Progression of the Gods
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Progression of the Gods
In Orphic theology, a belief I have always found intriguing (and hold dear) is the belief that the Gods progress, for example, the progression of the Six Kings (Phanes -> Nyx -> Ouranos -> Kronos -> Zeus -> Dionysos). Being somebody who has always been interested in syncretism (even though I hold Hellenismos as my sole belief system), I'm curious as to what extent this belief in the progression of Deities could be applied to the Gods of other pantheons, such as the Vedic pantheon?
Many thanks
Many thanks
Dimitrios65- Junior Member
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Join date : 2014-10-24
Age : 30
Location : South Africa
Re: Progression of the Gods
It would be easy to do it in any system that has a number of different origin myths, like the Indian and Egyptian, by splicing them together. In fact, that's what seems to have happened in Orphism.
1. The version attributed to Hieronymos, commented on in the Derveni Papyrus, and parodied by Aristophanes in the Birds , has
Okeanos > Chronos > Aither > Phanes > Ouranos > Kronos > Zeus > Dionysos
2. The version attributed to Eudemos, and quoted by Plato in the Timaeus and Cratylus , has
Nux > Ouranos &c
3. The compromise Rhapsodic version has
Chronos > Aither > Phanes > Nux > Ouranos &c
All this comes from various sources:
1. Okeanos is based on the Egyptian or Mesopotamian idea of water (Nun, Apsu & Tiamat) as the starting point. This is dropped, despite being mentioned by Homer, because the Greeks were used to thinking of Okeanos as a Titan.
2. Chronos comes from the Indian Kala > Persian Zurvan > late Phoenician ‘Ulom.
3. Aither might be Shu from the Heliopolis cosmology.
4. Phanes or Protognotos, hatched from his egg, is the Indian Prajapati, via Iran and the late Phoenicians: Ahura Mazda and ‘Ulom both produce a cosmic egg.
5. Nux is perhaps from the Hermopolis sequence Water > Time > Darkness. (Nw, Ḥḥw, Kkyw)
6. The sequence of Ouranos - Kronos - Zeus is from the Hurrians, via the Hittites, back in Mycenaean times. In India, Dyaus Pita (Zeus Pater) is the direct offspring of Prajapati.
1. The version attributed to Hieronymos, commented on in the Derveni Papyrus, and parodied by Aristophanes in the Birds , has
Okeanos > Chronos > Aither > Phanes > Ouranos > Kronos > Zeus > Dionysos
2. The version attributed to Eudemos, and quoted by Plato in the Timaeus and Cratylus , has
Nux > Ouranos &c
3. The compromise Rhapsodic version has
Chronos > Aither > Phanes > Nux > Ouranos &c
All this comes from various sources:
1. Okeanos is based on the Egyptian or Mesopotamian idea of water (Nun, Apsu & Tiamat) as the starting point. This is dropped, despite being mentioned by Homer, because the Greeks were used to thinking of Okeanos as a Titan.
2. Chronos comes from the Indian Kala > Persian Zurvan > late Phoenician ‘Ulom.
3. Aither might be Shu from the Heliopolis cosmology.
4. Phanes or Protognotos, hatched from his egg, is the Indian Prajapati, via Iran and the late Phoenicians: Ahura Mazda and ‘Ulom both produce a cosmic egg.
5. Nux is perhaps from the Hermopolis sequence Water > Time > Darkness. (Nw, Ḥḥw, Kkyw)
6. The sequence of Ouranos - Kronos - Zeus is from the Hurrians, via the Hittites, back in Mycenaean times. In India, Dyaus Pita (Zeus Pater) is the direct offspring of Prajapati.
DavidMcCann- Sinior Member
- Posts : 130
Join date : 2014-04-20
Location : London
Re: Progression of the Gods
Very fascinating indeed, I had no idea that the belief in the progression was present in so many sources, thank you.
Dimitrios65- Junior Member
- Posts : 39
Join date : 2014-10-24
Age : 30
Location : South Africa
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