#Baal Records

[soulmusicsongs]

Man With A Gun - Funkgus (Man With A Gun, 1974)

#Soul #Soul Music #Soul Music Songs #Music #Music Songs #Funkgus #Man With A Gun #Baal Records #Youtube

[bladesbreastmilk]

Poseidon x Male Baal Reader

'In which our beloved shogun gets married to Poseidon.'(Way before Ragnarok)

Headcanons:

• This was all Zeus's idea cuz he didn't want his big brother lonely (bro was getting desperate at this point after so many failures.)

• Bro legit ordered Brunhilde to summon someone from another world and that's where you come in.

• You our dear shogun were just drinking and eating dango with Yae til all of sudden you are covered in light.

• When you opened your eyes to look round  only to stop and see an old looking as man along with black (or dark blue) haired woman.

• "This isn't Inazuma."were the first words you had spoken,making Zeus laugh while Burnhilde grinned as she saw you as a tool to save humanity from extinction.

• Mindful of your confusion,Zeus decided to tell you why you were summoned here and boy you were pissed.

• Like all you wanted was your dango but now you're going to have to marry the sea god because Zeus said that he was lonely🧍‍♂️.

(If you (don't) like the headcanons then thats fine because I can change it if you want lol. :D)

#record of ragnarok poseidon #rorxmale reader #ror poseidon #ror poseidon x male reader #male raiden shogun reader #genshin impact x record of ragnarok #idk man #came to my mind #male baal reader #original work ? #saw a story of kny with a male baal reader #Inspired lol #I'm sure that this is very original lmao #poseidon x male reader

[sigyns-drafts]

Can you do a reader X Baal X Anat RoR story?

Baal is the Canaanite God of storms, fertility, and harvest (sometimes also being seen as a god of Spring due to him dying to Möt and his rebirth by having Anat (the Canaanite goddess of war) going to Hymr (the Underworld) and saving him.). He's seen as a gentle god to them but can have a bit of a temper if you mess with him, his lover, or his followers.

I'm thinking that the reader, Baal, and Anat are in the temple of Baal ( in Canaanite mythos, the gods lived in their temples and were dressed, fed, and cared for by their priests) when Baal or Anat gets called to fight Alexander the not so Great. You can choose who wins or of its wholesome or a bit of angst

Sorry if this is vague and you can't write it

A/N: Don't worry about it Anon, I usually only write for the characters I know about but this gave me such a great opportunity to learn something new! I just had to take the chance!! I'm sorry I took so long!

I hope I got it right, please enjoy it~♡

The storm gods eternal supporters 💙🌪

➩ Y/N once a worshipper to the god couple Baal and Anat, found themselves to have become their lover!Things were great for them and their relationship thrived while living in Canaan.

But one day their messenger brings serious news about Ragnarok having started, and either Baal or Anat are forced to fight for the gods. Causing disturbance to their peaceful lives!

➩ Reader type: Mortal Gn! Reader x Anat x Baal

⚠: Mild injury, light angst, arguing between couple, death of a character!

In the heart of Canaan, amidst the golden fields of wheat and the roar of distant thunderstorms, stood the grand temple of Baal.

It was a place of reverence and worship, where the Canaanite people gathered to pay homage to their beloved deity, the God of storms, fertility, and harvest.

Within its sacred walls, Baal, alongside his cherished lover Anat, resided, watched over and cared for by their devoted priests.

Y/N, a faithful follower of Baal and Anat, often found solace and guidance within the temple's hallowed halls.

They would offer prayers and sacrifices, seeking the benevolent favor of their gods, to be closer to them somehow.

One fateful day this wish that felt impossible came true, as Y/N was welcomed to become more than a worshipper, a friend, a lover.

All thanks to their endless devotion!

But happiness as it seemed wouldn't last forever once Ragnarok came around and on this particular day, the tranquility of the temple was shattered by urgent whispers and hurried footsteps in the distance.

Y/N looked up, their heart skipping a beat as they saw their loyal messenger before them. Anat and Baal pulls Y/N by their was it, closer to themselves protectingly.

There was a tension in the air, a sense of foreboding that Y/N couldn't shake.

Before Y/N could ask what was even going on, the messenger breathless and wild-eyed, finally spoke about the news he bore.

"My lords," he gasped, "The gods of Valhalla demand one of you to duel against Alexander the Great. Ragnarok it has-"

Anat's eyes blazed with fury, her grip on her spear tightening, she couldn't believe what she was hearing! Baal, usually serene and gentle, puts his hand on Anat's to calm her.

"We must act swiftly then, I will go and fight for us. I'll spare you from another battle my darling Anat.." He declared, his voice resonating with power and love.

Y/N and Anat stared at the god in disbelief, Anat's face tensing up with tears rolling down her face, rather than turning soft like Baal had hoped for.

"Are you out of your mind Baal! I shall confront this so called Alexander the great and protect you and Y/N from harm."

Y/N's heart clenched with fear at the thought of Baal or Anat facing such a formidable foe.

They pleaded silently for both their safety, knowing that with Baal's gentle nature could be overshadowed by his wrath if provoked, as well for Anat, who often could be reckless.

Baal's gaze hardened, something he rarely could do, especially to his lovers.

"As I've said I'll not risk your safety, Anat. This fight is mine to face alone.."

Anat clenched her first, the weight of their decision hanging heavy in the air. But before their debate could escalate further, a voice soft interrupted them.

"I know you want to protect us Baal, but understand where Anat is coming from.." declared Y/N, their voice gentle yet firm.

Baal and Anat turned to regard Y/N, their presence softened the tension between the bickering lovers. Anat's eyes softened as she reached out to caress Y/N's cheek.

Thankful for their understanding.

"Thank you my sweet Y/N, this is exactly why we adore you so~"

Y/N accepts the goddess and her warm caress, letting Anat stroke the side of their face until Y/N let's their hand cover Anat's.

Anat looks confused at her lover.

"But.. I do believe Baal should get the chance to prove himself, Anat."

"No.. No! I cannot bear to see Baal in harm's way! Please understand Baal!!"

Y/N smiled reassuringly at Anat, pulling her into a embrace while she panicked.

"Trust in our bond, Anat. Together, we can weather any storm." Baal spoke reassuringly, joining in on their shared embrace.

With a nod and a few tears, Anat reluctantly agreed to the decision. Baal would be the one to face Alexander, with Anat and Y/N standing vigil at the sidelines watching.

When that day came Anat and Y/N nervously watched, comforting each other.

The battlefield raged with the fury of a thousand storms as Baal clashed with Alexander. Lightning crackled and thunder roared, shaking the very foundations of the cosmos.

Baal fought with all his might, his power unleashed in a torrent of divine wrath. But Alexander proved to be a formidable opponent, his tactics cunning and his resolve unyielding.

Baal found himself gravely wounded, his strength waning with each passing moment.

Anat's cry of anguish pierced the chaos of battle, tears streaming down her cheeks as she watched her beloved falter. Y/N's heart ached at the sight too, their own tears mingling with Anat's.

Baal, battered and bruised, felt the darkness closing in around him. But then, amidst the cacophony of battle, he heard their cries.

The voices of his beloveds reached him, stirring something deep within his soul.

With a roar of defiance, Baal summoned every last ounce of strength within him. With renewed determination, he pressed on, his every strike fueled by the love and devotion of Anat and Y/N.

Finally, the tide of battle turned. Alexander faltered before the might of Baal's fury.

With one final, decisive blow, Baal emerged victorious. As the dust settled, Baal stumbled forward, his wounds still raw and bleeding.

But then, he saw them, his lovers rushing to his side, their arms open wide in welcome. With a grateful yet weak smile, Baal collapsed into their embrace, the weight of his victory and his wounds finally catching up to him.

But in the arms of his beloveds, he found solace and strength, knowing that together, they would weather any storm that came their way.

#writing #record of ragnarok #shuumatsu no valkyrie #reader x canon #ror #snv #ror Baal #ror Anat #baal #Anat #light angst #slight angst #angst #arguing #polyamory #poly couple #gn reader #alexander the great

[krysmcscience]

Here, have some actual scribbles

The 'intended as keepers, perhaps' line makes me think that Shamura just yeeted these two kittens at Narinder with Zero Explanation and then quickly noped out before he could ask even a single question such as 'HEY WHAT THE FUCK'

I do not headcanon this big beautiful bastard as a dad figure, for the record. Rather, I headcanon Aym and Baal initially thinking, 'Welp, this guy might have to be our new dad for lack of anything better around', before eventually deciding, 'Oh HELL no he's not our dad, he's just our weird teacher or something, we can NOT risk familial affiliation with this nutjob, have you SEEN what he did to his siblings???'

They still loaf on him, though.

Don't ask where they got the mug from in the infinite void of the afterlife. It's better not to ask questions about the logistics of these things.

And now, a goofy comic:

Narinder's gotta be the most intolerable follower imaginable for the first few days. ...Weeks. ......Months. .........Years.

#cult of the lamb #cotl #cotl narinder #cotl aym #cotl baal #'what is this - a coffee mug for ants?' -narinder probably #cotl yellow cat #cotl lamb

[winterpantsu]

Has anyone made an AU where the lamb is an idol? 

Like they can be an underground idol, their manager, Baal and Aym are Narinder‘s bodyguards, who also play the music for Lamb’s performances

The bishop could be like ceos of a well established record company?

Just a thought

#cotl #cult of the lamb #cult of the lamb au #cotl au

[magnetothemagnificent]

Do Jewish people have their own fairy tales? Have they ever been published in books?

We absolutely do!

I wouldn't call them fairy tales, though, we call them Midrash, Aggadah, Chassidishe Meises, and folk tales, among many other names. They range from fairytale-like stories with fantastical creatures such as the Ziz, demons, vampires, ghosts, angels, and Golems, to stories about Jewish miracle-workers such as Shlomo HaMelech, Choni Ha'Meagel, and the Baal Shem Tov, to name a few. These stories range from historical accounts to parables to dreams, and they're all extremely important in Judaism and Jewish culture.

Every diasporic Jewish group has their own folktales, and we all have shared folktales regarding the Tanakhic era, and a lot of the Talmudical era.

Storytelling is very important in our culture, and every story is supposed to have a lesson within it. There's a concept in Judaism called "Ma'ase Avot Siman L'Banim", which translates to "A tale of the forefathers is a sign for the children". This means that every story that's was passed down and remembered and recorded was recorded for a reason, to be a lesson for the descendents who learn from it in the future. That's why seemingly inconsequensial happenings are recorded in the Tanakh, because they were recorded for a reason. We may not know the reason yet, but we can reinterpret and derive meaning from all our stories.

