by Tamaal Ghosh

Created on: March 17, 2009

Ancient Nations Of The Skies.
The cosmology of the ancients were inextricably associated with divinity and godhead and civilisations established their reverence of the heavens in their language.

In Greek and Hellenistic (arising from Greek Influence) regions and times,especially after Alexander's conquests, there were a great number of 'heliopoli" - cities of the Sun, such as Rhodes, Baalbec and more than one Helioplis itself.

The peoples of Europe came from a Indo-European-derived race called the Tautens. Developing into the Teutons, they worshiped Sol the Sun and Mani the Moon. Like the Egyptians and Hindus farther east, they reverenced a deity of the dawn, Eoster and her season ("lenchten",
spring, in Anglo-Saxon) - our Easter and Lent - and the egg in the season of birth, of renewal.

The Sun in Sanskrit is "Surya" and the solar year "sama", which led to the Celtic/Druidic "Samhain" and our "summer". To both of the next waves of conquerors, the Romans and Germans, the Sun was "Sol"; "Saule" in Lithuania and "Sulis" in Gaul.

The highest devotional symbol of the Germanic people was the Wheel of the Year. This was either a six- or eight-spoked wheel or a cross within a circle. These were often placed, upright on poles, on top of burial mounds to make a sundial.

Their year centred on the summer solstice. Solstices played a key role in Teutonic lives, customs, and religious traditions and refer to the most northern and southern positions of the Sun in the sky, the word "solstice" coming from Latin "sol stetit", Sun stands still.

Even today, in Scandinavia on midsummer eve, thousands gather at hillsides to light bonfires and watch the setting Sun. This is a tradition stretching back long before the Roman hegemony and originally a tribute to the Sun, the event has been assimilated by the Church and honours St. John. Another extant midsummer tradition is the construction of large wheels of wood or straw; these are fired and rolled down hills, representing the Sun's journey down towards the winter.

Island In The Sun.

In ancient British Isles, the concept of the 'solar cross' prevailed, as did the 'central mound cosmology'. This had sacred centers, 'Tara', from where four divisions or provinces extended like spokes. On holidays, such as 'Samhain' (Sun's end), marking the end of summer, huge fires were lit in these Tara, on the tops of mounds across the countryside.

A deity originating in Ireland, the spring goddess, 'Brigit' (bright)
had a special temple complex in Kildaire,

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