Nehelannia...The Return of a Forgotten Goddess.

A picture of Laelaps and the goddess in Greece

www.flickr.com...@N06/5177818177/in/photostream/

Located just below the Dog Star is the constellation called Argo, the Ship. Astrologically this region in the sky has been known as the River of Stars, gateway to the ocean of higher consciousness.
Odysseus, at first, enters the town unnoticed, thanks to a beggar’s disguise - only a few know his real identity. As he approaches his home, the old dog, Argos, bred by Odysseus years ago, takes notice of him. Poor Argus had been exiled from the house and was now living in squalor. On seeing Odysseus, he drops his ears, and wags his tail. Odysseus notices the dog straight away, and is moved to tears by the hound’s faithfulness. Argos, having remained faithful to the end, lets out a cry and dies. Perhaps, Homer’s words are more proper:
As they were talking, a dog that had been lying asleep raised his head and pricked up his ears. This was Argos, whom Odysseus had bred before setting out for Troy



Mythologists such as Eratosthenes said that the constellation represents Laelaps, a dog so swift that no prey could escape it. Laelaps had a long list of owners. One story says it is the dog given by Zeus to Europa,

whose son Minos, King of Crete, passed it on to Procris, daughter of Cephalus. The dog was presented to Procris along with a javelin that could never miss. Cephalus inherited the dog.

Pterelaus was the grandson of the first Pterelaus, and son of Taphius. (Another account makes Pterelaus the son of Poseidon and Hippothoë, and a descendant of the Argive hero Perseus). This Pterelaus, king of the Taphians, was the father of several sons (Chromius, Tyrannus, Antiochus, Chersidamas, Mestor, Everes) and a daughter named Comaetho.[3] Poseidon had bestowed upon him a magic golden hair on his head which made him immortal and unconquerable so long as the hair grew on his head. Pterelaus and his kin raided the cattle of the King of Mycenae; but was killed in a retaliatory expedition led byAmphitryon (later the stepfather of Heracles) after being betrayed by Comaetho, who had fallen in love with Amphitryon and pulled out the golden hair of her fathers' head, which made him protectless. The vanquished Taphian realm was handed over to Amphitryon's allies, including Cephalus.[4] Cephalus ruled over many islands, and his followers became known as Cephallenians.[5] Odysseus was a descendant of Cephalus by the following lineage: Cephalus - Arcesius - Laërtes - Odysseus.

1. Graves Robert the Greek Myths Vol1 - Scribd
www.scribd.com/doc/93285664/Graves-Robert-the-Greek-Myths-Vol1‎
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11 May 2012 - Graves Robert the Greek Myths Vol1 - Ebook download as Text file (.txt), ... of Aryan invaders from the distant North and East. underneath which ... ~e crone of ~ ~derworld.OD UCTI Olq superstitious fear. ~ m~ Ne~. ...... Cephalus's share of the Teleboan dominions was the island of Ce?hallenia.7.

Now commonly known as KEPHALONIA.

Now to investigate connections with Gaul and Arcadia.

I don't know if you've read the book from Scythia to Camelot but it makes the case for the Arthurian Legends deriving from the Sarmatians in Britain.


Scythia to Camelot


Historical sources tell us about their presence under this name in the time of Marcus Aurelius. 5500 Sarmatians were settled in Britain who seemed to have disappeared, except for one “ala” (cavalry regiment) of 500 men in Ribchester.


The Hungarian connection

One will find correspondence between say the cult of Nerthus and the Lady of the Lake tradition, but i don't think it can directly relate to the cult of Nehalennia, the dates are too early and there is different emphasis and aspects.

reply to post by Kantzveldt


Ahh, you got me here, Kantz, with the "lady of the lake" tradition.....as there is an old plantation here, in LA, now split up, that was called : Lady of the lake. Just thought you might be interested to know that.
Tetra

reply to post by Kantzveldt

While interesting in a way, the ego does and can go anywhere as it knows no bounds, well actually it knows bounds, it just does not recognize them when it runs into them. You seem to have an aspect of that in your threads as well there Kantzveldt, its something that is not uncommon amongst the fairer sex however. But you know what? Your name just may be misspelled, what the hell is a kantzveldt anyways, you sure you got the structuring right? Seems a strange way of spelling that. Does it mean something?

But anyways, we got far to many goddesses running around inspiring lowly mortals with there godly charms, who like all goddesses may need to be slapped with a fish now and then to bring some sort of sense into the world. And so sense was brought into the world by way of fish. That could even go into the creation myth.

Though just to be fair, we can slap the gods with a fish as well so we wont be sexist. We can even make it a holiday and ritual,lets call it "all fish slapping day." Or high slapiness for short, just so the masses get it, it could be held during a full moon or in high noon. I could totally instal some pretty creative things on how this "all fish slapping day" will go. First it involves a fish off-course, then a candle, then a broom, then some mice and a owl, oh and a chalice, with some figs in it, also a carpet which is all patterned up and fancy and stuff.

I could go on.... And I will... OK we need some butter for this ritual, at least three tablespoons of sugar, some apples, and honey, some oil, oh and tree bark, not just any tree bark thought, the tree bark of a really fancy tree of which I will Google up later. Oh and icecream, no ritual is complete without icecream. And then, some fancy hats and robes, and then....Bam! Sit back and watch the magic happen as the ritual practically invokes itself.

But ya goddesses there everywhere it seems, I am not complaining you know. Just saying, what if we get to many running around doing goddess stuff, that has a plausibility of turning into something like you see on the Jerry Springer show pretty fast, or a giant circle of people just agreeing with themselfs and patting themselfs on the back for agreeing with themselfs, completing the circle of jerk. And worse new goddesses seem to be pulled out of the depths every day. Oh ya! Far to many goddesses and gods to keep track of, by chikumipikahew I lost track of all the gods and goddesses I knew.

Somebody should invent a god who's main job is to keep track of all the gods that have ever existed or ever will exist, we can even have said god have a wife whose main job is to make sure the poor fool does his job. Oh yes, he of the orderly dawn, know-er of the numbers of the fates,

reply to post by galadofwarthethird



The oldest version of my family name is Flemish, attested from England shortly after they took over the place in conjunction with the Normans and Bretons, and granted lands in the North, primarily around Lancaster.

