asexual gods and goddesses

After a series of failed attempts to seek revenge on him, she ultimately correctly prophesied his death in battle.. Though, of course, they didn't have words like "asexual" to discribe her, nobody tried to hid the fact that Athena was a virgin and that she was completely not interested in sex. Son of Baldr and Nanna. I've heavily restructured the question to hopefully be a little clearer about what, exactly, I'm looking for. ingls. after killing the trusted guard dog of Culainn in self defense, by accurately hitting a sliotar (ball used in the Irish game of hurling) down its throat as it attacked him. Artemis, Goddess of the hunt, the moon, and the protector of girls and animals. For some reason, I just always liked her attitude, if that makes any sense. Seemingly not all of them, Lugh is said to have been speared and drowned in. On the other hand, she was the goddess of the crafts, many of which (such as weaving) are more associated with women. But I'm going to focus specifically on Athena. Spurned, Ciconian women would eventually tear Orpheus apart during a Bacchic orgy. Given the overlapping focus of the major Celtic deities, it has been suggested that some of the Celtic deities equate to the Roman ones. There is a case to be made about the humanity itself (or some of it) being asexual at first. This post contains affiliate links. In Rome, the Vestal Virgins (the servants of Hestia, who kept the fires of Rome burning) were some of the most respected people in the realm. The Hill of Knockainy (orCnoc ine) in County Limerick was an important site, where ritual blessings to this Irish goddess were carried out. Greek gods and goddesses. Aetna (aka Aitna) - Nymph Goddess of the volcano Mount Etna, located in Sicily. 17 Favourites. Rios Codex/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain. Are there recorded instances of asexuality in the body of ancient Greek writings? These cookies do not store any personal information. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Celtic pagan gods and goddesses were thought to have special influential powers over aspects of daily life and the natural world. While tolerance is often presented as a sign of civilization's progress, a reading of Greek mythology reveals greater acceptance of homosexuality in ancient Athens than can be seen within today's world religions. Alastor God of family feuds and avenger of evil deeds. - Hermes, menssager of the gods, was bisexual as well. Now of course, being a virgin doesn't necessarily imply being asexual - Artemis, for example, seems to recognise the idea of sexuality, and some stories even have it that she was in love with her hunting companion Orion. In the General Post Office (or GPO) in Dublin, Ireland there is a sculpture by Oliver Shepard of C Chulainns final moments.. Danu is the mother goddess of Ireland and of the Tuatha d Danann. Actividad de Greek gods and goddesses. Lugh was a master craftsman and skilled warrior, known for his ability to throw a spear a very long distance and hence his other name Lugh Lmhfhada. Edit: Totally different meaning without the "with each other" clause. Half goat. When Prosymnus died before that deal would be consummated, the god created a wood phallus to ritually fulfill the promise, according to research by a number of Christian historians, including Hyginus and Arnobius. Above: Jean-George Vibert, Narcissus, ApolloThe sun god, one of the most important in all literature, was also quite the libertine. ace artemis asexual athena bow clouds greek helmet hestia mythology olympus owl pantheon pride quiver spear virgins pridemonth acepride fire . Good, fruitful harvests were critical for the survival of Celtic people and animals, so it is easy to see how central a role this god played in the, One ritual to ensure a fruitful harvest in the coming year was the annual coupling of the Dagda with his wife, the, Some of the Dagdas most prized possessions included an, The Dagda was the supposed father of several other important figures in Irish mythology including the goddess, The Dagda is not thought to have welcomed the news of the arrival of, It is said that upon hearing the news that Boann was pregnant, the Dagda attempted to, It is possibly fitting then that Aengus, the, One story exists of how the Dagda when assigning land to his children, he forgot to leave land for Aengus. Lines 9601022 of Hesiod's. ), While there isn't a whole lot of evidence either way, the speculation I've read about whether Athena had sex with anyone seems to have trouble differentiating between Athena as an asexual figure or an abstinent one. The only difference between men and gods was that the latter were immortal. Tezcatlipoca was the patron of the night, of the north, and in many aspects represented the opposite of his brother, Quetzalcoatl. Half goat. They said that Athena was the daughter of Zeus not from intercourse, but when the god had in mind the making of a world through a word his first thought was Athena. This is a series I started about asexual greek gods. Above: Pentheus Scorns The Prophecies of Tiresias, AthenaThe goddess of wisdom and patron of Athens was a virgin by nearly every mythological account but did express a romantic attraction to the Attic maiden Myrmex. There is just something about her that is comforting. Hestia was the goddess of the hearth and the home, and Artemis was the goddess of the moon and the hunt. Interested in more Irish Celtic mythology? If that isn't asexual reproduction, I don't know what is. Twin sister to Apollo, the goddess was by differing accounts a