On What Are These Things Woven Back And Forth? : Thoughts on Duality.

On What Are These Things Woven Back And Forth? : Thoughts on Duality.

By A.D. Wayman

(A Contribution to the Synchroblogging Project on the topic of Duality)

“He sees, but he can’t be seen; he hears but can’t be heard; he thinks but he can’t be thought of; he perceives but he can’t be perceived. Besides him, there is no one who sees, no one who hears, no one who thinks, and no one who perceives. It is this self of yours that is the inner controller, the immortal. All besides this is grief.”1

Many times in religious literature we find the theme of duality. At times the literature tells us that we may have been cheated or trick out of the solution to the problem from the very start. Eve, being tricked by the serpent, into eating of the tree of “Knowledge of Good and Bad” and being exiled before eating of the tree of life; Gilgamesh falling asleep and having the plant of life stolen by the serpent; Adapa refusing to eat and drink what the gods fed him out of fear, thus missing out on immortality. At times we look for answers to the issue, which religious literature tries to provide. Many times these answers are not answers at all but multiple views on how to enable ourselves to overcome the issue of duality. For some this enabler is Torah, for some Jesus, others it is Atman, and still others may say it is the Buddha in all. Whatever the belief system, many different cultures use theses archetypes, metaphors and symbols to better understand themselves and their role in the world, universe, and society. In this short essay we will discuss a few topics concerning duality. The comparisons are not all that encompassing, but one can get a glimpse, and then pursue the topic in more detail if desired.

In the first example we read some of the conflict that the writer Paul, in the New Testament had to confront. One can almost feel the frustration at the acknowledgement of the polar issues people find themselves consumed by.

“I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Rom 7:15-24 NRSV)

While the above text shows the writer Paul is torn by this inner conflict within himself; another makes good use of the duality and sees both as a complement to one another. In one of my world religion classes I attended the professor brought up a saying that I loved and carried with me. “Neither this nor that, but both and.” In the Tao-Te-Ching we read that such things can compliment each other and that we may have to do nothing at all!

“All in the world know the beauty of the beautiful, and in doing
this they have (the idea of) what ugliness is; they all know the skill
of the skilful, and in doing this they have (the idea of) what the
want of skill is. So it is that existence and non-existence give birth the one to
(the idea of) the other; that difficulty and ease produce the one (the
idea of) the other; that length and shortness fashion out the one the
figure of the other; that (the ideas of) height and lowness arise from
the contrast of the one with the other; that the musical notes and
tones become harmonious through the relation of one with another; and
that being before and behind give the idea of one following another.

Therefore the sage manages affairs without doing anything, and
conveys his instructions without the use of speech.” 2

In relation to this we find a saying by the Jewish teachers concerning Torah study which like the above shows a hint of the idea of non-action.

One that sits and studies, the Scripture imputes to him as if he fulfilled the whole Thorah, for it is said, He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him. 3 *

Still others question the issue and lash out at the very tools that we were given to combat such issues. It is perfectly human to do this, we find such issues arise in the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna on the field of truth, in the battle of life. The most beautiful exchanges show the weaknesses that arise when the body and mind are under distress. Another example of this would be the text of the biblical Job. In all his anger Job questions his creator and at times entertains the idea of putting the deity on trial. Like Krishna the deity answers back, but with a little more force.

“And the Lord said to Job: “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Anyone who argues with God must respond.” Then Job answered the Lord: “See, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but will proceed no further.” Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: “Gird up your loins like a man; I will question you, and you declare to me. Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be justified? Have you an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like his? “Deck yourself with majesty and dignity; clothe yourself with glory and splendor. Pour out the overflowings of your anger, and look on all who are proud, and abase them. Look on all who are proud, and bring them low; tread down the wicked where they stand. Hide them all in the dust together; bind their faces in the world below. Then I will also acknowledge to you that your own right hand can give you victory.” (Job 40:1-14 NRSV)