Publishing books and written text is extremely important in Judaism, and all these stories have been published multiple times over centuries, sometimes even millenia, in many different version and iterations. I couldn't even begin to try and list all of them, but I encourage you to browse through the links I've included for a good picture of the diversity and beauty of Jewish folk tales.

#jumblr #judaism #jewish folktales #jewish folklore #resources #midrash #aggadah

[skyartworkzzz]

AUS

hand em over

THE PANDORA'S BOX HAS BEEN OPENED UVE BEEN WARNED

List under the cut with me tryna be as brief as I can without spoiling a lot cuz I Will Prepare These Meals Eventuall-

GhostHunters AU

In this one, Lambert is a paranormal and horror youtuber alongside a few of my follower OCs, their content revolves around exploring abandoned places in search for ghost activities

The Bishops would be evil spirits here, possessed by vengeful desires

Eventually the ghosthunters go to an abandoned mansion famous for a family murder that happened in it long ago (smtng like the Amityville tragedy), which would be the Bishops mansion

As they spend time inside the house, they discover many secret passages, underground labyrinths and tombs, until coming to the dark realization that what seemed to have been an abandoned mansion actually turned out to be a secret spot for cult meetings, and with recent activity

I wanted to do this one in the style of camera-recording kinda shit yk, like told from the POV of somebody carrying a camera with night vision because there would be chases

There would be a time where everything goes dark in the mansion and the gang becomes trapped inside the house, so they try to find a way out through the basement, which is where they discover the secret passages to the cultists' ritual place

Throughout the journey, Lambert would've become accidentally attached to Narinder's ghost after finding a belonging of his which they were possessed into bringing along with them. Narinder then becomes a "personal guide" for Lamby as they make it through the mansion; he makes sure to keep them alive while showing little to no regard for their companions, much to Lambert's disdain (obv)

In actuality, Narinder's plan is to get Lambert out of the house in order to later possess their body, as a mean to come back to life himself

Lambert is the only one able to see Narinder....except for Felix. Ive now decided he would be the "I see dead people" guy hello

Beauty & The Beast AU

Lambert was given as sacrifice to appease Narinder’s hunger in order to avoid a prophecy from coming true, but in the end they did exactly what they were supposed to (this part is not too different from the game-)

Narinder is kept in a temple-castle kind of building, surrounded by a dead river and dense forests, with some of the nature already obstructing its way into the castle so you can find trees and moss in there on someplaces. The building is HUGE and used to be where Nari and his siblings lived in together, so there are many rooms

All Bishops are instead addressed as Lords. They are also huge, at least 3 meters and up taller than normal-sized creatures and still rulers of their respective domains. After the quarrel with Narinder, they all decided to live in their own lands inside their own temples and have been ruling the world likeso ever since

Lambert is the last of their kind, they were living with Ratau and Ratoo who are farmers, until the Bishops took them away to give to Narinder

Narinder was sealed in chains, his physical body is trapped inside of a room, until he eventually managed to project his eldritch self outside of it. So who Narinder is now is nothing more than the condensation of his power and soul. The sacrifices were offered to stop him from growing stronger and eventually lock him back into his carcass.

Narinder doesn't let anyone inside the room with his body inside, and carries the key for it wrapped around his ribcage

Narinder is cursed to stay within the grounds of his temple, he cannot leave to go beyond the bridge or even outside to his own yard, or else he gets burnt

Lambert eventually falls for the beast and promises to help him escape

Band AU

In this AU, the Bishops have a band known as (The) Bishops Of The Old Faith, until Narinder's plans for the band as a whole diverts from his mates, so he quits to make his own music group called The Ones Who Wait alongside Aym and Baal

Lambert is an orphan who was raised by Ratau (and Ratoo for a while). They work at his pub, The Lonely Shack, and play music for costumers from time to time on Fridays and Wednesdays

Both Ratau and Lambert have always been big fans of the BOTOF band, until Narinder split to create TOWW, which Lamby continued to listen to because Nari was in it. Eventually, auditions for a new member were open and Lamby decided to take the chance to sign up

They fail at first for being too nervous, but luckily the same night, Narinder (whilst undercover) visits the Lonely pub and perceives Lambert's performance, now more convinced of their abilities given how more naturally they played out compared to the audition. Lambert then joins TOWW's band as a roadie, doing what has to be done until Narinder is sure that they can handle the pressure of working with him

They eventually gain more recognition from the bandmates for their talents and manages to become an official member

The drama starts when TOWW becomes more and more popular, because although Lambert joined in, they hate the spotlight whilst Narinder is ambitiously seeking fame

Also in this AU, each Bishop has their own family! Nari included :D Which I may or my not design depending on how I feel about it UHANSJDMAKD

Royal AU

Fun fact about this one: was solely based on the fact that I wanted to see Lambert in this scene from the Cinderella movie Ever After, screaming about their family and getting viciously reprehended for it (love me angst <3)

Lambert is a peasant who had their family murdered by the Bishops for presumably not paying their taxes due to poverty, so they lived on the streets for a couple of years and lived off from stealing food and counting on luck to have a roof above their head for the night

The Bishops are addressed as Kings and Queens (except for Shamura, who is a Ruler) and each reign over their respective lands with their own castles to live in, but they govern under the same rules which are discussed in a communal temple at the middle of all the lands

Narinder is an exiled king who rules the lands of Limbo, which are smtng like a forbidden place of sorts. After his sibling quarrel, Nari was cursed to stay inside his own lands, being physically unable to leave his own territory, only its visitors are able to come and go unless they are blessed by the Red Crown

In the meantime he has been trapped, Narinder trained his armies for the day they are able to go forth from their barriers. He knows that they wouldn’t last against the power of 4 Crowns, but he cannot cast his own blessing upon his soldiers for it would prevent them to leave his kingdom as well, so he must break the curse first. He has been sending out thieves and spies in order to find the incantation and steal it away for him

One day, Lambert unknowingly sneaks into Narinder's room to hide away from guards who caught them stealing. When Narinder spots them, he is rather impressed by their abilities to make it past his own guards and him, so instead of giving them away he asks his army to train them (his plan is to eventually send them out as well to retrieve the curse incantation)

Lambert then becomes a knight apprentice under Ratau's care, who's a veteran and one of the most skilled warriors of Narinder

As time goes by, Lamby grows fond of their king and - ofc- falls for him, smtng which the King learns about through mind-reading and takes advantage of in order to increase Lambert's loyalty for him

Eventually, Lambert learns that their family was not killed for not paying their taxes, but rather because they were part of a resistance group that was against the Crowns. This will futurely make things harder for them to trust Narinder since he is a crown bearer and for Narinder to manipulate them, since he woudve developed feelings until there

Post-Apocalyptic AU

THIS ONE IS STILL FRESH NEW But I believe smtng like- hm Stranger Things, Last Of Us type of shit with how the monsters would look like

Maybe an apocalypse brought by literal Hell creatures, a lab failure or perhaps an organized doom

Maybe inspired by The Walking Dead games, how in some of them there were ppl who actually acted as if they ruled over the others, so like- I think the Bishops would be smtng amongst these lines "oh u want our resources? work for us" yk

Narinder would probably be an inbetween of that, but I like to imagine him as partially infected.....which is what makes him stronger than most

Whilst Lamb is one of the few, very rare few who is immune!

I think Lambert's family tried to get help with the Bishops once, but they didn't help them out, so Lambert grew resentful of them ever since and has lived on their own for a while alongside Ratau, until they eventually meet Aym and Baal who secretly work for Narinder, by scouting around the area to bring him food (which are. corpses........yeah)

Ill give this one some thought but it exists yes UINDJKLDAS

Rebellion AU

This one is also fresh new so I havent developed much of it aside from fantasizing about specific scenes, but basically: this AU explores the "what if the sheeps were stronger"

So every sheep here is much more violent than what I personally imagine them to be in the original game, they have a known base and village which is high-mid populated and are at constant war with heretics

The Bishops are also much stronger and beastial-like, succumbing fully to the power of the Crowns in order to resist against the sheeps' rebellion; their behavior is much colder and demonic, with little to no space for human emotions

The One Who Waits would be the sheeps' deity, which they worship and work their asses off in order to free

In this AU, Lambert's family is alive! But tragically more traumatized than their original selves

Maybe for the sake of the ship, I think the Lamb could either dream about Narinder every night for being very devoted to him, so they get ""divine interventions"" hehe, OR Narinder's presence could indeed be....lingering in the real world as a ghost of sorts or brief apparition, given that now the sheeps are fighting back the Crowns' power, that means that their influence wouldve been weaker. Which therefore could make way for their power over Narinder's prison to weaken as well, meaning that he could in fact be fred by simply killing the Bishops.

In Undertale language, this is basically a horror x fell version of COTL UDNJDSKDMASD

I THINK THESE ARE ALL THE ONES I CAN Say smtng about for now I still have to think more throughly about Role Swap, Pirates, maybe a Mafia one...................... not to mention the last 2 need more work to them as well

BUT THESE ARE THE AUS I HAVE IN STOCK FOR NOW I hope yall enjoy the read tysm for asking HURGHHK!!! 😭💜

#ask #cotl #cotl au #cotl aus #im so normal i am very norma-

[niicevibe]

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 | 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 -> kunikuzushi x fem!reader

𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 ✦ it's finally here!! i'm so excited to finally share this story with you. as a reminder before we begin, unfortunately, updates won't be regular, but i'll do my best to keep you all updated on progress. you're welcome to check out/follow the official 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 tag (★・・・heartstrings) to see if anything new has come up :) ✦ at the end of each chapter, should any be used, you'll find a glossary of terms & definitions. you'll also likely see information answering any questions for the canon lore and the non-canon story lore. if there's something unanswered, don't hesitate to ask about it! :)

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 ✦ not beta'ed (i'm a coward); kunikuzushi is not mentioned in this chapter; canon & non-canon lore pertaining to kannazuka island & inazuma (see end notes); mentions of blood & death, mild description of corpses; implied (but not explicitly mentioned) reader death.

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 ✦ baal (mikoto), beelzebub (ei), murata, orobashi

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 ✦ 3.8k words

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Your lungs empty, the sight before you horrid enough to steal your breath away in an instant. You're not usually this swayed-- after all that you've seen over the past few months, it's rare for even the cruelest of scenes to get such an expressive reaction out of you, the numerous horrors personally faced quick to numb you in such a short time. Somehow, you manage to surprise yourself today.

