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Origins of Mythology | Biblical Quotations
Origins of Mythology
Quite an extensive set of plagiarisms surrounds Biblical mythology, mostly from Greek and Roman mythology, which the early Christians did their best to villainise in order to diminish their appeal. Not all of this information is proven, but they're extremely promising theories. I'm sure you all understand how difficult it is to believe the presence of originality in light of a such a similar predecessor.
The Devil Himself
Satan, I believe, (the stereotypical picture at least) is taken from the Greek mythological creature called the Satyr (pronounced SAY-TUR). No doubt you are familiar with the small, mischievious woodland creature with cloven hooves and small horns upon his forehead who plays the panpipes in the forests of mythological Greece. They are often depicted as tag-alongs in the wild orgiastic cults of Dionysus; scenes of drunken ecstasy that were popular subjects among the renaissance painters of the 15th and 16th centuries. Illustrations are yet to come.
The Naming System
As mentioned above, even various names themselves can be drawn as non-original. A further example of this is the alternative name for Satan, Lucifer. Lucifer is simply a Latin word meaning 'light bearer', taken from the Vulgate translation (see below) of the Hebrew term meaning 'light bearer'. It was the name given by the Romans to describe the planet Venus when it appears as the morning star. The Hebrew prophet Isaiah used the word in a satirical comparison to the King of Babylon; describing the "frustrated attempts of the morning star to rise among the other stars."
*The Vulgate translation is the Latin edition of the Bible that was declared "authentic" by the council of Trent - thus, the official Latin translation.
The Predecessors of Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is modelled largely on figures from classical mythology. Hercules, Aeneas and Theseus, all heroes in classical mythology, have a lot in common with the figure of Christ. They all lay claim to the very same aspects for which Christ was revered.
1. Christ claims divine parentage: Hercules' father was Zeus (Jupiter), Theseus' father was Poseidon (Neptune) and Aeneas' mother was Venus (Aphrodite).
2. Christ wins respect because of his long suffering: Hercules was placed under a curse and forced to murder his own wife and children, Theseus was trapped in the hellish underworld and Aeneas suffered constant persecution from Juno (Hera) for nearly ten straight years.
3. Christ returns from the dead: Hercules ventured to the underworld to rescue Theseus, Theseus returned with Hercules, and Aeneas went there to see his father and a few of his comrades who died in the battle of Troy.
More to be added as it is learned.