Bestiary |
Antaboga (and Bedawang Nala)
Snakes are often responsible for the existence of our world. They appear in the myths and legends of various cultures, often only as the backbone or supporting structure of the world in question, such as Midgardsormr. Or as the more or less philosophical concept of Ouroboros. Not to mention snakes and dragons, such as the Hungarian Sarkány. However, there are also reptiles of even higher status.
The Balinese Antaboga stood at the birth of the universe as the Creator, not as a structural element or living scaffolding. In the beginning, there was only him and the usual Nothingness. Through meditation, which is one of the most common methods of creating the Cosmos, he created the World. Creators tend to be omnipotent, so often mere thought is enough for them.
Just as an aside, another common option, often following meditation, is Naming, described in the Bible (Genesis 2:19), which gives created things life and, above all, meaning. I don't know if this was the case here, but I do know that Antaboga created a turtle, a proven carrier of his world in other universes. Which, incidentally, is also a reptile zoologically speaking. It is quite strange that although most people are disgusted by reptiles, in the distant past we entrusted them with quite important tasks.
But turtles are fine.
The Balinese one is called Bedawang Nala, which translates as Boiling Water and Fire. She is accompanied by two nagas (also snakes). The seismic and volcanic activity of our planet comes from Bedawang's violent movements.
The carrier turtle is not the only important figure in Antaboga's portfolio. When it comes to humans and their survival, the goddess of rice (and thus fertility and other important aspects), Dewi Sri, is no less important. She is said to have hatched from an egg created from his tears. However, this is a slightly different story, in which the snake god Antaboga shed tears of regret because, having no limbs, he could not help build the new heavenly palace requested by Batara Guru (the Indonesian version of Shiva).
Image depicting Antaboga: By Wayangprabu.com [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
(16.6.2013)
Witte Wieven
In addition to being a fairly strong Dutch beer, Witte Wieven is also the local Lady in White, which is also the translation of the name. She does not stand out from her numerous relatives, predicts the future, lives near swamps, in dense forests, near remote villages, and mainly in the eastern Netherlands and the adjacent part of Germany.
(11.6.2005)
Ljubi
We haven't had a proper demonic creature here for a long time, so here it is: an Albanian demon who demands virgin sacrifices, threatening to dry up waterways if she doesn't get them.
(11.6.2005)
Chaufaton
Today we're going to Western Europe, and it won't be Britain as usual, but countries that are exotic for the Bestiary, such as Belgium or the French Alps.
There, in Savoy, survives a protective spirit named chaufaton, a member of that large group of goblins who take care of matters related to farming. Chaufaton is not deux domesticus, but a brownie, focused, like his Breton colleagues, on domestic animals and everything around them. He is a mischievous little creature who tangles horses' manes (in every European culture, as far as I know, some kind of goblin takes care of this), dislikes sharp and pointed objects, and enjoys tormenting people who lie on hay. That's because the chaufaton lives in the hayloft.
The fact that he sometimes behaves like a farmer and sometimes like a nightmare is a beautiful example of the common origin of these two supernatural races. Their basis is the cult of the dead. The spirits of ancestors used to have a choice: either to help or harm the family. Chaufaton chose both.
(18.6.2005)
Lange Wapper
This bogeyman is said to usually appear in the vicinity of Antwerp, Belgium. He takes on various forms, as metamorphosis is his specialty, and so he can easily take the shape of a small child or an oversized giant. If you happen to be traveling to Antwerp, you can see his giant statue in front of Steen Castle, which houses a museum inside. He likes to scare people and mock them, targeting drunks in particular; he sneaks around the streets, follows selected individuals to their homes, and then stares at them with his face pressed against the windowpane. After a few—wait, what do they drink in Belgium?—Jenever shots and the thought of a safe, non-spinning bed within reach, the deformed face against a dark background can cause real physical harm, especially to the digestive tract.
(18.6.2005)
Osschaart
This Flemish creature also has a number of relatives. In both versions of existence.
I like the first one better, because it is a water sprite, and as regular readers may know, I am very fond of water demons. Osschaart's most common practice is to jump out from behind (or into a boat) when a fisherman does not follow tradition and does not throw the first catch back into the water.
