What is a man with a bull's head called? The answer to this question is simple and very concise. The bull-headed man is the Minotaur. He lived in the center of the labyrinth, which was a complex structure designed by the architect Daedalus and his son Icarus on the orders of King Minos. The Minotaur was destroyed once and for all by the Athenian hero Theseus.

Etymology

The word "minotaur" comes from the ancient Greek Μῑνώταυρος, a combination of the name Μίνως (Minos) and the noun ταύρος "bull", which translates as "Bull of Minos". In Crete, the Minotaur was known by the name Asterion given to him by his parents.

The word "minotaur" was originally a noun in reference to this mythical figure. The use of the word "minotaur" as a common noun for representatives of the generic species of creatures with the head of a bull developed much later, in the fantasy genre of the 20th century.

Story

After Minos ascended the throne of Crete, he competed with his brothers for the opportunity to single-handedly rule the island. Minos prayed to Poseidon, the sea god, to send him a snow-white bull as a sign of support (the Cretan bull). He thought Poseidon wouldn't care if he left the white bull and sacrificed his oath. To punish Minos, Poseidon forced Pasiphae, the wife of Minos, to fall in love with the bull sincerely and passionately. Pasiphae had the craftsman Daedalus make a hollow wooden cow so that she could climb into it and mate with a white bull.

The Minotaur became the brainchild of this unnatural sexual intercourse. Pasiphae nursed him, but he grew and became ferocious, being the unnatural offspring of woman and beast. It had no natural food source and therefore fed on humans. Minos, having received advice from the oracle at Delphi, ordered Daedalus to build a giant labyrinth to keep the Minotaur.

The Minotaur is usually represented in classical art as half bull, half man. According to Sophocles, one of the figures adopted by the spirit of the river Achelous in seducing Dejanira is a man with a bull's head. The Minotaur is mentioned in many legends and beliefs. Some apocryphal stories describe him as a winged man with a bull's head.

Cultural context

From classical times to the Renaissance, the Minotaur appears at the center of many works of art. In Ovid's Latin treatise on the Minotaur, the author did not specify which half was from a bull and which from a man, and some later images depict an unusual appearance of this monster with the head and body of a man on the body of a bull, which somewhat resembles a centaur. This alternative tradition survived into the Renaissance and still features in some contemporary depictions, such as Steele Savage's illustrations for Edith Hamilton's Mythology.

secret son

Androgeus, the son of Minos, was killed by the Athenians, who were jealous of the victories won at the Panathenaic festival. Other sources say that he was killed at Marathon by a Cretan bull, beloved of his mother, whom Aegeus, king of Athens, ordered to be killed. Minos went to war in order to avenge the death of his son, and won it.

Catullus, in his essay on the origin of the Minotaur, refers to another version in which Athens was "forced to pay for the murder of Androgeus". Aegeus had to pay for his crime by sending young men and the best unmarried girls as victims for the Minotaur. Minos demanded that seven Athenian youths and seven maidens, selected by lot, go to the Minotaur every seven or nine years (according to some sources, every year).

Feat of Theseus

When the third sacrifice approached, Theseus volunteered to kill the monster. He promised his father Aegeus that if he succeeded, he would return home under white sails. In Crete, Minos' daughter Ariadne fell in love with Theseus at first sight and decided to help him navigate the labyrinth. She gave him a ball of thread to help him find the right way back. Theseus killed the Minotaur with the sword of Aegeus and led the other Athenians out of the labyrinth.

King Aegeus, waiting for his son, saw the approach of a ship with black sails (the team simply forgot to hang white sails) and, assuming that his son had died, committed suicide by throwing himself into the sea named after him. So Theseus became the ruler.

Etruscan contribution

This purely Athenian idea of ​​the Minotaur as the antagonist of Theseus expresses the heroism and philanthropy of the Athenian people. The Etruscans, who associated Ariadne with Dionysus rather than Theseus, offered an alternative view of the Minotaur that never appeared in Greek art.

Contribution to mythology and culture

The struggle between Theseus and a monster with a human torso and a bull's head was often represented in Greek art. The didrachm of Knossos shows a labyrinth on one side, and on the other a Minotaur surrounded by a semicircle of small balls, probably meant for the stars; one of the monster's names was Asterion ("star").

