Happy Black Friday
For those who are out stampeding each other for flat-screen TVs, and for those forced to work so others can … Continue Reading Happy Black Friday
Karl Shapiro, “The Alphabet”
Karl Shapiro, “The Alphabet” The letters of the Jews as strict as flames Or little terrible flowers lean Stubbornly upwards … Continue Reading Karl Shapiro, “The Alphabet”
Will the Real Psalm 23 Please Stand Up?
Probably the most lucid example of how religions both change drastically, and yet remain meaningful, is right here in James … Continue Reading Will the Real Psalm 23 Please Stand Up?
Caravaggio’s Dirty Feet
The affront that many of Caravaggio’s greatest paintings presented to their first audience must have been astonishing: casting a local … Continue Reading Caravaggio’s Dirty Feet
Martin Luther Reinvents the German Language
When, in 1522, Martin Luther agreed to a staged kidnapping that would keep him safe from Catholic and other authorities, … Continue Reading Martin Luther Reinvents the German Language
Images: The Saint & the Lion
One of the great jazz standards of Medieval & Renaissance art, here’s only a selection of all the depictions of … Continue Reading Images: The Saint & the Lion
What Scientology Tells Us About How Religions Begin
Lawrence Wright’s recent book on the history of Scientology is an immensely important document for studying how religions begin. While … Continue Reading What Scientology Tells Us About How Religions Begin
Unfinished Michelangelo (poem)
Unfinished Michelangelo The impossible bodies of apostles, messiahs and slaves, statues that couldn’t have stood had he finished them, faces … Continue Reading Unfinished Michelangelo (poem)
Happy Black Friday
For those who are out stampeding each other for flat-screen TVs, and for those forced to work so others can … Continue Reading Happy Black Friday
The Great Myths #45: Sacred Language Creates the World (Jewish)
Four stories from the great Jewish tradition of the sacredness of the Torah, of Hebrew, and of the letters of … Continue Reading The Great Myths #45: Sacred Language Creates the World (Jewish)
The Great Myths #43 Sacred Language & the Story of Gwion Bach & Taliesin (Welsh)
One of the longer myths I’ll post here, the following story is well worth it, and is indeed a master-class … Continue Reading The Great Myths #43 Sacred Language & the Story of Gwion Bach & Taliesin (Welsh)
The Great Myths #42: Sacred Language & the Story of Caedmon (Christian)
A brother of the monastery is found to possess God’s gift of poetry [A. D. 680] In this monastery of … Continue Reading The Great Myths #42: Sacred Language & the Story of Caedmon (Christian)
The Great Myths #18: The Sacrifice of Isaac (Jewish)
And it happened after these things that God tested Abraham. And He said to him, “Abraham!” and he said, “Here … Continue Reading The Great Myths #18: The Sacrifice of Isaac (Jewish)
The Great Myths #16: A Siberian Horse Sacrifice, and the Shaman’s Ascent to the Sky (Altaic)
The first evening is devoted to preparation for the rite. The kam (shaman), having chosen a spot in a meadow, … Continue Reading The Great Myths #16: A Siberian Horse Sacrifice, and the Shaman’s Ascent to the Sky (Altaic)
The Great Myths #14: The Sparrow in Northumbria (Christian)
Around the year 627, when King Edwin of Northumbria and his advisors were discussing the possibility of converting to Christianity, … Continue Reading The Great Myths #14: The Sparrow in Northumbria (Christian)
The Great Myths #12: The Corn Mother (Penobscot)
When Kloskurbeh, the All-maker, lived on earth, there were no people yet. But one day when the sun was high, … Continue Reading The Great Myths #12: The Corn Mother (Penobscot)
The Great Myths #11: The Holy Grail Comes to the Civil War (To the House of the Sun)
& he’s brought out & led down a dim hallway to a small room & a little table to sit … Continue Reading The Great Myths #11: The Holy Grail Comes to the Civil War (To the House of the Sun)
The Great Myths #4: The Round Dance of the Cross (Christian)
[Before the crucifixion] Jesus told us to form a circle and hold each other’s hands, and he himself stood in … Continue Reading The Great Myths #4: The Round Dance of the Cross (Christian)
Happy Black Friday
For those who are out stampeding each other for flat-screen TVs, and for those forced to work so others can … Continue Reading Happy Black Friday
Viking Jesus
To see the ways in which a religion works, one of the best ways is to observe their missionaries and … Continue Reading Viking Jesus
