In the 2nd century CE Lucian of Samosata wrote a description of a Goddess temple in Syria and the activities of the sacred, gender-bending priests that worked there. ‘De Dea Syria’ (of the Syrian Goddess) describes the temple as dedicated to Atargatis, a local name for Ishar/Astarte, whom Lucien synchronises with the Greek goddess Hera:Continue reading “Galli: ‘sacred as they are’”
Tag Archives: Gallae
Nature’s Gay Sons
The magical ones, nature’s gay sons, gentle feminine men had a role back then, in the ancient days of the Goddess Mother the first priesthood on the planet was this band of brothers. Known as Gala they sang, like the women, for the dead and tended the temples wherein lived the Godhead, serving as priestsContinue reading “Nature’s Gay Sons”
Cybele, Attis and the Gallae
Magna Mater to the Romans, crazy Goddess to Greeks, beloved Mother Cybele to the common folk, the queers, outcasts and rebels. Worshipped from 600BC in Greece, 200 BC in Rome and then across northern Africa, southern Europe and up as far north as Britain for 700 years, her priest/esses were known as the Gallae. TheContinue reading “Cybele, Attis and the Gallae”