Gods of the air in different mythologies. Mythical male and female names and their meanings

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Mythical names

Mythical male and female names and their meanings

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Mythical names. Mythical male and female names and their meanings

Ancient Greek mythology expressed a living sensory perception of the surrounding reality with all its diversity and colors. Behind every phenomenon of the material world - thunderstorm, war, storm, dawn, lunar eclipse, according to the Greeks, there was an act of one or another god.

Theogony

The classical Greek pantheon consisted of 12 Olympian deities. However, the inhabitants of Olympus were not the first inhabitants of the earth and the creators of the world. According to the poet Hesiod's Theogony, the Olympians were only the third generation of gods. At the very beginning there was only Chaos, from which eventually emerged:

• Nyukta (Night),
• Gaia (Earth),
• Uranus (Sky),
• Tartarus (Abyss),
• Skothos (Darkness),
• Erebus (Darkness).

These forces should be considered the first generation of Greek gods. The children of Chaos married each other, giving birth to gods, seas, mountains, monsters and various amazing creatures - hecatoncheires and titans. The grandchildren of Chaos are considered to be the second generation of gods.

Uranus became the ruler of the whole world, and his wife was Gaia, the mother of all things. Uranus feared and hated his many titan children, so immediately after their birth he hid the babies back into the womb of Gaia. Gaia suffered greatly from the fact that she could not give birth, but the youngest of her children, the titan Kronos, came to her aid. He overthrew and castrated his father.

The children of Uranus and Gaia were finally able to emerge from their mother's womb. Kronos married one of his sisters, the Titanide Rhea, and became the supreme deity. His reign became a real “golden age”. However, Kronos feared for his power. Uranus predicted to him that one of Kronos' children would do to him the same way as Kronos himself did to his father. Therefore, all the children born to Rhea - Hestia, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Demeter - were swallowed by the titan. Rhea managed to hide her last son, Zeus. Zeus grew up, freed his brothers and sisters, and then began to fight his father. So the titans and the third generation of gods - the future Olympians - clashed in battle. Hesiod calls these events the “Titanomachy” (literally “Battle of the Titans”). The struggle ended with the victory of the Olympians and the fall of the titans into the abyss of Tartarus.

Modern researchers are inclined to believe that the Titanomachy was not an empty fantasy based on nothing. In fact, this episode reflected important social changes in life Ancient Greece. The archaic chthonic deities - the titans, who were worshiped by the ancient Greek tribes, gave way to new deities who personified order, law and statehood. The tribal system and matriarchy are becoming a thing of the past; they are being replaced by the polis system and the patriarchal cult of epic heroes.

Olympian Gods

Thanks to numerous literary works, many ancient Greek myths have survived to this day. Unlike Slavic mythology, which has been preserved in fragmentary and incomplete form, ancient Greek folklore has been deeply and comprehensively studied. The pantheon of the ancient Greeks included hundreds of gods, however, only 12 of them were given the leading role. There is no canonical list of Olympians. In different versions of myths, the pantheon may include different gods.

Zeus

At the head of the ancient Greek pantheon was Zeus. He and his brothers - Poseidon and Hades - cast lots to divide the world among themselves. Poseidon got the oceans and seas, Hades got the kingdom of the souls of the dead, and Zeus got the sky. Under the rule of Zeus, law and order are established throughout the earth. For the Greeks, Zeus was the personification of the Cosmos, opposing ancient Chaos. In a narrower sense, Zeus was the god of wisdom, as well as thunder and lightning.

Zeus was very prolific. From goddesses and earthly women he had many children - gods, mythical creatures, heroes and kings.

A very interesting moment in the biography of Zeus is his fight with the titan Prometheus. The Olympian gods destroyed the first people who lived on earth since the time of Kronos. Prometheus created new people and taught them crafts; for their sake, the titan even stole fire from Olympus. An angry Zeus ordered Prometheus to be chained to a rock, where an eagle flew every day and pecked the titan's liver. In order to take revenge on the people created by Prometheus for their self-will, Zeus sent to them Pandora, a beauty who opened a box in which diseases and various misfortunes of the human race were hidden.

Despite such a vindictive disposition, in general, Zeus is a bright and fair deity. Next to his throne there are two vessels - with good and evil, depending on the actions of people, Zeus draws gifts from the vessels, sending mortals either punishment or mercy.

Poseidon

Zeus's brother, Poseidon, is the ruler of such a changeable element as water. Like the ocean, it can be wild and wild. Most likely, Poseidon was originally an earthly deity. This version explains why the cult animals of Poseidon were quite “land” bulls and horses. Hence the epithets that were given to the god of the seas - “earth shaker”, “land ruler”.

In myths, Poseidon often opposes his thunder brother. For example, he supports the Achaeans in the war against Troy, on whose side Zeus was.

Almost the entire commercial and fishing life of the Greeks depended on the sea. Therefore, rich sacrifices were regularly made to Poseidon, thrown directly into the water.

Hera

Despite the huge number of connections with a variety of women, Zeus’s closest companion all this time was his sister and wife, Hera. Although Hera was the main female deity on Olympus, she was actually only the third wife of Zeus. The first wife of the Thunderer was the wise oceanid Metis, whom he imprisoned in his womb, and the second was the goddess of justice Themis - the mother of the seasons and moira - the goddesses of fate.

Although divine spouses often quarrel and cheat on each other, the union of Hera and Zeus symbolizes all monogamous marriages on earth and relationships between men and women in general.

Distinguished by jealous, and sometimes cruel-tempered, Hera was still the keeper of the family hearth, the protector of mothers and children. Greek women prayed to Hera for a message to them good husband, pregnancy or easy childbirth.

Perhaps Hera's confrontation with her husband reflects the chthonic character of this goddess. According to one version, touching the earth, she even gives birth to a monstrous serpent - Typhon. Obviously, Hera is one of the first female deities of the Peloponnesian Peninsula, an evolved and reworked image of the mother goddess.

Ares

Ares was the son of Hera and Zeus. He personified war, and war not in the form of a liberation confrontation, but a senseless bloody massacre. It is believed that Ares, who has absorbed part of his mother’s chthonic violence, is extremely treacherous and cunning. He uses his power to sow murder and discord.

In myths, Zeus’s dislike for his bloodthirsty son can be traced, however, without Ares, even a just war is impossible.

Athena

Athena's birth was very unusual. One day Zeus began to suffer from severe headaches. To ease the suffering of the Thunderer, the god Hephaestus hits him on the head with an ax. A beautiful maiden in armor and with a spear emerges from the resulting wound. Zeus, seeing his daughter, was very happy. The newborn goddess received the name Athena. She became her father's main assistant - the keeper of law and order and the personification of wisdom. Technically, Athena's mother was Metis, imprisoned within Zeus.

Since the warlike Athena embodied both the feminine and masculine principles, she did not need a spouse and remained virginal. The goddess patronized warriors and heroes, but only those of them who wisely managed their strength. Thus, the goddess balanced the rampage of her bloodthirsty brother Ares.

Hephaestus

Hephaestus, the patron saint of blacksmithing, crafts and fire, was the son of Zeus and Hera. He was born lame in both legs. Hera was disgusted by the ugly and sick baby, so she threw him off Olympus. Hephaestus fell into the sea, where Thetis picked him up. On the seabed, Hephaestus mastered the blacksmith's craft and began to forge wonderful things.

For the Greeks, Hephaestus, thrown from Olympus, personified, although ugly, a very smart and kind god who helps everyone who turns to him.

To teach his mother a lesson, Hephaestus forged a golden throne for her. When Hera sat down in it, shackles closed on her arms and legs, which none of the gods could unfasten. Despite all the persuasion, Hephaestus stubbornly refused to go to Olympus to free Hera. Only Dionysus, who intoxicated Hephaestus, was able to bring the blacksmith god. After his release, Hera recognized her son and gave him Aphrodite as his wife. However, Hephaestus did not live long with his flighty wife and entered into a second marriage with the Charita Aglaya, the goddess of goodness and joy.

Hephaestus is the only Olympian constantly busy with work. He forges lightning bolts, magic items, armor and weapons for Zeus. From his mother, he, like Ares, inherited some chthonic traits, however, not so destructive. Hephaestus' connection with the underworld is emphasized by his fiery nature. However, the fire of Hephaestus is not a destructive flame, but a home fire that warms people, or a blacksmith's forge with which you can make many useful things.

