She then jumps in. Above: Chrysippus, kidnapped by Laius, looks for his father Pelops running behind the chariot; Volute Krater image (320 B.C.). 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. It was not considered repulsive or wrong, unless you were on the receiving end, then you were considered to be of lesser status and submissive. Monolithic Statue of Tlaltecuhtli from the Aztec Templo Mayor, Mexico City. Set around the 3rd century C.E. Above: Jean-George Vibert, Narcissus, ApolloThe sun god, one of the most important in all literature, was also quite the libertine. 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. I find it interesting how there are so many virgin goddesses in relgions, and how respected they usually are. Lada, goddess of beauty and fertility. Brigid is widely known as the Celtic goddess associated with healing, but her other attributes include poetry and smithcraft. Teiresias revealed the ladies had it roughly 10 times better than the lads. Like the gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt and Rome, there is always a supreme being keeping watch over all. Greek gods and goddesses. This is a concept distinct from both celibacy (not having sex for a particular reason) and abstinence (not having sex by choice). Before the wedding, Iphis prayed in the Temple of Isis for a solution, and voila! His father, Lugh, was one of the major Celtic gods and his mother, Deichtine, was a mortal making him a demi-god, although some say that he was the reincarnation of his father Lugh. She was primarily known the Goddess of the . The "sun-bearer," Tsohanoai is the Navajo god of the sun, which acts as his shield. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. 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. Half man. Siebog, god of love and marriage. As the wife of the god of the underworld, Isis was also one of the main deities concerned with rites for the dead. How can we prove that the supernatural or paranormal doesn't exist? ingls. The Dagda is the Celtic god of. 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. It was at this point that he also first encountered another famous Irish goddess, The Morrigan. Rios Codex/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain. His name means Maize cob Lord. In the Golden Age, mortals and gods mingled freely. A mix of stories from ancient history and mythology merged together by bards or the kings poets to record important family history of kings. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Hestia is described as a kind, forgiving and discreet goddess with a passive, non-confrontational nature. 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. Does anyone know of any other virgin/asexual gods or goddesses in other religions and cultures? Literature Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for scholars and enthusiasts of literature. Above: Rossi Domenico, Pan and Apollo (circa 1704), engraving. She is most often illustrated wearing a green/blue skirt from which flows a stream of water. https://www.thoughtco.com/deities-of-mexica-mythology-170042 (accessed March 4, 2023). Of these three Aphrodite cannot bend or ensnare the hearts. Another Artemis fan here And I remember admiring the vestal virgins of ancient Rome, when I was at school. There are many holy wells scattered across Ireland dedicated to Saint Brigid some of which may have previously been connected with Brigid, the Celtic goddess of healing. And yeah. 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. Tlaloc's main shrine was the second shrine after Huitzilopochtli's, located on top of the Templo Mayor, the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan. You Might Like Asexual Goddesses Published: Jun 19, 2020. Aengus (or engus as is sometimes used) was another member of the Tuatha d Danann with expert knowledge of weaponry. Above: Diego Velazquez, The Triumph of Bacchus, a.k.a. 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. Surly Straggler vs. other types of steel frames, Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology. Quetzalcoatl (pronounced Keh-tzal-coh-atl), the Feathered Serpent, is probably the most famous Aztec deity and is known in many other Mesoamerican cultures such as Teotihuacan and the Maya. Above: Caravaggio, Amor Vincet Omnia. He is also connected with life and death. 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. How to match a specific column position till the end of line? This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies. 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. It is possibly fitting then that Aengus, the Irish god of love, youth, summer and poetry, was in fact a love child himself. Above: Johann Georg Platzer, The Amazon Queen Thalestris in the Camp of Alexander the Great, TeiresiasThe blind prophet of Apollo was most famous in Greek myth for being transformed from a man into a woman for seven years. If you click on one of them, we might receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you). Size queen. And didn't Athena get born by popping whole out of Zeus's head? Some myths suggest a romantic relationship between Hermes and the hero Perseus. Male lovers of the god included the satyr Ampelos and the famously handsome Adonis. ine, the goddess of the summer and summer sun and Grian (asgrian