Understanding Hell

In many religions, Hell is a place of punishment after physical death.  Many religions consider the time spent in Hell as everlasting and endless.  In some religions Hell is a period between incarnations. Historically Hell is beneath the Earth’s surface and often there are entrances to Hell from the land of the living. The other places the afterlife are Heaven, Purgatory and Limbo.

Hell is sometimes viewed as being controlled by demons that torment those punished and sent to Hell. There is usually a God of death such as Hades, or in the Christian and Islamic faiths Satan or Lucifer.

Punishment in Hell is related to the sins committed during life. Hell is customarily fire and sulfur   painful, and full of suffering. Hell in a number of religions is considered to be made up of zones of hot and cold hells as in Buddhism.

The Styx  is a river in Greek mythology that was a border line between Earth and the Underworld The gods made  promises on the river Styx; Zeus swore to give Semele whatever she wanted and when her request lead to her death he still had to fulfill it.  The river Styx supposedly had miraculous powers; according to one Grecian myth, Achilles was as a child his mother bathed him in it and was invulnerable; however she neglected his heel; in the expression of Achilles heal means a place that is a weak point.  

The ferryman Charon was believed to carry the souls of the dead across the river Styx into the underworld.  In ancient times placing a coin in the mouth of the deceased, was believed to help pay the toll for the ferry to cross the Styx River which would lead into one of the entrances of Hell.

There are many stories trying to explain life after death and Hell is one of the major themes in not only life but death.  In the overwhelming accounts of beliefs and religions the death myth is an attempt to understand and explain the unknown and the death myth is one of them.

The fear of death and the belief of life after death are phenomena found in all cultures. Scientists interested in the questions of how the similarities and the differences in the views of death of different cultures are explained, and the common order of similarities and differences. Shedding light on the ancient beliefs of death and life can be carried over to our own beliefs of death and the afterlife.

The Fountain of Youth

The Fountain of Youth is a legendary spring that has been said restores the youth of anyone who drinks from it. Tales these fountains have been told in narratives across the world for thousands of years.

Eternal youth is the belief of human physical immortality free of aging. The term youth is meant to be a reduction of the negative signs of aging, rather extending the lifespan.

 A fountain with an extraordinary type of water is located in Ethiopia, which gives the Ethiopians their exceptional long lives.  A story of the Water of Life describes the crossing the Land of Darkness to find the restorative spring.  These beliefs were very popular in Spain during and after the period of Moorish rule, and several explorers journeyed to America in search of the magical water.

 Eternal youth is a gift frequently desired in myth and legend, and it remains a popular theme in fiction. Stories of things such as the elixir of life are common throughout Europe and elsewhere. Eternal life and eternal youth although they differ in actual meaning is a recurrent theme in Greek and Roman mythology. The elixir of life, also known as the elixir of immortality is a legendary drink that grants the drinker eternal life and/or eternal youth. Many magicians and witches have pursued it. The elixir of life was also said to be able to create life. In Norse mythology it is described as providing the Gods apples that grant them eternal youthfulness.

Various myths tell the stories about the quest for rejuvenation. It was believed that magic or intervention of a supernatural power can bring back the youth and many mythical adventurers set out on quests for themselves, their relatives or some authority that sent them.

The stories continued well into the 16th century. A famous Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León led an expedition around the Caribbean islands to Florida to find the Fountain of Youth; many of the seekers perished in the attempt. The Fountain was nowhere to be found as locals were unaware of its exact location.

In some religions, people were to be rejuvenated after death prior to entering heaven.

The Fountain of Youth is a mythic spring that would supposedly grant eternal life and vigor to whoever drank from it. Legends and myths about the tale have existed since ancient times.  


However so far, achieving eternal youth remains beyond the capabilities of man. Unbelievably there is much research currently being conducted in the field of genetics which may prove to be an agent in reducing the process of aging at some time in the future.

Great Flood Myths

In countless cultural myths and religions there seems to be a common thread of a Great Flood.  While some of them are the result of colonization and conquering of the various civilizations it is still too common for it to be completely disputed as myth.

In Celtic mythology the story is that Heaven and Earth were great giants, and Heaven lay on the Earth their children were gathered between them, and the children and their mother were sad in the darkness. The bravest sons led his brothers in cutting up Heaven into pieces. His blood caused a great flood which spurted in waves and killed all humans except for one single pair, who were saved in a ship made by a compassionate Titan. The waters settled in hollows to become the oceans. The boldest son who had led in the destruction of Heaven was a Titan and became the king, the Titans and gods hated each other, and the king was driven from his throne by his son, who was born a god. The Titan went to the land of the departed. The Titan who built the ship also went there.

The Welsh believed that the lake of Llion ruptured, flooding all lands. Dwyfan and Dwyfach escaped in a ship with pairs of every living creature. They landed in Britain and proceeded to repopulate the world.

In Lithuanian the myth is that from his heavenly window, the supreme God saw nothing but war and injustice among mankind. He sent two giants, water and wind, to destroy the earth. After twenty days and nights, the earth was more or less destroyed. The supreme God, Pramzimas, watched the progress. While at his window he sat eating nuts and he discarded the shells by throwing them down. One landed on the peak one of the tallest mountains, where a few people and animals had found refuge. They climbed into the shell and in this way survived the flood. God's wrath lessened and, he ordered the wind and water to subside. The people scattered, except for one elderly couple who stayed where they landed.  God then sent the rainbow and told them to jump nine times over the bones. When they did nine other couples bounded up and from this came the nine Lithuanian tribes and their descendents.

In Grecian myth, Zeus sent a flood to destroy the men of the Bronze Age. Prometheus counseled his son Deucalion to build a chest. All other men perished except for a few who escaped to high mountains.  The entire world beyond the Isthmus and Peloponnese was overcome. Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha  after floating in the chest for nine days and nights, landed on Parnassus. When the rains ended, he sacrificed to Zeus.  Zeus ordered that he should throw stones over his head; they became men, and the stones which Pyrrha threw became women.

The first race of people was completely destroyed because they were extremely wicked. The waters of the deep opened, the rain fell in torrents, and the rivers and seas rose to cover the earth, killing all of them. Deucalion survived due to his goodness and faithfulness and  was the link to the first and second race of men. He loaded his wives, children and all animals into a great ark. The flood waters overflowed into a chasm opened in Hierapolis. 

