Christianity

Tales of the Lost, the Drowned and the All-Seeing Eye – Vengeance Will Come!

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Human Activity

There are many cases in recent times where towns and villages have been deliberately flooded by humans where a change in the landscape was required for purposes such as to form a reservoir for fresh water. These are usually well-documented and their history known though folklore and legends may evolve from them.

Legends

All around the world there are also legends of towns, cities and lands that have been destroyed or lost, leaving only rumor and myths of their existence and demise.  Many such places were rich and successful, well established and populous, making their loss all the more tragic and mystifying. These legends often tell of a catastrophic natural event such as a flood caused by high tides, storms or perhaps covered by sand or snow.  Sometimes it is some geological phenomenon such as an earthquake and sometimes this is combined with a natural event or act of war. The loss of such well-established and prosperous places left a deep impression on following generations.  Myths and legends evolved to explain the cataclysmic event and very often these were carefully crafted to provide a warning to following generations of the consequences of breaking God’s laws or their excessive pride or hubris.

Myth of Origin

These places were very often situated on a site that became transformed by a disastrous natural event in t a new feature of the landscape.  An inland town situated in a valley may be covered by a watery lake.   A town situated by the sea may be flooded and drowned by the waves or covered by sand becoming a massive dune.  A town in the mountains may be covered by snow and ice becoming a glacier. The story created to explain the disaster may be mostly fictional but based on some historic cataclysm like a powerful storm, earthquake or other natural disaster that actually happened.  Sometimes these myths and legends can help archaeologists and scientists investigate real disasters that happened long ago.  In some cases such disasters are well documented from the time but the legends and myths evolve after.

Cautionary Tales

These events when combined with the mysterious origin of some well known feature in the landscape create a compelling story that can have a profound and lingering effect on those it is told to.  Especially when the narrator is a local priest or who uses the story to impress upon their audience the consequences of offending the Almighty.  Although such myths and legends are often designed to uphold Christianity, other religions and philosophies have also used such techniques for this purpose. In some case it is pagan deities or spirits that have been angered in some way by rulers or citizens.  Although warnings may be given they are ignored invoking the wrath of the powerful divinity to wreak some form of divine retribution.

Divine Vengeance

Once divine retribution is invoked the fate of the town is sealed. Often it unfolds as a weather event such a rain, sand or snow storm.  Once divine retribution manifests the end is inevitable. All that will remain will be the myths and legends of a once rich and prosperous society that was drowned, buried or destroyed along with most of its population. Perhaps a lake or some other feature of the landscape appears where the town once stood.

From this a talented storyteller can weave a tale that will work quietly among following generations for centuries that impresses and extols the danger of angering the all powerful deity. In this way a naturally occurring catastrophic event such as a storm or earthquake may be transformed into something altogether more sinister and in many ways more dangerous. Very often it becomes the judgement of God that is dispensing retribution for wrongdoing on an immoral and corrupt society. This and similar themes are quite common in these legends. Warnings of impending retribution and vengeance are offered in an attempt to change people’s behaviour but are ignored. Punishment is inflicted often destroying that society in its entirety not just the perpetrators. Sometimes a few are saved but often the innocent perish along with the guilty.

Collective Guilt

There is a concept of collective guilt that runs through generations until some chosen time when punishment is enacted. Sometimes vengeance is suspended for several generations and the deviant behaviour forgotten by people.  Sometimes it becomes part of normal behaviour.  Nevertheless, the Almighty works at his own pace and punishment eventually arrives when least expected with devastating consequences. This does seem harsh on those who were not born when the original sin was committed but it seems there is an expectation to strive to recognize and put right the wrongs of the past. The message is that the sins of one, even when committed in the past, must not be tolerated either at the time, or perpetuated in the future. What is sown will eventually be reaped in a time and in a way that suits the Almighty. This obligation to right and discontinue past wrongs does not mean that they be wiped from history or that they should be.  It is important to keep records of such wrongs and our attempts to right them to monitor our own evolution and to make sure we do not make the same mistakes again.

