Mythology Explained

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Mythology Explained episodes

June 28, 2023 The Powers: The Warrior Angels God Sends to Destroy Evil
Hey everyone, welcome to Mythology Explained. In today's video, we're going to discuss the Powers, God's warrior angels who work to maintain order in the universe and, when needed, who are sent forth as the tip of the spear to combat evil, defending God's flock and destroying demons.

Alright, let's get into it

Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite is a pseudonymous author whose works had a profound influence on Christian mysticism and theology from the Middle Ages all the way through to today. While the angelic hierarchy isn't delineated in the bible, instead expounded in various forms by various theologians in extra-biblical works, these predicated on and extrapolated from scripture, it's fair to say that the angelic hierarchy put forward by Pseudo-Dionysius was widely embraced by Christianity and is probably the most influential version developed and disseminated to date. The true identity of Pseudo-Dionysius is unknown, but his works are thought to have been written around the late 5th to early 6th century. His pseudonym suggests he was trying to be identified with Dionysius the Areopagite, a convert of Saint Paul mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, but scholarly consensus holds that he was not the historical Dionysius, hence the 'Pseudo' that precedes the name of this unknown author.

"The Celestial Hierarchy," Pseudo-Dionysius's most seminal work, is a treatise that discusses the angelic hierarchy. In it, the angelic hierarchy is described as being made up of three angelic orders, and these three angelic orders, in turn, each comprise three angelic choirs; so, per his conceptualization, there are three groups of three, making for a total of nine angelic choirs.
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15 min
June 23, 2023 The Demon King Who Deceives and Defiles Humanity
Hey everyone, welcome to Mythology Explained. In today's video, we're going to discuss Belial, a demonic prince and one of the chief demons of Hell.

Alright, let's get into it.

Where the name Belial came from isn't known for certain, shrouded in ambiguity as it is, but a couple of possibilities do stand above the rest. One theory suggests that the term Belial is derived from the Hebrew words beli-ya'al, which means "without worth" or "worthlessness." This interpretation is supported by the use of the term "sons of Belial" in the Book of Judges, where it is used to describe a group of wicked and lawless men. In this context, the term may be seen as a descriptor for folk wanting in the scruple and virtue departments - this name then accreting a more profound meaning, in time becoming the name of an archdemon and a name synonymous with wickedness. Of the 27 or so times the name Belial is used in the Masoretic Text, the authoritative version of the Hebrew Bible, 15 instances are used to describe 'worthless people', here, usually meaning people disposed to idolatry and wickedness - thought I'm sure they weren't paragons of productivity, either

Another theory suggests that the term Belial may have originated in pre-judaic Canaan, perhaps derived, at least in part, from an ancient pagan deity, later adopted into Jewish and Christian traditions as a symbol of evil or wickedness. This was certainly the case for Baal, a Canaanite storm and weather god; however, the evidence in support of this theory with respect to Belial is dubious by comparison.

concerning his power and influence, Belial never reaches the pinnacle of the demonic hierarchy, not really on par with the likes of Satan, Lucifer, and Beelzebub, but he is still a prominent figure, very much so, among Hell's legions. If we were going to express his eminence with the corporate structure of a company, I'd say he misses the C-suite while still being comfortably established in the upper-echelon of management, perhaps belonging to a cadre of vice presidents.
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10 min
June 21, 2023 The Dark and Ancient God of the Dead
Hey everyone, welcome to Mythology Explained. In today's video, we're going to discuss Anubis, the jackal-headed god, the chthonic patron of embalming and mummification, the shepherd of souls, the original god of the dead (before the cult of Osiris rose to prominence and displaced him from this role), and the fastidious tinkerer who ensured the scales of judgment accurately weighed the hearts of the deceased, a process that either catapulted people to paradise or condemned them to oblivion.

Alright, let's get into it.

Anubis is perhaps most recognized for his distinct depiction as a black jackal or as a man with a black jackal head. The color black held symbolic importance in ancient Egypt, associated with the fertile silt of the Nile and, by extension, rebirth and resurrection - both of these themes of paramount importance to Anubis' role as a funerary god.

The jackal, specifically the African golden jackal (now reclassified as the African wolf), was chosen to represent Anubis due to its common presence in the necropolises and desert margins, where people were often buried, around ancient Egyptian settlements. The scavenging nature of jackals led them to unearth human remains, which likely influenced their association with death and the afterlife. Thus, Anubis, in the form of a jackal, was seen as the protector of graves and cemeteries.