This common theme of Great floods in the past civilizations suggests to some that the story of a universal beginning of life on the earth is a fact and not just a conjectuire.

The Gods role in the Trojan War

Throughout the Trojan War the Gods played a major part on both warring sides the Olympic Gods, Goddesses, and Demigods fight and play great roles in the human warfare. Paris had the favor of Aphrodite while the Greeks had Poseidon, Ares and Athena as there allies.  Aeneas was the son of Aphrodite.  Achilles was the son of Thetis and won honor and fame in the Trojan War; but also suffered death through the deceit of Paris.  Many of the other Gods sided with one or the other side as the whim struck.   Hera Sided with the Greeks as did Hephaestus and Poseidon. Apollo and Ares were on the side of the Trojans with Artemis. Zeus and Hades remained neutral for the most part. Even some of the minor Gods enjoyed meddling in the war Eris with the Trojans as did Leto.

The Greek society attached so much emphasis on the Gods to the point that the success of the warriors and kings during the Trojan War and other warfare of the time depended on the role of the gods and goddesses.

The famed Trojan War existed between the Trojans and the Greeks. During the time of when the war occurred, the people had a strong connection to the gods and believed that all their actions, activities were predestined by the gods. The Gods’ influence on the nature and characteristics of human beings in the way they think, act and believe was also a significant part of the culture. 

The gods and goddesses played a key role in determining the winners during competitions or wars between parties .The heroes in these wars were at the mercy of the gods who imposed their anger to disobedient and disrespectful acts by humans or by impulses of amusement. The Gods were at times fickle and their reaction of deliberate or accidental offences were punished by the offended God or Goddess. The Gods determined the heroines and heroes of the wars and in the human existence  in the Greek society.

Death in Mythology

Death it is common to all humans, regardless of culture, creed, religion, or race. We are all mortal, our lives are limited, and all each in our own way, seek understanding of what happens after we die.

Most cultures have a god of death into their mythology or religion. Death, as with birth, is the major parts of human life. These Gods often are one of the most important Gods of a religion. In some religions with a single powerful deity is an antagonistic deity which wages war against an all powerful benevolent God.   

In religions or mythologies which have a multifaceted system of Gods each governing various natural phenomena and features of human life, the occurrence of a deity who is designated with  presiding over death is almost essential to the basis of the religion or myth.

Not much is known of the Celtic beliefs of the afterlife. The Celtic Otherworld was an underworld, which was perceived as be a great misty island such as Avalon or in some cases simply a universe parallel to our own. The Celt Otherworld is considered as a place happier Earth; yet resembles the world in which we live, it is peaceful where everything and everyone are carefree and there is no pain.

The Buddhist afterlife is a series of paradises, each one higher and more splendid plane of consciousness, and where each person goes to based on virtue and spirituality. Nirvana, the highest plane, is when there is the release of the soul from all things human where souls exist in a pure state. The soul may spend eras in the various paradises, it eventually returns in reincarnation.

The Egyptian beliefs in death and the afterlife and the practices regarding the dead are not easily understood. Most of it is still unknown to this day, the purpose of the enormous burial chambers the pyramids, and other theories are hidden and still have to come to light to scholars.  The Egyptians believed in an underworld in that souls descend through burial. A great deal of their belief in the afterlife was associated with the pharaoh they worshipped, because the pharaoh was considered to be the representative of the gods. Proper & ceremonial burial of the pharaoh would ensure a place in a pleasing afterlife for each of his followers. The anointing and embalming of every body was a sacred ritual for the Egyptians, with priests of Anubis, God of the dead, wearing a death mask to perform the tasks. Most bodies were buried with personal items and riches that were cherished in life, so that the souls could take them with them to the afterlife.

The earliest Hebrew beliefs were pretty bleak. When the person died the soul was reduced to an insignificant wisp of psychic energy which descended into Sheol, a cavity beneath the Earth. The good and the evil both went to Sheol.  After time that changed, the good being going to one place of the afterlife and the evil in another. In Christianity this concept in its beliefs of heaven, purgatory and hell was incorporated.

The afterlife of Islam also has a paradise for the good and a hell and punishment for those who do evil. After the dead are buried and the mourners have departed, two angels are believed to visit the spirit of the departed for judgment. Questions are asked of the individual and if the dead answer all the questions correctly, they enter paradise. If the questions are answered incorrectly, they are sent to hell. There is a belief in a Day of Resurrection souls, when the dead will be made to face God and to be judged. All actions from the deceased the good and bad weighed.

In ancient Greek the most commonly known of the ancient beliefs, the afterlife has similarities to the religions of today such as Christianity.


 The Greeks believed that the dead were accompanied to the Underworld, ruled by the God Hades, and had to pay coins to the ferryman Charon to cross the River Styx, and enter the Underworld. The Greeks buried their dead with a coin or coins in their mouths, for the fee to Hades. Once in the Underworld, the dead were judged to be good or evil. The good ascended to the Elysian Fields, or Elysium, a place of paradise. The evil descended to fiery Tartarus, where they were punished for eternally, but in some instances there was a sentence of repentance for periods of time before becoming worthy to enter Elysium. This seemed to be a belief in a state of limbo where souls who were not good enough for Elysium, but not evil enough for Tartarus, would stay. This limbo is Asphodel. The Greeks also believed in reincarnation, where judges at the gates of Hades decided the incarnation of each soul.

Life and death unknown states that can only be clouded with mystery and dreams.  Idealistic ideas and conjecture can confront these obscure places where life continues on a higher plan and a happier existence.

Mythological Monsters

                                                                                              

The Cetos of Troy

The Cetos of Troy was a gigantic sea-monster sent by Poseidon to plague the land of Troy as punishment for King Laomedon's refusal to pay him for the building of the city's walls. When Laomedon built Troy, Poseidon and Apollo, who had lost favor with Zeus, were punished to serve Laomedon for wages, and accordingly Poseidon built the walls of Troy, while Apollo attended to the king's flocks on Mount Ida. 

