Reading Notes-.Pantheons

Pantheons
India

Indian Pantheons

Discussing the Indian Pantheon is tricky because it remains a living belief system for over a billion. Indian is home to many different languages so the Indian Pantheon stories have many different variations. Sanskrit tis the sacred language of Hinduism. It is an extremely complex language that begin an inscription on stone. The Pantheon begins with a Sky Father and Earth  Mother deity, but then becomes very complex and unorderly. Many of the Indian gods take different forms and do not remain strictly under one form and also take on different names in myth. Brahman, which is common in the stories for this class namely, in the Indian tale unit, is often translated as the one soul and all individual souls exist within the soul, similar to God in the monotheistic belief. This seems simple to understand, however Brahman then is embodies and personified as three deities. Brahma, who is the creator and once he created, his work was complete. Vishnu,the Preserver and Shiva, the Destroyer take on a more prominent role in Indian myth than Brahma. The video ends with a story of Durga. It is more than evident that the Indian Pantheon is very complex and confusing, but interesting. It was very beneficial to leave about both Brahman and Durga, both who have been mentioned in the class readings

The Norse Pantheon

Main source of Norse mythology is very new and has its roots in the Germanic people. There are two sets of Norse deities with an odd nine waves that splits the two. The  Vanir is associated with earth and fertility, is the older of the two. Aesir is associated with the sky. The video explains that at a time they were separate and competing and not unlike two competing religions eventually figured out that it was better to not fight but to just team up. A few notable gods from the Aesir are Thor and his dad, Odin.  Another character in the Aesir is Liki, his pedigree is unknown, but he is surely a Trickster. He is the father of Jormungand, the World Serpent; Hel, Goddess of the Underworld, and Fenrir, the Wolf. Apparently, Norse myths are like the Frat party of myths - a lot of drinking and fighting. Norse tales tend to be more raucous and less reliant on metaphor than Roman and Greek myths.

African Pantheons and Orishas

Africa has diverse and enormous Pantheons. There is not one African Pantheon, like Native Americans, there exist so many tribes, regions, peoples, and languages in Africa that there is not no one consistent family of gods. For this video, Orishas will be explored. Orisha Pantheons is a single set of gods. Yoruba is both a language and a term for the people that speak that language. It encompasses a region around Nigeria that was center of the African slave trade. Orishas are the gods and the semi divine deities of the Yoruba culture. Three of the most important ones are: Olrun, great sky father; Eshu -trickster; Ogun - giver of Iron. Orunmila is an important god and featured in many African myths. Orunmila was all powerful and many of the Orishas sought powers the chameleon told Orunmila to distribute the power by rain. He sent his messengers to tell the Orishas and they came as the powers fell from the sky. This the an origin story of how the  Orishas received their powers and roles. Unlike Roman and Greek Pantheons, whose gods are often born with powers, these were fairly distributed as are the Orishas reflect more human qualities and fallibilities. Animals also play a big role in African stories.

The Mwindo Epic

This a long story about a cocky baby who grows, matures, and become a fair ruler. The story begins with the Chef of the Nyangan people who only wants daughters born in his kingdom. After bursting forth with an axe, a magical bag, rope, and scepter, Mwindo is fully able to speak. His father attempts to kill him many times and eventually his father sews him in a drum and throws him in the river. Mwindo rolls the drum to find his aunt defeats water serpents by singing. His Aunt sets him on his quest to revenge his father. The story takes on a Hero’s journey with a trip to the underworld, a goddess, tests, and eventual return to forgive his father. His father forgives him too. As a result, Mwindo changes and matures and set Rules by which to live and becomes a good and fair ruler.

Bibliography: More Panteons, http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2017/12/crash-course-myth-more-pantheons.html