Important - Please Read (5 Viewers)

[goldendawn]

The buffalo demon harrassed the gods, and, impotent against the power of the demon, they poured forth a great collective rage. From the power of Shiva the Destroyer the goddess' brow took form; from Vishnu the Preserver her many arms sprang forth; from Brahma the Creator her feet were born unto earth. She rode upon a fiery lion, holding in her eight arms the conch shell, the spear, the chakram, the sword , the club, the bell and the sickle.

 

[goldendawn]

The goddess set herself against the buffalo demon. But she did not first attack. She tricked the demon into falling in love with her; and as he drew near to her, she attacked him with a clean stroke of her sword.

But the demon was not defeated. And from each drop of blood spilled grew another demon, just as terrible. They beset the goddess, yet she could not be subdued.

 

[glitterfairy]

Noticing that Monkey_Butler is online, Lynn wishes him a belated Happy Birthday

Lynn then settles back down to enjoy the rest of Marcus' story.

 

[goldendawn]

From Durga's brow sprang a darker force; her skin of deepest indigo. She was Durga's reflection, her alter-ego - Kali ma: the dark mother.

She drank the demon's blood until all life left its body. Her eyes glazed, and in her drunken rage, she pulled Shiva from the heavens and killed him. She then performed the Dance of Death on his corpse; bringing him back to life.

 

[goldendawn]

The story of Durga expresses the Hindu duality of the feminine principle. Whilst the goddess can be bright and nurturing, she can also be dark and dangerous. The gods need the force of the goddess. Without this force, balance would be broken.

 

[goldendawn]

Another related notion of the goddess is expressed in Assyro-Babylonian mythology.

(PS: Marcus wants to know if Lynn is enjoying the story so far. He knows it is a little gory, and hopes it hasn't put Lynn off!)

 

[glitterfairy]

Lynn is still intrigued. She has only ever come across one Hindu myth before (oh which she can remember storyline but not character's names) and is always interested in hearing new ones.

 

[goldendawn]

Marcus is glad that Lynn is still intrigued and will move on to Assyro-Babylonia...

 

[glitterfairy]

*Lynn clutches tightly onto corners of flying carpet as they re-locate to... "Assyro-Babylonia"* (Old Persia or Babylon? Lynn is not sure, but trusts navigating skills of flying carpet)

 

[goldendawn]

(Assyria and Babylonia are near Persia. They became part of the Persian empire. They had similar beliefs. Persia had a different set of beliefs).


EDIT: Marcus will be back in a minute

 

[Monkey Butler]

Noticing that Monkey_Butler is online, Lynn wishes him a belated Happy Birthday

Lynn then settles back down to enjoy the rest of Marcus' story.

Wow, Monkey Butler feels loved
So loved, in fact, that he feels able to divulge that his name is Tim.
Tim also finished his HSC yesterday (Legal studies) and also finished 20 minutes early. Tim is pretty sure that no-school will beat him pretty hard around the face and neck with a 2*4 over the weekend, as there are numerous parties, and Adam Spencer and Wil Anderson doing stand-up, to go to, so by Monday he should be all set to enter the workforce/uni, but will instead have to make do with a poker night on tuesday, a formal on thursday and schoolies on saturday. Sigh.

Anyway, Tim apologises to Marcus for butting in, and sits down to listen to the story (he vaguely remembers hearing something about Babylonian mythology in year 10 christian studies - something about Marduk or something, and how obviously the Babylonian gods were inferior to God - Tim didn't like year 10 christian studies much)

 

[goldendawn]

"Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology" tells this story best:


"Now this is how the people of Sumer and Akkad (Assyro-Babylonia) explained the origin of the world. In the beginning, when 'the sky had not yet been named and the earth belows was nameless' their existed only Apsu, the primordial ocean, and Tiamat, the tumultuous sea.

 

[goldendawn]

Marcus greets Tim, and is displeased that anyone would say that someone's belief's are inferior! Marcus has a tendency to see the universal elements of religion, and therefore thinks it stupid to berate any divine principle in favour of another!

 

[goldendawn]

"From their mingled waters came forth first 'Mummu' (the tumult of the waves) then a pair of monstrous serpents, Lakhmu and Lakhamu, who in their term gave birth to Anshar, the celestial world, and to Kishar, the terrestrial world. To Anshar and Kishar were born the great gods...soon the gods with their turbulence disturbed the repose of old Apsu, who complained to Tiamat: "During the day I have no rest and at night I cannot sleep".

 

[glitterfairy]

Lynn is pleased to re-post Important - Please Read stats as we NOW KNOW TIM'S NAME!!!

Lynn wonders whether Tim feels the love.

NAME------------HEIGHT-------------WEIGHT-----------SHOE SIZE

Lynn-------------155cm---------------Now 53kg--------Ladies 5, Mens - nonexistant?!
Susan-----------155cm---------------
Amber-----------175cm---------------63kg--------------Men's 11
Alan--------------175cm---------------63kg--------------Men's 11
Justin------------183cm---------------64kg--------------Men's 13
Thomas------------*!*!*!HANGOVER!*!*!*------------------
Marcus-----------184cm---------------80kg--------------Men's 14
TIM---------------188cm---------------85kg--------------Men's US 13

Lynn is intrigued by her tall friends on Important - Please Read as many of her school friends are also almost a foot taller than Lynn (and Lynn goes to an all-girls school). Lynn wonders whether it is a subconscious act on her brain's behalf that is foolish enough to think that hanging around with tall people will make her grow taller.

 

[goldendawn]

"...Tiamat, enraged, gathered around her a certain number of the gods and gave birth to enormous serpents 'with sharp teeth, merciless in slaughter', to terrible dragons with glittering scales, to tempest-monsters, to savage dogs, to scorpion men, furious hurricanes, fish men and rams....Meanwhile Ea, who knew of Tiamat's plans, went to his father Anshar. 'Tiamat, our mother,' he said, 'has conceived a hatred against us. She is gathering an army together, she storms with fury.'

 

[goldendawn]

Marcus would like to say that he weighs 80 KG.

 

[Monkey Butler]

Tim ensures Lynn that he feels the love.

And he's thinking that maybe he was wrong with Marduk. He'll go and look it up.

 

[goldendawn]

Tim is not wrong with Marduk, and Marcus wishes everyone would shoosh so that he can get to bloody Marduk before the apocalypse!

 

[goldendawn]

"Listening to his son, Anshar was moved...first he sent Anu against Tiamat, but Anu lacked the heart to confront the goddess. Ea was no more courageous. Then Ea summoned Bel-Marduk, the 'son who makes his heart swell', and bade him to do battle with Tiamat...