Ancient Psychedelia: Alien Gods & Mushroom Goddesses
Online Book - Chapter 11, Page 191
Back to Online Book Mainpage / Next Page (Chapter 11, Page 192)
| Judgment and the Afterlife Concepts of a time when time began, and a time when it would end, is a central theme of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. “In the beginning God created” and “in the end will be the Final Judgment.” These ideas never existed in the world before these three religions were around. It was necessary to establish this kind of mindset in order to both punish and reward the individual. For, if you are good, you will be “rewarded in the afterlife” and if you are bad, you will be “punished in the afterlife.” This inherently implies you must be good during this lifetime otherwise, later on, there will be “hell to pay.” In addition to this threat or punishment, was the reward that one day, the “good will be close to god,” as if you are not close to god now, and there is no way for that to possibly happen until the afterlife, once you die. In the meantime, your donations to the church are highly appreciated by god. (87) About the Eleusinian Mysteries, Homer writes: “Blessed among earth-bound mortals is he who has seen these things. But whoever is uninitiated in the rites, whoever takes no part in them, will never get a share [aisa] of those sorts of things [that the initiated get], once they die, down below in the dank realms of mist. But when the resplendent goddess finished all her instructions, they [Demeter and Persephone] went to Olympus, to join the company of the other gods.” (88) Those who were initiated were said to, ”… experience a new philosophy of life that transcended the things of time and space.” (89) The mysteries were open to everyone who could speak or understand Greek and were held under the direction of two priestly families, the Kerykes and the Eumolpidae. (90) The Mysteries were celebrated in the month of Boedromion (End of September-Beginning of October) and only in the place of Eleusis. (91) Tripto’lemus (Triptolemos) is described as the son of at least 3 possible different marriages, one by Celeus and Metaneira or Polymnia, or according to others, a son of king Eleusis by Cothonea (or Cyntinea or Hyona, (92) or possibly he can be a son of Oceanus and Gaea, or as a son of Trochilus by an Eleusinian woman; as a son of Rharus by a daughter of Amphictyon, or lastly, as a son of Dysaules. (93) Regardless of his parentage, he is a favorite of Demeter’s and inventor of the plough and agriculture. He was also the main hero of the Eleusinian Mysteries. (94) The story goes that when Demeter arrived at Eleusis, she took care of Demophon, a brother of Triptolemus, who had just been born. Demeter attempted to make the child immortal, Demeter at night put him into a fire, but Metaneira walked in while she was performing the act and screamed out and she grabbed the child from the flames. Demeter warned her, that now he would stay mortal and have to plough the fields in labor. The goddess gave to Triptolemus a chariot with winged dragons and seeds of wheat to spread out all over to help teach mankind how to cultivate the land. (95) |
Triptolemus is usually depicted as a youthful hero flying in his dragon-led chariot holding a scepter and corn ears (44f). (96) This iconography is also similar in ways to Neptune, or Poseidon. (97) The mention of “winged dragons” along with the spreading of “seeds” indicates once again, to me, at least, that this was originally mushroom spore dispersion and not associated with grain cultivation. The previous myth concerning Demophon is a retelling of the Egyptian story of Isis when she went to look for Osiris and ended up in the royal court being a nursemaid when Astarte walked in. (44f) Triptolemus prepares to depart Eleusis Attic Red Skyphos Vase 490 BC The previous story of Triptolemus is reminiscent of the immortality that was about to be bestowed upon Adapa, but he refuses the food and water of life and instead commits man to working and hard labor for sustenance. According to Pliny, it was Triptolemus who invented the plough: “The ox and the plough [were invented] by Buzyges (Ox-Yoker) of Athens, or, as others say, by Triptolemus.” (98) Valerius Flaccus, in Argonautica, writes: “The fabled team of Dracones of him [Triptolemos] who first set the mark of the ploughshare upon lands that knew not Ceres [Demeter], and preferred the golden ear to the acorn.” (99) (87) Occidental Mythology, p. 268-69 (88) Ancient Symbol Worship, p. 294; Homeric Hymn to Demeter, 1. 480-484 (89) Sophacles, Frangmenta, 719; Pindar, Frag., 121; Plato, Phaedo, 69C; Cicero, De Legibus, ii, 14; Farnell, Cult of the Greek States, p. 197 (90) Cult of the Mother Goddess, p. 156-57 (91) Ancient Symbol Worship, p. 294-95 (92) Serv. ad Virg. Georg. i. 19; Schol. ad Stat. Theb. ii. 382 (93) Hygin. Fab. 147; Apollod. i. 5. § 2, Paus. i. 14. § 2; Hom Hymn. in Cer. 153 (94) Pliny. H. N. vii. 56; Callim. Hymn. in Cer. 22; Virg. Georg. i. 19 (95) (Comp. Paus. vii. 18. § 2, viii. 4. § 1; Ov. Met. v. 646, &c.) (96)http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/EleusiniosTriptolemos.html (97) Cult of the Mother Goddess, p. 158; Kourouniotis, Eleusis, p. 15 (98) Pliny Natural History 7. 199 (trans. Rackham) (99) Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 1. 68 ff (trans. Mozley) |
Go Back to Page 190