In the above text we see Job’s response is cowering before the deity and he is plainly saying “Okay Yahweh, I’ll shut my mouth now.” Here Yahweh is frustrated that Job would even try to understand the workings of the gods and the laws of the earth and heavens. It is somewhat humors that here Yahweh seems to tell Job that if he could do better, Yahweh would be more then happy to let him try. On the opposite side however we find a text attributed to Jesus, that the workings have been given to a few, and here Christ explains why he speaks in parables. Like the opening verses that we used from the Upanishads we see the same theme but in a different environment and used with a different metaphoric “enabler”. It appears Christ is frustrated with those who do not understand the self or the living Torah within. Here Christ believes that the “enabler” has been intentionally turned off.

“He answered, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. The reason I speak to them in parables is that “seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.’ With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says: “You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn— and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it”. (Mat 13:11-17 NRSV)

The concept of duality rages through out literature, gods elbowing one another out of power, heroes overcoming against their counterparts, trips to the underworld, cosmic wars and much more. There seems to be a need for balance; the concept of the Chinese Yin and Yang may somehow come into play. However, with issues of fear and suffering such explanations do not enlighten one to the challenges faced when we find ourselves in the belly of the whale, or swallowed by a Tiamat or Mot. As Bart Ehrman discusses in his book “God’s Problem.” There is no one solution and so one may need to look to more then one enabler or mythology to find our place.

1. Patrick Olivelle, trans., Upanishads, Oxford World’s Classics (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998). pg. 44

2. The Texts of Taoism, Part 1: The Tâo Teh King (Tâo Te Ching) of Lâo Dze (Lao Tsu), The Writings of Kwang-dze (Chuang-tse). Translation James Legge. The Sacred Books of the East, Volume 40. F. Max Müller. 1891. From Internet Sacred Texts Archive.

3. Sayings of the Jewish Fathers (Pirqe Aboth) Translated by Charles Taylor [1897]
http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/sjf/index.htm pg. 43 (* For a more in-dept research on this topic see blog Jewish Myth, Magic, and Mysticism and the post http://ejmmm2007.blogspot.com/2008/02/ain-and-yesh-being-and-nothingness-in.html)

Read more on the topic form the other talented participants of the project:

Between Old and New Moons

Jewish Myth, Magic, and Mysticism

Goddess in a Teapot

The Aquila ka Hecate

Full Circle Earthwise News

Mythprint (all the myth that’s fit to print)

Stone Circle

Women and Spirituality

Frontiers of Wonder

Paleothea - Sing, Goddess

Quaker Pagan Reflections

Heart of Flame

Pitch 313

Executive Pagan

Druid’s Apprentice

The Druid Journal

Manzanita, Redwoods and Laurel

Dream Builders: A Figment of Imagination

When Isis Rises

The Battle Within: Embarking On The Hero’s Journey.

The Battle Within: Embarking On The Hero’s Journey.

By: A. D. Wayman

It is interesting for sure on what sort of situation people find themselves in when they realize they are caught in the metaphor and either wile embarking on a mission or finding themselves in the middle of one. Here we will view such an example from Hindu, Judaism and Christianity. Each responds in a different way and each will count the costs of embarking on the Hero’s journey some will be successful and others will not, but all will in the end learn from the experience. Such a journey can be a fair and foul thing.

One of my favorite lines written in the Juan Mascaro’s english translation of the Bahagavad Gita publish by Penguin Classics starts as follows

“On the field of Truth, on the battle-field of life, what came to pass, Sanjaya, when my sons and their warriors faced those of my brother Pandu.”

It seems that all such battles with-in start in such a way and here even at the start of the first lines of the Gita it takes us directly to the place where conflicts arise. Arjuna, sitting between the two lines of friends and family on both sides and one looks this way and that across the divide and falls into despair. For one realizes that the mission you were consumed by or found yourself on will cause great consequences for everyone who meet on such a field. In 1:28-29 of the text we can feel the distress of Arjuna at being in the center of such a conflict, a conflict that we may have found ourselves in at some point in our lives.

