Genuflect

by Tracy R Twyman

  Butitwasn’tuntilafterChronoswasusurpedbyZeus,andtheTitans vanquished,thatoneoftheirnumber,Atlas,wasconscriptedwiththearduous taskofholdinguptheskyonhisshoulders.Thiswasdonetopreventthesky, Ouranos,from“resuminghisembrace”withGaiatheEarth.Ifthiswereto happen,theysaid,everythingthatexistswouldbesnuffedout.Itisonlybecause Atlasdoeshisjobthatwehavea“stage”uponwhichtoact(asShakespeare woulddescribetheworldlyplane).

  Sohowandwhere,then,Iwondered, dideventsoftheGoldenAgeoccur, when nobodywastheretokeeptheEarthandSkyapart,sincenopersonwas slaveto another?

  IalsorecalledthatthesamestorywastoldintheKabbalistic Zoharaboutthe serpent‐demonsLilith(“night”)andSamael(“theblindone”),whohadonce beentwohalvesoftheonlycreatureinexistence.Godhadsplitthemapart deliberately,castratingthemale,buttheystilllongedforoneanother.Itwassaid thatiftheywereeverabletomateagain,itwoulddestroycreation.These demonswereassociatedbynineteenth‐centuryoccultistStanislasdeGuaitawith thehermaphroditeBaphometinthesigilshecreated,oneofwhichwaslater adoptedbytheChurchofSatanasitsofficiallogo.

  Satan,itseems,wantstoseewhatisseparatebecomewholeagain,in orderto undoGod’screation,Ithoughttomyself,andnotforthefirsttime.

  WhenIcameoutoftheshower,IfoundthatChesterfieldhadgonetotheAlder GateCash&Carry,whichwasapparentlynearby.Therehehadboughtmeapair ofdarkgrayjeans,justmysize,andaredsweaterthatfitperfectly,from.Hehad alsobroughtusallcoffeeandabagfullofsconesfromStarbucks.Paris,who wasjustcomingawake,tookhiscoffeeandsconesintothebathroomwithout lookingup.

  Maybehe’smadatmetoo,Ithought. Chesterfieldprobablytoldhimwhat had happenedbetweenusinhisbedroom.

  Chesterfieldwasalsobeinggruff,nottalkingmuchotherthantosay

  “you’rewelcome”blandlywhenIthankedhimfortheclothesandcoffee.We bothsatdownatthelittlewhiteFormicatableinthekitchen’sbreakfastnook andstarredatourlaptopsforawhile.

  Itwas8a.m.now,andIthoughtIshouldprobablycheckthenewsfirst.YetI couldn’tshaketheimageofthematingwormsinmydream.Iknewthat Leviathan,thatdreadedseaserpentintheBible,wasoftendepictedjustlikethe Ouroboros,swallowingitsowntail,andencompassingtheentirecosmoswithin itscoil.

  LikethemonstrousTitans,Ouroboroswasarepresentationofthechaosthatwas thoughttopreexistthecreationofmatter.Butsometimesitwasdepictedastwo serpentsshownswallowingeachother,muchlikethemutuallyfuckingand devouringhermaphroditewormsinmydream.

  Ilookeditup,andsureenough,earthwormsarehermaphrodites,sothisishow theymate.Irememberedthatthewordsfor“worm”and“serpent”werethesame inancientSumer: orm.Idecidedtolooktoseeiftherewereanyetymological linksbetween orm,“Ouroboros,”and“Ouranos.”WhatIfoundwassomething better.

  Asitturnedout,“Ouranos”and“Ouroboros”aredefinitelyconnected.Iused

  “GoogleTranslate”andfoundthatthewordwhichWikipediahadrenderedas

  “sky”actuallymeans“rain‐maker,”or,morespecifically,“urinater.”Rainwas thuslikenedtourinefromthesky.AndOuroborosdidn’tmean“tail‐swallower,”

  asthesamesourcehadclaimed.Thatwasclearlyaeuphemism.Idiscovereda moreliteralrendering:“urine‐drinker.”