When the two gods accomplished their tasks, Laomedon refused to recompense them as he had promised and expelled them from his dominions. Poseidon in return for the breach of promise by sent a marine monster into the territory of Troy, which ravaged the whole country. By the command of an oracle, the Trojans were obliged to sacrifice a maiden to the monster; and on one occasion it was decided by lot that Hesione, the daughter of Laomedon himself, to  be the victim. 

Fortunately for Hesione Heracles was returning from his expedition against the Amazons, and he promised to save the maiden, if Laomedon would give him the horses which Tros had once received from Zeus as a compensation for Ganymedes. Laomedon promised to give them to Heracles, but again when Heracles had killed the monster and saved Hesione he did not keep his word. Heracles waged war against Troy, and killed Laomedon, with all his sons, except Priam and gave Hesione to Telamon.

The Python

PYTHON was a monstrous serpent which Gaia , Mother Earth, appointed to guard the oracle at Delphi. The beast was said to have been born from the slime left behind after the great Deluge. He lived in the caves of mount Parnassus. When Apollo claimed the shrine as his own, he killed the dragon with his arrows. The oracle and festival of the god were then named Pythian after the dreaded beast.

The Dragons of Medea

The Dragons of Medea born of the blood of the Titans; were a pair of  winged Dragons which drew the flying chariot of the witch Medea. She summoned them to escape from Korinthos following the murder of King Kreon, his daughter Kreousa and her own children by Jason.

The Ismenian Dragon

The Ismenian dragon was a gigantic serpentine monster which guarded the sacred spring of Ismenos near Thebes. It was the offspring of Ares the God of war. When the hero Cadmus came to find water in order to found Thebes, he killed the ugly serpent by casting a stone.

The goddess Athena instructed him to sow the dragon's teeth in the earth, which harvested an army of warriors, called Spartan, five of who became the ancestral lords of Thebes.

Out of revenge Ares, the father of the dragon, transformed Cadmos and his wife into serpents.

The Hydra

The HYDRA LERNAIA was a gigantic, nine-headed serpent, which dwelled the swamps of Lerna. It is said that it was born of Typhoon and Echidna. Heracles was sent to destroy her as one of his twelve labors, but for each of her heads that he decapitated, two more were grown back. He used burning torches to the severed stumps, preventing them from regenerating. In the battle he also destroyed a giant crab who assisted the Hydra.

The Hydra and the Crab were placed in the skies as the Constellations Hydra and Cancer by Hera.   

The Chimera

The Chimera was a huge beast which wreaked havoc on the countryside of Lycia in Anatolia. It was a creature with the body and  head of a lion, a goat's head rising from its back, and a serpentine tail.

The hero Bellerophon was commanded to slay it by King Iobates. He battled with the beast on the back of the winged horse Pegusus and, drove a lead-tipped lance down the Chimaira's flaming throat and destroyed it. The Chimera was the result of the union of Typhoon and Echidna. It is said that the Sphinx the Nemeian Lion were the monster children of the Chimera.

Gods and Heros

The Colossus of Rhodes

Built as a celebration of freedom originally, the Colossus stood over 2,000 years ago at the Islands of Rhodes; located off of the southwestern tip of Asia Minor, where the Aegean Sea meets the Mediterranean Sea. The capital city, Rhodes, was built in 408 B.C.

In 357 B.C the island which was conquered by Mausolus of Halicarnassus fell to the Persians in 340 B.C. and was finally captured by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C.

When Alexander died the decision of who would reign could not be determined by the people. Ptolemy, Seleucus, and Antigous divided the kingdom between themselves. Antigous sent his son Semetrious to capture Rhodes. The war was lasted for long a long period and the city suffered. The city was protected by a strong wall.

The people of Rhodes put up a daring resistance, and with some help from King Ptolemy their cities withstood the assault. When several of Demetrius 's siege towers were destroyed flooded  by the people of Rhodes, Antigonus realized that his son's forces could no longer prevail, and ordered Demetrius to abandon the island. Demetrius moved on to other conquests.

To celebrate their freedom, the people of Rhodes built a giant statue of their patriot God Helious. Colossus was a Latin word, meaning any statue that is larger than life size. The people of Rhodes immediately set about erecting a suitable monument to their victory. They had been praying to their patron god Helios for deliverance throughout the ordeal, so they constructed the enormous statue the Colossus of Helios at Rhodes.            

Colossus was built in 304 B.C. and it took twelve years to build it. The statue was said to be 110 feet high. In the traditional Greek style the Colossus stood nude, wearing a  crown, with his right hand lifted while holding a cloak over his left hand.
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Colossus stood for  less than 60years.  An earthquake struck Rhodes, and the statue collapsed. Huge pieces lay in the harbor for a long time. Of all of the wonders, Colossus was the one that stood the least amount of time but was famous throughout the entire civilized world.

Placed upon a 50-foot marble pedestal, the statue's great size ensured that it was visible to ships approaching Rhodes from many miles away. It was an indestructible monument to the power of Rhodes.

The Three Graces Mirth, Splendor and Good Cheer

They are the daughters of Zeus and Eurynome, a daughter of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys. There are three Graces: Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia. They are known for their singing and dancing for the gods.  The Graces were not major goddesses but who symbolized beauty charm, and goodness.

The Graces were usually found as a group and they were also linked with the Muses.

The main function of the Graces was to bestow beauty, charm, and goodness on young women and to give joy to people. They were frequent companions of Aphrodite the goddess of love and they entertained the gods by dancing to the music of Apollo's lyre.  The Graces presided over banquets, dances, and all other social events, and brought joy and benevolence to the gods and mortals.

 In some legends Aglaia was wed to Hephaestus, the craftsman who created Zeus’ thunderbolts. 

Their traditional association was with the arts and like the Muses, inspired artists and poets with the ability to create beautiful art. They are usually represented as slender young girls, dancing in a circle.

The Graces symbolize the beauty of emotions such as joy and beauty as in the arts.  These three goddesses were to be found in meadows and fields dancing among the flowers which enhanced their own beauty.

Some Popular Heroes and Heriones

Achilles was best known as the central figure in The Trojan War. It is said that without the help of Achilles, the Greeks would have never defeated the Trojans. Achilles was a great hero his birth was magical and supernatural.

  It was foretold that the son of Thetis would be greater than his father. . Thetis was a sea-nymph she knew that her son was destined to be a hero that would die in battle. In order to make him invulnerable she bathed him in the river Styx. However,  his ankle the place where she held the child  was not bathed in the river.

