Greenman, Hades, Horus The Greenman NAME: The Greenman. Silvanus. The Green Knight. SYMBOLS: Man's face surrounded by leaves. USUAL IMAGE: A man that seems to be made out of plant life. A normal man save that he is a bright green in color. HOLY DAYS May the 1st. PLACE OF WORSHIP: The forest, to be sure! MAJOR TABOOS: Taking without putting a bit back. RELATIVES: Not many detailed myths, but does seem to have something to do with a number of local Earth Goddesses. And in the Arthurian story he does have an unnamed wife. SYNODEITIES: Pan (Greek), Gaia (Roman), Meilikki (Finnish) Swamp Thing (DC Comics). DETAILS: The Greenman is a mostly mythless god that appears on Gothic churches as a male face surrounded by leaves. This was based on the image of nature as an awakened initiator, a guardian and revealer of nature's mysteries, whose body was wild nature itself. He also shows up in the tales of King Arthur, when he shows up in green armor riding a green horse. Riding right into court, he offers to let any knight take a swing at his neck, noting that if he should live the knight must seek him out one year later and let the Green Knight take the same strike at his neck. Sir Gawain, the most handsome and fearless of knights, accepted the stranger's challenge and chopped the Green Knight's head off with one stroke. As the head is rolling around on the floor the Green Knight's body walks over, picks up the head, puts it back on, and leaves - reminding Gawain to look for him in one year. One year later Gawain arrives at the chapel where the Green Knight lives. There he was tested by the Knight's wife. He succumbed somewhat to her. Later he offers his neck to the Green Knight who wings his sword but stops just before it would have hit - save he gives him a small nick to remind him of his indiscretion. Hades Hades is the Greek God of Death and the Underworld. He is the brother of Zeus, son of Cronos and Rhea and the husband of Persephone. Hades is also the God of great wealth as gems and minerals exist only within the underworld, also known (rather conveniently) as Hades. He is depicted as a dark haired, dark bearded God driving a black chariot pulled by black horses. He carries a harpoon or sometimes a scepter, as well as a key. Hades, the Kingdom, is a rather interesting place full of rivers and various levels. It has been described by everyone from the ancient Greeks and Romans down to Dante and his "Inferno." Piers Anthony has, during the last decade, done a credible job at giving a graphic description of Hades and it's occupants while naming it Hell, a Christianesque term. Hades is not associated with Satan nor does he rule over the eternal torment of sinners. Instead, there are many sections of the kingdom of Hades where individuals rest, wander, lament, or engage in other activities. There are, indeed, some nasty places, but also some adequate areas. The biggest problem seems to be having the coin to pay the ferryman (Charon) to get across the River Styx, and dealing with the judges. HORUS NAME: Horus. also: Hor-akhuti (Horus of the Horizons), Hor-behedet, Hadit, Hor-pa-kraat (Horus the Child), Her-ur (Horus the Elder), Ra-Hoor-Khuit. SYMBOLS: a falcon, the Eye of Horus. USUAL IMAGE: A human with the head of a falcon, some said that he had one blue eye and one red eye. HOLY BOOKS: Liber Al Vel Legis. RELATIVES: Osiris (father), Isis (mother), Set (Uncle), Amset, Duamutef, Hapi, Qebhsenuef (sons). SYNODEITIES: Chih-Chiang Fyu-Ya (Chinese), Nuada (Celtic), Thor (Norse) DETAILS: One of the most important deities of Egypt. Horus as now conceived is a mixture of the original deities known as "Horus the Child" and "Horus the Elder". As the Child, Horus is the son of Osiris and Isis, who, upon reaching adulthood, becomes known as Her-nedj-tef-ef ("Horus, Avenger of His Father") by avenging his father's death, by defeating and casting out his evil uncle Set. He then became the divine prototype of the Pharaoh. As Horus the Elder, he was also the patron deity of Upper (Southern) Egypt from the earliest times; initially, viewed as the twin brother of Set (the patron of Lower Egypt), but he became the conqueror of Set c. 3000 B.C.E. when Upper Egypt conquered Lower Egypt and formed the unified kingdom of Egypt. He had four sons called: Amset - who was represented as a mummified man. He was the protector of the liver of the deceased, and was protected by the goddess Isis. Duamutef - who was represented as a mummified man with the head of a jackal. He was the protector of the stomach of the deceased, and was protected by the goddess Neith. Hapi - who was represented as a mummified man with the head of a baboon. He was the protector of the lungs of the deceased, and was protected by the goddess Nephthys. The name Hapi, spelled identically in most but not all cases, is also the name of the god who was the personification of the River Nile, epicted as a corpulent man (fat signifying abundance) with a crown of lilies or papyrus stems. Qebhsenuef - who was represented as a mummified mman with the head of a falcon. He was the protector of the intestines of the deceased, and was protected by the goddess Serket. |