  TheOuroborosistheuncreatedone, Ithought. Heneedsnothing.He produces whatheneeds.Andbecauseheiseternal,becausethereisnofuture whereheis, thatissufficient.

  ButlikeGaiaandOuranos,Imused, thisEternalSerpentwascutup.Isn’t that inEgyptianmythsomewhere?Wormscanregenerateifyouslicethemin half, andthat’swhatthisonedid.Itbecametwo.Thentheystartedfuckingand suckingoneachother.Itmeantthesamethingbecausetheirmouthsandtheir

  wombswerethesamething.Andthe“children”intheirwombswerethesource of theirnourishment.Theirwombswerealsotheirstomachs.

  Thisseemedtomelikealogicaldeductiontomakefromtheknowndetailsof thestory.IfeltaflashofpridethatIhadfigureditout.Itwasanancientriddle thatprobablyveryfewhadevenrealized wasariddle,muchlesspondered about,intheinterveningmillennia.

  Butwheredidtheknifecomefromtocuttheworm? Icontinuedtowonder.

  ItsnecessaryexistencerepresentedsomekindofperverseblasphemythatI hadn’tdivinedyet.

  “Haveyoufiguredoutanythingrelevanttoourcaseyet?”Chesterfieldsaid,at lastbreakingthesilencethatmusthavebeenbotheringhim.Ijumpedabit, startled.

  “Idon’tthinkso.Notsofar,”Isaid.

  “Whatareyoudoing,lookingatcats?”hechastised.“We’rerunningoutoftime here!”

  Ilookeddownatmycomputerdutifully.Afteraminuteofstaringblankly,I askedastupidquestion.

  “WhatexactlyamIsupposedtobelookingfor?”

  “Well,let’sgooverthecaseagain,shallwe?”Hegotupandbegantopace aroundthekitchen.“ItstartedlastSaturday,March24,fivedaysbeforeImet you.Nowyousaythat’stheDayofBlood,whenthecultofCybeleusedtodo theircastrationrituals.That’sthedayonwhichMI5receivedtheanonymous uploadof EasterSundayAprilFool.”

  “Whichyouadmitwasnotreallyanonymous,”Iinterjected.

  “Right,”heacknowledged.“Thatfilmdepicts—Iwouldsay,‘documents’—a boybeingkidnappedfromPiccadillyCircusrightbeforeEaster1956.Andthis eventtookplaceattheexactsameintersectionwhereyouchosetostayinahotel roomyesterday,justbeforeEaster,whichfallsonthesamedaythisyearthatit didin1956.”

  “No,Leopold’speoplebookedthehotel,”Iinsisted.“Ihadnothingtodowith it.”

  “OK,fine,”hesaid,dismissingmyobjectionwithawaveofhishand.“So anyway,thefilmshowstheboybeingcastratedamongancientruinssomewhere inaritualyousayissimilartotheinitiationritesofthecultofCybele.Theboy isthenpossiblykilledandfedtotheravensattheTowerofLondon.”

  Ishruggedmyshoulders.Iknewthatthestory,truethoughitwas,sounded insane.

  “Theninthesamefilm,alittlegirlissodomizednexttotheLondonStoneinthe upperchamberofTempleBar,whichwasthensittingonpropertyattachedtoa boardingschool.Thegirlisfirstrapedwithadildoonastick,which,asitturns out,isconnectedtothesymbolismoftheancientmonumentofBillingsgatein London.It’salsosimilartothewayinwhichmedievalwitchcraftcultsusedto introduceintoxicatingsubstancesintotheorificesoftheinitiatesatSabbaths.”

  Inodded.

  “Then,atthesametimethatIam,illegallyandagainstmyemployer’sprotocol, allowingyoutoseethisfilm,myultimateboss,theDirectorofMI5,is kidnappedbyyourfakebaronfriendandthenkilledinthatverysamechamber ofTempleBar,whichhasnowbeenmovedtoPaternosterSquare.But…”

  Hepivotedonhisfootandthenturnedtofaceme,pointingatmeaccusingly.

