My mother, though not as strict of a Catholic as she once was, will not utter the word diablo. She won't explain it to me, but I imagine it's because to do so is to send him an invitation of some sort. I've been taught that the Word has creative and summoning powers, and my mother knows this through her faith and through her life.
"...the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan."
--Revelations 12:9, 20:2
Although I was raised in the Mexican Catholicism that so defines my mom's family, I do not give this trickster such power. I broke away from the religion at the age of eleven, and I've been trying to make sense of it since.
Satan is seen as a serpent and a dragon, and oftentimes, a biological amalgamation of the two. I've often wondered why this is the image that should represent one of the most evil creatures in the West, the antithesis of God, of light, and of life.
"The Gods of an older religion become the Devils of one that supersedes it."
--Ananda Coomaraswamy
I think it has something to do with our collective fear and thereby repression of darkness, of death, and of destruction. I spent the better part of my undergrad collecting evidence to support this, and eventually, wrote a thesis paper on the fear of darkness and death directly causing the subjugation of women.
"Like the Dark Moon, (serpents) vanish, leaving their old skin behind in winter and hibernating until spring when they return new-born. In this way they are epiphanies of the self-consuming and self-renewing powers of life, the mystery of an energy beyond the forms of time." --Jules Cashford
The pull to the mythic arts is the song of dragons. The calling of dragons seems to be heard by few, but I think it can be heard by all. Some pretend not to hear, and some, upon hearing, get frightened and call it the song of devils.
Fairy tales, folklore, and the mythic arts, in all their forms, all touch upon a darkness, some more than others. They directly confront the mystical cycle of our universe: birth, death, and rebirth. In the West, we're taught, either directly or indirectly, to see light and dark as an opposing duality. The darkness is evil, the light is good. Climbing and elevating should be our goals, our religion... and those who are drawn to the earth, to the soil, to the roots, let them be damned.
In truth, we cannot escape the cycle. We cannot escape the darkness, which birthed the light. The duality is what maintains life.
Snake and moon both die to the old, shedding their shadows to be reborn.
--Joseph Campbell
--Joseph Campbell
I've got a hunch that those of us who cannot ignore the song of the dragons have faced darkness head-on at one time or another in our lives. We know it's not evil. We know it's not something to fear (though its power can be frightening at times!). We know the darkness is integral to being a human, and in order to truly accept and integrate the light, we must welcome the dark. We must heed the call of dragons.
-Blessings-
Note: There are a certain few people I have encountered that were are so vehemently against the mythic arts, it made me ponder if there was some sort of cultural foundation to their fear. This is my first exploration of this phenomenon.
I realize that my position is very much biased due to my belief in the magic and power of the mythic arts. I don't wish to offend anyone with my words, and I know there are many ways to live an authentic life, (which can and often includes religion), and devoting one's work to the mythic arts is just one of them. -R
What a beautiful thoughtful and thought provoking piece. My husband is out this evening, unfortunately. But I know if he were here he would have a lot to say on this subject, as he has done a great deal of research in the past about the history of Paganism - the ouroboros symbol, the snake eating its own tale (or dragon) is an acient pagan symbol but it is regarded by Christians as a mark of the devil. I believe this dates from the Middle Ages when belief in magic was normal and Christianity, as it spread further and further across the UK , was busy seeking to stamp out pagan practises. Around this time many paintings and prints of witches begin to appear too, as those in power sought to demonise certain practises whilst encouraging others - the 'godly ones'.
ReplyDeleteYes! Many symbols have either been stamped as marks of the devil or converted to signs of Christianity. Wonderful that your husband has studied this! I find all of it to be so compelling.
DeleteIn "The Sweet Breathing of Plants: Women Writing on the Green World", edited by Linda Hogan and Brenda Peterson, there is an essay on the witch hunts. I so wish I could remember the author's name, but I can't and I'm unable to find it at this time. In her essay, she discusses how women were systematically hunted and killed, though a huge percent of the time, it wasn't because they were just exhibiting "witch craft". It seems as though being a woman was crime enough. It's a really interesting investigation that is also touched upon in "The Chalice and the Blade" by Riane Eisler. Anyway, this sort of idea is what lead me to believe that women embody (in many senses) the darkness that the West finds so frightening. Or, possibly, that the culture sees it like this in such a way that we are subconsciously drawn to try to eradicate it in all sorts of ways.
Sorry to run off on this tangent. I haven't written about this in a long while, and these are the sort of subjects that make my heart flutter. Thank you so much for your words and presence.
Also- the ouroboros is such a powerful symbol. It really is representative of life. I once had the experience of watching a snake eat another, and I couldn't stop thinking of the ouroboros. It was a strange, surreal experience.
