So I have decided to write something as a Women's Day Tribute to all the inspirational women out there, this will be a series of eight blogs each talking about some of the women who have brought some amount of light in my life.
This every first post is dedicated to 6 different women. These ladies have every recently become a part of my life that is quiet essential to me, I have developed an obsession of Greek Mythology and by that have come to know really interesting women.
The Greek Goddesses, play some very essential roles, quiet similar to the Goddesses in other religions, but what is fascinating about them is that, without their rule (or constant supervision) the male gods are just a bunch of men who believe in infidelity and fighting over stupid issues with each other.
It is because of the Greek Women that the men rise to the stature of gods.
Six of the main Goddess include:
Hera(Juno): She is the wife of Zeus, who is the king of the sky and literally the most unfaithful man ever, his heart swells at the sight of women, and Hera has to live with that. Hera (or Juno) is the goddess of marriage and fertility, she is the only goddess amongst all (gods & goddesses) who has never had an adulterous relationship. She often comes accross as a rude and extremely angry goddess, but in her defense I would like to point out that she is the god of marriage who takes the rules of this sacred bond seriously. No one ever understands what as a women Hera might be going through having to stay with a husband who claims to lover her yet sleeps with every other woman. She stays with not because she can't stay without him, but because if the goddess of marriage would leave her husband people would stop believing in happily ever afters. For me sacrifising your own happiness for the belief of others is a sign of greatness.
Demeter (Ceres): She is the Goddess of Harvest and also the greatest mother ever (like all moms). Demeter's daughter Persephone was abducted to the underworld by Hades. Demeter searched for her ceaselessly, preoccupied with her loss and her grief. The seasons halted; living things ceased their growth, then began to die. She was the first to challenge Zeus in ways that he could not reciprocate. Faced with the extinction of all life on earth, Zeus sent his messenger Hermes to the underworld to bring Persephone back. She examplifies how much mothers can do for their daughters (sons too).
Athena (Minerva): She is the Goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, just warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill. Athens was named after her, she was also known to be the protector of all Greeks (Imagine That!). Athena was involved in most of the heroic tales. Name a Greek myth, and she's probably there -- somewhere. She is like the image of a modern day woman who can do just about everything that men can and sometimes even better than them.
Persephone (Proserpina): She plays several different roles, she was a vegetation goddess before Hades abducted her, after that she came to be known as the Queen of the Underworld and later the goddess of Spring (more because Demeter did not bring life back till Persephone was returned hence the concept of spring, summer, autumn and winter). What I find extraordinary in her is her strength remain resilient no matter the situation. She was abducted by the God of the Dead yet she managed herself and also helped him in ruling the underworld, she also took her responsibility as a daughter seriously and respected her mother's feeling by leaving her husband for six months to stay with her. Now thats a good multitasker.
Aphrodite (Venus): Greek goddess of love and beauty. She was the most beautiful of the goddesses, but was married to the ugliest of the gods, the limp smithy Hephaestus. "Do you not see how mighty is the goddess Aphrodite? She sows and gives that love from which all we upon this earth are born." (Nurse of Phaedra. Euripides, Hippolytus 450).
When talking about Aphrodite people degrade to a standard thathat she is nothing but a pretty face, what they often forget is that many wars a faught for beauty and not bravery, for example the most brutal war ever, the Trojan War was a result of Paris's judgement of beauty. The city of Troy which was considered unbreachable was reduced to flames in a matter of seconds all because a boy choose beauty over.. well brains. But the point in all this is that Aphrodite is not just a beautiful women she is a women who stands for what she believes in even if that mean outter beauty. She induces love in a world of hate, what she stands for in itself is a great challenge, Love and Beauty, getting lost in the ugliness of war and hatred yet she stands firm on her resolution to spread affection.
Artemis (Diana): She was the Hellenic goddess of the hunt, wild animals, wilderness, childbirth, virginity and protector of young girls, bringing and relieving disease in women. She redefines the role of men in society by being called the protector and huntress. Artemis was known to be the best hunter ever, no man could equal her skills. She became the protector maidens, paving way for women to care and protect themselves and each other.
So these are the six awesome women who changed my outlook about the gods, no matter how powerful they may claim to be but at the end it is women who bring peace to the chaos and civilization of the wild. They can stir up as many storm as they way and once they do, no god has enough power to stop them, till they themselves choose to do so.
No comments:
Post a Comment