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Gods of the SeasBY MARK CHAG JR. BEACH NEWS STAFF WRITER SEACOAST | Don't mess with the gods of the seas. Today, when we take to the ocean, whether on a small yacht or a cruise ship, an oil tanker or a speedboat, we rely on science, versus superstition. In modern times, we check onboard GPS navigation systems in order to maneuver around approaching thunderstorms that pop up on up-to-the-second digital Doppler radar screens. Hurricane warnings are available days (and sometimes weeks) in advance, and international weather agencies employ satellites in space to keep watchful eyes on weather patterns - all of which make boating on the high seas safer for modern civilization. But the oceans were not always so easy to navigate, and simply setting sail was a life-risking endeavor. From the dawn of humankind, right up until the past century, when we took to the seas, we were at "the mercy of the gods" - and there were plenty of them over the ages. Because the seas were so unpredictable, claming countless lives over the millennia, civilizations turned to various "Gods of the Seas" in efforts to appease them in hopes of a safe voyage. Today, most of these gods are characterized only in the realm of mythology. But for early civilizations, their presence was all too real.
Egypt
Early Egyptians, at the very dawn of human civilization, had literally hundreds of gods to which they prayed and worshipped. When it came to the sea, there was a god known as Yamm. Yamm was not what one would consider a kindly personality, according to the Egyptians, who tagged this God of the Sea with an additional title, of the God of Chaos, in reference to his untamed and raging furies on the seas. As it turns out, Yamm - according to the Egyptians - was not happy in his underwater palace lair far below the oceans depths in a deep abyss. He longed to instead be the ruler of all the heavens, and was constantly clashing with Baal, the God of Thunder. In his quest for power he made exorbitant demands of tribute from the other gods, until Yamm was belted back to submission in the sea by the warrior god Astarte. Some have claimed that this figure was later adopted into Biblical literature, where Yamm instead is called Lucifer, and cast not into an abyss below the sea, but from Heaven into the fires of hell. In addition to Yamm, Egyptians turned their souls to a man-woman pair of additional maritime gods, both of which ruled not the oceans, but the ever-important Nile River. Anuket was the female God of the Nile, who was worshipped as the "nourisher of the fields," a reference to the annual flooding of the river which deposited a rich layer of silt on the agricultural areas that promoted farming. Hapi, meanwhile, was the male God of the Nile, who supposedly lived in a giant cave along the shore, where he, along with his army of crocodile gods and frog gods, ensured that the Nile ran properly every year, and ensure the annual flooding. Undoubtedly, all of these gods lent some influence to the rise of the next great civilization - the Greeks.
Greece
Perhaps one of the most famous God of the Sea to have been carried along into modern mythology is the Greek god, Poseidon. As the story goes, the Greek god siblings went to war among each other, a 10-year-long battle which was known as the War of the Titans. When all was said and done, the embattled brothers divided up the regions which they would rule, as the almighty Zeus went to the skies, Hades went to the underworld, and Poseidon, with his trident in hand, took to the sea. Reams have been written about Poseidon because he was well documented in countless works of ancient Grecian writing and society. Poseidon's trademark three-pronged trident was commonly depicted in artwork and statues, alongside dolphins and his equally-famous aquatic horses, known as hippocampus, and occasionally the monsters of the seas, like the Kraken, of which he commanded. In his underwater kingdom, Poseidon was joined by his wife, the Queen God Amphitrite, and together they had their son, Triton. Aficionados of Greek mythology will recall that, somewhere in the swim of things (so to speak) Poseidon was also once married to Medusa, the lovely woman with snakes for hair who could turn those who looked at her to stone. Poseidon and Medusa also had an offspring - the winged horse, Pegasus. Poseidon ruled the seas and was one of the three most powerful gods worshiped by the Greeks, and was the direct influence to the soon-to-be conquering Romans' own version of this God of the Sea.
Rome
One of the keys to the success of the Roman Empire was, as they were conquering everything in their path, they chose not to abolish the societies under their rule, but rather to incorporate them. When Greece finally fell to Rome in 146 BC, following the great battle of Corinth, the Romans adopted much of Grecian culture as its own. Poseidon was adapted - right down to the three-pronged trident - as the God of the Sea. The Romans simply gave Poseidon a new name, Neptune, and continued to worship him as the watery ruler. As Poseidon was closely linked to horses, so was Neptune, and a grand Roman racetrack, the Circus Flaminius, was constructed in his honor, as was the Basilica Neptuni. Even today, statues of Neptune are commonplace across Europe, often appearing as outdoor water fountains. As with all gods, Neptune was a force to be reckoned with to the ancient Romans. When pleased, Neptune would proved calm waters for boats to travel safely across the seas. When angry, Neptune would produce violent storms or thick fog which could confound sailors, and even capsize vessels.
Others
Gods of the Seas were not restricted to the Mediterranean. In ancient China, the goddess Mazu was worshipped in hopes that she would protect sailors and fishermen on the sea. Aegir was a worshipped by the Vikings in Norse mythology, and was a god known for throwing lavish parties where the "beer poured by itself." The Japanese worshipped Susanoo, in India they celebrated Varuna, as Native American Eskimos had Sedna, the Hawaiians had Kanaloa, and the Irish had Manannan mac Lir. When the Age of Pirates arrived, they attributed the ruler of the seas as Davy Jones, and would often toast to his likeness, as well as fear his wrath. Where they never hoped to wind up was in Davy Jones' Locker, a euphemism they used for the bottom of the sea. No matter what happened on the oceans, there was a culture that had a God of the Sea to hold accountable. Today, hurricanes and waterspouts, tsunamis and currents all fall into the realm of science. Occasionally, mysteries do pop up, such as the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, or the curious happenings in the Bermuda Triangle, which leaves folks scratching their heads and asking, "How did that happen?" In the days of old, the weather, the waves, the good and the bad, were all the decisions of the mythical Gods of the Sea. |
July 4th, 2008 |
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