#rasenna deities

[thedansemacabres]

Introduction To Supporting Sustainable Agriculture For Witches and Pagans

[ID: An image of yellow grain stocks, soon to be harvested. The several stocks reach towards a blurred open sky, focusing the camera on he grains themselves. The leaves of the grains are green and the cereals are exposed].

PAGANISM AND WITCHCRAFT ARE MOVEMENTS WITHIN A SELF-DESTRUCTIVE CAPITALIST SOCIETY. As the world becomes more aware of the importance of sustainability, so does the duty of humanity to uphold the idea of the steward, stemming from various indigenous worldviews, in the modern era. I make this small introduction as a viticulturist working towards organic and environmentally friendly grape production. I also do work on a food farm, as a second job—a regenerative farm, so I suppose that is my qualifications. Sustainable—or rather regenerative agriculture—grows in recognition. And as paganism and witchcraft continue to blossom, learning and supporting sustainability is naturally a path for us to take. I will say that this is influenced by I living in the USA, however, there are thousands of groups across the world for sustainable agriculture, of which tend to be easy to research.

So let us unite in caring for the world together, and here is an introduction to supporting sustainable/regenerative agriculture. 

A QUICK BRIEF ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE 

Sustainable agriculture, in truth, is a movement to practise agriculture as it has been done for thousands of years—this time, with more innovation from science and microbiology especially. The legal definition in the USA of sustainable agriculture is: 

The term ”sustainable agriculture” (U.S. Code Title 7, Section 3103) means an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will over the long-term:

A more common man’s definition would be farming in a way that provides society’s food and textile needs without overuse of natural resources, artificial supplements and pest controls, without compromising the future generation’s needs and ability to produce resources. The agriculture industry has one of the largest and most detrimental impacts on the environment, and sustainable agriculture is the alternative movement to it. 

Sustainable agriculture also has the perk of being physically better for you—the nutrient quality of crops in the USA has dropped by 47%, and the majority of our food goes to waste. Imagine if it was composted and reused? Or even better—we buy only what we need. We as pagans and witches can help change this. 

BUYING ORGANIC (IT REALLY WORKS)

The first step is buying organic. While cliche, it does work: organic operations have certain rules to abide by, which excludes environmentally dangerous chemicals—many of which, such as DDT, which causes ecological genocide and death to people. Organic operations have to use natural ways of fertilising, such as compost, which to many of us—such as myself—revere the cycle of life, rot, and death. Organic standards do vary depending on the country, but the key idea is farming without artificial fertilisers, using organic seeds, supplementing with animal manure, fertility managed through management practices, etc. 

However, organic does have its flaws. Certified organic costs many, of which many small farmers cannot afford. The nutrient quality of organic food, while tending to be better, is still poor compared to regeneratively grown crops. Furthermore, the process to become certified organic is often gruelling—you can practise completely organically, but if you are not certified, it is not organic. Which, while a quality control insurance, is both a bonus and a hurdle. 

JOINING A CSA

Moving from organic is joining a CSA (“Community supported agriculture”). The USDA defines far better than I could: 

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), one type of direct marketing, consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production.

By purchasing a farm share, you receive food from the farm for the agreed upon production year. I personally enjoy CSAs for the relational aspect—choosing a CSA is about having a relationship, not only with the farmer(s), but also the land you receive food from. I volunteer for my CSA and sometimes I get extra cash from it—partaking in the act of caring for the land. Joining a CSA also means taking your precious capital away from the larger food industry and directly supporting growers—and CSAs typically practise sustainable and/or regenerative agriculture. 

CSAs are also found all over the world and many can deliver their products to food deserts and other areas with limited agricultural access. I volunteer from time to time for a food bank that does exactly that with the produce I helped grow on the vegetable farm I work for. 

FARM MARKETS AND STALLS 

Another way of personally connecting to sustainable agriculture is entering the realm of the farm stall. The farmer’s market is one of my personal favourite experiences—people buzzing about searching for ingredients, smiles as farmers sell crops and products such as honey or baked goods, etc. The personal connection stretches into the earth, and into the past it buries—as I purchase my apples from the stall, I cannot help but see a thousand lives unfold. People have been doing this for thousands of years and here I stand, doing it all over again. 

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Farmers’ markets are dependent on your local area, yet in most you can still develop personal community connections. Paganism often stresses community as an ideal and a state of life. And witchcraft often stresses a connection to the soil. What better place, then, is purchasing the products from the locals who commune with the land? 

VOLUNTEERING 

If you are able to, I absolutely recommend volunteering. I have worked with aquaponic systems, food banks, farms, cider-making companies, soil conservation groups, etc. There is so much opportunity—and perhaps employment—in these fields. The knowledge I have gained has been wonderful. As one example, I learned that fertilisers reduce carbon sequestration as plants absorb carbon to help with nutrient intake. If they have all their nutrients ready, they do not need to work to obtain carbon to help absorb it. This does not even get into the symbiotic relationship fungi have with roots, or the world of hyphae. Volunteering provides community and connection. Actions and words change the world, and the world grows ever better with help—including how much or how little you may provide. It also makes a wonderful devotional activity. 