Because you've never seen so much red in one place before.

You manage to stumble, the scent of iron overwhelming enough to dizzy you into tripping over a piece of the upturned landscape. What you stand on used to be a shrine for one of the gods, not one so prominent that their presence or the construction of said shrine would impact the people of Inazuma, but the disrespect in its destruction is obvious. Whatever former glory it might've held existed as a memory to those who crossed its path-- now, crumbled and decaying megaliths sit scattered about Kannazuka's highest hill, mingling with the carnage.

Something wet squelches beneath your waraji. You freeze, and allow your gaze to flit down to your feet, lips parting in abject horror as more red appears, soaking into the white cloth of your tabi. You knew the liquid hadn't been from the absurd amount of rain that often plagued the island; the clouds above you were not weather clouds, after all. Your head snaps back up, and as hard as you try, it's almost too difficult now to convince yourself it's anything other than blood. So, you begin to collect the facts rather than collect yourself.

What happened here, exactly? This temple of the gods, likely abandoned before its desecration, had always been quiet, according to the rumours. You'd forgotten who its patron was; which tutelary deity was it again, who had taken up the mantle of being Kannazuka's protector, a fealty pledged to the Electro Archon, herself, in exchange for a place to call one's own? For some reason, despite of your learned nature of Inazuma's recorded history, you can't seem to recall it. A lesser god of little importance, you'd supposed, though you wouldn't dare say this aloud.

If this god was tasked with protecting one of Inazuma's islands and its people, why in Teyvat were their corpses scattered at its highest peak? Why is it so difficult for you to find a foothold on this bloodstained terrain that doesn't already have a disfigured body, nor a severed limb, in its place? Where is this patron god?

You press forward. As much as you wish it weren't necessary, the only way for you to reach the fragmented shrine is to step on the fallen. You swallow, your throat suddenly tightening when your heel meets a smaller object. You don't have to look down to know what it is. Eventually, you reach a safe place to pause, though the earth still pools with red when you step down onto it. You look up at the shrine of this forgotten god, your frown only deepening when you realize that only the front porch and entryway are what remain. The rest of it, by some extreme means, had been blown away.

Care killed the cat, you think as you round the shrine's mantle, tiptoeing toward the edge of the hill. With one leg extended to safety, you peer over the edge to find the rest of the shrine far at the base of the hill, hundreds of meters away from its original home.

"Be careful," a voice suddenly calls. You nearly leap out of your chilled skin, fear lighting a fire beneath you to move you away from the edge as fast as possible and whirl you around to face who spoke. Perched on the top of one of the large stone monoliths sits a skinny, bloodied man, dark-skinned and red-haired, knees tucked up into his chest with his cheek resting against them. He blinks at you. "You might've fallen."

"A..." Your voice catches in your throat; you quickly clear it. "Are you the one that did all of this?"

While appearing impassive, his tone is hesitant. "Not directly." With an unnoticeable twitch of your finger, a dark metaled sphere rises from your hip and joins you to float at your side. The man's head lifts. "Wait. Stop. I am not a threat."

"We live in a time where knowing who is a friend and who is a foe matters not," you argue, approaching him slowly. "Having had to raise my hand to people I have called "family", I have no qualms over doing so against a stranger. Explain yourself, or let your crypticity be your final act."

The man's eyebrows turn down, not in anger, but in displeasure; exhaustion.

"... please," he murmurs, placing his chin back between his knees, seemingly hugging his legs even closer to him. "No more fighting."

No more fighting? your thoughts echo. This man is covered in blood that clearly does not belong to him, and yet he does not wish to fight?

"Who are you," you demand, and while your catalyst no longer spins in battle anticipation, it awaits your command from next to your elbow. "Speak, or there will be a fight whether you wish for one or not."

Eyes lidded, he glances at you from his lap.

"I am a god," he says. He huffs dryly. "Was a god. This was my temple. My shrine. My home."

"You are the deity who was supposed to protect this place?"

"Hm. I did good, didn't I." Your lips part at him, but no words leave you. "All of these people... trusted in me to protect them. I swore to them that I would. "Join me in the shrine," I told them. I made them gather here... so I could protect them all together."

"You corralled them into their deaths," you surmise.

"I suppose that I did." He turns to you once more. "You are of Inazuma, are you not?"

"... I am," you admit.

"Yet you do not know who I am, or rather, you have forgotten me, yes?"

"If I had to ask of you your identity, then I suppose that could be correct."

"Or maybe it is that you do not believe in the gods," he assumes. His dark eyes narrow toward the bright red Vision hanging off of your belt. "And yet, you wield the potential to become one, dearest allogene."

"... how is it you came to the conclusion that I am a non-believer?" you ask. "That's rather blasphemous to suggest considering what kind of land we now live in."

"Potentially, yes." He makes an expression of amusement, but it is stale. Half-hearted. "But we have given humanity little reason to keep believing, haven't we. We've failed your kind too many times."

"People still revere the Archons," you point out.

"Revery is only steps away from fear. Did the history of the Archon War teach you nothing?"

"Well, clearly you survived it, when it had been said gods were being slaughtered left and right. Is that fealty you pledged still serving you? Or are you only able to cower while on the shores of this island? Of Inazuma?"

"... I don't dare travel to Liyue nor Fontaine, if this is what you are asking of me." You refrain from laughing. Not the time, not the place. "And I cannot return to Natlan, either. Though, I think I may dare to make a request to return to Celestia before the day's end."

"Since you have bothered to mention this to me, dare I assume I can ask why?"

"For repentance. Or punishment. Nowadays, they are one in the same. I welcome either. After all, aside from you and from I, there is no one left on Kannazuka to defend. I don't dare trespass onto Yashiori or Watatsumi. That Orobashi and I... never got along."

An unnameable sensation passes through your chest, a trigger for you to send your catalyst back to your hip. The nameless god notices this and sighs.

"Have I been deemed non-threatening enough that I no longer warrant you having your weapon drawn?" he inquires.

"... that's not the word I would use," you mumble. "For a god, well, speaking candidly, you are quite pathetic."

"You are a brave one, dearest allogene. No wonder you received Murata's Vision. I suppose this is how you have survived this long."

"No. I only received this Vision a fortnight ago. It would have spared me from a great injury if it arrived a day prior to that, and a great headache two months before then."

He hadn't noticed it before, the bandages crawling up from the tips of your fingers and up and into your shirtsleeve. Under his fiery gaze, you begin to feel unsettled, and so, the subject is changed.

"How did this happen?" The nameless god returns his gaze to his own person. "And why are you covered in blood?"

He swallows thickly. "Have you been made aware, the cause of this sudden calamity?" You shake your head.

"No one in Inazuma knows much of anything anymore, other than how to pick up a weapon and fight."

"That certainly is going around Teyvat in plentiful supply, I am afraid to inform you. Inazuma is not the only nation under attack by these strange beings." Once more, the breath from your lungs is quickly filtered out.

"These strange creatures are all over the continent? It isn't just attacking us?" For the nameless god, it is difficult to tell whether you are relieved or in despair at this news. "Where did they come from?"

"The godless nation of Khaenri'ah," he answers before falling silent. You wait for him to continue, until it becomes clear that these had been his final words on the topic.

"Why are you covered in blood, nameless god?"

From his perch atop the shattered stone, he extends his thin legs in a stretch on his way to the ground. He doesn't land in a normal fashion, either, instead appearing to have floated onto the blood-soaked hill, his first step feather-light. Perhaps this explains his bird-like features, you allow yourself to muse.

"Unlike the Archons of Teyvat, lesser gods such as I or Orobashi often rely on reverence and the faith of you humans to draw on our power. I cannot speak for that slithering beast; however, I tend to require more than average. I do not normally possess the physical strength necessary to protect my people. That is not where my true powers lie."

He moves from the entrance of his former temple, feet wading through the puddles of red, the grass beneath him flicking specks of blood onto the hemming of his white hakama.

"I gathered them atop this hill to pray for me so I might save them from the calamity of Khaenri'ah. I knew that this plan could turn on its head; I only made it easier for those beasts to harm them, and... I... could do nothing."

"Did their prayers not reach you?" you ask, while already sure of that impossibility.

"... no, they were received. I simply became... complacent. What is that new age term you humans use? ... ah. I "let myself go". This vessel of mine could not control the power they blessed me with, and along with the devils from Khaenri'ah, I destroyed my own people." He crouches down to shut the eyes of a young woman lying at his feet. "Perhaps I... am a calamity all on my own."

You open your mouth to speak, but only a broken sigh escapes you. At the very least, you had hoped it had been the creatures who were solely at fault. What are you to do with this knowledge? It's not like a human can punish a god. Can the Electro Archon judge him? Or does Celestia take care of godly affairs? Who is to absolve and avenge these poor humans who put their faith in some... false deity?

"... I think you're right," you say lowly. "All of you gods are just... one great, big, calamitous force. Somehow, we allowed you to rule over us in exchange for a half-hearted promise of protection and a bit of your power. Case and point, a majority of you have yet to deliver or have failed to deliver on that promise. I also think that if not for this grave mistake that Khaenri'ah allowed to happen, they would be right in not relying on the gods to take care of them, or, at the very least, smart."

The nameless god releases a dry, humourless laugh.

"The salt you rub in these wounds of mine are coarse, dearest allogene."

"Of yours?" A laugh of your own escapes you, choked and disbelieving. "That's not the blood of a god I see soaked into your hakama, you nameless fool."

He rises, onto his feet, and above the grass line on his way to you. Your chest heaves, a heavy breath passing through your lungs, but you stand your ground.

"Forget bravery," he says. "Your misplaced bravado, or whichever delusion fuels your cruel ejaculate, might have been the death of you should those creatures have any sentience. But I, a god, have indulged your insults twice over now." He looms over you by an easy two feet, and by looking up at him and seeing him as up close as you do, you realize, perhaps, he isn't as herbivorous nor bird-like as you once thought. "I am not so benevolent as one might think. Would you care to try for a third insult?"

No, the sharp teeth lining the entirety of his melancholy grimace suggest something far more vicious.

"By all means," you hiss at him. "Allow Celestia and the Electro Archon, herself, to judge you once more. One more death shouldn't matter."

"Death?" he repeats, sounding almost amused now. "No, no, what I would elect to do to you is far more harsh. Death would be only too easy for such a smart aleck human. And I warned you... that this "nameless god" is tired of fighting, dearest allogene."

