In Tadmor/Palmyra, the Arabs plan to turn the ancient temple of Bel into a fortress but Aliyat, nominally Christian and now Muslim, wonders:
"But were those Powers entirely dead? (p. 101)
She lists:
Bel of the storm;
Jaribol of the sun;
Aglibol of the moon;
Ashtoreth of begettings and births.
If, for the sake of argument or fiction, we grant the gods some measure of existence, then what becomes of them when they are no longer worshiped? Do they die or cease to exist or can they still be accessed? The Sandman knows. See Where Do Gods Go? Death adds in another volume of The Sandman that old gods linger for a long time in a dream country. This makes some sense. That is where they really are.
13 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
The Andersons played with the idea of gods retiring in "A Feast for the Gods."
But I don't believe any pagan "gods" actually exist. Also, even as early as Elijah's contest with the prophets of Baal in 3 Kings 18 the conclusion Yahwists drew was that no other gods existed or had any power, only names for non-existent beings.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
And, since I see gods as existing (albeit very powerfully) in our collective imagination, I do not believe that any of them "actually exist" either. Maybe we need a verb in addition to "exist"? Otherwise, we have to keep using adverbs; actually exist, literally exist etc.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I think the best we can do is continue to use "actually/literally exist." The idea of "Jupiter" might "exist" in my imagination, but I don't believe he actually exists.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
I agree Jupiter doesn't actually exist but I hope that's clear. I say that Thor is passing overhead when I hear thunder but I trust that no one takes me literally. I enter imaginatively into the Eddas, into THE SANDMAN and into the best of the Marvel Comics Thor (which is better than you might think).
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
One of the consequences of the rise of Christianity has been the de-mytholgizing of nature, which explains why thunder and lightning never makes me think of Thor. These are simply natural phenomena with scientific explanations.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Well, of course they are. To speak of Thor mythologically is not to challenge that.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Unless some "hard" neo-pagans insists on claiming Thor causes that thunder and lightning--and that would be a retrogression.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
You can find a small minority who believe anything, including a flat Earth. Mythological references to Thor certainly do not lead anyone to forget science.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I am not so optimistic. I have full confidence in the capability of humans succumbing to folly.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
But you cannot be implying that we should avoid imaginative, mythological language in case we mislead someone into interpreting us literally?
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
No, I do not. So go right ahead.
Ad astra! Sean
Note that these immortals literally outlive their Gods.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
An intriguing point, such as Hanno outliving belief in Baal/Moloch. I recall hin saying in Chapter XIX that there was something about Tyre which creeped him out.
Ad astra! Sean
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