The All-Seeing Eye

There is a sense that the individual and collective behaviour of people is being watched by some all-seeing eye.  It sees and knows all our deeds and looks into our hearts and minds making judgements upon us. Legends such as these warn that we are always being watched and judged and even our innermost thoughts are known to the Almighty.  They emphasize we must remember and obey the laws of God and will be held answerable for any transgressions at anytime in the present or future no matter how long ago the indiscretion.  Furthermore, we have a collective responsibility that runs through the past, present and future to keep ourselves and others in society on the straight and narrow. The message is the all-seeing eye sees everything and in a manner and time that suits the Almighty we will reap what we sow and then –

“Vengeance will come!”

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Welcome the Returning Sun: Winter Solstice Celebrations Around the World

Image by Celticgarden of Pixabay

This article was first published on #FolkloreThursday.com on 19th December 2019, titled, Top 5 Winter Solstice Celebrations Around the World ,by zteve t evans and was edited and revised 14 March 2024 by zteve t evans.

The Winter Solstice

The celebration of the winter solstice is a centuries-old tradition still practised worldwide in various forms. Individual human cultures often mixed magic with religion to acknowledge and celebrate this momentous astronomical event. Here, we briefly look at five of these festivities from around the globe before discussing why they were so crucial to our ancestors and concluding with what science has to say today.

Winter Solstice at Stonehenge

Sunrise between the stones at Stonehenge on the Winter Solstice in the mid 1980s – Mark Grant, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

One of the most famous celebrations today is held at Stonehenge in England, where many people gather from far and wide to participate. In addition to celebrating the return of the Sun and the rebirth of vegetation, many people feel they are connecting with their ancestors and participating in an astronomical event that has existed for time immemorial. This occasion attracts many different groups of pagans, Wicca followers, Druids, Christians, and non-religious people to gather together and express their gratitude to the natural forces of the universe.

Yalda Night 

Fruits used in yalda by Mohammadmosalman, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

For many Iranians and people living in central Asia, “Yalda Night” is when family and friends come together to eat and drink. They stay awake all night and traditionally eat nuts, watermelons and pomegranates. Eating watermelons on Yalda night is believed to be especially beneficial for health and well-being and in warding off disease. For entertainment, the poems of Divan-e Hafez and other poetry are read. There is a belief in the Khorasan region that eating pomegranates, carrots, and green olives protects against scorpion stings and the bites of insects while eating garlic on Yalda night protects against joint pain. In some parts of Iran, it is customary for a young, engaged man to send presents and a gift of an arrangement of seven kinds of edible fruit to his fiancé. In some areas, the girl and her family send gifts in return to her young man.

Yule and the Feast of Juul

Before the arrival of Christianity, Yule, or the Feast of Juul, was a festival lasting twelve days in celebration of the rebirth of the Sun. In its early days, Germanic people celebrated it during the Winter Solstice by lighting fires that symbolised the Sun. Many present-day traditions originate from Yule, such as the Yule log, which was carefully chosen and taken into the home with great reverence. The broadest end was placed in the fire hearth, with the rest protruding into the room. Tradition dictated the log must be lit by someone with clean hands using the carefully preserved remains of the previous year’s log. As the new log burnt, it was slowly pushed into the fire over the Twelve Days of Christmas. Anything that remained would be carefully kept to kindle the following year’s Yule log. The ashes were scattered across fields as fertiliser; some may have been retained as a charm or medicinal use. Yule is still celebrated in various ways by different groups of modern pagans.

The Dongzhi Festival 

In China and parts of East Asia, the Dongzhi Festival joins the astronomical event of the Winter Solstice, which rebalances the energies of yin and yang in nature. The yin qualities of cold, dark days are gradually replaced by warmer, lighter days of yang energy. It is not the start of winter but marks the extreme point of winter. It originated in the Chinese Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), and its traditions and customs varied from region to region. People visited each other, sharing specially prepared food, and prayed at the tombs of their ancestors and relatives. 

It was a cold time of the year, so warming foods were prepared and shared, which varied from area to area. People in northern parts of China cooked wonton, mutton and dumplings. In parts of southern China, people enjoy noodles and tangyuan as a festive treat. Tangyuan is a dish of glutinous rice balls, sometimes made in bright colours and served in a sweet or savoury syrup or soup. Eating tangyuan is a family activity for many Chinese people in China and worldwide. The round dishes and rice balls symbolise the unity and togetherness of the family circle.