Although the ruins of Minos' palace at Knossos have been discovered by archaeologists, the labyrinth does not seem to have ever been there. Some archaeologists have suggested that the palace itself was the source of the labyrinth myth. Homer, describing the shield of Achilles, noted that Daedalus built a ceremonial dance floor for Ariadne, but he does not associate it with the labyrinth.

Interpretations

Some modern mythologists consider the Minotaur to be a solar personification and a Minoan adaptation of the Phoenicians' Baal-Moloch. The killing of the Minotaur by Theseus in this case indicates a break in Athenian ties with Minoan Crete.

According to A. B. Cook, Minos and the Minotaur are only different forms of the same character, representing the sun god of the Cretans, who depicted the sun as a bull. Many also believe that the whole monster story is an allegory for the bloody cults practiced in Crete in ancient times. Like it or not - now it is difficult to say for sure. Everyone chooses the version that is closer to him. The story of Talos, the Cretan copper man who heated himself to a red-hot state and clasped strangers in his arms as soon as they landed on the island, probably has a similar origin. All these are traces of the Paleo-European cult of the bull, which existed throughout Europe before the invasion of our ancestors - the Indo-Europeans. The bull is still the symbol of Crete.

The historical explanation of the myth dates back to the time when Crete was the main political and cultural hegemon in the Aegean. Since young Athens (and possibly other continental Greek cities) were vassals of Crete, it can be assumed that young men and women were given as a tribute to the hegemon for the purpose of sacrifice. This ceremony was performed by a priest wearing a bull mask. The man with the head of a bull in Egypt is one of the priests of Set. This often explains the origin of the myth.

When continental Greece was liberated from Cretan domination, the myth of the Minotaur was mentioned in the context of the separation of the emerging religious consciousness of the Hellenes from Minoan beliefs.

In the middle Ages

The Minotaur (infamia di Creti, Italian for "shame of Crete") appears briefly in the Divine Comedy, in Canto 12, where Dante and his guide Virgil find themselves in the midst of boulders near the seventh circle of Hell.

Dante and Virgil in Hell meet a monster with a human body and a bull's head among the "people of the blood", cursed for their cruel nature. Like other ancient characters, the Minotaur was reintroduced by the great Italian poet into medieval culture. Some commentators believe that Dante, contrary to the classical tradition, bestowed on the beast the head of a man on the body of a bull, although this representation has already occurred in medieval literature.

In his monologues, Virgil mocks the Minotaur to distract him, and reminds the Minotaur that he was killed by Theseus, Prince of Athens, with the support of the monster's half-sister, Ariadne.

The Minotaur is the first infernal guardian that Virgil and Dante encounter within the walls of Dis. The bull-headed man seems to represent the whole realm of Violence in Hell, while Gerion represents Fraud in Canto XVI and fills a similar role as gatekeeper for the entire seventh Round.

Name: Minotaur

Country: Greece

Creator: ancient Greek mythology

Activity: monster with a human body and a bull's head

Family status: not married

Minotaur: Character Story

The character of ancient Greek mythology, a monster with a human body and a bull's head. Born to Pasiphae, the wife of the Cretan king, after she entered into an intimate relationship with a bull. King Minos settled the monster in the labyrinth of Knossos. The minotaur was fed with human flesh, sending criminals to him in the labyrinth. Once every nine years, a batch of young men and women from Athens also came, who were given to be torn to pieces by a monster. Killed by the son of the Athenian king. The name "Minotaur" means "Bull of Minos".

Origin story

There are several interpretations of the image of the Minotaur and its possible origin. Historian Vladimir Borukhovich points to the similarity of the Minotaur with the gods of Ancient Egypt, who were also depicted as people with animal heads. Another similar version says that the image of the Minotaur in Ancient Greece is a variation on the theme of the Phoenician deity named Moloch, who also looked like a bull and a man in one body. Children were sacrificed to this deity. The killing of the Minotaur symbolizes the elimination of the cult of Moloch.