Demeter

One of the daughters of Rhea and Kronos, Demeter, was the patroness of fertility and agriculture. Like many female deities personifying Mother Earth, Demeter had a direct connection with the world of the dead. After Hades kidnapped her daughter Persephone with Zeus, Demeter fell into mourning. Eternal winter reigned on the earth; thousands of people died of hunger. Then Zeus demanded that Persephone spend only one third of the year with Hades, and return to her mother for two thirds.

It is believed that Demeter taught people agriculture. She also gave fertility to plants, animals and people. The Greeks believed that at the mysteries dedicated to Demeter, the boundaries between the world of the living and the dead were erased. Archaeological excavations show that in some areas of Greece, human sacrifices were even made to Demeter.

Aphrodite

Aphrodite - the goddess of love and beauty - appeared on earth in a very unusual way. After the castration of Uranus, Kronos threw his father's genital organ into the sea. Since Uranus was very fertile, beautiful Aphrodite emerged from the sea foam that formed in this place.

The goddess knew how to send love to people and gods, which she often used. One of the main attributes of Aphrodite was her wonderful belt, which made any woman beautiful. Due to Aphrodite's fickle temperament, many suffered from her spell. The vengeful goddess could cruelly punish those who rejected her gifts or offended her in some way.

Apollo and Artemis

Apollo and Artemis are the children of the goddess Leto and Zeus. Hera was extremely angry with Leto, so she pursued her all over the earth and for a long time did not allow her to give birth. In the end, on the island of Delos, surrounded by Rhea, Themis, Amphitrite and other goddesses, Leto gave birth to two twins. Artemis was the first to be born and immediately began to help her mother in giving birth to her brother.

With a bow and arrows, Artemis, surrounded by nymphs, began to wander through the forests. The virgin goddess-hunter was the patroness of wild and domestic animals and all living things on earth. Both young girls and pregnant women, whom she protected, turned to her for help.

Her brother became the patron of the arts and healing. Apollo brings harmony and tranquility to Olympus. This god is considered one of the main symbols of the classical period in the history of Ancient Greece. He brings elements of beauty and light to everything he does, gives people the gift of foresight, teaches them to cure illnesses and play music.

Hestia

Unlike most of the cruel and vengeful Olympians, Zeus's elder sister, Hestia, was distinguished by a peaceful and calm disposition. The Greeks revered her as the guardian of the hearth and the sacred fire. Hestia adhered to chastity and refused all the gods who offered her marriage.

The cult of Hestia was very widespread in Greece. It was believed that she helps to conduct sacred ceremonies and protects peace in families.

Hermes

The patron of trade, wealth, dexterity and theft - Hermes, most likely, was originally an ancient Asian rogue demon. Over time, the Greeks turned the minor trickster into one of the most powerful gods. Hermes was the son of Zeus and the nymph Maia. Like all children of Zeus, he demonstrated his amazing abilities from birth. So, on the very first day after his birth, Hermes learned to play the cithara and stole Apollo's cows.

In myths, Hermes appears not only as a deceiver and a thief, but also as a faithful assistant. He often rescued heroes and gods from difficult situations, bringing them weapons, magic herbs or some other necessary items. The distinctive attribute of Hermes were winged sandals and a caduceus - a rod around which two snakes were entwined.

Hermes was revered by shepherds, traders, moneylenders, travelers, swindlers, alchemists and fortune-tellers.

Hades

Hades, the ruler of the world of the dead, is not always included among the Olympian gods, since he lived not on Olympus, but in gloomy Hades. However, he was certainly a very powerful and influential deity. The Greeks were afraid of Hades and preferred not to say his name out loud, replacing it with various epithets. Some researchers believe that Hades is a different form of Zeus.

Although Hades was the god of the dead, he also bestowed fertility and wealth. At the same time, he himself, as befits such a deity, had no children; he even had to kidnap his wife, because none of the goddesses wanted to descend into the underworld.

The cult of Hades was almost not widespread. Only one temple is known where sacrifices were made to the king of the dead only once a year.

Gods of Olympus of Ancient Greece

The names of the ancient Greek gods that everyone knows - Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hephaestus - are actually the descendants of the main inhabitants of heaven - the Titans. Having defeated them, the younger gods, led by Zeus, became the inhabitants of Mount Olympus. The Greeks worshiped, revered and paid tribute to the 12 gods of Olympus, personifying in Ancient Greece elements, virtue or the most important areas of social and cultural life.

Worshiped Ancient Greeks and Hades, but he did not live on Olympus, but lived underground, in the kingdom of the dead.

Who is more important? Gods of Ancient Greece

They got along well with each other, but sometimes there were clashes between them. From their life, which is described in Ancient Greek treatises, the legends and myths of this country emerged. Among the celestials there were those who occupied the high steps of the podium, while others were content with glory, being at the feet of the rulers. The list of gods of Olympia is as follows:

• Zeus.

• Hera.

• Hephaestus.

• Athena.

• Poseidon.

• Apollo.

• Artemis.

• Ares.

• Demeter.

• Hermes.

• Aphrodite.

• Hestia.

Zeus- the most important of all. He is the king of all gods. This thunderer personifies the endless firmament. Led by lightning. It is this ruler who distributes good and evil on the planet, the Greeks believed. The son of the titans married his own sister. Their four children were named Ilithyia, Hebe, Hephaestus and Ares. Zeus is a terrible traitor. He constantly engaged in adultery with other goddesses. He did not neglect earthly girls either. Zeus had something to surprise them with. He appeared to the Greek women either in the form of rain, or as a swan or a bull. Symbols of Zeus are eagle, thunder, oak.

Poseidon. This god ruled over the sea elements. In importance he was in second place after Zeus. In addition to oceans, seas and rivers, storms and sea monsters, Poseidon was “responsible” for earthquakes and volcanoes. In ancient Greek mythology, he was the brother of Zeus. Poseidon lived in a palace under water. He rode around in a rich chariot drawn by white horses. The trident is the symbol of this Greek god.

Hera. She is the main of the female goddesses. This celestial goddess patronizes family traditions, marriage and love unions. Hera is jealous. She cruelly punishes people for adultery.

Apollo- son of Zeus. He is the twin brother of Artemis. Initially, this god was the personification of light, the sun. But gradually his cult expanded its borders. This god turned into the patron of the beauty of the soul, mastery of art, and everything beautiful. The muses were under his influence. Before the Greeks, he appeared in a rather refined image of a man with aristocratic features. Apollo played excellent music and was engaged in healing and divination. He is the father of the god Asclepius, the patron saint of doctors. At one time, Apollo destroyed the terrible monster that occupied Delphi. For this he was exiled for 8 years. Later he created his own oracle, the symbol of which was the laurel.

Without Artemis The ancient Greeks did not imagine hunting. The patroness of forests personifies fertility, birth and high relations between the sexes.

Athena. Everything related to wisdom, spiritual beauty and harmony is under the auspices of this goddess. She is a great inventor, lover of science and art. Artisans and farmers are subordinate to her. Athena “gives the go-ahead” for the construction of cities and buildings. Thanks to her, public life flows smoothly. This goddess is called upon to protect the walls of fortresses and castles.

Hermes. This ancient Greek god is quite mischievous and has earned the reputation of being a fidget. Hermes is the patron of travelers and traders. He is also the messenger of the gods on earth. It was on his heels that charming wings began to shine for the first time. The Greeks attribute traits of resourcefulness to Hermes. He is cunning, smart and knows everything foreign languages. When Hermes stole a dozen cows from Apollo, earning his wrath. But he was forgiven, because Apollo was captivated by the invention of Hermes - the lyre, which he presented to the god of beauty.

Ares. This god personifies war and everything connected with it. All kinds of battles and battles - under the representation of Ares. He is always young, strong and handsome. The Greeks painted him as powerful and warlike.

Aphrodite. She is the goddess of love and sensuality. Aphrodite constantly incites her son Eros to shoot arrows that ignite the fire of love in the hearts of people. Eros is the prototype of the Roman Cupid, a boy with a bow and quiver.

Hymen- god of marriage. Its bonds bind the hearts of people who met and fell in love with each other at first sight. Ancient Greek wedding chants were called "hymens".