We're still sort of on topic here as obviously Nehalennia is a Goddess of the fields of Flanders, the name indicates boundaries set quadratic enclosing a field.



So the weirds guided your divination quite well there, famous Flemish people include Audrey Hepburn, well alright, just her...

As for the confused multiplicity of the various Gods and Goddesses then we can certainly reduce them by finding correspondences across the various cultures and shared archetypes, but it would be nice to introduce some harmony and order.

The Pisces fish is interesting in that it describes a pair of nice arcs derived from contemplation of the x-y axis, and so we could probably use that as a point of entry.

But what was really required was someone to advise and co-ordinate the activities of the many aspects of the Divine, and there was such a figure in terms of the Prime Minister of the Universe, which was obviously a very responsible position.

And thus we find in Sumerian mythos just such a minister of the Universe;

etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk...#[


But that is the function of the sukkal, the adviser, reflecting the will and nature of such Deities as Anu, Enlil, Inanna, obviously then a multi-faceted reflective role, probably best represented by a diamond.



reply to post by tetra50



Yes the Queen of the Angels otherwise known as the Lady of the Lake currently resides in Los Angeles, the land far to the West...strange but true.









reply to post by spannera



Thanks that's interesting, one finds in terms of the Odyssey that the heart of the story is the cave of the Nymphs upon Ithica, who weave the fates, in the same way that Penelope wove her tapestry, and when that is completed the story reaches its climax.


High at the head a branching olive grows
And crowns the pointed cliffs with shady boughs.
A cavern pleasant, though involved in night,
Beneath it lies, the Naiades delight:
Where bowls and urns of workmanship divine
And massy beams in native marble shine;
On which the Nymphs amazing webs display,
Of purple hue and exquisite array,
The busy bees within the urns secure
Honey delicious, and like nectar pure.
Perpetual waters through the grotto glide,
A lofty gate unfolds on either side;
That to the north is pervious to mankind:
The sacred south t'immortals is consign'd."


Cave of the Nymphs in the Odyssey



www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by Kantzveldt

Interesting! I have heard of England and the Flemish people, and I goggled who Audry Hepburn was I had an inclination of who she was, but just to be sure you know, I do not keep any of that info/data into my waking conscious. As for the rest, gods and goddesses, you can introduce order or chaos into pretty much anything in any way, however what you talk about though it seems your particular way which you go about expressing things. Some people would say that is a bit poetic, to me however it is less so, in fact seems kind of iffy and even cheesy, but to each there own. But you know what? Carry on there kantzveldt.

I gave you a star and flag for the sailor moon reference I remember watching a few episodes of that show way back when. And though you seem to get some sort of reference from all this stuff and many other people do as well in particular females, to me it is really all like something out of such anime and cartoons. In fact Japanese artists and such things may be the only ones around now a days who even bother which such obscure references taken from western mythology and spiced up into there own particular blend. It creates a great story in some contexts, they improvise as the old contexts are kind of a bit on the putts you to sleep zzzz side. However to me they will always be like all the gods and goddesses just silly stories, I personally would not put much stock into them beyond that.

There is one interesting lead- Poseidon was always associated with Horses. The only tribe mentioned as associated with worshipping Nehallenia was the morini which appears to be interpreted as those near the sea because Mor is thought to be celtic for mer. Hence mermaid. Lots of nobility can be linked with mermaids such as the legend of
Melusine[pronunciation?] (or Melusina) is a figure of European legends and folklore, a feminine spirit of fresh waters in sacred springs and rivers.
She is usually depicted as a woman who is a serpent or fish from the waist down (much like a mermaid). She is also sometimes illustrated with wings, two tails or both.
Morini
The Morini were a Belgic tribe whose domain lay in the region of modern-day Calais. Their westward boundary was the river Canache and on the easy by the river Scheldt. Their main settlements were Gesoriacum/Bononia (Boulogne) and Tarvenna (Thérouanne). During the Belgic resistance of 57 BCE the Marini contributed 25 000 men to this cause. Though the Belgic revolt was quickly put down, in late 56 BCE Caesar marched his army into Brittany to put down the latest revolt by the Veneti. They were supported by the Morini and Menapii from the Lower Rhine region. Caesar destroyed the Veneti and the next year conquered the Morini and Menapii and virtually exterminated two German tribes, the Usipetes and Tencteri, who had crossed the Rhine to help the rebels. Of course, Caesar needed to subdue the Morini as they were the tribe controlling that area of Gaul which was closest to Britain and from which Caesar could create his bridgehead for the invasion of Britain.

Despite being conquered in 56 BCE the Morini joined the revolt of Vercingetorix in 52 BCE. Though nothing is recorded about any retribution taken on the Morini after this event the sudden expansion of the realms of the Menapii indicates that the lands of the Morini were truncated (see above). The Morini tribe's name derives from the reconstructed proto-Celtic *mori- (sea) thus the Morini are 'The People of the Sea'; a fitting epithet for a tribe who lived along the straits of Dover.

Although known only from Roman contexts, the name Epona, 'Great Mare' is from the Gaulish language; it is derived from the inferred proto-Celtic *ekwos 'horse'[4] — which gives rise to modern Welsh ebol 'foal' — together with the augmentative suffix -on frequently, though not exclusively, found in theonyms (for example Sirona, Matrona) and the usual Gaulish feminine singular -a.[5] In an episode preserved in a remark of Pausanias,[6] an archaic Demeter Erinys (Vengeful Demeter) too had also been a Great Mare, who was mounted by Poseidon in the form of a stallion and foaled Arion and the Daughter who was unnamed outside the Arcadian mysteries.[7] Demeter was venerated as a mare in Lycosoura in Arcadia into historical times.
Shame there are no known associates with Nehallania and horses as it could be perhaps be pinned down better.

The Oera Linda Book, by Wiliam R. Sandbach, [1876]

www.sacred-texts.com...

Apparently, this is a translation of an old Frisian text that someone is authenticating that mentions Nehallenia several times and interestingly also mentions Atlantis.
Reminds me of the Kolbrin Bible in that it’s a fascinating but strange story .
I have pasted a relevant sample below.