The ancient Greek philosopher rationalistically interprets the myth and believes that the image of the Minotaur embodied the memory of a man who once really existed. Allegedly, King Minos had a fierce head of the guard named Taurus, and he took part in the battles that were arranged in the Labyrinth with captives for entertainment. Later, this Taurus was killed by the Athenian Theseus during a battle in the harbor.

The English writer Mary Renault created the novel "Theseus" based on the myths of ancient Greece. In this literary version of the story of the appearance of the image of the Minotaur, the tradition of the “bull dance” that really existed on the island of Crete, a type of sacrifice, was transformed into a myth. On the Cretan frescoes, you can allegedly see images of a “bull dance”.

In Greek mythology, there are many characters whose appearance combines human and animal features. The minotaur is sometimes confused with the centaur, but they are different characters. A centaur is a creature with a human torso that "grows" from the body of a horse, a mythologized image of a rider. The Minotaur has a bull's head "sitting" on the human body. Another animal-like character is a faun. A man with goat legs, horns and a beard, patron of shepherds and cattle breeders.

Legend of the Minotaur

The god of the seas (or, alternatively, the thunderer) sent a white bull to the king of the island of Crete, Minos, so that the king would sacrifice it to the gods. Minos liked the bull so much that the king felt sorry for killing the luxurious animal. An ordinary bull was sacrificed. The gods took revenge on Minos: the king's wife, Pasiphae, was inflamed with passion for the bull and lay down with the beast. To attract the attention of the bull, the queen lay down in a wooden cow, which was made especially for this purpose. From this unnatural union, the Minotaur was born.

The monstrous son of Pasiphae showed the character of the beast and looked a little like a man. The Minotaur lived in the Labyrinth built for him and preferred humans for dinner. The minotaur was given criminals. Once every nine years, a ship from Athens came to Crete, carrying fourteen boys and girls on board. Athens thus paid tribute to Crete. These young people were thrown to the mercy of the Minotaur.

One day, with a group of young people from Athens, the son of the Athenian king, Theseus, arrived. The young man decided to put an end to the payments of monstrous tribute and deal with the Minotaur. The daughter of Minos fell in love with Theseus and gave him a ball of thread. The Athenian hero tied the end of the thread at the entrance and unwound the ball as he made his way through the labyrinth, and then along this thread of Ariadne he went back along with the saved fellow tribesmen. In the labyrinth, Theseus managed to kill the Minotaur with his bare hands or, according to another version, with a sword.

Screen adaptations

The image of the Minotaur appears in movies and cartoons based on Greek myths, but the character usually appears there in the guise of a monster, the enemy of the heroes - without replicas and a meaningful role in the plot.

In the adventure film "Sinbad and the Minotaur", released in 2011 in Australia, King Minos turns into the captain of the Minos pirates, who keeps an unprecedented treasure - the head of the Colossus of Rhodes, cast from pure gold. The protagonist wants to get this treasure, but for this Sinbad will have to face the monster Minotaur, who guards the labyrinth of Minos.

In the same 2011, the American fantasy thriller "War of the Gods: Immortals" was released. The film is based on the ancient Greek myths about Theseus and the Minotaur and about the Wars of the Titans. Mythological plots in the script have undergone strong changes. For starters, the main character Theseus in the film is not the son of the Athenian king, but a simple peasant youth. The hero confronts the despotic king Hyperion. This king in one of the episodes sends the monstrous Minotaur against Theseus, whom the hero defeats.

In 2006, the horror film "Minotaur" was released with an English actor in the role of Theo - the main character, who takes the place of Theseus in the script. Athens in the story is replaced by a certain settlement, whose inhabitants killed the heir to the Cretan king and are now doomed to pay tribute to the young men and women who are sacrificed to the Minotaur.

Theo is the son of the elder of this settlement and is in a privileged position in relation to the rest of the young people. The hero does not threaten to “fall under the distribution”, the father protects the hero. Theo, however, himself secretly sneaks onto the ship, which is carrying another batch of victims to the Minotaur, because Theo's fiancee got into the previous batch. The hero wants to fight the Minotaur and return the bride while she is still alive.

The animated incarnation of the Minotaur can be seen in the Soviet animated film "Labyrinth. The exploits of Theseus, published in 1971.