RESOURCING FOOD AND COOKING 

Buying from farmers is not always easy, however. Produce often has to be processed, requiring labour and work with some crops such as carrots. Other times, it is a hard effort to cook and many of us—such as myself—often have very limited energy. There are solutions to this, thankfully:

Many farmers can and will process foods. Some even do canning, which can be good to stock up on food and lessen the energy inputs. 

Value-added products: farms also try to avoid waste, and these products often become dried snacks if fruit, frozen, etc. 

Asking farmers if they would be open to accommodating this. Chances are, they would! The farmer I purchase my CSA share from certainly does. 

Going to farmers markets instead of buying a CSA, aligning with your energy levels. 

And if any of your purchased goods are going unused, you can always freeze them. 

DEMETER, CERES, VEIA, ETC: THE FORGOTTEN AGRICULTURE GODS

Agricultural gods are often neglected. Even gods presiding over agriculture often do not have those aspects venerated—Dionysos is a god of viticulture and Apollon a god of cattle. While I myself love Dionysos as a party and wine god, the core of him remains firmly in the vineyards and fields, branching into the expanses of the wild. I find him far more in the curling vines as I prune them than in the simple delights of the wine I ferment. Even more obscure gods, such as Veia, the Etruscan goddess of agriculture, are seldom known.

Persephone receives the worst of this: I enjoy her too as a dread queen, and people do acknowledge her as Kore, but she is far more popular as the queen of the underworld instead of the dear daughter of Demeter. I do understand this, though—I did not feel the might of Demeter and Persephone until I began to move soil with my own hands. A complete difference to the ancient world, where the Eleusinian mysteries appealed to thousands. Times change, and while some things should be left to the past, our link to these gods have been severed. After all, how many of us reading know where our food comes from? I did not until I began to purchase from the land I grew to know personally. The grocery store has become a land of tearing us from the land, instead of the food hub it should be.

Yet, while paganism forgets agriculture gods, they have not forgotten us. The new world of farming is more conductive and welcoming than ever. I find that while older, bigoted people exist, the majority of new farmers tend to be LGBT+. My own boss is trans and aro, and I myself am transgender and gay. The other young farmers I know are some flavour of LGBT+, or mixed/poc. There’s a growing movement for Black farmers, elaborated in a lovely text called We Are Each Other’s Harvest. 

Indigenous farming is also growing and I absolutely recommend buying from indigenous farmers. At this point, I consider Demeter to be a patron of LGBT+ people in this regard—she gives an escape to farmers such as myself. Bigotry is far from my mind under her tender care, as divine Helios shines above and Okeanos’ daughters bring fresh water to the crops. Paganism is also more commonly accepted—I find that farmers find out that I am pagan and tell me to do rituals for their crops instead of reacting poorly. Or they’re pagan themselves; a farmer I know turned out to be Wiccan and uses the wheel of the year to keep track of production. 

Incorporating these divinities—or concepts surrounding them—into our crafts and altars is the spiritual step towards better agriculture. Holy Demeter continues to guide me, even before I knew it. 

WANT CHANGE? DO IT YOURSELF! 

If you want change in the world, you have to act. And if you wish for better agriculture, there is always the chance to do it yourself. Sustainable agriculture is often far more accessible than people think: like witchcraft and divination, it is a practice. Homesteading is often appealing to many of us, including myself, and there are plenty of resources to begin. There are even grants to help one improve their home to be more sustainable, i.e. solar panels. Gardening is another, smaller option. Many of us find that plants we grow and nourish are far more potentant in craft, and more receptive to magical workings. 

Caring for plants is fundamental to our natures and there are a thousand ways to delve into it. I personally have joined conservation groups, my local soil conservation group, work with the NRCs in the USA, and more. The path to fully reconnecting to nature and agriculture is personal—united in a common cause to fight for this beautiful world. To immerse yourself in sustainable agriculture, I honestly recommend researching and finding your own path. Mine lies in soil and rot, grapevines and fruit trees. Others do vegetables and cereal grains, or perhaps join unions and legislators. Everyone has a share in the beauty of life, our lives stemming from the land’s gentle sprouts. 

Questions and or help may be given through my ask box on tumblr—if there is a way I can help, let me know. My knowledge is invaluable I believe, as I continue to learn and grow in the grey-clothed arms of Demeter, Dionysos, and Kore. 

FURTHER READING:

Baszile, N. (2021). We are each other’s harvest. HarperCollins.

Hatley, J. (2016). Robin Wall Kimmerer. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants. Environmental Philosophy, 13(1), 143–145. https://doi.org/10.5840/envirophil201613137

Regenerative Agriculture 101. (2021, November 29). https://www.nrdc.org/stories/regenerative-agriculture-101#what-is

And in truth, far more than I could count. 

References

Community Supported Agriculture | National Agricultural Library. (n.d.). https://www.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-agricultural-production-systems/community-supported-agriculture

Navazio, J. (2012). The Organic seed Grower: A Farmer’s Guide to Vegetable Seed Production. Chelsea Green Publishing.

