GODZILLA and the Divine

#Godzilla and the Divine.

#titans #greekmythology #arkhai #romans838

I had one of those stream of consciousness moments and want to share my chain of thoughts.

The latest Godzilla monster has several concepts drawn from mythology, both Asian and European, as well as from the mythos of previous #Monsterverse movies.

One of these is describing the Monsters as #Titans and ancient gods and depicting them as if they were as much primal forces as biological entities.

The least said about the violations of inverse square laws in relation to mass the better.

I'm looking at the concepts!

Like the Titans and Giants of Hesiod's Theogony they are both forces and beings, ideas of forces in conflict that predate and are more powerful than mere humans.

However like the Titans and Gods they can be both dangerous yet benevolent, worshipped and feared.

Like those Elder Gods they fight younger gods.

Some humans serve them Others guard them Some exploit their powers

We also have giants sleeping below mountains a theme found in several mythologies and the Hollow Earth of connected chambers is also an ancient myth that has spread across Eurasia.

So if you're a #mythology fan there's yet another reason to enjoy the movie.

Titans in action ! Myths embodied !

Maybe Rodan once slept under Krakatoa or Thera or Toba ?

Godzilla and Ghidorah are fortunately fiction though their message of respecting Nature's power is important.

Thinking about primal forces and powers in one of those odd leaps of connection lead me to contemplate another Greek word that might well describe these monsters: ARKHAI

ARKHAI is a odd word found in Romans 8:38 but also secular literature to describe rulers.

I've seen it translated as powers, rulers, demons, authorities, and principalities.

While it can be used to describe human rulers it seems to indicates beings human or not who are both sources and wielders of power. Powers begins and moves from them over lesser beings.
In the verse in Romans it follows the angels suggesting supernatural beings are being referred to, perhaps a reference to the Gnostic belief in evil spirits ruling the mortal world?

Whether Paul was referring to spiritual or human powers over others he ends by stating that nothing in this world can separate us from the love of God.

It could also be argued that Godzilla is an agent of the Divine, a guardian defending humans from Ghidorah, revived from (near) death by the angelic Mothra.

So what can we learn? Not to fear primal forces ?

As Paul puts it not life or death or anything in Creation can stop Love except maybe human lack of faith?

Enjoy Godzilla but read Romans 8:38 too !

Titanic Names

A speculative  look at the names of some of the Titans.

Maia mother of Hermes.

Possibly a local Arcadian form of the great mother goddess as her name has several meanings, mother, midwife, good mother, dame, lady,

Themis T aspirated emis  possibly connected to the verb Titheemi?

Iapetus the only similar greek word is the Verb Iaptoo

Leto is Leetoo in Attic Ionic but Laatoo in Doric.

Graves links this toa Semitic goddess but another overlooked possiblity is the obscure verb law meaning Watch. Leto as the goddess who watches?

Koios The Ionic dialect has a verb Koeoo that has the same meaning as Noeoo so Koios may have been the Mindful One?

His Consort Phoibee Yes its aspirate p in greek not Fibee! The radiant one.

Hyperion father of the Sun Moon and Dawn Overlord ?

Kreios Kreion Lord master

Names have meanings but the meanings of these names predate the Olympian gods and it may well that given how words can change of the centuries that the names meant something different thousands of years ago.

Probably about 3500 years ago or older since some people think the myths about  Battle of the Titans or the gods fleeing Typhon reflect dim memories of the eruption of Thera?  Did religion in Greece change after Thera's eruption?

Something to to think about and google the concept of earthstorms?