 He was a mighty warrior at Troy, but was killed in battle when Paris learned of his vulnerable spot and shot a poisoned arrow into his heel.

Atlanta was a renowned huntress her skills were so great that she joined the group of hunters on the Calydonian Boar hunt. She made the first strike and was awarded the prize.When Atlanta was born ner father Iasus was disappointed that he had a daughter that he placed her on Mount Parthenon and left her in the open to die. A she bear later found the baby and reared as its own. Atlanta became a renowned huntress her skills were so great that she joined the group of hunters on the Calydonian Boar hunt.  King Iasus acknowledged her as his daughter, and commanded that she marry. Atlanta agreed but with the condition that the man have to be able to beat her in a foot race, if not, she could choose to behead him.

Only Melanion with the help of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love was able to win her hand in marriage. Melanion was only going to be able to be Atlanta in a foot race with the help of the mighty Aphrodite. Aphrodite gave him with three golden apples and told him that he was to run the race carrying them. During the race he fell behind and then threw a golden apple in front of Atlanta. These apples were so  appealing to her that she stopped three times to pick them up. By doing this she fell far enough behind that she lost the race.  

Atlanta married Melanion  and had one son who became a hero when he came of age.

Hercules is considered one of the greatest heroes in mythology. He was a demigod and possess\ed great strength and courage. Hercules accomplished great tasks from  birth when he strangled two snakes that Hera sent to kill him. Hercules was known for his anger.  

One of the most famous acts  was to perform 12 labors for his cousin King Eurystheus for offending the Gods. The Nemian Lion-Hercules trapped the lion in its own cave and strangled it with his bare hands. The Hydra of Lernea the hydra was able to generate a new head each time one was cut off. With the help of Iolaus, Hercules defeated the hydra by burning the cut section off each time they were cut off. .

The Wild Boar of Erymanthus was a beast that he had hunted and after defeating him, Hercules returned the dead beast to the king. The Hind of Ceryneia was a special deer that had feet of bronze and antlers of gold. It took Hercules 1 year to accomplish this task. The Stymphalian Birds these birds had wings, beaks, and claws of bronze. Hercules scattered them by shaking a bronze rattle that Athena helped him to make. The Augean Stables The stables of King Elis of Augeus were filthy and contaminated. Hercules managed toclean them by diverting the two nearby rivers and flooding the stables. The Cretan Bull was a bull Hercules captured that had been plaguing the island of Crete. The Horses of Diomedes these were wild beasts that Hercules captured.  They were known to eat human flesh and that Hercules fed Diomedes to them. The Girdle of the Amazon The  girdle of the famed Queen Hippoloyta of the amazons. Hercules seduced her and took the girdle. The Cattle of Geryon a three-headed monster who had great cattle Hercules managed to capture them. The Stealing of Cerberus the three-headed dog of Hades. Help by the Gods Hermes and Athena he was able to bring the dog to the land of the living. The Apples of the Hesperides  were golden apples that belonged to Hera. He tricked the god Atlas, by taking the arth upon his own shoulders while Atlas obtained the apples and then with deception managed to make Atlas  take up the Earth again.

These heroes and heroines stories have survived time and are considered some of the greatest heroes of all time. Some of the content of these myths are moral in nature while some myths are thought to be historically based. 

Heroes and Heroines

The Greek Gods

Bellerophon The Hero

Bellerophon’s story shows what becomes between the relationship of a mortal and the Gods. He found the favor of the Gods by honoring them but, his arrogance resulted in his downfall. The son of Eurynome by Posidon but,as the wife of Glaucus., he was raised by Glaucus who thought that Bellerophon was his own son. He had the desire to have Pegasus. He failed to capture the famous horse and finally asked for assistance from the seer Polyeidus. With Polyeidus’ advice he slept at an alter or Athena. He had a dream of the goddess giving him a magical bridle. When he awoke the bridle from his dreams lay at his side. He went to where Pegasus grazed and was able to bridle and ride the unique horse with ease.  Iobates solution was to ask Bellerophon was ordered to undertake a series of heroic tasks by the King Iobates. Bellerophon's courage and  with Pegasus as a mount allowed him to prevail in his endevores.  His first task was to kill the terrible Chimaera. Once succeeding here he was sent to conquer the neighboring Solymi tribe, who were Iobates enemies. He again completed and defeated them. The King sent him to fight the Amazons, victorious with this quest the King set an ambush against Bellerophon using his army This Bellerophon conquered and the army was defeated.. Iobates realized that the gods favored Bellerophon. Iobates made to please the Gods gave Bellerophon half his kingdom and his daughter Philonoe in marriage. His deeds were widely know. He was happily married and had two sons, Isander and Hippolochus,and two daughters, Laodameia and Deidameia. As a king he was loved and honored. When his pride at his accomplishments overcame him he attempted to ride Pegasus to Mount Olympus and visit the Gods themselves. Zeus sent a gadfly to sting Pegasus who threw Bellerophon. He spent the rest of his life wandering the earth. The overconfidence to believe that as a mortal even a hero has lead many to end their fate by dishonoring the Gods and Bellerophon was no exception. Clearly this is a story with a meaningful ending.

Theseus the Greek Hero

Theseus was Athens's personal hero; he had all the qualities of the traditional heroes, such as strength and courage, but he also intelligence and wisdom.  He was an exceptional king. He led Athens's army on numerous victorious battles. He was recorded as the founder of Athens's democracy. He was recognized as the champion of the poor and oppressed.

As a child and youth he wanted to be like his cousin Heracles. He became a favorite friend of Heracles and they both had a part in saving each others lives.

As time passed he began going on irrational adventures.  Eventually he died in exile far from Athens.

Generations pasted without much thought being given to Theseus. At the time of the Persian wars solders of Athens came to believe that he was responsible for their victories because of visions of him that they had seen. A command from the Delphinium Oracle commanded the king to find Theseus's remains and return them to Athens; and he was reburied in a glorious tomb. 

Theseus is best known for his adventures and battles including: Theseus and the Minotaur; Medea and the Marathonian Bull,;Androgeus and the Pallantides; The Six Entrances of the Underworld; The abduction of Helen and encounter with Hades The Ship of Theseus was said to be kept for several centuries in honor of his valor.