In his second form, he also likes to jump on the backs of random passers-by, especially drunks (like his close relative Lange Wapper). You can recognize the presence of this type of osschaart by the rattling of chains. It can take on any animal form, but originally it is said to look a bit un-European, namely like a bull with a human head and chains.
(18.6.2005)
Goblins from New Zealand
Although New Zealand, like Ireland, is a territory free of snake venom (which cannot be said of neighboring Australia), this does not mean that it is free of danger. I know, this sentence makes about as much sense as the laws passed by the Czech parliament, but I had to start somewhere. And poisonous creatures can be pretty scary, after all.
But let's move on to creatures whose job it is to scare people. There are plenty of them in New Zealand. For example, the Patu-pai-arehe, who live in the forests in the mountains. When an albino is born, they are definitely the offspring of a Patu-pai-arehe and a human woman, because this race has fair skin and sometimes red hair. Usually, however, forest creatures do not have a particularly positive relationship with us.
They don't like it when someone sings at an open door, because they believe that people are making fun of them. Worse, however, is that sometimes they take someone's soul away—when the person is poisoned by the smoke from the charcoal that the Maori use to heat their homes. Here and there, they take away a whole person, a living body and soul, as they did when they kidnapped the wife of a certain Rua-ranga. However, Rua-ranga, with the magical help of a local sorcerer, went into the mountains to find his wife and brought her back.
The goblins called Ponaturi, on the other hand, live in the sea. They are not among the good ones either, as evidenced by many stories of battles with humans. They usually kill the father of some hero, who then sets out to fight them. Tawhakie, for example, avenged his father Hemu, and Wahie-roa's son Rate mercilessly beat up many Ponaturi for the same reason.
(25.6.2005)
Jaculus
Yes, Jaculus jaculus is a jerboa, that little mouse with long hind legs. But Eryx jaculus (jaculus) is a snake, a species of boa constrictor. No, they shouldn't get confused. No one would mistake a rodent for a reptile.
The bestiary jaculus is also a snake. A flying one.
It depends how you look at it. The established authorities Lucanus and Pliny the Elder describe its flying soberly: the jaculus hunts by climbing a tree, waiting for an unsuspecting passer-by and throwing itself at them. Indeed, the correct original Latin name is iaculus, and iaculum means javelin in the same language. So nothing special under the sun. Except for medieval illustrations depicting a strange animal with wings, a lizard-like body and tail, and perhaps even a pair of limbs or a bird's beak, as you can see on the relevant page of The Medieval Bestiary.
Unfortunately, deriving appearance and characteristics from a simple description from a source that is hundreds of years old is characteristic of medieval bestiaries.
Didn't I tell you yet? Today's (my) Bestiary is a trip to the old ones. Now you know, and you can happily move on to the next exhibit.
(1.7.2005)
Onocentaurus
In the Middle Ages, the original centaur became a genus with a significant number of species. The taxonomic criterion was, understandably, the animal part of the body. Later, as you can see from the example of the camelopardalis, this was somewhat exaggerated, but in a way it was a step towards true scientific systematics. After all, medieval bestiaries were the biological encyclopedias of their time.
The Onocentaurus was half human and half donkey, which leads to the somewhat embarrassing joke that it has survived to this day without any problems. The duality of the organism was, of course, not only physiognomic in nature; the human upper body used the rationality and historical experience of the brain, while the animal lower body was, in keeping with the spirit of the times, wild and sensual, as was attributed to donkeys at the time. The whole then gave rise to an allegory of lust and the age-old dilemma of reason versus emotion.
According to illustrations, the onocentaurus was equipped with a club or bow. In one illustration that appeared in Jacob van Maerlant's book Der Naturen Bloeme, this creature is even one-eyed, while English sources depict it in the water with sirens drowning sailors.
(1.7.2005)
Hydrus
Encyclopedic:
Other names: Enhydros, Enidros, Hydra (but that's usually something else), Idra, Idres, Ydre, Ydrus.
Description: Enemy of crocodiles, which it kills from within their own bodies.
No, I won't spoil my style, so I'll continue in a non-encyclopedic manner.
Crocodiles have always lived in the Nile River (as children's rhymes say). So does the hydrus.
