works cited

Works Cited

Hamilton, Edith. Greek Mythology. Boston: Little, Brown and, 1942. Print.

Kitto, H.D.F. The Greeks. Baltimore: Pelican, 1951. Print.

Mykonos Island. Advertisement. History of Delos Island, Greece. Mykonos Web, 2011. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. <http://www.mykonos-web.com/mykonos/delos_history.htm>.

"Olympics." Ancient Greece. University Press, 2008. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. <http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Olympics/>. 

Permeating Society

The ancient Greeks also applied their religion to a variety of different aspect of life.  The most visible today is the Olympics, which surround the worship of Zeus (Olympics).  It included only male athletes competing in various events as a tribute to the strength and beauty of the gods.  The human body was an object of great celebration by the Greeks, as evidenced by their art.  This festivals occurred every 4 and 2 years, like the Summer and Winter Olympics now.  Women were not allowed to watch the games, and only Greek nationals were allowed to play (Olympics).  The games included a day of sacrifice in which 100 bulls were killed in the name of a specific god (Olympics).  The tie of wrestling, javelin toss, running and otherwise competing athletically to religion in the Greek culture is a very interesting one.

In addition to other festivals that celebrated many or just one god, the Greeks used the gods socially on a daily basis.  The religion started as a more complex polytheism with huge groups of gods and values to worship, but was later condensed into a more concise family of deities (Kitto 200). This represents a strong connection to family values within this society.  Another concept that was introduced upon the slow condensation of these characters was the bond between religion and morality.  Ananka was a power similar to will or morality that required independent worship, but it was later condensed into the simple will of Zeus, included as part of his character (Kitto 196).  It was this progression of the character of each of the gods that developed the strong sense of morality as seen through mythology.  There is a lesson to every myth, regardless of the seeming immorality of the gods' behavior.  Mythology as we know it today is what evolved during the late Alexandrian age (Kitto 203).  They used their adapted myths as satirical and dramatic poetry, and the stories were often told through theater in places like this;

The polytheistic religion of this time period permeated society in way that included social gatherings, overall entertainment of the masses, and the construction of huge buildings and temples.  The Parthenon at the acropolis is the prime example of the architecture encouraged by gods, this time namely Athena;

The characteristics exposed through these blog posting bring light to Greek mythology that is not just literary, but societal and religious.  It was a system of beliefs that structured how the ancient Greeks functioned on a regular basis.  

The Sacred Island

A sacred location in Greek culture is the island of Delos, near Mykonos.  When Leto was about to have the child of Zeus, he abandoned her in fear of his wife (Hamilton 433).  He refused her any land to give birth to the child, and she wandered aimlessly and desperately until she discovered the "floating island" of Delos, which was said to have no actual connection to the Earth.  There she had Apollo and Artemis (Hamilton 434).  

Since then, it has become an interesting hub of activity. There are ruins dating back over 5000 years, including multiple temples to Apollo, Artemis and other related gods by a variety of cultures; Ionian, Macedonian, Roman, Phoenicians, Egytians, etc (Mykonos).  While these cultures inhabited the island, it is now only available for day trips to see the massive quantities of ruins built on top of each other.  

Delos is an interesting place because of its rich history, but also its place in Greek mythology.  It is curiously without foliage, and the sun always radiates the island's white marble.  The island emanates an auspicious sort of vibe, and even modern day people don't allow residents to stay overnight because of its sacred qualities.  In 425 BC it was purified; graves were removed and residence was declared illegal (Mykonos).  It represents a religious location for the ancient Greeks that will permanently stay religious.  They embedded their religion into their culture so that their beliefs would stand that test of time.  

General order of existence

Greek mythology as a religion also provides a sense of security, another aspect of the definition by Geertz.  This is done through the complicated process of the afterlife.  Without getting too much into it, they believed in a system somewhat similar to heaven and hell. Everyone passes a three-headed dog, Cerebus (Hamilton 43).  He is the main reason that nobody leaves once they have entered the underworld, commonly known as Tartarus.  There are three judges, Rhadamanthus, Minos and Aeacus who judge each individual and determine whether they suffer in torment for eternity of live in the Elysian Fields, the place for "good" people (Hamilton 44).  The three furies torment sinners forever while heroes and people who worshiped appropriately spend the rest of time in a lovely environment.  The ideas presented by this very complex system convinced the ancient Greeks to stay pious and moral.

