Friday, July 5, 2002

Aset (Egyptian)

Aset

Alternative Names:
Auset, Isis(Greek)

Section: Egyptian Mythology


Supreme goddess of magic and wisdom, mother of Heru, associated with the vulture, a protector spirit, and the cobra, the only creature in all creation made by someone other than Amun. She retrieved and remade Ausar's mutilated body with the help of Anpw and her sister Nebt-het, so that his soul, and all who came after, could enjoy the afterlife.

Aset was the Queen of the Gods, and the wife of Asar.

When Asar was killed and Set threatened to become King, Aset threw a party. But she conspired with her sister Nebt-het, the wife of Set. Aset dressed as Nebt-het, and when Set was thourghly drunk, she began her plan. She first asked Set if her son could become king now with Osiris dead. Set, thinking they were discussing Anpw, agreed. It was then she revealed her real identity, and declared Heru King. That act, along with Asar's murder, set off the Heru-Set war.

Wednesday, July 3, 2002

Asclepius (Greek)

Asclepius


A god of healing. His symbol is a snake. His parents were Apollo and Coronis. His birth was accompanied by scandal. While carrying him Coronis slept with Ischys. This was considered an insult. The act was reported to Apollo by a crow. Apollo turned all crows, until then white, to black to mark that they were untrustworthy. Apollo then felt compelled to slay Coronis with his arrows. He rescued Asclepius from her funeral pyre.

Asclepius was raised by Chiron. Chiron taught him healing which he went on to perfect. Athena gave him two vials of Gorgon's blood. Blood from the right side of the Gorgon revived life. Blood from the left killed. Asclepius started using the blood to raise dead mortals. For this overstepping of bounds Zeus killed him with a thunderbolt.

Apollo could not take revenge on Zeus himself. So he killed the Cyclopes that forged the thunderbolt.