nearly asexual virgin or a lesbian with many nymph lovers, including Cyrene, Atalanta, and Anticleia as well as moon goddess. (This might make it hard to demonstrate asexuality through the absence of sexual writings.). He is known for single-handedly defeating the army of Queen Medb in the Battle of Cooley, as the Ulstermen were unable to fight due to a curse previously placed on them. Hesiod wrote that after this tryst was discovered, Callisto was turned into a bear before she gave birth to son Arcas. She is biologically female - and a very beautiful one, given how the other gods wanted to marry her - but she did not act really like a female or a male. Indeed, the relationship with Iolaus was enshrined in Thebes, where male couples of the day could be found "exchanging vows and pledges with their beloved at his tomb," according to historian Louis Crompton. Tlaltechutli represents the surface of the earth, who angrily devours the sun every evening to give it back the next day. Later he got a really bad headache, so he had Haephestus split his head open to release the pressure, and Athena came out of his head, fully grown and dressed in battle armor. Above: Logios Hermes (Hermes Orator); marble, Roman copy from the late first century B.C.-early second century A.D. after a Greek original of the fifth century B.C. Huitzilopochtli (pronounced Weetz-ee-loh-POSHT-lee) was the patron god of the Aztecs. She was the wife and/or sister of Tlaloc and was also the patroness of childbirth. The real question, then, is whether old Greek writings reflect an idea of asexuality similar to our modern one. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use. The river goddess Boann was his lover and mother of his child, and fellow god, Aengus.. Do we want tags for literary movements and periods? Athena is the goddess of wisdom, warfare and craftsmanship. So this is more an avenue for research than a definitive answer. she became a he. Above: Enrique Simonet, El Juicio de Paris (1904), ErosWhile the best-known myths of Eros depict the son of Aphrodite as a fertility god -- the version that proved inspirational to the popularized Roman god Cupid -- later Greek myths portrayed Eros as one of several winged erotes, and the one regarded as a protector of homosexual culture, according to research in the scholarly book Among Women: From the Homosocial to the Homoerotic in the Ancient World. And while some stories list Daphnis, the inventor of pastoral poetry, as the son of Hermes, other sources claim him to be the god of speed's favorite lover. 29, 2021, thoughtco.com/deities-of-mexica-mythology-170042. Above: Francois Joseph Navez, The Nymph Salmacis and Hermaphroditus. Greek Gods and goddesses. I thought of both of them as asexual (and Artemis was an aro ace arrow ace, haha!). Greek gods. Donn, the Irish god of death may have been an aspect of the Dagda. Friday is named for her. Set around the 3rd century C.E. Her name means the exalted one in old Irish. Male lovers of the god included the satyr Ampelos and the famously handsome Adonis. She is said to be responsible for the rage and fury of a battle and her terrifying scream can kill or paralyze a man. Hestia, goddess of the hearth, the fireside, architecture, domesticity, the family, the home, and the state. - Dionysus, god of the parties, was bisexual. 1 ESO. Also, we're talking about beings that had not exclusively sex with humans, meaning not only mythical creatures but animals, or being themselves in animal form and having sex. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. He was king of the glorified race of the Tuatha d Danann, who were known for their superior skills and knowledge, particularly on the battlefield. Ares God of war. Nicoletta Maestri holds a Ph.D. in Mesoamerican archaeology with fieldwork experience in Italy, the Near East, and throughout Mesoamerica. She was the first-born child of wily Cronos and youngest too, by will of Zeus who holds the aegis, a queenly maid whom both Poseidon and Apollo sought to wed. Some myths suggest a romantic relationship between Hermes and the hero Perseus. Mayahuel is also known as "the woman of the 400 breasts" to feed her children, the Centzon Totochtin or "400 rabbits". Before the wedding, Iphis prayed in the Temple of Isis for a solution, and voila! These LGBT Greek gods and demigods prove gay culture is no modern invention. The frenzy of battle is connected with the aspect of Nemian. There was a catch that Caer was stuck in the form of a swan and was only able to return to a human form for one day every second year. Irish mythology is rich in tales gods and goddesses and their rituals, battles, revenge and sexual encounters. 1st century C.E.) The god Lugh, (also spelled Lug or Luga) is one of the most notable of all the Irish deities and equates to the pan-Celtic god of Lugus. Mona Koza, [1] [2] She was heavily identified with Selene, the personification of the Moon, and Hecate, another . They took him on as a foster son and taught him the skills of a warrior, an orator and how to defend the vulnerable. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Hathor (Egyptian: Het-Hert) - One of the most important goddesses, linked with the sky, the sun, sexuality and motherhood, music and dance, foreign lands and goods, and the afterlife. During his female years, Teiresias became a priestess of Hera, married, and even had children, according to Hesiod. The god Lugh, (also spelled Lug or Luga) is one of the most notable of all the Irish deities and equates to the pan-Celtic god of Lugus. There's some discussion about whether Artemis was lesbian, but either way, not asexual. Edad: 12-14. It is in the Cattle Raid of Cooley that Flidias had a magical herd of cattle who produced so much milk that they could supply for the entire army every seven days. Do I need a thermal expansion tank if I already have a pressure tank? However, many scholars now consider this myth as a creation of the Franciscan friars during the post-Conquest period. Patroclus's death at the hands of Trojan Prince Hector sent Achilles into a rage in which he killed Hector and dragged his body around Troy. As a crow, she would fly over the battlefield and either encourage or instill fear in the warriors below. Her brain and the way that she thought and acted seemed to have characteristics of both. Like her son Enki/Ea she is also associated with magic. He was the patron of knowledge and learning and also a creative god. Athena really did not have any interest in sex at all. Her cloak is said to have extended until the plot of land was sufficiently big enough to support a monastery. She is also said to have the ability to foretell the outcome of battles and predict violent deaths. The hunt especially was important to them, and if they didn't have her blessing, then the hunt would not turn out very well. Above: Felice Giani, The Marriage of Poseidon and Amphitrite (1802-1805), OrpheusThe legendary poet and musician may be best known for the story of his journey to the underworld to retrieve his wife, Eurydice; he failed to do so when he succumbed to temptation and looked at her before both had returned to the world of the living. She is the mother of Balder. @Emrakul That's fair; I'd also like some stronger evidence, e.g. Social Science. She is a complex deity known as the Phantom Queen, who is both a single goddess and also a triple goddess. She is most often illustrated wearing a green/blue skirt from which flows a stream of water. Niamh of the Golden Hair, who is in the legend of Oisn and Tir na ng is thought to be Manannans daughter. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. She was primarily known the Goddess of the . Offerings to ine have also been made at Lough Gur in County Limerick. ZeusWhile a famous philanderer who sired countless demigods by every peasant girl in need of an explanation to her parents, Zeus famously selected the young mortal Ganymede to serve as his cupbearer on Mount Olympus. I've always been a pretty big mythology nerd, and Athena was always my favorite of the gods, from any culture. Tema principal: Ancient History. Above: Jean-Baptiste Regnault, Education of Achilles (1780-1790). DionysusBest known as the Greek god of wine, Dionysus was also the god of intersex and transgender people. Iphis was born female but raised male by his mother, who concealed the truth because her husband wanted a male heir. Artemis was very wild and independent. Where does this (supposedly) Gibson quote come from? Above: Caravaggio, Amor Vincet Omnia. Or at least, the way Ovid tells it, "he did not know what love was"; and when the water nymph Salmacis offers herself to him, he spurns her. Above: Logios Hermes (Hermes Orator); marble, Roman copy from the late first century B.C.-early second century A.D. after a Greek original of the fifth century B.C. He is usually portrayed wearing a flayed human skin representing the death of the old and the growth of the new vegetation. Why is it so hard for so many people now to do the same? 3. For example: Dionysius is, based on what I've read, abstinent due to indifference to sexuality. He was able to make a dramatic entrance on his horse-pulled chariot that could ride upon the waves. Then he also transformed into a swan and flew with her to his home in the Br na Boinne.. Another Artemis fan here And I remember admiring the vestal virgins of ancient Rome, when I was at school. Patroclus's death at the hands of Trojan Prince Hector sent Achilles into a rage in which he killed Hector and dragged his body around Troy. In addition, Greek Mythology also has two other virgin goddesses, Artemis and Hestia. Thanks for your support! I don't know much about Hestia and only a bit about Artemis, so I'll leave the discussions of them to others who know more. There is one story in which the god Hephestis, (I can't spell his name, but it's close to that) was told by Ares that Athena wanted to make love to him, so when she asked him to make her some new weapons, he said that the only payment he would need was her love. She is a warrior goddess who protects cities. Hod is the blind god of winter who kills his brother Balder and is in turn killed by his brother Vali. A myth traced in origin to the Boeotia region mentions a relationship between Narcissus and the smitten Ameinias, whom Narcissus would eventually grow tired of before sending him a sword as a kiss-off. In order to marry her, Aengus had to correctly identify her as a swan among 150 other swans, which he was able to do. - Hermaphrodite, god(dess) of androgyny, was intersex, androgynous and nonbinary. He is primarily the, Water was considered a sacred element and. She then jumps in. Indeed, the relationship with Iolaus was enshrined in Thebes, where male couples of the day could be found "exchanging vows and pledges with their beloved at his tomb," according to historian Louis Crompton. Above: Hans Sebald Beham, Heracles and Iolaus dispatching the hydra with club and fire, PoseidonAccording to Pindar's First Olympian Ode, Pelops, the king of Pisa, once shared "Aphrodite's sweet gifts" with the ocean god himself. Nor does laughter-loving Aphrodite ever tame in love Artemis, the huntress with