As a specimen of antiquity in language and writing, I believe I may venture to say that this book is unique of its kind.
The writing suggests an observation which may be of great importance.
The Greeks know and acknowledge that their writing was not their own invention. They attribute the introduction of it to Kadmus, a Phenician. The names of their oldest letters, from Alpha to Tau, agree so exactly with the names of the letters in the Hebrew alphabet, with which the Phenician will have been nearly connected, that we cannot doubt that the Hebrew was the origin of the Phenician. But the form of their letters differs so entirely from that of the Phenician and Hebrew writing, that in that particular no connection can be thought of between them. Whence, then, have the Greeks derived the form of their letters?
From "thet bok thêra Adele folstar" ("The Book of Adela's Followers") we learn that in the time when Kadmus is said to have lived, about sixteen centuries. before Christ, a brisk trade existed between the Frisians and the Phenicians, whom they named Kadhemar, or dwellers on the coast.
The name Kadmus comes too near the word Kadhemar for us not to believe that Kadmus simply meant a Phenician.
Further on we learn that about the same time a priestess of the castle in the island of Walcheren, Min-erva, also called Nyhellenia, had settled in Attica at the head of a Frisian colony, and had founded a castle at Athens. Also, from the accounts written on the walls of Waraburch, that the Finns likewise had a writing of their own—a very troublesome and difficult one to read—and that, therefore, the Tyrians and the Greeks had learned the writing of Frya. By this representation the whole thing explains itself, and it becomes clear whence comes the exterior

www.gutenberg.org...

Min-erva was called Nyhellenia because her counsels were ny and hel, that is, new and clear. In Paul’s epitome of S. Pomponius Festus, de verborum Significatione, we find “Min-erva dicta quod bene moneat.” See Preller, Roman Mythology, p. 258. Goggle translation Min said that the well-established advises.

When Nyhalennia, whose real name was Min-erva, was well established, and the Krekalanders loved her as well as our own people did, there came some princes and priests to her citadel and asked Min-erva, where her possessions lay. Hellenia answered, I carry my possessions in my own bosom. What I have inherited is the love of wisdom, justice, and freedom. If I lose these I shall become as the least of your slaves; now I give advice for nothing, but then I should sell it. The gentlemen went away laughing and saying, Your humble servants, wise Hellenia. But they missed their object, for the people took up this name as a name of honour. When they saw that[51]their shot had missed they began to calumniate her, and to say that she had bewitched the people; but our people and the good Krekalanders understood at once that it was calumny. She was once asked, If you are not a witch, what is the use of the eggs that you always carry with you? Min-erva answered, These eggs are the symbols of Frya’s counsels, in which our future and that of the whole human race lies concealed. Time will hatch them, and we must watch that no harm happens to them. The priests said, Well answered; but what is the use of the dog on your right hand? Hellenia replied, Does not the shepherd have a sheep-dog to keep his flock together? What the dog is to the shepherd I am in Frya’s service. I must watch over Frya’s flocks. We understand that very well, said the priests; but tell us what means the owl that always sits upon your head, is that light-shunning animal a sign of your clear vision? No, answered Hellenia; he reminds me that there are people on earth who, like him, have their homes in churches and holes, who go about in the twilight, not, like him, to deliver us from mice and other plagues, but to invent tricks to steal away the knowledge of other people, in order to take advantage of them, to make slaves of them, and to suck their blood like leeches. Another time they came with a whole troop of people, when the plague was in the country, and said: We are all making offerings to the gods that they may take away the plague. Will you not help to turn away their anger, or have you yourself brought the plague into the land with all your arts? No, said Min-erva; I know no gods that do evil, therefore I cannot ask them to do better. I only know one good spirit, that is Wr-alda’s; and as he is good he never does evil. Where, then, does evil come from? asked [53]the priests. All the evil comes from you, and from the stupidity of the people who let themselves be deceived by you. If, then, your god is so exceedingly good, why does he not turn away the bad? asked the priests. Hellenia answered: Frya has placed us here, and the carrier, that is, Time, must do the rest. For all calamities there is counsel and remedy to be found, but Wr-alda wills that we should search it out ourselves, in order that we may become strong and wise. If we will not do that, he leaves us to our own devices, in order that we may experience the results of wise or foolish conduct. Then a prince said, I should think it best to submit. Very possibly, answered Hellenia; for then men would be like sheep, and you and the priests would take care of them, shearing them and leading them to the shambles. This is what our god does not desire, he desires that we should help one another, but that all should be free and wise. That is also our desire, and therefore our people choose their princes, counts, councillors, chiefs, and masters among the wisest of the good men, in order that every man shall do his best to be wise and good. Thus doing, we learn ourselves and teach the people that being wise and acting wisely can alone lead to holiness. That seems very good judgment, said the priests; but if you mean that the plague is caused by our stupidity, then Nyhellenia will perhaps be so good as to bestow upon us a little of that new light of which she is so proud. Yes, said Hellenia, but ravens and other birds of prey feed only on dead carrion, whereas the plague feeds not only on carrion but on bad laws and customs and wicked passions. If you wish the plague to depart from you and not return, you must put away your bad passions and become pure within and without. We admit that the advice is good, said the priests, but how shall we induce all the people under our rule [55]to agree to it? Then Hellenia stood up and said: The sparrows follow the sower, and the people their good princes, therefore it becomes you to begin by rendering yourselves pure, so that you may look within and without, and not be ashamed of your own conduct. Now, instead of purifying the people, you have invented foul festivals, in which they have so long revelled that they wallow like swine in the mire to atone for your evil passions. The people began to mock and to jeer, so that she did not dare to pursue the subject; and one would have thought that they would have called all the people together to drive us out of the land; but no, in place of abusing her they went all about from the heathenish Krekaland to the Alps, proclaiming that it had pleased the Almighty God to send his clever daughter Min-erva, surnamed Nyhellenia, over the sea in a cloud to give people good counsel, and that all who listened to her should become rich and happy, and in the end governors of all the kingdoms of the earth. They erected statues to her on all their altars, they announced and sold to the simple people advice that she had never given, and related miracles that she had never performed. They cunningly made themselves masters of our laws and customs, and by craft and subtlety were able to explain and spread them around. They appointed priestesses under their own care, who were apparently under the protection of Festa, our first Eeremoeder, to watch over the holy lamp; but that lamp they lit themselves, and instead of imbuing the priestesses with wisdom, and then sending them to watch the sick and educate the young, they made them stupid and ignorant, and never allowed them to come out. They were employed [57]as advisers, but the advice which seemed to come from them was but the repetition of the behests of the priests. When Nyhellenia died, we wished to choose another mother, and some of us wished to go to Texland to look for her; but the priests, who were all-powerful among their own people, would not permit it, and accused us before the people of being unholy.
Interesting mention of owl nowadays associated with illuminati and hidden on dollar note. Not currently found to be associated with Nehallenia. If something was found it would tend to authenticate text.

