World Religions

I've always found it fascinating how we like to take myths or religions and strictly separate them from each other.  It's almost as if has its own little box so Greek myths go here, Norse go there, Christianity in this one, Judaism in that.  But it's such an inaccurate picture that way!  Cultures have been clashing and mixing for millennia and our arbitrary boundaries aren't going to change that.


My favorite example doesn't actually come from the reading but it's something I discovered.  I recall being in love with ancient cultures as a child so I read a lot of Greek and Egyptian myths.  In one very traditional Greek story, Zeus takes a human lover, Io, and to hide her from his jealous wife, he turns her into a heifer.  Hera s all too aware of his misbehavior and sends a stinging gad-fly to torment poor Io so that she can never rest.  She is chased across continents and even ends up in Egypt where she is worshipped as a goddess.  Because I had read so many stories, I immediately realized they were referring to Hathor, the cow-headed goddess of Egypt who serves both as a symbol of Ra's wrath and as a mother goddess.  As soon as I caught that little detail, I started hunting for more.  It became a game of connecting cultures.  Of course I've continued the trend with the reading from our class...

"In support of this, for example, it was believed that upon one's death, the soul departs from the body in the form of a bird (usually a sort of owl)." (115)

Here's a traditional depiction of the Ka leaving the body.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Fp1TvPT3pZg/TNJgSh3ntRI/AAAAAAAAA78/9U3qnREXvJM/s1600/theDepartingBa.jpg

In this case, I found another tie to Egyptian mythology.  Their belief was that in death, the soul split up into the Ka and Ba.  One half, the Ka, became a falcon or an owl and flew into the heavens.  Obviously, because I took this reading from the pre-Islamic Arabian area, it makes sense that these two would share such a commonality.

"Indra too is compassionate towards humans & humanity, though he is war god, he is discompassionate towards Asuras- the evil people who cause suffering to human race." (107)


My other major connection is rather more recent.  In fact, I suppose you'd consider it more of a reinterpretation of an ancient work more than anything.  But in any case, one of my favorite artists introduced me to the stories of the Vedas.  CLAMP, a conglomeration of four women artists, created a series called RG Veda.  It's based on the RigVeda story but with a completely new take.  It's an interesting blend because the RigVeda is obviously based on Indian culture while CLAMP are Japanese manga artists so the flavor of the art is very distinct.  Interestingly enough, the main character is named Ashura (a form of Asura) and he is revealed to be destined to destroy earth, heaven, and hell.  His true, hidden character is evil because he seeks a total lack of existence of everything.  I can definitely relate how evil people, asuras, wish only grievances for their fellow men and hence are more evil than a god of war who has some sense of discipline.

One of the illustrations of Ashura by CLAMP.
http://lovelyduckie.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/p10509091.jpg

Lastly, I pulled a quote directly from our Quran selections.


"Who created the seven heavens one above another; you see no incongruity in the creation of the Beneficent God; then look again, can you see any disorder?" (150)


Although this particular piece came out of the Quran, there is a similar belief held by Judaism, Hermeticism, and Gnosticism with seven realms.  I suppose that came from the fact that all these cultures existed around the same time and within a common area.  But they aren't the only ones who believe in multiple levels of existence.  In Norse tradition, there are nine worlds arrayed on the branches of one monstrous tree.  While the Nordic people were strongly polytheistic, isn't it curious that they also base all life off a tree?  Is could almost tie back into Christianity's Tree of Life.  Now maybe I'm stretching it here but I think there are truly elements of mankind's existence that tie us all together.  We can pretend to cut ourselves up over ethnicity or gender or sexual orientation but we're all basically coming from the same mix of ingredients.  I think with our modern, cliquish world we tend to forget that.