The morals included in this society were ones taught by the stories in their mythology.  Each god had weaknesses just like mortals, only these weaknesses caused much more trouble for beings on such a massive scale.  Pandora's box is a prime story to exemplify the lessons Greeks learned from their religion.  Each god had put something harmful into a box and gave it to Pandora.  Since she was a woman and therefore, according to the ancient Greeks, inherently curious, she opened this box against their strictest orders.  From then on the human race was plagued with sorrows (Hamilton 88).  At the bottom of the box, however, remained a final trait from the gods; hope.  This displays not only the shallow weariness of women, but the idea that flaws exist in society and each individual has the choice to have hope and will power to overcome those flaws.  Through the innumerable stories of deceit, adultery, and revenge within Greek mythology, there is always a clear alternative option in the stories that provides a moral direction for how readers should live.

Geertz applied

The Geertz definition is easily applied to Greek mythology.  The definition starts with the system of symbols, which is in itself the system of gods.  They are each represented by different objects (Hermes is often depicted with the winged helmet and shoes, Aphrodite on a shell with hearts.)   The Greeks were famous for their statues of their dieties, perfectly proportioned to display the most physically fit definition of man.  Here is am example from the museum at Delos;

The Greeks used their gods as a path to art and the creation of symbols.  Often, Greeks also made sacrifices to their gods using the symbols prescribed to each issue at hand.  When the weather was bad at sea, sailors were likely to pray and make sacrifices to Poseidon.  They might even sacrifice a horse in his name, because of Poseidon's connection with horses and chariots (Hamilton, 26).  Each problem in society had a different god to to combat it, and a different means of worshiping the problem away.  Though individuals could pray at home or any time,  going to temple was a social activity as well as a religious one.  The Greeks are famous for their amazing architecture, visible in this ruin;

  Different temples were assigned to different gods, this one being for Artemis, goddess of the woods and hunting.  Religion existed for the ancient Greeks much like it does for Christians in a small farm town- they came together and used it as an opportunity to gossip and meet new people or old friends.

This system of symbols survives the second qualifier for religion as well, that it is long-lasting and pervasive.  Though an extinct belief system, the mythology of the Greeks can be traced legitimately as far as 1000 BC, the best guess for when the Illiad was written (Hamilton, 16).  There are sculptures of gods dating from around this time that continue well into the Roman empire, and are adapted throughout that culture as well.  The system they established was concrete enough to apply to the Romans long after the descent of Greece.  Nonbelievers throughout these periods were executed.  Christians were placed in amphitheaters to fight lions and trained gladiators, simply because of their unwillingness to adopt this polytheistic view of the world.  It is clear that this religion would not have survived if it had not been a convincing web a beliefs.  It created an aura of factuality that lasted a long time, which makes it a legitimate religion under the definition provided by Geertz.

Welcome to the Pagan Community!

While this class was very informative about a variety of religions, I felt this class left out a significant domain of religion; polytheism.  In high school, many students read the Norse, Roman and Hindu myths.  They discuss each story, analyze the character of many gods, and get lost in the intricacies of so many faults, strengths, and love affairs in the tales.  While they are considered literature that is material to understanding the ancient world as well as modern society, mythology is one that is not often explored from a legitimately religious standpoint.  In light of this realization and a recent trip to Greece, I have decided to apply the Geertz definition of religion to ancient Greek mythology.

To briefly overview Greek mythology, it is founded upon the God of the Sun, Zeus, who is the most powerful and a sort of director for the other gods.  These gods are subsequently in charge of other aspects of life, such as Ares, God of War, and Dionysus, God of Wine and Party. All gods are somehow vaguely connected through family and romantic ties, many yielding from Zeus' philandery and his actual marriage to Hera, Goddess of Marriage.  They are involved in many interactions with humans and each other, the latter of which often affects the humans.  Each god has different tendencies and vices, and a separate character that worshipers must appeal to for the best results of their prayer.  This is a very diluted definition of Greek mythology, but will be more exposed as specific myths are presented throughout the explanation of the religion.  

