Today is the day that Jebus H. Christ came out of his cave, and saw the shadow of a rabbit who was laying eggs. Realizing his blood sugar was causing him to hallucinate, he ran back in the cave for some chocolate and candy. He was in there so long we now have six mnore weeks of lent. Or something like that.
What did Jebus say when he was on the cross?
"This is a hell of a way to spend my easter vacation."
Religeons steal from each other... (Emphasis added, Italics are my comments, edited (stolen actually) from wikipedia.)
Ishtar ܐܫܬܪ (hmm.. sounds like easter) is the Akkadian counterpart to the Sumerian Inanna and to the cognate northwest Semitic goddess Astarte. Anunit, Astarte and Atarsamain are alternative names for Ishtar. Inanna, twin of Utu/Shamash, children of Nannar/Sin, first born on Earth of Enlil. The first names given are Sumerian, the second names derive from the Akkadians, who are a Semitic people who immigrated into Sumeria.
In late Babylonian astrology, the goddess Ishtar was related to the planet Venus. As the most prominent female deity in the late Babylonian pantheon, she was equated by the Greeks with either Hera (Latin Juno) or Aphrodite (Latin Venus), hence the current name of the planet. The meaning of Ishtar is not known, though it is possible that the underlying stem is the same as that of Assur, which would thus make her the "leading one" or "chief". In any event, it is now generally recognized that the name is Semitic in origin. In Acts 12:4 of the King James Version of the Bible, the word "pesach" (passover) is erroneously translated as "Easter", derived from Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, whose name may be etymologically connected to that of Ishtar, though no significant evidence to show such a link has yet been found.
The Sumerian Inanna was first worshiped at Uruk (Erech in the Bible) in the earliest period of Mesopotamian history. In incantations, hymns, myths, epics, votive inscriptions, and historical annals, Inanna/Ishtar was celebrated and invoked as the force of life. But there were two aspects to this goddess of life. She was the goddess of fertility and sexuality, (Rabbits and eggs, anyone? Not to mention aphrodesiac chocolate) and could also destroy the fields and make the earth's creatures infertile. She was invoked as a goddess of war, battles, and the chase, particularly among the warlike Assyrians. Before the battle Ishtar would appear to the Assyrian army, clad in battle array and armed with bow and arrow. (compare Greek Athena.)
One of the most striking Sumerian myths describes Inanna passing through seven gates of hell into the underworld. At each gate some of her clothing and her ornaments are removed until at the last gate she is entirely naked. Ereshkigal, the queen of the underworld kills her and hangs her corpse on a hook on the wall. (Crucifiction, Ya'll) When Inanna returns from the underworld (On the 3rd day he rose) by intercession of the clever god, her uncle, Enki, according to the rules she must find someone to take her place. On her way home she encounters her friends prostrated with grief at her loss, but in Kulaba, her cult city, she finds her lover Dumuzi, a son of Enki, Tammuz seated in splendour on a throne, so she has him seized and dragged below. Later, missing him, she arranges for his sister to substitute for him during six months of the year. (Compare Greek story of Persephone)
In all the great centres Inanna and then Ishtar had her temples: E-anna, "house of An", in Uruk; E-makh, "great house", in Babylon; E-mash-mash, "house of offerings", in Nineveh. Inanna was the guardian of prostitutes, and probably had priestess-prostitutes to serve her. She was served by priests as well as by priestesses. The (later) votaries of Ishtar were virgins who, as long as they remained in her service, were not permitted to marry. Inanna was also associated with beer, and was the patroness of tavern keepers, who were usually female in early Mesopotamia.
Together with the moon god Nanna or Suen (Sin in Akkadian), and the sun god Utu (Shamash in Akkadian), Inanna/Ishtar is the third figure in a triad deifying and personalizing the moon, the sun, and the earth: Moon (wisdom), Sun (justice) and Earth (life force). This triad overlies another: An, heaven; Enlil, earth; and Enki (Ea in Akkadian), the watery deep. (Sounds kinda like a...Holy trinity...?)
Yesterday, I had a great time at the gun range, (an awesome way to spend tax day) sighting in the Garand, (100 rounds of .30-06, only to find that my gas tube wasn't attached properly, but it's fixed and zeroed, and yes, my shoulder is bruised)I also worked off some stress with me and Carren's handguns (Glock 22 (.40 S&W) for me, .38 snub for her.) Then I caught Creighton's soccer game (which is all I'm going to say about it) and we all went home. Carren went to run errands, Adelle started puking and spiked a fever, and I got that funny little tickle in the back of my throat/top of my chest that tells me trouble's brewing.
So, I wake up this morning and Adelle's still feverish, but not vomiting; and I have laryngitis and a chest cold. We do the basket and egg thing, while I sit on the loveseat and hope to die. Adelle and Creighton get the idea, and find the eggs, Carren and Bubba go to Church, and Adelle and I stay home and watch Spongebob--again.
So now Adelle is sleeping, Bubba's outside playing, Carren is playing nurse (but not in the sexy/fun way) and I (still) want to die. Injuries and feeling shitty are intertwined, and can be faced stically, or more in my fashion, like a screaming/crying/whining/complaining little bitch. Feeling shitty from a cold, however, really turns me into a bear--a whimpering little pansy bear. I hate being sick. I've got the nose swab medicine things, robitussin, dayquil, plus all of my other meds. this should be fun.
Anyway, happy Easter (or Ishtar for you Akkadians) ya'll.
--Chuck
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