Plaster, E. (2008). Soil Science and Management. Cengage Learning.

Sheaffer, C. C., & Moncada, K. M. (2012). Introduction to agronomy: food, crops, and environment. Cengage Learning.

Sheldrake, M. (2020). Entangled life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures. Random House.

Sustainable Agriculture | National Agricultural Library. (n.d.). https://www.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-agricultural-production-systems/sustainable-agriculture

#dragonis.txt #witchcraft #paganism #hellenic polytheism #witchblr #pagan #helpol #hellenic pagan #hellenic worship #hellenic paganism #hellenic polytheist #demeter deity #demeter worship #persephone deity #kore deity #raspol #etrupol #etruscan polytheist #etruscan polytheism #rasenna polytheism #rasenna polytheist #rasenna paganism

[etruscancow]

Very quick Tiv and Usil !

#etruscan polytheist #etruscan pagan #etruscan polytheism #etruscan paganism #rasenna polytheist #rasenna polytheism #polytheist #pagan #usil deity #tiv deity

[garasham]

vampire language — update i

this post is part of a project to analyse and expand the vampire language from the witcher; many of the definitions listed (including for words marked with a ☆ which come from canon) are either my own inventions or my own hypothetical, fallible interpretations

navigation: language analysis & language expansion (including wordlists) | etruscan sources: one two three four five | inspiration & ideas: one two 🦇

special thanks to @lohrendrell 🖤

requests and messages are welcome 🌹

last updated: 7 february 🩸

words

acun: greetings, health

aki: what

ama, ame, amce: to be ☆

Aritimi, Artume, Artam, Artms, Artumes, Arthem: alternative word for vampire, vampire species/people, suggesting they are deities of spells, prophecies, night, death and/or natural growth

asham: rose

athumica: kin ☆

atranes: here ☆

avile: name ☆

canta: precious item, work of art ☆

Cantata: This Gift, silver sword found in Hen Gaidth ☆

Ceisatni: The Butcher, epithet for Geralt of Rivia which vampires adopted after Geralt was dubbed “Butcher of Blaviken” (simultaneously referring to his butchering vampires)

cesu: to lie ☆

cleva: gift, offering ☆

Draakul: Regis’ mule ☆

eclthi: here ☆

ei: do not, no, not

-eni, -ni: the ☆

etu: and ☆

gharash: night

Gharasham: Night Rose, one of the vampire tribes ☆

hilux: midnight

hinthial: below ☆

lusxnei: moon

marish: servant ☆

me: I, me ☆

mlac, mlach: beautiful

mutna: coffin, sarcophagus ☆

nac: as, how, so, because, then, when, why ☆

Rasenna, Rasna: vampire, vampire species/people

Rasnev: Vampiric, vampire language

rosa: rose

satir: to speak, to talk, to say

sech: daughter ☆

sech farthana: step-daughter ☆

sel: to do, to make ☆

spelthi: to kill

spur: city ☆

(-)ta: this, that ☆

tesham: burial ☆

Tesham Mutna: Burial Coffin, fortress previously used by vampires ☆

thaur: tomb, sepulcher ☆

themias: caretaker ☆

thi: you, formal ☆

thuta: people

thuu: they, them

tiu, tiur: moon

un: you, informal/intimate

ushil: noon

veres: bloody ☆

zatlath: silence ☆

zia: to wound, to stab, to kill

sentences

Acun un!

Greetings to you! (lit. Greetings you!)

acun: greetings, health un: you, informal/intimate

Gharata mlach amce.

It’s a beautiful night. (lit. Night-this beautiful is.)

ghara: night -ta: this, that mlach: beautiful amce: to be

Nac ei zia thuu?

Why not kill them?

nac: as, how, so, because, then, when, why ei: no(t), don’t zia: to wound, to stab, to kill thuu: they, them

Nac me ame aki thuu sa.

Because [then] I am what they say [I am].

nac: as, how, so, because, then, when, why me: I, me ame: to be aki: what thuu: they, them satir: to speak, to talk, to say

#the witcher #witcher lore #witcher vampires #vampire language #regis #emiel regis #dettlaff #blood and wine #updates #i just added an explanatory note at the beginning to make sure the nature of this project is clear to everyone who's not familiar ✨

[thedansemacabres]

Hinthial, ais of the ghostly reflection

[ID: An image of a pond at dusk. The woodland shore is visible to the viewer, curving slightly to the left. Above the pond is a forest of trees, reflecting onto the pond. The water also reflects the dark sky with hues of pink.]

By Morgan, poetry by Nico

THE AISER OFTEN HAVE NAMES THAT DIRECTLY RELATE TO THEIR DIVINE PRESENCE, and Hinthial’s means ‘ghost’, ‘reflection’, and ‘mirrored image.’ Like many of the aiser, little evidence exists for her. While this post is short, Hinthial’s existence does implicate more on the ideas of Rasenna afterlife and perhaps a chthonian Turan.