reply to post by spannera


An interesting correspondence the author makes there;

This may mean that Sulis figured amongst the mother godesses, the Matres. Indeed, one of the images of Sulis Minerva found at Bath (above, right) bears a hairstyle highly reminiscent of the Xanthen Matres and of Nehalennia.

Sulis Minerva


Minerva was a local Goddess hereabouts in Romano-Celtic times in the form of Belisima or Brigit/Brigantia or Victory.


Belisima

Brigantia

So while i'm aware of the connection it is somewhat tentative.

In my earlier posts I hinted that I suspected several seemingly unconnected linkages were relating basically the same story that had become impossibly distorted due to time.
It is hard to connect the dots but I felt that the following stories were in some way linked.
The Merovingian’s because of a persistent story that a progenitor of this royal family was a certain Meroveus reputed to be a descendant of either the legendary King Pallas sea king of Arcadia or a mysterious sea creature known as the Bistea Neptunis.
Depending on your point of view the numerous statues of the Black Isis or the Virgin Mary whose epithet was the Stella Maris.
The several stories connecting certain royal lines with shape shifting spouses that turned into Mermaids.
The mysterious Nauts whose epithet was the ancient mariners and their connection with Paris and Notre Dame on an island shaped like a boat.
The story of King Arthur, Guinevere, the Lady of the Lake, Avalon and Merlin.
Then there is the following story which in my opinion is a suspiciously contrived fairy tale.
en.wikipedia.org...
She was born in Nanterre and moved to Paris after encountering Germanus of Auxerre and Lupus of Troyes and dedicated herself to a Christian life.[1] In 451 she led a "prayer marathon"[2] that was said to have saved Paris by diverting Attila's Huns away from the city. When Childeric I a merovingian besieged the city in 464 and conquered it, she acted as an intermediary between the city and its conqueror, collecting food and convincing Childeric to release his prisoners.[
‘Odysseus and the island of Cephallenia which some believe fit the description of Ithaca and the legendary story of Cephalus. Odyssseus the ancient mariner who was for me was the main character in the Trojan War and the Trojan horse a symbol for Poseidon.
en.wikipedia.org...
An aition explaining the name of Cephallenia and reinforcing its cultural connections with Athens associates the island with the mythological figure of Cephalus, who helped Amphitryon of Mycenae in Arcadia in a war against the Taphians and Teleboans.[4] He was rewarded with the island of Same, which thereafter came to be known as Cephallenia. Could this be another allusion to the Trojan war?
Cephalonia has also been suggested as the Homeric Ithaca, the home of Odysseus, rather than the smaller island bearing this name today. Robert Bittlestone, in his book Odysseus Unbound, has suggested that Paliki, now a peninsula of Cephalonia, was a separate island during the late Bronze Age, and it may be this which Homer was referring to when he described Ithaca. Cephalonia is also referenced in relation to the goddess Britomartis, as the location where she is said to have 'received divine honors from the inhabitants under the name of Laphria

Then there is Helen of Sparta situated in Arcadia whose epithet was the face that launched a thousand ships.
Herodotus adds weight to the "Egyptian" version of events by putting forward his own evidence—he traveled to Egypt and interviewed the priests of the temple of (Foreign Aphrodite, ξείνης Ἀφροδίτης) at Memphis. According to these priests, Helen had arrived in Egypt shortly after leaving Sparta, because strong winds had blown Paris's ship off course. King Proteus of Egypt, appalled that Paris had seduced his host's wife and plundered his host's home in Sparta, disallowed Paris from taking Helen to Troy. Paris returned to Troy without a new bride, but the Greeks refused to believe that Helen was in Egypt and not within Troy's walls. Thus, Helen waited in Memphis for ten years, while the Greeks and the Trojans fought. Following the conclusion of the Trojan War, Menelaus sailed to Memphis, where Proteus reunited him with Helen.[39]
In Greek mythology, Proteus[pronunciation?] (Πρωτεύς) is an early sea-god or god of rivers and oceanic bodies of water, one of several deities whom Homer calls the "Old Man of the Sea".[1] Some who ascribe to him a specific domain call him the god of "elusive sea change," which suggests the constantly changing nature of the sea or the liquid quality of water in general. He can foretell the future, but, in a mytheme familiar to several cultures, will change his shape to avoid having to; he will answer only to someone who is capable of capturing him. From this feature of Proteus comes the adjective protean, with the general meaning of "versatile", "mutable", "capable of assuming many forms". "Protean" has positive connotations of flexibility, versatility and adaptability. The earliest attested form of the name is the Mycenaean Greek 𐀡𐀫𐀳𐀄 po-ro-te-u, written in Linear B syllabic script.[2]
The story that Schliemann’s grandson was bequeathed an object found during the excavation of Troy that mentioned the name Atlantis.
The Morini tribe The tribe's name Morini is thought to be Celtic meaning "those of the sea". It is apparently derived from the suffix -no- (like other Celtic peoples Ruteni, Santoni, Turini or Tigurini) and the Celtic word mori meaning "sea", mentioned in the Vienna Glossary as more translated into Latin as mare "sea". Another derived word morici exists and is translated into Latin as marini "sailors". The variation morici is found in Aremorici "those who live in front of the sea" (Celtic are "in front of", "along").[3] Morini represents another variation. Mori is a close relative of Welsh môr, Breton and Cornish mor, Irish muir. The Indo-European prototype was perhaps *mori (or less probably *mari) that gave also birth to Germanic *mari or *meri : English mere, German Meer.
Then there is Nehalennia who’s only apparent connection to the above is with the sea and the proximity of a statue of Neptune and a ship. The general trend is one of myths relating to the sea and mariners.
The god of the sea was Poseidon and he is linked with Atlantis.
The god Poseidon received Atlantis, an island larger the Libya and Asia combined. He chose for a wife the mortal woman Cleito, and with her begun the royal family of Atlantis.
Is it possible that this ancient mythological lineage survived in some form and the myths provide a glance behind the curtain?
I understand this idea is way out there and arguable contrived to the point of ridiculousness but I believe that the stories have a consistent thread throughout them and I suspect that the goddess Nehallenia may have provided an unlikely key to putting the jigsaw together.
Whether, the key fits the lock depends on the authenticity of the The Oera Linda Book which provides the explanation as to why all the above are connected.