means sun in Irish) was the goddess of the pale winter sun., Water was considered a sacred element and Manannn the sea god is one of the most notable of all the gods in Irish mythology. In order to do so, he needed sacrificial blood. He also had a bottomless cauldron to ensure that no man left his table feeling hungry. Several areas in Scotland and Ireland are named after Manannan, including Mannin Lake (County Mayo), and Mannin Island (County Cork). His name means Hummingbird of the Left and he was the patron of war and sacrifice. Bisexual. Given the overlapping focus of the major Celtic deities, it has been suggested that some of the Celtic deities equate to the Roman ones. It is possible that some might have been asexual. She was the goddess of War, which was usually considered a man's job. - Poseidon, god of the seas, was bisexual. The Symposium goes into some manner of detail on this point about Eros, describing maleness and sexuality as effectively identical concepts with no real distinguishing factors. Above: Athena, center, in a mural by John Singer Sargent, AphroditeWhile the goddess of love is not identified prominently as lesbian herself, the Greek poet Sappho (as in sapphic) of Lesbos (yes, as in lesbian) told many homoerotic tales and named Aphrodite as the greatest patron and ally of lesbians and homosexuals within the Greek pantheon of gods. hey my avatar is Artimis (Diana) so woohoo! I like this answer - I really do - but I think I'm going to abstain from voting, because I'm not sure it's a strong enough case for her representation of asexuality. He is also connected with life and death. Lugh Celtic God of Justice and Mischief, The Dagda Celtic God of Agriculture, Fertility and Seasons and King of the Gods, Aengus Celtic God of Love, Youth, Summer and poetry, ine Celtic Goddess of Love, Wealth and Sovereignty, Brigid Celtic Goddess of Healing, Poetry and Blacksmithing, Flidas Celtic Goddess of Cattle and Fertility, Stories of the main gods of Celtic mythology and the early battles and invasions on the the Island of Ireland. What is Artemis? The Pseudo-Apollodorus also said Apollo had been with Thracian singer Thamyris in the first man-on-man relationship in history. In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Artemis ( / rtms /; Greek: ) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. Did asexuality as a concept ever appear in Greek writings? she became a he. - Hermes, menssager of the gods, was bisexual as well. And for those who think same-sex nuptials are a 21st-century invention, Apollo also was in a relationship with Hymen, the god of marriage. One story exists of how the Dagda when assigning land to his children, he forgot to leave land for Aengus. She also set her sights on C Chulainn and tried unsuccessfully to seduce him. While Artemis, for example, could have sexual desires without contradicting her status as the goddess of the hunt (or even the goddess of virginity - she was abstinent, not necessarily asexual), the whole concept seems to go against Athena's essential nature. There is much scholarly debate on this topic and no clear conclusions. 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. As a mother goddess figure, she is most usually associated with, Some scholars have argued that Danu may be, The crow symbol is thought to connect with, in Irish). Some scholars have argued that Danu may be associated with water and may in fact have originated from the River Danube that flows through Europe. I'm going to have to poke through the sources you linked, too. Tlaltechutli (Tlal-teh-koo-tlee) is the monstrous earth goddess. Maura Healey Says Ron DeSantis Taking U.S. Backwards, Club Q Hero Richard Fierro on the Former Safe Space's Future, Betches Media's Sami Sage on Reaching People Through Humor and Championing Women's Rights, Kentucky Senator Whose Trans Son Recently Died Blasts New Anti-Drag Bill, Hershey's Chocolate Sparks Conservative Outrage Over Women's Day Campaign, Jussie Smollett's Attorneys Appeal Hate Crime Hoax Conviction, Anti-LGBTQ+ Missouri Lawmaker Challenged on Her 'Don't Say Gay' Bill, Michigan's Lesbian Attorney General Receives Anti-Semitic Death Threat, Anti-LGBTQ+ Libs of TikTok Creator Chaya Raichik Does Bizarre CPAC Talk, Iowa Republicans Seek to End Marriage Equality in State, George Santos to Be Investigated by House For Finances, Sexual Misconduct. Pelops for a time was taken to Olympus by Poseidon and trained to drive the divine chariot. Manannan was well equipped with armor and weapons, some of which he supplied to the god Lugh when the Fomorians attacked the Tuatha d Danann. 650 Views. Retribution payments for certain crimes were also paid in cattle according to the old Irish Brehon laws. I don't expect that the ancient Greeks shared our modern conception of asexuality to a T; however, if it's possible to identify that ancient Greek writings reflect an idea of asexuality comparable to our modern one, that would probably count as an example. It was at this point that he also first encountered another famous Irish goddess, Ultimately the Morrigan predicted C Chulainns violent death and a, Unfortunately there is very little information found in the surviving Medieval Irish texts about Danu. (I note that it is wide spread that Dionysius married Ariadne, against the abstinent view.). ApolloThe sun god, one of the most important in all literature, was also quite the libertine. The Aztec believed that the cries and tears of newborn children were sacred to the god, and, therefore, many ceremonies for Tlaloc involved the sacrifice of children. Now you might ask: how do I pick these gods? 