Hephaestus- god of volcanoes and fire. Potters and blacksmiths are under his patronage. This is a hardworking and kind god. His fate did not turn out very well. He was born with a limp because his mother Hera threw him from Mount Olympus. Hephaestus was educated by the goddesses - the queens of the sea. On Olympus he returned and generously rewarded Achilles, presenting him with a shield and Helios with a chariot.
Demeter. She personifies the forces of nature that people have conquered. This is agriculture. A person’s entire life is under the watchful control of Demeter - from birth to deathbed.
Hestia. This goddess patronizes family ties, protects the hearth and comfort. The Greeks took care of offerings to Hestia by setting up altars in their homes. All residents of one city are one big community-family, the Greeks are sure. Even in the main city building there was a symbol of Hestia's sacrifices.
Hades- ruler of the kingdom of the dead. In his underground world, dark creatures, dark shadows, and demonic monsters rejoice. Hades is considered one of the most powerful gods. He moved around the kingdom of Hades in a chariot made of gold. His horses are black. Hades - owns untold wealth. All the gems and ores that are contained in the depths belong to him. The Greeks feared him more than fire and even Zeus himself.

Except 12 gods of Olympus and Hades, the Greeks also have a lot of gods and even demigods. All of them are descendants and brothers of the main celestials. Each of them has its own legends or myths.

Seaside mosaic. Thessaloniki, history and attractions

Athenian cemeteries and burial customs

Keramik, the area of ​​potters, is also the territory of an ancient cemetery. It is located west of the Agora. Part of the ancient cemetery is occupied by excavations by German archaeologists. The first cemetery is the most interesting one that emerged after the restoration of independence of Athens. Both cemeteries contain some of the most moving examples of art from the era. According to ancient Athenian custom, the dead were buried outside the city walls. Those killed in war were usually buried where they died, but at the beginning of the 5th century BC. e. they began to bring the dead home and give them a state funeral in a common cemetery outside the city walls, in Keramika

Leptocaria

Homer's Iliad

"The Iliad" is a poem about war. The poem is called “The Iliad” in honor of Ilion (i.e. Troy), the city where the events described in the poem take place. In the 12th century BC, Greek tribes captured and burned Troy, a powerful city located on the Asian shore of the Hellespont. The theme of the Iliad is Achilles' "wrath" against Agamemnon and its terrible consequences. All events in the Iliad take place over 52 days; the poem consists of 15,537 verses, which form 24 songs

Salamis Island: the story of the great battle

The Persians, defeated in a fierce battle near Marathon by an enemy whose forces were much smaller, were forced to return to Asia, and for ten years they could not come to terms with their defeat. A decade later, they began a new military campaign that would last for many years. Athens at that time itself was the site of political battles between the democratic group and the aristocrats, supported by large and medium-sized landowners.

There are great gods, such as Vishnu and Shiva, Zeus and Kronos, Allah and Christ, and small gods, so to speak, little gods. In India, in the Vedic pantheon, these are, for example, the gods Aditi, who embody freedom, liberation from evil. Gods are also interstate (Mithra, Christ, Allah), state ( Japanese goddess Amaterasu), national (the god of the Jews is Yahweh), urban, local, street (among the ancient Romans), clan, tribal, family (among the ancient Romans they were called lares and penates) and personal (“the personal” god of the ruler of Lagash was the god Ningishzida, and the personal god of the hero of the Sumerian epic Gilgamesh was Lugalbande).

Each populated center of Mesopotamia had its own god. The so-called “Great Tablet,” consisting of 12 columns, apparently contained more than 2,500 names of gods. They had wives and children, countless retinues of servants. In many documents that have come down to us, along with the main gods, all their ministers, children and even slaves are listed. These gods lived very well, one might even say luxuriously. They lived in magnificent temples, in which they received vassals, like autocrats.

According to the Indian Vedas (the oldest monument of Indian religious literature dating from the end of the 2nd - beginning of the 1st millennium BC), there are 33 major and millions of minor
demigods who are responsible for managing world processes. There are much fewer gods in Japan: in the 8th-10th centuries there were only 3,132 gods in the Shinto pantheon of Japan. There were about the same number of gods
V ancient india- 3,339 gods are mentioned in Vedic hymns. The Aztecs had a large number of gods - several thousand.

It is already clear from what has been said that there are a huge number of gods in the world. The question naturally arises, do they know about each other? Apparently, they often do not even suspect the existence of other gods or pretend that other gods do not exist. They learn about the existence of other gods only when, as a result of the war, they find themselves victorious or defeated. In one case, they become the main gods, and the gods of the defeated people become secondary. In other cases, the gods of the defeated people and their priests (priests) are simply destroyed.

When our Prince Vladimir in 988, for political and economic reasons, decided to accept a religion alien to our people - Christianity, his squad began to destroy - break, chop and drown the image of the gods to whom the Eastern Slavs had prayed for a thousand years, as well as places of worship - temple. This began the forced Christianization of Rus'. The pagan gods themselves - Veles, Dazhdbog, Khors, Perun and even the ancient god Rod were unable (or did not want) to defend themselves! Christ did not enter into communication with them, but with the help of his new followers - newly converted Christians, he simply destroyed them. And at the same time, the entire ancient Russian culture was destroyed.

And when the Spanish conquistadors conquered the states of the Mayans and Aztecs, the latter learned that in addition to their gods there was a powerful god, Jesus Christ. Apparently, it was during this period that the gods of the Indians learned about the existence of a powerful Christian god. The Christian god, following the example of his father, Yahweh the Host, did not want to be friends with the Indian gods and, with the help of his followers and faithful servants, began to destroy not only these gods, but also the people who believed in them.

It is interesting to note that the gods Yahweh, Christ and Allah, who claim to have sole rights, do not want to acknowledge the existence of not only pagan gods, but also gods, like them, who consider themselves to be the only ones. For example, Allah, who demands from his followers a daily fivefold recognition that he is the only God: “There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet.” The Jewish god Yahweh (Sabaoth) also does not want to recognize other gods, who demands that those who worship him, i.e. his slaves did not worship, and therefore did not create images of other gods: “Do not make yourself an idol!” The Christian god Christ also demanded this (although earlier, today he no longer demands it). However, the position of Christ is extremely difficult. Of course he wants to be considered the only God. But at the same time, he is part of the trinity of gods, in which there is one more single God - Yahweh (Sabaoth), who is also God the Father. This is stated in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, adopted in 325. It should be noted that a paradoxical conclusion follows from this stubborn and extremely impolite statement towards other gods. Denying the existence of other gods, and also demanding that people not worship them, they act as real atheists and even atheists.

It turns out that the very first atheist in the world is the Jewish god Yahweh. True, he is an inconsistent atheist - he and his followers deny the existence of other gods, declaring that they are not real, because there is only one real God! It is no secret that, as a rule, there are no asexual gods - they are all divided into male and female gods. At the same time, in Ancient Greece there was a god who had characteristics of both sexes - male and female - Hermaphroditus. And among the African Bombara tribe, many of the gods could even freely change their gender, appearing either male or female.
female hypostasis. For example, the god Odudva in some myths was a male deity, and in others - a female (goddess of the Earth).

Most of the gods were and continue to be masculine gods. But there are also plenty of female gods. Proponents of gender equality may be satisfied by the fact that goddesses
occupied very important positions in the society of the gods. Although most Sun gods are male, there are also female Sun deities. Thus, among the Hittites in the 17th-12th centuries BC, the Sun was a goddess called Metzulla. Moreover, she was not only the goddess of the Sun, but also the main deity of this people. The sun deity of the Japanese today is the goddess Amaterasu. The ancient Egyptians had fertility gods Baal (Baal), Min, Ptah, Sepa, Serapis, Khnum and Banebjent and fertility goddesses - Anuke, Renenut, Taurt and Heket. The water of the Egyptians was controlled by the god of water Sebek and the goddess of water Sebekted who appeared later. The only exceptions were the proto-gods (supreme gods), who were male.

It is interesting to note that feminism occurs not only among people, but also among gods. Among many peoples, goddesses were in no way inferior to gods and occupied such purely masculine positions as those responsible for war and hunting. So, among the ancient Egyptians, the goddess Astarte (aka Anat) ruled the war. She was also responsible for the war chariots. And in another form, Anat also performed the duties of the deity of hunting. The Greek goddess of wisdom, Athena, was also responsible for justice in the conduct of military operations. One of her names - Promachos - “advanced fighter” - would do honor to any male deity of war.