“When Arjuna thus saw his kinsmen face to face in both lines of battle, he was overcome by grief and despair and thus he spoke with a sinking heart. When I see all my Kinsmen, Krishna, who have come here on this field of battle, Life goes from my limbs and they sink, and my mouth is sear and dry: a trembling overcomes my body, and my hair shudders in horror.”1

Jumping across the spectrum of heroes we find a text about one who seems something other then such, but it speaks volumes on the different reaction to the journey and the trials that face us. Unlike Arjuna, who is distressed and finds himself in the middle of a conflict we find one who decides that running might be an option. Even though he runs, he is still consumed and is forced to take the journey. The task at hand was only delayed for a short time. In the account of Jonah, from the Hebrew Tanakh, we read of the distress of Jonah from the belly of the Whale that again many of us have found our selves in at some point in our lives. Whether it is represented as death or a whale in literature, it is a long, hard, dark, and frightening path to walk.

“Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish. He said: In my trouble I called to the LORD, And He answered me; From the belly of Sheol I cried out, And You heard my voice. You cast me into the depths, Into the heart of the sea, The floods engulfed me; All Your breakers and billows Swept over me. I thought I was driven away Out of Your sight: Would I ever gaze again Upon Your holy Temple? The waters closed in over me, The deep engulfed me. Weeds twined around my head. I sank to the base of the mountains; The bars of the earth closed upon me forever. Yet You brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God! When my life was ebbing away, I called the LORD to mind; And my prayer came before You, Into Your holy Temple. They who cling to empty folly Forsake their own welfare, But I, with loud thanksgiving, Will sacrifice to You; What I have vowed I will perform. Deliverance is the LORD’s” Jonah 2:1-9 NJPS-TNK

And as we know from this beautiful piece of literature Jonah then completes his mission, although he is unhappy with the results, which in its self might be a great lesson about what, or how we interpret the outcome of our journeys. It may not always make us happy or turn out the way one expects.

Crossing into more modern times we come to the beginning of the text Dante’s Inferno.

“Midway the path of life that men pursue

I found me in a darkling wood astray,

For the direct way had been lost to view.

Ah me, how hard a thing it is to say

What was this thorny wildwood intricate

Whose memory renews the first dismay!

Scarcely in death is bitterness more great:

But as concerns the good discovered there

The other things I saw will I relate.

In the midway of this our mortal life,

I found me in a gloomy wood, astray

Gone from the path direct: and e’en to tell,

It were no easy task, how savage wild

That forest, how robust and rough its growth,

Which to remember only, my dismay

Renews, in bitterness not far from death.

Yet, to discourse of what there good befel,

All else will I relate discover’d there.” 2

Many other texts would qualify for such a place here, the Epic of Baal, the Decent of Ishtar, the Decent of Ra, the Odyssey of Homer and many more. What is interesting about Dante however as he presses on to the lower depths, he seemingly becomes less and less afraid of the horrible sights he encounters. Possibly he is becoming immune to the horrors of the under world and is becoming desensitized to its horrors? We find a moving passage near the end of the epic poem when Dante climes out of the pit, after scaling Satan himself. Which at times is where such a journey might lead us.

“I clipp’d him round the neck; for so he bade:

And noting time and place, he, when the wings

Enough were oped, caught fast the shaggy sides,

And down from pile to pile descending stepp’d

Between the thick fell and the jagged ice.

Soon as he reach’d the point, whereat the thigh

Upon the swelling of the haunches turns,

My leader there, with pain and struggling hard,

Turn’d round his head where his feet stood before,

And grappled at the fell as one who mounts;

That into Hell methought we turn’d again.”3

And finally we read of the assent into light, the end of the journey.