Is it not reasonable to theorize that the cult of Nehallenia must have been quite widespread in the coastal areas of France, Belgium and Holland and must have left some mythological traces not extinguished by the new faith of Christianity?
www.sacred-texts.com...

Timeline from the Oera linda Book
2193 BC – Destruction of Atland (4.2 ka BP Event).
2092 BC – Refugees from the East (Magyarar & Findas) occupied Northern Scandinavia (Skenland).
2012 BC – Magyarar & Findas attacked Fryan Colony in present day Sweden. Fryan fleet and armed forces under the command of Tunis, Inka & Wodin sent to repel the attackers.
2000 BC – Tunis & Inka tried to return to Frisia after the death of Wodin. They were declared personae non gratae and fled to Cadiz in Spain where they were refused asylum. The two brothers split up and Tunis sailed to the Eastern Mediterranean where he founded Tyre.
c. 1627 BC– Short but brutal civil war between the burgh matrons Kalta (Syrhed) and Nyhellenia (Minerva). Both fled to escape punishment by the “Federal Government”. Kalta founded the Celts and Nyhellenia founded Athens. Nyhellenia’s Sea King Ion (admiral) went on and settled on the Ionian Islands. Birth of the “Sea Peoples”.
c. 1600 BC – Nyhellenia died. Her then Sea King, Minno, left Athens and settled on Crete. (Start of the Neopalatial or New Palace Period (MMIII) on Crete as postulated by archaeologists). Political squabbles in Athens between the locals (Hellingers) and the Frisians to elect a successor to Nyhellenia ensued.
c. 1556 BC – Gert elected by the Frisians as successor to Nyhellenia (after some 44 years) in strong opposition by the local priests (Magi) who started seeking assistance from Egypt.
c. 1553 BC – Cecrops arrived from Egypt and laid siege to Athens. He gave the followers of Gert (the Gertmanne) an ultimatum to leave Athens. After 3 months the Gertmanne left for India. Not all Frisians left Athens. Many remained and helped to shape the later Greek Civilization.
c. 1500 BC – The Gertmanne arrived in the Punjab, India. They moved west where they established Ny-Gertmania, which later became Germania and, by the time of Alexander the Great, was known as Carmania. Today it is known as the Province of Kerman in Iran.
c. 1188 BC – The fall of Troy and the story of Ulysses. (Start of the Greek Dark Ages?)
588 BC – Frisian Folk Mother (Frana) murdered. Adela declined nomination as successor.
558 BC – Frisia threatened by Finnish invasion. Book of Adela’s Followers compiled.
c. 556 BC – Adela murdered.
c. 328 BC – Alexander the Great met the Gertmanne of India. They assisted him in building a fleet and to return to the Persian Gulf.
c. 324 BC – A contingent of Gertmanne returned with Alexander from India to the Mediterranean. They then went on to Athens where they met Friso. They wanted to go in search of Fryasland which their forefathers left some 1300 years before. They were, however, caught up in the wars between Alexander’s successors.
c. 323 BC – Alexander died in Persia.
306 BC – Battle of Salamis. The OLB describes how they assisted Nearchus, Demetrius’ admiral, to destroy Ptolemy’s fleet. They also assisted in the siege of Rhodes (305 – 304 BC)
c. 305 BC – Frisia devastated by floods (tsunamis?) (Cimbrian Flood?)
303 BC – Gertmanne returned to Frisia under the guidance of Friso. They again called their new country Gertmannia, which was later Latinized to Germany.
c. 300 BC onwards – Friso assisted the Danes & Norwegians after the devastation of the 305 BC floods by supplying them with boats & weapons. The OLB describes how they plundered Phoenician and Carthaginian ships. Birth of the Vikings.
historum.com...

reply to post by spannera



When one looks at the importance of Nehallenia with regards to the Oera linda Book then it does seem that to a large extent the work was an attempt to explain who she was and where had she come from with regards to her cult, and the re-emergence of it from the sea.

I don't think they got it right exactly, but the attempt is interesting in itself.

I have spent hours reading the experts arguing for and aganst and to be honest i hace changed my mind umpteen times. However, i still feel the argument for it being real is very strong based on the evidence i have read so far. The problem is the Dutch people seem to think its a forgery and they are most familiar with the language. They say if its to good to be true it probably not real. Still, learnt an awful lot reading the experts.

There is a tenuous connection with Nehelenia, Fortuna, Minerva and the Oerd Linda book.

