Ancient Psychedelia: Alien Gods & Mushroom Goddesses
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Victory often hands over the halo, the symbol for enlightenment. This can be seen on many Greek and Roman coins, however, the two examples presented are from the Kushan Empire, c. 152-192 AD (20d, f). Earlier coins from 160 AD, show Victory placing a shield on a palm tree, (which makes little sense and looks more like a mushroom tree with the shield added on top (52g). Two Victories place a shield on an altar on Roman coins, c. 317-326 AD (54c, d), which look very similar to Persian “Fire Altars” on coins from the same time period (25e, f, g, h, i).   R: (20f) Huvishka. Rev. Mithra with halo c. 155-190 AD L: (52g) Victory standing front head right and fixing to palm tree a shield c. 160 AD   R: (54d) R: Victory stepping on helmet holding shield on palm L: (54c) Two Victories placing shield on altar c. 317-326 AD   R: (25f) Kushano-Sassanid or Kidarite, "Varahran" Fire altar with attendants at left and right. c. 200-300 AD Roman figures also hold pateras in their hands. These are libation bowls, for holding the drink of the sacrifice. They are also called a phiale. We may see Elagabalus Hygeia feeding a serpent from a patera on a Roman coin, c. 218-222 AD (54e, g), the patera may resemble a grape bunch or perhaps mushrooms (54f), or we may see Genius holding a patera on coins from 315 AD (53n, r, t). |
  R: (54l) Elagabalus Hygeia feeding serpent from patera c. 218-222 AD L: (54f) Trajan c. 98-117 AD   R: (53n) Genius standing left, pouring out patera and holding cornucopia c. 305-313 AD L: (53r) Diana, holding patera and bow; deer to left c. 117-138 AD   R: (53t) Genius sacrificing over altar and holding cornucopia c. 315 AD Interestingly, some of these characters have a modius on top of their heads, appearing very similar to a mushroom (53n, r, t), and in one depiction Sol is holding the head of Serapis and his head has a modius instead (53s). A relief of Isis and Serapis, has Harpocrates in the middle holding either an ice cream cone or a mushroom (41b).  (53s) Sol raising hand and holding head of Serapis c. 310-320 AD |
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