“To the fair world: and heedless of repose

We climb’d, he first, I following his steps,

Till on our view the beautiful lights of Heaven

Dawn’d through a circular opening in the cave:

Thence issuing we again beheld the stars.” 4

In other literature some heroes are not so lucky and neither are those heroes in the here and now. Each one of us will have a different outcome; each will have a different wars, whales, or Satans to scale. Some never return and we who are left behind only can say they were brave enough to at least start such an epic journey and be inspired by such acts of heroic deeds. Others after having gone so far to find what we are looking far have it stolen along the way such as in the text of Gilgamesh when the serpent steals the plant of everlasting life. But no matter the outcome we may all be heroes one way or another. But we first have to start the journey.

1. Mascara, Juan. The Bhagavad Gita. Penguin Classics, New York, NY 1962.
2. Cary, Henery F. The Divine Comedy of Dante. Canto I
3. Cary, Henery F. The Divine Comedy of Dante. Canto 34
4. Cary, Henery F. The Divine Comedy of Dante. Canto 34

When God Began To Create: Thoughts On Religious Texts As Science

When God Began To Create: Thoughts On Religious Texts As Science

By A.D.Wayman

 

If one were to listen to the most faithful of believers at times you will hear just how accurate the sacred texts are on many topics. Believers talk about the historical accuracy, mathematics and even science. But the author of this essay asks were the texts written to play such a role in society, or do the texts play a separate and far different function then the one commonly believed by the most pious of faith. Does one really need for all things in the texts to be “true” for the texts to have value in our lives? If so, where does the concept of faith come into play? We will try to answer some of these questions in the essay below by discussing the account of the Creation found in the Hebrew Torah.

It has come to the writer’s attention that most evangelicals cannot and do not view the text in the context intended. The literature when read today are heavily saturated with ideas of New Testament theology that even if one were to be able to read some Hebrew, the bias of our denomination, theologies, and belief systems affect the way sacred literature is read. The texts, being multi-functional were meant to be used in a multi-functional way. At times, we forget that the texts were not written to be accurate history books, science books, or financial manuals. The Torah was written to show the relationship between the Deity and his people and explain through aggadah the morel lessons of the laws by stories and accounts of patriarchs that may also serve as allegory. For nothing that happened to the patriarchs did not happen to Israel as a nation. When texts are written in such ways it is at times hard to weed out allegory, metaphors, and symbolism, from the intermixing of historical accounts and places. Many times evangelicals assume that part of the bible to the “True” just because a city or place name of a text is found in archeology. However, they fail to realize that though the place may be true the account may not always be, but may be placed in the text for another reason.

Genesis chapter one, which is written in prose, is clearly an allegorical text. One can see this by the Hebrew word puns. One example of this would be the word Adam. Adam not only is the name of the Hebrew account of the first man but also is the name for mankind. Also according to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance it means “To show blood (in the face), that is, flush or turn rosy: - be (dyed, made) red (ruddy).” This may hearkens back to the account of Man being created from the soil. So we see here the multi-functional interpretations of the loaded Hebrew word usage. There are many more examples through the Torah and other Jewish literature.

It is most unfortunate that we fail to see the richness of the literature through the curtain of theology and the need to actually prove a text in ways not intended. It seems that in the history of religion at times, when new sprouts from the old, it seeks to establish itself as the original and invalidate the parent from whose womb it sprang. It still uses connections to the parent when most convenient, but apart from such associations it seeks to sever all ties. It would do us more good to view the texts in more productive ways rather then debating scientists, historians, and others until we are blue in the face. It seems that such sacred literature has been hijacked and the texts and the values are being held hostage by those who may not even know what treasures are locked inside. Possibly, those who have come to hate the literature, out of spite to those who claim to represent it, may be able to reconstruct the metaphors once more. One needs Focus the attention on the Creator rather then pleasing the fumbling attempts of those who feel the need to reconcile to prove their belief system valid.

