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Mithras

Traditional Christmas tree. Source: Asad / Adobe Stock

From Mithraic Mysteries to Modern Mirth: Unraveling the Evergreen Christmas Tree Tradition

The Christmas tree is probably one of the most recognizable symbols of Christmas, seen on greeting cards, advertisements, cookies, wrapping paper and in the homes of millions of people around the...
Top image: The sanctuary in the Villa del Mitra, Cabra, Spain. Credit: el Dia de Cordoba

1,800-Year-Old Sanctuary Dedicated to God Mithras Found in Spain

The remains of a sanctuary dedicated to the god Mithras , along with leftovers from ritual banquets, have been found during excavations at the Villa del Mitra in Cabra, Spain . According to Heritage...
Left: front view of the Helmet of Coțofenești Right: Side view of the mythological creatures on the helmet.      Source: Left: National Museum of Romanian History, GFDL Right: © Radu Oltean / Wikimedia Commons

Demystifying the Famous, Fierce, Golden Helmet of Coțofenești

In 1929, a small child discovered an intricate golden helmet in the Poiana Coțofenești village of Romania. Archaeologists determined that it was a stray find from a group of Thracian tribes that...
Aquincum: Exploring the Ancient Roman City Under Modern-Day Budapest

Aquincum: Exploring the Ancient Roman City Under Modern-day Budapest

The ancient Roman city of Aquincum, now located under Budapest in Hungary, was once the capital of Pannonia on the northeastern border of the Roman Empire. From its strategic location on the banks of...
The futhark on the Vadstena bracteate.

Unearthing Ancient Magic in The Runes –Messages with Hidden Symbols and Powerful Numbers

The etymology of the word “rune” means: “to carve, or to cut.” In Low German the word is “raunen.” As the runes were cut and carved into wood, metal or stone, the word “rune” was analogous to the...
Mithras and the bull, fresco from Temple of Mithras, Marino, Italy, dated 2nd century AD.    Source: Public Domain

Mithras, the Persian God Championed by the Roman Army

Mithras the god originated in the east, in Persia (modern day Iran) where he was first worshipped. When soldiers of the Roman Empire came back to the West they brought this cult with them and in time...
Mithra slaying the bull.

The Cult of Mithra: Sacred Temples, and Vedic Legends, and Ancient Armenian Understanding

Mithra was the god of light, purity, goodness, and truth and occupied an important place in the faith of the ancient Aryans. The Spread of Mithra There are various opinions on the spread of the...
Reconstruction of the “Mithraeum of Colored Marbles.” The ‘spelaeum’, the most important room in the Mithraeum, is shown on the bottom level.            Source: G Albertini / Live Science

Dazzling Temple to Cult God Mithras Uncovered in Italy

A 1600-year-old temple in which the ancient god Mithras was worshipped has been discovered beneath Roman ruins in Ostia, Italy. A magnificent ancient building, which is being described as the ‘...
Arthur Rackham Christmas

Come Over to the Dark Side of Christmas

The Festive Season - a time of peace and goodwill to all men. It is a message people in the Western World have grown up with since childhood. Except it is not. It one forgets the saccharine...
Detail of ‘The Introduction of the Cult of Cybele at Rome’ (1505-1506) by Andrea Mantegna.

Candles in the Dark and Spice from the Orient: Mystery Cults

‘But what a small part of our dregs Is Greek! Long ago the wide Orontes of Syria poured into the Tiber And brought With its lingo and morals its flutes And harps...’ - Juvenal Rome did not sit...
Santa with pipe and the knowing smile of ancient wisdom.

Santa the Shaman Comes to the New World: The Shapeshifting Magic-Man from the Ancient Past

In 1626, a ship filled with folks from the Netherlands put into what would later be called New York Harbor and went about building a Dutch colony called New Amsterdam. The figurehead on the prow of...
The complex includes both Christian and Mithraic places of worship, a huge castle, underground features, rock-cut tombs, and water channels.

Mithraism May Become a Bit Less Mysterious with New Temple Discovery in Turkey

In ancient times, there was an Aryan religion, Mithraism, so veiled in secrecy that only rumor of its beliefs and rites were recorded. Archaeologists are hoping to shed more light on the mysteries of...
What Star is This? The Pagan Origins of Christmas Symbols

What Star is This? The Pagan Origins of Christmas Symbols

Rooted in the cyclical pagan year, Christmas can be linked back to the celebration of the Winter Solstice around December 21st, a time when the night was at its longest, and the coming of the “light...
Elephant Tomb in Spain- Mithras Temple

Elephant Tomb Discovered in Spain May Have Been a Temple to the God Mithras

The Elephant's Tomb in Seville, Spain, so named because of an elephant-shaped statue found inside , may have been used to worship the God Mithras, archaeologists say. The tomb is located in the Roman...