The Making of a Hero

Many of the world's most surviving myths and legends involve a hero, a man or woman who triumphs by overcoming formidable obstacles. Heroes are not like Gods all powerful and immortal beings. Instead they possess the best of human attributes, demonstrating great strength, courage, wisdom and devotion to the Gods in their culture.

Not all heroes possess all these qualities. From many cultures come different and various types of heroes with a wide assortment of talents and virtues.

The civilization of ancient Greece admired strong warrior heroes; in the mythology of Egyptians religion was a major influence of the society and the heroes were often magicians. Some civilizations showed women as heroes by using their intelligence or intuition to outwit an enemy.

Some heroes of myth and legends are historical figures who have become legendary heroes by writers or their society.

Myths and legends from around the world have pinpointed a pattern that appears throughout myths that is the story of the hero who gains new knowledge or abilities. Often the birth of such heroes is from their parentage which is supernatural in nature; they may be demigods.

A quest, a difficult task, journeys and adventures have to be overcome to achieve a goal or earn a reward. Leaving their normal life, the hero finds challenges voyages in the magical or the supernatural world. A hero may even confront death himself.

Heroes must use strength and cleverness to defeat enemies, monsters, or demons; some are often aided by deity or magician. At the end of their mission the hero returns home with enhanced powers, wisdom and treasures.

The hero' quests of many myths and legends are a key part, not all heroes follow the quest pattern. The hero on a quest or journey appears in many myths, and legends. Greek mythology has many heroes who go on quests; Odysseus, Orpheus, Jason, and Hercules who are a few well known. Odysseus attempting to return home after the Trojan War has an adventure filled voyage which takes ten years. The musician Orpheus descends into the underworld in his quest to bring his beloved Eurydice back from death. Jason sails to distant lands in search of the Golden Fleece. The mighty Hercules has to overcome Twelve Labors and may quests.

Some heroes because of their outstanding skills in combat are known as possessing heroic status. In myths about the Trojan War, the warriors Ajax and Achilles fight courageously and the Amazon queen Penthesilea leads her soldiers against the Greek army.

Some figures in mythology earned their hero status as renowned rulers. King Arthur, may have been a historical figure but rose to the status of a hero of great stature. Africa has celebrated kingly heroes. Shaka, a leader of the Zulu people of southern Africa, assembled a huge army and established a great empire in the early 1800s.

Heroes exist in cultures throughout the world and have strong influences on religion and traditional beliefs.  Whether they are considered demigods, superhuman or men and women who have progressed over time to hero fame the stories of heroes continues to be told through athletes, soldiers, and average citizens who come to the aid of the helpless.

The Three Fates

                                                 The goddess Themis and Zeus bore three daughters. At one time these three immortals were beautiful and pleasant; however it came to pass when they were known as the three hags of destiny and sat by the throne of Zeus.


Their names were Clotho, who spun the yarn of life. Lachesis  who measured the length that was given to each and every living being which that lived and last was Atropos who is the oldest of the three sisters known as the Goddess’ of Death and was the one that cut the yarn. At this time the man who the yarn was attached to died.


Zeus the father had the Fates kill men taking revenge at his will.  He also commanded the Fates not to cut or had Clotho spin the cut piece back together. The Fates had oracles to tell them what was going to happen and who would die on this day.


The threads were very delicate and small and when Lachesis decided that the thread was long enough then she would give the order to Atropos to snip the thread and end the life that was connected to it.


The three Fates may have even had the power to kill the Gods because the yarn strands were for every life form on earth and the heavens. This would have made the sisters of Fate more powerful then any God or Goddess. It is written that the gods feared the Fates and did not anger them in any way and possibly lose their immortality. .


The Romans gave them the names of Nona, Clotho,; Decuma, Lachesis; and Morta,Atropos. They were the goddess Parcae and were considered all of them as being the Goddess’ of death. 


Many prayed to the Fates to not ending their life, to ensure a good harvest or good child births.
Another tradition is that after every birth of a child, for seven nights afterwards they visit the child and determine his or her fate to see how to spin their life line.


Meleager, a Greek hero, fate was decided when he was seven days old. The Sisters said that he would die when the log that lay upon the hearth would burn. His mother feared this and took the log and placed it in a chest, locked and hidden, only she knew where it was.


Meleager had murdered his uncles along with his mother, but she  told him what the Fates had said seven nights after he was born.  She then told him where the log was and what would happen to him if it burned. Meleager was in anguish over  all of the murders he had committed and brought out the log and threw it upon the fire and watched it burn and as the Fates had predicted as soon as the log finished burning Meleager died.


The Fates with the powers of deciding a life’s path were feared but revered by men who know that life and death comes to all living things.  Life and death play a large role in mythology in all cultures there are explanations and the seeking  of answers to why death exists and how to prevent death.

Pagan Rome the Festivals

The Roman calendar which had festivities for practically every month of the year; the festivals of the Roman state were celebrated with games. The festivals included the event of the chariot racing.

August, the sixth month of the ancient Roman calendar, had festivals in honor of the gods Hercules, Portunus, Vulcan and Diana.

In February for a period of nine days was the time in which the families would worship their deceased ancestors. For these nine days official business ceased and, all the temples were closed and no marriages were performed.

A festival of fertility was also celebrated in February. This ancient ritual went back to the mythical times of Roman origin. Ceremonies were performed in the cave in which the twins Romulus and Remus who were believed to have been nursed by the wolf.

The festival of Mars held in March; the festival of Vesta took place in June and, lasted for a week. The temple of Vesta was also opened to married women who would make sacrifices to the goddess.

To the Romans, the religious ceremonies were a public duty more than a private choice. Their beliefs were founded on a variety of mythological traditions, many of them derived from the Greek.

Since Roman religion was not founded on one belief foreign religions established themselves in the imperial capital of Rome. One of the first foreign cults was the goddess Cybele around 204 BC.

From Egypt the worship of Isis and Osiris was instituted in Rome at the beginning of the first century BC. These cults were observed as the mysteries, there were secret rituals which were known only to those who were members in the faith.

Jews were granted freedom of worship in the city of Rome during the reign of Julius Caesar, acknowledging the Jewish forces which had helped him at Alexandria.