History Verses Tradition: The Creation of The Myth

History Verses Tradition: The Creation of The Myth

A. D. Wayman

Within belief systems many have a traditional view of accounts of how texts were written and how events took place. Then, when archeology, literary criticism, and other fields of study propose theories or come to conclusions that may oppose these traditionally held beliefs, resistance from those of the traditional at times can be fierce. In this essay we will look at a few ways of dealing with such issues and possibly be able to enjoy both the traditional and historical aspect of religion. The writer of this essay is more familiar with biblical texts and so we will be drawing examples from them to support some of the views expressed.

Many times issues arise due to the problem of misunderstanding of literary styles and how they were used. When the writers of the biblical texts were putting accounts into written word, the main focus was not an exact history but rather, at times a moral lesson. These examples can be found from the text of Genesis through the text of Kings and more. Even when retelling the historical accounts of the Kings the writers were trying to convey a moral message behind the retelling of history. In Jewish literature this technique was called “Aggadah” which were stories or lessons that taught a moral objective about the texts and law codes.

The writers of Judaism seen the importance of this literary technique and used the literal and the allegorical, and seen the two as compatible as a teaching method of the law.

In an essay by Abraham Joshua Heschel it is pointed out how the two are compatible and how the Aggadah, and the literal law codes known as “Halakhah” are used to reinforce each other.

“Halakhah, by necessity, treats with the laws in the abstract, regardless of the totality of the person. It is aggadah that keeps on reminding that the purpose of performance is to transform the performer, that the pur­pose of observance is to train us in achieving spiritual ends.…” 1

So that brings us to the issue of the raging debates that occur between science and evangelical biblical literalists. At times they refuse to see texts such as creation, the flood, and other accounts as Hebrew aggadah. Aggadah is the structure of the sacred myth that binds the legal literal texts to lessons on morality, community, and the covenant. These stories in the Jewish Tanach, Talmud, Midrash, and other texts show how the oral tradition has been used to strengthen the literal and add meaning to daily life application.

So how dose one handle research that may go against ones traditional views of belief or religion? Here are a few tips that may be helpful.

1. It is important to understand tradition as tradition and historical as historical. There are many traditions concerning the same elements and also many interpretations of the historical concerning such elements. It is important to see both views and consider the intended meaning of each.

2. Remember that if scholars go against traditional views, that they may not be out to “disprove” or to “ minimize” the importance of the traditional faith based views. They may be just doing their job researching and offering theories that may or may not be correct.

3. Separate the historical from the traditional if possible. This requires a person to use a “schizophrenic” approach to the issue. If one is able to compartmentalize the two, when traditional labeling it “traditional” or “belief” and when scientific labeling it “scientific” or “historical”. An example of this would be the statement:

“Traditionally it is thought that Moses is the author of the Torah. However, there are some literary critics that are of the opinion that many writers may have taken part in its writing.”

This last statement recognizes both the traditional and the scientific approach to the texts without the issues of debate. The traditional beliefs have a totally different function and meaning then the scientific and historical and it is possible to see both and still be a Jew, Christian, Muslim, or Buddhist.

The traditional belief performs as the metaphor while the scientific is searching for facts. It is the opinion of this writer that both are needed to understand and appreciate the texts. Also, there is no need to battle scientific research and literary critics every step of the way. They both can be composed into one element with many different parts, and become multi-functional as intended by the authors of the texts.

1. Heschel, Abraham Joshua. “Halakhah and Aggadah” http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/about_jewish_texts/Overview_Sacred_Texts/Halakhah_Aggadah160.htm

On Cross Cultural Comparisons Of Mythology and Literature.

On Cross Cultural Comparisons Of Mythology and Literature.

One of the issues when comparing text cross culturally is knowing what to compare and how. Many times the common person becomes overwhelmed with such research and drops the ball half way through the process. It is said that there is no such thing as pure culture and the texts of the ancient Near East and other parts of the world were intended to be multi-functional.