  “TempleBaroriginallysatrightnexttotheOldeCockTaverninTemple,where youaskmetotakeyouwhileallofthisstuffiscoincidentallyhappening.

  TheDirector’sheadismountedtothefrontofthebarlikehe’satraitor,andthe murdersceneincludesaMithraicmagicsquare,whichalsoshowsupatthis Alphamstoneplacethatyourfakebaronfriendpretendedtobefrom.Italso includesallegedTemplarsymbolsofseveredmalegenitalsinavasethatjustso happentobeshowcasedinyourlatestbook.Andthisbringsmetothesubjectof you,Pamela.”

  Hesatdownnexttomeandputhisfacewithinaninchofmyown,lookingat mesternly.Icouldalmostfeelhisredmustacheticklingmycheek.He continued.

  “Youclaimthatthissamepersonkidnappedyouyesterdayandforcedyouto witnessabullsacrificeinasecretundergroundtunnel.Butyoualsorefuseto
testifytothisfact,whichiswhywedon’thavehisco‐conspiratorsinthefake butchercompanyarrested,andwhyheisthenabletoescape.”

  Therewasalotofangerinhisvoice,andhiswordsindicatedthathemightnot reallybelievewhatItoldhimaboutwhathappenedtomethedaybefore.Or,at least,hewantedmetothinkso.Itwassupposedtomakemefeelbad,andit worked,eventhoughIknewIwasinnowaytoblameforanything.Idecidedto ignorehismanipulationtactics.

  “Yes,”Iacknowledged.“Andbullsacrificesareassociatedwithboththecultof CybeleandthemysteriesofMithras.Also,abullsacrificewasdepictedonthe sideoftheallegedlyTemplar‐originatedMetecofferthatdisappearedfromthe museum.SomaybeIshouldresearchthatangletoconnecttheTemplars, MithrasandCybele.BecauseIstilldon’tknowhowthesethingsallgotogether.”

  IlookedbackdownatmycomputerandbegantotypeintoGoogle.

  Chesterfieldsatbackdownathislaptopandresumedhisownresearch.

  IstartedoffbylookingforconnectionsbetweenMithrasandCybele.Ifound quicklythatadebatehadbeenragingamongscholarsonthesubjectforthelast 250years.Theycouldn’tagreeonwhetherornotthesetwocults,bothof EasternoriginandactiveconcurrentlyinthelateRomanEmpire,wererelatedat all.Itwasmostlymodernscholarswhowereclaimingthattheywerenot.

  CybelehadbeenadoptedintoHellenisticGreecefromtheirwesternAnatolian coloniesasearlyasthesixthcenturyBC.TheGreekscompoundedherwith Rhea,thewifeofChronosandmotherofZeus.Theaspectofherrelationship withAttis,somehistorianssaid,wasreallyonlyfullyadoptedbytheWestern versionofthecultaftertheRomansabsorbeditintotheirofficialreligioninthe secondcenturyBC.

  ButasIhadmentionedtoChesterfieldbefore,the Galluofthetemplesofthe GreatMotherGoddessInannainSumeralsopracticedthesamerite,andhad amythaboutthesonofthegoddesswhichwasidenticalinmanywaystothatof Attis.

  Mithraism,however,hadbeenimportedfromPersiamuchlater,startinginthe firstcenturyafterChrist.Thereweremanyobviousdifferences.Mithraismwas anall‐malecultthat,atfirstblush,seemstopromotemasculineattributesand shuneverythingfeminine.Itwaspopularinthemilitary,particularlyamongthe foreignlegions,andindeed,that’swhereithadoriginallybegunitsspread throughouttheempire.

