Artemis: The Ancient Greek Goddess of Hunt kinninigan Artemis was the ancient Greek goddess of hunt, wilderness, wild animals, and fertility. Part one of the video describes the goddess in the Greek mythology. Part two of the video is a short prayer to Artemis....
Prayer to Artemis Before the Hunt:
Slim-ankled Artemis, free-footed, wild-haired girl, with steps swift and silent you run through the wood, your bow at the ready, your shafts sharp and deadly. Far-shooting Artemis, keen of eye and strong of arm, your aim ever true, you take your prey, goddess, with a single strike. Artemis, I pray to you as I begin my hunt–may my eyes be clear, may my hand be steady, may the shots I fire reach my target and no other, may any kill be quick. I am grateful, goddess, for the meat on my table. I am grateful, goddess, for the time I spend in the cold, in the wood, hearing the silence; I am grateful, goddess, for the time I spend in your world. Grant that I take on this work with honest intent, grant that I feel the weight of what I do, grant that I honor the lives that feed me. Mistress of the hunt, I pray to you. *************************
The repeated destruction of the temple - The perfect metaphor for the destruction of the great Goddess
Not to merely focus on the negative---which is very difficult given the well over 1,500 years of attack upon the Proto-European spiritual tradition---but the temple is gone, the spirituality is gone, it's no longer even located in Greece, Christianity "happened," the Turkish invasion "happened," Islam "happened," and if we're really honest about it... even the ancient Olympian pantheon more-or-less pushed aside the very ancient tradition over a long period of time.... not to mention the forced transformation of Europe today.
Was the Temple of Artemis really the Queen of all Temples to the Almother? We do not know what may have existed prior to the glacial movements. It seems like a good bet that this temple was the most impressive among those of which we know. It is after all, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The holy sanctuary of Mona, which was located on the island of Anglesey in modern day France, was of the Druidic tradition. However, it clearly was partly rooted in the tradition of the Almother ("Mona"). Although this lost temple ended with a similar fate as the Temple of Artemis, and could have been even older for all we know, the Temple of Artemis was spectacular and truly defined a time when the spirituality of the ancient race was the culture of the ancestors. That isn't to take away from the ancient Welsh, and the wonderful sanctuaries of the mysteries of nature amid the oak groves.
One of the good things that Americans have exemplified has been the concept of not taking a knee to kings, dictators, or theocratic despots. I only take a knee for my mother Janet, my departed Rachel, departed relatives and ancestors, and the Almother Mona. Since there are numerous given names for the Goddess, such as the three names of the ancient Greek Triformis, I often just say The Almother. The inspiration for that was the Alfather Odin in Asatru. Architecturally as close as it can be.... we need to literally construct a few new Temples of Artemis.... AGAIN!!!
Just as Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, and other important religions have one place more holy than all others; the Proto-European religion, in historical hindsight, has its primary sacred place. However, true to our tragic tradition since its heyday, everything relating to it today is nothing short of a grand fustercluck. As covered here before, the tradition of what I call the Almother predated the Olympian pantheon in Greece. This ancient spiritual tradition has roots, at the least, in the Europe of the last glacial movement of nine or ten thousand years ago when about one-third of the continent was covered in a mile high sheet of of ice. Southern Europe was the much more habitable region. The people were not distinctly "Mediterranean" then, but Proto-European.
It's highly likely that this religion existed long before this glacial period, but little is known about it. What is very clear is that there was a Great Mother and a Horned God going back forty thousand years. This spiritual tradition has both conflated and existed separately with all of the incoming traditions of ancient migrating Mediterranean and Teutonic peoples. It has existed in every corner of the continent!
If this tradition had a "Holy Land" from the perspective of the post-glacial period, then it would seem to be pre-Olympian Greece. Remarkably, all Europeans share in this history; because all Europeans have Proto-European ancestry. It has survived despite all the attempts, over centuries, to beat it out've us!
"Witchcraft has no origin, it has always been with us." -- Leo Ruickbie, 'Witchcraft Out of the Shadows'
The temple of Artemis was one of the first buildings to be constructed in marble.
Temple of Artemis was built and rebuilt several times in history. The temple was the centre of activity with priests, court members etc always present there in its good days. Following is the historical record of this one among the seven wonders of the ancient world birth and death.
History
800 BC
The first building of the temple of Artemis was built in and around 800 BC near the bank of the river Ephesus. The Ephesus Artemis was a goddess of fertility and was often pictured as draped with eggs or multiple breasts, symbols of fertility, from her waist to her shoulders.