Hinthial’s name tells us the most about her. In scenes with ghosts, spirits are addressed as “hinthial”, before their name such as the scene of hinthial Tereais or hinthial Patroclus. This tells us that ghosts, with hinthial also meaning ‘reflection’, are ghastly mirror images of the living in Rasenna cosmology.. Considering this, we can see Hinthial as a goddess of ghosts, but also of mirror reflections, mirror divination, and related to beauty through her divine reflections. 

THE ETRUSCAN MIRROR 

One of the very few direct attestations we have of hinthial is from a divine dressing scene. These scenes depict Turan being adorned by her circle/her handmaidens, as Turan represents the aristocratic lady in Rasenna society. 

Hinthial here is depicted as a finely dressed older woman holding a mirror. As such, we can understand the mirror—called malena or malestra—as her symbol, befitting for the ais of the ghostly reflection. 

Scenes of Turan often show her being attended to by her divine circle, many of which share aspects or relation to her—Zipna is associated with beauty, Thalna with childbirth which is a possibility of Turan’s blessing of pleasure, Mean with Turan’s association with peace, etc. Turan likely has a chthonic aspect like Venus, as a statue of her named the “Cannicella Venus” was discovered at an Rasenna necropolis. Fascinatingly, this kouros style statue was likely modified from a traditional male kouros into a feminine one, essentially undergoing gender reassignment. Hinthial being in her circle could possibly give more to the concept of a chthonic Turan.

MODERN WORSHIP 

As with most of the aiser, worship of hinthial will have to largely rely upon UPG and inferences we can make about her. Firstly, as a goddess of the mirror image, she can be venerated in connection to beauty and our reflections. Secondly, we can honour her as a goddess of ghosts. She guides the reflections of life we see when we interact with the undead—perhaps making her of interest to modern necromancy and death-focused practices as a unique beauty and death ais. To our current knowledge as of November 2023, there are no worshippers of her, and so the newest generation of Rasenna polytheists can become her first devotees in a millenia. 

Hymn to Hinthial by @poeticnorth

I call out to Hinthial

The ghostly queen within mirrors

She who is the reflection of the dead

And serves as Handmaiden to Turan

You are the shadow of the dying

The shade of the departed

You weave fate deftly

And reflect it from your realm

Matcher of lovers, patron of beauty

Who reveals flaws and strengths

From within the looking glass

Ghost of Tiresias, friend of the buried

O Hinthial, I sing to you now

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References 

De Grummond, N. T., & Simon, E. (2009). The Religion of the Etruscans. University of Texas Press.

de Grummond, N. T. (1985). THE ETRUSCAN MIRROR. Source: Notes in the History of Art, 4(2/3), 26–35. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23202423

Bonfante, L. (1993). ETRUSCAN NUDITY. Source: Notes in the History of Art, 12(2), 47–55. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23202935

File:Bronze mirror from London with Zipna Malavisch Hinthial Munthuch Turan Drawing.jpg – Wikimedia Commons. (n.d.). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bronze_mirror_from_London_with_Zipna_Malavisch_Hinthial_Munthuch_Turan_Drawing.jpg

#dragonis.txt #hinthial deity #rasenna polytheism #etruscan polytheism #rasenna paganism #etruscan paganism #witchcraft #paganism #pagan #witchblr

[thedansemacabres]

Tivr, god of the moon

[ID: A photograph of the moon over a lilac purple sky, with small clouds to the near left and the bottom left of the image. To the bottom right is a cliff side, with another smaller cliff side behind the first. The moon is in a fingernail cresent.]

view this post on wordpress.

Tivr, Tiv, or Tiur, (Etruscan tiu/tiur, “month”) is the ais of the moon. They have been recognised as the moon ais as Tivr stands opposite to Usil on the Liver of Piacenza, on the “negative” side where the aiser of death and night reside. Converserly, Usil (at sunrise) and Tiv (at sunset) are separated on the liver from the sunset zone by the Suspensorium hepaticum (falciform ligament). As for syncretism, Tivr was likely identified with Luna and Selene akin to how Usil was identified with Helios and Sol. 

Tivr’s symbol is the crescent, as witnessed in the heraldic symbol of the Tiuza family of Chiusi. Their tomb dates to the third-century within Tassinaia and is decorated with crescent moons, along with a shield marked with a lunar phase. 

CATHA, GODDESS OF THE MOON?

Nancy de Grummond argues that Catha, the daughter of Usil, is a lunar goddess. Tiur’s name is mentioned in a dedicatory inscription on a bronze crescent to Catha reading “mi tiiurs kaθuniiasul.” The relationship between the two if we take Catha as a lunar goddess is unknown. 

MODERN WORSHIP

Tivr is a deity with very little information. Many scholars identify Tivr as feminine due to Luna and Selene, however this may be untrue as no known depiction of Tivr exists. In modern worship we can worship Tivr as the god of the moon/month and let our experiences guide us in understanding this obscure ais. 