Although it is tempting to associate it with the Lernaean Hydra, there is no relationship between them, except for the water in their names. Especially in terms of size, they belong to different categories. Also in terms of symbolism, while the hydra was and is an allegory of indestructible evil, the hydrus, which destroys crocodiles, represents Jesus descending into hell to wrest souls from the devil. This moral tale corresponds exactly to the modus operandi of the creature described. It looks for crocodiles sleeping with their mouths open, and when it finds one, it first rolls around in the mud so that it slides nicely, then climbs into the crocodile's mouth and lets itself be swallowed, only to chew its way out of the belly. This kills the poor reptile.
What the hydrus looks like is also debatable. Sometimes it is described as a small snake, other times as a bird, but with a few exceptions, it is usually depicted with its head biting its way out of the crocodile, while its tail is still sticking out of the lizard's mouth.
The exception mentioned is the hydrus – a water snake swimming next to a boat; however, given the problems with such a generic name, it may well be a completely different animal. It could be – and should rather be – a water snake from the bestiary named Hydros (note the -o- instead of -u-, it is a completely different creature), which is a reptile whose bite is dangerously poisonous, causes bloating, and can be cured with ox dung.
(1.7.2005)
Vai-Mahse
A red-painted dwarf. Short in stature, high in status. A forest spirit feared and revered by the South American Amazonian Tukanos. He is responsible for all forest animals, as well as the fish population of rivers and streams, plus the herbs growing around trees, which is why wooded hills are often dedicated to him.
Like every powerful creature, this dwarf, carrying a red polished stick, is quite moody and also very jealous – this unpleasant trait manifests itself in pregnant women. Vai-mahse is the cause of all the illnesses and complications that accompany pregnancy, simply because he is not the cause of pregnancy itself, i.e., the father of future humans.
For this reason, and also so that, as Lord of the Animals, he does not scare away game (or deprive animals of their fertility, which is much more sophisticated and clever), the Tucanos treat Vai-mahse with great respect.
(10.7.2005)
Ogněnnyj zmej
Well, translated into plain language, it is simply a fire dragon, but then again, most (at least the popular ones) dragons are fire dragons. And strictly speaking, dragons have already been discussed here, so why bother with some East Slavic form that is the personification of fire and whose arrival in the house brings wealth? Probably because the connection between dragons and housewives has not yet been discussed so openly here.
This connection was not uncommon, especially since these are two fairly large and somewhat disparate groups of lower mythological beings. Dragons included all kinds of reptilian creatures, and various other beings also took on the role of supernatural housekeepers. Fire, of course, played an essential role in this case, as it has been one of the most revered forces since the Pleistocene. At first, it represented the necessity of survival, later the comfort and peace of home. There used to be countless spirits, gods, and goddesses of the hearth until they were later replaced by television as the center of family life. This is not moralizing, it is a fact that no one can do anything about (and why should they), even if they tried their hardest. The glowing screen simply symbolizes a place where the family meets in a close circle and in safety. Stone me, think what you want, but this is the social function of television, which works so well that it is completely forgotten. And to be clear, I'm not talking about communication between family members, which in our house usually takes place in the kitchen.
But now we find ourselves somewhere completely different, probably because of the sweltering heat outside.
So there was the domestic fire with its protective demons and the fiery beings of the natural world, between which there was occasional overlap. It was simple: dei domestici sometimes (not always) also took care of financial contributions, and because money conjured out of thin air smacks of something unclean, this choice fell on specialized helpers, often imps, various goblins, or familiars. And the cousins of these often black and usually fiery creatures were the dragons mentioned today. Sometimes they merged together, as in the case of Zmok or Pjenežnyj zmij, who was known in Lusatia.
At the beginning, I noted that this is an East Slavic form, and a moment ago I mentioned western Lusatia, so to cover the entire Slavic world, a word about the south: Serbian legends tell of cases where a dragon was captivated by the beauty of human women, and from such a union a dragon son was born, or Zmaj ognjeni vuk, who usually killed his father in combat. This is, of course, a purely dragon motif, so I will summarize it in one sentence at the end.
The fire dragon is a fairly common dragon that represents the element of fire, and according to Slavic legends, its arrival at a house brought wealth. Which is basically the only piece of information in today's story, so I could have spared myself the previous four hundred words. But why, when I enjoy it?