Minotaurs as a people are present in the books and films of the Chronicles of Narnia series. It is a humanoid type of creature with a human body and a bull's head. They are in the service of the White Witch. The film The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) features the minotaur Otmin, played by actor Shane Rangi. Prince Caspian (2008) and The Dawn Treader (2010) also feature minotaur characters. All these secondary characters, although they represent "different" minotaurs, are played by the same actor.

Quotes

“I will build a labyrinth in which I can get lost with someone who wants to find me - who said this and about what?”

(, "Helm of Terror: Creatiff on Theseus and the Minotaur")

Minotaur this is a terrible bloodthirsty monster that has a body from a man, but inherited a head and tail from a bull. Such a monster ate exclusively human bodies, and he needed food in considerable quantities. He lived in a labyrinth from which it was absolutely impossible for an ordinary person who got there to get out.

As is the case with many powerful creatures of the wild, the origin of the minotaur is closely connected with the history of the ancient gods. In those distant times, the island of Crete was ruled by King Asterion. It so happened that he took Europa as his wife, who had three sons born from her union with Zeus himself. The children were named Minos, Sapedon and Rhadamanthus.

The moment came when the ruler died, and he did not have time to bequeath the throne to one of the offspring. As usual in such situations, the struggle for the throne between the brothers began.

It was Minos who had the advantage, since even his name meant "king". In addition, he called on all the gods for help and boasted of their support. Minos promised to make a generous sacrifice to the gods. And then one fine day, Poseidon himself sent him a magnificent bull from the sea. Now no one could doubt the victory of the future king. Two less fortunate brothers were expelled from the island of Crete.

But Minos did not keep his promise to Poseidon, but sacrificed the most ordinary bull from the herd, leaving himself a divine gift. For this, the lord of the seas and oceans was seriously angry with the negligent king and decided to punish him.

Appearance of the Minotaur

Kara was sophisticated. Poseidon instilled in the wife of the guilty king, Pasiphae, love for the bull. Going crazy with perverted passion, the woman was looking for a way to reunite with the object of her desires. Two masters helped her in this: Daedalus and Icarus. Inside a wooden frame covered with the skin of a real cow, Pasiphae seduced a powerful bull. From this unnatural vicious connection, the queen brought offspring.

The child, a boy whom the queen named Asterius, of course, was not quite normal. When he grew up a little, his head became bullish, horns grew and a tail appeared. He became a creepy monster who had to be fed something, but ordinary human food did not suit him. He was tormented by a thirst for blood, the meat of people.

minotaur labyrinth

King Minos realized that this was his punishment for breaking the promise given to Poseidon. Therefore, he did not judge his wife, but something had to be done with the predatory freak. With the help of the same Daedalus and Icarus, an unimaginably tangled one was built, where the bull-man, named by the Minotaur, was imprisoned.

As food, people were sent to him, mostly sentenced criminals who could not get out of the cunning confusion of roads and remained there to be eaten by the monster. Subsequently, wanting to avenge the death of his only son Androgeus, King Minos demanded an annual payment from the Athenians, in the form of seven girls and seven guys. They became victims of the labyrinth and the Minotaur.

Who killed the minotaur

According to legend, only in the third batch of unfortunates sent to the island was a daredevil named Theseus. The half-sister of the Minotaur, named Ariadne, fell in love with this handsome and brave young man. Realizing that he, having gone into the labyrinth, would certainly be doomed to death, she decided to find a way to save him. The girl handed young Theseus a ball of thread, one end of which the guy tied near the entrance. He managed not only to get out of the trap, but also to defeat the Minotaur in the fight. Some sources say that the future king of Athens won with his bare hands, with a fist. Others mention the sword of Aegeus. However, in any case, the monster was defeated. And thanks to the thread leading to the exit, all the surviving prisoners of the labyrinth, led by Theseus, left their sophisticated prison.

The myth of the Minotaur with the head of a bull, living in a labyrinth and devouring people, and of the brave Theseus, who defeated the monster and emerged unharmed from the labyrinth with the help of Ariadne's thread.