References

de Grummond, N. T. (2004). For the Mother and for the Daughter: Some Thoughts on Dedications from Etruria and Praeneste. Hesperia Supplements, 33, 351–370. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1354077

Stevens, N. R. (2009). A new reconstruction of the Etruscan Heaven. American Journal of Archaeology, 113(2), 153–164. https://doi.org/10.3764/aja.113.2.153

The religion of the Etruscans. (2006). In University of Texas Press eBooks. https://doi.org/10.7560/706873

Turfa, J. M. (2012). Divining the Etruscan world: The Brontoscopic Calendar and Religious Practice. Cambridge University Press.

#dragonis.txt #tivr deity #rasenna polytheism #rasenna polytheist #etruscan polytheist #etruscan polytheism #etruscan paganism #rasenna paganism #aiser #paganism #pagan #witchblr #witchcraft

[thedansemacabres]

Zipna, Chief Attendant of Turan

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Zipna is attested chiefly on Etruscan mirrors with Turan. As seen on the Leningrad mirror, Zipna is the chief attendant of Turan’s circle, bringing alabastron and perfume dipper. She appears as a well-addressed woman with wings, making her another Lasa in Turan’s circle. In her known depictions, Zipna appears with Turan and in some capacity related to beauty and cosmetics.

Zipna appears in a romantic scene with Atunis and Turan, holding a jar and a rod to apply the ointment. She stands behind Turan, while the other attendants of Turan dance around the mirror. She stands behind Turan, while the other attendants of Turan dance around the mirror. The large swan is Turan’s personal swan named Tusna. Surrounding the mirror are Turan’s other attendants, Alpan, Achvizr, Munthuch, Mean, Hathna, with an unknown man and woman.

Figure 1. Etruscan mirror with Tusna, Atunis, Turan and Zipna in the center and Alpan, Achvizr, Munthuch, Mean, Hathna, along with an unknown man and woman flying around the edges. From An Archive of Images of Etruscan Mythology.

Figure 2. Thalna, Zipna, Turan and Atunis: consummation of the marriage. Etruscan mirror in Tarquinia, Museo Archeologico Nazionale

She also appears in a mirror that depicts the union of adult Atunis and Turan. Along with a masculine Thalna, the two adorn the couple—Thalna holds a wreath and Zipna releases the perfume that announces the union of Turan and Atunis. In this capacity Zipna appears to be related to legitimising a union through the usage of perfume. Unlike her other depictions, Zipna lacks wings, which is not unusual for one of the aiser, especially for a member of Turan’s circle.

Considering her role in bringing Turan her makeup and perfumes, we can assume that Zipna is a goddess associated with perfume, beauty, and adorning oneself—perhaps even sexuality. marriage, and romance, considering her usage of perfume to legitimise a union. We can also take the alabastron and perfume as her symbols, as she is portrayed as holding them.

Worship wise, honouring Zipna will likely have to mostly be built upon personal gnosis. However, considering her known depictions, one can honour her by offering cosmetics, perfumes, and other beauty related items. Honouring her may also be done through self-care and doing your makeup, beckoning her to one’s side to guide your hand. While today dressing up is often done alone, Turan always has her circle to adorn her. Beauty and care then is a communal act, a moment to come together and smile at your features. If marriage is ever a wish to come, Zipna then can be invoked to bless the union with her divine aromatics.

References

Bonfante, L. 2015. Etruscan mirrors and the grave. In Haack, M. (Ed.), L’écriture et l’espace de la mort. Épigraphie et nécropoles à l’époque préromaine. Roma: Publications de l’École française de Rome. doi:10.4000/books.efr.2741 

de Grummond, N. T. (1985). THE ETRUSCAN MIRROR. Source: Notes in the History of Art, 4(2/3), 26–35. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23202423

De Grummond, N. T., & Simon, E. (2009). The Religion of the Etruscans. University of Texas Press.

#zipna deity #aiser #etruscan polytheism #rasenna polytheism #pagan #paganism #etruscan paganism #rasenna paganism #dragonis.txt

[thedansemacabres]

Implicit Theology and Pagan Reconstructionism

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ANCIENT RELIGIONS POSSESS LOGIC SYSTEMS WITHIN THEM. It is especially evident in Etruria, where religion was abundant—beyond my beloved aiser lies other logic systems in ancient religions too. Epithets are a keen example of this, for it is only logic to call upon Dionysos Eleutheros when seeking emotional catharsis. Him having this epithet suggests that not only does he have power over emotion, it also speaks to his ability for madness. 

The theoi in artistic representations are shown to be physically present in art, telling us that the ancient Greeks believed the theoi can come to rituals and receive offerings. Stone texts do not directly state this, rather it is assumed—it is implicit beliefs and ideas surrounding the gods, therefore making it implicit theology. 

Epithets are also a marker of implicit theology. Dionysus’ epithets are vast and complex, but one example I see is with Eleuthereos (“the Liberator”. As he is the god of madness, he can also avert it—therefore he is Eletutheros, the reliever of anxiety and god of the theatre’s katharsis. We know to invoke his side of him we must call upon him as Eleutheros. In the mind of an ancient Greek, we can invoke more epithets to match this to further invoke that side of Dionysus.

This tells us:

To ensure success in a certain area, you should call upon a deity in a particular function

The theoi appear in different aspects at different times 

Naming them as certain descriptors invokes this side of them. 