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. Lugh was the god associated with justice and held power over oaths and law. ), the Hindu gods and goddesses began to appear in epics, like the Mahabharata and Ramayana, where they accrued mythic stories, characteristics and origins.1 Hindus still read these myths today, in addition to the many other stories that were recorded during the Classic (400- 600 C.E.) Today we are discussing the three virgin goddesses of the Greek pantheon, Hestia, Athena and Artem. By Pan frequently was depicted in sculpture chasing both women and men around with his always-erect penis and oversized scrotum. The Dagda, god of agriculture, weather, the seasons and time is one such example. id love to hear more on this topic from people with bigger brains than I. Among Women: From the Homosocial to the Homoerotic in the Ancient World. According to some stories he was the husband, or perhaps the father of the goddess ine and foster father of the god Lugh. Mayahuel(pronounced My-ya-whale) is the Aztec goddess of the maguey plant, the sweet sap of which (aguamiel) was considered her blood. (This might make it hard to demonstrate asexuality through the absence of sexual writings.). 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. While many of the other greek gods - men and women alike - were promiscous, Athena was completely asexual, and not because she was a "pure" goddess of chasity or something. Eir - Goddess of healing. Watch. By. The crow symbol is thought to connect with Badb (meaning crow in Irish). Hod is the blind god of winter who kills his brother Balder and is in turn killed by his brother Vali. Are Celtic gods immortal? I thought of both of them as asexual (and Artemis was an aro ace arrow ace, haha!). - Hermes, menssager of the gods, was bisexual as well. I don't know exactly why I am writing this post, and I know that nobody else cares, I just think that it's interesting, especially in our society where sex is so valued above almost everything else, that a completely asexual woman could be viewed as one of the most powerful and respected dieties to ancient greek society. In nearly every work of Greek literature that is tangentially related to sexuality (which, we've got to admit, is quite nearly most of the well-known ones), sex is treated as universally desirable, and is a locus of control and power. 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, He is believed to have led the Tuatha d Danann to victory over the invading army of, It is said that Lugh initiated a special games event, known as the, Legend states that Lugh was also a bit of a trickster and is sometimes known as the. After the gods changed him back, Zeus asked who enjoyed sex more, men or women. Sigils Emblems Insignias Collection. The horned god Cernunnos, was connected mostly with wild animals, especially the horned kind such as stags and bulls. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. 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. Aglaia is one of three daughters to Zeus and the Oceanid Eurynome. Why is it so hard for so many people now to do the same? Tezcatlipoca was the patron of the night, of the north, and in many aspects represented the opposite of his brother, Quetzalcoatl. and also known as the Ossianic Cycle. Didn't seem to be as much of a phenomenon among the rest of society in old Greece. Other myths also disclose Achilles was struck by the beauty of Troilus, a Trojan prince. Above: Jean-George Vibert, Narcissus. Maestri, Nicoletta. This website saves cookies to your browser in order to improve your online experience and show you personalized content. She is the mother of Balder. Well, many scholars suggest the idea of a lesbian culture is just modern fantasy, though there is art from the time that depicts Amazonian Queen Penthesilia accepting a love gift from a Thracian huntress. Iphis was born female but raised male by his mother, who concealed the truth because her husband wanted a male heir. She never married and she never took on any lovers. Apollo Olympian god of music, poetry, art, oracles, archery, plague, medicine, sun, light and knowledge. There is even some speculation that the, Deichtine decided that her son should be reared by, As a child C Chulainn was known by the name of. ) For some reason, I just always liked her attitude, if that makes any sense. In addition, Greek Mythology also has two other virgin goddesses, Artemis and Hestia. He is primarily the, Water was considered a sacred element and. The Morrigan goddess is usually thought of as the Celtic goddess of war and sometimes the Celtic goddess of death, but she has strong association with fertility and sovereignty as well. Tezcatlipoca (pronounced Tez-cah-tlee-poh-ka)'s name means Smoking Mirror and he is often represented as an evil power, associated with death and cold. People of the ruling class - think Plato, for example - got to participate in ephebeophilia, to coin a word. Artemis is the Greek goddess of the hunt, wilderness, moon and archery.