  Ittookacoupleofcenturiesforittobeanythingmorethanabarelytolerated subterraneanmysteryschool(operatingliterallyunderground,incavesonthe frontiers,andinthebasementsofotherbuildingsincities).Buteventually,some oftheemperorswereconverted,andthecult,whichhadoriginallyforbiddenits memberstojoinanyotherreligiousgroups,begantoallowamalgamationwith thefollowersof“SolInvictus”(“InvincibleSun”),a.k.a.Helios.

  ThisnewandimprovedMithraismbecamethedominantreligiousforceatthe endoftheempire,untilitsrival,Christianity,withwhichitsharedmutual influence,eclipseditaltogether.

  Earlyinthetwentiethcentury,twoauthors—FranzCumontandJessieWeston—

  separatelypublishedimportantworksarguingthatMithraistshadalsomade formalpactswithCybeleworshippers.Cumonthadstateditasthoughitwere establishedfactinhis1903book TheMysteriesofMithra.Therehehadargued that:

  …inconciliatingthepriestsofMagnaMater,thesectariesofMithraobtainedthe supportofapowerfulandofficiallyrecognizedclergy,andsosharedinsome measureintheprotectionaffordeditbytheState.

  Healsopointedoutthatthetemplesofbothcults( mithraeumsand metroons) wereoftenveryclosetooneanother.InOstiainItaly,wheretheoldestknown mithraeumhasbeenfound(alongwithdozensofothersscatteredthroughoutthe sametown),thetwotempleswereactuallyattachedcontiguously.Cumont suggestedthattheymayhavesharedritualmaterials,andperhapseven conductedjointrituals.

  Now,wasn’tOstiatheplacewherethatPasoliniguywasmurdered? Ithoughtto myself.

  Ifthetwocultsdidworktogether,itwouldactuallyputtorestoneofthepoints ofargumentbetweenhistoriansonthesubject.Cumonthadclaimedthatboththe

  CybelistsandtheMithraistspracticedtheriteof taurobolium.Thiswasthe ceremonywhereinthepriestwouldripopenthegutsofthevictimonaplatform withametalgrateoveritsothatthebloodwouldpourdownontoaninitiate positionedbelow.Itwasaformofsanguinarybaptism,afterwhichtherecipient wassaidtobe renatusinaeternum“rebornforeternity”).

  Modernscholars,criticizingCumont,arguethat,althoughthecentralmythofthe cultisaboutMithrashuntingandkillingabull,atrue tauroboliumwouldhave beenimpossibletoconductinsideofatinyunderground mithraeum.Butthey ignorethefactthatCumonthadalreadyaddressedthisissue.Hesaidthe evidencesuggestedthatMithraistsperformedfewifanyoftheirownsacrifices of.

  Instead,hethoughtthattheymostlikelycontractedthisworkouttoa professional victimarius(sacrificialbutcher),whichwasacommonpracticeat thetime.Any metroonwouldhavebeenequippedforthis,andtheCybelistsmay havebeentheonestofulfillthispurpose.Cumontalsonotedthat mithraeums wereusuallybuiltdirectlyuponasourceofrunningwater.Heproposedthatthe relativelysophisticatedplumbingsystemstheyusuallysportedmighthavebeen usefultotheCybelists,andthataccesstothesethingsmighthavebeentradedto thembytheMithraistsinexchangeforhelpwithbutchery.

  ItoccurredtomethatCybele’santi‐maletransvestitepriesthoodandthe Mithraists’aversiontofemininitymayhavemadethemanoddyet complimentarypair:theybothwereagainsttraditionalsexuality.Furthermore themythologiesofbothcultfigurescomplementedeachotherinthesameway.I toldyoubeforethataccordingtosomesources,Cybelewasn’talwaysjusta woman.

  Prudentius,aRomanChristianpoet,writinginthefourthcentury,saidin Peristephanon:10.1071‐3:

  BothsexesaredispleasingtoCybele’sholiness,sohekeepsamiddlegender betweenthetwo.