Basically, the legions that were incorporated from the regions of Germania Inferior adapted their earlier myths/religions into a more culturally acceptable Roman polytheism. It’s difficult to explain without reading a lot of disparate links but I believe that it is possible to read between the lines, Granted I am not educated in these matters but I believe that the following patchwork of ideas form a generalised story that to my mind makes sense. Hopefully, this is not just me clutching at straws! Obviously, I will make some huge errors as I am at best only an enthusiastic amateur who finds this puzzle both stimulating and frustrating.
The 2 legions I will quote had large auxiliary components drafted to a large extent from the modern day areas of Belgium and Holland and can be seen to have connections with the archaeological findings that are available to read on the web in connection with Nehallenia.
Firstly, I will mention Fortuna and the legion Gemina Martia Victrix
www.whats-your-sign.com...
There are 4 signs cornucopia, globe, wreath and a wheel.
In the archaeology book Rodanum: A Study of the Roman Settlement at Aardenburg and Its Metal Finds By Guus Besuijen
It states under the passage misc objects. Various wheel shaped jewellery found in Roman Celtic areas are thought to have had protective properties in prehistory.
The Oerd Linda book clearly explains what it means. It states that early Frisian people invented writing based on a wheel. The alphabet was formed by drawing the various letters using the rim and spokes to form letters and that the alphabet was designed by forming an alphabet based on letters drawn around the shape of a wheel and the spokes to form an alphabet. Probably, the familiarity with this system was largely limited to the priestesses who had to be unmarried. It has been theorised that the big dipper and the polestar were envisaged as moving round this circle in tandem like two wheelbarrows. Obviously, in the book they mention sea kings so they must have watched the stars to navigate. Hence, I guess the globe symbol.
In the Roman Empire, Fortuna Redux was a form of the goddess Fortuna who oversaw a return, as from a long or perilous journey. Her attributes were Fortuna's typical cornucopia, with her specific function represented by a rudder or steering oar sometimes in conjunction with a globe.[1]
The cult of Fortuna Redux was introduced to Roman religion in 19 BC, creating a new holiday (feriae) on October 12 that originally marked the return of Augustus to Rome from Asia Minor in 19 BC. From that time, she received annual sacrifices from the pontiffs and Vestals at an altar dedicated to her (Ara Fortunae Reducis). After the death of Augustus, the holiday was known as the Augustalia, and was a major development in the complex of religious observances involving Imperial cult.[2]
The altar of Fortuna Redux was inaugurated on October 12, and dedicated on December 15.[3] It was probably adjacent to the Temple of Honor and Virtue near the Porta Capena.[4] The altar is pictured on several coins, and appears to have been "relatively modest".[5]Domitian built a temple for the goddess, following a triumphal return from war in Germany in 93 AD.[6] The temple most likely stood on the slope of the Capitoline Hill overlooking the Porta Triumphalis. It has been identified with a temple on a panel depicting an arrival ceremony (adventus) on the Arch of Marcus Aurelius. The pictured temple has symbols of Fortuna in the pediment, and a tetra style and prostyle design of the Corinthian order. There is some possibility that it is the tetrastyle temple on a fragment of the Severan Marble Plan.[7] Coins indicate that the cult statue was standing, and held the rudder and cornucopia that are her usual attributes.[8]
Fortuna Redux was widely disseminated in the Western Empire as the tutelary of the emperor's safe return to the city when he traveled abroad, an event that reaffirmed Rome as the center of the Imperial world.[9] In Cirta, Numidia, an inscription preserved a dedication to Fortuna Redux Augusta by a local official, with the epithet Augusta marking the goddess's relation to Imperial cult.[10] She was the most common manifestation of Fortuna depicted on Imperial coins.[11] In 211 AD, for instance, coinage with Fortuna Redux commemorated the return of Caracalla and Geta from Britannia.[12] She also appears on coins issued by Septimius Severus[13]Gallienus, and other emperors.[14]
Although her cult was established as part of state religion in Rome, the goddess received personal devotion from individuals elsewhere in the Empire, as indicated by inscriptions in fulfillment of a vow (votum) expressing gratitude for a safe return. An inscription from Glanum records a votive altar dedicated by a military veteran of the Legio XXI Rapax for Fortuna Redux along with the Celtic deities Glanis and the Glanicae.[15]
A form of Jupiter was also cultivated with the epithet Redux.[16] The rudder and cornucopia appear as attributes likewise of the syncretized Isis-Fortuna.
In the Roman Empire, Fortuna Redux was a form of the goddess Fortuna who oversaw a return, as from a long or perilous journey. Her attributes were Fortuna's typical cornucopia, with her specific function represented by a rudder or steering oar sometimes in conjunction with a globe.[1]
The cult of Fortuna Redux was introduced to Roman religion in 19 BC, creating a new holiday (feriae) on October 12 that originally marked the return of Augustus to Rome from Asia Minor in 19 BC. From that time, she received annual sacrifices from the pontiffs and Vestals at an altar dedicated to her (Ara Fortunae Reducis). After the death of Augustus, the holiday was known as the Augustalia, and was a major development in the complex of religious observances involving Imperial cult.[2]
The XIV G.M.V was raised by Caesar in Cispaline Gaul during his raids into, and conquest of, Gaul.
Stationed in Moguntiacum, Germania Superior, since AD 9, XIV Gemina Martia Victrix was one of four legions used by Aulus Plautius and Claudius in the Roman invasion of Britain in 43, and took part in the defeat of Boudicca in 60 or 61. This was the battle that would send them down in history as one of the greatest Roman Legions. At the stand at Watling Street the 14th defeated Boudicca's force of 230,000, according to Tacitus and Dio, with their meager force of 10,000 Legionaries and Auxiliaries. This act secured them as Nero's "most effective", and kept them garrisoned in Britain during the next few years to keep the uneasy tribes in check. After which, in 68 it was stationed in Gallia Narbonensis. I will mention Legio I Minervia in my next post,

Sometimes. you just have to trust your instincts. I remember once reading the Hidden Hand Thread where he stated they were instigators of the muslim faith. Then theres the holographic universe idea that we are all players in a game without understanding the rules of game such as free choice. Its also a general tenet of mythology as above so below. The fables can generally be traced to the stars. For instance the wheel. Axis, axel, axe, the double axe symbol. Ursa Minor and Ursa Minor the big dipper and the plough 2 wheelbarrows circling the pole. Why the alphabet designed round a wheel. All star watchers try to put things into code whether myths in the sky or symbols.

For instance we have the myths of mermaids and sirens. The maidens had lights, They were associated with sea kings. If i remember correctly there was seven maidens the pleides. The temples were on headlands. The maidens guarded the lights. Why? So as to protect friendly ships, commerce. Even now we protect intellectual property, ie trade and navigation maps. Hence not revealed to everyone. I suspect we are trying to understand a maritime culture that travelled far and wide, The fires helped them find harbour. The dog has 2 explantions one it is sirius and the other it is a symbol for what all sailors feared the whirlpool. Just look at early maps. The stars also form a whirlpool around the axis if watched long enough.

reply to post by spannera


Thanks for that, the connection to a magic circle in conjunction with the globe is interesting, i was just writing of the circle of the four winds, most appropriate for a Goddess of the sea


www.abovetopsecret.com...


