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In search of deities (the sneaky critters...)

17:53 / 19.04.04

I'm looking for information on Aztec and Mayan pantheons. Any suggestions where to look?

Also, if anyone knows a good source for brushing up on the Norse mythos, I would be very grateul.

Last and most off my own topic: Can anyone sum up the obsession with Ganesh I've noticed on 'lith? Why is this elephant-headed god so popular?

Thanks

18:40 / 19.04.04

Ganesh is the coolest good around because;

Ganesh is the Hindu elephant-headed god, Ganesha (or Ganesh) is known (by various names in different parts of India and on different occasions) as the Remover of Obstacles, the god of domestic harmony and of success. He is the most beloved and revered of all the Hindu gods, and is always invoked first in any Hindu ceremony or festival. He is the son of Parvati (the wife of Shiva, the Destroyer, the most powerful of the Hindu trinity of principal gods). There are many stories about how Ganesha got his elephant head, and about his exploits and antics. He was created as an ordinary boy, but was decapitated in battle. Shiva's emissaries were sent into the forest and told to get the head of the first animal they found and to fit that head onto the boy's neck. They found a little elephant, and it worked!

copied from http://www.crystalinks.com/ganesh.html

21:53 / 19.04.04

This place is amazing for Norse : Northvegr

I can't wait to get around to having a good look at some of the stuff on there.

12:19 / 20.04.04

http://www.pantheon.org/

All the gods you could ever want.

12:30 / 20.04.04

For Norse Myths, I can't recommend highly enough Kevin Crossley Holland's book.. The, erm.. Norse Myths. The myths are covered comprehensively and it's written in a readable, engaging, entertaining manner, and you can tell he's got a real love of the tradition. Wonderful book.

As for Ganesh, I think everyone like the idea of divinity personified as a cheeky little fat kid who likes sweets. The big ears and trunk just add to his cute appeal.

13:21 / 20.04.04

Illmatic is so right about Kevin Crossley Holland's The Norse Myths. And if you're really lucky and can find someone with a good reading voice to read it to you then it's even more fabulous. Listening to it being read was an amazing experience for me and in fact I think all adults should be regularly be read to. I vote for the return of the Storyteller as job description.

Can anyone sum up the obsession with Ganesh I've noticed on 'lith? Heh, that sentence is going to make our Ganesh feel very special!

14:45 / 20.04.04

Thanks for all the great info. I'll see about getting that book soon.

pantheon.org is a great site, but anyone know anything with more in-depth info (books, web, anything)?

And again, thanks!

trouser the trouserian

14:57 / 20.04.04

You can find out more in-depth information about Ganesa here

17:40 / 20.04.04

I used to read mythologies ALL THE TIME back when my Mom ran out of fairy tales to give me. With all this talk about Norse gods, does anyone here know anything of the theory that the Aesir were godforms of the conscious rationale "reason"-based mind, and their counterparts, the Vanir were the divine representations of the unconscious, irrational "emotion"-based mind? I read that SOMEWHERE, and found it incredibly strange and wacky for the frozen Scandinavians to have come up with something so profound. If Asgard = Hod, and Vanaheim = Netzach, what does Alfheim = ?

I'm specifically interested in mythologies that denote godforms to the human mind, with depth greater than god-of-wisdom, goddess-of love... For instance, The Greek Titans had five or six gods specifically denoted to things like Mnemosyne=Memory, Coeus=Thought, Phoebe=Fantasy, Crius=Confidence, Themis=Judgment, Etc.

Want to be closer to the present? Look up William Blake's Zoas -fascinating stuff if you're into comparative mythology.

19:08 / 20.04.04

I wonder if some of the medieval personifications might be of interest... I'm thinking of that Durer engraving of Melancholy, but I know there were others out there. Sort of angels for every mood or enterprise.

Can anyone sum up the obsession with Ganesh I've noticed on 'lith? Why is this elephant-headed god so popular?

Ganesh is popular on the 'lith in part because he's a popular user here, in part because Grant Morrison wrote about him (the god, not necessarily the user) and in part because Ganesh is by far the popularly depicted & admired member of the Hindu pantheon. He's the deity of the common man, he is, a working stiff with a bit of a belly, knows how to get things done and enjoys a bit of something sweet at the end of the day.

13:15 / 15.06.05

Well, I got a new question for this thread. I've recently gotten involved in Urban Exploration, especially draining, and I feel like I'm leaving somebody out, but I can;t figure out who. Any thoughts of gods related to tunnels, exploration, mazes, etc.? I've been googling like mad, but mostly just getting mad. Thanks.

Tryphena Absent

17:10 / 15.06.05

Who are you including?

01:49 / 16.06.05

http://www.godchecker.com

02:10 / 17.06.05

Wow. Great site. I think I found a few I'll offer a greeting to next time, thanks.