The meaning of the name Minotaur

In Greek mythology, the Minotaur was a monster with the body of a man and the head and tail of a bull. The Minotaur was the fruit of the love of the Cretan queen Pasiphae, the wife of King Minos, and a bull sent by Poseidon himself. Due to the terrible appearance of the Minotaur, King Minos ordered the master Daedalus and his son Icarus to build a huge labyrinth in which the monster would hide from people. The Minotaur lived in a labyrinth, and the Athenians, as a ransom for the murdered son of Minos, had to annually send young men and women to be devoured by the monster. The Athenian hero Theseus managed to kill him.

The word Minotaur consists of the ancient Greek name "Minos" and the noun "bull". Thus it means "Bull of Minos". The real name of the Minotaur was Asterius, from the ancient Greek "Asterion", which means the constellation of the bull Taurus.

King Minos and the bull from the sea

King Minos was one of three sons from the union of the god Zeus and Europe. Zeus took on different forms: a snake, a bull, an eagle, a swan. When he was in the form of a bull, he seduced Europe. Asterion, the king of Crete, took Europa as his wife along with the sons of Zeus and raised the boys as his own. When Asterion died, he did not have time to bequeath which of his sons to reign on the throne: Minos, Sarpedon or Rhadamanth. The name Minos actually means king, and he was destined to become the king of Crete. But Minos' rise to power was difficult, as he needed to get ahead of his brothers' rivals. Minos claimed that he was chosen by the gods to rule, and he has their support. He boasted that he could prove it and prayed to the gods. One fine day, Minos prayed and promised that he would sacrifice a bull. Poseidon sent him a magnificent bull from the sea, which confirmed Minos' claim to kingship. No one dared to challenge the favor of the gods, and especially the mighty Poseidon, who rules all the seas. Minos expelled his brothers from Crete and took the throne. The three brothers reunited in the afterlife, becoming judges in hell. Their task was to judge the dead and determine their placement in hell on the basis of merit in life.

King Minos did not fulfill his promise to sacrifice the bull sent by Poseidon to the gods, but sacrificed an ordinary bull. He kept the majestic bull. For arrogance, Poseidon punished him by instilling in the wife of King Minos Pasiphae a passion for a bull that came out of the sea. According to another version, Poseidon, outraged by the arrogance and disrespect of Minos, went to Aphrodite, and she cursed Pasiphae, rewarding her with a passion for a bull.

Pasiphae and the birth of the Minotaur

The queen of Crete, Pasiphae, suffering from a passion for a bull, turned to the master Daedalus and his son Icarus for help. Daedalus built for her a wooden cow, which he covered with the skin of a real cow, and attached wheels to it. Queen Pasiphae climbed inside a wooden cow and was taken to a meadow where a bull was grazing. There she joined with a bull, and from this union was born the Minotaur, a man with the head and tail of a bull. The queen named him Asterius (from the constellation of the bull Taurus). When the boy began to grow up, horns grew on his head and his face turned into a bull's muzzle. Seeing this, Minos realized that he was punished by the gods through the fate of his wife, but left Pasiphae, and made Daedalus and Icarus slaves for their help to the queen. When Asterius grew up, Pasiphae was no longer able to feed him, he needed another source of food, since he was neither a man nor a beast. He started eating people. On the advice of the oracle, King Minos had to hide it from people. He ordered Daedalus and Icarus to build a huge labyrinth, settled his son in it and called it the Minotaur.

The death of Androgeus and the tribute of the Athenians

While the labyrinth was being built, Minos learned that his and Pasiphae's son, Androgey, was killed by the Athenians. Minos blamed the Athenians for the death of his only son and the destruction of his family line. He began to pursue them until they agreed to pay tribute for the death of their son. Minos demanded that the Athenians send seven girls and seven boys every year as tribute, who would be sent into the labyrinth to be devoured by the Minotaur. Some sources say that the most beautiful men and only virgin girls were selected. The murder of Androgeus sent a cruel plague to Athens. After consulting the Delphic oracle, the Athenian king Aegeus learned that only by sending tribute to Minos in Crete could Athens be saved. Then the Athenians agreed.