In general, just like among people, patriarchy reigned among the gods. The wives of even the supreme gods could not equal in their role and importance to those of their husbands. In Ugaritic myths, the highest god was the father of the gods, El. He had a wife, Ela, who was called the mother of the gods. The creators of the world among the ancient Mayans were a trio of gods - the gods Cucumac and Huracan and the goddess Tepev. The ancient Greek goddess Hera - the wife of Zeus - often objected to him and even argued with him at the council of the gods. It ended with the angry Thunderer threatening her with punishment and then she fell silent. She remembered well how he once subjected her to scourging, how he bound her with golden chains and hung her between heaven and earth, tying two heavy anvils to her feet. To think carefully about who is in charge in the house and how to behave as an exemplary wife.

As a rule, the gods are very rich, which is not surprising since they have great power. Already in ancient Sumer (Mesopotamia, 3rd millennium BC) all arable land belonged to God, while the king-priest was only a manager, a “tenant farmer,” as he titled himself. But this land had to be cultivated, so thousands of people worked for God. For a very meager reward. The priests of this god inspired believers that work in the fields belonging to God is the fulfillment of religious duties prescribed by God himself. Therefore, it is not appropriate for them to grumble. True, for some reason they did not understand that this work was a great joy for them. Apparently they were not very conscious then. God himself has no time
was to explain this to people.

Not much poorer than this god of Sumer was the god of another Sumerian city-state - Ur, the moon god Nanna. He received not only a tenth of the entire harvest (this is where Christians' church tithes come from), but also rent. Today, the richest god is the Muslim god Allah - the whole world belongs to him. And so that all the faithful do not forget about this, the Arabs of the Middle East usually knock out an inscription in Arabic on a stone slab above the front door of their house: “Property of God.” Interestingly, the other ruling Gods do not dispute this. According to the concepts of good and evil, there are good and evil gods. The good ones, for example, include the Indian Ashwins - the Ushas brothers. They control honey, the nectar of life, as well as soma (intoxicant). They are the ones who give honey to bees and treat gods and people with them. They love to help: they rescue shipwrecked people, restore lost fertility to women, and find husbands for old maids. They also help the newlywed to enter her husband’s house. The Japanese Ainu also have a division into good and evil gods.

The ancient Egyptians had a deity, Hu, who personified the will of God, his creative word. And the African Yoruba tribe until recently had the god Elegba, who represented... the wrath of their other god Fa. The gods of ancient Iran possessed “khvarna,” which can be understood as “charisma,” a certain sacred essence, the possession of which gives good luck, power, the ability to capture the minds of huge masses of people and
manage them. Khvarna was possessed, in particular, by the god Ahuramazda and the savior of the world Saoshyant. All the strength and power of the Indian god Shiva lies not so much in himself, but in his “shakti” - spiritual energy that appears and manifests itself only under certain circumstances. Firstly, this energy accumulates in him during periods of ascetic vigils and contemplation. Secondly, the energy of shakti is closely intertwined with his male life-giving force. It is believed that the moment of union of Shiva with his female half Parvati is the moment of multiple strengthening of his energy.

Of particular interest are the so-called living gods. The living god who took on human form (the god-man) was Jesus Christ. But Christ is not the only living god. In Nepal (a state between India and China) the living goddess Kumari still lives today. This flesh-and-blood goddess is represented in the form of a little girl and is also, in fact, a god-man. She represents the hypostasis of the goddess Shakti, but only as an innocent, young one who has absorbed the hypostases of female deities. The girl destined for the role of the goddess is selected by the priests extremely strictly and meticulously. A three-year-old baby should have the build of a goddess and not have the slightest flaw. If even one of the eighty external characteristics does not meet a firmly established standard, the candidate is not suitable. A girl claiming the title of a living goddess must, in the shortest possible time, learn to control herself and under no circumstances lose her presence of mind. Otherwise, you can expect great misfortune. She must watch the cutting of goat heads without trembling, spend the night in a dark basement filled with skeletons and dismembered corpses. If a girl gets scared or violates etiquette in any way, this may be considered an ominous sign.

The point here is that Kumari, who is considered the patroness of Nepal, is assigned, although a nominal, but very noticeable role in the life of the country. It is to her that the king of Nepal goes for annual worship to ask for her blessing to rule the country for the next year. The duties of a goddess are not too onerous. At half past six in the morning she awakens from sleep and immediately falls into the caring hands of the priests. After the prescribed, always the same breathing exercises and ritual ablution, they begin the daily procedure of “opening the divine eye.” To do this, a wide sign in the shape of a ritual cleaver is applied to the goddess’s forehead with carmine, with the handle facing the bridge of the nose. Then they outline it with yellow paint and carefully draw a very realistic wide-open eye in the middle and lengthen the corners of the eyes given by nature with black ink. Next, in accordance with the instructions of the astrologers, the priests decide what color robe the Kumari will choose today. It is decorated with a precious crown reminiscent of an ancient Russian kokoshnik, silver monists, a heavy forged hryvnia, rings and bracelets. Most often, Kumari “prefers” to wear a scarlet dress, symbolizing the irresistible power of femininity, the feminine energy that governs the entire universe.

The goddess prepared in this way is seated in a special chair with a round foot and taken to the reception room. Here, sitting near the northern wall, like a bronze statue, she accepts sacrificial flowers and sweets, dispassionately listens to the sounds of the music that entertains her, without looking at the whimsical figures of the dance, which the dancers perform especially for her. So day after day passes unnoticed. When the sun sets, the priests begin to prepare the goddess for bed. She is fumigated with incense, the silver virigs are removed, and the makeup is washed off.

Only once a year does the little goddess have a holiday - the eight-day Indrajatra celebrations, in which Buddhists take an active part along with Hindus. On this day, she is taken to the noisy streets of the city filled with enthusiastic crowds. During this holiday, the goddess reveals herself to the people. For three days she, together with the god Ganesha, makes a tour of the city they care for. And all these days the dancing continues, driving the electrified crowd into a frenzy. The king himself goes out into the square to bow before the eyes of the people before the mysterious power of the little girl, whose eye, drawn by the priests, is as terrifying as a curse. At this moment the celebration reaches its climax.

For a whole year, a lonely girl who has forgotten how to laugh and cry will remember the sweet moments of her triumph. Deprived of the company of her peers, not knowing games, she will wait patiently
next holiday. But one day everything will end unexpectedly. Upon reaching the age of twelve, when, according to the priests, femininity awakens in her, she, having fallen asleep as a goddess, will wake up as an ordinary girl. She will quietly and unnoticed leave the temple to return to her family and try to learn to live in human form. It can be very difficult to enter a new role for her. Despite the significant dowry that she receives at parting, such girls are extremely reluctant to be taken as wives. And who wants to marry a goddess, accustomed only to command. Therefore, a common destiny is lonely vegetation, filled with dreams and memories of former greatness...

In addition to the living goddess, there are at least two other living goddesses in the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu. One lives in Patala and the other in Bhaktapur. In addition to them, there are still living goddesses of local significance in the Kathmandu Valley. It is not for nothing that this valley is often called the “Valley of the Gods.”

Where do the gods live?

According to some ideas, the first gods lived on Earth. So, the Sumerian gods, when they realized that the Earth was good, wanted to stay on it. They turned to the god Enlil with a request that he arrange a place where they could live together. And so, in the center of the earth’s disk (according to the Sumerians, the Earth was flat), Enlil built the city of Nippur, settling his brothers and sisters there. But he did not forget himself, his beloved, having built a high platform in the center of the city and erected a beautiful palace of lapis lazuli on it. The place where they settled was called by the Sumerian gods the “blessed land” - “En-Eden”. The ancient Jews, having borrowed from the Sumerians (and without referring to them) the myth of the creation of the world, only slightly altered the name of this place, turning it into the familiar Eden, i.e. paradise. The ancient Egyptian god Ra, having completed the initial arrangement of the world of gods and people, settled on the sacred hill of Ben-Ben in Heliopolis (located in Egypt). At the same time, he spent the night in a lotus flower, which he left at dawn and then hovered above the earth throughout the day.