The gods respond to these names, making them effective in use 

Furthermore, if we are talking about “negative” aspects of deities or “negative” theoi in general:

By invoking them, we can tell them to keep that negative thing away (such as praying to Limos to essentially stay away as long as possible). 

Jumping into another region, thinking in the mind of an Etruscan helps I to interpret the brontoscopic calendar. This calendar works upon the presence of thunder and what is to come because of that omen. If it were to strike this year on November 12th of 2023, the omen states:

If it thunders, there will be signs revealing great things. Beware lest it pour rain upon the fire of joyful elation.

This message within itself is vague. However, the Etruscan would have naturally looked towards the region of the sky it came from—the 16 divisions of heaven—and understood which of the aiser sent that omen. If Tins were to send thunder, I would look more towards the areas of harmony as he is rather fond of harmony, or of crops as he is also a fertility-thunder god. 

Assumed beliefs are also a key aspect to unraveling the thorny sides of paganism. We are modern people who live in a world with several systematic issues, i.e. as racism and white supremacy. One example I do conjure is within Heathenry and Valhalla. 

Valhalla and by extension “vikings" have been horribly glorified in media. They are used as peaks of masculinity and the “Old Ways”, bearded and muscular men saying vague ramblings about Odin and such. Therefore it is commonly said that only warriors (who are also “coincidentally” purely white blue-eyed and blonde haired and strangely modern in their thought process) are accepted into Odin’s hall when they die. However, this is not the historical reality of Valhalla:

Odin established the same law in his land that had been in force in Asaland. Thus he established by law that all dead men should be burned, and their belongings laid with them upon the pile, and the ashes be cast into the sea or buried in the earth. Thus, said he, every one will come to Valhalla with the riches he had with him upon the pile; and he would also enjoy whatever he himself had buried in the earth. For men of consequence a mound should be raised to their memory, and for all other warriors who had been distinguished for manhood a standing stone; which custom remained long after Odin’s time.

- Ynglinga Saga, Chapter 8

It is also assumed that Valhalla only accepts men due to our ideas of masculinity, but this is also once again not historical whatsoever. We may also note that Freyja, a goddess, has her own hall for the dead—yet her hall is seldom known among popculture compared to Valhalla. Just as implicit theology is unheard and unsaid within us, so is implicit theology—sometimes, being the same creature. To identify this is to understand the dangerous thoughts that continue to threaten the safety of others. 

Implicit theology I believe is a key part of reconstructionism and revivalism. Following this logic can allow us to live within the world as worshippers of the divine. Finding what is implicit and assumed can help us not only contextualise ancient religions, it may also assist in post-reconstructionism. We are not only here to reconstruct, we have to create something living and evolving. As more scholarship comes forward, we can refinish and polish ourselves. The end goal and the reason we do all of this is to create religions that we live within—reconstructionism is piecing a temple together from rubble and trying until one day you take a breath of divinity. 

In truth I will have to do a longer post on this for Etruria, but this is a start.

References 

Crawford, J. (2015). The Poetic Edda: Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes. Hackett Publishing.

DIONYSUS - Greek God of Wine & Festivity. (n.d.). Theoi Greek Mythology. https://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Dionysos.html

Larson, J. (2016). Understanding Greek Religion. In Routledge eBooks. Informa. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315647012

Stavrianopoulou. (2016). From the god who listened to the god who replied: Transformations in the concept of epekoos*. Dieux Des Grecs, Dieux Des Romains.

The Religion of the Etruscans. (2006). In University of Texas Press eBooks. University of Texas Press. https://doi.org/10.7560/706873

Heimskringla. trans. Samuel Laing. (1844) The Ynglinga Saga Turfa, J. M. (2012). Divining the Etruscan World: The Brontoscopic Calendar and Religious Practice.

#paganism #pagan #witchblr #etruscan polytheism #rasenna polytheism #hellenic polytheism #hellenic paganism #dionysus deity #dionysos deity

[thedansemacabres]

Bellona of Tuscum, an Etruscan goddess?

[Image ID: A worn stone horse in front of green trees. The horse’s front hooves stand over a shield, while the head of the horse looks down. The hind legs are flexed, and the horse wears an elaborate saddle and embellished bridal. Due to age, the horse’s ears are missing.]

BELLONA’S ORIGINS ARE GENERALLY ASSUMED TO BE FROM THE SABINES, as Varro—a sabine himself—states. She is a state goddess, both of the senate and of war—cited as a stately goddess after the Lares in Rome. Most Roman polytheists know her as Sabine, whether that is for worship or as a fact of a goddess they may avoid. She is, just like the Sabine involvement in Roman myth, violent. 

Yet, there is another suggestion that Bellona may perhaps be an Etruscan goddess, as evidence has not fully “proven” her historical origin. Wherever her origin is, the suggestion is of intrigue to Bellona worshippers and Etruscan polytheists alike. 