Death of the Minotaur

The son of King Aegeus, Theseus, voluntarily asked for a third batch of tribute. He assured his father and all of Athens that he would kill the Minotaur. The young man promised that on the way home he would raise white sails if he became the winner, and if the monster killed him, then the crew would return under black sails. When Theseus arrived in Crete, he immediately attracted the attention of the half-sister of the Minotaur Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos and Phaedra. Ariadne fell in love with Theseus and rushed to Daedalus to tell her how to get out of the labyrinth. Following Daedalus' instructions, she handed Theseus a ball of long thread before he entered the labyrinth. Theseus tied the end of Ariadne's thread to the front door and went into the labyrinth. He found the Minotaur in a far corner and defeated him in battle. According to some versions, he killed with a fist, according to others, with the sword of Aegeus. Thanks to the gift of Ariadne, Theseus and the rest of the victims were able to get out of the labyrinth. Theseus simply followed Ariadne's thread until he came out the door. Fearing the wrath of Minos, Theseus, along with other Athenians, Ariadne and Phaedra, quickly sailed to Athens.

The way home

Theseus left Ariadne on the island of Naxos on his way home. The god Dionysus forced Theseus to abandon Ariadne, as he liked her. As a result, Ariadne became the wife of Dionysus, and Theseus sailed home, and, saddened, forgot to change the sails to white. Theseus' father, King Aegeus, seeing black sails from a distance, killed himself from grief by jumping from a cliff into the sea. Theseus became the new Athenian king, and named the Aegean Sea after his father.

Depictions of myth in art

The myth of Theseus and the Minotaur is widely reflected in the images on ancient ceramics. Most of the scenes show Theseus fighting the Minotaur. The myth itself embodied the struggle between the human and the inhuman, the natural and the unnatural. There are Cretan coins, on the reverse side of which the construction of the labyrinth is depicted. The myth of the labyrinth and the Minotaur testifies to the veneration of the bulls in Crete and the architectural complexity of the Cretan palaces.

Mythological creatures of the peoples of the world [Magical properties and interaction] Conway Dinna J.

11. Mystical Bulls and Half-Bulls-Half-People

In ancient culture and painting, one can often see images of half-humans, half-bulls. The most famous of them is the Minotaur. Some of these creatures were more like humans, others had more bullish features. These images symbolize a person's desire to control their animal emotions and instincts.

Minotaur

The Minotaur, who lived on the island of Crete, is a type of bull-man. According to legend, this creature was born as a result of the union of the Cretan queen Pasiphae and the Minoan sacred bull. The Minotaur's name comes from tauros, which means "sacred bull", and the name Minos, which means "dedicated to the moon."

In ancient times, there was a tradition in Crete to sacrifice a magnificent white bull to the god of the seas, Poseidon. King Minos (Moon King), however, wished to keep the bull for himself, and instead chose another as a sacrifice. This deceit plunged Poseidon into a rage, and the revenge of the god of the seas was not long in coming - he inspired the wife of King Pasiphae with an ardent passion for the white bull. To satisfy her desire, the queen ordered the craftsman Daedalus to make a cow, inside which she then hid and entered into a relationship with the animal.

When Pasiphae became pregnant, King Minos did not have the slightest suspicion, but as soon as the child with the head of a bull was born, Minos immediately realized that he had been punished by Poseidon. He did not dare to kill the strange creature for fear of incurring even greater divine retribution.

The Minotaur turned out to be a cruel creature; when he grew up, he began to demand that he be fed human flesh. Ultimately, Minos had to build the famous underground labyrinth in which he imprisoned the Minotaur. He instituted the famous annual bull dances, which were to be attended by young people from all parts of his empire. The dancers who managed to outsmart the Minotaur were complained about the role of an acrobat, jumping on the back of a bull and performing acrobatic dances for crowds of spectators. Those who failed to deceive the Minotaur died in his arms in the labyrinth. In the end, the Minotaur was killed by the Greek hero Perseus.

Minotaur

During certain holidays, the sacred Greek bull riders performed special dances and acrobatic tricks with a real sacred bull in front of crowds of Cretans. Later, their desperate movements entered the classic school of modern bullfighting. This dance with the sacred bull was dedicated to Poseidon, the Cretan king Minos and the legendary Minotaur. Bull riders sometimes wore bull masks in honor of the Minotaur, but they never wore them during the sacred dance.