The cult of the Persian sun god Mythras had reached Rome somewhere around the first century AD.

 Traditional Roman religion, with the influence of Greek philosophy, began to give way to the belief in a single deity. Slowly over time the advent of Christianity would overcome Pagan religions and be the major religion of Rome.

The Founding of Rome

The legend of the founding of Rome by the twin brothers, Romulus and Remus has different variations. One of them is that their grandfather was the heir to the kingdom of Alba but had been deposed by his brother. Their mother was supposed to be a Vestal Virgin priestess, but she was impregnated by Mars, the god of war. Their uncle that Romulus and Remus were obviously other than mortals more attempted to have them killed. The servant who was to slay them instead left them by the river Tiber. They were found by a female wolf who nursed them, and a woodpecker, who fed them. Later they were found by a herdsman who brought raised them.

Romulus and Remus grew up to be born leaders of the shepherds and surrounding countryside. Romulus and Remus did not want to be servants to anybody else as king, so they left Alba to found their own city.

They chose different sites, and sought omens for which would be better. Remus looked round and saw six vultures, a good omen, whereupon Romulus claimed to have seen twelve. While they were arguing, Remus destroyed the walls Romulus had built. Romulus was angry about this act, and in rage, killed his brother.

Romulus buried Remus, and continued to build his city. All the inhabitants were men. Romulus held games in honor of the god Consus, and invited people from the Sabine communities. During the games, Romulus the Romans kidnapped the young Sabine women who were attending the games. The Sabines later tried to get the women back, they had married their abductors and some of them had become mothers.  Peace was restored and Romulus and Tatius, the king of the Sabines, were made joint kings. Tatius was killed after only five years and Romulus then reigned alone.

After reigning for 38 years, Romulus disappeared in a violent storm, and it was announced that he had been taken up to heaven, from where he would continue control Rome's destiny as the god Quirinus.

 For the Romans, the supernatural details did not detract from the history of the myth phenomenon of nature with accounts of other figures in Roman history persist in other myths including the emperors of the Roman Empire.

Other Grecian Gods

Asclepius is a God of healing. His symbol is a snake. His parents were Apollo and Coronis. While carrying him Coronis slept with Ischys. This was considered an horrible act and an insult to Apollo. A crow brought the news of the  act to Apollo. Apollo turned all crows, until then white, to black to mark that they were not worthy of trust. Apollo then slayed Coronis with his arrows. He rescued Asclepius from her funeral pyre.

Asclepius was raised by Chiron who taught him healing. Athena gave him two vials of the blood of the Gorgon's. Certain types of blood from the Gorgon revived life. Other types from them killed. Asclepius started using the blood to raise dead mortals. For this offense Zeus struck him with a thunderbolt killing him.


Apollo could not seek revenge against Zeus the King of the Gods, so he killed the Cyclops that forged the thunderbolts.


Demeter is the  Olympian goddess of the Earth; corn, grain, and the harvest. It is Demeter that makes the crops grow each year. The first loaf of bread from the harvest is sacrificed to her. She is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea.


Demeter is associated with the seasons because of her daughter Persephone was abducted by Hades to be his wife in the Underworld. In her anger at her daughter's loss Demeter laid a curse on the world that the plants would wither and die and all the land of the Earth would become desolate. Zeus intervened and ordered Hades to return Persephone's return. But because she had eaten while in the Underworld Hades had a claim on her. And because of this it was decreed that Persephone would spend four months each year in the Underworld. During these months Demeter grieves her absence of her daughter, and denies the fruits of the Earth, creating winter. When she returns she brings about Springtime.


Demeter is also founded the Eleusinian Mysteriess. These huge festivals were held every five years. They were important events for many centuries, those attending were sworn to secrecy so that little is known. It is believed that as grain returns every spring after its harvest and death during the winter, the human soul would be reborn after the death of the body.

Celtic Mythology

Before Christianity was introduced the Celts, like a lot of other cultures, passed on their sacred teachings and myths orally. From around the fifth century, the monks recorded the myths, and they have been saved up to the present.

 St Patrick, who brought Christianity to the Celts and some of the myths have been influenced by Christianity, however, Celtic myths have gods of human form which is not usual in other myths in other cultures.

The god Lugh, which the name of the Irish summer festival of Lughnasadh is a God. He is the savior of the Tuatha dé Danann, the predecessors of the Gaels. While looking for admission to the palace of King Nuada of the Silver Hand, at Tara, he names all of his talents Blacksmith, warrior, musician, poet, and scholar.

In the main source of British myths, Lugh is more humanized.  Lleu Llaw Gyfes, nephew or son of the magician Gwydion. He has skills, and is protected by charms, but he is not a god.

The Dagda, a impressive figure in myths of the Tuatha dé Danan is powerful and all powering.  He has great magical powers, and he possesses a harp which comes to him when he calls and a cauldron of which restores dead warriors to life.

Celtic mythology has various concepts of life which is differs from other myths of the world little is known about the Gods of this culture.  Hidden in the chronicles of this society is meaning and knowledge of the past.

The Seven Against Thebes

The Seven against Thebes in Greek mythology is about the seven champions who were killed fighting against Thebes after the fall of Oedipus, the king of Thebes. The twins Eteocles and Polyneices, the sons of Oedipus had been cursed by their father, Oedipus, argued about who was to succeed to the throne and came to the decision to rule on alternate years. As Eteocles was the first, Polyneices traveled to Argos, and he married Argeia, daughter of King Adrastus.

At the end of the year, Polyneices’ turn came to rule Thebes. Eteocles refused to give up the throne. Adrastus assembled an army, whose chiefs, were Tydeus, Capaneus, Eteoclus, Hippomedon, Parthenopaeus, Amphiaraus, and Polyneices. The generals from Argos, who take the oath before the gates of the walled city, will not try to get out of it. They will fight to the last. Each of the seven sends his army against one of the gates, as selected by lot.

In the course of their attack on the city’s seven gates, Capaneus was struck by Zeus’s lightning bolt; Amphiaraus was swallowed up by the earth; Polyneices and Eteocles killed each other, this fulfilled the curse by their father Oedipus; and the others were killed by the guards at Thebes. When the sons of the dead Seven, had grown to be men, Adrastus again assaulted the city and occupied it after the Thebans had fled. 