D has so many books on the witch hunts, I'll have to ask him more, I think. We actually live in an area of the UK - East Anglia- where the Witch hunts began in Englnd, led by the WitchFinder General. It makes me shudder. I agree with you about the dark aspects of the mythic arts and also that women are seen as embodying darkness - reading your reply this morning I was reminded of a seminar on my Masters degree where the lecturer was discussing the hitory of 'cosmological opposites' in Western philosophy - and though it sounds unlikely the basic underpinning of contemporary western culture is actually a combination of Christianity and western philosophy - anyway, back to the opposites, which look something like this:
DeleteDay = light, man, sun, action, culture ..etc versus Night which equals darkness, woman (!) nature, moon...etc. it is more extensive than this of course and dates back over 4000 years (or thereabouts, can't really remember) to the Ancient Ionians in Greece, who then handed on this light/dark male/female dualism to their successors who eventually handed it to us where it still plays out.Im sure you are already familiar with this though!
I am delighted to have connected ith your Raquel, it's wonderful to be having this kind of discussion again.
That sounds like an amazing seminar you attended! I love this term, "cosmological opposites". I've run into those oppositions before, especially in Taoist books, but I never knew they originated in the Ancient Ionians, as my studies were focused on 10000 BCE to about 4500 BC (more or less). I haven't really read that much about the witch hunts, so if your husband (or you) have any recommendations on any of these sorts of topics, I'd love to hear them! Thank you for participating in the discussion.
DeleteThis is so beautiful and interesting. The religious aspect of darkness, dragons, and the devil are complicated. Ancient pagan religions had their own Agents of Evil. I also find it interesting how the devil is represented by darkness, and yet Lucifer is the morning star, the lightbringer. I spent some years researching the old symbols and beliefs and how they all reflected each other even as they battled each other. It's actually quite beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad I found your weblog. I love what you write and how you write it.
Many pagan religions did have their own evil agents, though this is something I haven't really studied that extensively. I've gone to the very olden days of the Neolithic in my main studies through the work of Marija Gimbutas, and to call what these ancestors of ours had a religion is, in itself, very controversial. Something about the origins of conceptual thought really fascinates me. I could go on and on... :)
DeleteI have never thought about that regarding Lucifer. And yes, it is amazing, even synchronistic, to find all these parallels in opposing world views. It really is beautiful.
Thank you for your compliment on my writing! My imposed solitude in the forest of these blue mountains, as well as the inspiration from this Feast is helping me find my blogger-voice. I'm really grateful to have found you and your blog, as well!
This is a beautiful piece, rich in myth and wisdom. I agree with you that it's important to face and integrate the "dark" in our lives, to understand it, and to acknowledge the gifts that even the darkest roads can lead to. Myth and mythic arts explore these deep concepts, and I think you're right that this is one reason they make some people uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteI feel at times that I'm still in the process of understanding and acknowledging these gifts. I hope I can one day adequately explain the experience of livings myths has brought me. Thank you yet again Terri!
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DeleteStunning essay, Raquel, there are so many 'YES' moments for me in it. I agree absolutely about the woman/darkness link. I've done similar research at uni by the sounds of things, and I would add a fear of the liminal as well. Our society likes things to be straightforward, obvious, and easily categorised. It tries to destroy or deny anything that 'bleeds' into more than one place, that crosses boundaries and defies definition and confinement. We create boundaries that must not be crossed, and yet women have a kind of magic that subverts that, we give birth so one becomes two, we bleed but don't die. Riane Eisler's book is excellent, I remember reading it years ago and it being a 'wow' moment, and Marija Gimbutas too. I think you're absolutely right, many of us who are drawn to myth are those who have known darkness and have discovered that you come through it, and not only that, you learn things from it. It is, as you say, integral to life, without darkness there can be no light!
ReplyDeleteI love your comments on the liminal, and I totally agree! I think there's something to be said about the fear of what we cannot name-- to give something a title is, in a sense, an act of dominion (think of Adam in the Garden). And to those that defy titles, such as women.... I'm getting chills! Thank you for bringing your thoughts here!
DeleteI once attended a seminar with Star Hawk, and she said:
"Long ago, it was thought that the monthly blood of women was a life-giving property. Because when the woman stopped bleeding, nine moons later she would give birth to a brand new human. And when an women reached menopause and stopped bleeding indefinitely, it was thought that she reached the status of ultimate wisdom, because that life blood now, instead of flowing out, flowed within her."
For some reason I felt the need to tell you this.
Thank you for all your words!
I love everything being discussed here. I've never studied these things and I don't have much to add except that I do believe it will be almost entirely up to women to effect a change in thought. And Raquel, I total understand that feeling of need. Always listen to it.
ReplyDeleteCarol, you've written something here that is a very crucial part of the manuscript I'm working on... and it gave me chills. Thank you so much for stopping by; your words are always appreciated. I think a change of thought is possible, but for me, I need to understand the symbolic, historical, and psychological basis for the thoughts that already exist and have existed. I don't know why, but this, I believe is helping me to effect my own personal change in thought. We, in many different ways, can help things change for the better. :)
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