Monsters

[dreamer_easy]

"The hideous forms or archetypal images rising full-blown from Tiamat's collective unconscious may be looked upon as compensatory devices designed to help her deal more effectively than earlier with the crises she faced. Personifications of rage and hatred that manifested themselves in the form of serpents, dragons, or scorpions may be looked upon as shadow forces representing the 'dark, unlived side of her unconsciousness'... Like talismans, amulets, or antibodies, shadow forces frequently take shape in time of need to help the individual struggle against harm."

- Bettina L. Knapp, Women in Myth, State University of New York Press, 1997.

The Mesopotamian goddess Tiamat, avenging her husband and defending herself, creates an army of monsters. I don't have much of a grasp on Jung, but I recognise me old cobra in the above. Hiss!

Comments

[viomisehunt.livejournal.com]

Does the book explore Lilith Mesopotamian myths as well. There are so many--the more interesting one is that Lilith is the wife of an angel. She is taken from him to be the wife of mud creature. She is not happy, but does her duty, they argue about sexual position, she leaves and is threatened by the Creator with the death of her 1000 children whom she transforms into the Levianthan.

People must have had some true soap opera lives back then as the myths would have reflected real life.

I'll have to double check the title, but a friend and I went to see this movie about a West African family. A man was promised a beautiful woman as his wife and they loved each other, but he was sent away, and when he returned his father had married the young woman--biblical chaos ensues that ends in murder. It is interesting to look at our culture where traditions and taboos from thousands of years ago intrude. Think the present Nun/Preist (Peter/Judas/Mary) debates or the fights over birth control.

[dreamer-easy.livejournal.com]

Looks like that particular book doesn't look at Lamashtu, the child-snatching Mesopotamian demonness, or her Jewish descendant, Lilith - but Knapp's subsequent book, "Women, Myth and the Feminine Principle", does. (I have an entire book on the subject here somewhere which I still haven't read... lessee... that's "The Book of Lilith" by Barbara Black-Kultov.)

On the subject of ancient taboos... I figure if men want to control women's bodies, they'll come up with some excuse; if selectively quoting and interpreting the Bible doesn't do the job, then they'll do the same to science!

[viomisehunt.livejournal.com]

Most of the Law regarding Marriage, sex, seem to favor men. However, I found this very interesting article: http://rivypoupkokletenik.blogspot.com/2006/11/katzav-rape-torah.html

[dreamer-easy.livejournal.com]

Judges 19

... holy flaming cow, is this the worst story in the Bible?! :(

[viomisehunt.livejournal.com]

You didn't know about that one? It came about when a group of "concerned" parents were complaining about books in school libraries with "adult" and the group argued that the Bible was appropriate reading. The side representing reason told the story, the concerned parents were shocked until the woman pointed out the story was in the Bible.