the universal fear of death
Because of the universal fear of death and darkness, Alissa claims that sun worship was evident in all ancient cultures in one form of another and the sun is still revered as a health-giver and healer in modern society.
“The fear of death was especially prevalent in ancient cultures in northern latitudes where the seasons are most marked,” says Alissa. “The Northern Winter Solstice, or midwinter's day, December 21st, was the most revered day of worship.”
“Midwinter's day was revered because it is the shortest day of the year when the sun is at its lowest and weakest and marked a point in time from which the days following grow longer and brighter and warmer, and their nights shorter."
“Huge structures were built to cope with this fear of death,” says Alissa. “Newgrange in Ireland is a huge circular stone structure similar to Stonehenge in Britain.”
“The pyramids in Egypt and the kivas of Hopi and Pueblo American Indians -- which were the first structures built, c. 3000 BCE -- marked the Winter Solstice by allowing a shaft of sunlight to appear within it only at dawn on that day,” says Alissa. “When it appeared, the people rejoiced because the sun had returned and they would not die a terrible death in the cold and dark.”
“Yet even though death is synonymous with winter,” says Alissa, “the place where we go after death has mostly been portrayed as a place of eternal light -- Valhalla, Nirvana, Happy Hunting Grounds, Heaven and even the white light seen by those experiencing near-deaths.”
Read more by Alissa on this issue:
<< Home