 ORIGINS OF DUELLONA, BELLONA

Knowing the origins of any Roman deity is often tricky, especially as nearly all of Bellona’s evidence arrives after the third century. The only evidence solidly standing is a cup mentioning her name, beyond that it is mostly her temples, votives, and mentions in Roman literature that give us what we know of Bellona. 

Bellona’s origins are mostly commonly cited as Sabine, especially as both modern and ancient scholars see her origin in the sabine victory goddess Vacuna. Varro states her sabine origin clearly in his Antiquitates Rerum Humanarum et Divinarum and this continues to be the prevailing source for Bellona’s sabine connection. The pressing issue here is that little survives of Bellona’s early cult—making this connection not completely solid, but rather a strong possibility. Also, enforcing Bellona as Sabine establishes her at the beginning of Rome with the myth of the Rape of the Sabine women, which could be Varro’s motive. By putting Bellona at the start of Rome, Rome claims the power of Bellona’s hand in victory and war at the very start of the empire. The late republic certainly imagined Bellona, or as her archaic name Duellona that Varro uses in de Lingua Latina shows, as an ancient goddess. 

The other suggestion is Bellona as a Campanian goddess. The pre-third century cup bearing her name is found in Campania, inscribed Belolai pocolum and portraying Bellona as a wild goddess with unkempt hair. 

Now, the final suggestion is that Bellona originates as an Etruscan deity. The Business of Butchery, Bellona and War, Society and Religion from Republic to Empire by Danielle Meghan Poplacean, the only full-length discussion on Bellona states:

The nature of Appius Claudius’ campaign, largely fought in Etruria, has also led some to believe that Bellona may have been an Etruscan import.52 Similar to the evocatio of Juno from Veii, Appius may have brought the goddess back to Rome in victory.This is not an unfounded theory. The goddess may have displayed some arguably Etruscan traits, as the bipenni which her later priests used to lacerate themselves could have originated in the region. Moreover, when Plutarch describes the damning portents which plagued Rome at the beginning of the first civil war, he mentions that Tuscan wise men were summoned to her temple to discuss the omens. Even Ovid refers to the temple of Bellona Victrix as sacrata Tusco duello. However, in his account of Appius Claudius’ vow to the goddess, Livy makes no mention that Bellona was a foreign deity, or that Appius was imploring her to abandon her people in favor of a seat at Rome, as was the case with Juno at Veii. Even the double-sided axe could have just as easily been imported from Asia, or even Crete. Currently, there is not enough evidence to conclude without doubt that Bellona was originally an Etruscan goddess, but it remains a possibility.

As it reads, the possibility of her Etruscan origin is a mystery. However, it is useful to understand the goddess—she was beloved by the Etruscans yet also invoked and honoured for conquering them; similarly to how Voltumna was celebrated for the conquest of his people through evocatio. It may also suggest that Bellona’s Sabine and Etruscan origins were conflated. Her later association with the distinctly un-Roman weapon bipennis strengthens the likelihood of being imported. 

BELLONA IN RASENNA POLYTHEISM

Originally Rasenal or not, Bellona was beloved by the Etruscans and Romans. The suggestion she may have been brought into the Roman Empire due to conquest is also open—perhaps she was shared. Bellona’s position as the gatekeeper to war is attractive to any Etruscan polytheist, as Etruscan religion is strong on its sacred boundaries or liminality between them. If we adopt her or reintroduce her to Rasenna polytheism, like Culśu, she stands as the gatekeeper to war and peace. She could also share a shrine with Uni as a war goddess, especially as Uni’s Roman identification Iuno shared a cult with Bellona. 

Her wild and sometimes dangerous nature does remind me of Laran’s priests and their invoking of “demons” for war. Laran is afterall a chthonic god, and in my personal gnosis I associate him with the underworld snake. If Bellona is Etruscan, she is undoubtedly in his circle as a particularly kind yet also bloody ais. 

Whatever Bellona is in origin, she is a wonderful goddess. I have had nothing but joy with her, through both her blessings of challenge and victory alongside her more peaceful Gaulish side as an earth and possibly hotsprings goddess. I still lean towards her being a Sabine goddess, however, I would be more than delighted to know she came from my beloved Rasenna. 

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References 

Flower, H. I. (2017). The dancing lares and the serpent in the garden. https://doi.org/10.23943/princeton/9780691175003.001.0001

Meghan Poplacean, D. (2017). The Business of Butchery Bellona and War, Society and Religion from Republic to Empire. The Department of History and Classical Studies  McGill University, Montréal. https://escholarship.mcgill.ca/concern/theses/b8515q959

Rüpke, J. (2016). On Roman Religion. https://doi.org/10.7591/9781501706264

Turfa, J. M. (2014). The Etruscan world.

#bellona deity #duellona deity #roman polytheism #cultus deorum #roman pagan #etruscan polytheism #rasenna polytheism #dragonis.txt #paganism #pagan #witchblr #witchcraft

[thedansemacabres]

Hymn to Thalna

While we do not exactly have Etruscan evidence for hymns, it is very likely that the aiser did receive them—and even if they did not, they are a strong aspect we can adopt from ancient Greek and Roman religions. To make this more Etruscan, I adapted the ritual practice of one thing after another, stated as one, two, and three for a more Etruscan styled hymn and easy adaptation into ritual.

