I knew Greg Oden looked old, but geez, I had no idea.

wrote:
> On Mon, 8 Dec 2008 02:10:24 -0800 (PST), LOVE Europe HATE the EU
> > wrote:
>
>> How Odin Became Santa Claus: Symbolism and Pagan Origins of a Gift-
>> Giving Saint
>> by Anja Heij
>>
>> http://www.odins-gift.com/poth/1imoth/wildhunt2.gif
>> http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/9...eigh800ip3.jpg
>>
>> The story begins in the northern regions of Europe where the supreme
>> god Odin, also known as Wodan among the German tribes, reigned. (He
>> still lives among us in Wednesday, which is Wodan’s day). Odin/Wodan
>> was the god of wisdom, magick and occult knowledge, runes, poetry and
>> war. His name means “the inspired one”. Like a shaman he could travel
>> in other worlds to gather more insight while his two black ravens
>> Huginn (Thought) and Muninn (Memory) kept him informed about the news
>> in the world. Odin was depicted as a tall, old man with a white beard
>> and wearing a cloak. He rode the skies and the seas on his fast white
>> horse Sleipnir with his 8 (the number of transformation) legs, while
>> carrying his never missing spear Gungnir (clear and focused intent) in
>> his hand. He had one eye, for he had offered the other eye in exchange
>> for gathering wisdom at the well of the head Mimir (Norse
>> representation of the Source) and with that he became a shapeshifter,
>> able of seeing in the outward world with his normal eye and
>> understanding the inward worlds with his black, removed, eye. He was
>> very beloved among his friends and followers who felt happy and
>> energized in his surroundings (an enlightened being?). His enemies
>> however he could paralyze or kill with his sight (insight, the truth).
>> Odin trained many men and women as warriors for the final battle
>> against the forces of destruction in the underworld at Ragnarok (the
>> Norse judgement day). His fearless warriors often painted their bodies
>> black and fought in the middle of the night.
>>
>> The story of Odin/Wodan is the battle between good and evil which will
>> stop when we finally realize that black and white are two sides of the
>> same coin. Odin is a mythical representation of goodness with his
>> wisdom, white beard and white horse (in New Age terms we would depict
>> him as ‘white divine light’). And he is wise enough to understand that
>> ‘black’ is not similar to ‘dark’ in the sense of ‘evil and taboo’ for
>> his helpers are black ravens and black (spiritual) warriors. The evil
>> he fights is the underworld dragon of false beliefs, untruth and
>> selfishness (in New Age terms we would call this ‘ego’).
>> (So now we have a wise, good man performing magick/miracles with a
>> white horse riding the skies, a white beard, a cloak, a spear and
>> black advisors/informers/helpers and he is also god of poetry).
>>
>> Next we go to the Roman empire where between December 17 and 24 the
>> pagan Saturnalia were celebrated, big feasts with a lot of
>> merrymaking, dancing, gambling, sensuality and the exchange of gifts.
>> This festival was meant to celebrate the return of the sun on the
>> shortest days of the year and to counteract the depression due to lack
>> of sunlight.
>> (Here we find December celebrations with gifts.)
>>
>> Time goes by. Christianity develops itself. In the 4th century in
>> Myra, Turkey, a Christian bishop named Nicholas lived with a great
>> reputation for goodness, benevolence and performing miracles for the
>> poor and unhappy. He miraculously supplied gold to three (number of
>> manifestation) girls as marriage dowries so they did not have to
>> become prostitutes and he brought three children back to life who had
>> been chopped by a butcher. It is not difficult to understand that
>> during the poverty of the Middle Ages (also called Dark Ages) this
>> bishop became extremely popular as Saint Nicholas in all parts of
>> Europe. His feastday, it was said to be his birthday, was December 5
>> or 6, nobody knows. There is no historical evidence however for the
>> true existence of this saint.
>> (So now we see a benevolent, miracle performing bishop with a white
>> dress and a red cloak.)
>>
>> After the Reformation Saint Nicholas became forgotten in all the
>> protestant countries of Europe except Holland. There he became
>> Sinterklaas; a kind and wise old man with a white beard, white dress,
>> red cloak, a crosier and riding the skies and roofs of the houses on
>> his white horse, accompanied by his Black Jacks. Sinterklaas will
>> visit you on his birthday December 5 or 6 and donate gifts. His Black
>> Jacks have miraculously gathered information about your behavior
>> during the last year; if it were good you will now be rewarded with
>> presents, if it were bad you will be punished by the Black Jacks who
>> will beat you with their rods or even worse: put you in a big bag and
>> take you with to Spain, said to be the residence of Sinterklaas. The
>> last thing seems to be a Christian influence: punishment by a severe
>> father if you don’t behave morally just. On the other hand: if you do
>> behave nice you will be rewarded with sweets and gifts accompanied by
>> humoristic poems that give insight in your weaknesses.
>> (Here the mix becomes clear between Odin the good magician god and the
>> miracles of the benevolent Sinterklaas. They both ride a white horse
>> in the skies,wear a white beard, a cloak and a spear/cosier. They both
>> have black helpers. They try to support goodness and dispel evil
>> through knowledge. And remember the poetry part? And the blend with
>> Roman influences shows itself in a December feast with gaiety and
>> presents.)
>>
>> In the 17th century Dutchmen emigrated to Northern America and brought
>> their tradition of Sinterklaas with. In the new English speaking world
>> the name changed into Santa Claus. In 1930 a designer for the Coca-
>> Cola Company was asked to draw attractive advertisements for this
>> drink that did not sell well in wintertime. He had to use the company
>> colors red and white and create some cosy type. He remembered the
>> Dutch Santa Claus with his white dress, red cloak, long white beard,
>> kindness and benevolence. The eight-legged horse was replaced for
>> eight flying reindeer. A punishing Black Jack was inappropriate in
>> this concept, so he disappeared. This new Santa Claus became a big
>> hit. He became so popular that right now in Europe he is serious
>> competition for Sinterklaas. That’s understandable: no more fear for
>> punishing Black Jacks, and you no longer have to sweat on suitable
>> poetry for your gifts. And the search for human perfection of Odin?
>> Well, can’t we just have that as a Christmas present from Santa Claus?
>>
>> http://www.stormfront.org/forum/showthread.php?t=535855


--
C The Shocker
All women are pigs with lipstick!