The champions who fought the war all suffered death in fulfillment of the curse of their forebears. Oedipus was an hero himself and knew that the fight for the throne that he had left would bring about the opposition between the two sons.

Pygmalion and Galatea

           

Pygmalion, a gifted young sculptor of Cyprus, was unlike the notorious Greeks, had no desire for the passion of a woman. He resolved never to marry. His art, he was enough for him. However, the statue that he devoted his life to was that of a women. He was intent on forming the perfect women, one that no man had seen before.

He worked on it daily and it grew more and more beautiful as his talented hands caressed it. When nothing could be added to make the statue  more perfect, fate as it does, stepped in and the creator fell in love with his creation.

He kissed he inviting lips but they were unresponsive; he took her in his arms she remained a cold and uninviting. He would dress her in rich robes and imagine her affection and pleasure at such gifts.

This singular passion did not remain unnoticed from the Goddess of Love, Venus. Venus was especially interested in this love affair for it was a new kind of love. She was determined to help this man.

The feast day of Venus was, of course, especially honored in Cyprus, the island that first received the goddess after she rose from the sea foam. Many a young man and women were bearing gifts of great value and also Pygmalion. Venus knew what he desired and she granted his prayer.

Seeing an omen at the temple Pygmalion rushed to his house and his love. He caresses her and than startled he questioned himself did she really feel warm to his touch? He kissed her lips and felt them soft beneath his lips. He touched her arms, her shoulders;they were soft and supple their hardness vanished. This was a gift from the Goddess' With gratitude and joy, he put his arms around his love and  named her Galetea.

Gods and Goddess at their whims can create havoc in mortals lives but sometimes prayers and desires are granted as in this myth

.

Music of the Gods

Orpheus and Eurydice

The first musicians were Gods. Gods ; Athena, Hermes, and Apollo created music so harmonious that the Gods on Mount Olympus  would  forget everything else.  Mortal rivals these Gods came were so admirable in their art that they almost equaled the great Gods. One of these mortals was Orpheus, son of one of the Muses and a Thracian prince. Orpheus was given the gift of music by his mother . The Thracians were famed as the most musically skilled people of Greece. Orpheus was renowned for his talent when it came to mortals, his only rivals were the Gods. He had the ability to control both the living and inanimate objects. He sailed with Jason and the Argonauts..

 He was an instrumental part in  the voyage because when the heroes were weary from rowing he would play his lyre and the sailors became awed with the sound that they were filled with a renewed strength and vigor allowing them to continue on. Orpheus also saved the Argonauts from the Sirens, he played his lyre so as to hypnotize the Sirens and drive out all thoughts except the longing to hear more of his sweet music. The Argonauts than sailed off and set there course, if it were not for Orpheus the Argonauts surely would have become defunct.

 The women Orpheus desired could resist the power of his music. He married but unfortunately after his wedding as Eurydice, his wife walked in the garden a snake struck  her and she died. Orpheus' grieved so much that he vowed to go down to the world of death and bring Eurydice back. As he played his lyre, Cerberus  the monster with dog heads released his guard at the doorway to Hades;; Tantalus  was relieved of his thirst; The terrors of the Underworld ceased for the first time..

The ruler of Hades and his queen granted Orpheus' wish and summoned Eurydice and gave her to him, but there  was one condition: that he would not look back at her as she followed him out oh Hades, until they reached the upper world. As they left the Underworld, Orpheus knew Eurydice was following him but he had ti be to sure. At the  point where the darkness  turned into the light he turned back, but it was too soon Eurydice was still in the cavern and as he reached for her she was taken away from him and returned to Hades.

He attempted to follow her, but the Gods prevented Orpheus to enter the Underworld again while he was still alive. Filled with grief, he left the company of men and wandered through the wild playing his  lyre. A band of Maenads discovered him, they fell upon Orpheus, tearing him limb from limb, and flung his head into the swift river Hebrus. The Muses discovered his head at the Lesbian shore intact. His body was found placed in a tomb at the foot of Mount Olympus

The sounds of the birds and are sweeter than in any known region and the willows whisper sweet words reminding the world of Orpheus and his love for his beloved wife.

Glaucus and Scylla

Glaucus used to be a normal human fisherman who lead a quiet life. Everything changed one day in his regular routine. He had just brought in a catch of fish and was awed watching them as they tried to get back to the sea. He wondered if something in the grass made them attempt to get back into the water. 'He ate some of it himself. All of a sudden he had an overpowering urge to go jump into the ocean. It felt natural for him to feel the water surrounding him.

The water Gods were happy that someone wanted to join them,they called to the water god, Tethys, to make him one of them. Glaucus was made an immortal and his body was transformed. He was his human from the waist up; but the lower half of his body was that of a fish. He quickly adapted to his new life and happily lived in the sea.

One day, while he was swimming he saw the a woman who he thought to be the most beautiful creature in the world. It was the water nymph Scylla. However, her fear of him as his new self was great, she ran from him when she saw him rising out of the sea.

Glaucus had completely fallen in love with Scylla. In an attempt to make her love him, he went to Circe the enchantress for a love potion. Circe, was impetuous and promiscuous and she is fell in love with Glaucus herself.. Glaucus refused her love and swam away.

Circe was angry with Glaucus for not loving her. The revengeful Circe found Scylla and transformed her into a giant, ugly sea monster.

Many myths have tragic stories along with tragic endings. This is one which explains the phrase of the power of a woman scorned.

Jason and the Golden Fleece

Athamas a ruler of a kingdom in Thessaly, decided dispose his wife, Nephele, and marry a younger woman. Nephele feared that the king’s new wife would be a hazard to her children by Athamas. She pleaded to Zeus, the king of the Gods and Zeus directed the God Hermes to give the queen a ram with the ability to fly  to take her children to another kingdom. The ram flew to the east, across the strait between Europe and Asia. Helle fell from the ram into the sea. The place where she fell was called the Hellespont .  The ram, finally arrived at Colchis, on the eastern shore of the Black Sea. Phryxus  sacrificed the ram to Zeus and gave its golden fleece to Aeetes, king of Colchis. Aeetes placed it in a sacred grove, where it was 

guarded by a dragon that never slept.

.  

