The obole was a coin placed in the mouths of the dead in ancient Greek and Roman traditions. This practice was associated with paying the ferryman Charon for passage across the river Styx in the underworld. The tradition reflects beliefs about the afterlife and the necessity of providing the deceased with means for their journey. … Read more
Medea, in Greek mythology, was a sorceress from Colchis. Known for her role in assisting Jason and the Argonauts in obtaining the Golden Fleece, Medea used her magic to overcome obstacles and defeat monsters. She is also associated with the murder of her own children, though some ancient sources dispute this. Medea’s magical abilities were … Read more
Leucophylle is a fabulous plant that, according to the ancients, grew in the Phase (Phasis), a river of Colchis. It was attributed with the virtue of preventing infidelity; but it had to be gathered with certain precautions, and it was found only at daybreak, around the beginning of spring, when the mysteries of Hecate were … Read more
Ithyphallus (Greek: Ἰθύφαλλος) refers to a type of amulet depicting an erect phallus. In ancient Greece and Rome, it was worn around the neck of children and Vestal Virgins and believed to possess protective qualities. Pliny the Elder mentions its use as a safeguard against envy, even for emperors. Ithyphallic imagery appears in various forms … Read more
Ichthyomancy (from Greek ikhthus “fish” and manteia “divination”) is an ancient form of divination practiced by inspecting the entrails of fish. Polydamas, a Trojan hero in the Iliad, and the blind prophet Tiresias are said to have used ichthyomancy. Fish from the fountain of Apollo at Myra were believed to be prophetic, and Apuleius (c. … Read more
Faunes are rustic deities from Roman mythology, distinct from satyrs and silvans though sharing attributes like goat horns and a goat-like lower body. They are depicted with more cheerful features and less brutality than satyrs. Some early Christian writers considered them as incubi or demonic spirits. Jewish scholars recorded a belief that divine creation of … Read more
The eagle (Aquila) has long symbolized omens in ancient cultures. Roman sources, including Valerius Maximus, recount how the sighting of an eagle saved King Deiotarus, warning him to avoid a collapsing house. Alchemical texts describe substances like aigle celeste, a mercury-based remedy, or the poisonous black eagle Related Posts:Mythological Anatomy: The Hidden Vocabulary of the…Alchemical … Read more