I've Got Sunshine...

I've Got Sunshine

We are made of sun... Nous sommes du soleil Our ancestors worshiped the sun and they were far from foolish. It makes good sense to revere the sun and the stars. We are their children. Carl Sagan

Surya Hindu Sun God

Science can teach you a lot about your relationship with the universe. Understanding this can also be a spiritual revelation. Every atom of your body and our world came into being from a star far far away. Our entire solar system, is made from the left over gases from when large stars die, ejecting their contents millions of miles into space in giant explosions known as nova or supernova. Locally, our star, our sun called Sol, has given a pattern for the economic and spiritual focus of countless cultures throughout the ages.  A regular visitor to the eastern sky in the morning and the western at sunset, it's place in the sky north or south changing with the seasons. All along while providing heat and light for life on earth, the sun has helped us keep time and in doing so helping us keep track and to predict. The sun has provided vital information to humans in knowing the seasons for migrating, herding, planting and other practical activities.  Religions, myths and legends from many cultures and through out history, all center on that glowing orb in the sky. They all tell stories of stealing fire from the sun, in the European traditions, there is prominently the Greek story of Prometheus. But even that story is a later version of an older one from India. And there are others along the way through time and geography. They all come with warnings about respecting man's relationship with the fiery power of the sun. Fire is of practical use for many things. One more use is as metaphor for our mind, emotions and spirit. A blessing but also a curse if misused. And yet we are hypnotically drawn to it. It sparks thought and reflection. We stand or sit and stare... rapt in awe and quiet contemplation.

Stealing the Sun Prometheus (Greek) is a Titan, culture hero, and trickster figure  who in Greek mythology is credited with the creation of man from clay and the theft of fire for human use, an act that enabled progress and civilization. He is known for his intelligence, and as a champion of mankind. In the Western classical tradition, Prometheus became a figure who represented human striving, particularly the quest for scientific knowledge, and the risk of overreaching  or unintended consequences. (Wikipedia)

Prometheus paid a heavy price for his benevolence. Chained to Mount Caucasus, in Scythia... and then daily having his liver eaten out by an eagle (the symbol of Zeus). Immortal, Prometheus could not die and so each day the eagle would torturously devour it and each night the liver would regenerate. His punishment from Zeus was for both stealing fire from the Gods and for holding the secret of the Oracle's prophecy: Thetis, would bear Zeus a child greater and more powerful than Zeus himself. As further punishment, Zeus also ordered the creation of Pandora, the first woman, who released from the now infamous box, all the evils of the world. Daughters of the Titan deities Oceanus and Thetis,  the water nymphs, cling to the rock where Prometheus is chained. In The End Hercules Rescues Prometheus

Sun Worship There Are Many Similar Older Myths From All Over The World Almost universal, so many more cultures have their stories of the sun or fire capture Egyptian Sun God was Ra Hawaiian Maui capturing the Sun in a net Painting by Hayk Sayadyan. Arev or Aramazd is the Armenian Sun God Armenians sacrificed horses to the sun

Prometheus: Modern linguistics suggests that the name is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root  that also produces the Vedic pra math, "to steal," hence pramathyu-s, "thief",  cognate with "Prometheus", the thief of fire.  The older Vedic myth of fire's theft by Matarisvan is an analog to the Greek account. Pramantha was the tool used to create fire. In the Rigveda,  Matarisvan is a name of Agni the Hindu deity of fire In North America, the Northwest Coast mythology has The Raven. Also known as the trickster, Raven steals the sun in his beak  to give fire to humans. "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." Native American Proverb

Nous Sommes Du Soleil - by Yes with Symphonic Orchestra

Enjoy

© 2013 MU-Peter Shimon