Before the sudden movement can register, the man has plucked you off the ground with his hand curled around your chin. A sharp gasp escapes you, the pain of his grip and the dead weight dangling beneath you causing a fiery ache to spread everywhere above your jaw. Your arms raise in your defence, fingers grabbing at his immortal flesh, nails fruitlessly digging away at his wrists-- he's a god! He's a god! He's a god! your thoughts, quick to race through your mind, scream at you. Nothing you do will harm him, after all.

Something behind him flickers, and you just barely catch it through watering eyes. Orange, almost like a flame, and it flaps like a wing, startling you in your state of hyperarousal. Much of your air gone from your lungs, filtering in bubbles of oxygen that only barely keep your consciousness afloat, you fear delirium.

The nameless god's eyes narrow at you, in the same moment an uncomfortable heat swirls around your body. It has you go limp, your fingers slipping from prying at his knuckles, the intensity of it too much to withstand on sheer willpower alone.

"You are the first human to have expressed such blatant disrespect to not only me, but to the Archons and Celestia, itself," he murmurs. "How arrogant. Being so battled-hardened has turned dissolved all common sense in these humans. A grand reset for Teyvat would not be such a bad venture-- maybe Khaenri'ah is correct, as you so deludedly suggested."

A grand... reset?

"Death really would be much too easy for you, little genshin, but, I will offer you one chance to escape my hand."

His grip on you falters enough that you're dropped several feet back down to the blood-soaked grass, the hilltop squelching beneath your weight. If the lack of air hadn't been awful enough, the smell of iron makes the space beneath your tongue tingle and the back of your throat burn. In your discomfort, you squint up at him, massaging your rapidly bruising jawline, to find that he scarcely looks as he had before.

The strange orange object you had seen only moments ago belongs to a great, big pair of wings, each pennon the length of a fully grown man, if not wider when they preen outward and away from him. Their colour shifts along a spectrum of flames, orange to red to yellow, and cast almost a sickening glow upon your fast-paling skin,

"If you can answer my next question, I will allow you to leave this place unharmed, and with the blessing of a god. Refuse to answer, against my better judgment, your life will end by my hand. But answer incorrectly, and you'll find that your life will have just begun."

"You're mad," you wheeze, your chest tight with fear. "You are insane!! Spare me your cryptic words, I already said! Just be done with me already!"

"And I said it would be too easy. You are at my mercy. You do not get to make demands." You let out a seething breath, his sudden willingness for a purposeless murder sending wave after wave of nausea rippling across your blood-soaked body. "Simply answer... one question." You swallow something sharp. "What is my name?"

Your lips part in the same moment your heart sinks into your stomach.

"Y-You already full well know that I do not know your name!" you cry. "How in the world is this a fair question to ask?!"

"It is not," the nameless god sneers, "but I never claimed it would be." A choked sob escapes you, and in your sorrow, you collapse your face into your bloodied hands, numb to the strong scent of iron. After everything you've endured, after this distance you travelled in an attempt to achieve solace through all of your losses, and through your achievements, and this is the way it's going to end for-- "You would be wise to answer quickly, dearest allogene. All this fighting... truly drains away one's benevolence."

"I-I..."

Your head pounds with each incessant tap of his foot into the wet grass, every squelch into the earth sending your stomach reeling. Red rain, not blood, you attempt to delude yourself; not blood. Of course, when you open your eyes to try and glare at the painfully ethereal man hovering over you, it is all you see.

You were blessed with having parents who thought it important to have a learned daughter, and in turn, you swore to them to learn all you possibly could from them. Arithmetic, the arts, the languages of Teyvat, Inazuma's grand history of war and of the gods-- your land was rich with knowledge and beauty; you never stopped learning, never desired to stop learning.

Most of the gods you studied died off long ago during the events of the Archon War, but the few that remained were quick to align themselves with those who took the throne of each nation. It would appear that this cruel god pledged himself loyal to the Electro Archon of Inazuma, though by his appearance, you could only suppose that he originated from Natlan prior to his ascension. Naturally, this is less than helpful for you. There have been so many gods that have come and gone from Natlan, not only by means of the war, but by its ruler's own fiery temper, a indication to her being the Pyro Archon.

It is not that you do not believe in the gods. Of course they exist. The Archon War hadn't been the only proof of this, naturally. But you do not believe in them. There is no faith to be held in their regard; no honour in praying to them nor worshipping them from the earth they scarcely walk on. Why bother, when they have never answered your cries? Why, when all they could do in spite of their great powers, was deliver you an ornament of flame with the message, "Go. Fight."

What even is there to revere if you are doing their job and protecting humanity?

It's how you arrived on Kannazuka, after all. Knowing it to be mainly desolate with the exception of a small Inazuman tribe and the one misplaced god who should have never settled there to begin with, and thinking it relatively small enough that not many of those creatures would bother to linger. The god would protect his small population, and you, when you arrived. You wouldn't have to fight for your life... not anymore.

"Y... You useless, nameless god," you seethe into your lap. He does not speak, he does not laugh; there is no noise between you besides the distant lapping of waves against the shores of the island and the shudder of leaves on barren, decaying trees.

"I have no possible or fathomable clue of what your name could be. So, before my death, or my life, I shall name you "Devil", for that is what you are. All of your glory as a god-- what could even you do for your people besides mercifully suiciding them to guard them from those horrors? Let me join them in their freedom-- finally. I refuse to remain on the same land as you a minute longer."

The winged god peruses you for the entirety of that minute.

""Devil" is a fitting alternative," he says. "Beel and Beelzebub would approve of such a moniker. I have not been well-liked nor received warmly by many in over a millennia, even by my adoptive progenitors. Yes, "Devil" is a good guess. But it is not a correct one."

Your muscles give out, and your spine suddenly lacks the strength to keep you sitting upright. There is that heat again, you dare to whine. I am... truly about to die.

When the nameless god crouches before you, his wings curl over your form, shielding you from the unnatural violet light swirling in the skies over Kannazuka. It's dark beneath them, the only light coming from the dim glow of his feathers, and it makes you tremble. Being so close to such a being frightens you more than any of those beasts from Khaenri'ah did.

"It is ironic, me coming to this land," he suddenly muses. Looking up at him, you realize this is the first expression other than melancholy that he has worn since meeting him. You wish he hadn't smiled just now. Somehow, the pain in your chest worsens. "Godless before, and it will be godless again. Upon my return to Celestia, perhaps I will inquire as to why they thought it fitting to have granted you a Vision, you weak little genshin."

His hand lowers slowly to hover in front your face. Your heavy breathing, loud and filled with whimpers, is the first to come in contact with it before each of the pads of his fingers press like a five-pointed star against you, and almost instantaneously, you fall silent, and your Pyro Vision fades to black.

The nameless god draws his hand away, collapsing back off of his haunches when your lifeless body collides against his, sighing deeply.

"Do not be so foolish in your next life, little genshin. It is as you say... we are useless gods."

𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒

According to the lore surrounding Kannazuka Island, the prefix "Kan" can translate to "no gods". In this story, consider the island to have been named long ago, prior to this nameless god presiding over it. As this nameless god ends up forgotten when the only people to have ever worshipped him were killed, this is why he mentions the "irony" of his situation. Raiden Mikoto and Raiden Ei were called "Baal" and "Beelzebub", respectively, as a reference to the Ars Goetia, of whom a majority of the gods in Genshin Impact are inspired from. When y/n called the nameless god "Devil", this is in homage to his origin. Try and guess which one the nameless god might be!

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐆𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐘

waraji -> japanese bamboo sandals tabi -> the socks worn with waraji; fends off blisters and chafing fortnight -> fourteen days ago. hakama -> a ceremonial garment, but is also worn by nobility. in modern times, those who practice kendo wear them as part of the official uniform. hyperarousal -> a term for the "fight-flight-or-freeze" response. allogene/genshin -> vision-bearers.

© niicevibe 2022 please don’t repost! reblogs appreciated 💜

masterlist | next chapter

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓

@rvisn, @plinkuro, @vcvoxu, @minty-vxnilla, @ChaoticHearts-19, @stygianoir, @imeanwatever, @7rkx, @n-akaharachuuya, @katelynwithpaint, @sadflightlessbirds, @sunnyf4lls, @mydickisbigger, @endlessmari, @chocogi, @hunterluv, @dottores, @violeash, @hearteyes4scaramouche69420, @night-shadowblood-writes2, @vikcore, @gyros-cum-sock, @b0scuit, @onekei, @smol-mimi, @ditzydais, @littleunredacted00, @dynalite

if you see your name bolded purple, it means i couldn't tag you :(

#★・・・heartstrings #kunikuzushi x yn #kunikuzushi x you #kunikuzushi x reader #scaramouche x reader #scaramouche x yn #scaramouche x you #wanderer x yn #wanderer x you #wanderer x reader #kunikuzushi #scaramouche #wanderer #gi wanderer #genshin scara #genshin impact #genshin impact smut #kunikuzushi smut #scaramouche smut

[demon-guardian]

Twisted Demon PT. 3

Here we go with Part 3 of the Amy Kirio x Iruma Twin Sister (Warning: Yandere themes) Part: 1 Here Part: 2 Here

It was during the harvest festival that Kirio found out about your and Iruma's secret

During the harvest festival you were working hard getting your point

During the festival you met Ocho, though you don't remember him

You were actually his first target, his plan was to make you the false number one but when you decline he erase your memories of him

But after meeting Ocho and losing your memories you still got a chill down your spine and a feeling of being watch

(From here on out this is from Kirio P.O.V)

When Ocho got back from the harvest festival and giving his report

Ocho: "Iruma desperate face was quite-"

Started to say before I grab him and started to try to get information

Kirio: "Don't try to steal him for your own amusement."

Ocho: "Protective are we~ If I can't have him then what about his twin sister she is quite cute.~"

I saw red when Ocho made that statement. He dare suggest to take Iruma. But suggesting to take away his sweet Y/N was a death sentence

I kick Ocho in the stomach where his wound was and was about to do more before the recorder went off

Recorder (Iruma): "Because I'm Human."

Human? Iruma is a human?

Wait a minute you are his twin sister, that means you're human as well?!

Both of his destinies are human?!

Baal: "Hey, I told you not to make a mess of the floor."

I didn't even realize that I was drooling from my mouth

I didn't know what to do, how to make Iruma despair

But you are human, if I ate you would you despair in that moment?

Wait a minute, what about my y/n?! She is human too!

