated on a 2-litai coin. Sylvia Rose Books In language, etymologists have successfully reconstructed the Proto-Baltic name *Perkūnas. Good work etymologists. Slavic Perun is considered related but not a sure match. In a Middle Ages text c.1530 Perkūnas is with others before the god of hell Pikuls. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure He's identified with Roman Jupiter. In the Sudovian Book (16th century German) Perkūnas (Parkuns) is mentioned in connection with a goat ritual. In Christian compositions, Perkūnas is a malicious spirit or demon. Eschenfrau: Wicked Ash Tree Woman Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore Ancient Deities: Proto Indo European Gods Sylvia Rose Books As god of lightning, thunder and storms, in a triad or trinity of deities Perkūnas symbolizes creative powers, courage, success, the peak and sky. He's patron of rain, thunder, heavenly fire (lightning) and celestial forces. He's often in a triad with Potrimpo and Velnias (Latvian: Velnis). Potrimpo (also Potrimpus, Autrimpo, Natrimpe) is God of mariners, the seas, earth, crops and grains in pagan Baltic and Old Prussian mythology. Ereshkigal & the Mesopotamian Underworld Sun Goddess & Moon God in Myth Asag - Horrific Disease Demon of Kur Sylvia Rose Books Velnias is the deity of death and the concept of hell. He's god of the Lithuanian vėles or Latvian velis (zombies), the “phantoms of the dead.” Sometimes shown with one eye, he's a prophetic trickster able to raise whirlwinds and lead a host of the dead through the skies. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Seen as representative of the divine will of Sky Father God Dievs, Perkunas often blends into similar functions, as in the Latvian dainas, or poems and folk songs. Pērkons is called Pērkona tēvs ('Father or God of Thunder') or Dieviņš, a diminutive form of Dievs. Shumugan - God of Donkeys & Mules Rise of Pan: Fertility Goat God Péh₂usōn Goats in German Myth: Erntebock & Habergeiß Sylvia Rose Books Armed with axe and arrows, Perkūnas rides a two-wheeled chariot harnessed to goats, comparable to Norse Storm God Thor or Celtic Taranis. The Balts have a strong horse culture and the chariot of Perkunas may be drawn by blazing horses. On his divine chariot Perkūnas might appear as a gray-haired man with an enormous billowing beard of many colors. He wears black and white, and has a goat on a rope in one hand, a horn or axe in the other. The constellation Ursa Major symbolizes his chariot. Great Bear - Nature, Spirituality & Lore Lake Van: Fate of a Primeval Salt Lake Folk Magic: Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) Sylvia Rose Books In Samogitian (East Baltic) lore, Perkūnas rides a fiery steed. Perkūnas pursues God of Death Velnias, who acts in the role of his nemesis. The cycles of their battles pertain to the Chaoskampf, the eternal strife between chaos and order. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Perkūnas has many weapons at his disposal including axe or sledgehammer, stones, a sword, lightning bolts, bow and arrows, club, and an iron knife. Perkūnas is the creator of the weapons, or he's helped by the divine smith Televelis (Kalvelis). Blacksmiths: Iron, Metal, Gods & Myth Curonian Freshwater Baltic Sea Lagoon Before the Vikings - Early Northern Cultures Sylvia Rose Books As god of the underworld and death, Velnias becomes equated with the Christian devil. Perkūnas is after Velnias, for trickery and evildoing such as cattle theft. Velnias hides in trees, under stones, or turns into a black cat, dog, pig, goat, lamb, pike, cow or person. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure When Perkunas catches Velnias, as surely he will, the hunt culminates in a tremendous thunderstorm. The storm clears away evil, returns stolen cattle or restores property. The theme of a perpetual hunt or raging host occurs throughout Europe in the Wild Hunt. Wild Women and Winter Tales Der Türst: Dread Huntsman & the Wild Hunt Great Cormorant: Wild Birds & Mythic Beasts Sylvia Rose Books The Old Prussians, a Baltic speaking group of coastal West Balts c. 1250, also worship pre-Christian deities. The Flag of Prussian King Widewuto features the Prussian Perkūns in middle, flanked by a young Patrimpas (Potrimpo) and old Patulas (Velnias). Ox Hide Ingots - Bronze Age Trade Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Is Cherry Laurel Poisonous? Back to Top

In Baltic mythology, the grass snake žaltys (Natrix natrix) is a sacred animal. It's invited into the home and kept as a pet and house spirit. The grass snake is central to the fairy tale Eglė, the Queen of Serpents. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure European Grass Snake: Nature & Lore Baltic Ancient Mythology & Folklore Baltic Amber - Gold of the North Sylvia Rose Books The house žaltys (Latvian: zalktis) lives under the bed of a married couple as a fertility spirit, or in a special place near the warmth of the hearth. Grass snakes are known to take live food, such as earthworms, given to them by hand. Their primary prey is frogs and toads. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure In later Baltic legend, a snake lives under every house. If the snake leaves, the house will burn down. Common Latvian folk sayings include "who kills a grass snake, kills his happiness" and "when the Saulė (Sun) sees a dead grass snake, she cries for 9 days". Potrimpo - Baltic Sea God of Grain Mad Honey - What's the Buzz? Curonian Freshwater Baltic Sea Lagoon Sylvia Rose Books Killing žaltys brings severe misfortune, fire, sickness, accidents and death. Žaltys is sacred to Saulė as well as Potrimpo, god of grain and the sea. If the snake is found in a grain field, people try to make friends and invite it to the house. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures One tradition is to put a symbolic bowl of milk near a snake's place of residence. In European myth it's also usual to leave milk or food for the resident Kobold, Lare or other helpful house spirit. Care and Feeding of Your Kobold Part 1 Çayönü Tepesi: Blood of the Earth Ancient Egypt Remedies: Ebers Papyrus Sylvia Rose Books Eglė the Queen of Serpents Popular literary works featuring žaltys include Lithuanian folk tale Eglė the Queen of Serpents (Eglė žalčių karalienė). In the fairy tale Eglė is a farm maiden who goes swimming with her sisters. Returning to shore she finds a grass snake on her clothes. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures The snake tells her she can have her clothing back if she promises to marry him. Eglė hastily agrees. The snake leaves, and she gets dressed. She doesn't think much about her promise. Perkūnas: Baltic Storm & Fertility God Ox Hide Ingots - Bronze Age Trade The Maiden & The Lindwyrm - A Fairy Tale Sylvia Rose Books Three days later, a multitude of snakes appears at the farm, transporting a wagon, They demand Eglė keep her promise. Her family tries to fool them by sending a goose, but a cuckoo in a birch tree warns them of the deception. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The relatives send a sheep, then a cow. The cuckoo tells the snakes each time. The grass snakes get angry and threaten the people with a dry year, flood and famine. Finally, the family must give up Eglė. The snakes cart her off to the seashore. Wild Women and Winter Tales Frau Holle - A German Fairy Tale Velnias - Baltic Devil God of Death Sylvia Rose Books They take her to the bottom of a freshwater lagoon by the sea (such as the Curonian coastal lagoon, west Lithuania). There she meets a strong, handsome man who says his name is Žilvinas, the Grass Snake Prince, and he will be her husband. The Prince takes her to an island, and from there to an amazing subterranean realm underneath the sea floor. They marry with great revelry lasting several weeks, and live happily together. Romanesque - Magic of Light & Stone Queen Eleanor & the Calamitous Crusade Reiker For Hire, Victorian Era & Nixies Sylvia Rose Books Eglė has three sons: Ąžuolas (Oak), Uosis (Ash) and Beržas (Birch). Her youngest child, a daughter, is called Drebulė (Aspen). READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures When the children get older they ask about the family of Eglė, their mortal relatives. Talking about her family and friends, Eglė misses them and wants to see them again. Pentagram: Drudenfuß, Five Point Star Nanaya - Goddess of Erotic Love Slavic River Spirits & Roman Gods Sylvia Rose Books At first Žilvinas doesn't want them to go, fearing for their safety. They plead until finally, he agrees. He gives them the secret words to summon him when they're ready to return. "Žilvinas, dear Žilvinėlis, If (you're) alive – may the sea foam milk If (you're) dead – may the sea foam blood…" Owl - Death, Messages, Mystic Wisdom Poison Hemlock: Herbology & Lore Germanic Mythology - Brook Horses Sylvia Rose Books Off they go, and the relatives are surprised and overjoyed to see them. They want Eglė and her children to stay with them, and decide to kill Žilvinas. Unknown to Eglė they beat and interrogate the boys to find out the secret words to call their father. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure When they refuse to answer the relatives attack the frail young daughter, who bursts into tears. She tells them the spell. They go to the shore and summon the Snake Prince. When he appears Eglė 's twelve brothers fall on him with scythes and slice him to pieces. Sylvia Rose Books Eglė decides to return to her husband's realm, but when she calls, only bloody foam appears on the sea. She soon learns the horrific truth. Grief-stricken, she transforms her children in oak, ash, birch and trembling aspen. She turns herself into a silver fir. After the Christianization of the Baltic in the 13th - 14th centuries CE, the grass snake retains a sphere of influence in mythology and daily life, even though the serpent represents evil in Christianity. In Latvia and Lithuania ancient folk beliefs prevail. Sylvia Rose Books The snake is seen as a benevolent visitor and protector. Killing grass snakes brings terrible misfortune upon a person or household. It's said an injured snake will take revenge on the perpetrator. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries In aspects of Baltic mythology, grass snakes wear crowns. They're ruled by a king of snakes, who wears a golden crown. In some traditions the king of snakes changes every year. See also: Enkomi: Bronze Age Trade of Cyprus Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Abu - Ancient Vegetation Snake God Sylvia Rose Books In spring he drops his crown and other snakes fight for it, an interpretation of the snake mating ball. It happens when the sun warms the earth. Male snakes come the the surface to bask and gain energy for the annual emergence of the females, about two weeks later. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Legends of multi-headed snakes may derive from this annual reptilian ritual. Some frogs and toads, the primary food of many snakes, also form mating balls or clusters. Drone bees and wasps create a mating swarm around the virgin queen in flight. Honey Bees (Apidae): Nature & Myth Christmas Oranges & Yule Fruits Winter Tales - 4 Novellas Sylvia Rose Books Inspired by late 19th and 20th century Romantic nationalism, grass snake motifs in Latvia represent education and wisdom. Žaltys symbols are common ornaments in the military, folk dance groups and education logos and insignia. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries The grass snake is also one of the primary symbols of the Lithuanian neo-pagan movement Romuva. In modern folklore the grass snake is still a domestic blessing and sign of good luck and prosperity among many Latvians and Lithuanians. Is Cherry Laurel Poisonous? Chamomile - Herbology & Folklore Woad, the People's Blue: Ancient Pigments Sylvia Rose Books European grass snakes (Natrix natrix) grow about a meter (3.3 ft) long. Slender and graceful, they're found by gardens, grainfields, or at the edge of forests. Often they inhabit wetlands, near ponds, shorelines or swimming near shore, seeking their favorite prey. Butter - Food of Peasants & Barbarians Folk Magic: Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) Ancient Deities: Proto Indo European Gods Back to Top

The great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) has a scattered range throughout the world. Largest of the cormorants, the bird is hunted almost to extinction in the 19th century. The great cormorant may be the inspiration for the ferocious Stymphalian birds of Greek myth. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Stymphalian Birds & Greek Heroics Before the Vikings - Early Northern Cultures Ornithomancy - Prophecy by the Birds Sylvia Rose Books Today the Great Cormorant is a bird of least concern, living along coasts of Scandinavia, East North America, Greenland, NW Africa, Russia, India, moving inland in central Asia and Australia. P. carbo frequents saline shores, islands and freshwater inland marshes or rivers. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The ancestor of cormorants is thought to be a freshwater bird, over time adapting to the sea. Cormorants have existed since the Late Cretaceous (100 million - 66 million ya) based on fossil finds. Bones from 70 million ya are discovered in Mongolia. Horses, Alps & Amazons: the Caucasus Arcadia - Greek Lands of Ancient Gods Giant Cinnamon Birds of Arabia Sylvia Rose Books Most cormorant species have dark feathers. Albinism is rare. The beak is long, strong and heavy with a pronounced hook like that of a distant relative, the pelican. Four-toed feet are fully webbed. Cormorants dive from the water surface to catch fish. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Agile aquanauts, cormorants swim beneath the water using foot propulsion with assistance of wings. Some species dive an amazing 45 m (150 ft) deep. Agility in the water depends on short wing length. Thus it takes a lot of energy to fly, and the birds are reluctant to do so. See also: Pistachio: Turpentine, Resin & Nuts Uluburun - Bronze Age Shipwreck Great Bear - Nature, Spirituality & Lore Sylvia Rose Books Cormorants in the Galapagos have given up the ability to fly altogether. In northern Russia the spectacled cormorant, standing at about a meter (3.3 ft) tall, is suddenly at a fatal disadvantage. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Flying difficulties or reluctance to fly makes it an easy target for humans who swarm from the south in the 19th century. Although it's hunted by locals as food, apparently delicious cooked in clay, its numbers can't survive the human influx. It goes extinct c. 1850 CE. See also: Are Cormorants Stymphalian Birds? Black Pigments of Ancient Artisans Cyprus: Prehistoric Humans & Pygmy Hippos Sylvia Rose Books Cormorants are not usually hunted for food, as most people find the flesh of the birds distasteful. Apparently it's all in the way it's cooked. Their bad reputation has saved many cormorants, except in Norway, where they're shot. The birds are voracious in summer and more picky in winter, choosing longer fish easier to swallow. Because of this ravenous-seeming behavior, the great cormorant is hunted almost to extinction by fishermen who see it as competition. See also: Bronze Age Europe - The Amber Roads Curonian Freshwater Baltic Sea Lagoon Ninkasi: Beer Goddess Mesopotamia Sylvia Rose Books Due to conservation efforts, and the adaptability of the birds, the Great Cormorant does not go the way of its spectacled cousin, and numbers gradually increase. At last count there are about 1.2 million birds in Europe alone. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Cormorants are often seen standing in a sunny place with wings spread. Biologists confirm this stance is taken to dry their feathers. The birds have some natural water-repellent oils but unlike ducks and other waterfowl the surface feathers get drenched. Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Weld Yellow: Ancient Nature Pigments Amazons - Warrior Women History & Myth Sylvia Rose Books P. carbo is typically black with light accents, such as a yellow throat spot. In breeding season adults have white patches on thighs and throat. Vital statistics show wide variation in size over different habitats, with weight ranges from 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) to 5.3 kg (11.7 lb). Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Young great cormorants may be lighter in color than adults, showing pale speckled or downy plumage. Males are bigger and heavier than females. The largest birds of P. carbo are found in Prince Edward Island, Canada, with wingspans up to 160 cm (63 in). Ancient Wild Predators - Eurasian Lion Bird Woman Elwetritsch: German Folklore Pontic Mountains: the Black Sea Alps Sylvia Rose Books Cormorants are not noisy birds. They grunt when taking off or landing, during mating or in shows of breeding or territorial aggression. They can also sound like goats bleating. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries The Great Cormorant nests in colonies near wetlands, seas or rivers. Pairs are life-mates, who use the same site to breed every year. P. carbo builds a nest of sticks on a cliffs or a rocky island. Females lay 3-5 pale blue or green eggs and incubate them about a month. Kashka - Mountain Raiders of Anatolia Mad Honey - What's the Buzz? Bosporus: Black Sea Nature & Greek Myth Sylvia Rose Books Fishing with cormorants is practiced in China, Japan and elsewhere. The fisher ties line around the bird's throat, snug enough to prevent swallowing larger fish. The cormorants bring the fish they can't swallow back to the boat, and release them to the fisher. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures In Norway cormorants are traditional game birds. Each year about 10,000 cormorants are shot to be eaten. In Norse folklore, people who die out at sea spend eternity on the island Utrøst. The inhabitants of Utrøst can only visit their homes in the shape of cormorants. Black Sea: Stone Age & Early History Sinope: Poison, Honey, Greeks & Clay Abzu - Primal Waters of Creation Stymphalian Birds Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In Greek myth, the Stymphalian birds appear in tales of Heracles, and the Argonautica, the adventures of Jason and the Argonauts. In nature, Great Cormorants, who inhabit the region of Giresun Island, have many similar traits. READ: Are Cormorants Stymphalian Birds? Gargari: Men of the Amazon Warriors Ancient Grains: Wheat, Barley, Millet, Rice Prussian Blue - Delight of Artists & Poisoners Back to Top

Ugarit is an ancient coastal city-state of northern Syria. In the amiable climate of the East Mediterranean, Bronze Age Ugarit grows a wealthy merchant class. Palm, olive and fig trees produce abundance. The city expands into a leading trade and shipping center. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Ugarit - Trade Hub of Bronze Age Syria Ammurapi - The Last King of Ugarit Enkomi: Bronze Age Trade of Cyprus Sylvia Rose Books Today the ruins are named for the headland, Ras Shamra. From prehistoric origins of the Neolithic period, Ugarit becomes a prosperous multicultural merchant town by c. 1800 BCE. Ugarit reaches the heights of greatness from c. 1400 BCE. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The Royal Palace at Ugarit is modeled on palatial spaces of early Minoans, contemporary Hittites and the Mycenaeans. The drawing below is from the Ugarit archaeological site, reconstructing the finished palace. Greenery would be one the roofs, the air fragrant. Minoans of Crete: Ancient Greek Culture Ancient Greece: Mycenaean Invasion Bizilla - Shining Love Goddess Sukkal Sylvia Rose Books In the great palace, ninety rooms occupy two floors. Rooms are built around four large courtyards and four smaller ones. A garden grows at the west end of the palace. In the north side of the palace are three underground burial chambers. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures The ground floor is for administration including offices, archives, storage and staff dwellings. The royal family lives on the second floor. Twelve staircases lead up from various parts of the building to the royal residence. Mot - Death & the Ugarit Underworld Copper: Ruddy Metal of Myth & Magic Lotan - Chaos Sea Dragon of Ugarit Sylvia Rose Books The courtyard pool is ornamental, cool and fresh, sparkling with sunshine and vibrant water plants. Keeping of fish begins later, in ancient Rome. The palace has three entrances: the main gate on the northwest, and two smaller entrances in the northeast and southwest. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Built in four major stages c. 15th - 13th century BCE the palace is made of out of ashlar stone blocks, or stone cut to be fitted together with minimal mortar, and wooden crossbeams. A thick coat of plain plaster would be used to cover the walls shining white. Asray: Ugaritic Underworld Goddess Anat - War Goddess of Ancient Ugarit Shakhar & Shalim: Divine Twins of Ugarit Sylvia Rose Books The fortified wall dates back to the 15th century BCE. It's built with packed stones at the bottom with an outward slope of 45 degrees. The layout is typical of palaces of the Eastern Mediterranean and ancient Near East. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures The irregular outline of the palace and the asymmetrical layout show continuous renovations and additions. Burial chambers have corbelled vaults showing the connection with Hittite and Mycenaean palace architecture. Cyprus: Prehistoric Humans & Pygmy Hippos Nimrod: Lord of Chaos & Creation Gods of Ugarit c. 1800 - 1200 BCE Sylvia Rose Books Artifacts show predominance of native Ugaritians and populations of Egyptians, Cypriots from Cyprus, Hittites, Hurrians, and Aegeans. Cypriot pottery is imported as well as locally made. Shops of craftspeople would line the streets beneath leafy bowers of grapevines. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Mycenaean pottery is found, along with ivory cosmetic containers from Egypt. Also from Egypt is a terracotta artwork of Hathor, goddess of love, beauty, music, dancing, fertility and pleasure. Discoveries include bronze weapons and tools, cylinder seals and stone weights. Bronze Age Cultures - the Hittites Hathor: Cosmic Cow Goddess of Ancient Egypt Electrum: Metal of Money & Myth Sylvia Rose Books Shells of murex snails, gastropods used in production of Tyrian purple dye, are uncovered, and inscribed tablets. Accounting, weights and balances, measuring tools, inventory lists and more prove invaluable to archaeologists and show the dynamics of this amazing site. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Archives are kept in an administration complex on the first floor of the palace. Ugarit has a vast selection of writing in Akkadian, the preferred correspondence of commerce, and other languages. Ancient literature includes the Baal Cycle, legends of the Canaanite god Ba'al. Kulla - God of Bricks & Building Greenstone, Scribes & Cylinder Seals Bronze Age Europe - the Amber Roads READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries A thick ash layer attests to destruction by fire. Most people fled or are allowed to leave before Ugarit is razed c. 1190 BCE. Almost no valuables are found in residences or in the southern palace. Agrippina & Son: Poisonous Plots of Rome Stymphalian Birds & Greek Heroics Rise of Pan: Fertility Goat God Péh₂usōn Back to Top

The Rhine River God is Rhenus Pater or Father Rhine, an ageless water deity. The mystic Rhine captures the imagination of artists, poets, entrepreneurs, travelers and dreamers. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Jump to: Father Rhine River God Fine Rhine Wine Rhinestones - Treasures of the Rhine Symbols of Father Rhine Nixies Rhine Name Origin Sylvia Rose Books From the Swiss Alps to North Sea, the Rhine flows past ancient towns, castles, pastoral lands and rocky bluff. At c. 1230 km (760 mi) long the Rhine flows through Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France, Netherlands and Liechtenstein. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Father Rhine is patron of the Rhine and all fresh water. Recorded in early Roman sources, he's comparable to Greek and Roman gods of the sea. In the 19th century bronze below he's with wine god Bacchus, his daughters and a sword and shield at his feet. See also: Screaming Swiss Spirit: Pfaffenkellnerin Nature Spirits of German Mythology Wild Women and Winter Tales Father Rhine River God Back to Top Sylvia Rose Books In German folklore the Rhine God rules all fresh waters. In 1 AD Roman poet Martial calls him "father of nymphs and rivers". A crown of leaves adorns his flowing hair and his long beard ripples like water. He appears as a muscular man, sometimes with a fish tail. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure In modern myth Rhenus is father of the Rhine Daughters. These three nixies tease the dwarf Alberich without mercy in the heavy 19th century opera series, Ring of the Nibelungs, by German composer Richard Wagner. Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Links Baltic Ancient Mythology & Folklore Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Sylvia Rose Books The Rhine God often holds or leans on an urn. Water gushes from the urn as fresh water rises from its source ... or perhaps he turns water to wine. A fertility god, he also relates to grapes and wine, sharing this trait with Greek Dionysus and Roman Bacchus. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Fine Rhine Wine Back to Top Sunny Rhine wine regions produce some of the best wine in the world. At Koblenz, Father Rhine meets Mother Moselle. The Moselle river flows from France and into Germany as the Mosel. Terraced vineyards there are also among the thirteen major wine regions in Germany. Ancient Deities: Proto Indo European Gods European Grass Snake: Nature & Lore Wine God Liber: Liberty & Liberal Libation Sylvia Rose Books The Rhine River runs through Germany and Alsace, France to form the fertile Rhine Valley. The wines created here are medium dry white. These days the phrase “Rhine wine” is also used for similar white blends and wine inspired by the Rhine. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Riesling grapes originate in the Rhine region. Characteristics of Riesling wines include light body and heady aromas of flora and citrus. The grapes make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling wines. See also: German Myth & Folklore: Moss People Slavic River Spirits & Roman Gods Butzemann, Witches & Nyx - Scare 'em Good Rhinestones - Treasures of the Rhine Back to Top Sylvia Rose Books Rhinestones originally come from the Rhine, gathered as shimmering clear quartz or rock crystal. Clear quartz is a favorite of river spirits. In gem lore, clear quartz is a powerful healing stone and enhances mental clarity. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Quartz also appears in beautiful colors including purple (amethyst), yellow (citrine) and pink (rose quartz). Coloration happens due to inclusions, treatments which change molecular structure, for instance when amethyst is heated it becomes yellow citrine. See also: Rhinestones: Treasure of the Rhine Alchemist Dippel: the Frankenstein Files Sugar Beets, Altbier & First Newspaper Sylvia Rose Books Symbols of Father Rhine Back to Top The most prevalent symbol of Rhenus Pater is the urn, to represent the the everlasting flow of fresh water, the Rhine and the elixir of life. He might also have a crown of leaves, bunch of grapes, a fish and/or a paddle. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries A fish signifies natural abundance. Since prehistory the river is the life force of many, providing nourishment and sustenance from its waters. People hold it sacred as water is not only the essence of life, it's a portal to the Underworld or realms of mystery. Electrum: Metal of Money & Myth Reiker For Hire, Victorian Era & Nixies Casting the Bones - Astragalomancy Sylvia Rose Books In the 1765 terracotta above, Rhenus holds his hand at the edge of the urn, separating the waters. These are estuaries Waal and Lek which flow into the North Sea, from which Rhine Father received the Latin name Rhenus bicornus (two-horned Rhenus). READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Sometimes his paddle suggests a trident, symbol of Neptune, merging with freshwater imagery just as the Rhine merges with the North Sea. It can also be a two-pronged fork representing the Waal and Lek estuaries. Rhenus protects those who travel the waterways. Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore Bronze Age Europe - The Amber Roads Romanesque - Magic of Light & Stone Nixies Back to Top Sylvia Rose Books His mischievous daughters might cause trouble. Based on the 1801 legend of the Loreley and subsequent interpretations, the Rhine Daughters of Wagner's majestic opera have deep elemental influence from the nixies or Nyx of nature mythology. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Seductive sirens in appearance, Nyx are known for luring sailors, fisherman and travelers to their doom. The Loreley spirit is a nixie who sings from the Loreley rock at the narrowest part of the Rhine. See also: Song of the Loreley - Lethal Beauty German Myth & Folklore: Elves Angel of Long Point - Abigail Becker Sylvia Rose Books In early history, evidence strongly suggests some cultures make living sacrifices to the Rhine, other rivers and the seas. The spirituality of water, like caves, brings the prayers of the people closer to the gods. Burial site or shrines are located near water. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Rhine treasure is associated with nixies, especially the mythical Rheingold. The Rheingold can be made into a ring giving the wearer limitless power, but the person must renounce love. Today's treasure hunters come to the Rhine seeking barbarian hoards. Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun White Ladies in German Mythology House Spirits of Germanic Mythology Rhine Name Origin Back to Top Sylvia Rose Books The river's name comes from the Gaulish Rēnos, based on an earlier Indo-European term meaning 'to flow'. In the 1st century BC the name was adapted to Greek Rhēnos and Latin Rhenus. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries The god and the river itself are known as Father Rhine or Rhine Father (Ger. Vater Rhein, Lat. Rhenus Pater). Because of its two estuaries at the North Sea, the Waal and Lek, the Romans call the river "two-horned Rhenus" or Rhenus bicornus as described by Virgil. See also: Reiker For Hire Victorian Crime Trilogy The Mystic Victorian - Fortune Telling Sträggele: Witch Hag of the Wild Hunt Sylvia Rose Books The poet Ovid refer to Rhenus cornibus fractis or Rhenus of the broken horns as an allegory for subjugation of German tribes by the Romans. Later, the Rhine Father is a favorite theme of German Romantic artists and writers in the early 19th century. Klabautermann - Germanic Sea Kobold Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Queen Eleanor & the Calamitous Crusade Back to Top

German traditions abound at Yuletide season. Sweets and candy are a big part of Christmas in Germany. Candy canes date back to the 17th century in Cologne ( Ger. Köln ) and quickly gain popularity. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures See also: German Traditions - Gingerbread Houses Nature Spirits of German Mythology German Traditions - the Linden Tree Sylvia Rose Books An ancient city, Cologne is founded in the first century CE on the banks of the lower Rhine. It's famous for Eau de Cologne, a citrus type perfume created in 1709, and the huge Cathedral. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries The largest Gothic church in northern Europe, and Germany's most visited site, Cologne Cathedral is a World Heritage Site since 1996.Over three hundred years before, the church choir master and a local candy maker come up with a sweet idea. See also: Fortune Telling - The Mystic Victorian German Nature Folklore - Fruit Trees Belsnickel - German Yule Ghoul Sylvia Rose Books On Christmas Eve at the Cologne Cathedral, Mass is held with ceremony. Children get bored and noisy. In 1607 the choir master asks the candy maker to create some sweets to help keep kids quiet. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures To associate them with Christmas and the nativity, the candy maker bends the striped sticks at top to resemble shepherds' crooks. Candy canes are also given to participants in nativity pageants, and the custom remains today. See also: Great Women Artists - Käthe Kollwitz German Myth & Folklore: Elves Plight of the Lutzelfrau: German Myth Sylvia Rose Books Good children traditionally get candy canes on St. Nicholas Day, the fifth or sixth of December. The saint and a helper, who varies depending on region, visit households to find out if the children have been naughty or nice. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Santa's helper is typically a pagan entity such as Knecht Ruprecht, or Belsnickel in the Rhineland-Palatinate and Pennsylvania German regions. He might be the goat-legged horned Krampus from alpine regions, or Zwarte Piet (Black Pete, now known as Sooty Pete.) Christmas Oranges & Yule Fruits Tannenbaum - About the Yule Fir Tree A Viking Christmas Yule Sylvia Rose Books Naughty kids are threatened with whipping or worse. Some helpers bring a bundle of birch switches. If they're good, kids get nuts, chocolate, fruit such as oranges, and candy canes which represent the crosier or staff of St. Nick. Off to the Black Forest we go! German Folklore - Irrwurz or Mad Root Bird Woman Elwetritsch: German Folklore Back to Top

