Even the gods had a division of spheres of influence: someone "answered" for peace, someone - for hunting and fire mining, and the female divine principle was entrusted with the most valuable concepts and representations of earthly life: love, faithfulness, courage. Woman - the goddess of wisdom carried to the world, in the representations of ancient people, the understanding of order, the purity and justice of the universe.
The Goddess of Wisdom in Different Mythologies
The desire for harmony and justice since ancient times owned the minds of people. True, the dreams of the universal order and the mind reigning on earth, as the ancient inhabitants of the planet believed, can not themselves, but the Gods descending from heaven. People trusted their destiny precisely for them. So in the ancient Indian myths there were reports that the goddess of wisdom Saraswati is aware of beauty, knowledge and eloquence.
The embodiment of order and eternal truth that arose from world chaos, in the myths of different nations, is Wisdom, which gives man knowledge about the causes and sources of everything on earth, inspires creativity, a search for a new and comprehension of the great justice of the world. The embodiment of these philosophical concepts in the lives of ordinary people was the goddess of wisdom, Sofia.
The search for truth and great world justice were embodied in the image of another legendary heroine, beloved by the ancient Greeks - Athena, whose mother was the wife of the supreme Olympian god Zeus, the goddess of wisdom Metida. It was she who transmitted to her unborn daughter the desire for cognition, beauty, careful attitude to the creative principle in man.
The Goddess of Wisdom in Ancient Greece
Ancient Greek warrior, patroness of people of art and science, the one that manages lightning - this is what the inhabitants of Hellas presented to one of the most beloved and revered Olympians - the goddess of Athena's wisdom. It not only defended the city, whose name was given in her honor, but also personified the heavenly power, capable of justice, affirming life and knowledge of the world.
According to the legends, Athena Pallada grew up smart and diligent to the knowledge of the child, which is why she began to patronize the masters, creators, scientists. Her discretion extended to military matters. The goddess of wisdom of the Hellenes guarded against recklessness during the hostilities, encouraging courage and justifiable courage. Under her protection were pregnant women, she helped with childbirth and protected the peace and peace in the family, contributed to the prosperity of cities.
The Goddess of Wisdom in Ancient Rome
The divine pantheon of the Romans is also populated by beautiful women who played far from secondary roles, both in divine and in human life. Among them is the goddess of wisdom Minerva. Her patronage was awarded to people of creative professions : artists, musicians, poets, sculptors. It favored the teachers, the healers, the artisans.
They sought her protection and help the Romans engaged in needlework. It was believed that she could bestow inspiration on someone who asked her for help. The inhabitants of Rome believed that Minerva is distinguished by reasonableness and wisdom, and turned to her in the hope of a just solution of the issues that worried them. Like the ancient Greeks, this representative of the upper circle of the gods guarded the family hearth, trying to bring harmony and love to the relations of Roman families.
Slavic goddess of wisdom
In the mythology of the Slavs, the Slavic goddess Vesta is endowed with wisdom and the ability to renew human life. As the history of these peoples tells, she was the younger sister of the goddess of winter, cold and death - Morena. It is with the image of Vesta that the Slavs linked the awakening of nature, the coming of spring and the discovery of a particle of the wisdom of their ancestors. In her honor, they arranged a celebration of the meeting of spring and the departure of winter, which occurred on the day of the spring equinox .
Surprisingly, the Slavs believed that the goddess of wisdom lives in every woman, each is the bearer of the great experience and knowledge of the Ancestors, and acquires this gift, reaching the age of majority, that is, the time when she could get married. It is then that she receives the protection of the ancient gods and the ability to convey to her fellow tribesmen the Conscience of previous generations and great heavenly purity.
The Goddess of Wisdom in Egypt
Even Ancient Egypt knew a relationship that required wisdom and justice. Simple mortals could not boast of sobriety of mind and incorruptibility, therefore the solution of such questions was entrusted to the Gods, or rather, to the goddess, who was depicted in ancient drawings sitting on a throne with a woman with a feather in her hair or a winged one. It is the Egyptian goddess Maat who was considered the embodiment of absolute truth, justice and universal balance. Her hopes for objectivity and wisdom were associated with her name. She was the embodiment of the cosmic law, demanding repentance of sins and spiritual purification.