What am I going to do with her? I want to eat her too, but I can't lose her

I will lock her away from the world, so she can only depend on me. After all she is human~

Don't worry my little human, I take you away and save you from the demon world and get rid of your brother~

I wonder what type of face you will make in that moment

(Back at Bablys Demon School party Your P.O.V)

You were sitting there with your brother, watch as all your friend around all happy and excitedly

Even though you were having a great time, you did feel like you were missing something

You look at your brother, seeing his smiling face

He then turns to you and gives you a confuse look

You gave him a soft smile and went back to the party

But in the back of your mind you wonder how Kirio was doing

#amy kirio #welcome to demon school #welcome to demon school iruma kun #mairimashita! iruma kun #amy kirio x reader #iruma sister #iruma kun #yandere #yandere amy kirio #Part 3

[blazescompendium]

I'm trying to make sense of the Vile race from SMT, how would you define this race? "God who has been vilified" doesn't seem a really good definition given a LOT of gods from other evil races are in a similiar standing (e.g. Astaroth with Astarte/Asherah, Beelzebub with Baal and so on)

I think it is best to start from the concept that no Demon race in SMT makes sense. We were having this discussion on discord lately, on how most of them makes no sense, to the point that making sense of them is really impossible.

But,

about the Vile race, lets analyse it:

In Japan this race is known as 邪神, Jashin. This means something like ''Wicked gods'' if my translation devices and piles of wiki content are not wrong, at least.

These gods can be associated with disasters, like Tezcatlipoca which CAN BE associated with hurricanes, but also with the night sky. There is nothing specifically VILE with him, on a superficial level research. Besides the fact that, for a while, Aztec gods were all vilified by colonizers. Which bring us to the next definition: Gods that were demonized by rivals or enemies.

This definition makes almost no sense to me, since almost every SMT mainline game explains in a very explicit way that almost every deity, demon, yokai, jinn, god, were all demonized by the Abrahamic God: YHVH. This is specifically true to SMT 1, 2 (same continuity) and V:

There are some examples of deities that simply are misunderstood in western society due to fiction. One such case is Pazuzu, which was actually a protective deity benevolent towards Humans, that opposed a child killing monster, Lamashtu. Due to his appearance in the movie ''The Exorcist'', as the main antagonist, Pazuzu is forever marked in western culture as an evil demon. I wont go into details on how Mesopotamian deities and culture is often vilified and demonized by Media, Antonia does a far better job in that than i will ever do.

One GOOD example of demon that could well be a real Vile, is TaoTie, from Chinese Mythology. TaoTie is a hungry and greedy monster depicted in bronze ornaments. It is always associated with greedy and other bad stuff, even was featured as some kind of alien monster in a recent movie called ''The Great Wall''.

Good and bad Vile demons. Both featured on movies as antagonists, curiously.

Of course, the definition of the race changed in the course of the games. Since Strange Journey, the race became way more consistent with Demons that are associated with disasters or imense power of destruction. Not always getting it right, sure.

The latest wound made by SMT devs to the race, was fitting Lahmu as a Vile in SMT V. This falls in the same category as Pazuzu, of demonized Mesopotamian Mythology, but way worse since Lahmu not even was featured in Media as a monster. Lahmu was far from that, and its use as an antagonist in V haunts me to this very day. His design sucks as well.

But overall, these are my thoughts on the Vile Race.

SMT races makes almost no sense, but at the same time id say Vile demons can be summarized by the idea of wicked Gods that can cause destruction. Most of them in fact, are not recorded by their cultures as such, thought. But SMT is a work of fiction, not an academic product, so maybe lets not think too hard on it.

Races in SMT derives from the necessity that monster catcher games have to catalogue and level the game monsters. I'd argue that the Arcana system in Persona makes more sense, because Tarot cards tells a narrative, and most myths are also narratives, in which you can always fit one Tarot card. Example: Gilgamesh can be a Fool arcana, since he starts with potential, but also Judgement Arcana when he comes home to accept his mortality and is happy this way. Depends on what part you want to look at. Not a very scientific way to do archetypes but work for games, i guess?

#ask #mythology #shin megami tensei #megaten

[soulmusicsongs]

Nobody To Depend On Pt. 2 - Funkgus (Man With A Gun, 1974)

#Nobody To Depend On Pt. 2 #Soul #Soul Music #Soul Music Songs #Music #Music Songs #Funkgus #Baal Records #Youtube

[yamayuandadu]

Ishkur, Baal, and others: a guide to the weather gods of Mesopotamia and ancient Syria

I received an ask recently which was difficult to answer in the conventional way: Is there any difference between Adad, Hadad, Ugaritic Baal, and Ishkur? What aspects would be specific to each? Was Dagan said to be the father of Ugaritic Baal or Hadad? Also, what sources would you recommend on the subject? After much consideration and multiple failed attempts to write a short response I decided to present the information in the form of a proper article. You can find it under the cut.

Recommended reading I’ll reverse the usual formula and start with literature recommendations. The most comprehensive treatment of this matter is quite literally a 1000+ pages long monograph, Daniel Schwemer’s Die Wettergottgestalten Mesopotamiens und Nordsyriens im Zeitalter der Keilschriftkulturen. Materialien und Studien nach den schriftlichen Quellen. It’s available for free, and remains reliable basically 99% of the time. I am aware reading hundreds of dense pages of academic German might be a bit much, but luckily the same author effectively wrote a two part abridged edition in English, The Storm-Gods of the Ancient Near East: Summary, Synthesis, Recent Studies. It is similarly available for free, see here for part 1 and here for part 2. Other literature which is worth checking out, and which I also utilized here, includes Lluís Feliu’s monograph The God Dagan in Bronze Age Syria and his article Two brides for two gods. The case of Šala and Šalaš; Alfonso Archi’s Hadda of Ḫalab and his Temple in the Ebla Period; and Shana Zaia’s Adad in Assyria: Royal Authority in the Neo-Assyrian Period. Furthermore, a new desertion which seems relevant was published recently, Albert Dietz’s Der Wettergott im Bild: diachrone Analyse eines altorientalischen Göttertypus im 3. und 2. Jahrtausend v. Chr., but I did not have the opportunity to read it yet. To properly answer the rest of the questions, the historical and environmental context of the worship of weather deities has to be addressed first. Ishkur in Mesopotamia in the Uruk and Early Dynastic periods At the dawn of recorded history, in lower Mesopotamia weather gods did not enjoy particular prominence. This has a lot to do with the environment - the importance of weather deities typically stems from reliance on rainfall in agriculture. As through a solid chunk of Mesopotamia irrigation mattered more, there was no real need for a major weather deity to arise. Canals were often handled by local tutelary gods, for example Shara in Umma. The oldest attested weather deity in Mesopotamia is Ishkur, who pretty clearly already worshiped in the Uruk period, but his importance was comparatively minor. His two main spheres of influence were seemingly providing water for land which was not irrigated (for example the steppe) and presiding over the destructive side of the weather - not just heavy rainfall, but also dust storms. Ishkur was also the main god of the city of Karkar, which has not yet been located with certainty, but presumably is to be found close to Adab on the banks of the Tigris. The fact that the logogram read as “storm” also represented this toponym in the Uruk period already is how it was possible to establish that the city was already a cult center of Ishkur at this time, and presumably earlier. The same logogram was also used to represent Ishkur’s name, for obvious reasons. However, the etymology of his proper name is unknown. It might be a Sumerian word which fell out of use before the start of recorded history otherwise, or it might come from a substrate language; this is ultimately irrelevant and has no real bearing on the tangible early history of this god. In addition to Karkar Ishkur was worshiped in nearby Adab and even further south in Lagash, but that’s about it for the earliest sources. Worth noting that for example in Ur there was virtually no cult of any weather deity until the late third millennium BCE, and even then, in the Ur III period it was of no interest to rulers. We also do not know much about the circle of deities associated with him. Based on later evidence it is presumed that his wife might have been the goddess Medimsha (“possessing beautiful limbs”), and god lists indicate his sukkal (attendant deity) was the deified lightning, Nimgir, but that’s about it. Adad ("Hadda") in early Syrian sources

The situation was diametrically different in upper Mesopotamia and across northern Syria. In these regions agriculture did depend on rainfall, which naturally meant weather gods were present in many local pantheons for as long as evidence is available. The best early sources we have are the texts from Ebla, which are roughly contemporary with the Early Dynastic sources mentioned in the previous paragraphs. The Eblaites evidently recognized Aleppo as the cult center of a weather god, who they referred to as Adad - or rather by a cognate of this name, which can be romanized as something like “Hadda” or "'Adda", but you get the point. It’s a derivative of the root *hdd, “to thunder”, which appears in some capacity in virtually every single language from the Semitic family. The Akkadian spelling, which is firmly Adad, seemingly reflects the weakening of the h present in Eblaite and later in a number of other languages (Ugaritic, Aramaic etc) into a glottal stop. Despite the root *hdd itself appearing in languages spoken as far south as Ethiopia, weather gods with names derived from it were seemingly initially basically restricted to northern Syria and upper Mesopotamia. Therefore, this is another piece of evidence indicating there is hardly such a thing as a “Semitic pantheon”; languages are not religions. It is not possible to tell when his cult was originally established, and claims linking any neolithic object with worship of weather gods require a healthy dose of skepticism. What is clear is that he was already well established by the third millennium BCE. Interestingly, despite Adad’s high status in the Eblaite pantheon, his original cult center, Aleppo, was hardly a political power in its own right in the third millennium BCE. In that regard he resembles many of the other major members of the local pantheon, like Hadabal (formerly read as Nidakul; no etymological relation to Adad or Baal) or Dagan, whose cult centers likewise did not form kingdoms in their own right .