Linden (Tilia) is a beloved tree for love, longevity and music in Germanic culture and mythology. Homeowners plant a linden on the property to attract luck and prosperity. By an entrance, linden gives protection to hearth and home. It's a favorite along winding lanes. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Nature Spirits of German Mythology Eschenfrau: Wicked Ash Tree Woman German Traditions - Candy Canes Sylvia Rose Books Called Linden in Europe and the Old World, it's known as basswood in the Americas, and lime tree in England and Ireland. Lindens can live for centuries. One in Gloucestershire, England is estimated at 2,000 years old. Another in Nuremburg, Germany dates to 900 AD. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Due to its heart-shaped leaves, linden is also called the Tree of Love (Liebesbaum). The spirit of the linden brings grace, longevity and stability to romantic relationships. The linden is a sign of everlasting love. Lora Ley Adventures - Feast of Fools Edelweiss: Alpine Flower of True Love Slavic River Spirits & Roman Gods Sylvia Rose Books . The dense leafy canopy makes linden a superior shade tree. Tea of linden flowers or leaves is popular folk medicine to calm the nerves and help relieve cough, cold and fever. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Leaves, wood and charcoal of are used to treat dry mouth, internal diseases and conditions of liver and gallbladder. The sweet mild scent of linden promotes harmony and enjoyment. Bees who love linden flowers produce a fragrant flavorful honey. Honey Bees (Apidae): Nature & Myth Honey Mead: Most Ancient Ambrosia Mad Honey - What's the Buzz? Sylvia Rose Books . As a natural resource linden has a fibrous Inner wood used to make rope, nets and baskets. Light linden wood is a desirable material for warrior shields. It's on the soft side of the hardwoods. The smooth texture and dense grain makes it a favorite of woodworkers. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure In China, old linden logs create a fertile base for growing shiitake mushrooms. During the Bronze Age, fibers from soaked Linden bark make durable clothing. The inner bark is also edible, and so are buds, flowers and leaves. Black Hellebore: Toxins, Health & Lore Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Baltic Ancient Mythology & Folklore Sylvia Rose Books . Ancient Germania follows a strong tradition of nature worship. Trees are significant in culture and lore. Immigrants bring the linden tree with them to new lands such as America and Canada. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Gently resonant linden wood is used to make musical instruments such as electric guitar, bass guitar, wind instruments such as flutes and recorders, and sometimes drums. Its warm tone is suited to beginning guitarists. The Many Faces of Frau Holle Herbology & Lore - Chamomile German Nature Folklore - Fruit Trees READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Trees with magic powers or spiritual significance in ancient Europa also include the oak, beech, elm, elderberry and other fruit trees. In Baltic mythology, the linden is sacred to fate goddess Laima. Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore Gingerbread Houses: German Folklore Screaming Swiss Spirit: Pfaffenkellnerin Back to Top

The Elp culture spreads through the Netherlands, Northern Germania and just south of the Baltic coast. Bronze and Iron Age cattle people, the Elp (c. 1800 - c. 800 BCE) are militant barn-house builders and cattle keepers. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Yarrow (Achillea) Magic & Medicine Oldest Cattle Cult 6000 BCE - Arabia Hünenburg: Bronze Age European Trade Hub Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Elp people evolve largely northeast of the Rhine. They're known for producing Kümmerkeramik or Grobkeramic, meaning coarse pottery, and redeveloping the longhouse. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure They're part of broad northern European cultural complex descended from the earlier Unetice group. A widespread civilization, the Unetice culture (c. 2300 - 1600 BCE) is a dynamic force of influence through much of ancient Europe by travel, conquest and trade. See also: Silver - Queen of Precious Metals Weapons & Warfare of Bronze Age Europe 1 Bronze Age Europe - The Amber Roads Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The famous Nebra sky disc (c. 1800 - 1600 BCE) comes from the Unetice. The site on the Mittelberg hill where the disc is found is seen as an enclosed sacred space, defined by earthen ramparts. From this location, when the disc is aligned to north, the upper terminus of the western gold arc points toward the Brocken in the Harz mountain range. There, the sun is seen to set on summer solstice. See also: Witches' Night - Hexennacht Magic: Heka & the Ka in Ancient Egypt Rhinestones: Treasures of the Rhine Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Later, the Brocken becomes the famous site of revels on Hexennacht or Witches' Night. It's called Walpurgisnacht since 8th century Christians convince the people the saint bestows protection against evil witches and also bleeds holy oil. The Elp culture rises as Unetice forces decline. The Elp develop around and east of IJssel, a Dutch distributary of the River Rhine. Flowing north, before 1932 it discharges into the IJesselmeer (IJessel Sea), a natural harbor of the mighty North Sea. See also: Baltic Amber - Gold of the North Weapons & Warfare of Bronze Age Europe 2 Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The people occupy what's now North Germany and the Netherlands near Rotterdam. They inhabit peninsular Jutland and today's Denmark, arcing up along the Baltic Coast. Amber is a regular trade good. In domestic and economic realms the longhouse has been a standard type of dwelling in the north as far back as the Neolithic c. 5000 BCE. The longhouse develops on both sides of the Atlantic, and the farmstead or barn house style is still used into the 20th century. See also: Woad, the People's Blue: Ancient Pigments Chamomile - Herbology & Folklore Spelt Wheat - Bronze Age Grain Crops Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books One of the earliest widespread construction methods is wattle-and-daub, whereby woven branches, reeds or sticks are formed into walls. They're mortared and sealed with a sticky mixture of clay or soil, animal dung and grass or straw. The building style is found in the round huts of Neolithic Mesopotamians, with walls woven of reeds. Skills of weaving also develop with this type of construction, especially in reed weaves due to lightness and flexibility of materials. See also: House Spirits of Germanic Mythology Weld Yellow: Ancient Nature Pigments Ba Bird & Sacred Ram - Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books With wattle-and-daub construction, it's easy to add more living space or renovate walls if needed. As time goes by buildings increase in scale and need reinforcement. The use of support pillars and crossbeams facilitate sturdier building and wider constructions. In the south, post and lintel construction has been used on monumental levels in Egyptian architecture. Unlike the Egyptians, the northern cultures have plenty of wood. In Europe timber frame structures appear c. 2000 BCE. The building industry prospers. See also: Terrazzo Floors & Neolithic Masons Rise of Pan: Fertility Goat God Péh₂usōn Drude: Germanic Demon of Darkness Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Wooden fortifications are common around Bronze Age settlements, sometimes two or three deep. These indicate the people living here own something valuable desired by others, be it land or cows, and good defenses are required. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Farming settlements expand into groups of six to twelve longhouses with avenues between. People live close to their own tribal kin and extended families. Germanic cattle-farmer longhouses appear along the SW North Sea coast in the third or fourth century BCE. See also: Hathor: Cosmic Cow Goddess of Ancient Egypt Wolpertinger - German Myths & Folklore Kohl: Eye Beauty Magic of Ancients Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle A local cattle tradition prevails among Saxons and the Frisians, who build hilltop houses on natural land formations, surrounded by lush plains fed by wetlands. Others in the Germanic regions lean toward sedentary crop-central agriculture. Crops of the northern regions can include einkorn wheat, gold-of-pleasure, broad bean, barley, sweet pepper and tubers such as potatoes. The people might raise chickens, sheep or pigs. See also: Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore Sun Goddess: Creator to Cannibal Myths Australia German Myth: Lindwyrm, Mare & Pig Demons Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The longhouse farmstead or barn house style appears between 1800 and 1500 BCE, in the mid to late Bronze Age. Examples of longhouse construction can also be seen in the Italian Bronze Age Terramare (Terramara) site, in the Po Valley. In the Germanic and Netherlands regions the longhouse develops from two to three aisles by 1800 BCE. Further north in Scandinavia a similar design arises. The houses are built as a way to contain cattle during the winter. Warm cows produce more milk. See also: Wigs & Natural Hair in Ancient Egypt Turquoise: Precious Stone of Ancients Sacred Scarab: Lucky Bug of Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The longhouse is one of the earliest agricultural animal shelters. Family or families keep the cattle penned in part of the building. This provides warmth for people and animals, and easy access to milk, cheese, butter and other dairy products in the depths of winter. Humans of the prehistoric age are lactose intolerant after infancy, but consume dairy anyway. Butter churns date back to the Chalcolithic Age. Not only does this create a healthier human but a mutant lactase gene allowing many humans to tolerate lactose. See also: Butter - Food of Peasants & Barbarians Witches & Witchcraft: Ancient World Milk & Dairy: Ancient Lactose Gene Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books People with an Indo-European background develop the tolerance and it's first evident in today's Turkey. About 68% of the world's people are lactose intolerant, especially in Africa and Asia. Cattle are also stalled in the longhouse to prevent cattle raids, which come into practice with the growth of livestock breeding and herding. A cattle cult might exist in this area as seen by cowhides in graves and evidence of animal offerings in Sweden and Denmark. See also: Sacrifice of the Male: Temple at Uppsala Cattle Goddesses & the Cosmic Cow Wild Women and Winter Tales Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Grave goods, rock engravings, fortifications and hoards give strong evidence of a martial culture among the Elp. Over time burial customs show influence over time of nearby groups such as the Tumulus people. Earliest burials of the Elp culture, c. 1800 - 1200 BCE, are bodies with funerary items in shallow pits, covered by a low hill or barrow. Grave goods include pottery vessels, favorite items or weapons. See also: Egyptian Blue Faience - Ceramic Glass Minoan Genius (Genii) Helper Spirits Çayönü Tepesi: Blood of the Earth Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books After c. 1200 BCE the ways of the Urnfield culture overtake the tumulus practices. Bodies are cremated and buried in fields of urns. Family burials appear in later stages. See also: Bashmu (Bašmu): Voracious Serpent Dragon The Sex Demons - Incubus & Succubus Garnets - Gemstones of Blood and Life Back to Top

Viadrus is the name of the Roman god of the Oder (Odra) River, and of the river itself. The god gazes north toward the Baltic Sea, although the Romans never get there. Oder is an important trade route, populated by mystic nature spirits and fantastic creatures of lore. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventure Oder River: Nature & Early People Neolithic Europe - Danube Valley Culture Hesperus (Vesper) the Evening Star Sylvia Rose Books Rusalka, a malicious female entity, is a Slavic nature spirit associated with fresh water such as rivers, marshes and lakes. It's thought she was murdered or otherwise died by drowning. She sits in trees or by shores, and may sing or comb her messy hair. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventure Below, Viadrus, Roman god of the Oder, is a 2009 metalwork of red sheet steel. The artist, sculptor Horst Engelhardt (1951 - 2014) made the figure in nearby Oderberg in 2009, of Danish ship steel. Oderberg is c. 100 km (60 mi) from Berlin in northeast Germany. Nature Spirits of German Mythology Song of the Loreley - Lethal Beauty Destiny & Death: Fate in the Ancient World Sylvia Rose Books This figure is on “Feldherrenhügel” (General's Hill) in Brandenburg, Germany. Originating in the Czechian highlands, the Oder River forms the east border of Brandenburg, running north from runs from the Czechian highlands. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Like Rhenos Pater or Father Rhine, Viadrus is shown leaning on a gushing water vessel. He holds an oar and gazes upon a river boat. He's looking north, along the River Oder to the Baltic Sea. The Latin word Viadrina means "belonging to, or situated at, the Oder River". German Myth - Father Rhine River God Abzu - Primal Waters of Creation Is Cherry Laurel Poisonous? Sylvia Rose Books In Slavic mythology, the vodyanoy ('from the water' or 'watery') is a freshwater spirit. In Czech and Slovak tales it's called vodník. Germanized as Hastrman it's equated to the Wassermann or nix of German fairy tales. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries If angered, the vodyanoy breaks dams, destroys water mills, and drowns people and animals. Fishermen, millers, and bee-keepers make sacrifices to appease him. The vodyanoy sometimes drags people down to his underwater dwelling to serve him as slaves. Honey Bees (Apidae): Nature & Myth Mt Nemrut Volcano: Nature & Lore Wine God Liber: Liberty & Liberal Libation Sylvia Rose Books The civilized Romans are fond of putting up temples, but also make an effort to understand the tradition of nature worship among local people. Roman gods such as Faunus (Pan), Bacchus (Dionysus) and Neptune (Poseidon) originate in nature worship. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventure In the first and second centuries CE, Romans Plinius (Pliny the Elder), Ptolemaios (Ptolemy) and Plutarch describe Teutonic Jutland home of Anglos and Saxons. Romans are familiar with the islands to the east. A Viking Christmas Yule Before the Vikings - Early Northern Cultures Pretty Poisons: Holly, Yew, Mistletoe Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure One, called Scania by Romans, is assumed to be just a larger island. They don't explore further. The Romans encounter Swedes or Suiones, and the Sitones, who are ruled by women. According to one account: Upon the Suiones, border the people Sitones; and, agreeing with them in all other things, differ from them in one, that here the sovereignty is exercised by a woman. So notoriously do they degenerate not only from a state of liberty, but even below a state of bondage. Amazons - Warrior Women History & Myth Casting the Bones - Astragalomancy Christmas Oranges & Yule Fruits Sylvia Rose Books Roman writings call the Baltic Sea Mare Suebicum, after the Germanic Schwabic or Suebi, and mention Estonian coastal tribes. One Roman traveler returns with Baltic amber. The "gold of the north" has already been traded for over 1500 years on the Amber Roads. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure River deities are worshipped in Europe before and after the Romans arrive. Sacrifice is given at swamps. Folklore develops from ancient myths in an oral tradition, as stories pass down through the generations. Horses, Alps & Amazons: the Caucasus The Igigi - Why Humans are Created Baba Yaga - Slavic Forest Witch Sylvia Rose Books Besides vodyanoy and rusalki, Slavic water spirits include bolotnik, a hideous evil male swamp creature. He can be an old man with frog-like eyes, green beard and long hair, covered in dirt, algae and fish scales. He may lurk at the bottom of swamps to pull people in. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries A leshachikha, Leshy or Leshi is a tutelary deity of forests. Leshy rules over the forest and hunting. He can assume any appearance and change in size and height. He may be associated with Porevit, a man with five heads, or with Veles, a major chthonic deity. Humbaba: Giant Mountain Forest Man Fänggen (Fangga): Man-Eaters of Tyrol Mulberry Tree (Morus): Uses, Folklore & Myth Sylvia Rose Books The swamp kikimora (mora) is a female spirit manifesting as a small gnarled hag. Her clothes are moss and grass. She likes to frighten people. She knocks travelers off the road or even drowns them. She also kidnaps children. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventure One of her malevolent talents is attacking sleepers. The mora comes through the keyhole and sits on the sleeper's chest, causing bad dreams and panic like the Mare. If a house is in order, a kikimora can be helpful. She looks after chickens and does housework. Schrat: German Nightmare Forest Elf Lindwyrm, Mare & Pig Demons: German Myth Care and Feeding of Your Kobold Part 1 Sylvia Rose Books If not she breaks dishes, whistles sharply and makes noise at night. When fog rises over the swamp, it's said the kikimora Baba Bolotnitsa, is brewing beer. At night the kikimora also spins thread. A species of dwarf spider, Kikimora palustris, is named after her. Ancient Grains: Wheat, Barley, Millet, Rice Pentagram: Drudenfuß, Five Point Star Nanaya - Goddess of Erotic Love Back to Top

Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) is an Old World evergreen species of the cherry family. Often mistaken for edible bay laurel, Prunus laurocerasus is toxic. Like the bay laurel, P. laurocerasus is used to make victory wreaths, hence the term laureate. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Rhododendron & the Toxic Ambrosia Corycian Caves, Bee Nymphs & Greek Gods Ancient Marsh Muse - Rough Horsetail Sylvia Rose Books The cherry laurel in America is a different species, Prunus caroliniana. The leaves and branches of P. carolianiana are highly toxic, and the berries are poisonous to humans and most animals. Birds enjoy them in winter. P. caroliniana has a limited range in SE America. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Prunus laurocerasus, a species of cherry (Prunus) is not a true laurel. It's native to Black Sea coasts in SW Asia and SE Europe, and from Albania and Bulgaria east to the Caucasus Mountains and north Iran. It's a shrub to medium sized tree with glossy green leaves. See also: Black Sea: Stone Age & Early History Plant Lore: Stinking Nightshade, Henbane Horses, Alps & Amazons: the Caucasus Sylvia Rose Books The laurel wreath originates in Greek mythology, as worn by Sun God Apollo. Its use and symbolism is later embraced by the Romans. In Rome, the laurel wreath or cherry laurel wreath represents military victory. Commanders or emperors don the wreath after battle. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Prunus laurocerasus of Europe and west Asia grows as a shrub or tree to 5-15 m (16-49 ft) tall. The leaves are dark green, leathery, shiny and when crushed can exude an almond scent. The flower buds appear in early spring and open in early summer. See also: Prussian Blue - Delight of Artists & Poisoners Black Hellebore: Toxins, Health & Lore Sinope: Poison, Honey, Greeks & Clay Sylvia Rose Books The almond scent comes from the cyanide compounds in the oils of the plant. When ingested they produce prussic acid. Despite its toxic aura the tree yields somewhat edible fruit (the flesh around the seed). Bitter fruit should not be eaten. It's higher in cyanide. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Flowers are sweet-smelling, creamy white petals with yellow stamens. The fruits are small cherries under 2 cm long each. Through summer they may turn green, orange and red. In early autumn they ripen, turning black. See also: Honey Mead: Most Ancient Ambrosia Mad Honey - What's the Buzz? Mugwort (Wormwood) Herbal Lore Sylvia Rose Books Ingesting leaves, stems and seeds of Prunus laurocerasus can cause cyanide poisoning. In Nero's Rome the cherry laurel plant is used for execution, political assassination and forced suicide. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Cyanide or prussic acid comes from natural elements in some food and plants. A fast-acting chemical, cyanide inhibits the body's ability to use oxygen. Cyanide is described as having a “bitter almond” smell. It doesn't always always have an odor; if so, not everyone detects it. See also: Ephedra - Oldest Medical Stimulant Herb Song of the Loreley - Lethal Beauty Poison Hemlock: Herbology & Lore Sylvia Rose Books Cyanide is ubiquitous in very small amounts. Lethal exposure can be accidental. Upon exposure to cyanide the body reacts almost immediately. Symptoms include pain & tightness in chest confusion dizziness weakness eye pain, tears over-excitement difficulty breathing headache nausea change in heart rate change in breathing restlessness vomiting wheezing See also: Great Cormorant: Wild Birds & Mythic Beasts Stone Age Botai - First Horse People Ninkasi: Beer Goddess Mesopotamia Sylvia Rose Books Larger or concentrated amounts, or prolonged exposure, causes such symptoms as seizures lung damage abnormally high or low blood pressure loss of consciousness coma death Survivors may be left with heart, brain, and nerve damage. The seeds of the cherry laurel are poisonous like the rest of the plant, containing cyanogenic glycosides and amygdalin, the chemicals releasing the smell of almonds when leaves are crushed. See also: Victorian Crime - Murder in the Cards A Viking Christmas Yule Mahaleb Cherry: Spice, Nature & Myth Sylvia Rose Books Honey of this plant may be toxic. Unlike the wood of its sweet fruitful relatives of the Prunus family, cherry laurel wood is not good for carving. Wood of cherry laurel is high in water, and can split and distort as it dries. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Fresh wood is creamy white, possibly with an almond odor. It turns to orange and brown when dried. Some sections may be workable, made into bowls or small objects. See also: Humbaba: Giant Mountain Forest Man Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore German Nature Folklore - Fruit Trees Sylvia Rose Books In folk medicine fresh leaves are antispasmodic, narcotic and sedative. This plant is said to treat coughs, asthma, dyspepsia and indigestion. Externally, a cold infusion of the leaves might be used as a wash for eye infections. See also: Apples: Nature, Spirituality & Folklore Bronze Age Europe - The Amber Roads Giant Cinnamon Birds of Arabia Back to Top

Enkomi is among the most important settlements of middle Bronze Age Cyprus. Originally it's situated on the east coast as a prime shipping port near a sea-fed inlet, which today is filled with natural delta silt from the Pedieos River, at Famagusta Bay. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Ugarit - Trade Hub of Bronze Age Syria Tjeker Sea People in 12th Century BCE Ox Hide Ingots - Bronze Age Trade Sylvia Rose Books From about the 16th century BCE to the 12th, it's a significant copper smelting and trade center. Located near the mouth of the Pedieos River watershed at the southeast of the island, Enkomi has strong ties to Ugarit, on the facing coast of Syria. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Enkomi is a hotly disputed region with several battles attesting to the perils of Mediterranean Sea trade. Everyone wants control of copper, a commodity in demand for the making of bronze. Copper: Ruddy Metal of Myth & Magic Lukka: Bronze Age Warrior Sea People Minoans of Crete: Ancient Greek Culture Sylvia Rose Books Bronze is c. 88% copper and 12% tin, though the recipe can vary. Tin hardens the copper. Another metal, arsenic, makes it even harder, and is favored by the Egyptians for weapons. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures Brass, in use since c. 5000 BCE, is an alloy of copper and zinc. Pure copper is also desirable in ornament, ritual and jewelry. Whoever owns copper, owns the known world. See also Ancient Greece: Mycenaean Invasion Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Mad Honey - What's the Buzz? Sylvia Rose Books Stratigraphy of the site is in poor condition, complex and disrupted. Elkomi is represented in four primary phases with subsets. Level A, a stone wall on bedrock. Level I A, and B date to the beginning of the Late Bronze Age (c. 1600 - 1200 BCE). Twice, invading forces destroy fortifications. By the 14th century Mycenaean Greeks begin migrations to Cyprus. Are Cormorants Stymphalian Birds? Rhododendron & the Toxic Ambrosia Bronze Age Trade of Mesopotamia Sylvia Rose Books Level II A and B, have many subdivisions and covers expansion of the 14th and 13th centuries, ending in mass destruction c. 1220 BCE. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Level III A, B & C show Mycenaean settlers and a destructive attack, possibly related to Sea Peoples. Level IIIA is culturally continuous with IIIB, ending in destruction c. 1125 BCE. IIIC shows a final, Mycenaean phase with decreasing inhabitants. Sherden Sea Peoples in Ancient Egypt Terramare Culture - Bronze Age Italy Rise of the Phoenicians - Early Years Sylvia Rose Books From the 13th century BCE, other towns along the south coast of Cyprus compete with Enkomi, battering its resources. After an earthquake c. 1050 BC, the site is abandoned. Anatolian and Aegean people move in, leading to the rise of Salamis. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries The people settle in the fertile valley cove and create a foundation myth. The founder of Salamis is Teucer, son of Telamon. Telamon has an impressive background, being sired by a king and a mountain nymph. As an Argonaut he accompanies Jason on adventure. Stymphalian Birds & Greek Heroics Bosporus: Black Sea Nature & Greek Myth Mythology: Gods of Mycenean Greece Sylvia Rose Books His son Teucer, also fighting in the Trojan War, fails to avenge the death of his brother Ajax, a mighty warrior, thus can't return home. The area is occupied before the Greeks arrive. It's thought the town of Salamis is built when Enkomi is isolated from the sea by alluvial soil. Some scholars believe either Enkomi or Cyprus is "Alasia" of the Amarna letters, a series of requests and trade documents sent to Egypt in the the 14th century. Some are from the king or the ministers of Alashiya. It's considered another name for Cyprus or a city on the island. Sacred Cave Trapeza (Kronion), Crete Slavic River Spirits & Roman Gods Klabautermann - Germanic Sea Kobold Sylvia Rose Books Today many historians believe the site of Enkomi is the capital of the ancient kingdom Alashiya. They assert the kingdom of Alashiya covers the entire island of Cyprus in ancient times. The King is recorded as having ships, and the kingdom is raided by the Lukka. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventures The first recorded name of a Cypriot king is Kushmeshusha. His name appears on letters sent to Ugarit in the 13th century BCE. Akkadian cuneiform tablets at Ras Shamra mention a king of Alashiya, Kushmeshusha, who writes two letters to Niqmaddu, king of Ugarit. Cyprus: Prehistoric Humans & Pygmy Hippos Gods of Ugarit c. 1800 - 1200 BCE The Igigi - Why Humans are Created Sylvia Rose Books Another town, Alassa in southwest Cyprus, is also seen as a possible Cypriot capital, showing Bronze Age ruins. Around 1200 BC, the Hittite kings Tudhaliya IV and Suppiluliuma II wage military campaigns in Alashiya and forced its king to sign a treaty of submission READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure In the 19th century the area is heavily looted due to extravagance of the grave goods. Finally an archaeologist from the British Museum begins work 1894 - 1896. Several expeditions follow. Excavations find evidence of child burials in urns, a harbor and cemetery. See also: Oder River: Nature & Early People Notable finds from Enkomi include clay balls with Cypro-Minoan inscriptions, a writing style loosely called Linear C. The horned god, a bronze figurine dated to the early 12th century BC, is a deity wearing a helmet with horns. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Another well-known statue is the "ingot god", a statue wearing a horned conical hat and greaves, armed with shield and spear, and standing on a miniature hide-shaped ingot. He's protector of the ingots, or copper, or the town. Sylvia Rose Books Between 1927 - 1930 the Swedish Cyprus Expedition excavates about 20 tombs at the Enkomi necropolis or City of the Dead. Archaeologists are at first unsuccessful as many tombs are destroyed by Byzantine Era (395 - 1493 CE) houses. Finally they discover an unexplored part of the necropolis and to their delight find many rich graves. A single tomb can contain around 300 objects, mostly pottery, but also objects of gold, silver, faience, ivory, lapis lazuli from Afghanistan and amber from the Baltic. Silver - Queen of Precious Metals Baltic Amber - Gold of the North Lapis Lazuli: Vibrant Blue Gem of Ancients Sylvia Rose Books The deceased are sitting or lying down. They are dressed in robes fastened with gold pins. Some have diadems on their foreheads decorated with geometric ornaments, floral motifs or figures, and gold tin over their mouths. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Covering of the mouth is often done to keep evil spirits from entering the body. This superstition is the original reason people cover their mouths when yawning. Egyptian Blue Faience - Ceramic Glass Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Carnelian - Gems of the Ancient World Sylvia Rose Books One of the women wears a gold necklace with beads shaped like Mycenaean shields. A Minoan style, the motif comes to Cyprus with the Mycenaeans. Similar shields are shown on frescoes such as at Knossos, Crete. The same woman has rings in her hair, ears, on her fingers and toes. Archaeologists find food and drink in bronze and ceramic vessels set around the deceased. The type of grave goods indicate Cyprus's political relationships and economic standing in the Bronze Age. Thapsos - Trade Center & Necropolis Egyptian Blue Lotus: Visionary Beauty German Vampires - Nachzehrer Sylvia Rose Books Objects like the silver Enkomi Cup or Enkomi Bowl (c. 1400 BCE) arouse controversy. The bowl is believed to be decorated with neillo, an advanced technique used especially in Antiquity through the Middle Ages. Niello is a black mix, of sulfur, copper, silver and lead. It's used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal, especially silver. It's applied as powder or paste, then fired. Earlier uses of niello appear in 19th century BCE in Syria, and Egypt in the 16th century BCE. Daggers of the same period in niello style appear in Mycenae. See also: Blacksmiths: Iron, Metal, Gods & Myth Lead: Death Metal of Metallurgy Sulfur - Treasures of the Underworld Sylvia Rose Books A necropolis is often on the west side of a settlement, relating to the setting sun, and/or near water, spiritually connected to death and Otherworld or Afterlife. In many Mycenaean tombs people are dressed, bejeweled and given food and drink, a banquet of the dead. Ereshkigal & the Mesopotamian Underworld Mot - Death & the Ugarit Underworld Wine God Liber: Liberty & Liberal Libation Back to Top

The Bronze Age Lukka (Lugga) people occupy part of the glimmering Turquoise Coast in southern Turkey by the 3rd millennium BCE. Tribal warriors, mercenaries and pirates, they're among the groups of sea peoples named in the the monumental Bronze Age collapse of c. 1250 - 1170 BCE. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Adventure See also: Amurru - God of the Amorites Urash (Uraš) Primal Queen of the Gods Arzawa - Rebel Kingdom of the Bronze Age Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Bronze Age place name Lukka is considered the forerunner of Lycia of later classical antiquity. As a people the Lukka are known for aggressive military presence and mercenary ideals. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Adventure The Hittites are friendly enough with the mercenary troops to engage them in the fight for Kadesh, a long disputed border town between Hittites and Egyptians in the Levant. Soldiers of Lukka ally with the Hittites against the Egyptian pharaoh, Ramesses II, at the Battle of Kadesh (1274 BCE). See also: Amurru: Amorite Bronze Age Kingdom Bronze Age Europe - The Amber Roads Cilicia (Kazziwatna) - Bounty & Booty Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The Battle of Kadesh is famous for the use of chariots, numbering in the thousands, on both Hittite and Egyptian sides. Egyptian chariots are smaller and lighter, and the Hittite three-wheeled chariots can carry more people and weaponry. The Battle of Kadesh involves the most chariots ever used in battle 'til then, up to 10,000. Despite plenty of bloodshed nobody wins that conflict. Ramesses II assures everyone he's the winner. He has victory stele made proclaiming his conquest. Sherden sea people appear among his personal bodyguard. See also: Sherden Sea Peoples in Ancient Egypt Uluburun - Bronze Age Shipwreck Saffron - Most Precious Ancient Spice Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books As the Lukka push borders during the early Iron Age or late Bronze Age (c. 1250 - 1150 BCE), both Hittite and Egyptian texts describe the Lukka as hostile. Not long afterward the Lukka are fighting against the Hittite Empire. The last Hittite king, Šuppiluliuma II (ruling c. 1207 - 1178 BC), battles the Lukka but their forces are overwhelming and he cannot win. Once a few warlike tribes on a small piece of coves and coastline, the Lukka are a major reason for the fall of the Hittites in c. 1180 BCE. See also: Byblos Vibrant Port City: the Egyptians Ninkarrak: Ancient Medicine Goddess Erra - Plague Demon of Mesopotamia Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle When the mythical sea peoples slash and ravage their way along the Mediterranean coasts, the Sherden and Lukka are among them. Texts of ancient Egypt name the Lukka as one of the tribes of Sea Peoples who invade Egypt, Greece, Syria and parts of the Levant in the 12th century BCE. Civilizations are wiped out and kingdoms destroyed. Greece falls into a dark age as attackers pulverize Crete, the Cyclades and Mycenae. See also: Epic of Erra - Plague God of Babylon Enuma Elish: Marduk & the Chaos Monsters Ugallu - Lion Headed Storm Demon Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Hittites, already weakened by internal rebellions and harassed by former allies, break down all systems by the dawn of the 2nd millennium. They scatter and vanish. The Kingdom of Arzawa crumbles and the c. 6500 BCE Canaanite city kingdom Ugarit is razed to the ground. See also: Anubis: Jackal-Headed God of Egypt Byblos, Vibrant Port City - Bronze Age Salt Trade - the Most Precious Mineral