The meat and potatoes of this blog is TO LEARN! What I hope you will all learn is HOW TO USE YOUR BRAIN! There is a METHOD to learning and researching. This is the part that will get complicated. I will take you down the path that I walked, step by step, showing you how I learned to gather as much information as possible, sort out the crap from the most plausible, and then, USE YOUR BRAIN to put that information together to form a reasonable theory, and then, to prove or disprove it to the best of our human ability.
A huge chunk of our discussion will be the evolution and migration of civilization and society via their art, culture, language, mythology, lore, even music. This is the most fascinating part of the study of Paganism, in my opinion.
In order to do this, you, the "student," will have to do some work.
This means you are going to have to read a few books. The first book I reccomend is by an ancient dude named Hesiod. He was Greek, about 2500 years or so ago. He is recognized as THE dude who groked (totally understood) his religion, which was Pan-Hellenic, for lack of a better term today. The name of the book is "Hesiod's Theogony." Theogony means the words or description/definition/study of religion.
Why?
Glad you asked.
The Greeks had the most comprehensive written language that managed to survive time and several fires: the Alexandrian Library was burnt to the ground twice. Hesiod's Theogony managed to survive, hence, he's the "source" of our 'understanding' of Greek Mythology. That does not mean his interpretation was 100% accurate, just the most commonly accepted of what survived. The structure of the Ancient Greek Religion (mythology IS religion) is less complicated and more "humanistic" and is therefore easier to comprehend as compared to Egyptian or Celtic, which are more 'fantastic' or steeped in animalistic beliefs. The names of the dieties are easier to pronounce and remember, which is not surprising since the English Language is based on Greek and Latin roots. Furthermore, Christianity came up through Greece, so that modern Judeo-Christianity has such commonality with the Greek Tradition that it makes it easier to start your studies in Ancient Greece, or Homeric Greece. (Please google Homer and Homeric Greece for defintions) when you have been born into a culture that is based on the Judeo-Christian traditions. Wheather or not you grew up in that relgious structure is not the point, but that our society is steeped in the fundementals of this tradition is. Furthermore, Theologists in our culture, in most modern cultures, study Judeo-Christianity first and foremost. Therefore, it is 'easier' for them to continue their studies, should they choose, with their first stop being Homeric Greece. Once a solid foundation has been built in that, it becomes easier to learn the other traditions, such as Celtic, Egyptian, Norse or Hindu. (Note: The Celts were the Ionian Greeks and this can be proven through the migration of the people and the stories, traditions, art and lore they brought with.)
In order to start an education on any religion, you must start at the begining. Every religion/society has a genisis or creation myth. I'm sure you all know the traditional, modern, patriarchal, Judeo-Christian creation myth. Additionally, you can all probably tell me, or know someone who can teach you, who begat whom according to the modern "Bible." I want each of you to start with this very same concept in the Homeric Greek Tradition. So, Hesoid's Theogony is the place to start. We will discuss it from there, on the blog, and hopefully, live at our monthly discussion groups if you are local to the Kenosha, Wisconsin area. Who knows, with the advancement of Technology and my ability to access classes that I can learn how to use this thing, eventually, we may be able to SKYPE or webcast the discussions in the future.
So, your reading list:
Hesiod's Theogony
All the books you can get your mitts on by Joseph Campbell.
Larousse's Encylopedia of Mythlogy, edited by Robert Graves
Women of Classical Mythology by Robert Bell
and finally, there is an amazing website that has been put together by what may be the only human on this planet that has done as much or more research than I have. I have to look it up. Dude's name is Carlos Prada. I'll get that listed on here asap.
DISCUSSION HOMEWORK:
What creation myths do you know, besides the Judeo-Christian one? Please share on this blog.
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