Ogmios (or Ogma) - Celtic God of Eloquence

Ogmios was a Celtic deity of Gaul and described by Lucien, a Roman writer, as the God of the Furrow. He was possibly an agricultural deity.Ogmios is the equivalent of the Irish Ogma, the god of poetry and eloquence. The Romans likened him to Hercules.

Both Ogmios and Ogma are represented as an old man (meaning wisdom) with dark skin (meaning a powerful being). He is usually depicted as carrying a club and wearing a lion skin. Carvings of Ogmios also show him with long thin chains connecting his tongue to the ears of his smiling followers.

Ogmios was the god of scholars and oratory in Celtic tradition. The deity was able to control the actions of others and could even use his powers to bind them and lead them to the underworld using his powers of persuasion. There is an association with curses but few contemporary references have been found.

Ogma, meaning "sun face", was the son of Dagda, "the good god of the Irish Celts" and belonged to the ruling clan of gods known as the the "Tuatha De Danann". In some accounts he is thought to be Dagda's brother. He fought against the Fomorians who were an evil and supernatural race who sought to invade Ireland. Ogma's eloquence caused the gods to be brave in battle.

Ogmios disappeared from Gaul but then appears as Ogma in Ireland where references are made about him in the 4th century.

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Hermaphroditus - God of Effeminate Men in Greek and Roman Mythology

The legend says Hermaphroditus wandered into the woods of Caria and saw the nymph Salmacis in her pool. Salmacis fell in love with Hermaphroditus but he rejected her advances because of his teenage years. Later Salmacis found the boy in the pool and wrapped herself around him entreating the gods to unite her with him in an everlasting bond. The gods answered her prayer and joined their bodies together so both were afterwards one person. Hermaproditus's parents answered his prayer that any man bathing in the pool became soft and effeminate.

Hermaphroditus is depicted with male and female bodyparts or a man who can transform into a woman. In myths, hermaphrodite's roles in Greek society was that of a male. Hermaphrodites were considered to be an extension of the beauty of their race but the Romans did not share this opinion.

The word hermaphrodite is derived from the legend and used in modern medical terminology.

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Popularity of Greek and Roman myths today

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Many of the Greek and Roman myths are as popular today as they were hundreds, even thousands of years ago, because they reflect human feelings and emotions such as guilt, joy, love and greed. It is the main reason why they have remained so well liked and well known.

The Greeks and Romans regarded myths as a way of explaining the world around them. For example, they believed fire was a divine gift from Olympus itself, even though Prometheus gave it to mankind following a theft from heaven. Fire was regarded as important by the ancient Greeks and modern day historians alike because it allowed civilisation to progress.

The idea of fate was taken for granted in the minds of the ancient Greeks. Every person had a particular fate or destiny. The path to that fate was not set and only the final destination was certain. Luck, either good or bad, played a part in deciding whether the journey to that final destination was pleasant or unbearable. The idea of luck or freewill was attributed to the goddess Fortuna in Roman society or the goddess Tyche in Greek society.

Fortuna, the goddess of luck, was more important in Roman culture than her counterpart, Tyche, in Greek culture. The worship of Fortuna in Roman society was very popular and included all classes, from public officials to sailors. The idea of luck being good or bad is almost identical today as it was during the time of the Roman Empire. Modern popular phrases such as "Wheel of Fortune" and "Lady Luck" are attributed to the goddess.

The myth of Acontius and Cydippe is one of two young people who attend a religious festival and fall in love with one another. A modern day interpretation would be almost the same except the religious festival would be replaced with perhaps a music festival. It is easy to understand why the story of Acontius and Cydippe was so popular because such stories are retold in modern times in films and plays such as "Romeo and Juliet".

Hades, the god of the Underworld, was feared amongst ancient Greeks because they abhorred the idea of death. The Underworld kingdom of Hades was where souls were judged and sentenced according to the life they had led by three judges. Evildoers, such as Tantulus, were sent to Tartarus where they were punished. The concept of Tartarus is easy to understand because of the comparison with Hell. The Elysium Fields was where the good and pious souls, such as Cassandra, were sent and a modern day interpretation would be Heaven. The interpretation of such regions in the Greek and Roman minds would have been the same as it is today.

Greek and Roman myths have remained popular through the generations because the perception of the ordinary person is the same as for example the love between two young people in the story of Acontius and Cydippe. The understanding of these myths would have been thought of in a slightly different context, as for example, the goddess Fortuna would have been important in protecting the grain supplies of Rome, which was the main source of food. However a modern interpretation of "Lady Luck" would be used by the contestants of a television show, such as American Idol. The popularity of Greek and Roman myths will continue for many years to come.

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