There are two main traditions regarding Anubis' parentage. The most well-known, found in Plutarch's "Isis and Osiris", states that Anubis is the illegitimate child of Osiris and Nephthys. Nephthys, married to Set, bearing the dark god no children and thus thought barren, disguised herself as Isis to seduce Osiris, resulting in her becoming pregnant with Anubis. In other sources, like the Pyramid Texts, Anubis is considered the son of Ra, the sun god.
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14 min
June 14, 2023 God's Dark Angel Who Imprisoned Satan for 1,000 Years
Hey everyone, welcome to Mythology Explained. In today's video, we're going to discuss Abaddon, the abyss of absolute destruction in the Old Testament and the angel of the bottomless pit in the New Testament..

The term "Abaddon" originates from the Hebrew word "?????" (Avaddon), stemming from the root "???" (avad), which signifies "to be lost" or "to perish." Generally, "Abaddon" is understood as a great annihilating abyss; though less commonly, it is also the name of the angel who presides over this abyss, as we'll see.

In the context of the Old Testament, Abaddon serves as a descriptor for a realm of destruction, frequently linked with Sheol--another Hebrew term, indicative of the underworld or the realm of the dead.

However, the New Testament presents an evolution in the conception of Abaddon. No longer a place of doom and destruction, it becomes personified as a sentient entity with authority over the abyss.

We're going to begin with three books from the Old Testament (the Books of Job, Proverbs, and Psalms), using them to consider Abaddon as conceptualized inanimately, meaning as a physical place or as an abstraction. Following that, we're going to dive into the book of Revelation, which is where Abaddon is personified, becoming a sentient entity, given the ominous honourific 'the angel of the abyss' and presented as the king of a pestilent swarm, as can be seen from this passage: "They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon."

Alright, let's get into it.

The Book of Job explores profound questions about human suffering, the nature of God, and the relationship between God and humanity.

The story begins with Job, a man from the land of Uz who is described as "blameless" and "upright," who "feared God and shunned evil". Job is prosperous, with a large family and extensive flocks.

In the heavenly realm, God praises Job's righteousness to 'the Adversary', Ha-Satan in Hebrew. The Adversary challenges Job's piety, arguing that Job is only righteous because he has been blessed with prosperity. The Adversary suggests that if Job were to suffer, he would surely curse God.
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16 min
June 09, 2023 The Final Battle Between God & Satan
Hey everyone, welcome to Mythology Explain. Today, we're going to dive into the final battle between God and Satan. This story comes to us in the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament, and can be broken down into three stages, which are: (1) Satan and his fallen angels being cast out of heaven by Michael and the angels who remain loyal to God; (2) Satan and his wicked legions being defeated by Jesus, resulting in Satan's imprisonment for 1,000 years; (and 3) Satan and his forces being extirpated by God - this resulting in Satan's final defeat, which sees him cast into the lake of fire, where he will remain imprisoned, writhing in endless torment beyond the light of God's grace, for all of eternity.

Alright, let's get into it.

The Book of Revelation, the final book of the New Testament, is an apocalyptic text, the writing of which is attributed to the Apostle John. It presents a series of visions and prophecies, vividly depicting a cosmic conflict between good and evil - the legions of the light and the divisions of the dark, each headed, respectively, by God and Satan. The culmination of all the war and wrath entailed in the Book of Revelation is the final judgment, the time when all souls will be judged, either rewarded with eternal life in paradise or condemned to the lake of fire, an unimaginably terrible fate marked by unending anguish and affliction and by utter and eternal separation from God.

The Book of Revelation begins with John the Apostle on the island of Patmos. He receives a revelation from Jesus Christ, who instructs him to write to seven churches in Asia Minor. These letters commend, admonish, and encourage the churches, highlighting their virtues and vices and emphasizing the imminent return of Christ.

In chapters 4-5, John is swept into a vision of heaven, where he sees God's throne, surrounded by twenty-four elders and four living creatures. God holds a scroll sealed with seven seals, which no one is worthy to open except the Lion of Judah, depicted as a slain lamb, symbolizing Jesus Christ.
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19 min
June 03, 2023 The Crocodile God Who Terrorized the Nile
Hey everyone, welcome to Mythology Explained. In today's video, we're going to discuss Sobek, a god depicted as either a crocodile or as a man with the head of a crocodile. Infamously known for snatching women from their husbands whenever the mood struck him, he was the god of water, especially the waters of the Nile, of river banks and marshlands, the patron of fishermen, and depending on the version, either a force for order or a force for chaos.

