Mythology: Vesta

As May is generally accepted to be the month of the fire celebration, Beltane, I thought it would only be fair to write about a fire deity. In the case, Vesta, Roman goddess of the Hearth, And on that note, a poem I wrote about her can be found in this lovely Beltane anthology.

In Roman mythology, Vesta is the Goddess associated with fire - in particular the hearth fire. She was also regarded as the guardian of the Roman people and of the city itself. Vesta was such an important deity in Roman mythology that she was counted as one of the Dii Consentes - literally, the 12 most honoured deities in the Roman pantheon, similar to the 12 Olympians of Graeco mythology.

There are few stories involving Vesta, which is surprising given her importance. The ones that are known about her are limited to tales of immaculate conception involving a phallus appearing in flames, which, I suppose, in a way is contradictory Vesta and her priestesses (The Vestals) were celibate.

Vesta, unlike many of the other Roman gods, was very rarely depicted in human form. She was depicted as fire, a fire stick or a ritual phallus. She was seen as a well-behaved deity, in that she didn't bother with the quarrelling of the other gods and she was regarded as the cleanest of the all the gods, which makes sense, given that a number of cultures view fire as something that cleanses. The ritual phallus on the other hand is associated with Vesta's connection to agriculture and fertility.

In her temple, rather than a statue, there was a fire that was dedicated to her - The Eternal Flame. The belief was that the fire had to re-lit every year to ensure the preservation and continuity of the Roman state. Clearly the Vestal Virgins didn't do their job properly since the Empire ultimately crumbled.

Image source: sara-otterstaetter.homepage.t-online.de

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Don't forget to follow me on Facebook and Twitter!

http://facebook.com/NorthSeaPoet
http://twitter.com/NorthSeaStorm

Also, my debut book A FUNERAL IN EREBUS is now out can be purchased for £7 from this location!

You can also pledge to me on Patreon: http://patreon.com/NorthSeaPoet 

Mythology: Vidar

When it comes to Norse mythology, most people will at least know of Odin, Thor and Loki. Especially since the release of Marvel's Thor. Anyway, Norse mythology is full of interesting figures, be they heroes, gods, dwarves, elves, and so on and so on. When I first developed a true interest in Norse mythology in my teenage years, there was one god I was absolutely fascinated with and that was Vidar.

Vidar is one of the sons of Odin and a half-brother to Thor. According to the myths, Vidar was the strongest of all the gods after Thor. He was also a quiet god, being as "silent as the grave".

There isn't much known about Vidar compared to the more prominent figures in Norse mythology. He does appear occasionally in the Poetic and Prose Edda. He is best known for his role at Ragnarok (The end of the current cycle but I'll cover Ragnarok in another post). At Ragnarok, Vidar avenges his father, Odin, by slamming his boot into the lower of jaw of Fenrir and grabbing the wolf's upper jaw and gradually tears the beast in two. The boot that Vidar uses to pin Fenrir's lower jaw in place is said to be bigger than the average boot, as it's made from the leather scraps of other boots that people have thrown away for Vidar to collect.  

Vidar is one of the gods that survives Ragnarok and starts the new cycle, along with his brother Vali and other members of the Aesir.

Image source: The Elder or Poetic Edda; commonly known as Sæmund's Edda. Edited and translated with introduction and notes by Olive Bray. Illustrated by W.G. Collingwood (1908)

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Don't forget to follow me on Facebook and Twitter!

http://facebook.com/NorthSeaPoet
http://twitter.com/NorthSeaStorm

Also, my debut book A FUNERAL IN EREBUS is now out can be purchased for £7 from this location!

You can also pledge to me on Patreon: http://patreon.com/NorthSeaPoet 

Mythology: Medeina

I think it's time for another mythology posting. Today, I'm writing about Medeina, the Baltic hunt goddess.

Medeina is one of the prominent deities of the Lithuanian pantheon. According to some sources, she would take one of two forms. The first being a young woman and the second being the form of a she-wolf, in which she would lead a pack of wolves.

In a way, Medeina is an Artemis-like figure, though this is a bit of a simplification, as some of her roles differ from that of her Graceo-Roman counterpart.While Medeina is regarded as a goddess of the hunt, she protected wild animals as opposed to lending aid to hunters. According to the myths, she would send a leaping hare out to lure hunters away from their path. Interestingly enough though, according to my friend Kat, during in spring, the first hunted animal would be sacrificed to Medeina.

The Hypatian Codex states that Medeina is one of the pagan deities worshipped by the Lithuanian King Mindaugas. I recall reading somewhere that he had such a respect for Medeina that if he ever saw a hare while hunting, he would leave the forest immediately for fear of incurring her wrath. Let's be honest, if any of us iknew there was a deity roaming near us that would possibly maim us or worse, we'd get as far away as possible.

According to research by French-Lithuanian scientist Algirdas Julien Greimas she was unwilling to marry though she is a voluptuous and beautiful huntress, however there is some academic confusion to as her relation to the grove god, Giraitis - he is either regarded as her twin brother or her lover.

One of Medeina's earlier roles in the Lithuanian pantheon was that of vested military interest of warriors. Sadly, after the Baptism of Lithuania, Medeina's cult declined and ultimately diminsihed.

Image source: http://maxkennedy24.tumblr.com/post/136322885822

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Don't forget to follow me on Facebook and Twitter!

http://facebook.com/NorthSeaPoet
http://twitter.com/NorthSeaStorm

Also, my debut book A FUNERAL IN EREBUS is now out can be purchased for £7 from this location!

You can also pledge to me on Patreon: http://patreon.com/NorthSeaPoet 

Nótt

The masker, thrice wed,

Who brings the joy-of-sleep,

Before the Day, her son, she rides

Around Jord, the earth, that she birthed

She is Darkness and the Night,

Eternal Dream Goddess

Nótt is a poem from my upcoming book, She Set The Sky Ablaze. The piece is about Nótt, the Old Norse personification of Night. According to the myths, she was married three times and was the mother of Jord (Earth) and Dag (Day).

Image source: Nott riding Hrimfaxi by Peter Nicolai Arbo. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Don't forget to follow me on Facebook and Twitter!

http://facebook.com/NorthSeaPoet
http://twitter.com/NorthSeaStorm

Also, my debut book A FUNERAL IN EREBUS is now out can be purchased for £7 from this location!

You can also pledge to me on Patreon: http://patreon.com/NorthSeaPoet