The Chinese god Huang Di also lived on Earth. Having strengthened and confirmed his power in the struggle with other gods, he erected a majestic and beautiful palace on Mount Kunlun. In this palace he spent his free time and had fun. The palace was surrounded by a jasper fence. On each side there were nine columns and nine gates, and inside the palace was surrounded by five walls and twelve towers. Near the palace there grew a rice ear of five lengths. To the west of it grew two trees - pearl and jade. To the east of the ear of corn grew a Shatan tree and a Langan tree. On the Fuchang tree, next to the Langan tree, sat the three-headed spirit Lizhu, whose three heads took turns falling asleep and waking up. Huang Di had another palace on Mount Tsynyashoan. To the northeast of this palace were the famous Hanging Gardens, located so high that they seemed to hang in the clouds. African gods also live on earth. So, the main god of the Kikuyu peoples
and Kamba Ngai lives on the mountains that he himself built: Mount Kenya, “Mountain of Great Rain” (in the east), “Mountain of Clear Sky” (in the south), “Mountain of Sleep or Secret Refuge” (in the west).

The god Shiva lives at the top of the crystal mountain. But the home of the ancient German gods Asgard was at the top of the tree. It is interesting that this dwelling was erected by a certain giant, who was helped by... a horse. The rain god of the Mayan Indians chose the trees of the world as their habitat. Some gods prefer to live underground. Under the earth there was a great mountain, and in it - the underworld, which was ruled by the goddess Ereshkigal and her husband Nergal.

Although it is good on earth, it is still better to live in heaven and it is more interesting. Therefore, most of the gods lived and live there. Even at the dawn of human civilization, in Mesopotamia, the gods of the city-state of Ur settled in the heavens (approximately 2,330 years BC). The Greek gods - Zeus and the deities subordinate to him also lived not on Earth, but high above it - on bright Olympus. Three beautiful Oras guarded the entrance to high Olympus and raised a thick cloud covering the gates when the gods descended to earth or ascended to the bright palaces of Zeus. High above Olympus, the blue sky spread wide, from which golden light poured. There was neither rain nor snow in the kingdom of Zeus; There was always a bright, joyful summer there. The gods feasted in the golden palaces built by the son of Zeus, Hephaestus. Zeus himself sat on a high golden throne.

At his throne were the goddess of peace Eirene and the constant companion of Zeus, the winged goddess of victory Nike. In addition to the palaces located above the ground, the Greek and Roman gods from time to time lived in special houses specially built for them by believers - temples. Believers came there to pray to them and thank them for the services rendered to them. But the palace of the great brother Zeus, the earth shaker god Poseidon, was located deep in the depths of the sea. His beautiful wife Amphitrite lived with him. The gods of India also live in the heavenly kingdom. Indra has his thousand-gate city Amaravati, full of gold and precious stones. The gardens there bloom forever and neither cold nor thirst oppress the inhabitants of the heavenly city. They know neither old age, nor illness, nor fear. Their eyes are delighted by the dances of beautiful dancers - Ansars. In addition, they also have a dwelling on the top of the Himavat (Himalayas). In the highest heavens also lived the Aztec gods Ometecuhtli and Omesihuatl - the divine couple who gave birth to gods and people.

Some gods choose not just the heavens, but the clouds as their place of residence. In the clouds, in a huge shining copper palace, lives the god of the African Yoruba tribe Shango. The gods of ancient Sumer, who lived constantly in heaven, sometimes showed mercy to people and descended from heaven to their earthly temples.

They especially loved “high” temples on platforms, called ziggurats. At the same time, they also lived in the “lower” temples in the form of their statues. The Indian god Krishna, on the one hand, always resides in his abode, on the other, he is omnipresent (Bhagavad Gita 8:22). And since he is omnipresent, he also resides in the heart of every believer (Bhagavad Gita 18:61). Like people, the ancient gods also lived in houses (palaces). Having defeated his father, the Indian god Indra rebuilt the entire world. He built this world like a house: it stands on four pillars, and is covered with a roof-sky on top. The house has two doors. In the morning, the sun enters through the eastern door, wide open. In the evening, the caring Indra briefly opens the western door to let out the sun setting at night. It does a lot of work during the day and gets very tired, and therefore wants to sleep.

Judging by the Old Testament, the god Yahweh of hosts initially did not have a specific residence at all, until he came up with the wonderful idea of ​​​​creating our material world. Why he needed this - no one knows. Maybe he himself doesn’t know it. In any case, the Bible says nothing about this. Judging by the description of this creation, the wise and all-knowing Yahweh did not even suspect that this world would turn out to be so good (“And God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:10). And when he created light, he was even more surprised and even delighted. It turned out that life is better with light (“And God saw the light, that it was good” Genesis 1:4). The thought creeps in that for billions of years poor Yahweh lived... without light, in complete, even pitch darkness. And he didn’t have a torch or a flashlight. He had no idea that life would be better with light. One has to wonder how the Jews call such a god all-knowing and all-wise?...

Although Yahweh created the world, he was in no hurry to determine his location in it (and, therefore, arrange his life). How long this would last is unknown, but then the shrewd and intelligent Jews who worshiped him intervened in his life, who provided him with permanent housing in the “Ark of the Covenant,” which was kept during their nomadic life in a special tent, which was placed in various safe places (so that Somehow wild animals did not disturb the peace of the omnipotent and omnipotent God - the creator of the whole world). Later, Jewish King Solomon in 953 B.C. built a luxurious temple for his god. However, due to the fact that Jehovah was accustomed to a nomadic life, he was not flattered by this temple and did not choose it as his place of permanent residence. At the same time, so that the Jews would not be offended by him, Jehovah announced that ... his name resides in this temple (1 Kings 8:16).

In 586 BC. due to the oversight of the Jewish God, this wonderful temple was destroyed by foreigners (apparently, Jehovah at that time was busy with his own very important matters or was in other worlds),
but the Jews restored it. When in 70 AD. the temple was destroyed again (this time by the Romans), the Jews did not restore it. And although almost 2 thousand years have passed since this destruction, and Jews have been living in their state for almost 60 years, it has not yet been restored. As a result, Jews have to pray to their god in buildings that to some extent replace the Temple - synagogues (synagogue - Greek - “house of meeting”). And the patient Yahweh is still waiting for the Jews to come to their senses and finally restore his Temple. The case in religions, of course, is unique and paradoxical: the god of the Jewish people, who created the whole world according to the teachings of Judaism and chose this people from all the peoples of the world as the object of his love, has not had his own home (temple) for two thousand years. How he must love his people that he has not yet been offended and has not punished them for such inattention and disrespect for himself! Another god would have taken cruel revenge on his people for such neglect of himself!

Instead of restoring the Temple to their god, the Jews are waiting for the messenger of their God - the messiah (not the one who, according to the teachings of Christians, will come to earth a second time and whom they call Jesus Christ, but the real messiah!), who, as they believe, will restore them Temple. Like, Yahweh allowed the destruction of the Temple, let him himself or with the help of his messenger restore it.

However, judging by the fact that none of the great and small gods ever built or rebuilt their own temples (!), the Jews are wasting time in vain and are not restoring the Temple, which was destroyed through their own fault (the Temple was destroyed by the Romans because the Jews turned it into a fortress and the center of the uprising). Today, the Jews have everything to restore the Temple - the money of the richest people on the planet, the most modern construction equipment, architects, engineers and labor. And there is no need to restore the Temple on the Temple Mount, where it used to be and where today there are as many as two Muslim mosques - “Kubbat al-Sakhra” (“Rock Dome”) and “Masjid al-Aqsa” (“Far Mosque”). There is enough space in Jerusalem itself for the construction of the Temple. For Yahweh, the main thing is that he again has his own Temple, and in what place in Jerusalem it will stand is not so important. After all, according to the teachings of the Jews, their God is not only the creator, but also the owner of the entire earth!