Alright, let's get into it.

Sobek, whose name means crocodile, was worshiped from at least as far back as the Old Kingdom, a period that began nearly 5,000 years ago, and he was revered for his power, the locus of which was rooted in, among other aspects, common crocodile haunts. The Pyramid Texts show him to be the son of Neith, a creator goddess who embodied the primordial waters of Nun, who was extolled with names like the Great Mother and the Terrifying One. In these same texts, Sobek was called the "raging one [who] takes women from their husbands whenever he wishes according to his desire". His consort, depending on the source, was either Renenutet, the harvest goddess, or Hathor, goddess of women, the sky, love, and fertility. In some places, such as Crocodilopolis, somewhere we'll cover in greater detail later on in the video, Sobek was worshiped as the great male god who emerged from the primordial waters. He was most feared and most venerated where people had to be wary of crocodiles. Moreover, he became the patron god of fishermen, who worked on his waters and had to contend with his great lurking predators on a daily basis, so fishermen invoked him for protection and prosperity.
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10 min
June 01, 2023 When Ancient Greece Destroyed Atlantis 12,000 Years Ago
Hey everyone, welcome to Mythology Explained. In today's video, we're going to dive into the story of the lost city of Atlantis. More than eleven thousand years ago the nations of the Mediterranean were attacked by a dominant naval power, hailing from outside the Pillars of Heracles. These invading Atlanteans sought to enslave all peoples within the pillars, only to be thwarted at the final hour by the Hellenes, the virtuous ancestors of the ancient Greeks who trace their lineage back to Athena herself. Though the Mediterranean was freed from subjugation, the conflict was not punctuated by a resounding victory but by the opening of the earth's cavernous and gnashing jaws - this unleashing sundering quakes and swallowing floods. In the resulting cataclysm, all the fighting men of the Hellenes sank into the earth, and:

"...in a single day and night of misfortune... the island of Atlantis in like manner disappeared into the depths of the sea."

Alright, Let's get into it.

The story of Atlantis is preserved in the form of two dialogues by Plato, the Timaeus and the Critias, written circa 360 BC. The dialogues contain nested narratives passed down orally for over 200 years, and we'll read from the core narrative today. It follows Solon, a law-maker and poet of ancient Athens, who traveled to Egypt around 600 BC, and there learned of his own people's history from an aged Egyptian priest. Solon's account of these teachings, which are the earliest references to Atlantis in the literary record, are summarized in the "Timaeus" and detailed in the "Critias", though the latter dialogue survives only in part.

In the "Timaeus", the story of Atlantis is introduced, albeit briefly. Both dialogues feature Socrates in conversation with three interlocutors - Timaeus, Critias, and Hermocrates. (Interlocutor, if you didn't know, is a formal word that denotes a participant in a conversation or dialogue.) Timaeus, a Pythagorean philosopher, is the primary speaker in the first dialogue, though he does not speak on Atlantis, instead presenting a complex and allegorical account of the creation of the universe, the Earth, human beings, and the cosmos.
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20 min
May 28, 2023 The 9 Heavens & God's Realm of Pure Energy
Hey everyone, welcome to Mythology Explained. Today's video dives into the celestial spheres of Heaven as they are depicted in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy.

Alright, let's get into it.

The Divine Comedy is a monumental epic poem from the 14th century penned by Italian author Dante Alighieri. Comprising three components: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso, it charts an allegorical journey through the afterlife - Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven - offering reflections on human morality, sin, and absolution.

Our protagonist, Dante, finds himself astray in a gloomy forest, a metaphor for spiritual bewilderment. Guided through Hell and Purgatory by the Roman poet Virgil and later through Heaven by his beloved Beatrice, Dante's voyage examines the assorted rewards and punishments souls receive contingent on their earthly deeds and spiritual development.

In Paradiso, the last part of the poem, Dante and Beatrice journey through the nine celestial spheres of Heaven. Dante encounters various saints and scholars, exploring the nature of divine love, wisdom, and the celestial hierarchy.

The nine celestial spheres, as depicted in Dante's Divine Comedy, represent a hierarchical structure of Heaven based on the Christian cosmology and the teachings of the Catholic Church. Each sphere is associated with a celestial body (such as the Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the Fixed Stars, and the Primum Mobile).