The Minotaur personifies the animal passions of people, which must be balanced with spiritual understanding, otherwise they can get out of control.

: the predominance of animal aspects in people.

magical properties: symbolizes supernatural power; protection. Protect people without revenge, with the help of spiritual power.

Other bulls with human heads

Images of people with bull heads first appeared in the third millennium BC. e. in the empires of the Middle East. Cylinder seals from that era clearly depict a man with a horned bull's head. Sometimes these bull people were depicted in a fight with heroes. Throughout the Old Babylonian and Kassite periods, these Bull-Men were depicted not only in battle, but also as servants of the sun god Shamash. During the Neo-Assyrian period, the Bull-Men were depicted holding or supporting the winged disc, the symbol of Shamash. From the Sumerian word gud-alim came the name kusarikki, which denoted a man with a bull's head, as well as a bull with a human head.

The Indian god Yama also occasionally appeared with a bull's head. Lord of Death Yama was the ruler of the underworld, the judge of the dead and the god of truth and virtue. His wife was his twin sister Yami. The Indians claim that Yama judges the dharma (earthly duty) of people. He was also called Pitripati (father of fathers), Sraddaheva (god of funerals), Samana (equalizer) and Dandadhara (beater or punisher). He was always accompanied by spotted watchdogs with four eyes. Hindus believe that Yama now lives in the capital of his kingdom, Yamapura.

Dionysus, in his early Cretan incarnation of Zagrevs, had a human body and the head of a bull. He was called the "Divine Bull" and was considered the son of Zeus. In this hypostasis, Dionysus can be considered another version of the Minotaur. According to legend, it was believed that on Earth Zagrevs takes the form of a man with the head of a bull, who was worshiped in the form of a sacred bull, and in the realm of the dead he is reborn as a snake.

In ancient Armenian myths, there is a mention of the kingdom of Urartu, located around Lake Van (which is currently located in Turkey). One of the impressive legacies of this culture is a bronze alloy figurine depicting a winged bull with a human head and torso, the origin of which dates back to 750 BC. e.

Psychological characteristics: positive- understanding the underworld and the dead without immersion in fatalistic thoughts. Negative- unreasonable fear of death and the dead.

magical properties: bulls with a human head - cm. Minotaur. The pit symbolizes truth, earthly duty, judgment, fate, death and punishment.

winged bull

Among the Assyrian and Sumero-Semitic sculptures, one can still see the massive figure of a winged bull to this day. The Assyrians called this creature shedu, or shedim. They carved his image in stone to guard the gates and doors of their temples and palaces. The winged bull had a human head with a crown and the body of a bull with wings.

Such a sculpture, the creation of which is attributed to the VIII century BC. e., was found in the palace of Sargon II in Khorasbad. This palace guard is depicted with five legs and a headdress with horns. Although shedu were terrifying in appearance, they were considered noble creatures and were usually depicted in pairs.

Shedu have great strength. These magical creatures, like many others described in this book, had their own special language, but they are very intelligent and can understand the language of any people in the world. But despite this ability, shedu prefer to communicate with people through telepathy or direct mental contact. They have all supernatural abilities and use them only for good. Although these beings first appeared in the Middle East, they enjoy traveling the world fighting evil and helping people in dire need and magicians who ask for their support in good spells.

The Assyrian shedu, or winged bulls, with their divine wings, human heads and animal bodies, represent humans. The five legs of the Shedu statue symbolize the five elements - Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit.

Shedu are excellent mentors in the search for ancient occult knowledge, which is usually found during astral travel. They will only help people with high ideals and goals. Any rudeness, orders or violation of moral standards make them immediately break any agreements and avoid further contacts.

Psychological characteristics: A magician who has grasped the importance of the five elements and learned to use them in balance. A person who has nothing to do with magic, who has balanced all aspects and obligations of life.

magical properties: very powerful; helps only in good spells. Provides assistance in magic, languages, telepathy, all supernatural abilities, the fight against evil.

From the book of Pythagoras. Volume I [Life as a Teaching] author Byazyrev Georgy

THE MYSTICAL SCHOOLS OF EGYPT The boys, who have missed a miracle, Go to the river to catch dreams, Bring me a fallen star, And beg me to revive it!