Believers can communicate with their gods (god) in the fresh air - in the forest, on the mountain, in the field. To meet the gods, the ancient Aryans chose an elevated place on which they spread sacrificial straw. The gods were invited to sit on it. Among the ancient Slavs, most of the sacred places of worship were temporary - for one holiday, for one season, for one year. This was associated not so much with a nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyle, but with the belief in a one-time visit to a given place by God. Then they began to build temples (from the Old Slavonic “kap” - idol; “to accumulate” - to gather) and treasuries (“treba” - sacrifice and sacrifice). Initially, the ancient gods met with their believers under open air. But later they realized that they deserved more comfortable conditions and ordered to build buildings for themselves - first towers, and then special houses-temples, which became their homes. But the relatively new gods (Christ and Allah) do not live permanently in their temple houses, but settle temporarily or visit them only occasionally. The gods love it very much when they have their own house in every city, village and village, where they can look and even stop for a while - relax a little and stay.

If the old gods had only a few houses of their own, or even just one, then modern gods, for example, Jesus Christ, have hundreds of thousands of such house-temples, scattered across many countries and continents and having a wide variety of forms. Which one does he live in?

The question is very difficult: after all, if he settles in one of them, the priests and believers of other churches will be offended. And if he moves from temple to temple, then a schedule of his stay in different churches must be drawn up. But there is no such schedule! The way out of this difficult situation is for God to be present in all of them at once. In the time of John Chrysostom it was believed that “God himself is invisibly present in the temple.” The preacher John of Kronstadt, highly revered in the Russian Orthodox Church, agreed with this: “When you are in church, remember that you are in the living presence of the Lord God, standing before His face, before His eyes, in the living presence Mother of God" From these words, which every Orthodox Christian must believe, it follows that Christ is present simultaneously in all churches. No one knows how he manages to do this, because... This great secret. Naturally, God.

It is on the authority of these people that the conviction rests that in every temple they can talk with their God. After all, the very word “church” (in Greek “kyurioke”) means “house of the Lord,” i.e. the house where God lives. But even if he is not there now (he went away, for example, somewhere on his Godly business), he will still hear all the prayers addressed to him. That's what the clergy say. And although they cannot know this for sure (after all, God himself does not communicate with them), at the same time they cannot say that God is not in this temple. Otherwise, people will not come there and buy candles and prayers, which means the priest will not have money to maintain this temple, and he will have nothing to live on!

Of course, one can, like Protestants, say that Christ is present in all churches at the same time because he is everywhere in space and time. But if we take the point of view of the main part of Christians - Catholics and Orthodox Christians, then such a view is heretical. At the same time, they do not have their own explanation for how God manages to be in all churches at the same time. If we accept the Protestant point of view that God is everywhere at the same time in time and space, then it means that you can communicate with Him in any place.

This leads to a very unpleasant conclusion for Catholics and Orthodox Christians that there is no need to build special houses-temples for God. And if Protestants are consistent, it turns out that the buildings where they gather should not be called temples and churches, not houses of worship, but just meeting halls or, as Jehovah’s Witnesses call them, “Kingdom Halls.” It turns out that the construction of temples and churches is needed only by clergy and clergymen...

The Islamic god Allah does not live in a mosque either. A mosque (in Arabic “masjid”) is “a place where prostrations are made,” i.e. this is a place where they pray to God. And although Allah is not in the mosque, all prayers addressed to him mysteriously reach him.

Of course, the gods accept prayers to them, read in other places (at home, in the field, on the road, etc.), but they prefer that they be said in these houses of prayer - churches, churches, mosques, synagogues. The gods, especially the creator gods, could create temples for themselves, but they apparently don’t have the time or are simply lazy to do this. Therefore, they are waiting for the believers to build these temples. And believers, especially those in power, who can spend not only (and not so much) their personal money on the construction of temples, but also state money, build a large number of temples in order to earn the mercy of God - to go to heaven, even if they themselves understand that they deserve not heaven and hell. Thus, the Jewish king Solomon, popular among Jews and Christians, for the construction of the temple of Yahweh, for many years, in agreement with the Phoenician king Hiram, transported gold to Israel - approximately 20 tons per year, which was intended for the construction of this temple. For this, he gave Hiram, as it is said in the Old Testament, “20 cities in the land of Galilee” (1 Kings 9:11).

Large churches (temples) among Christians (Catholics and Orthodox) are called cathedrals. Believers of each religion themselves determine the architecture and decoration of their church - from very simple, nondescript buildings, almost barns, to luxurious palaces accommodating thousands of parishioners. Examples of the latter are temples dedicated to the Indian god Vishnu and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The huge, still unfinished Church of the Holy Family (Sagrada familia) in Barcelona (Spain) is very interesting. Until 1990, the largest Christian cathedral in the world was St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. And in 1990, it was surpassed by the cathedral in the city of Yamoussoukro, the capital of the African state of Cote d'Ivoire. It covers an area of ​​22,067 square meters. meters, its height is 189 m, its length without a portico is 186.4 m, and with a portico - 211.5 m.

Why are such large temples built? It turns out, not at all because of the desire to gather as many believers as possible! For example, the cathedrals built in the early 4th century in Trier (Germany) and Geneva (Switzerland) occupied large areas of land, although they were attended by relatively few parishioners. In XI, the huge cathedral in the city of Speyer would not have been filled even by all the inhabitants of this city. The enormous size of the cathedrals and the splendor of their decoration only indicate that those who ordered their construction were not driven by religious feelings. The motivating force is often the pride and vanity of the bishop or abbot who encouraged the construction of the cathedral. “We will build a cathedral so huge that people will think we are crazy when they see it,” said a Spanish clergyman in Seville in 1402. Even today, the cathedral in Seville is considered the second largest in the world. “Perhaps,” writes the Jehovah’s Witnesses magazine “Awake!” (June 8, 2001), - cathedrals glorify the people who built them, but not God.”

The decoration of houses of prayer can be very modest and simple, as, for example, in Islamic mosques, Jewish synagogues, Protestant prayer meeting halls, or very rich, even luxurious, as in Catholic and Orthodox churches: The walls are decorated with icons and paintings on biblical themes, and the ceiling is covered with paintings. In Orthodox churches, the altar is separated from the main part of the room by a special wall consisting of icons - an iconostasis. In Catholic and Protestant churches, believers can communicate with God while sitting, but in Orthodox churches, as a rule, only standing, sometimes on their knees or prostrate on the floor. On their knees they turn to Allah and the Mohammedans.

The fact that already in ancient times people built a large number of temples for the gods is evidenced by excavations in Babylon. One of the inscriptions on a clay tablet says that there were 53 temples of the great gods, 55 sanctuaries of the god Marduk, 300 sanctuaries of earthly and 600 heavenly deities, 180 altars of the glorious goddess Ishtar, 180 altars of the goddesses Nergal and Adadi and 12 other altars! These excavations confirmed that the inhabitants of Babylon so loved (or rather feared) their gods that they devoted most of their vital and creative forces to the construction of these religious buildings. Churches (temples) are small and large. An example of a small church is the architectural miracle - the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl. The largest Christian church is St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, which can accommodate tens of thousands of worshipers. Muslims do not lag behind Christians - for example, the Sultan Suleiman Mosque in Istanbul can accommodate up to 10 thousand people.

Usually a separate temple is dedicated to each god. For example, the temple of Vesta or Saturn in Rome. However, there are also temples dedicated to all gods at once. For example, built in 27 BC. Marcus Agrippa Pantheon, in which there were statues of many gods. The Pantheon is the greatest ancient domed structure that has survived to this day almost unchanged. And nowadays there are temples in which believers can pray to several gods at once - Christ, Allah and Yahweh. The number of temples of the gods varies - from one, as for example, in the past with the god Jehovah-Yahweh, to tens and even hundreds of thousands - with Christ and Allah. In Russia alone, by the beginning of 1917, there were about 78 thousand Orthodox churches, prayer houses and chapels alone.

In recent decades, given that believers are not very willing to attend churches, so-called “electronic churches” have become increasingly widespread in Western countries, especially in the United States. They are radio and television broadcasts, as well as computer programs that believers can use wherever they are - at home, at work, on vacation, while traveling. “Electronic churches” offer believers Christian news, all kinds of Christian dialogue performances, religious cartoons, games and puzzles with religious content. It is interesting that God himself, as before, does not seek to take advantage of new opportunities for communication with his believers. Apparently he has no time for this, he is very busy... Just what?