Inti Raymi of Peru

The Inti Rayma is a Winter Solstice festival celebrated in Peru in June instead of December. The solstices are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere to those of the North. It was initially an Inca celebration with sacrifices of animals and possibly children honouring the Sun God, but the Spanish conquerors banned it. In the Inca religion, the Sun God was the most revered of their gods. In the Quechuan language, Inti means “Sun,” and Raymi means “celebration”, so Inti Raymi is the celebration of the Sun God. In Inca tradition, Inti Raymi was created by Pachatutec, the first Inca to celebrate the winter solstice, the first day of their New Year in the Inca calendar.

Although the winter solstice begins around the 21 June, the Incas believed it stayed in the same place, finally rising on the 24 June. Because of this, the Inti Raymi will occur in the exact location in Cusco on 24 June. The leading participant in the ceremony was the Sapa Inca, who ruled the kingdom of Cusco and later the Inca Empire. The nobility and the Inca army joined him in the festival. The participants had to go through three days of purification. During this period, they fasted and were only allowed to eat white maise and certain herbs. The participants painted their faces yellow and wore deer heads, and throughout the rituals, there was dance and music.  

On 24 June, the Sapa Inca took to a stage to drink a maise-based beverage called chicha de jora to publicly honour the Sun God. In the Coricancha, the Temple of the Sun, the Sapa Inca sat with mummies of his dead ancestors before kindling a fire using a concave mirror to reflect the rays of the Sun. With the ceremony over, the Sapa Inca returned to his palace. The Inti Rayma was revived in the 20th century without the sacrifices and is celebrated today. 

What is the Winter Solstice?

The winter solstice is a twice-yearly astronomical event of great significance for the dwellers of planet Earth. The word “solstice” is derived from Latin meaning “sun stands still” because the Sun appears to pause before reversing its direction (1). When the winter solstice occurs in the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa. 

The Importance of the Winter Solstice

The ancients observed that the days became progressively shorter and cooler after the summer solstice. Around the time of the autumn equinox, vegetation turned brown and died as daylight diminished while darkness increased until the winter solstice. The December Solstice marks the beginning of astronomical winter, and the days gradually become longer and brighter (3). Conversely, the next three months are generally the coldest of the year because the earth and water have cooled. The returning Sun gradually reheats the earth and water, bringing warmer weather and more light, stimulating plants to renew their leaves. Herbivorous animals depend on plants for food, and plant renewal is essential for maintaining the food chain that humans rely upon. The regularity of the winter solstice helped the ancients plan necessary tasks throughout the year, such as sowing crops, breeding animals, preparing and storing food and provisions, brewing wine and beer and many other tasks to give them the best chance of surviving the cold, hard days after the solstice.   

Science and the Sun

Earth – Image by NOAA Satellites, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Our ancestors lacked modern technology and scientific knowledge. They knew nothing of how the warming and cooling of the oceans affect weather patterns around the world or of photosynthesis and how plants renewed their leaves, but they did know some things. According to NASA, probably the foremost scientific organisation on the planet, 

“Nothing is more important to us on earth than the Sun. Without the Sun’s heat and light, the earth would be a lifeless ball of ice-coated rock. The Sun warms our seas, stirs our atmosphere, generates our weather patterns, and gives energy to the growing green plants that provide the food and oxygen for life on earth.” (4)

The ancients knew the Sun’s importance to the earth and consequently to their lives and knew it without modern science. In modern times, the winter solstice is a time for us to thank our ancestors and their ancient wisdom and, of course, the Sun and the Earth for sustaining us.

© zteve t evans

References, Attributions and Further Information

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The legend of the Glastonbury Thorn

The legend of the Glastonbury Thorn belongs to the group of legends that surrounds Joseph of Arimathea and his legendary part in bringing Christianity to Britain. As with all legendary people there are many versions of his different exploits and achievements that cannot be verified. Such is the stuff of legends and the following has been pieced together from different sources.

Glastonbury Thorn at Glastonbury Abbey – By Tom Ordelman – CC BY-SA 3.0

The Holy Thorn is very much revered by many people for many reasons. Some see it as an ancient symbol of Christian beliefs and a tangible presence from the distant past carrying a message for the present and the future.  Read more Continue reading →