A map of ancient Syria, showing the location of Ebla, Aleppo, Mari and other nearby cities (wikimedia commons)

All we can tell about the associations between Adad and other deities in the Ebla-Aleppo area is that he definitely had a wife, Halabatu, possibly to be understood as “she of Aleppo”. This name likely later morphed into better known Hebat. There’s no real evidence for a link between Adad and Dagan at this point in time, and Alfonso Archi went as far as arguing Dagan was not yet regarded as a senior, fatherly figure in the third millennium BCE, but this is ultimately speculative. Adad was also worshiped midway between Ebla and lower Mesopotamia, in Mari. Local scribes were the first people on record to associate him with Ishkur, and utilized the logographic writing of the latter’s name to represent the former. Curiously in Ebla this convention was entirely unknown, even though in other cases logograms borrowed from Mesopotamia did see some usage in a similar context. Adad and Ishkur in Mesopotamia through third and second millennia BCE In the Sargonic period Adad started to spread to new areas. He is well attested as far east as Gasur (later Nuzi) near modern Kirkuk. Since no comparable evidence is available for the Early Dynastic period, it can be safely assumed that he was restricted to western areas earlier. However, how exactly his cult entered the east and the south remains poorly understood. A major development for Adad in Mesopotamia was the merge between him and Ishkur. Presumably it started developing right as the southern scribal culture started to expand into areas where Adad was worshiped, like Mari. The details of this process are poorly known, but by the Ur III period Adad and Ishkur were effectively the same god in Mesopotamia. The worship of Adad was subsequently promoted by kings of the Isin and Larsa dynasties, and by the Old Babylonian period he was recognized as a major deity. He acquired some new roles, being invoked as a god of justice and divination - perhaps these offset the environmental factors responsible for Ishkur’s lack of popularity? However, many sources also indicate that even as a weather god he was recognized in a positive, rather than exclusively destructive role, acting as a bringer of abundance. He also came to be known as the "canal inspector of the gods", ie. as a god of irrigation. Adad's family in lower Mesopotamia

Frans Wiggermann's drawing of a seal impression showing a weather god and his spouse; reproduced here for educational purposes only. In lower Mesopotamia, the composite “Ishkur-Adad” kept a genealogy most likely originally developed with Ishkur in mind. His father was Anu, the sky god. The relationship between them is hardly explored in myths, though an Old Babylonian flood myth has a funny passage where, to cite Schwemer, “Adad (...) is to bring about a famine for humanity through lack of rainfall, and (...) then has to be guarded in heaven by Anu because of his corruptibility”. Alas, the audience presumably didn’t think that giving him the role of a failson was funny, and this element is absent from later flood myths. There is apparently only one source from the south which directly refers to Adad’s mother, and it places Urash in this role. This is hardly unexpected. My impression is that among online hobbyists Urash gets the least recognition of all three of Anu’s wives, but honestly prior to the “antiquarian theology” rising in late sources from Uruk, literally mere centuries before the death of cuneiform, she was -the- wife of Anu, with Ki bordering on being a non-personified concept and Antu hardly mattering. If a deity was defined as a child of Anu chances are very high Urash was the mother, basically. In the Old Babylonian period the southern version of Adad also gained a spouse, Shala, a fellow weather deity. This goddess must be categorically distinguished from Shalash known from earlier sources, who will be discussed later. We do not really know particularly well where she came from. Today the most common assumption is that her name is Hurrian and can be translated as “daughter”. This would point at origin in some part of Upper Mesopotamia. Lluis Feliu suggests that she might have originally been the spouse of the Hurrian weather god Teshub in a tradition perhaps centered on hitherto unidentified cities on the Tigris, though while plausible, this is ultimately purely speculative. Shala is very sparsely attested in Hurrian context, but to be fair most evidence we have comes from the west of the Hurrian sphere, and not from the east where she theoretically would be present. Mesopotamian god lists indicate that Shala was equated with Medimsha, presumably in a similar manner as Adad was with Ishkur. There is no independent evidence for Medimsha being Ishkur’s wife beyond texts which equate them with Adad and Shala, but the conclusion she held such a status even before the conflation is widely accepted, and I see no real reason to dispute it. Adad and Shala also had a number of children. The best attested ones are Misharu (“justice”), originally an independent god perhaps integrated into Adad’s circle because his name sounds similar to the akkadian word for wind, and Usur-amassu (“heed his - ie. Adad’s - word”). There isn’t much of a reason to discuss them in detail here since they were not weather deities; Usur-amassu is a fascinating figure though, and while initially male, they are mostly notable due to switching gender in the first millennium BCE as a new courtier of Inanna/Ishtar in Uruk, without losing the connection to her parents.

Western views on Adad’s genealogy and marital status While Shala was firmly the wife of the Mesopotamian Adad in Babylonia and Assyria, and Anu was equally firmly his father, the situation was different over in Aleppo and around it. As I mentioned before, the weather god of Aleppo already had a wife in the third millennium BCE, Halabatu. While many deities worshiped in Syria in the third millennium BCE later vanished, she remained a member of the local pantheon under the shortened name Hebat, and her position did not change. To my best knowledge the eastern limit for her recognition as the spouse of the weather god was Mari. The west is more complicated, though she pretty firmly appears in this role in Alalakh. The complex case of Ugarit will be discussed later. The different circles of associated deities make it pretty easy to separate Mesopotamian and western traditions. I would argue that a formal distinction between the Mesopotamian Adad and the “Aleppine” original is attested in the god list K 2100 (no catchier name for now), which lists “Ilhallabu”, “god of Aleppo”, among Adad’s foreign counterparts. Mari is somewhat of an oddity in that western and southern traditions pertaining to the weather god of Aleppo and the Mesopotamian Adad probably coexisted there. The Mariote kings recognized the weather god of Aleppo, but we also have some evidence that his peer from Karkar had some presence in the kingdom. For instance, Shala appears in personal names, and a seal refers to Anu as the weather god’s father. However, it is possible that a distinct western tradition regarding his parentage was followed in this area. While we do not know if Dagan was regarded as the father of the weather god of Aleppo in the third millennium BCE, it does appear that a connection between them was recognized in the Old Babylonian period. A mystery which for now cannot be solved is whether Dagan became the father of the weather god because his Hurrian counterpart Kumarbi was, or the other way around. Until more textual sources dealing with the theology of northern Syria surface it probably will remain impossible to answer this question for certain. Regardless of how the weather god came to be Dagan’s son, his mother in this situation would be Shalash. Her name is accidentally similar to Shala’s, but she has a distinct origin. In a ritual preserved in the Mari corpus but originating in Aleppo, Dagan and Shalash both appear alongside Hebat, which is generally taken as an indication they were regarded as members of one family.

Weather gods of Kumme and Arrapha in Mari (and beyond): enter Teshub

A late Bronze Age relief depicting Teshub (center left) and his wife Hebat (center right) alongside their family and court (wikimedia commons)

A further Mariote curiosity are references to weather gods of Kumme and Arrapha, to whom kings also paid respect. Both of these cities were Hurrian, and it is quite likely that the deity designated by the logogram normally read as Adad was in fact Teshub in these cases. Teshub was seemingly also starting to approach on the turf of the original weather god of Aleppo in the Old Babylonian period, as Hebat already shows up as his wife at this time. Eventually he fully replaced him, becoming the new weather god of Aleppo due to growing Hurrian cultural influence in Syria, though he did not hold this title forever. After the bronze age collapse local Luwian princes referred to the weather god of Aleppo as Tarhunza, and eventually the old name returned, with Arameans in the first millennium BCE worshiping Hadad in Aleppo. It’s worth noting a Neo-Assyrian treaty invokes the god of Aleppo separately from the Mesopotamian Adad, which indicates in this period the two were also viewed as separate. As a further Assyrian curiosity it might be worth bringing up “Adad of Kumme”, more or less the last reference to Teshub; see here for more information, in addition to Schwemer’s monograph. It is agreed the pairing Hebat with Teshub was adopted by Hurrians from northern Syria based on parallels between him and the local weather god, but it is not clear if he had a wife earlier. There is a theory that Shaushka, who in later sources firmly appears as his sister, was originally his spouse, but I will admit I do not fully get the reasoning, it’s not like anyone sensible advocates that Utu and Inanna were originally a couple. Feliu’s Shala theory strikes as much more plausible: Shaushka is firmly unmarried, Shala is firmly the wife of a weather god.

Coastal novelties, or the rise of Baal in Ugarit

Detail of the Baal stele from Ugarit (wikimedia commons).

The overlap between the weather god of Aleppo and Teshub was not the only western development in the second millennium BCE. Thai was the creation of Baal. The title designated the western weather god from the Mediterranean coast to roughly the middle Euphrates, though it only replaced the basic name, Hadad, in coastal areas. While the epithet Baal -or rather its cognates -  already occurs in the third millennium BCE (for example in titles of Dagan), its use to specifically designate a distinct weather god was a novelty. While it seems the use of the title Baal to designate a god derived from Hadad was widespread on the Mediterranean coast, this phenomenon is best attested from Ugarit. Baal had the standard responsibilities of a weather deity there, but also acquired the unique role of a protector of sailors. Rather fittingly, in the Baal Cycle his enemy is the personified sea, Yam. We know there already was a myth dealing with the conflict between a weather god and the sea before in the tradition of Aleppo, but I do not think there’s any real consensus over what it entailed. I’m under the impression that since Dagan was ultimately the supreme deity, and there’s no real indication his relationship with his children was negative, it is not impossible that what unfolded was more similar to the various myths about Ninurta’s exploits, where the hero acts on behalf of his father. This is ultimately pure speculation, though. Baal was associated neither with Shala nor with Hebat. The latter was only worshiped in Ugarit as the spouse of Teshub, recognized as the god of Aleppo. Baal himself seemingly had no permanent spouse, though Ugaritic literature might point at informal links between him and Anat and/or Ashtart. Ugaritic tradition recognized Dagan as his father, in line with the views popular further inland, though the matter is pretty complicated as the supreme coastal god El could also be referred as his father. This remains a matter of heated debate, and the fact “father” was also effectively a generic honorific does not really help. Multiple nondescript minor goddesses were recognized as Baal’s daughters, though their mother is left unspecified. Pidray is by far the best attested, and a recent discovery indicates she was already worshiped by Amorites in the Old Babylonian period, presumably in relation to the weather god of Aleppo. Aramaic Ramman

The last distinct name which needs to be briefly discussed here is Ramman(u), which in Mesopotamia earlier on was primarily a title of the god Amurru, who can be best described as a divine redneck stereotype. However, in the first millennium BCE Arameans used to refer to their version of Hadad, worshiped in Damascus arguably effectively as a distinct deity. For more on this topic, which I am actually not very well-versed in, see here. Other Mesopotamian weather deities While Adad was obviously THE Mesopotamian weather god, a second figure of analogous character, Wer, was worshiped in the north and west. The origin of his name is uncertain. The first consonant behaves in wildly unpredictable ways which do not really match the phonology of any known language spoken in ancient Mesopotamia which might mean it originates in a hitherto unknown extinct substrate. Wer is relatively sparsely attested in literature, but in the Old Babylonian version of the Epic of Gilgamesh he is referenced as the master of Humbaba, something unparalleled both in earlier and later versions of Gilgamesh narratives. We never actually encounter him in the surviving fragments, but Enkidu basically hypes him up as if he was an overarching shonen antagonist:

This passage is sourced from Andrew R. George's edition.