In today’s world with the influence of evangelical conservative ideas and theology about religious texts has changed, at times, even the mainstream secular view of how religious texts are read. Most stop at the idea that the texts were possibly fables, or fairy tales and are no longer relevant. However such people may be dropping the books to early before reading the texts and discovering their value in dept. Here are some tips on how to look at texts critically before jumping to conclusions.

· Read the full text and study the background of the culture to understand the proper context. Also read other texts of that particular culture to see the similarities and writing styles of that particular group.

· When comparing two texts that have similarities, and after researching both cultures, note both the likeness and differences of the texts.

· Understand the archeology and literary styles and word usage, puns, allegory, and mythology of both cultures.

· Note the backgrounds and education of the translators of the texts. This is important in that in today’s society many times religious, anti-religious, political, cultural, and sociological biases influence how texts, archeology, and history are interpreted.

· Note the many hypotheses from researchers and how they differ and how they are alike. Read the texts in light of each hypothesis, and place that against the literary background styles of the culture being studied.

· When noting the difference ask the questions, What was exchanged? What are the similarities and why? What are the differences and why? How has the texts evolved over time and what was added or taken away? Is there more then one text on the subject manner? What was the possible motive behind the text? ( eg. political, religious, economic, sociological, retaliatory, supportive on an idea.)

· If possible also study the other schools of thought from that time period. What do they have to say about the account, text, or belief?

· Next collect all such theories and file them. Some will be more developed then others, some will develop over time and some will not.

· It is important to remain flexible when approaching such theories for through research things may change.

· Note personal opinions, understanding, theology, religious beliefs, cultural influences, and personal biases for or against the texts. It is easier to view another cultures literature, beliefs, and religious theology as untrue or as “mythology”, but it takes a brave person to view their own in such a way.

The points above are not conclusive, but they have been personally helpful when researching world religion and mythology. Each person has their own techniques and guidelines they follow. It is hoped that by using such methods that one is able to push onward rather then just dropping the texts, mythology, or religion when they run into issues of cross cultural borrowing, similarities and differences.

Dragon Slayers: Indra, Marduk, Yahweh, and Baal- A Literary Comparison Part 4

Dragon Slayers: Indra, Marduk, Yahweh, and Baal

A Literary Comparison Part 4 of 4

By, A.D. Wayman

El, give up the one you are hiding, the one the masses are hiding; give up Baal and his powers, the son of Dagon: I will assume his inheritance.’

Bringing this series of essays to a close we now turn to the god Baal, who was a dominate god in the land of the Canaanites and Hebrews. Baal at times had the same characteristics as Yahweh and at times the Hebrews would implement aspects from both deities into their rituals and religious practice. Below we will discuss the dragon slayer Baal and how he like Yahweh battled the sea god Yam. After the battle he set up his temple on his holy mountain to rule supreme.

The Primal Beginning

The Ugaritic account of creation has still not yet been found or was lacking but the text that alludes to such a creation is written in an erotic poem with imagery that remind us of the Song of Solomon. In the text El sleeps with two wives. During the time of fertility they are wives and during sterile times they are daughters. Also there are some illusions to the deity, El, mating with human wives. From the text one can conclude that the creation sprung from this union.

Word is bought to El: “ The wives of El have borne! What have they borne?” “My two children Dawn and Dusk ! Lift up, prepare for Lady Sun and for the stars [ ].” He Bends, their lips he kisses lo their lip are sweet. From kissing there is conception From embracing there is childbirth they again [ ] count to five[ ] the combination of the twain: “ They go into travail and they bear they Bear the Good Gods The Islanders, Sons of the Sea, Who suck the nipples of the Lady’s breasts!” Word is brought to El: “My two wives, O El, have borne! What have they borne?” “The Good Gods [ ] The Islanders, Sons of the Sea Who suck the nipples of the Lady’s breasts!” A lip to earth A lip to heaven But there do not enter heir mouth Birds of heaven And fish from the Sea.1

