Definitions by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫
Dionysus
There were Greek festivals in honor of Dionysus and a theater of Dionysus in Athens. The terms Apollo and Dionysus are juxtaposed as contrasts or conflicts – restraint and reason vs. license; this concept was later written about by the German philosopher Friedich Nietzsche (1844-1900).
Dionysus by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 4, 2010
Nephthys
Nephthys, was the daughter of Seb and Nut, and the sister of Osiris, and Isis, and Set, and the wife of Set, and the mother of Anpu, or Anubis, either by Osiris or Set. The name "Nebt-het" means the "lady of the house," but by the word "house" we must understand that portion of the sky which was supposed to form the abode of the Sun-god Horus; in fact "het" in the name of Nebt-het is used in exactly the same sense as "het" in the name "Het-Hert," or Hathor, i.e., the "house of Horus." In the earliest times Nephthys was regarded as the female counterpart of Set, and she was always associated with him; nevertheless she always appears as the faithful sister and friend of Isis, and helps the widowed goddess to collect the scattered limbs of Osiris and to reconstitute his body. In the Pyramid Texts she appears as a friend of the deceased, and she maintains that character throughout every Recension of the Book of the Dead; indeed, she seems to perform for him what as a nature goddess she did for the gods in primeval times when she fashioned the "body" of the "Company of the Gods," and when she obtained the name Nebkhat, i.e., "Lady of the body {of the Gods}."
The goddess is represented in the form of a woman who wears upon her head a pair of horns and a disk which is surmounted by the symbol of her name, or the, " symbol only; and her commonest titles are, "dweller within Senu," "lady of heaven," "mistress of the gods," "great goddess, lady of life," "sister of the god, eye of Ra, lady of heaven, mistress of the gods," "lady of heaven, mistress of the two lands," "sister of the god, the creative goddess who liveth within An," etc. The chief centres of her worship were Senu, Hebet, (Behbit), Per-mert, Re-nefert, Het-sekhem, Het-Khas, Ta-kehset, and Diospolites. In the vignettes of the Theban Recension of the book of the Dead we find Nephthys playing a prominent part in connection with isis, whose efforts it seems to be her duty to second and to forward. She stands in the shrine behind Osiris when the hearts of the dead are weighed in the Great Scales in the presence of the god; she is seen kneeling on, by the side of the Tet, from which the disk of the Sun is thrust upwards by the "living Ra," at sunrise; she is one of the "great sovereign chiefs in Tettu," with Osiris, Isis, and Heru-netch-hra-f; and she kneels at the head of the bier of Osiris and assists him to arise.
Nephthys by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 4, 2010
Mana
Mana is power. Mana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and inanimate objects. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian. In anthropological discourse, mana as a generalized concept is often understood as a precursor to formal religion. It has commonly been interpreted as "the stuff of which magic is formed," as well as the substance of which souls are made.
Mana by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 3, 2010
Shamanism
A mode of dealing with the spirit world through the agency of an individual set apart as spirit possessed and specially equipped to deal with superhuman forces. The term Shaman is generically applied to healers, exorcists, sorcerers, magicians, etc.
A practitioner of Shamanism is a Shaman. Shamans gain knowledge and the power to heal by entering into the spiritual world or dimension. The shaman may have, or acquire many spirit guides in the spirit world, these often guide and direct the shaman in his/her travels. These spirit guides are always present within the shaman though others only encounter them when the shaman is in a trance. The spirit guide energizes the shaman, enabling him/her to enter the spiritual dimension. The shaman heals within the spiritual dimension by returning 'lost' parts of the human soul from wherever they have gone. The shaman also cleanses excess negative energies which confuse or pollute the soul. Shaman act as "mediators" in their culture. The shaman communicates with the spirits on behalf of the community, including the spirits of the deceased. The shaman communicates with both living and dead to alleviate unrest, unsettled issues, and to deliver gifts to the spirits. Often, unsettled issues can be resolved with money. Paper money can be burnt to transfer its value to the spirits.
Shamanism by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 3, 2010
Fetishism
Veneration and use of natural or prepared material objects (fetishes) imbued with special potency (mana) for purposes of averting evil effects or acquiring values. Essentially, fetishism is the attribution of inherent value or powers to an object.
Theoretically, fetishism is present in all religions, but its use in the study of religion is derived from studies of traditional West African religious beliefs, as well as Voodoo, which is derived from those beliefs. Blood is often considered a particularly powerful fetish or ingredient in fetishes. In addition to blood, other objects and substances, such as bones, fur, claws, feathers, gemstones and crystals, water from certain places, certain types of plants and wood are common fetishes in the traditions of cultures worldwide. Fetishes were commonly used in Native American religion and practice. The bear represented the shaman, the buffalo was the provider, the mountain lion was the warrior, and the wolf was the pathfinder.
Fetishism by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 1, 2010
Theogony
The Theogony is a poem by Hesiod (8th-7th century BCE) describing the origins and genealogies of the gods of the ancient Greeks, composed circa 700 BCE. It is written in the same artificial Epic dialect of Ancient Greek used by Homer.
Theogony by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 1, 2010
Divination
The employment of magical practices (lottery, augury, or special psychic powers, etc) for the purpose of gaining knowledge of future events or events unknowable by ordinary investigation.
Divination by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 1, 2010