(16.7.2005)
Brighid
The noble goddess, leaning over every cradle, patroness of blacksmiths, poets, and warriors, has survived the ages. She gracefully transitioned from Celtic paganism to the Christian pantheon without stumbling in the slightest. Many Celtic deities established themselves in this way (I wrote here some time ago about the Welsh Dewi and the case of Cernunnos), but belief in Brighid, whose quite extensive fields of influence will of course be discussed here, took her to the very top.
Although she lives somewhat in the shadow of Saint Patrick in Ireland, in the Hebrides she is revered as Jesus' nanny, and was once even on the same level as Mary; after all, it was she who wrapped the newborn Christ in her cloak. There is also a legend that her cloak covered a fairly large piece of land for the construction of a monastery, but I would like to return to the original Brigit.
At least for a moment. It seems that this lady is somehow enchanted, because she was supposed to appear in the Bestiary two years ago and also a year ago, and every time I wanted to start writing, I couldn't get a word out.
So at least something.
Brighid was originally the daughter of the god Dagda (in Christian tradition, she was the daughter of Dugall the Brown). She bore her husband, Bres, three well-known figures from Irish mythology: Brian, Iuchara, and Iucharba.
She represented the Triune Goddess, and her feast day was Imbolc, today the least known of the four Celtic festivals, held sometime around February 1. On that day, sacred fires were lit, and Brigit took over the rule of winter in Scotland from Cailleach bheur. The second half of the winter season is a preparation for the real start of the agricultural year, and Brighid, in this form of the goddess of fertility, had to oversee it.
Much better known, however, is Brigit's eternal fire in Kildare, which was once maintained by nineteen priestesses and later by nineteen nuns. Flames were the most common symbol of Brighid the Fiery Arrow, and the goddess had so many names and epithets that I don't even want to list any of them. She was associated with the apple tree and the oak tree, the fruit one naturally referring to the Land of Eternal Youth in the West (Tír na nÓg, or, if you prefer, Avalon) and the usual third attribute of the Triple Goddess.
Perhaps you can now see why I am so at a loss in this case. The sea of functions, attributes, and untold stories would overwhelm even a much stronger individual. I'd better stop here so I don't confuse the issue and cause a real mess. I'm saving the other names of Brigit for the future, so you can definitely look forward to Brigantia, for example.
Sometime.
(24.7.2005)
Kvasir, Fjalarr, and Galarr
Some people are kissed by the Muse, others need a boost. I'm not talking about athletes, but poets, so it seems obvious what kind of stimulants we're talking about here. Beverages. Of course, not the classic products of winemakers or distillers, because you can't just make Mead of poetry. Not that the recipe is secret, but the ingredients...
The first is honey, of course. No problem. But to obtain the second ingredient, you need a specific Norse god, which causes an unpleasant complication, mainly because the god in question, named Kvasir, is no longer with us. He was the wisest of the Vanir until he met the dwarf brothers Fjallar and Galarr. He accepted their invitation to their uninviting cave and never came out again. The dwarves killed him and used his blood (the second part of the drink) and honey to make the aforementioned cocktail. They filled the cauldron Odrerir and two vessels they called Bodn and Son with it. The drink for inspiration was born.
I fear that Kvasirov's murder was a mythologically purposeful act that could not be avoided, as it reveals the close contacts between the Vikings and the Eastern Slavs. The Slavic word kvas, whose meaning is clear (yes, it is a strong alcoholic beverage), obviously forms the basis of Kvasir's name, and so we are once again dealing with deified alcohol.
Kvasir ended up as a liquor, but the life journey of the dwarf brothers was gaining momentum. Criminal momentum. They were directly involved in other homicides.
They capsized the boat in which the giant Gilling had set out with his wife, and this murder would have gone unpunished too, had it not been for Gilling's son Suttung. He set out on their trail, and when he caught up with them, he was about to kill them. He would have done so if they had not redeemed themselves with the poets' mead, which was sufficient compensation.
But as is customary in Norse mythology, things change hands with relentless regularity and rarely by legal means. Suttung hid the drink in a mountain, where it was guarded by his daughter Gunnlod. Odin, who was employed one summer on the farm of Suttung's brother Baugi, asked for a sip of Kvasir's blood as a reward; when Baugi broke a hole in the hill to get to the drink, the supreme god seized the opportunity, transformed himself into a snake, crawled inside, took the vessels, and fled to Asgard in the form of an eagle.