The speaker of the last section of this text is the human husband, of the wife, that the god El had impregnated. Such an account may also have comparisons with the Hebrew text of the “Sons of Men” mating with the daughters of the earth. We see here that birth is given to the two opposites dawn and dusk. In Hebrew literature “__ and __” is a “merism” which means opposites are connected with “and” which was used in texts to represent “everything”; such as the use in Gen 1:1 “Heaven and Earth” meaning the world. 2

El appears to be the creator deity in the pantheon based on texts found at Ras Shamra and other sites. It also appears that he lost his power once creation was completed. He is very diplomatic and seems to lack control. It is hypothesized by some that there may be a text concerning the war of the gods but no such text has been found.

The Birth of Baal

Contrary to popular belief there is no account of the birth of Baal. In the Ugaritic texts he is referred to as “The Son of Dagon” which raises questions on how he became so dominate in the Canaanite pantheon. Also some writers hypothesize that there was a war between the gods and that Baal overtook El, castrated him, and took the fertility rites to himself as supreme lord, pushing El to the background*. It is important to point out that no such texts of these accounts have been found in literature of the Ugaritic texts. Some also hypothesize that El forms a coalition with Yam, god of the Sea, to remove Baal from the throne. If such were the case Baal would not need El’s approval for a temple after the battle.3

The Conquest

Like Indra, Marduk, and Yahweh, Baal also fights the dragon, and like the three other deities it is also the sea. Below we see from a translation of the Ugaritic text the messengers of the god Yam coming before the heavenly council or the ‘eloheim” to demand that Baal be turned over. Baal is furious at the disrespect and decides to fight the sea god Yam.

“Leave, lads, do not turn back;
now head toward the Assembly in council,
at the center of the mountain of night.
Do not fall at El’s feet,
do not prostrate yourselves before the Assembly in council;
still standing speak your speech,
repeat your message;
and address the Bull, my father El,
repeat to the Assembly in council:
‘Message of Sea, your master,
your lord, Judge River:
EI, give up the one you are hiding,
the one the masses are hiding;
give up Baal and his powers,
the son of Dagon: I will assume his inheritance.’
” The lads left; they did not turn back;
they headed toward the center of the mountain of night,
the Assembly in council.
There the gods had sat down to eat,
the holy ones to a meal;
Baal was standing by El.
As soon as the gods saw them,
saw the messengers of Sea,
the mission of Judge River,
the gods lowered their heads
to the top of their knees,
and onto their princely seats.
Baal rebuked them:
“Gods, why have you lowered your heads
to the top of your knees,
and onto your princely seats?4

Here we may draw some comparisons of this text and also to the texts concerning Marduk, and the fear of the gods in the council to fight Tiamat. Also in Hebrew literature Yahweh takes the place of El and rebukes the gods, as seen in psalm below.

Elohim stands in the congregation of Ěl; He judges in the midst of the elohim. How long would you judge perversely, And show partiality to the wrong? Selah. Give right-ruling to the poor and fatherless, Do right to the afflicted and needy. Rescue the poor and needy; Deliver them from the hand of the wrong. They do not know, nor do they understand, They walk about in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are shaken. I, I said, “You are elohim, And all of you are sons of the Most High. “But as men you die, And fall as one of the heads.” Arise, O Elohim, judge the earth, For You shall possess all the nations. (Psa 82:1-8 TS 199

After the council, Baal goes to fight Yam and with the help of Kothar-wa-Hasis, a craftsmen who helps Baal by making weapons, he dose battle with the Sea.

Baal and the Sea

Baal confronts the Sea in battle and the two deities battle for dominance and inheritance.

Sea was strong; he did not sink;
his joints did not shake;
his frame did not collapse. 5

Baal then uses the club to smash Yam on the head and finally the god of the sea falls. We hear Baal proclaimed the victor.