The life of the gods, their behavior and activities

Nothing human is alien to the gods - like people, they work, rest, walk, eat, drink, sleep and even dream. They have many human traits: they get angry, are not free from envy, they can be sad and happy. The gods are very proud of their position and therefore very vain. Thus, the Sumerian god Enki - the god of water and wisdom -
loved to glorify himself, his high position in the hierarchy of the gods, his Abzu temple and, of course, his many good deeds. First of all, the laws he created that govern the world. He boasted that he had introduced arable agriculture and that he had appointed the god Enkidu to look after the plowing tools. He was proud of having built granaries for storing grain, transferring supervision of them to the goddess Ashnan, as well as of inventing a hoe and a mold for making bricks. Being consistent in everything, he entrusted the god of bricks, Kull, with overseeing the making of bricks. Allah is very proud of himself and his deeds, which is why in the Quran he calls himself “We”.

The habits and customs of people are also not alien to the gods. So, after victory and accession to the palace, the victorious god rebuilt his palace in accordance with his tastes. For example, the Ugaritian god Baal, after defeating the god of the seas and rivers Yam-Nahar, despite a quite decent palace (made of brick and cedar), considered that his house was worse than that of the other gods and decided to replace it with a luxurious palace, which he built from gold, silver and lapis lazuli. In honor of any successes - victory over an enemy, completion of the construction of a palace, the birth of a child - the gods organized holidays and feasts. They always loved to eat, they ate with taste and a lot. Given the colossal size of the stomach, it was very difficult to feed them. So, the Indian god Indra had two stomachs, as huge as lakes. One can imagine how much he had to eat to be satisfied... After the death of the god Baal, a funeral feast was held, for which 60 bulls, 60 goats and 60 roe deer were killed. Like people, gods love to celebrate birthdays. Judging by the myths, the gods lived especially well in ancient times.

The ancient Greek gods spent most of their time in feasts. The daughter of Zeus, young Hebe and the son of the king of Troy, Ganymede, offered them ambrosia and nectar - the food and drink of the Greek gods. Beautiful harites (graces) and muses delighted them with singing and dancing. Holding hands, they danced in circles, and the gods admired their light movements and wondrous, eternally youthful beauty. These gods, like people, loved to eat well, drink, including good wine, dance, and listen to music. People in those days had not yet invented radio, television and recordings. musical works on video cassettes and compact discs. And since the gods were in no hurry to bestow people with the fruits of civilization and various convenient inventions, they themselves (apparently out of modesty) did not use them either. Therefore, they had to listen only to “live” music, that is, concerts of musicians who performed in front of them. But this also had its positive side: the musicians never performed in front of them under “plywood”. But at their feasts the gods not only had fun - at them they decided at the same time all important matters, determined the fate of the world and people.

In the past, the gods loved to show their strength, fight, and take part in battles. During hostilities, gods, like ordinary people, could be captured. Thus, the Babylonian god Marduk spent 21 years in Assyrian captivity - from 689 to 668 BC. Although the gods loved to have fun, they did not shy away from work and crafts. Thus, the Ugaritic god of crafts, Kotar-i-Khasis, produced magnificent works applied arts.

The life of some gods is planned literally minute by minute. Thus, in one of the Hare Krishna sects in India, in the state of Rajasthan, until recently, eight ceremonies were held during the day, during which the god Krishna was woken up, dressed, sang about how he leads a herd of cows to pasture, then “fed”, provided daytime rest, woke him up again, “fed him” again, sang about how he drives the cows home, and then put him to bed for the night. Elsewhere in India, in the town of Pazhani (southern India), the popular and highly respected Tamil god Muragan is still taken for an evening walk every day (!). He rides on a chariot - a tower, about five meters high, placed on a four-wheeled platform. God himself is represented by a statue of a young man with a spear in his hand, seated on a peacock. About three dozen people are dragging the chariot, grabbing the ropes. Behind the chariot, several young men are dragging a large generator that provides electricity for the illumination arranged in honor of God.

And here is the daily routine of another Indian god - Vithoba. Every day, the Badwe (the priestly clan that performs all services to Vithoba) performs five obligatory ritual ceremonies - at dawn, morning, noon, evening and night. The stone statue of Vithobu, which for most believers is only a symbol for prayerful concentration, is gently awakened, washed, anointed, dressed and decorated (at the same time, special “dingre” priests offer a mirror to Vithoba so that he can appreciate the efforts of the priests), fed and put to bed to rest. Many times a day, Vithoba participates in prayer services - pujas. The purpose of the puja can be the fulfillment of a vow, the propitiation of a deity, the acquisition of virtues or prasad - food covered with divine touch. During the puja, chants are continuously heard, and the object of worship is repeatedly washed in five “sweet nectars” - milk, honey, sugar syrup, curdled milk and ghee.

Some ancient gods were also kings on earth. So, the god Seth was the king of Upper Egypt, and Horus was the king of Lower Egypt. Horus then received control of both Egyptian kingdoms. The god Enki was a very good ruler of the city-state of Ur. He constantly cared about its prosperity and superiority over other cities. To begin with, he filled the Tigris River with fresh, sparkling and life-giving water.

To ensure the proper functioning of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, he appointed the god Enbilulu, the “supervisor of the canals,” to supervise them. He also created life-giving rain, made it fall to the ground (how caring it is!) and appointed the storm god Ishkur to supervise it. To cultivate the land, he invented a plow, a yoke and a harrow and ordered the god Enkidu to look after them. He did not forget about houses and, in particular, about the bricks from which they are built. And he appointed the god Mushdamma as the chief architect (“great builder”).

And yet the life of most gods is not nearly as easy and pleasant as it might seem. They have not only friends, but also enemies. Yes, y Egyptian god Ra's enemy was the serpent Apep - also, of course, a god. It was a very malicious giant snake that not only bothered Ra during his stay on earth, but even wanted to overthrow and destroy the solar deity. The fight with him lasted the whole day from sunrise to sunset, and Apep, although he was defeated, managed to survive and hide in the underground kingdom, where since then Ra’s boat has been attacked every night.

In the infancy of the god Krishna, the smallpox goddess Putana (not to be confused with putbna - a walking woman) tried to destroy the god Krishna, who offered the baby god a breast full of poison. But Krishna, despite his young age, as befits great gods, did not allow himself to be offended: he sucked out the entire contents of the breast of the killer goddess and the withered Putana died. Krishna's troubles did not end there. Seeing Krishna in the cradle, the demon Shaktasura descended from heaven to kill the child. But the young god dealt with him too, turning him to dust with a kick. But even this did not end the machinations of forces hostile to Krishna - many more times he had to fight with asuras who took the form of angry animals - elephants, bulls, horses, donkeys and snakes. Mahabhbrata 10 gives a long list of duels and all kinds of fights in which Krishna invariably won. One day he had to fight with a very unusual opponent - his own double, who appropriated his name.

As for the activities of such great gods as Sabaoth-Yahweh, Allah and Jesus Christ, practically nothing is known about them. According to the Koran, Allah is awake all the time (“...neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes him.” Sura 2, verse 256). But how he fills his precious time is unknown. In any case, he doesn’t tell his followers this, and the believers themselves don’t dare ask - it’s scary, what if he doesn’t like it and gets angry. The great, sole-ruling gods communicated with people only in the distant past. They have not communicated with people for a long time and do not make themselves known.

As is clear from the Bible, Host-Yahweh worked very hard to create the world - for 6 whole days and therefore was very tired. After all, he created the world (i.e., the Earth) and everything that inhabits it with the help of words. How many words did he have to utter to create all the flora and fauna! Then he began to relax and, apparently, is still engaged in this pleasant activity. In any case, he does not interfere in human affairs. Saving their God from criticism, Christian theologians and clergy came up with a special explanation for his behavior: God, they say, gave people freedom. From this freedom, God himself benefited the most - from now on he does not need to care about anyone, and people themselves are to blame for all their troubles - they abused their freedom: they behaved badly or unreasonably and sinned a lot! And the Christian God is hardly interested in earthly, as well as cosmic problems.

Jesus Christ in his human form, judging by the Gospels, worked hard to spread his teachings. But after the crucifixion, which then followed his ascension to heaven and return to his “uncreated” state, he also does not really bother himself with the problems of people. What qualities and talents do the gods not have? different nations, but only Indians can achieve the state of nirvana.

Hades - God is the ruler of the kingdom of the dead.

Antey- hero of myths, giant, son of Poseidon and the Earth of Gaia. The earth gave its son strength, thanks to which no one could control him.