The structure of the spheres is such that it reflects the spiritual progression of souls from lesser to greater states of blessedness and closer proximity to God. The journey through the spheres begins with the First Sphere of the Moon, inhabited by those who were faithful but inconsistent in their vows. As Dante ascends through the spheres, he encounters souls that have achieved higher states of virtue and understanding during their earthly lives. The ascent culminates with the Primum Mobile, or the "First Moved," which symbolizes the pure love and will of God that drives all creation. Beyond the ninth sphere lies the Empyrean, the realm of pure light and divine presence, where God resides. The celestial spheres, therefore, provide a structured, hierarchical framework for understanding the various levels of spiritual attainment and divine proximity in Dante's interpretation of Heaven.
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19 min
May 23, 2023 Why Does Satan Have 7 Heads & 10 Horns?
Hey everyone, welcome to Mythology Explained. In today's video we're going to answer an interesting and deceptively complicated question: Why does Satan Have 7 heads and 10 horns.

First, we're going to look at what the Book of Revelation is, especially at the passage that pertains to the Red Dragon, a monstrous creature with seven heads and 10 horns who is thought to be Satan. Second, we'll quickly look at what Eschatology is (eschatology being the aspect of theology that focuses on death, judgment, the transcendence of the soul, and the destiny of humanity.) Third, we're going to look at the four lenses of Eschatology (preterism, historicism, futurism, and idealism), delving into each of them in turn and using each of them to understand the significance of Satan, as the Red Dragon of Revelation, having seven heads and 10 horns.

Alright, let's get into it.

The Book of Revelation is the final book of the bible. It is an apocalyptic and highly symbolic work that describes a vision received by the apostle John, revealing divine messages about the future, the final judgment, and the ultimate triumph of good over evil. It speaks of cosmic battles, the return of Jesus Christ, the establishment of a new heaven and earth, and the ultimate victory of God's Kingdom.

Most germane to this video is the passage from the Book of Revelation that describes Satan as a Red Dragon and details the battle in heaven. In it, Satan and his angels fight against the angels who remain faithful to God.The battle is punctuated by the defeat of Satan and the expulsion of him and the angels he led astray from heaven. We'll begin with this passage, and then we'll spend the rest of the video examining what eschatology - its various branches - has to say about Satan's monstrous appearance. Here's the passage:

"Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who "will rule all the nations with an iron scepter." And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days."
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17 min
May 20, 2023 The 9 Most Powerful Giants in Norse Mythology
Hey everyone, welcome to Mythology Explained. In today's video, we're going to discuss nine of the most powerful giants in Norse mythology, especially those who contribute to defeating the Gods and Destroying the world during the fire and flood of Ragnarok, the great age-ending conflict that looms near in the mythic future.

Alright, Let's get into it.

Starting off our list is Ymir

To speak of Ymir is to speak of the beginning of the universe, for he drew breath before any of the gods.

First, there was only Ginnungagap, the great void. In it, two realms emerged: Niflheim, a world of ice in the North, and Muspelheim, a world of fire in the South. The Northern cold of Niflheim spread into the heart of Ginnungagap, and the heat from Muspelheim emanated from the south. Fire and frost met; droplets of water formed, and in these droplets there was a quickening. Ymir, whom the giants called Aurgelmir, was given form and life. He was the very first giant, and all the giants who dwell in Jotunheim, the realm of the giants, are his descendants. Later, Ymir began to sweat profusely in his sleep, a sweat of procreation. Two giants, one male and one female, grew underneath his left arm, and his legs came together, coupling to produce a second son.

Another being emerged, Audhumbla, the cosmic cow. Four rivers of milk flowed from her udders, and it was from these rivers that Ymir drank and nourished himself. Though Audhumbla provided sustenance, it was she who would unearth the sire of Ymir's doom. She subsisted on salty blocks of ice, and her incessant licking eventually thawed out and freed Buri, the first god. He sired a son, Bor, who took the giantess Bestla as his wife, and they, in turn, had three sons: Odin, Vili, and Ve, who attacked Ymir, killing him, then tearing apart his body into the material from which they made the world.
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23 min

About Mythology Explained

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On Mythology Explained we will be diving deep in to all kinds of Mythology: Greek, Roman, Norse, Chinese, Egyptian - you name it. If you've always been curious about the beginnings of Hercules or how…