 King Aeson in another kingdom in Thessaly, was surrendered his throne to his brother ; with the condition that he must surrender the throne to Aeson's son Jason  Jason's mother, not trusting Pelias, sent Jason away to be raised  in secret.

Jason was told of his right to rule in Iolcus once he was old enough, and he sought to lay claim to his throne. At the beginning of his journey he met an old woman who begged him to help her get across a river. Jason put  the old woman onto his back and began to swim. The powerful current  swept one of his sandals.  The old woman, who was so light weight and frail when he first started grew heavier as he swam.

By the time he reached the other side of the river was as heavy as a stone; helped the  woman from his back and discovered that she was in reality the goddess Hera. She had  tested Jason, to see if he was worthy of her patronage. He had as a benefactress the queen of the Gods.

Pelias was distressed when Jason arrived at his court and announced that as Aeson's son he had come to claim his throne. The prophecy seemed to have been into being the man who arrived with one sandal had appeared. Pelias slyly suggested that before taking up the responsibilities of kingship, complete some sort of heroic quest, in order to show his new subjects how worthy he was to be their king.

Jason asked Pelias what sort of heroic deed he should perform. Pelias told Jason the tale of the Golden Fleece but  that King Aeetes of Colchis had stolen it.

Jason enlisted  the skilled craftsman Argus to build a ship large enough and strong enough  to hold fifty men,  be able to withstand a voyage into unknown and dangerous waters. The ship was named the Argo, after Argus, and those who sailed on it would be known as the Argonauts.

Jason called all of  the bravest, most noble warriors of Greece to join Jason on his great adventure. They knew the voyage would be long and dangerous, but would bring them honor and fame. Among the warriors who accompanied Jason was Heracles, but he did not stay for the whole trip.

In Thrace the Argonauts encountered King Phineas, who was emaciated from starvation. Zeus had punished him for being sly. Every time food was placed before him, hideous winged creatures called Harpies, with great wings, sharp talons, and the heads of women, would descend for the sky and snatch the food. The next time Phineas tried to eat and the Harpies appeared, two of the Argonauts  fought  them off and the Harpies never returned.

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In gratitude, Phineas told the Argonauts how to pass safely past the great Clashing Rocks that blocked the entrance to the Black Sea. Any ship that tried to pass through them would be smashed  when the rocks slammed together.

Following Phineas's directions, the Argonauts released a dove as they drew near the Clashing Rocks. As it flew between the rocks, they smashed together and almost caught the dove who survived minus a few tail feathers. When the rocks again separated, the Argonauts sped  through moments before they slammed together again.

When they reached Colchis, Jason told King Aeetes that he had come for the Golden Fleece. The king told Jason he must earn the Golden Fleece by proving his courage and strength. He must harness a pair of bulls, sow, and then harvest a field before sundown.

Hera still favored Jason, so she told Aphrodite to have her son Eros to shoot an arrow into the heart of Medea, King Aeetes' daughter. Struck by Eros' arrow, Medea fell in love with Jason. Medea was a priestess of Hecate, and a powerful, skilled sorceress. That night Medea approached Jason and gave him a container of magical oil, which would protect him from the hooves and the fiery breath of her father's bulls. The next day, Jason harnessed the bulls. Jason sowed the bag of seed he had been given.

Jason did not realize that what he was sowing was actually not seed, but dragon's teeth. Each of the teeth that were sown turned into an armed warrior, until the field was crowded with armed men. No matter how many Jason killed, there were always more to attack him. Medea once again came to aid Jason. She tossed a rock at one of the warriors and when it hit he thought  that another dragon-warrior had struck him, the first one attacked his comrade. After throwing other rocks the entire army of dragon-warriors fought with each other, until not one was left alive.

But Medea knew that her father was not going to allow Jason to take the Golden Fleece, so that night she led Jason to the sacred grove where the sleepless dragon guarded the Golden Fleece. Near the dragon she used a powerful potion and when the dragon smelled the fumes from the potion, it immediately fell asleep, and Jason was able to grab the Golden Fleece.

Accompanied by Medea, Jason and the Argonauts sailed away on the Argo, pursued by Aeetes. Medea had persuaded her young brother to come with them. ; expecting that her father would retaliate.  As Aeetes gained on the Argo, Medea killed and dismembered her brother and scattered his body parts all over the surface of the sea, her father had stop to gather his son's remains for a proper burial.

Once they had returned to Iolchus and married, Jason asked Medea to use her magic to take some years from his life and add them to his father's, for Aeson had grown quite old and frail. Medea did not want shorten his life, add years to his father's. So that after preparing a pot with a magical brew, she cut up an old ram, threw it into the pot, and pronounced an incantation. Out of the pot leapt a frisky young lamb. Having seen this evidence of her power, Aeson allowed his new daughter-in-law to take a knife to him. She had put his remains into the pot, said the magic words, and out of the pot stepped Aeson, once again tall and strong, with a youthful.

Medea had let the daughters of Peleus witnessed this act of sorcery, so they would approach her to do the same thing for their father. They knew he was too suspicious to submit willingly to the process, so they gave Peleus a sleeping potion Medea had prepared. Then, when their father was deeply asleep, the two daughters fell on him with their knives. Once he was dead, Medea cut him up and placed him in the pot. But instead of saying the magic words, she left the horrified women alone to watch the boiling pot with their father's remains.

Jason was now king of Iolchus. He and Medea lived happily together for ten years, during which time they had two sons. But as Medea grew older, Jason became interested in Glauce, the daughter of the King of Corinth. Younger than Medea, Glauce was neither a foreigner nor a sorceress, and so she seemed more attractive than Medea, whom Jason divorced in order to marry Glauce. Embittered, Medea sent Creusa a magnificent robe, soaked in a deadly potion. When Glauce donned the robe, it burst into fire and killed her. Before fleeing to escape  for the murders, Medea also slaughtered her two sons by Jason

Perhaps Jason lost Hera's favor when he divorced Medea to marry a younger woman.  Hera was the goddess of marriage.

Whatever the case that ended the famous quest for the Golden Fleece and the fleece was saved and returned to its rightful owners.  Many heroes lived through Greek Writing and the myths live on.  The search for the Golden Fleece is just one of such tales. The Argonauts will not be forgotten for the deeds.