From the book Treasures and Relics of Lost Civilizations author Voronin Alexander Alexandrovich

Bronze bulls of Baal-Hammon and Falaris In the Western Mediterranean in the period from the 8th to the 5th centuries. BC e. early Greek tyrannies began to emerge in Sicily. From the very first appearance of the Greeks in this region, a large-scale expansion of the territories of policies began, due to

From the book Commander I by Shah Idris

From the book Magicians and healers of the 21st century author Listvennaya Elena Vyacheslavovna

7. Mystical students I think that the Wachowski brothers did not read Castaneda. No doubt they read it! And the most paradoxical: they read, they didn’t read - but the “Matrix” and “Active Side of Infinity” are two sides of the same coin or the same sides of two medals turned

From the book DMT - Spirit Molecule author Strassman Rick

16. Mystical States One of the most significant factors that motivated me to explore psychedelics was the similarity between psychedelic experiences and mystical experiences. Many years later, as part of a DMT project in New Mexico, I

From the book Conspiracies of the Siberian healer. Release 16 author Stepanova Natalya Ivanovna

So that the bulls do not hang themselves They speak for salt and throw it after especially violent bulls. They say this: The meekness of King David, the meekness of King Solomon, His humility, descend on (the bull's nickname), Descend and pacify. Like a lamb born meek, So would you (nickname) be meek and

From the book Find yourself by your birth sign the author Kvasha Grigory

BULLS AND ANTELOPES Is it right to compare people of this sign with a zoological counterpart, namely with bulls and cows? I think that such a comparison is quite acceptable. For example, Ivan Bunin said about the poet Maximilian Voloshin, who was born in the year of the Ox: “There was something in his appearance

From the book True signs-tips just in case author Zdanovich Leonid I.

ONLY ABOUT WOMEN. POWERFUL BULLS Female Oxen may look weak and indecisive, but inside they have a steel will. However, you can’t hide an awl in a bag, and in most cases, when you meet even a seemingly confused Bull woman, you quickly realize that you have a rock in front of you.

From the book of 300 protective conspiracies for success and good luck author Stepanova Natalya Ivanovna

Mystical Mirrors Primitive man, believing in the constant presence of sympathetic magic, does not draw a clear dividing line between the image of something and the real something. Therefore, the image of a person contains a part of his vital essence, even a reflection in a mirror.

From the book 100 great mystical secrets author Bernatsky Anatoly

So that the bulls do not go mad They speak for salt and throw it after especially violent bulls. They say this: The meekness of King David, The meekness of King Solomon, His humility, descend on (the nickname of the bull), Descend and pacify.

From the book Judaism. The oldest world religion author Lange Nicholas de

Mystical Coincidences Most likely, one of the phenomena of other worlds are cases of incredible coincidences, of which many have been recorded in history. Many of them are truly fantastic. And among these coincidences there are both comic and tragic. But in any

From the book Mythological Creatures of the Peoples of the World [Magical Properties and Interactions] author Conway Deanna J.

Mystical Approaches Speaking of "Jewish mysticism", we have in mind not so much a personal search for communion with God as the desire for knowledge about the divine, which developed in certain currents of Judaism and left behind written monuments. The first modern

From the book Classic Magic Recipes author Gordeev Sergey Vasilievich

9. Half-humans, half-birds In mythology, the image of a bird with human features is often found. Some of these creatures were considered benevolent towards people, others were dangerous, and they preferred to be avoided. Garuda Garuda is one of the most captivating and striking

From the book Secret Powers of Plants author Sizov Alexander

2. Basic mystical terms Our universe is more unusual than we can imagine. We live next to secrets that we do not see because of our daily busyness with current affairs. The mysteries of the surrounding world are so great that their description requires special concepts or

From the book Phase. Breaking the illusion of reality the author Rainbow Michael

Mystical Processes I think that among the readers there are quite a few people who experimented with various kinds of incense, entheogens, or simply ate certain types of plants for cognitive purposes. People like that don't need to be told what's right

From the author's book

Esoteric and mystical explanations Although the overall tone of this tutorial is pragmatic and rather materialistic, the main point of the phase is to bring people together on the basis of practice, not theory. The first is indisputable, the second is always and by all