The song "I can go the distance" of Disney's Hercules soundtrack not only conveys perfectly the spirit of Herakles but it always reminds me of Burkert's description of Apollo: the God is distant and remains distant, but it is through that distance that Man can identify himself and strive to reach a little further and make that distance smaller.
In other news, I just received, 10 minutes ago, The Cults of Apollo at Sparta: the Hyakinthia, the Gymnopaidai and the Karneia, by Michael Petterson. However, I am still reading Asklepios' book and haven't even finished his page for Neokoroi yet.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Apollo, Asklepios and Portugal
I just learnt that the laurel and the olive tree are the two tree-symbols of Portugal. By coincidence they are also symbols of Apollo (whom I think is the patron of Portugal) and Asklepios, both of them my patrons! I love this little coincidences.
And what interest may this have for the majority of the worshipers? Well you probably already knew about Apollo and the laurel, but that the olive tree is considered a tree of Asklepios is not so well know (in fact the laurel was also often found at his festivals, probably a reminescence of when he was dependent on his father, Apollo, to act). So, you learnt something, which is why I will put this under the "Facets" umbrella.
And what interest may this have for the majority of the worshipers? Well you probably already knew about Apollo and the laurel, but that the olive tree is considered a tree of Asklepios is not so well know (in fact the laurel was also often found at his festivals, probably a reminescence of when he was dependent on his father, Apollo, to act). So, you learnt something, which is why I will put this under the "Facets" umbrella.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Update
Phew, it has been a while since I last updated something on the net. Like I said previously this is due to my exams buy... Now they ended, I finished the last one just a few hours ago (Psychology). Therefore I will be a lot more active than I have been.
To my surprise when I got home I had "Apollo - the Wind, the Spirit and the God" by Karl Kerényi waiting for me! I can't wait to read it, but right now I am reading "Asclepius: a collection and interpretation of the testimonies" by the Edelstein's so it will have to wait. I have been working on the Asclepius page for Neokoroi but now it will proceed much quicker and I expect to have it finished by the end of the week.
Meanwhile, since last saturday was the 7th of the 7th month of the 7th year of the 2nd ( :( ) millenia, I did a little something for Apollo and also wrote the article I promised about the Homeric Hymn number 21, which you can now see at the Neokoroi page at http://www.neokoroi.org/apollon.htm#homeric
I also watched the ellection of the new 7 wonders (hosted in my own country, close to my College and my apartment, but I wasn't at Lisbon that day, so I didn't even bothered to try and buy a ticket) and I must say I was not happy that the Acropolis did not win. Anyway, it was good for us if that meant that it would receive less turists (it would be much easier to preserve it and the cluster of turists sure reduces the sense of mysticism) but I doubt that will happen...
To my surprise when I got home I had "Apollo - the Wind, the Spirit and the God" by Karl Kerényi waiting for me! I can't wait to read it, but right now I am reading "Asclepius: a collection and interpretation of the testimonies" by the Edelstein's so it will have to wait. I have been working on the Asclepius page for Neokoroi but now it will proceed much quicker and I expect to have it finished by the end of the week.
Meanwhile, since last saturday was the 7th of the 7th month of the 7th year of the 2nd ( :( ) millenia, I did a little something for Apollo and also wrote the article I promised about the Homeric Hymn number 21, which you can now see at the Neokoroi page at http://www.neokoroi.org/apollon.htm#homeric
I also watched the ellection of the new 7 wonders (hosted in my own country, close to my College and my apartment, but I wasn't at Lisbon that day, so I didn't even bothered to try and buy a ticket) and I must say I was not happy that the Acropolis did not win. Anyway, it was good for us if that meant that it would receive less turists (it would be much easier to preserve it and the cluster of turists sure reduces the sense of mysticism) but I doubt that will happen...
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Homeric Hymn to Apollo
I am currently developing the idea of writing about the Homeric Hymn XXI to Apollo. I will be doing it in the next few days (probably not today as tomorrow is my immunology exam (which I consider something under the tutelage of Apollo), but then I will only have psychology so I can afford to write this) and submit it to Neokoroi for Apollo's page. I am also developing Asclepios' page for the same group, though I wont send it until I read the book I ordered through Amazon and just shipped today (Asclepius: Collection and Interpretation of Testimonies, by Emma J. Edelstein, Ludwig Edelstein, and Gary B. Ferngren).
With this shipment there are also loads of other books (namely Farnel's Cults of the Greek States, except volume 3 which was out of stock and will arrive later) and I have also ordered through a separate shipment Apollo the Wolf God by Daniel Gershenson, Apollo: the Wind, the Spirit and the God by Karl Kerenyi and Cults of Apollo at Sparta by Michael Pettersson, among other books about Delphi. I guess I will have a busy summer! It is so good to have my birthday just before my summer break!
I plan on making a summary or at least a review of each of these books and post it, probably on the Online Temple of Apollon and Asclepios, sometime in the next year.
With this shipment there are also loads of other books (namely Farnel's Cults of the Greek States, except volume 3 which was out of stock and will arrive later) and I have also ordered through a separate shipment Apollo the Wolf God by Daniel Gershenson, Apollo: the Wind, the Spirit and the God by Karl Kerenyi and Cults of Apollo at Sparta by Michael Pettersson, among other books about Delphi. I guess I will have a busy summer! It is so good to have my birthday just before my summer break!
I plan on making a summary or at least a review of each of these books and post it, probably on the Online Temple of Apollon and Asclepios, sometime in the next year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