(13.8.2005)
Feronia
Feronia was originally a goddess whom the Latins assigned the task of managing forests and built temples near Terracina, the Cape Gate, and also on the Campus Martius; unfortunately, this sanctuary has not been found. As Virgil said, she was the wife of the underworld god Anxur (in the Roman conception, however, Jove Anxur) and the mother of his son Erulus, a person with three lives.
Later, however, the greatest worshippers of Feronia were freed slaves, because it was in her temples that they received the pilleus, or head covering, intended only for free Romans, as a sign of freedom.
(28.8.2005)
Manes
They lived deep underground in the Roman underworld and belonged to the spirits of ancestors. Therefore, they occasionally came up to the surface to look at their fortunate or unfortunate descendants.
They supplemented the portfolio of protective services otherwise provided by the Lares, Penates, and Genii, but it was necessary to pray to the Manes regularly and not forget to make sacrifices, otherwise they would not protect but harm.
(28.8.2005)
Pax
Originally a Roman personification of peace, she probably became a full-fledged goddess during the reign of Emperor Augustus, who had the Ara Pacis Augustae, the Altar of Augustus' Peace, built after his return from the Hispano-Gallic campaign. Her temple then stood on Vespasian's forum, whereby the square lost Vespasian and gained the name Forum pacis, the Square of Peace.
The attributes of Pax are still well known today, as is the general human disregard for her. They are the olive branch, the scepter, and the cornucopia. Celebrations in her honor took place on January 3.
(28.8.2005)
Oro
While the Roman Pax is the pure embodiment of peace, the Tahitian Oro cares for it as Oro-i-Te-Tea-Moe, but in times of war, he appears on the battlefield as a ruthless killer, like the god of war. There can be no question of peacefulness here, as he gladly accepts human sacrifices.
Two of Oro's three daughters have names that probably belong to the warlike half of his practice: Head Eater, or Ai-Tupuai, and Eye on the Axe, or Toi-Mata, while the third is named Mahu-Fatu-Rau, which means Escape from Under a Hundred Stones. He named his son Faithful Friend, Hoa-Tapu, which is always appropriate.
(4.9.2005)
Whope
The Dakota sun god Wi, whom they associate with the bison, has a daughter named Whope. In addition to being the wife of the south wind, she is the goddess of peace and, as such, took care of many upset stomachs in children – when we, like Winnetou and his friends, smoked a peace pipe filled with who knows what. It was she who brought the peace pipe to the Dakota or Lakota (much more incorrectly but better known as the Sioux). The Lakota have a beautiful legend about the White Bison Girl.
Out of nowhere, a girl dressed in fine white deerskin suddenly walked towards a pair of surprised Lakota who had set out hunting that day. She was carrying a bundle on her back, but that was not what caught the hunters' attention. Their eyes were completely captivated by the girl's beauty, but as she came closer and closer, unpleasant thoughts began to creep into the mind of one of the men. After all, there is no one else around, just the two of us, um, three of us, and so...
He didn't get very far in his thoughts. He just tried to touch her, and a white mist enveloped him. He disappeared into it and disappeared from the world, because when it dispersed, all that remained of him were bleached bones.
The second hunter was more cautious and listened to the girl's request:
“Build me a hut in your village. A big hut.”
When you have tangible proof before your eyes of how quickly you can end up, you usually don't hesitate. The hunter turned on his heel and rushed home.
The apparition in white walked at a leisurely pace, because people cannot perform miracles and need time. Nevertheless, when she entered the village, the hut was waiting for her.
And all the villagers were peeking out from around it, the more courageous ones showing themselves in all their Lakota magnificence.
“I have descended to you from heaven,” said the girl when everyone had gathered around her after a while.
In those days, such introductions were not among the favorite sayings of dictators or leaders speaking on behalf of all the people. At that time, the gods still watched over their believers and truly cared for them.
“I want to show you how you can live, how you could live, and how you must live,” she added.
She did not speak empty words. First, she gave the people corn and taught them how to grow it. Then she took a peace pipe out of her bag and taught the Lakota how to use it. She introduced them to the seven sacred ceremonies that would ensure the favor of the heavens. Finally, she transformed herself into a white bison calf to give colors to the four winds from the four corners of the world. The calf changed color from white to black, red, and yellow.
Then she disappeared, but from that moment on, the Lakota knew that their gods were watching over them.
(4.9.2005)
