Who is the god of the Zodiac?
Fleet-footed Mercury with his snake-twined caduceus
Or the ever-triumphant Sol Invictus?
Maybe it’s jovial Jupiter with his far reach?
Or hot-headed Mars first into the breach?
No, I’ll tell you, you heathens:
Mithras, beloved of legions
Image sourced from Catalogue of Monuments and Images of Mithras
See also my post from way-way back (2014): The Chap in the (Red) Cap
written for Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt
crispina kemp 
I know of no one else that can tie zodiac Gods to mushroom caps and come out sounding learned. Bravo on both this poem, and the thesis on which it is based in your other post. brilliantly told on both counts.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I thank you, on both counts, Violet.
You know, I became totally steeped in the Mithras cult and all thinking related before I wrote that piece. And it all seemed to make perfect sense. These years on? Hmm. Not so sure. Yet I love unsolved mysteries, and I like to disprove what the self-claimed expects hold as given. And sometimes, later evidence proves me right. That happened with the Beaker Folk. Oops, and now you’ll have to Google it, to discover how they tie in with Round Barrows.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love it, Crispina.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Big smiles. I thank you, Helene
LikeLiked by 1 person
My pleasure.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are brilliant, Crispina. I agree wholeheartedly with Violet!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I bow my head; so much praise …
Though it does draw a grin 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad it does. It should! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Even bigger grin
LikeLiked by 1 person
😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Super-dooper treble looper
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice take on the prompt Crispina 😊 I’ll have to check out Mithras.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What, you trust me? The link is there. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I always trust you Crispina 😊 and yes, I saw the link and will use it. 👍
LikeLiked by 1 person
Big smiles
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bigger smiles
LikeLike
Likes
LikeLiked by 1 person
😎🌸
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mithras so popular with the legions of Rome. Baptised in blood in a pit below the sacrifice. A lot of bull.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great take on the prompt!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Despite our dispute. I thank you. 🙂
LikeLike
I found the Mithras cult fascinating as well, and it took a chapter of my Honours Thesis as an undergrad. Apologies if my bull pun failed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll forgive the pun.
When I first encountered the cult, I read all the available materials. Mostly they repeated each other, without giving any valid supporting evidence. So I decided to research it for myself.
I’m not claiming my own theory is any better, except it isn’t based on factoids. And I’ll happily agree, it is imaginative. But then, so am I
LikeLiked by 1 person
Long may you imagine on my friend
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s the only way to go 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hate to disagree with you, but there was no pit beneath no bull. Initation, yes, but not in bull’s blood. Think of the logistics. Many of the ‘chapels’ were located in the cellars of blocks of flats, and there just wasn’t space to walk a bull in.
But it is true, a whole lot of bull has been talked about it. The media is now burdened with unsupported factoids.
But you are right. The cult was popular with the legions of Rome, and prior to the promotion of the cult of Christ, was the most popular of the mystery cults.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I agree as well that the logistics were against it. In my undergrad days, I had to rely on some Victorian sources which were a little lacking in proper archaeological perspective. I do appreciate your depth of knowledge. I stand enlightened.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I thank you, Padre. And did you follow my link? It isn’t written as an academic piece. hence my alto-ego wrote it! And as I just said … it’s imaginative. But it does look at all possibilities
LikeLiked by 1 person