shafts of gold; for she loves archery and the slaying of wild beasts in the mountains, the lyre also and dancing and thrilling cries and shady woods and the cities of upright men. In greek culture heterosexual males would engage in sexual activities with each other. His shrine, on top of the pyramid of the Templo Mayor in Tenochtitlan, was decorated with skulls and painted red to represent blood. Both the gods of Lugh and the Dagda are supposedly buried in the sacred center of the island of Ireland, As a god he had immense power and influence. Right, I just realized I misread that. Jarilo, god of fertility and springtime, sometimes regarded as god of lust and passion. While Homer never explicitly states a gay relationship between Achilles and sidekick Patroclus, many scholars read a romantic connection between the two, as only Patroclus ever drew out a compassionate side to the famously arrogant warrior. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. He married Emer, the daughter of the King of Lusk, but first had to pass a series of quests set by the brides father. Quetzalcoatl is also linked to the idea that the last Aztec emperor, Moctezuma, believed that the arrival of the Spanish conquistador Cortes was the fulfilling of a prophecy about the return of the god. She never had any children. Egyptian Gods Ancient Egyptian gods are recorded on tombs and manuscripts beginning in the Old Kingdom of about 2600 BCE and lasting until the Romans conquered Egypt in 33 BCE. A few more things that I find interesting about Athena and her asexuality is that she really does seem sexless in the way that she acts. He was a nourishing god who provided warmth and fertility to the people. IsisThe Egyptian goddess, also worshipped by Greeks, is known for solving a gender identity issue of yore. Artemis didn't want to get married or have sex with men because in those days a woman attaching herself to a man would mean giving up her autonomy and independence. These LGBT Greek gods and demigods prove gay culture is no modern invention. In addition to his role as a sea god, Manannn also took care of the welfare of the Tuatha d Danann when they were forced into the fairy mound, or sdhe, after being defeated by the Milesian invaders. For example, the Morrigan was sometimes referred to as Badb, the Crow, even when clearly not referenced as part of a trinity. HermesThe wing-heeled messenger of the gods was said in multiple myths to have male lovers. He is also connected with life and death. Size queen. For her, love was what most people feel for their brothers and their sisters, so she was quite suprised and disgusted when he tried to have sex with her, and left immediatly, of course. Each became the river goddess of their respective rivers.. His name means Maize cob Lord. Half man. - Poseidon, god of the seas, was bisexual. This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies. Iphis was born female but raised male by his mother, who concealed the truth because her husband wanted a male heir. Take for example: 1. PanOf course, many mythological texts and artworks connect Daphnis to the satyr Pan, god of music. The Dagda, god of agriculture, weather, the seasons and time is one such example. It's something that most people now don't understand, but back then, I guess it really wasn't a problem. The triple goddess is composed of the goddesses Badb, Macha and Nemain. - Zeus, god of the thunder, was bisexual. Here, I mean asexuality to be the total absence of sexual attraction, with anyone. hey my avatar is Artimis (Diana) so woohoo! By. It's one of my favorite videos on the channel. The accuracy of this suggestion is still debated by scholars.. Are you asking if asexuality can be read into the texts through a modern understanding of sexuality, or are you looking for evidence that asexuality in the modern sense is a concept we share with the ancient Greeks? Callisto and Arcas were later put in the stars as the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Dionysus (1629), HeraclesThe famous hero had a number of male companions through his many trials. The avenger of evil deeds. A mix of stories from ancient history and mythology merged together by bards or the kings poets to record important family history of kings. As far as she was concerned, love didn't equal sex. It is likely that the early Christian Church decided to incorporate Brigid in the form of Saint Brigid of Kildare into their teachings to appeal to her worshippers.. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. So Zeus the Father gave her an high honor instead of marriage, and she has her place in the midst of the house and has the richest portion. You Might Like Asexual Goddesses Published: Jun 19, 2020. Somebody pointed out to me the topic on LJ (it was Naissur9, who doesn't come here much anymore) and I read it there. Above: John Macallan Swan, Orpheus (1896), HermaphroditusPerhaps the earliest literary reference to an intersex person concerns this child of Hermes and love goddess Aphrodite who as a youth encountered the nymph Salmacis, who attempted to seduce the youth and asked the gods that their forms be permanently joined. Ultimately the Morrigan predicted C Chulainns violent death and a crow (the most common symbol of the Morrigan goddess) signified his death on the battlefield when it landed on his shoulder. Bisexual. Few Indians believe 'there are many gods'. Deals with the adventures and challenges of the warriors, kings and queens around the 1st century C.E. Important Aztec Gods and Goddesses.

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