650 BC
In around 650 BC, King Croesus of Lydia conquered Ephesus and the other Greek cities of Asia Minor and during the fighting; the temple of Artemis was destroyed. This king brought the architect Theodorus to build the temple.
This temple of Artemis was the centre of wonderful pieces of art and architecture. Wealthy citizens of those times donated gold, silver, jewelry from their side to beautify this temple. One unusual feature of the temple was that a number of columns had bases that were carved with figures in relief.
350 BC
This magnificent work of art was burnt down in 356 BC by a psychopath Herostratus who wanted to become famous in history. The citizens of Ephesus were so furious by this act that after torturing Herostratus to death, they issued a decree that anyone who even spoke of his name would be put to death.
Temple of Artemis
This was the same time in history when the Great Alexander was born too.
Twenty-two years later, during his sweep through Asia Minor, Alexander the Great offered to reconstruct the temple of Artemis. In the famous refusal recorded by Strabo, the Ephesians said it would not be right for one god to build a temple to another god.
Construction of Great temple
The Temple of Artemis was rebuilt in the same wet location as before and on a raised platform once again. By this point Ephesus was one of the greatest cities in Asia Minor and no expense was spared in the reconstruction. The wet locations were selected for the building of temple was due to the fact that it would help protect the structure from the earthquakes which plagued the region.
Modern excavation
The Temple of Artemis was discovered for the British Museum in 1869 by the English railroad engineer J. T. Wood after a seven year search, during which he suffered badly from malaria. His successor on behalf of the British Museum, the Englishman D. G. Hogarth recommenced excavations in 1904/05. Not only did he investigate the temple of Artemis, but also the older foundations within the court of the temple. New excavations, initiated by the Australian museum of Archeology are still in progress. Today a 13 feet lone structure stands at that place as a reminder to the magnificence of this temple.
Christianity Brings an End to Artemis Worship
St Paul came to the city of Ephesus to propagate the new religion of Christianity in and around 57 AD. He was successful in his endeavor. Demitrius who was die hard supporter of Artemis religion gave tough fight to St Paul in expanding his religion. In the later years it was Christianity only that won.
By 263 AD, the temple had been plundered by Nero and destroyed by the Goths. Both the city and the religion of Artemis were in decline. The temple was rebuilt again, but in 391 it was closed by the Roman Emperor Theodosius the Great after he made Christianity the state religion. The temple itself was destroyed by a Christian mob in 401 and the stoned was recycled into other buildings.
When the Roman Emperor Constantine rebuilt much of Ephesus a century later, he declined to restore the temple. He too had become a Christian and had little interest in pagan religions.
The Temple of Artemis was surrounded by priests and priestesses, musicians, dancers, and acrobats. The temple had its own mounted police and the city became rich from the silver statues and ex-votes offered to Diana. Unfortunately, all that remains of the Wonder of the World is a single column and some rubble on the ground. Some of the stone is believed to have been used for the nearby mosque and most of the archaeological remains have been removed to the British Museum. .
Ron McVan YouTube channel McVans Mountain Viking Hof An evening journey through a modern day Wotanist Viking Hof, built by Ron McVan among the wooded mountains of Northern Idaho. ************************************************** This particular hof was constructed as a tribute in honor of Guido von List. Although not visible in this video, photographs which I have seen show this temple appearing very beautiful among the trees and mountains. When List was a young boy, he visited some ruins I recall, and he proclaimed out loud.. something to the effect of "some day I will construct a temple to Wotan!" It's great that there is at least one temple in his honor. A hof built in a particular persons honor is referred to by combining their first name with hof (ex. "Freyashof"); therefore I believe that this would be "Guidoshof." I think it would it be great to see one constructed in the memory of Queen Gambara, King Rothari, or King Alboin of the Langobards. There couldn't be one for Queen Theodelinda, because she was Catholic, which shows that one must do their homework first. Also, perhaps something for a favorite direct ancestor?
2-11-15 Addition: I had intended to post a video titled 'Guido von List - The Runes' but at the end of the video there were too many National Socialist symbols. However, part of the video gave a touch of the spirit of List; who actually lived from 1848 to 1919, and obviously had no part in National Socialism... which was really "National Capitalism" after the Socialist element was taken out. Anyway, I just wanted to at least place the link here. .
"Shennong (the Divine Farmer) is the legendary originator of Chinese herbal medicine" (see 'The Lessons of Shennong'). If there were any temples of this magnitude relating to the very ancient horned god of Europe, then they were destroyed long ago with the rise of Christianity. Strangely, this stone face and it's backdrop look ancient European. "Horns" were an ancient symbol of strength, virility, fertility, and the warrior spirit in many places in the northern hemisphere. .