There’s a back and forth argument in scholarship over whether Wer/Mer can be identified with Itur-Mer, the tutelary god of Mari. I personally lean towards the view that he cannot, and that the competing view is more plausible. Said alternative relies on the structure of the name, which seems to be theophoric; in the light of this peculiarity it has been argued Itur-Mer was a deified ancestor or culture hero simply bearing a theophoric name invoking Mer. For a detailed discussion of this god see here. In the Lament for Sumer and Ur, the destructive aspects of the weather are “outsourced” to a deity named Kingaludda, “director of the storm”. He is otherwise pretty much only attested in An = Anum, where he occurs far away from Adad’s section. He gets glossed as “evil god”, ilu lemnu. Another antagonistic figure related to the weather is Bilulu from the myth Inanna and Bilulu. The rainbow was deified separately from other weather phenomena under the name Manzat. She for the most part had no real connection to Adad and his circle, though it has been noted temples dedicated to Adad and Shala and to Manzat were juxtaposed in Chogha Zanbil in Elam in modern Iran. All three appear there presumably because they were worshiped in heavily Mesopotamia-influenced Susa. I wrote about her extensively in the past, both here and on wikipedia, so while she is one of my favorite minor goddesses I do not think there is a need to say more here. A mistaken assumption common in older publications and online is that Enlil, the standard head of the pantheon, was a weather god. For his character see this article and this monograph in particular. Another common mistake is interpreting gods poetically compared to storms or fighting using weather phenomena in a single myth or two as weather gods. These are just poetic topoi and there’s no real reason to assert Ninurta, Tishpak or Inanna had much to do with the weather.

#mesopotamian mythology #sumerian mythology #hurrian mythology #ugaritic mythology #mythology

[yandins-beleagured-historian]

Entry #001.v2.final

I have had the pleasure of meeting Yandin once before, in the aftermath of the Indomitus Crusade's arrival over Taralus. The navigator records on the Macragge's Honour had listed that dusty old ball of drab rock and snow as an Armoury World, so there was a fair amount of bemusement all round when we got word of a sizeable contingent of Astartes dug in on the planet's surface. Initial communications indicated they'd been holed up for some time in an old ruin near one of the old space elevators. They identified themselves as Iron Fists, and were claiming the planet as their ancestral chapter world. By all account, Crusade Command spent no small effort to screen them for foul play, corruption or infiltration. While the Iron Fists' claim to Taralus was eventually upheld, there was a general interest from higher up in gathering more information about the chapter and verifying some of the accounts that were coming out of Taralus. Remembrancer Anjelika Biscari led the effort, and took a small team down to the planet's surface to conduct interviews, appraise structures and write reports. I was still fairly new to the role then, and my visit to the Godspire anchorage terminal was the first time I worked alone in the field. Biscari had gone down a few hours before me and had emphasised an unusual need for brevity. "Broad strokes only", I believe her words were, and I didn't understand what she meant until I stepped out of the lander and saw the planet surface for the first time. The sights of war stretched all the way out to the horizon, and the ragged landscape of the Godspire mountains were littered with the husks of drop pods, tanks and bunkers. You couldn't walk twenty meters without passing a pile of burning dead, and it was here I first encountered sergeant Cosrau Yandin, sixth squad, second company Iron Fists. The moment stuck in my head rather prominently, as I recall he was helping a couple of disposal operatives clear a maintenace passage. The two men had been struggling with the body of a metahuman, still in its power armour, and as the sergeant reached in and dragged it out, I decided on a  bit of a whim to snag a pict-capture. It was only once I looked up that I realised I'd just got my first ever look at a Chaos Space Marine. Regrettably, I was only able to spend a few hours with the sergeant on Taralus. Broad strokes, Biscari had asked for, so that was all I could really capture. The Crusade did not linger long at Taralus, and before long the Iron Fists were well behind us. It's only been in recent months, as the Grand Conclave of Baal winds down, that I've had the opportunity and freedom to track the Iron Fists down and produce more of a complete history of the Chapter. It also gave me an opportunity to present Yandin, now Captain of the seventh company, with the pict-capt I took on our first meeting. (or rather, a remaster: most of my original pict-logs were scrambled quite badly during a brush with the bleak coil two years ago, so I had a colleague of mine, Artov Ilqar, recreate the pict with oil on canvas. See attached.) I've since had the opportunity to interview Captain Yandin on a number of aspects of his chapter's history, and hope to catalogue some of the more notable testimonies, treatises and accounts here. Throne willing, Hester Vinchix Calimorre, Historiographer-Moderatus, Logos Historica Verita.

#blog intro #pinned intro #warhammer 40000 #space marines #Iron Fists #Taralus #Cosrau Yandin #H. V. Calimorre #40k #warhammer 40k #lore post

[baalsblade]

So who is Baal?

Baal or Baʻal, was a title and honorific meaning 'owner', 'lord' in the Northwest Semitic languages spoken in the Levant during antiquity.

Baal is a God of fertility, weather, rain, wind, lightning, seasons, war, sailors and so on.

Baal worship is also called Baalism.

Solid cast bronze of a votive figurine representing the god Baal discovered at Tel Megiddo, dating to the mid-2nd millennium BC.

His holy symbols are bull, ram and thunderbolt.

Baal was worshipped in ancient Syria, especially Halab, near, around and at Ugarit, Canaan, North Africa and Middle Kingdom of Egypt.

Baʿal is well-attested in surviving inscriptions and was popular in theophoric names throughout the Levant but he is usually mentioned along with other gods, "his own field of action being seldom defined". Nonetheless, Ugaritic records show him as a weather god, with particular power over lightning, wind, rain, and fertility. The dry summers of the area were explained as Baʿal's time in the underworld and his return in autumn was said to cause the storms which revived the land. Thus, the worship of Baʿal in Canaan—where he eventually supplanted El as the leader of the gods and patron of kingship—was connected to the regions' dependence on rainfall for its agriculture, unlike Egypt and Mesopotamia, which focused on irrigation from their major rivers. Anxiety about the availability of water for crops and trees increased the importance of his cult, which focused attention on his role as a rain god. He was also called upon during battle, showing that he was thought to intervene actively in the world of man, unlike the more aloof El. The Lebanese city of Baalbeck was named after Baal.

The Baʿal of Ugarit was the epithet of Hadad but as the time passed, the epithet became the god's name while Hadad became the epithet. Baʿal was usually said to be the son of Dagan, but appears as one of the sons of El in Ugaritic sources. Both Baʿal and El were associated with the bull in Ugaritic texts, as it symbolized both strength and fertility. He held special enmity against snakes, both on their own and as representatives of Yammu (lit. "Sea"), the Canaanite sea god and river god. He fought the Tannin (Tunnanu), the "Twisted Serpent" (Bṭn ʿqltn), "Lotan the Fugitive Serpent" (Ltn Bṭn Brḥ, the biblical Leviathan), and the "Mighty One with Seven Heads" (Šlyṭ D.šbʿt Rašm). Baʿal's conflict with Yammu is now generally regarded as the prototype of the vision recorded in the 7th chapter of the biblicalBook of Daniel. As vanquisher of the sea, Baʿal was regarded by the Canaanites and Phoenicians as the patron of sailors and sea-going merchants. As vanquisher of Mot, the Canaanite death god, he was known as Baʿal Rāpiʾuma (Bʿl Rpu) and regarded as the leader of the Rephaim (Rpum), the ancestral spirits, particularly those of ruling dynasties.

From Canaan, worship of Baʿal spread to Egypt by the Middle Kingdom and throughout the Mediterranean following the waves of Phoenician colonization in the early 1st millennium BCE. He was described with diverse epithets and, before Ugarit was rediscovered, it was supposed that these referred to distinct local gods. However, as explained by Day, the texts at Ugarit revealed that they were considered "local manifestations of this particular deity, analogous to the local manifestations of the Virgin Mary in the Roman Catholic Church". In those inscriptions, he is frequently described as "Victorious Baʿal" (Aliyn or ẢlỈyn Baʿal), "Mightiest one" (Aliy or ʿAly) or "Mightiest of the Heroes" (Aliy Qrdm), "The Powerful One" (Dmrn), and in his role as patron of the city "Baʿal of Ugarit" (Baʿal Ugarit). As Baʿal Zaphon (Baʿal Ṣapunu), he was particularly associated with his palace atop Jebel Aqra (the ancient Mount Ṣapānu and classical Mons Casius). He is also mentioned as "Winged Baʿal" (Bʿl Knp) and "Baʿal of the Arrows" (Bʿl Ḥẓ). Phoenician and Aramaic inscriptions describe "Baʿal of the Mace" (Bʿl Krntryš), "Baʿal of the Lebanon" (Bʿl Lbnn), "Baʿal of Sidon" (Bʿl Ṣdn), Bʿl Ṣmd, "Baʿal of the Heavens" (Baʿal Shamem or Shamayin), Baʿal ʾAddir (Bʿl ʾdr), Baʿal Hammon (Baʿal Ḥamon), Bʿl Mgnm.

The epithet Hammon is obscure. Most often, it is connected with the NW Semitic ḥammān ("brazier") and associated with a role as a sun god. Renan and Gibson linked it to Hammon (modern Umm el-‘Amed between Tyre in Lebanon and Acre in Israel) and Cross and Lipiński to Haman or Khamōn, the classical Mount Amanus and modern Nur Mountains, which separate northern Syria from southeastern Cilicia.

The major source of our direct knowledge of this Canaanite deity comes from the Ras Shamra tablets, discovered in northern Syria in 1958, which record fragments of a mythological story known to scholars as the Baal Cycle. Here, he earns his position as the champion and ruler of the gods. The fragmentary text seems to indicate a feud between him and his father El as background. El chooses the fearsome sea god Yam to reign as king of the gods. Yam rules harshly, and the other deities cry out to Ashera, called Lady of the Sea, to aid. Ashera offers herself as a sacrifice if Yam will ease his grip on her children. He agrees, but Baal opposes such a scheme and boldly declares he will defeat Yam even though El declares that he must subject himself to Yam.

With the aid of magical weapons given to him by the divine craftsman Kothar-wa-Khasis, Baal defeats Yam and is declared victorious. He then builds a house on Mount Saphon, today known as Jebel al-Aqra. (This mountain, 1780 meters high, stands only 15 km north of the site of Ugarit, clearly visible from the city itself.)

Lo, also it is the time of His rain. Baal sets the season, And gives forth His voice from the clouds. He flashes lightning to the earth. As a house of cedars let Him complete it, Or a house of bricks let Him erect it! Let it be told to Aliyan Baal: 'The mountains will bring Thee much silver. The hills, the choicest of gold; The mines will bring Thee precious stones, And build a house of silver and gold. A house of lapis gems!'

