The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-08-29
For THE MONITOR.
THE ORIGIN OF MYTHOLOGY. AND
SOME OF IT'S TEACHINGS.
BY &. II. Richnhan.

Having considered in former articles the
origin of mythology, and the character of
the Gods, we will now consider the Greek
idea of the origin of gods and men; also
the future state. In the beginning, ac-
cordng to Hesiod, matter was shapeless
and chaotic. Out of matter was fashioned
first, Eros-spirit of love. Eros assumed
| control over matter and assorted the shape
less mass of the world into order and har-
mony. Thus we have at the beginning of
Greek cosmogony the Mosaic idea of the
Jehovah, the one supreme, creative God.
The earth, by a power inherent in itself
produced in turn Uranos. the heaven or fir
mament. Heaven and earth We're married
and became the parents of numerous pro-
geny of divine beings. Among these were
the Titans, personification of natures
| forces. The Titans made war against
Uranos their father, deposed him from the
throne of the gods and sat Chronos (Time)
his youngest son in his stead Chronos
married his sister and became the parent of
the celestial gods. He in turn was depos-
ed by his offspring and Zeus, his oldest
son, placed on the throne. This change of
government, acquiesced in by most of the
gods was opposed by the Titans who pro-
ceeded to make war. The seat of combat
was the Thessalean mountains. The strug-
gle waged fierce and long round Olympos
the Titans defying the power of Zeus until
he marshals to his aid the Kyklopes, thun-
der and lightning Zeus now advances with
force that shakes the earth, and hurls
against the Titans rocks and hills and rcd
hot thunderbolts The Titans are either
consumed or driven into deep chasms. and
forever imprisoned beneath the surface of
the earth. The cause of Chronos is lost
forever and the right of Zeus 0ight)to rule
established for all time
Whoever has been in mountainous dis
tricts has seen great rocks piled up. That
remote period in the worlds history when
by great commissions of nature these rocks
were broken up was, to the ancents. the
time of this battle of gods, when these
hurled in deadly combat
With regard to the origin of mankind the
Greeks believed that man and all other
forms of life coexisted with the gods and
had, like the gods, originally sprung from
the common mother earth. They did not
suppose however, that the whole human
family could trace a lineage back to one
original pair, but that primeval pair or
iginated in all the principal countries in
which mankind was afterwards found set
tied. Opinions with regard to the exact
substance from which the first beings had
sprung varied as the natural features of
the districts varied in which they were
found to dwell. In wooded and mountain
Gus districts they Were supposed to have
sprung from rocks and trees; in low lands
and along river from dew and moisture.
They were held originally to have been but
| little better than savages, living in the for
ests and in caves. From this primitive
condition they advanced by degrees in the
direction of civilization. Back i'll the dim
distance of times early period when Chro-
nos yet sat on the throne of the gods, they
had grown civilized and rich, and lived in
peace and plenty in what was called the
Golden Age. Then succeeded the Silver
Age on the earth. In this innocence and
contentment. the true sources of human
happiness, were wanting. Chronos had
been deposed from the throne of Tie gods.
and Zeus held the sceptre that ruled the
world Next followed the Bronze Age.
This was 4 period when everywhere might
was right. Instead of tilling the soil and
cultivating orderly habits, men gave them
selves to constant quarreling and to deeds
of violence. Finally came the Iron Age.
in which the earth no longer yielded spon-
taneously, so that mankind had to toll for
bread Then cnsued strife for supremacy.
and mankind, bent on gain did their best
to overreach each other. Astraca the god
dcss of justice, modesty and truth turned
her back on the crime and wickedncss that
| filed the earth and retired to Olympus.
Zeus then determined to destroy the human
race by great flood. All, save Dukaleon
and his wife Pyrrha who were saved in
boat which rested ON Mount Panassos,
perished After the waters had subsidized
Dukaleon and his wife were commanded
by the gods to become the founders of
new race of men. To this end as they went
forth they cast behind them rocks. Those
cast by Dukaleon became men. those cast
by Pyrrha became women and thus the
world was repeopled.
With regard to life after death, the
Greeks generally, in common with the
other heather nations, believed in the i'm
mortality of the soul, and in a future state
of reward and punishment The place of
reception for souls who had lived upon the
earth was the internal regions, the realm
of Hades, the brother of Zeus and with
whom he shared the empire of the universe.
Immediately after death spirits were con-
veyed by Mercury, the god Of wisdom, to
the care of Charon, who ferried them across
the river Acheron to the shore of eternity.
They then proceeded to the tribunal of the
Judges of the dead and were sentenced ac-
cording to their past conduct, either to
heaven or hell, places of happiness or tor