There are aspects i've looked at previously here with regards to Circe and the gyre of a hawk

The 3 tribes in the immediate area at the tme were the Chauci, Frisii, and Menapii. These tribes would now be thought of as Frisians and are thought to have migrated to Britain on the East coast of Scotland and Ireland. Frisian is thought to be the closest language to English and both languages may have had a common source. It is theorised that this may have been Doggerland before it was submerged by the rising sea levels.

Now i thought i read that there was a river Helia in this area but i can no longer find the source but there is this one i found dpc.uba.uva.nl...
The exact boundaries of the civitas Cananefatium are unknown but this paper focuses on known approximate boundaries. The northern boundary is formed by the current Old Rhine, which flows into the North Sea in present day Katwijk (fig. 2). In Roman times this river was however significantly wider. In the south the estuary of the Meuse, Waal and Scheldt form the boundary of the study area. In Roman times this river mouth was known as Helinio. The area between the two estuaries consisted of peat bogs, which in the west were separated from the sea by a series of parallel beach ridges. On top of these sandy barriers small dunes formed over the centuries, making this an ideal landscape for habitation from prehistoric times onwards. The area east of these barriers was less suited for habitation.
Now i thought why not try and trace certain words through a Frisian dictionary and i did find a rather tenous connection based on the various spellings of ne hellania.

hêla* (2) 1, hêl-a*, afries., Sb.: nhd. Ferse, Hinterzehe am Fuß des Schwans; ne. heel (N.), hind toe of a swan; Vw.: s. -kerf, -si-n-e-kerf; Hw.: vgl. ae. hæll (1); Q.: F; E.: s. germ. *hanhila-, *hanhilaz, st. M. (a), Ferse, Hechse; vgl. idg. *kenk- (3), Sb., Ferse?, Kniekehle?, Pokorny 566; W.: nnordfries. hael, häile, hägel; L.: Hh 41a, Rh 804a

Now i have noticed the reference to the toe of a swan in connections to mythology before so i always think its so long ago that the clues will be well worn away so all we have left is calculated guesses. lol. Anyway here it is for what its worth.

www.andrewcollins.com...
The Irish Brigid or Bridget, Scottish Bride, or Manx Bree, or Breeshey derive from a common root, a female deity who almost certainly served as the tutelary goddess for the first Iron Age peoples to enter Britain in the first millennium BC. Her cult lingered through until Romano-British times, most obviously as the divine patron of the Brigantes, the powerful northern tribe famously led at the time of the Roman conquest by the warrior queen Cartamandua.
With the arrival of Christianity Brigid became a saint, celebrated as Jesus's nursemaid, and sometimes even as his mother under the name 'Mary of the Gaels'. St Bride, or Bridget, bore an assortment of animal forms, but by far the most significant is that of the white swan. In her role as patron of childbirth, Bride-Bridget was associated with the Milky Way, where the celestial swan flies, and her mark was the bird's foot, anticipated by peoples of the Scottish Western Isles in their hearth on the morning of her feast day. This same symbol was associated by Welsh bards and druids with the goddess Minerva, the given to the Gallic form of Brigantia, or Brigid, by the Romans. Yet what might any of this have to do with Avebury's cult of the dead?
A more direct association between swans and the northerly transmigration of the soul comes in the knowledge that in the Scottish Western Isles people saw whooper swans (and also greylag geese) migrating northwards.

The area where the cult of Nehallenia has been found to have existed was known as Germania Inferior in the Roman occupation period. It was a dangerous place to be stationed as the German tribes were always threatening the frontier and a Maginot line of forts had to be maintained.
Quite a large proportion of the legions were auxiliaries drawn from the neighbouring tribes.

Obviously, the troops were moved around from various parts of the empire and I would assume they adopted the predominant culture which was Roman but equally they would have adopted the local cultural mores especially those that seemed familiar. For instance football is one of the Lingua Franca of today and clubs like Man U and Barcelona have been adopted far and wide.
I believe that the legions in this area adopted the local goddess and here main attributes are reflected in the regimental kudos.
I give you Man U oops sorry any goddesses reading this I mean the Legion of Nehallania

LEGIO I MINERVIA

C. 82 AD - c. 363 AD


The First Minervian Legion was possibly one of Imperial Rome's most popular Legions. Vexillations of this legion fought across the Empire and were deeply involved in the politics of the Empire, winning them the affection of a number of emperors. The First Minerva may have also been one of the relatively few Roman legions to go out in a blaze of bloody glory...

Nothing is known about where or exactly when the First Minervia was founded. Educated guesses would suggest that its men were mostly recruited in Gaul, Illyria, or northern Italy; the days of actual Romans fighting as soldiers were already gone by the late 1st Century AD. It is known that it was raised on the orders of Emperor Domitianus, the last of the Flavians, in preparation for his wars against the Chatti. The legion was probably constituted c. 81 - 83 AD.

Domitian's new legion was consecrated under the name Legio Prima Flavia Minerva - Minerva's First Flavian Legion. Minerva was Domitian's patron deity, to whom he had an almost obsession devotion. Fittingly, the officers of the new legion decided to make Capricorn - Minerva's symbol on the zodiac - the emblem of their unit. At least as late as the end of the 3rd Century, Capricorn was synonymous with the First Minerva. The other name of the Legion, "Flavia" is obviously drawn from the Emperor's full name, Titus Flavius Domitianus.

The First Minerva - like most legions raised during the Imperial phase of Roman history - was sent to the thick of the fray immediately. Domitian's campaign against the Chatti was one of the largest wars of the late 1st Century; Domitian claimed the victory (as well as the rather grand title of Germanicus Maximus) though his enemies in Rome downplayed the decisiveness of the campaign. The First was obliviously to the drama in the Mother City, however, as they settled into their new home - the garrison town of Bonna.

