The Mythological Substance of Humanity

Convictions, morals, other societies and religions.
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Jiva
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The Mythological Substance of Humanity

Post by Jiva »

For those who are influenced by – or have an affinity to – a particular mythology or group of mythologies, does the mythological substance of humanity have any effect on you regarding everyday life, philosophical speculation etc.?

I find the subject quite interesting in itself, so I thought I’d list a few of the major examples…

Abrahamic:
  • Judeo-Christian – Jahweh created man from “the slime of the Earth”, i.e. clay, in his image. Woman was later created from Adam’s rib.
  • Islam – much the same as the above, yet the Koran states that man and woman are derived from the same soul. Mohammed later states Eve was similarly created from Adam’s rib.
Greek: Prometheus created men from clay in his image. Woman was later created by Zeus, presumably by a similar method (I’m not very familiar with this), in the image of the goddesses.

Hindu: The different castes of humanity are derived from different parts of the primordial being Puruṣa.

Scandinavian: Humanity created by Óðinn, Hœnir and Lóðurr from two bits of driftwood – man from Ash, women from Elm. Castes are later engendered by Heimdallr.
'Oh Krishna, restless and overpowering, this mind is overwhelmingly strong; I think we might as easily gain control over the wind as over this.'
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Nefastos
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Re: The Mythological Substance of Humanity

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Jiva wrote:does the mythological substance of humanity have any effect on you regarding everyday life, philosophical speculation etc.?


Personally I lack the humility that could be the result of seeing such humus-based humanity as a fascinating mythical picture. I just don't feel any personal connection when studying such myths. And yeah, certainly such a lack of self-identifying understanding brings (or represents) some extra challenges in my life.

But I guess that the theosophical lore of anthropogenesis can also be taken as a myth, and especially some parts of it certainly hold a meaning & become all the time visible in my everyday life. These are:

1) The fall of angels, where spiritual beings became the innermost soul of man.
2) The first so called root races of man, millions of years before man assumed his humanoid shape.

The first is very meaningful both to my psychological & cosmological experiences and to my particular form of Satanism in everyday life. The second is extremely interesting as I see the current problems of humankind as something like a reflection or echos or paratemporal presence of those atavistic, still partly unconquered pre-human challenges brought upon us by the chaotic & purely energetical side of being. Before reason or even definite form existed, there already was a human soul, although barely conscious; it was monstrous in a way, because that was the way to world was in those ancient times. And the same almost purely power aspect struggle is still going on in our much more nuanced & sublime world. Still we wrestle with those chaotic, turbulent forces.

These occult teachings or myths concerning the origins of humankind I find extremely interesting & telling. I believe in them, & they help to shape my everyday experiences as a human (or whatever!) being.
Faust: "Lo contempla. / Ei muove in tortuosa spire / e s'avvicina lento alla nostra volta. / Oh! se non erro, / orme di foco imprime al suol!"
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Heith
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Re: The Mythological Substance of Humanity

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Jiva wrote: Scandinavian: Humanity created by Óðinn, Hœnir and Lóðurr from two bits of driftwood – man from Ash, women from Elm. Castes are later engendered by Heimdallr.
If I remember correctly Askr & Embla are not that easily translated. I think I've read that they are not sure what "embla" means -but again I don't remember where I've read this from.

To your question anyhow.

I do feel strong connection to nature, and at one point I thought I'd like to be born again as a tree. Trees are becoming more and more meaningful to me, particularly the spruce. I feel better when I'm surrounded by them. But this I guess is true to anyone (except for Nefastos who hates Pines). I guess a part of the meaningfulness of trees has to do with researching for my article which has made me understood the symbolism of certain tree types better, and helps me to place them in context and to compare the mythological stories a little bit better.

Kalevala describes the creation of Väinämöinen, but I don't know if this can be thought to be the creation of humanity, because Väinämöinen is a god-like figure. He is born from Ilmatar who descents into water and gets pregnant from waves. The world is created when a bird lays eggs on Ilmatar's knee, and as she moves the eggs fall and break, forming the world. Väinämöinen is created from the union of Ilmatar ("ilma" = air) and water. This is similar to Askr & Embla, as they too were discovered near water as pieces of driftwood. I believe you mentioned something concerning foam in your article, which just popped to mind as that would be a mixture of air and water. But I might remember incorrectly as it's getting rather late.
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Nefastos
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Re: The Mythological Substance of Humanity

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Heith wrote:Kalevala describes the creation of Väinämöinen, but I don't know if this can be thought to be the creation of humanity, because Väinämöinen is a god-like figure. He is born from Ilmatar who descents into water and gets pregnant from waves. The world is created when a bird lays eggs on Ilmatar's knee, and as she moves the eggs fall and break, forming the world. Väinämöinen is created from the union of Ilmatar ("ilma" = air) and water.


I think that Väinämöinen could well be taken as an archetype of human, if not humankind per se. If we interprete it thus, it's not actually the same as to the humankind's "creation substance", but it's still interesting to see that in Kalevala we only have Air & Water present. We also have Fire or heat in the process of incubating eggs specifically mentioned, but Väinämöinen isn't born from those World Eggs, but directly from the Mother, and by his own force of will, no less. The original poems that were sung before Lönnrot composed the book Kalevala did not seem to draw such a strong line between Ilmatar's (Ilman Impi: "Virgin of the Air") later state of being as Veen Emonen ("Mother of Waters") and Väinämöinen. Väinämöinen and Veen Emonen are pronounced very similarly, and in some elder poems pre-dating Kalevala are seen the same person altogether. Similarities to the symbolism of Air/Water and the hermaphrodite creator in Genesis I are interesting to note.

The Virgin of the Air and the Mother of the Waters also seem to correspond to the 1st & 2nd of my above mentioned mythical "substances" in the word's wider meaning: the angelic intellect & the pure chaotic force within humanity. The first descends (falls) to form the individuating & conscious/human part of the latter.

Heith wrote:(except for Nefastos who hates Pines)


:lol: This is true. I think it's not only because of some forgotten associations of the subconscious mind, but also with the fundamental essence of those things. It's just terrible, and here in Finland, they are everywhere...

As of human substance being born & tied to the trees, that's exceptionally interesting symbols. In the old Christian myth, the cross upon which Jesus was crucified was made from the tree that grew at Adam's grave. Kalevala also has it's creation myth of the Great Oak, although there neither does humanity itself spring directly from the tree.
Faust: "Lo contempla. / Ei muove in tortuosa spire / e s'avvicina lento alla nostra volta. / Oh! se non erro, / orme di foco imprime al suol!"
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