#jupiter deity

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Many people think that Zeus/Jupiter is OoC in this tale, but that's really not the case. Aside from not trying to have intercourse with Psyche, he is very much in character. But more on that later.

Up until the fourth task Psyche got help or guidence from nature (animals and plants). As I already mentioned Psyche tries to commit suicide at the beginning of every new task, this time by throwing herself from a high tower. Now, imagine THIS VERY TOWER giving you a speech with suicide prevention PSA, instructions how to enter the underworld w/o dying (while referencing some irl locations e.g. Cape Taenarum) and low-key social commentary (a tower accuses Charon of greed, and how the poor have to save money for their own death).

The only time Eros/Cupid uses his arrow on Psyche is after her underworld quest to wake her up after Stygian sleep. However, the touch of the arrow is described as "harmless".

Speaking of Eros, Aphrodite had locked him up to prevent him from reuniting with Psyche. He escaped by flying out of a window.

I'm personally quite puzzled on why he tells Psyche to deliver the jar to Venus/Aphrodite anyway, given the content of the jar and what else his mother can do to Psyche who is still a mortal.

Though he heads to Zeus/Jupiter to arrange a proper wedding this time. Much like Aphrodite he complains about Cupid's mischiviousness and blames him for his own infidelity, promiscuity and his transformations into animals for intercourse (he acts like it's shameful for him). Still Zeus much makes a deal with Eros by asking for another beautiful girl for himself in exchange for the approval of the marriage. See? Zeus is very much in character. (Also love it implies that a person shot by Cupid is still responsible for their actions)

Perhaps another social commentary but gods must attend the wedding under the threat of being fined hundred pieces of gold.

When the old woman finished narating the tale, Lucius (the protagonist of the Golden Ass) described her as drunken and half-demented (might explain the talking tower thing lol) but he liked the tale enough to wish he could write it down (he was transformed into a donkey back then), thankfully Apuleius was more lucky than his character.

Jupiter is the rain that waters your plants and soothes you with its sound as you sleep. He's also the great storms and power that rain has and we must address through climate change care

Minerva is wisdom. You find her when learning something new about anything on the internet; when your elders teach you an old recipe or a way to do a craft; when you study for an exam and pass; She's also there when you struggle with your studies or can't wrap your head around a topic.

Mercury is there when you buy or sell something; when you find a new gig that allows you to get through the week; when you finally have enough for that thing you wanted. He's also there when you struggle with finances and when you help a friend in need.

Mercury is there when you study a new language; when you can't quite comprehend grammar classes; when you crack a joke; when you travel or go on a road trip, the whole road there is Mercury

So I was driving with my family in a carr and on one side of us was land and the other side of us was and island and that island had like pillars and pillars making like a triangle but not a full triangle and on those pillars there were statues (the gods) and so I told my dad and he was like "yeah! That's Alaska!" Even though I was in america and the island was really close to the land. This is what the island looked like \/ also I took a picture when I saw it

So then we kept driving down the street and eventually we (we as my family) pass a nothing statue on the land and I was like woah so I took a picture! This was the statue \/

So then we kept driving down the street. At the end of the street I saw this same statue /\ but instead of his hand on his hip, he had a thumbs up and on his chest he had a Biggby coffee logo on his chest like this \/

(instead of his hand down it was out but I don't know how to draw that)

.: iapygian deity associated with horses :.

[IMG TRANSCRIPTION: H Y Z I H … Δ Ε Λ Ε Μ Ε Ζ Η Ν Α Ι | DESCRIPTION: a ring found in the village of Duvanli, Bulgaria, depicting a horse with a rider. | SOURCE: Ivan Duridanov, The Language of the Thracians, VI: The Thracian inscriptions.]

.: :.

While Menzanas is also considered an epithet of Zis (Zeus), and the Roman grammarian Festus calls him Iuppiter Menzana, Menzanas may well have originally been a deity of his own. Just as Iuppiter and Zeus are kings among gods, Menzanas seems to have been super important in Messapia, so it’s….. plausible that your average Roman travel writer was like “oh so he’s Jupiter then, got it.” After Roman conquest, however, inscriptions in sanctuaries show that Jupiter and Menzanas truly were syncretized by worshipers.

“Menzanas” basically means “horse guy” in Messapic. Various Greek/Roman writers mention that a horse was sacrificed each year to Menzanas in Messapia. Even Messapus, the friend of Aeneas who Messapia is named for (by outsiders), was a horse-tamer in the Aeneid.

I’ve seen multiple scholars refer to Menzanas as “la somma divinità”—the supreme divinity of the Messapians. Greek- and Latin-speaking authors describe a yearly ritual among Messapians in which a horse is burned in sacrifice to Menzanas. This is one of the only etic descriptions we have of Iapygian ritual—the rest of our understanding of Iapygian religious practices comes almost entirely from archaeological evidence.

.: :.

Sources:

Ciro Santoro, “Il lessico del ‘divino’ e della religione messapica,” in Atti del IX Convegno dei Comuni Messapici, Peuceti e Dauni, Oria 24-25 novembre 1984 (Bari: Societa di Storia per la Puglia, 1989), 139-80.

J.-L. Lamboley, Recherches sur les messapiens (Roma: École Française de Rome, 1996), 434-435.

In contemporary Roman pagan practice, I have never heard of anyone being a complete zealot of the faith. I have never read of anyone upholding fanaticism for the Gods, and having this burning devotion for them. It’s similar to one of my previous articles I wrote about solitude and hermits. I’ve never heard of it but I’m sure it existed. Same with fanatic zealots. Recently I’ve been having this feeling like I want to be completely imbued with the passion of the Gods to the point of undying devotion. Obviously not the the point of extremist actions (violence, etc), but spending every moment of free thought in dedication to the Gods. Meditating, honouring, writing and other devotional activities, similar to that of monasticism. There are many distractions in this world that keep me from completely immersing myself into doing this and I am constantly reminding myself that I must put mind before matter. Gods before worldly things.

What will this achieve? What purpose would this serve me? I feel dirty. I feel unclean. I have done things that I regret. Things that I hate myself for. I have done things and seen things I want to forget. My mind works in strange ways. Doubt, anxiety, regret, sometimes anger. It's likely I overthink everything and this is why I end up regretting and hating myself. The Gods may be able to help me. The Gods may be able to repair me. Shifting my mind and energy towards devotion of the Gods may change how I think. It may help me overcome the past. It may help me feel clean again, it may help me feel whole. I must no longer place faith in the institutions and organizations of society, but in the Gods themselves. It will take time, and likely many meditation sessions and offerings to determine if this is what the Gods want, if this is their will. I've been feeling these vibes, but whether or not the Gods wish this of me is to be determined yet.