Domitian, much like Nero before him and Commodus after him, became increasingly tyrannical and full of himself as his reign progressed. He was not an incompetent statesman and appears to have had a degree of military talent, but his heartless and perverse behavior won him the loathing of the political and military authorities across the Empire. In 89 AD, governor Lucius Antonius Saturninus of Germania superior revolted in an attempt to overthrow Domitian. While Domitian himself brooded and panicked in Rome, the four legions of Germania inferior - the First Minervia amongst them - marched into Saturninus' territory, destroying him and his mustering army.

In reward for their loyalty to his cause, Domitian again named the First Legion in his honor. From 89 to 96 AD they were the Legio I Flavia Minervia Pia Fidelis Domitiana - Minerva's First Flavian Legion, Loyal and Faithful to Domitianus. For the remaining seven years of Domitian's reign the men of the First could proudly claim to be serving in the Emperor's favorite unit in the Imperial Army.

The First was to be stationed in Bonna for most of its existence. It presumably played a strong role in the Romanization of this minor Germanic settlement, building roads and walls, draining swamps and destroying forests, and getting local women pregnant with half-Roman babies. In fact, the presence of the First Legion was the only thing that put Bonna on the Roman map at all; Bonna was often called "the First Minervia's City", rather than Bonna, during the 2nd Century.

The First was transferred to the Danube frontier in 100 AD, in preparation for Emperor Trajan's first Dacian War. The lack of contemporary epigraphic evidence in Germania would suggest that the entire Legion - not just some vexillations - was present at the fighting in Dacia. By the Trajanic period, it was becoming increasingly uncommon for legions to operate as complete units.

.

The First returned to Bonna around 107 AD, now under the command of a new legate whose name has not been preserved by history. A grander career was awaiting young Hadrianus. The future for many men of the First Minervia looked comparatively boring. Upon return to Bonna they were put to construction work - and back-breaking labor in stone-quarries - for most of the 2nd Century AD. Inscriptions attest to the painful efforts of the legionaries of the First.
Vexillations were rarely drawn from the First Minervia, but those that were seemed to travel far. Inscriptions attest to men of the First fighting in Mauretania and Britannia during the Antonine period. Closer to home, detachments of the First fought under the direct command of Marcus Aurelius in the 160s, and Didius Julianus in 173 against the Chauci.

Most or all of the Legion was present in Bonna in 193 AD, when Septimius Severus, Pescennius Niger, and Clodius Albinus all made claims to the throne. They earned the respect of Severus for backing his claim to the throne immediately, even before he made his successful march on Rome. The Legion fought at Lugdunum in 197 AD, the battle that saw the destruction of Clodius Albinus and his army by the Severans. Severus rewarded them for their unfailing loyalty with the title Severiana. He kept two cohorts of the First in Lugdunum for some years after the Battle, but sent the bulk of the Legion home to Bonna.

At least part of the First Minervia fought under Antoninus "Caracalla" in his war against the Alamanni in 213 AD. Several years later, the Legion appears to have done something to win the gratitude of the young Emperor Elagabalus, for he gave them the title of Antoniniana c. 220. There is no record of violence or usurpations in Germania during the four years of Elagabalus' reign, so just what this frontier Legion did to earn the affection of this young (and martially-incompetent) emperor is a historical mystery.

The title of "Antoniana" was removed by Severus Alexander upon his ascension in 222. The First Minervia fought with him along the Rhine in the early 230s; some vexillations had also served under him in the East but had mutinied when they received troubling word from home. In 235 AD Maximinus Thrax succeeded Alexander, and replaced the title of "Severiana" with "Maximiniana" - the Fourth Minervia was the only Legion that earned his specific affection to this degree. This title was dropped upon his death in 238 AD.

Little is known about the First Minervia's role in the history of Germania inferior after the end of the Severans. It is known that the entire Legion joined the army of the breakaway Gallic Empire in the 260s and 270s AD, but was presumably peacefully reunited with the main Imperial Army by Aurelianus in 274 AD. It was still garrisoned in Bonna in the late 3rd and early 4th Centuries; it may have sent vexillations to aid Constantinus I in his wars at the beginning of the 4th.

Bonna was besieged and destroyed by the Franks in 353 AD. The defenders - who were slaughtered to a man - were soldiers of the First Minervia. Historians are undecided as to whether or not part of the Legion was not present, and would've therefore remained in the Army of the Western Empire. Either way, those legionaries who did perish at Bonna in 353 AD died in the defense, not only of their post and their families - but also in defense of their Legion's three centuries-old legacy in the region.

reply to post by spannera



I like this association of the shining white Bride and the Milky Way, an example of how these cults endured might perhaps be found in the Medieval Pilgrimage lore relating to the House of Our Lady at Walsingham.

he Milky Way galaxy was known to medieval pilgrims as the Walsingham Way because as they saw it in the night sky it seemed to point towards Walsingham, indicating the right road. In the Hales and Furnivall edition of Bishop Percy's Folio Manuscript of Ballads and Romances (1868), they quote "The Milky Way pointed directly to the house of the Virgin, in order to guide pilgrims on their road; hence it is called the Walsingham Way, which had its counterpart on earth in the broad way which led through Norfolk." Apart from its familiar uses in our Walsingham context, it occasionally appears in other literature as an alternative title for the Milky Way.


A starlight-wender of ours would say The marvellous Milk was Walsingham Way"]

O Englonde, great cause thou haste glad for to be,
Compared to the londe of promys syon,
Thou atteynest my grace to stande in that degre
Through this gloryous Ladyes supportacyon,
To be called in every realme and regyon
The holy lande, Oure Ladyes dowre;
Thus arte thou named of olde antyquyte.

And this is the cause, as it apereth by lyklynesse,
In the is belded newe Nazareth, a mancyon
To the honoure of the hevenly empresse
And of hir moste gloryous salutacyon,
Chyef pryncypyll and grounde of oure salvacyon,
Whan Gabryell sayd at olde Nazereth 'Ave',
This joy here dayly remembred for to be.

O gracyous Lady, glory of Jerusalem,
Cypresse of Syon and Joye of Israel,
Rose of Jeryco and Sterre of Bethleem,
O gloryous Lady, our askynge nat repell,
In mercy all wymen ever thou doste excell,
Therfore, blissed Lady, graunt thou thy great grace
To all that the devoutly visyte in this place.

The Pynson Ballad