Firstly,

Thalna, great aiser of Rasenna, 

Lovely god, of masculine 

And of feminine form.

Fine jewels you wear,

Great gifts shall we give,

Comely, with reverence. 

Secondly, 

To your hands children are born,

Save in your caring hand, 

They are brought with care.

With tending cloth

And Nethun’s bright waters,

You wash and tend the wounds.

Waterfowl dance at your feet,

Caring for joy herself,

Finely Mother Turan.

Thirdly,

To your name we praise

Out to the sky, sixteen formed

Gifts aplenty, across time

With feathered wings 

Fly afloat across the world,

Let us witness, comely now 

The greatness of your being

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#thalna deity #etruscan polytheism #etruscan polytheist #rasenna polytheist #rasenna polytheism #hymnī #dragonis.txt

[thedansemacabres]

Thalna, Aiser of Childbirth

[ID: A group of six waterfowl flying west. The sky in the image is grey and the tops of bare, dark trees can be seen. The birds are white with bronze and black wings.]

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Thalna is an aiser in the circle of Turan associated with childbirth and healing, along with appearing at artistic images of revelry and prophesy. Commonly appearing at scenes of childbirth, Thalna and other birth related aiser often deliver and bandage the afterbirth of childbirth scenes in Etruscan art—usually being described by scholars as “nurses” and “midwives.” There are currently no known deities that were identified with Thalna. 

ICONOGRAPHY 

Similar to other aiser, Thalna appears in both the masculine and feminine forms in Etruscan art. In her feminine form, Thalna is depicted as a woman with or without clothes, usually wearing jewellery and sometimes a crown. In his masculine form, Thalna is shown as a nude well-built man usually wearing sandals. Either depiction may be shown with wings and appears at scenes of childbirth. 

Thalna is shown twice with a goose or swan. One of these depictions is of a communal scene in which Thalna sits next to Tinia with a waterfowl at her feet. The other is with Anchas, with the waterfowl appearing behind Anchas while Thalna plays the iynx. 

In scenes of childbirth, Thalna appears with Thanr and or Ethausva. Otherwise, they appear with Turan or other aiser. Thalna also appears in a triad with Evan and Achvistr.

RELATIONSHIP WITH ANCHAS 

A feminine Thalna playing with the iynx to Anchas. She sits to the right playing an iynx, with Anchas sitting to the left reaches his arm to her with a large waterfowl behind him. From Wikimedia Commons.

Thalna is shown in an erotic scene with an unknown man called Anchas. The context behind their relationship is unknown, however the iconography of the scene is similar to the symbolism of Turan and Atunis, suggesting that Anchas and Thalna are lovers. Other than the scene in art however, not much is known of Anchas or the mythology behind their relationship. Anchas has been suggested to be Anchises from ancient Greek myth, however this is uncertain and largely based on name similarity. 

MODERN DAY WORSHIP

Thalna was the reason I came into Etruscan polytheism. This deity had pulled me in after I had been introduced to Etruria, as I kept returning to their name until I said I was going to reconstruct Etruscan religion. I find Thalna to be a calm, caring deity that reminds I of flowers in their calming effect upon me. Thalna is most comforting, sometimes soothing the pain of my rot, as multiple sclerosis is a disease of constant pain. 

I have offered Thalna wax, tea, and other sorts of liquids to them. I try to give something every Saturday as per Thalna’s request. Otherwise, standard votives and other foods may be offered to her.

To me, it has always felt most appropriate to use they for Thalna, though when discussing the masculine and feminine forms it feels appropriate to default to other pronouns. Thalna in my experience is a deity mostly without a standard of gender, even less so than the other aiser. While childbirth is very much so not my thing, Thalna’s healing and nurse-like qualities apply more in my life. I appreciate their work in making sure children come safely and that the pains of childbirth are soothed. 

Symbols wise, I have taken the waterfowl—likely a swan or a goose—to be their symbol. I also associate Thalna with beads, as I always see them with either wooden or glass beads wrung around their neck—especially the Venetian murano beads, of which I plan to someday obtain for them. I would like to think this is a measure against anxiety, similar to Greek komboloi (“worry beads”). Thalna in my experience is a deity of love and comfort, wrapping one in her wings and tending to their wounds. I truly adore and love Thalna, the all-comforting winged blessing of a god. 

References 

Anne Layton, S. (2013). Performance and Visual Culture in Etruria: 7th – 2nd Century BC. University of Virginia.

Katharine T. Von Stackelberg. (2014). Garden Hybrids: Hermaphrodite Images in the Roman House. Classical Antiquity, 33(2), 395–426. https://doi.org/10.1525/ca.2014.33.2.395

The Religion of the Etruscans. (2006). In University of Texas Press eBooks. https://doi.org/10.7560/706873

Turfa, J. M. (2014). The Etruscan World. https://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BB12906673

#thalna deity #etruscan polytheism #rasenna polytheism #paganism #pagan #pagan reconstruction #etruscan paganism #rasenna paganism