And the club danced in Baal’s hands,
like a vulture from his fingers.
It struck Prince Sea on the skull,
Judge River between the eyes.
Sea stumbled;
he fell to the ground;
his joints shook;
his frame collapsed.
Baal captured and drank Sea;
he finished off Judge River.
Astarte shouted Baal’s name: “Hail, Baal the Conqueror!
hail, Rider on the Clouds!
For Prince Sea is our captive,
Judge River is our captive.”6

The battle with the sea is at times compared to the Song of the Sea found in Exodus 15 1b-18, however another text that may be proper also is the holy war hymn of Habakkuk.

God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. (Selah) His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. The brightness was like the sun; rays came forth from his hand, where his power lay hidden. Before him went pestilence, and plague followed close behind. He stopped and shook the earth; he looked and made the nations tremble. The eternal mountains were shattered; along his ancient pathways the everlasting hills sank low. I saw the tents of Cushan under affliction; the tent-curtains of the land of Midian trembled. Was your wrath against the rivers, O Lord? Or your anger against the rivers, or your rage against the sea, when you drove your horses, your chariots to victory? You brandished your naked bow, sated were the arrows at your command. (Selah) You split the earth with rivers. The mountains saw you, and writhed; a torrent of water swept by; the deep gave forth its voice. The sun raised high its hands; the moon stood still in its exalted place, at the light of your arrows speeding by, at the gleam of your flashing spear. In fury you trod the earth, in anger you trampled nations. You came forth to save your people, to save your anointed. You crushed the head of the wicked house, laying it bare from foundation to roof. Selah) You pierced with their own arrows the head of his warriors, who came like a whirlwind to scatter us, gloating as if ready to devour the poor who were in hiding. You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the mighty waters. I hear, and I tremble within; my lips quiver at the sound. Rottenness enters into my bones, and my steps tremble beneath me. I wait quietly for the day of calamity to come upon the people who attack us. (Habakkuk 3:3-16 NRSV)

After the battle with Sea, Baal calls on the goddess Anet to place a request to El, for a temple to be built. This was done not only to show legitimacy but also to set up his kingdom on his mountain of Zaphon.

Much could possibly be added to this series of essays concerning the dragon slayers for there were many not mentioned. And if the global mythology were to be collected on such a subject it may take up volumes of pages. Deities such as Zeus and the Christ, from the Christian mythos, as found in the apocalyptic texts of Revelation, could also be added. When such texts are compared and contrasted one starts to realize the multifunctional purpose the literature served at a time without modern means of copying and printing. Historical fiction, poetry, history, folk tales, fables, lessons, allegory, and law codes were all used to convey an epic that could be passed on to later generations. When read properly, these texts can impact how we view the world and ourselves. If we look deeper we may find that we may all be “slayers of the dragon”. Below is a quote from Joseph Campbell an anthropologist who contributed much to research the field mythology and religion.

“There’s a certain type of myth which one might call the vision guest, going in quest of a boon, a vision, which has the same form in every mythology. That is the thing that I tried to present in the first book I wrote, The Hero With a Thousand Faces. All these different mythologies give us the same essential quest. You leave the world that you’re in and go into a depth or into a distance or up to a height. There you come to what was missing in your consciousness in the world you formerly inhabited. Then comes the problem either of staying with that, and letting the world drop off, or returning with that boon and trying to hold on to it as you move back into your social world again.”7

1. Gordon, Cyrus H. Ugarit and Minoan Crete: The Bearing of Their Texts on the Origins of Western Culture. New York: Norton, 1966. pg 96-97
2. Brettler, Marc. How to Read the Jewish Bible. NY: Oxford Univ Press, 2007. pg. 45
3. André Caquot and Maurice Sznycer, Ugaritic Religion 1980 pg. 11-13.
4. Coogan, Michael David. Stories from Ancient Canaan. The Westminster Press. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1978. pg. 86-87
5. Coogan. pg. 88
6. Coogan. pg 89
7. The Power of Myth with Bill Moyers

*http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/~tomshoemaker/StudentPapers/canaanite.html

A.D. Wayman is the creator of www.religonthink.com