I will begin this description of the ancient Greek religion by restating the Geertz definition of religion; "A system of symbols which acts to establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic."

Abraham anachronisms!

I am totally sick of reading Joseph Smith.  The Book of Mormon was not an easy read.  Even the minister from Jamaica in that video admitted it took a lot of time to get into the literature. I call it literature because the material is absolutely ridiculous.  He takes Christianity, flips it upside down, and then figures out a way to gain credibility and followers with cash.  I am amazed that this religion has become so widespread, especially based upon how many Mormons I know versus the number of Baha'i followers.  The main point is that our prompt asks us for signals that this text is not actually from 2000 BC, and I my response is that all questions regarding this work are asinine and I'm giving up on this text.

Well... not quite, I do realize I should comment on something so famously controversial.  The Book of Abraham is essentially a twisted story of Abraham's life.  It includes all sorts of facts that do not apply in any other religious texts; Abraham has not, to my knowledge, been almost sacrificed before.  He also did not take special interest in astronomy or spirits.  These seems like a simple conglomeration of odd religions the vaguely apply to the foundations of the Old Testament.  When Joseph says "And it came to pass," his literature's credibility, in my opinion, is totally blown.  I don't think his drawings at the back and the front look at all similar to ancient Egytians', nor could they apply to any humans (these figures looks much more god-like, humans were drawn based upon specific proportioning rules.)  I am ecstatic to be working on Greek mythology after this, because it is has just as (if not more) cock-a-mamy stories, AND they are written cleverly with personalities for the characters.  They do not pretend to be something they are not.  I feel that if Joseph Smith had written his set of Mormon values based upon a text that was authentic to the nineteenth century style of life in America, then he would have developed a less exile-able culture.

So many plates

An interesting aspect of this religion is the reoccurring theme of sacred plates.  I wonder if the idea of worshiping these odd tablets has any spiritual value apart from the content.  Joseph Smith supposedly finds golden plates buried in the woods of upstate New York.  Since they have unknown reformed hieroglyphics on them, he takes i upon himself as God's request to translate them. They are too powerful and auspicious to be viewed by anyone other than Smith, so he "hides" them and they're never seen again.  Though nobody ever sees these plates, they have become the fundamental literature for the faith itself.  Since the initial finding, there are other mentions of plates within what we've read in class.  The different chapters and books themselves describe their creation, including the Book of Mormon, which was written upon metal plates by Mormon and Moroni.

Joseph probably chose the form of a plate for his scripture because of the mysterious aspect of its discovery.  He needed something more durable than parchment so he could find something so old undecayed.  The fact that these tablets are gold also brings an aura of fantastic miracle and spectacle to the religion.  The Mormons depend heavily upon a close relationship with God.  He is often mentioned as telling the leaders what to do expressly and staying in contact.  Smith claims he called out to God and he answered, and it is not very often in this book that God does not respond to these people.

The plate motif is also a reference to Moses and the 10 Commandments.  This connects Mormons to more well-established faiths.  It gives them the credibility of Christianity but then offers a literal blank slate upon which to write a much more convoluted interpretation of history.  The Book of Ether draws distinct parallels between the exile, captivity, and general story of the Jews.   It establishes a promised land (America) while also giving an excuse to be racist against the Native Americans.  All of this stems from the use of plates and a desperate desire for validity and a Mormon following.

"Its a legit frenzy!"

Especially for Mormonism in the 19th century, legitimacy was the top priority.  Starting a new religion using dubious historical background without much tangible evidence required very strong leadership and literature.  The third book of Nephi includes a chapter in which the Lord Jesus Christ comes to the Mormons.  This discussion is littered with answers to the nineteenth century issues associated with establishing a this belief system.  


Jesus starts by declaring certain members of the community able to baptize.  The point of these words, "Behold, ye shall go down and stand in the water, and in my name shall ye baptize them" is to provide a legitimate way for the Mormons to become a tight-knit group and easily facilitate the accumulation of other followers.  The nineteenth century is notable for its intolerance and necessary development of communities, like China Town in New York City.  The prospect of baptism into this very unique faith offers opportunities to its leaders; the association becomes one of more importance in society overall with more people.  It also provides a stronger sense of belief through this very conventional but at the time compulsory activity of baptizing children and their entire families.  


