An emissary of Amun-Ra rejuvenates that which has gone dormant. All that has disappeared will return again.
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Amun-Ra is one of the most well-known Ancient Egyptian deities. He can take many forms, but the ram is one of the more common ones, and is often seen with the solar disk. He is strongly associated with rejuvenation and rebirth, as is the evergreen ivy plant. Blue cornflowers often grew alongside grains, another important symbol of life made possible by the gift of (Amun)-Ra’s sunlight.
In a sunken temple to Nehalennia, dolphins uncover a long-forgotten offering of a torq, and the spirits of seagulls remember the days when this place of worship was on the surface…
Nehalennia is a goddess of uncertain origin – possibly Continental Celtic or Germanic – whose worship centered around Zealand in the modern-day Netherlands. She was popular among fishers, merchants, tradespeople, and many other individuals, as attested by numerous votive offerings dating from the Roman era. A lovely temple to her was reconstructed in the last century, and that is what this temple in this image is based off. Torqs are type of necklace common to many historical peoples in the region, including the Gauls.
Artio is a continental Celtic goddess who can appear in the form of a human or a bear, and her worship may have centered in and around Switzerland. Here, I included wood anemones (a spring flower that grows wild in the Alps) and a bear cub, since it is springtime, after all! Prints available here.
Heru (Horus) is the sky, and the sun is said to be his right eye. The Eye of Horus is a powerful protective symbol, and I thought we could all use a little more protection in our current situation.
Quetzalcóatl, the great Feathered Serpent, descends into the underworld to retrieve the bones of the previous generation. He is nearly defeated and trapped by a quail, a minion of Mictlantecuhtl, the Lord of the Dead – but Quetzalcóatl is a wise, crafty god, and escapes. He makes humans from these bones, and because a few of them broke in His escape, that’s why humans come in different sizes, they say.
Now, none of the mythology said it was a giant undeadquail, but I took some artistic liberties. Prints available here.
Sketch of Montu, an Ancient Egyptian war deity who is sometimes depicted as a fierce white bull. Here he is in all his fiery glory destroying the s/nake!
