The first video talked about the goddess archetype, most notably, the Triple Goddess. One way that the Triple Goddess is described is as the Virgin, the Mother, and Crone. What I thought was so interesting was how this narrow characterization is repeated in modern society: The Mother, the Virgin, the B*tch, and the Whore. Anyway, a better characterization of the Triple Goddess is Life, Death, and Rebirth. For example, Gaia is the Earth Mother, symbolizing life; Persephone and Isis are 'Queens of Death," associated with growth and decay, as well as fate and magic; and finally, nymphs and maidens who symbolize rebirth, sexuality, and creation. Goddesses are often complex and multifaceted.
In the second video, this idea is expanded on with the somewhat-contrasting stories of Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire, and the White Buffalo Woman of the Lakota and Dakota tribes. Pele exhibits both death and destruction when she believes that her younger sister has stolen her man. She does this via the power of lava: she uses it to destroy both her ex-lover and her sister's tree friend, but it also provides Hawaii with fertile soil, and by the end of the story, both the tree groves and the lover are restored. The White Buffalo Woman also exhibits the power of life and death. When the two scouts encounter her, one tries to grope her and is killed instantly with a lightning bolt. But the other is reverent, and she later brings his people the sacred pipe, corn, and knowledge of turnips--making her a culture hero.
Male archetypes are covered in the third video, and we learn that there are six well-known archtypes for male gods. The Father/Son, a dynamic which is probably best exhibited by the succession myth of Uranus, then Kronus, then Zeus: each son usurps his father, usually by violent means (i.e. castration). The King/Judge, which is obvious in the Greek and Egyptian pantheons, by Zeus--king of the gods or by Osiris, king of the Underworld who also acts as the judge of human souls. The Savior or Sage, who brings advice to humanity about how to live a virtuous life, or saves humanity with knowledge or sacrifice--like Prometheus bringing fire to humanity or Jesus dying for the sins of men. There are also Shamans, who are sort of like sages. They communicate, operate, or solve problems in or between the spirit worlds and Earth. Hermes or Thoth are examples of Shamans. Tricksters, like Loki, remind us that the world is chaotic; while Lords of Destruction, like Hades have conflicting connotations. There is both the concept of death and excess, for example, 'plutocrats'--meaning greedy bastards--comes from the Latin name for Hades: Pluto.
The Dying God was also discussed. Some 'dying god' stories are well known, like Jesus or Odin. Sometimes a god's death is an accident, like Adonis. Venus, who memorialized him as the anemone flower, reminds us of the cyclical nature of life with the flower's seasonal death and renewal. Another reason for a god to die is for the sake of humankind. For example, the Corn Mother of Native American mythology, asked her husband to kill her and have her sons drag her body around then bury her bones to give the First People corn, tobacco, and to allow the game to replenish.
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| "Odin's Last Words to Baldr" by W. G. Collingwood via Wikipedia |
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