To further unite the community of Mormons, Jesus discusses peace; "Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away."  This is another important aspect of acquiring a foothold in society.  Peace brings people together, and this message also ties a religion into the group.  The message of this conversation with Jesus suggests that the legitimacy of the religion is dependent upon the uniform belief system of its followers.  This is accomplished by having everyone baptized and interested in working together.  While this is a clear and hopefully often held desire for peace, it is one that Joseph Smith used to grab hold of his nineteenth century readers. 

Fearless Leader

 The most successful leaders are a direct result of the way they distribute their intellectual property.  They are charasmatic in person, in their speaking, and through their writing.  Baha'u'llah's new religious ideas were dependent upon his educated and beautiful manner of communicating.
This starts with his lifelong struggle (and response) to the oppression of conservative Islam. Baha'u'llah suffered repeated victimization, such as the Black Pit and the constant death threats during his time in Iraq.  Through this, he lost the companionship of his brother and a few other close followers.  At the same time, however, he continued to send out articles and literature about his mistreatment.  He explained once that "The weight of the chain placed about Our neck was difficult to bear, but having the thumbs of both hands bound together behind the back was even more aggravating" (28).  This developed a sense of unity amongst people who don't like torture and wrongful detainment (hopefully all people).

In addition to developing that unity, Baha'u'llah used his experiences as a mechanism to expose the importance of the unity of religion.  His persecution was the perfect ground upon which to build a belief system of cooperation throughout humanity.  He said this through his style of writing, "He Who hath come to build anew the whole world, behold, how they that have joined partners with God have forced Him to dwell in the most desolate of cities" (173)!  The capitalized letters are referring to God, but also members of humanity as whole.  He brings people together as one race, humbly applies his experiences to the suffering of everyone who hasn't been brought together.

Lastly, Baha'u'llah was the ideal prophet (fearless leader, only not comically evil) because of his literary genius and overall charisma.  His wrote eloquently and comprehensively and was extremely prolific overall. His Baha'i hymns and chants included either beautiful or otherwise very vivid imagery.  This includes a part of "O Son of Spirit"; "Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence, I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee" (162).  This interesting perspective of God speaking of his creation of man bring intrigue in this religion as well as the request for theological guidance.  The intrigue was spread through Baha'u'llah's letter to major leaders of countries and other religions, including various kings, Napoleon, and Pope Pius IX.  His writing style and ability to market his beliefs through his talent for writing is what makes Baha'i as successful as it has been since its origination.

only one humanity

"And yet, each person schemed after his own desire, and pursued his own ideal fancy, until the hour when, from the Mystic Source, there came the summons bidding Us return whence We came. Surrendering Our will to His, We submitted to His injunction" (42, Momen).

This quotation comes from Baha'u'llah's writings about returning to Baghdad despite original intentions.  While it has very specific context, the writing style can be extended to his teaching about universality and the togetherness of people in general.  This is most obviously exposed by his capitalism of His and God's pronouns, but also the capitalism of "Our" and "We,"  representing the human race.  Baha'u'llah does speak for only himself when referencing God, but rather everyone together following his rule.  This makes every individual feel important and worthy of worshipping God, but also part of something greater that is a community.  The way Baha'u'llah writes facilitates and encourages the participation of all.

His connection to God and the use of Baha'i also makes it much more applicable to the modern world than the surrounding Muslim religions.  During conflict pertaining to the usual oppression of Baha'i, he exclaimed, "Have I at any time transgressed your laws, or disobeyed any of your ministers in Iraq? Inquire of them, that ye may act with discernment towards Us and be numbered with those who are well-informed" (71).  This brings God into the modern era as an acting witness to current injustice.  He is making his Baha'i faith a current religion in which God takes care of people that do right.  He is also providing an example for his followers and exposing an example of injustice for his followers to avoid.

The Baha'i faith connects to the compassion video in many ways.  Its concept of commonality among people and pursuit of peace is crucial; the faith is about avoiding intolerance and accepting everyone into a community in which all can take part and be constructively religious.  Being constructively religious, according to the video, also means being compassionate to people in need regardless of their intolerance or religious beliefs.  Both of these sources are a means of bringing people together through a panacea faith that accepts all.