#euhemerism

[a-book-of-creatures]

why do we hate euhemerism?

It's not my j- oh, actually it is my job to explain this one :3

Euhemerism, by definition, means treating mythology as being based on real people, animals, places, or events, and then having been exaggerated over time.

First, it's nothing new. People have been euhemerizing for centuries. The Chimera, for instance, was interpreted as having been a pirate captain with a lion, goat, and snake as his emblem (Plutarch) or as a volcano with populations of lions, goats, and snakes on its flanks (Servius Honoratus).

And second, it could in fact be interesting. Like... yes, there certainly are historical events that could have inspired mythology and folklore.

But in practice, what it ends up doing much of the time is 1) missing a lot of the nuance and background of the original myth, 2) downplaying the fact that people have been pretty damn imaginative in the past, 3) downplaying the fact that some ideas are kind of obvious conclusions, 4) assuming that legends have to be true and working backwards from there, and 5) creating a story that Stands To Reason but cannot be proved or disproved in any meaningful way. There's also a couple more outcomes which come up when it's related to an extant or extinct religion, namely 6) because they were based on real/previous things, the religion they came from is Laughably Fake, and 7) because they were based on real/previous things, the religion they came from is Inarguably True.

[promptuarium]

ATLAS, brother of Prometheus, is said to have invented the first globe and astrology. From here comes the story that he supported the sky on his shoulders. Vergil’s Aeneid, book 6:

…where the sky-bearer Atlas

Turns the heavens around his shoulder, bound with burning stars.

See Pliny book 2, ch. 6, and book 7, ch. 56.

[ohmygodshesinsane]

has anyone considered euhemerism in regards to ASOIAF mythology?

[promptuarium]

DIONYSIUS [sic], son of Ammon, took up arms and drove Rhea and Camesenuus from the kingdom of his father, and kept their son Osiris for himself, adopting him as his son. He named him Ammon Jupiter, after his father, and Olympicus after his master Olympus, and he gave him the whole kingdom of Egypt in the 1948th year of the world and the 2014th year before the birth of Christ. After nine years, Barzanes the son of Sabatius was conquered in Armenia by Ninus. See Berossus book 5.

[promptuarium]

JANUS, in the tenth year of the aforementioned Ninus, went from Africa to the Celtiberians, where he set up two colonies, named Noelas and Noeglas. And in the 19th year of Ninus, Janus went to Italy. When he had found that Camesenuus (who is Ham) was corrupting the youth more than expected, for three years he bore this level-headedly. Then, assigning him a few people from the colonies, he commanded him to leave Italy, and he commanded all the corrupted colonies of Gomer to tend the highlands across the broad river Janiculum. And he gave them his daughter Crana Helerna, that is, they elected her by suffrage and raised her to be queen with a white scepter. He gave the Janigenes their surname Razenua, and taught them physics and astronomy; he wrote down divinations and rituals, in the 1948th year of the world and the 2014th year before Christ was born. Therefore they followed his teaching, the same names and divine venerations as were used in Armenia-Saga. Berossus book 5.

[promptuarium]

BELUS Jupiter, when his father Nimrod had ruled for 56 years, the son himself reigned, in the 1844th year of the world and the 2118th year before the birth of Christ. He built up the marked-out foundations of Babylon, more like a fortress than a city. He enjoyed constant peace around the borders of his empire. Consult Berossus book 5, as above.

[promptuarium]

NIMROD Saturn, son of Cush, son of Ham, son of Noah, began to be strong on the earth. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babylon, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar, in the 1788th year of the world and the 2174th year before Christ, namely that same year in which Reu was born. While he reigned a confusion of tongues was created in the building of the tower of Babel. Josephus’ Antiquities book 1, ch. 9 [sic; the quotation is actually in chapter 4] cites this saying of the Sibyl: "When all men existed with one voice, someone built a high tower, as if to ascend to the heavens by it: Truly the gods sent out winds, overthrew the tower, and individual and unique languages were distributed: therefore it came to pass that the city was called Babylon, which means “confusion”." See Genesis ch. 10 and 11 and Berossus books 4 and 5.

[promptuarium]

DIONYSIUS, also known as Liber Pater, and later Bacchus, was the son of Jupiter and Semele; also said to be the son of Jupiter and Nysa, but Nysa was the cave where he was said to have been nursed by Nymphs.

He was called Liber Pater, either after the liberty of the fatherland, which he defended with arms, or because wine, of which he was the inventor, renders tongues free and easy. He was called Bacchus, either after the Bacchant women who followed him, or after berries [baccae], which he taught how to press in wine-presses. To those whose country could not bear grapes, he taught how to make a drink from barley.

In Boeotia he commanded, for the sake of the fatherland, that all cities should be free. Leading around an army of men and women, he beat up nefarious men as a deserved punishment. He crossed over to India, and waged war, in the 2508th year of the world and the 1454th before Christ was born. Three years later, he returned to Boeotia with many spoils. Consult Diodorus of Sicily, On the Legendary Deeds of the Ancients, book 5.

Another DIONYSIUS much older than him, earlier in time, called Sabazios by some, was said to be the son of Jupiter and Persephone. He is said to be the first to put oxen under the yoke to till the land, which is why he is depicted with horns. See Diodorus of Sicily, the same book as above.