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Goddess of the Ocean
- Thread starter Marble
- Start date
Klaufi_Wodensson
Vinlandic Warrior
Well there is Ran of the Norse Religion. When boats are about to sink, the ship captain hands out gold coins to all the shipmates, so they can give them to Ran to earn her favour 
thalassa
New Member
Well...there is Sedna (Inuit), Thalassa (Greek), La Sirene (Voudoun), Yemaya (Yoruba), Tethys (Greek), Amphitrite (Greek), Oceanids--the sea nymphs (Greek), Vete-ema/Ved-ava (Finnish), Asherah (Semitic)...
The only ones that I have more than a passing familiarity with are Sedna, Thalassa, and La Sirene. The story of Sedna is very representative of that tragic sort of cold rage that comes from a deep betrayal that hasn't been forgiven (and is likely to stay that way), while Thalassa as a deity is very much like a pleasant day at the beach, or an afternoon sailing in good weather, and La Sirene is..almost like Calypso in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, but pretty like the classic sort of mermaid.
The only ones that I have more than a passing familiarity with are Sedna, Thalassa, and La Sirene. The story of Sedna is very representative of that tragic sort of cold rage that comes from a deep betrayal that hasn't been forgiven (and is likely to stay that way), while Thalassa as a deity is very much like a pleasant day at the beach, or an afternoon sailing in good weather, and La Sirene is..almost like Calypso in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, but pretty like the classic sort of mermaid.
charles brough
Member
I lived five years in Asia and even though Indonesia is Muslim, the area's pre-Muslim Hindu heritage still has a tenuous hold---especially in Northeast Java. The culture is rife with mention of Ameterasu, the goddess of the Indian Ocean. She is credited with dragging down swimmers in the ocean to serve her in her underwater domain. She is credited with picking on swimming who wear green.
And indeed, in Muslim Indonesia, swimming in the ocean is rare and oceans are not favored as here. I did go to a number of Java beaches and many people have been drowned by powerful riptides which I have seen and were unlike any anywhere else.
At a beach close to Solo, Indonesians were on the beach and walking along its sandy edges, but none were in the water. I wore green that day but knew better than go into such a treacherous undertoe and riptide.
And indeed, in Muslim Indonesia, swimming in the ocean is rare and oceans are not favored as here. I did go to a number of Java beaches and many people have been drowned by powerful riptides which I have seen and were unlike any anywhere else.
At a beach close to Solo, Indonesians were on the beach and walking along its sandy edges, but none were in the water. I wore green that day but knew better than go into such a treacherous undertoe and riptide.
bain-druie
Tree-Hugger!
Speaking for the Druids, there is the sea goddess Cliodhna. She is said to inspire every ninth wave in particular, and later became one of the underworld goddesses also. There are later legends of a patriarchal influence; they make Cliodhna subordinate to the sea god Mannanan mac Lir, who punishes her for taking a mortal lover.
Personally, I associate Ceridwyn with the ocean, although the mythology does not really back me up there.
She is the Goddess of inspiration, rebirth, rewewal; she is keeper of the Cauldron of Annwn, whence come the waters of life. To me, that conjures the idea of the ocean.
Associated with sea goddesses on a smaller scale are the selkie legends; selkies are seals who can become human on land if they fall in love with a human. Selkie women shed their seal skin to become human, but they always hear the call of the sea and yearn to go back, to be one with the waves and currents once again.
If and when selkies return to the sea, they must be able to put their seal-skin back on; which is why there are legends of mortals who love selkies hiding or destroying the seal-skin, so they can never go back to the ocean.
Personally, I associate Ceridwyn with the ocean, although the mythology does not really back me up there.
She is the Goddess of inspiration, rebirth, rewewal; she is keeper of the Cauldron of Annwn, whence come the waters of life. To me, that conjures the idea of the ocean. Associated with sea goddesses on a smaller scale are the selkie legends; selkies are seals who can become human on land if they fall in love with a human. Selkie women shed their seal skin to become human, but they always hear the call of the sea and yearn to go back, to be one with the waves and currents once again.
If and when selkies return to the sea, they must be able to put their seal-skin back on; which is why there are legends of mortals who love selkies hiding or destroying the seal-skin, so they can never go back to the ocean.
The Goddess (goddesses)---most definitely connected to the sea, but also to high places, to mountain tops, and to caves (womb and tomb.) I traveled to Bordeaux to see the Goddess of Laussel (in the Musee de Aquitaine)----almost 20,000 years old. Amazing. And found carved in the overhang of a ritual shelter very very close to Lascaux (saw Lascaux II, as the original is closed)---all around the same time period. Totally incredible. Then Font de Gaume, also nearby with the polychrome painting (I did go in the original--again incredible.) While in the area, stopped wherever I could to see the Black Madonnas there. Also had been to Chartres and had a heck of a time getting into the crypt. (not on the "main tour" as would be expected.) Also at that time, the labyrinth inside Chartres was covered up by chairs, but now is uncovered at certain times so people can walk it. Yep, the female divine has been mugged. So we have imbalance in metaphor for the Sacred. IMHO.
Check out trailer on this site. Chauvet is twice the age of Lascaux. Also associated with the sculptures of the female. To me the art speaks of connectedness, not of division. Of the oneness here, not outside of our environment or outside of us, for that matter. Along the way, the female divine got kicked out---we can see even in the texts (Mesopotamian, the Bible, others.) It's there if we look. Connected to the sea, yes, always, it seems some connection there, but to all parts of Earth.
IMDb Video: Cave of Forgotten Dreams
IMDb Video: Cave of Forgotten Dreams
charles brough
Member
You're very correct! That's the Shinto goddess. I was actually referring to Ratukedal. My mistake!
charles brough
Member
I checked out the overly effusive video and it indeed showed some female figurarines, but Mother goddess - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia states that the oldest such figurines dates back only to about 23,000 years ago and they are very rare. The age of the female figurarines began about 10,000 years ago with agriculture.
My personal opinion is that the figuaqrines shown in the vido were not found in the cave. Indeed, there are no real female figures in all the fine art work in the Cromagnon Age caves. As I explained in my book, "The Last Civilization," it was an age of the male hunter and the hunted and or respected (feared) animals they portrayed graphically portrayed their religion, art, and technology of the hunt. (it seemed to serve a purpose for narating the life cycle of the animals, their seasonal pattern, defensive data, size, etc. for reference and for the educating of the young male hunters-to-be.
This era was a male-dominant period in human society. After that, with agriculture, we develeped the supreme dominance of the female in our social evolution.
charles brough
Member
ReligionBro
Member
Goddess of the ocean dwells within.
Comforting and swaying from where you've been.
Comforting and swaying from where you've been.