Etruscan Death and Divination: Gods and Goddesses of Death (Part 4) - Ep 10

Explore the ancient Etruscan burial practices and deities of the underworld.

The Etruscans began rising to power around 900 BCE in Etruria, modern day Tuscany. They dominated the Italian peninsula and became a major political and economic force in the Mediterranean that left a legacy that shaped the region. Etruscan kings ruled over Rome until 509 BCE when an uprising removed the tyrannical monarch and people created the Roman Republic.

In this episode, we'll discover the Etruscan view of the journey to the underworld and the important role of horses in carrying the soul and the body to it's eternal destination. Learn about the elaborate celebrations that helped shape some of the most iconic Roman traditions. Uncover the cities for the dead with rock cut tombs shaped like family homes that reflect their emphasis on family connections in life. Then meet the guides, gatekeepers, and guardians of the Etruscan afterlife from the sun god who's dark side rules the underworld to goddesses who protect the deceased, and see how they changed over time as cultural exchange happened across the Mediterranean region.

Transcripts

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Chthonic Mysteries of Greece: Gods and Goddesses of Death (Part 3) - Ep 09

In this episode, we uncover the Mycenaean roots of Ancient Greek deities and beliefs about death and the afterlife. The Mycenaeans controlled much of Greece and the Aegean Sea starting about 1700 BCE until about 1200 BE, when the Late Bronze Age collapse led to hundreds of years of political, social, and climate upheaval for the entire region. But through their monumental architecture, art, and stories they left behind, Classical Greek mythology was born. Discover the origins of deities like Dionysus, Poseidon, and Hermes and their original underworld associations. Journey into sacred sites the Greeks inherited from the Mycenaeans, like the Sanctuary of Poseidon with caverns that have been associated with sacred burials and the underworld as far back as the Neolithic. Then we'll take a look at Hades and several less famous Greek goddesses, gods, and monsters of death and the underworld.

Transcripts

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Winter's Cold Embrace: Gods and Goddesses of Death (Part 2) - Ep 08

In this episode, we explore the gods and goddesses associated with winter and death. From Itztlacoliuhqui of Mesoamerica, to Boreas, Demeter, and Persephone of ancient Greece; Cailleach Beara in Scotland who's also known as the Cailleach in Ireland; Marzanna of Western Slavic lands; Perchta in the Alpine valleys; Frau Holle of the Germanic region, and Hel of Norse mythology, these deities reflect how ancient cultures grappled with the trials of winter and the inevitability of death.

Transcripts

  • For a transcript of this episode, tap the Zencastr icon on in the upper left corner of the Podcast image.

Links

ArchPodNet

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