Apollo- god of sunlight. The Greeks portrayed him as a beautiful young man.

Ares- god of treacherous war, son of Zeus and Hera

Asclepius- god of healing arts, son of Apollo and the nymph Coronis

Boreas- god of the north wind, son of the Titanides Astraeus (starry sky) and Eos (morning dawn), brother of Zephyr and Note. He was depicted as a winged, long-haired, bearded, powerful deity.

Bacchus- one of the names of Dionysus.

Helios (Helium ) - god of the Sun, brother of Selene (goddess of the Moon) and Eos (morning dawn). In late antiquity he was identified with Apollo, the god of sunlight.

Hermes- the son of Zeus and Maya, one of the most polysemantic Greek gods. Patron of wanderers, crafts, trade, thieves. Possessing the gift of eloquence.

Hephaestus- son of Zeus and Hera, god of fire and blacksmithing. He was considered the patron of artisans.

Hypnos- deity of sleep, son of Nikta (Night). He was depicted as a winged youth.

Dionysus (Bacchus) - the god of viticulture and winemaking, the object of a number of cults and mysteries. He was depicted either as an obese elderly man or as a young man with a wreath of grape leaves on his head.

Zagreus- god of fertility, son of Zeus and Persephone.

Zeus- supreme god, king of gods and people.

Marshmallow- god of the west wind.

Iacchus- god of fertility.

Kronos - titan , youngest son of Gaia and Uranus, father of Zeus. He ruled the world of gods and people and was overthrown from the throne by Zeus...

Mom- son of the goddess of Night, god of slander.

Morpheus- one of the sons of Hypnos, god of dreams.

Nereus- son of Gaia and Pontus, meek sea god.

Note- the god of the south wind, depicted with a beard and wings.

Ocean is titanium , son of Gaia and Uranus, brother and husband of Tethys and father of all the rivers of the world.

Olympians- the supreme gods of the younger generation of Greek gods, led by Zeus, who lived on the top of Mount Olympus.

Pan- forest god, son of Hermes and Dryope, goat-footed man with horns. He was considered the patron saint of shepherds and small livestock.

Pluto- the god of the underworld, often identified with Hades, but unlike from him, who owned not the souls of the dead, but the riches of the underworld.

Plutos- son of Demeter, god who gives wealth to people.

Pont- one of the senior Greek deities, the offspring of Gaia, the god of the sea, the father of many titans and gods.

Poseidon- one of the Olympian gods, brother of Zeus and Hades, who rules over the sea elements. Poseidon was also subject to the bowels of the earth,
he commanded storms and earthquakes.

Proteus- sea deity, son of Poseidon, patron of seals. He had the gift of reincarnation and prophecy.

Satires- goat-footed creatures, demons of fertility.

Thanatos- personification of death, twin brother of Hypnos.

Titans- generation of Greek gods, ancestors of the Olympians.

Typhon- a hundred-headed dragon born of Gaia or Hera. During the battle of the Olympians and the Titans, he was defeated by Zeus and imprisoned under the volcano Etna in Sicily.

Triton- son of Poseidon, one of the sea deities, a man with a fish tail instead of legs, holding a trident and a twisted shell - a horn.

Chaos- an endless empty space from which at the beginning of time the most ancient gods of the Greek religion - Nyx and Erebus - emerged.

Chthonic gods - deities of the underworld and fertility, relatives of the Olympians. These included Hades, Hecate, Hermes, Gaia, Demeter, Dionysus and Persephone.

Cyclops - giants with one eye in the middle of the forehead, children of Uranus and Gaia.

Eurus (Eur)- god of the southeast wind.

Aeolus- lord of the winds.

Erebus- personification of the darkness of the underworld, son of Chaos and brother of Night.

Eros (Eros)- god of love, son of Aphrodite and Ares. In the most ancient myths - a self-emerging force that contributed to the ordering of the world. He was depicted as a winged youth (in the Hellenistic era - a boy) with arrows, accompanying his mother.

Ether- deity of the sky

Goddesses of ancient Greece

Artemis- goddess of hunting and nature.

Atropos- one of the three moiras, cutting the thread of fate and ending human life.

Athena (Pallada, Parthenos) - daughter of Zeus, born from his head in full military armor. One of the most revered Greek goddesses, the goddess of just war and wisdom, the patroness of knowledge.

Aphrodite (Kytharea, Urania) - goddess of love and beauty. She was born from the marriage of Zeus and the goddess Dione (according to another legend, she came out of the sea foam)

Hebe- daughter of Zeus and Hera, goddess of youth. Sister of Ares and Ilithyia. She served the Olympian gods at feasts.

Hecate- goddess of darkness, night visions and sorcery, patroness of sorcerers.

Gemera- goddess of daylight, personification of the day, born of Nikta and Erebus. Often identified with Eos.

Hera- the supreme Olympian goddess, sister and third wife of Zeus, daughter of Rhea and Kronos, sister of Hades, Hestia, Demeter and Poseidon. Hera was considered the patroness of marriage.

Hestia- goddess of the hearth and fire.

Gaia- mother earth, foremother of all gods and people.

Demitra- goddess of fertility and agriculture.

Dryads- lower deities, nymphs who lived in trees.

Diana-goddess of the hunt

Ilithia- patron goddess of women in labor.

Iris- winged goddess, assistant of Hera, messenger of the gods.

Calliope- muse of epic poetry and science.

Kera- demonic creatures, children of the goddess Nikta, bringing troubles and death to people.

Clio- one of the nine muses, the muse of history.

Clotho ("spinner") - one of the moiras that spin the thread of human life.

Lachesis- one of the three Moira sisters, who determine the fate of every person even before birth.

Summer- Titanide, mother of Apollo and Artemis.

Mayan- a mountain nymph, the eldest of the seven Pleiades - the daughters of Atlas, the beloved of Zeus, from whom Hermes was born to her.

Melpomene- muse of tragedy.

Metis- goddess of wisdom, the first of the three wives of Zeus, who conceived Athena from him.

Mnemosyne- mother of nine muses, goddess of memory.

Moira- goddess of fate, daughter of Zeus and Themis.

Muses- patron goddess of the arts and sciences.

Naiads- nymphs-guardians of waters.

Nemesis- daughter of Nikta, a goddess who personified fate and retribution, punishing people in accordance with their sins.

Nereids- fifty daughters of Nereus and the oceanids Doris, sea deities.

Nika- personification of victory. She was often depicted wearing a wreath, a common symbol of triumph in Greece.

Nymphs- lower deities in the hierarchy of Greek gods. They personified the forces of nature.

Nikta- one of the first Greek deities, the goddess is the personification of the primordial Night

Orestiades- mountain nymphs.

Ory- goddess of the seasons, peace and order, daughter of Zeus and Themis.

Peyto- goddess of persuasion, companion of Aphrodite, often identified with her patroness.

Persephone- daughter of Demeter and Zeus, goddess of fertility. The wife of Hades and the queen of the underworld, who knew the secrets of life and death.

Polyhymnia- the muse of serious hymn poetry.

Tethys- daughter of Gaia and Uranus, wife of Ocean and mother of the Nereids and Oceanids.

Rhea- mother of the Olympian gods.

Sirens- female demons, half-woman, half-bird, capable of changing the weather at sea.

Waist- the muse of comedy.

Terpsichore- muse of dance art.

Tisiphone- one of the Erinyes.

Quiet- goddess of fate and chance among the Greeks, companion of Persephone. She was depicted as a winged woman standing on a wheel and holding a cornucopia and a ship's rudder in her hands.

Urania- one of the nine muses, patroness of astronomy.

Themis- Titanide, goddess of justice and law, second wife of Zeus, mother of mountains and moira.

Charites- goddesses female beauty, the embodiment of a kind, joyful and eternally young beginning of life.

Eumenides- another hypostasis of the Erinyes, revered as goddesses of benevolence, who prevented misfortunes.

Eris- daughter of Nyx, sister of Ares, goddess of discord.

Erinyes- goddesses of vengeance, creatures of the underworld, who punished injustice and crimes.

Erato- Muse of lyrical and erotic poetry.

Eos- goddess of the dawn, sister of Helios and Selene. The Greeks called it “rose-fingered.”

Euterpe- muse of lyrical chant. Depicted with a double flute in her hand.