Chthonia

This week's podcast looks at Pandora, the first woman described by Hesiod, though her story likely predates his writings. Pandora is a gift to Epimetheus, brother of Prometheus, as an act of revenge after Prometheus steals fire from Heaven and gives it to mortals. She carries a pithos (jar) that she is told to never open, but when curiosity strikes, she releases all sorts of ills into the world of humans. We examine the different aspects of this story, including the idea that the coming of woman is an evil, the question of what was actually in Pandora's jar (changed to a box in later translations), her connection to the Earth Mother, and her connection to Psyche, the personified soul.

Website: https://chthonia.net
Patreon: https://patreon/com/chthonia


This week we look at Eris, goddess of strife and discord. Hesiod declares that there are 2 Erises, one that is beneficial to humans and one that isn't. There is also the 3rd Eris of the modern "religion" of Discordianism, which highlights to problem of excluding discord from our lives.

Here is the re-released Frau Perchta and Gryla episode from December 2019. Both figures are part of the folklore of winter hags or "Christmas witches", who often represent the dangers of being unprepared for the winter season.

Website: https://chthonia.net
Patreon: https://patreon.com/c/chthonia
Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/
School: https://instituteforfemininemyth.org 

This week's podcast looks at Enodia, a Thessalian goddess who has attributes of Hecate, Persephone, and Artemis, whose name means "of the street" or "in the road". Part of the dodekatheon (Cult of the 12 Olympians) local to Thessaly, she seems to clearly have a function related to protecting the household, and her own epithets suggest that she is a deity connected to cities rather than rural dwellings. We look at her relationship to the other goddesses she is connected with and visit the question of why protective deities like Enodia seemed to suddenly gain popularity in the late 6th to 5th century BCE.

Website: https://chthonia.net
Patreon: https://patreon.com/c/chthonia
Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/
School: https://instituteforfemininemyth.org

This week's podcast looks at Nemesis, a daimon goddess said to come from Nyx (Night) alone by Hesiod, and associated with the distribution of fairness as well as envy and revenge. We look at the origin stories of Nemesis, the story of her as the mother of Helen of Troy, and her connection via Helen to the Trojan War. We look at other stories of her retribution, and the necessity of her influence in human affairs. Lastly, we touch on the recent revival of discussions of "Planet X", which according to one hypothesis began as a companion star to the Sun, and referred to as "Nemesis" in the original theory.

This remastered episode looks at the Greek goddess of the hunt and the moon, Artemis. In particular we examine the dangerous aspects of Artemis, including the threat she posed to young women about to enter adulthood, and as a plague bringer along with her brother Apollo.

Website: https://chthonia.net
Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia
Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/
School: https://instituteforfemininemyth.org

This week's podcast takes a deep dive into the figure of Lua, sometimes called Lua Mater, other times called Lua Saturni. Victorious Roman soldiers sacrificed the weapons of their conquered enemies to Lua, which is the only thing known about her as a cult figure. However she has many connections--to both Saturn and Mars, to the goddess Ops and her consort Consus, to the goddess Angerona, and a little known Roman deity called Robigus. We look at these connections, the idea of Saturn as the "Black Sun" and the "Star of the Sun", and the Electric Universe Theory.

Website: https://chthonia.net
Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia
Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/
School: https://instituteforfemininemyth.org

Here is the re-edited Medusa episode; the original episode was very quiet, so hopefully the amplifications do not end up being too loud!

This episode looks at the stories of the Gorgon, with some discussion of her sisters, and the various tales of her relationship with Poseidon, her falling out with Athena, and her beheading by Perseus. No content has been changed from the 2019 episode.

Website: https://chthonia.net
Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia
Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/
School: https://instituteforfemininemyth.org
Books: https://chthonia.net/publications


This week's episode is on Serapis, a Graeco-Egyptian deity promoted by Ptolemy I Soter (Macedonian general who became ruler of Egypt) around the 200s BCE. Serapis is a male deity that combines elements of Hades/Pluto, Dionysus, Osiris, Apis, and Helios--and may have some connections to the Jesus myth. We certainly see how Emperor worship becomes folded into the mythology of this period, and its later influence on Christianity. As our current society is going through upheavals and changes in its worldviews, it is worth considering a syncretic deity that was worshipped at another time of upheaval.

*Look for current podcast information at https://chthonia.net

This is the re-edit of the 2019 podcast episode on the mythological stories of the Hanging Virgins. This centers around the myths of Erigone, Carya, and other girls who die by their own hand in the manner implied by the title, either because their father passes away and no one can arrange their marriage, or their parents do not approve of their marriage choice, among other reasons. There are some curious rites and songs around this danger. 

To read more about these stories, see:

Iles-Johnston, Sarah. Restless Dead: Encounters Between the Living and the Dead in Ancient Greece. University of California Press, 1999. pp. 219-249.