The legend of the Aluxes (Mayan story)

The aluxes are tiny beings, created out of clay that were hidden and in that way they were able to protect its owner. The aluxes, had a strong tie to their creator. Once they were created, they were offered prayer and offerings to make them come to life.The aluxes were known to be faithful to their owners and mischievous with strangers. When the properties of their owners were passed down to others, the aluxes would come out and scare the children. To please them, the new owners would have to give them food, cigarettes, honey, and corn.

Today, the aluxes continue to take care of the mayan towns. Some original clay figurines can be found in the Dzitnup and Samula cenotes, near the city of Valladolid. Some people believe that the aluxes are here to bring light to the world. The creatures are hardly ever seen as they are agile and light, like the wind. The Mayans believe that if respected, the aluxes will protect you and will take care of your properties (http://www.haciendatresrios.com). This was just a cool little story I read on mayan mythology.

Who Is This God?

He was the great Olympian god of war. In Greek art he was depicted as either a mature, bearded warrior dressed in battle arms, or a nude beardless youth with helm and spear. Because of his lack of distinctive attributes he is often difficult to identify in classical art. This fierce and gigantic,  god loved and was beloved by Aphrodite, he interfered on her behalf with Zeus, and lent her his war chariot. When Aphrodite loved Adonis, in his jealonsy metamorphosed himself into a bear, and killed his rival.

In Greece itself the worship of him was not very general. At Athens he had a temple containing a statue made by Alcamenes.  at Geronthrae in Laconia he had a temple, where an annual festival was celebrated, during which no woman was allowed to approach the temple.  He was also worshipped  at Olympia, near Thebes, and at Sparta, where there was an ancient statue, representing the god in chains, to indicate that the martial spirit and victory were never to leave the city of Sparta. At Sparta human sacrifices were offered to him. The Spartians really loved him.  The temples of this god were usually built outside the towns, probably to suggest the idea that he was to prevent enemies from approaching them.

So have you figured out that this god is Ares the god of war?

Japanese Mythological Creatures

So it turns out that the japanese are were people and dreamed up some weird yet very funny creatures. I was on cracked looking at history stuff and this artical was on there, I thought perfect i just did a post like this. I was gunna write about it but then i decied well i should just let you see for your self. There is also some awesome stuff on Cracked.com so if you havent been on there before you should check it out. Here is the url for the artical. http://www.cracked.com/funny-6080-10-bizarre-japanese-mythological-creatures/

Aqrabuamelu (scorpion men)

So in sitting at my desk, trying to think of something to write a bout then it dawns on me, go look up some mythological creature no one as heard about. That when I find the aqrabuamelu, or the scorpion men they are described to have the head, torso, and arms of a man and the body of a scorpion. Perrty cool right.

They were first created by the Tiamat in order to wage war against the younger gods for the betrayal of her mate Apsu. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, they stand guard outside the gates of the sun god Shamash at the mountains of Mashu. These give entrance to Kurnugi, the land of darkness. The scorpion men open the doors for Shamash as he travels out each day, and close the doors after him when he returns to the underworld at night. They also warn travellers of the danger that lies beyond their post. We have heard of the Epic of Gilgamesh in class so it was cool to relate something to to. The scorpion is like a graud for may gateways in many storys. If you ever seen the movie The Mummy Returns, its what the scorpion king looks like.

Halloween or Samhain?

In the celtic way they had a festival  at this time was called Samhain (pronounced Sah-ween). It was the biggest and most significant holiday of the Celtic year. The Celts believed that at the time of Samhain, more so than any other time of the year, the ghosts of the dead were able to mingle with the living because at Samhain the souls of those who had died during the year traveled into the otherworld. People gathered to sacrifice animals, fruits, and vegetables. They also lit bonfires in honor of the dead, to aid them on their journey, and to keep them away from the living. On that day all manner of beings were honoredghosts, fairies, and demons all the dark and dead.

There is some crazy pictures on this stuff go look it up. But this is what a common alter for Samhain looks like.

Becoming One of Them.

I was startled to read that in Mario Llosa's Book The Storyteller the tribe had protected him and excepted him as on of there own. He realises this on page 185. That the tribe had protected him, "They were not protecting the institution or the idea of the storyteller in the abstract. They were protecting him". Why would they protect him a man they didnt really know a man that was not born as one of them? That perhaps because he was trying to keep there traditions and they respected him for it. It suprises me that a Outside tribe would take in this man and make him one of there own. For telling there storys he was seen as one of them in there eyes.

We Forget The Good Things.

Upon finishing up Mario Llosa's book The storyteller, there was always one main idea in the book. It seemed to me that idea is that over time we forget the good, and the bad ways we once had so we repeat the bad and forget how to do the good.

"Good things happen and bad things happen . Its bad that wisdom should be getting lost" (llosa pg 189). We cant forget what we have already leared if we do we are doomed to repeat it many bad things have happened in the past that we forgot and the repeated. The way many people remember these things are though storys. In those story are different lessons. When a tirbe loses those storys they are dommed to repeat what they have all ready done. Zuratas's can see the difference in are societiys and knows what we have lost and forgotten we are a lost tirbe of people . He doesnt what the Machiguenga People to forget these things and become like we have. He twist the storys of there people alittle to help strengthen this idea. At frist I didnt wanna really read this book but once I finished I leared a few things. That we forget the good things.