However, the god of the underworld, Mot, soon lures Baal to his death, spelling ruin for the land. His sister Anat retrieves his body and begs Mot to revive him. When her pleas are rebuffed, Anat assaults Mot, ripping him to pieces and scattering his remains like fertilizer over the fields.

El, in the meantime, has had a dream in which fertility returned to the land, suggesting that Baal was not indeed dead. Eventually he is restored. However, Mot too has revived and mounts a new attack against him.

They shake each other like Gemar-beasts, Mavet [Mot] is strong, Baal is strong. They gore each other like buffaloes, Mavet is strong, Baal is strong. They bite like serpents, Mavet is strong, Baal is strong. They kick like racing beasts, Mavet is down. Baal is down.

After this titanic battle, neither side has completely prevailed. Knowing that the other gods now support Baal and fearing El's wrath, Mot finally bows before him, leaving him in possession of the land and the undisputed regent of the gods.

Baal is thus the archetypal fertility deity. His death signals drought and his resurrection, and brings both rain and new life. He is also the vanquisher of death. His role as a maker of rain would be particularly important in the relatively arid area of Palestine, where no mighty river such as the Euphrates or the Nile existed.

#baal #baal deity #baalism #canaanite gods #canaan #ancient history #ancient gods #history #ancient god #spiritual #deity #deities #religious #religion #religia #ancient religion #ancient world #gods #myth #mythos #ancient myths #mythology #mythology and folklore #myths #Canaanite religion #world religions #world history #ancient mythology

[beblessed]

He Loves You Still (Part 1)

Based on Hosea Chapter 1 -2 (Mostly 2)

The book of Hosea opens up with God speaking to Israel through his servant Hosea. He commands Hosea to go and marry Gomer, a prostitute. Wild, yea I know, but it gets better. Go then tells Hosea that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This was to illustrate how Israel was acting like a prostitute and worshipping other gods, mainly baal (not capitalized on purpose).

Hosea marries Gomer and they have three children. Gomer is still promiscuous during this time. All the names of their children were given to Hosea directly from God. This speaks to the true love and heart of God that when he names something, he gives it identity and purpose. That purpose may take time to manifest but it will come to pass. God says to call the first son “Jezreel,” because God was going to punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel and “put an end to the kingdom of Israel.” Let me just say that, this name appears to have nothing to do with the baby. Hosea and Gomer conceive again and give birth to a daughter and the Lord told Hosea to “Call her Lo-Ruhamah (which means “not loved”).” God said that he would no longer show love to the people of Israel or forgive them. I need to know Hosea’s reactions to these names and their meanings. However, I’m assuming he had no problems or issues with the names otherwise it would’ve been recorded. Hosea and Gomer have a second son who the Lord said to call “Lo-Ammi (not my people), for Israel is not my people and I am not their God.” 🙃😮 At the end of chapter one God tells Hosea that Judah and Israel will reunite and He will restore Himself to His people. This was an interesting time for God to make a promise.

Chapter 2 is where it goes down. Seriously, stop right now and go read Hosea 2:1-8, this will help as you keep reading this post. COME BACK after you finish! God starts likening the people of Israel to an unfaithful wife. Hosea can understand and relate to these words from God because he is literally a living example. God begins to admonish the people of Israel for turning their back on Him and turning to other gods. Here we see the true love and faithfulness of God, even when His people don’t reciprocate that love. He continued to bless them. Israel was consumed by the “good” they thought they were getting while in their sin. They couldn’t even see that the pleasure from their sin was void and empty. This is how sin keeps us in a never ending cycle. We get full of our sin for a moment and then we’re left feeling empty and we run right back to that sin. The cycle continues until God in His faithful and unfailing love steps in.

As I’m reading, I’m asking myself “where is the love in this?” Then I get to verse 6, where God says He will block their path with with a wall of thorn bushes. Isn’t it amazing how God can love us so much when we aren’t even thinking about Him. He loves us so much that he would put thorn bushes on the side of our path to keep us on the right path and deter us from getting on the wrong one. When we steer off the path towards God and encounter those thorn bushes they hurt and the enemy will try distract us and get us to blame God for trying to hurt us. When actually, it’s God’s love trying to get our attention and let us know we are going the wrong way. Not following God comes with scars, the good thing about scars is that they do heal. Praise God for the thorn bushes in our lives!

God continues on in his infinite wisdom and love about not allowing her (Israel) to catch the lovers (other gods) she runs after or searches for. Israel will then realize that “I might as well return to my first husband (God), for I was better off with Him than I am now.” God will eventually expose the emptiness and weakness of the things we put before Him. This was symbolic of Israel returning to God after understanding the blessing they thought was coming from baal, was actually from God all along. The whole time Israel was praising baal and giving sacrifices and gifts to it. God is so unselfish, kind and loving that He STILL provided for His people though they wanted nothing to do with Him. How many times do we take what God has blessed us with and give it to the god or thing we put before Him? How often do we disrespect our Heavenly Father by giving someone or something else the praise and glory for the provision He made? God’s love for us is truly unconditional. God used Hosea’s relationship with Gomer to mirror His love toward us.

When we misuse the gifts from God, He will sometimes take them away. Not to punish us for the sin we are in but He wants us to expose that sin or situation that we are putting before Him for what it really is, fake and deprived. He puts us in a “wilderness” so we can see that the source of the problem is where we are putting our focus and energy and that it was Him sustaining us all along, when we didn’t deserve it. I don’t know about you but this is where I start getting angry and upset with God. “Why did you leave me?” “God it’s your fault I’m in this mess because you left me here?” The problem isn’t that God left, the problem is that I made decisions and put other things before Him and He let me see how much I can actually trust them.

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Think about the things in our daily lives we put before God? What might happen if God were to expose those things by removing His favor or blessings?

Ask God to help you identify those things we have in His place. Be ready for some changes in your life when you pray this prayer. It’s going to get real uncomfortable.

Stay Tuned for part 2…

Be Blessed

#Hosea #God #Trust #Blessings #Unconditional Love #Bible

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Hello, I would like to ask if you have, or can suggest where to find, a simple glossary of common/basic Jewish terms to English? I’ve found myself infinitely scrolling your blog on mobile and while I’ve learned a lot from reading your answers, several of the terms go over my head

You're good! Yes, there's more than one Jewish language, and in fact there's so so many dialects of many different places Jews have had a diaspora population in. Here's a good glossery I found which includes a lot of common Hebrew and some Yiddish words. (Although Yiddish isn't the only Judeo-language.)

As for words I regularly use on my blog, here's a bit of a short glossery haha. I tried to think of words and phrases I regularly use, but I could have missed something.

Ashkenazi- refers to Jews descended from Jews who settled in Germany and Eastern Europe in the diaspora.

Ayin Hara- Evil Eye

Beit HaMikdash- Either of the two Jewish Temples from history that were both destroyed.

Chabad- A movement within Chassidism that follows the values and practices taught by the Lubavitcher dynasty of Rabbis, and especially the seventh and last Rabbi in the dynasty, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.

Chag- holiday

“Chag Sameach”- “Happy Holiday”

Chanukiyah- The eight branched candelabra with a shamash used on Chanukah

Charedi- Jews within Orthodox Judaism who observe Halakha more strictly and often reject modern and secular values and practices.

Chassidic- Jews within Orthodox Judaism categorized by increased spiritual and mystical practice that started in Eastern Europe in the 18th century that utilizes Kabbalah and “Chassidut”, which was first taught by Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem (The Baal Shem Tov)

Conservative (Masorti outside of N. America)- A branch of Jewish observance which views Jewish practice and law through both a traditionalist and critical lens. It emphasizes the importance of both preserving Jewish traditions and practice, while also making space for reinterpretation and analysis to align with modern values and ideas.

Davening- (Yiddish) praying

Golem- a creature made of clay that is created as a guardian of the Jewish people. Most famous golem is the Golem of Prague.

Goy- gentile

Halakha- Jewish law

Kabbalah- Jewish mystical tradition. Highly spiritual and exclusive even within Judaism.

Kashrut- Jewish dietary practice

Matrilineal- refers to Jews who were born Jewish through matrilineal descent. Matrilineal descent is the parameter for Jewish identity used by Orthodox and Conservative Judaism.

Menorah- lit. “lamp”. Used mainly to refer to the seven branches lamp used in the Beit HaMikdash or the Chanukiyah used on Chanukah.

Midrash- Broadly refers to Rabbinic exegesis of traditional Jewish texts (the Tanakh and some additional texts) with alternative interpretations of the text.

Minhag- Jewish custom.

Mitzvah- commandment.

Mizrachi- broad term referring to Jews descended from Jews who settled in Asia and North Africa in the diaspora. Sometimes used to distinguish between those who populations predated Sephardic presence, although other times is used inclusively of Sephardic Jews.

Orthodox- a branch of Jewish observance categorized by strict adherence to Halakha and traditional Jewish values.

Patrilineal- refers to Jews who were born Jewish through patrilineal descent.

Reform- a branch of Jewish observance that affirms the central tenets of Judaism while also acknowledging the diversity of Jewish practice and the need for adaptability in Jewish life and practice.

“Refua Shelemah”- Full recovery. Hebrew for “Get well soon”.

Rosh Chodesh- The ‘head’ of the month.

Sephardi- refers to Jews descended from Jews who settled in the Iberian Peninsula in the diaspora and those who settled in other lands following the expulsion of Jews from Spain and Portugal.

Shabbat- the Jewish Sabbath

Shofar- an animal horn traditionally made from a ram or kudu’s horn that is used in Jewish ritual.

Talmud- The most central text of Jewish law comprised of the recorded writings and debates of the Rabbis of the Jewish court during the Second Temple Period. Composed of the Mishna, which is written in Hebrew, and the Gemara, which is written in Judeo-Aramaic.

Tanakh- Acronym for Torah, Neviim, and Ketuvim. The canonized collection of Jewish texts: The five books of Moses, the Prophets, and Writings.

Yom Tov- lit. “good day.” Another word for holiday.

And as always, if there's any word or phrase you're confused by, you're welcome to ask.

Although, I do have a tag "#if jew know jew know" which I use for posts about more "inside" stuff only intended for other Jews to understand or relate to, so if you're not Jewish and don't understand something that uses that tag, that's alright, you're not supposed to understand.

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#jumblr #judaism #jewish phrases #language