echoes of ancient religions and cults clearly felt in many contemporary philosophical currents.Human societies, separate temporal and spatial boundaries, in different periods of its existence, has never lived apart.Interpenetration and interaction of different civilizations can be traced clearly, if you study their mythology and religious ceremonies.
goddess of love
One of the most famous characters of ancient cults - the goddess Ishtar.Her name is found in Old Persian, Greek, Hebrew and Semitic dialect.In Egypt, it is known as Astarte, in Greece, was seen as one of the incarnations of Aphrodite, the Jews existed as Ashtoreth.In every incarnation of the goddess Ishtar, his personified feminine essence, sexual energy, the ultimate expression of eroticism inherent in the fair sex.The passion, the temptations of the flesh, all kinds of pleasures, obtained by sexual intercourse, including low-lying, perverted, the act of copulation, built in the rank of a sacred ritual - all these attributes and define the category, which is related to the goddess Ishtar.That is why the astral plane, it was associated with Venus, which in astrology symbolizes the feminine nature, and is the patroness of love.
warrior goddess
But another entity of the goddess - a bloodthirsty warrior, the demon of violence and strife.Obviously, the reason for such a broad interpretation of the image become echoes of matriarchy and legends about the Amazons.
In addition, the goddess Ishtar is considered to be the wife of Baal - the supreme deity of the ancient Israelites, the Sumerians, Assyrians and many other nations.It symbolized the beginning of man, the creator of all things, was considered a god-fertilizer.Religious ceremonies dedicated to Baal and Astarte, often turns into a sexual orgy, accompanied by "svalny sin", human, including child sacrifice.
ancient geography
To see Ishtar - goddess of a country, we should remember the geographical map of the world thousands of years ago.In the 7-5 th centuries BC in what is now Iraq, there were a number of states.These were called the land of Mesopotamia, or Mesopotamia, and their inhabitants inhabited the kingdom of Babylon, the Sumerian, Assyrian, Akkadian.It is important to remember when determining Ishtar - goddess of a country, because the influence of the cult spread virtually throughout the Middle East area.Details about it are found in the epic of Gilgamesh - the world's oldest literary source, create over a thousand years.
unique monument of Sumerian culture and civilization, contains elements of ancient cosmogony, is composed of primitive myths and historical legends.Ishtar, the goddess of love is one of the main characters, the epitome of sensuality, temptation, fertility, giving birth to a new life, while ennobling feelings.Lowland primitive wild and regenerating, uplifting thought love Sumerians.Because so contradictory turned their image of the goddess, the main center of worship which was Akkadian kingdom.
Babylon - a city of whores
addition, Ashtoreth considered the patroness of harlots, courtesans, women of easy virtue - all representatives of the oldest profession and selling love.And as Babylon in the 7th century BC, and in the centuries that followed, as well as throughout the territory of Asia Minor, was really a large concentration of prostitutes, her cult was considered one of the main.Moreover, there was even a temple prostitution.E. Daily several residents of the city had to sit on the designated areas near the sanctuary of Aphrodite (Venus, Astarte) and wait for a passing man did not pay her a coin and not copulate immediately.Only after such a rite women were free to live in the city a year to feel the mistress of it.Then, the ritual was repeated.
divine gates
That is why during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, the famous libertines, in Babylon were built grandiose gates Ishtar - monumental building of striking beauty.Now the city is a small copy of them.The original was taken out of the country for more than a hundred years ago, in the early 20th century.Through them, in ancient times the Babylonians sneaking statues of their gods, when Israel celebrated the New Year celebration.Through the gate of Ishtar "expensive process" was vvezёn the city and the coffin with the body of Alexander the Great (Macedonian).By the way, is also a great lover of women and a smoothie!So it is a symbolic procession.
symbol of the goddess
Gate, which was written above, painted in bright blue, azure color, and this is no accident.Ishtar, the goddess of Babylon, bears the name, translated from the Sumerian means "clear sky".On the walls of many of the bas-reliefs with figures of animals (575 pieces), performed extremely realistic, with great elegance and artistic truth.Especially common images of lions and bulls.By the way, the statue of Ishtar, found during excavations of ancient temples, depicted surrounded by these predators.A symbolic sign of the Sumerian deity represents a circle, braided belt, with a six-pointed (octagonal) star inside.This circle is the sky and the star - the sun.All together, it symbolizes the very clear sky, the epitome of which is the Ishtar."Blue Goddess", "goddess of heaven" - it's all about her.
Nightkin sin
Astarte - quite controversial mythological image.It is linked not only to clear blue, and the darkness of night.The statue of the goddess Ishtar adorned except lions, images of owls, left and right of it.Having a lover of people, animals, gods, constantly changing their differing insatiable lust and striking variability, Ishtar ruining his recent partners passion.Her love enslaves becomes ties, serious, like shackles.Even the gods are losing the will to become a pitiful semblance of the once all-powerful and intrepid inhabitants of heaven.Introducing the Ishtar end badly for everyone who has known the fire of her caresses and trembling body.Countless beloved goddess - it is not surprising that prostitutes and homosexuals elected her their leader!However, given the importance of sacred image and that the Sumerians temple prostitution protect and permitted by law, of sin in this case we are not talking.After all, the very process of copulation was given a divine meaning.
Ishtar and homosexuality
Why the goddess Ishtar, still images which can be found in various textbooks on ancient religions and other cultural urological literature, not only considered the patroness of courtesans, and homosexuals?The reason for such broad "spheres of influence" lies, again, in religious rites and cults and later Sumerian civilizations.In Canaan, it is written in the Bible, in the temples of Ishtar ceremony committed not only to women but also boys.They entered into with men, thus paying homage to the goddess honors and praising her.Sacred ritual symbolizes fertility and celebration of life in all its manifestations.What is also quite correlated with the sacred image.
Myths and legends
In "Tale of Gulgameshe" writes that Ishtar killed her lover, the god of fertility and harvest Tammuz.For this ganged up on her other celestials.To atone, Inanna descends into the realm of the dead.It ruled her sister hates her loving relative.Ishtar must pass through seven gates, blocking the way to the "lower world."At every gate, it gives ministers of some of the many jewels, parting at the same time a part of his mystical powers and divine power.Going into the past, it remains naked and defenseless.Anger hits the sister of Ishtar, which have nothing to oppose.Inanna is closed in the palace, sends 60 diseases that she suffered and suffered.However, the imprisonment of the goddess does not pass in vain for the people.On the ground, nature began to wither, the plants cease to bear fruit, animals, birds, people - to multiply.All being threatened with death.After all, there is no more love, passion, sexual sacred fire.Realizing what evil came into the world, to the supreme deity Aye sent a messenger from the other gods with a request to understand the problem, to solve a difficult situation.The ruler of the gods requires revive Ishtar and return to the upper world.The order is executed, Inanna resurrect using living water is recycled magical amulets, and with them the power.But just leave the world of the dead, nobody can.Before leaving, he is obliged to leave behind a replacement.She becomes Tammuz.His conclusion in the realm of shadows symbolize the change of seasons.