  AsImentioned,initiatesofCybele’spriesthoodwentthroughanorgiasticpublic ritualinwhichtheywereexpectedtogomadondrugsandwine.Theywould thenbecomepossessedbythegoddess,justlikeAttis,sothattheywouldbe inspiredtocastratethemselvesjustlikehedid.Thesepriestswerethereafter

  referredtoaswomen,justlikethe GallupriestsofSumerbeforethem,andjust likeapost‐optransgenderpersonwouldbeinmoderntimes.Likethe Gallu, theydressedinwomen’sclothes,spokeinaffectedeffeminatevoices,andsang inaneffeminatemannerthatwassupposedtobepleasingtothegoddess.

  Earlier,inthefirstcenturyBC,anotherRomanpoet,GaiusValeriusCatullus, hadwrittenin Carmina,Poem63abouthowAttiscastratedhimselfandthus becameapriestessofCybele.Fromthatpointon,shewastherebyimmediately referredtoasfeminine:

  Overthevastmainbornebyswift‐sailingship,Attis,aswithhastyhurriedfoot hereachedthePhrygianwoodandgainedthetree‐girtgloomysanctuaryofthe Goddess,thererousedbyrabidrageandmindastray,withsharp‐edgedflint downwardsdashedhisburdenofvirility.Thenashefelthislimbswereleft withouttheirmanhood,andthefreshspiltbloodstainingthesoil,withbloodless handshehastilytookatambourlighttohold,yourtambourine,Cybele,your initiaterite,andwithfeeblefingersbeatingthehollowedbullock’sback,sherose upquivering…

  Later,whenherreasonreturnedtoher,shelamentedthelossofherpenisandthe factthatshewasnowa“slave”tothemothergoddess:Thenwhenfromquiet resttorn,herdeliriumover,Attisatoncerecalledtomindherdeed,andwith lucidthoughtsawwhatshehadlost,andwhereshestood,withheavingheartshe backwardstracedherstepstothelanding‐place.There,gazingoverthevast mainwithtear‐filledeyes,withsaddenedvoiceintristfulsoliloquythusdidshe lament…

  ThisallappearstobeanechooftheearliestversionsoftheCybelemyth, influencedmorecloselybythePhrygianversion.Inthese,shewascalled

>   “Agditis,”andwassaidtohaveoriginatedintherealmofthegods.Shehadbeen formedwhensomeofZeus’semenfelluponarockcalled“Agdo.”Buttheother godsfoundAgditistobeafreak,andsotheyhadhercastrated,andcasther downtoEarth.This,then,wouldexplainwhyCybelewassometimes representedbyarock,particularlyameteorite—a“stonethatfellfromheaven.”

  Asthestorycontinues,accordingtoaGreektraveloguefromPausaniasinthe secondcenturyAD,thegoddessthenbecamepregnantwithaboy,whomshe abandonedatbirthandleftfordead.Theboywasbornsobeautifulthathewas

  rescuedbyashe‐goatthatfeltpityforhim.Eventually,whenshefoundhim again,hisownmotherfellinlovewithhim.

  Hewaslaterengagedtoaprincess.Butduringthewedding,Agditis/Cybele possessedhismindandinspiredhimtocastratehimself,resultinginhisdeath.

  Afterwards,inregret,she“persuadedZeustograntthebodyofAttisshould neitherrotatallnordecay”(accordingtoatravelogueofPhrygiawritteninthe secondcenturyADbytheGreekgeographerPausanias).Thisistheskeletal story,uponwhichavarietyofflourishesabouttheboy’sdeath,resurrection,and alleged“love”forhismotherwereadded.

  SomeobviousparallelsbetweenthisandthestoryofMithrasjumpoutright away.JustastheysayAgditiswasbornfroma petragenetrix(“fecundrock”), sotoowasMithras.Votivedepictionsofthegod’sbirthshowhimemergingasa fully‐grownyoungman,withatorchinonehandandaknifeintheother,which heusedtofindhiswayandtearhimselfout.

  Oneithersideoftherocktheyalwaysdepictedthetwo Chiaramonti (“Torchbearers”),twomaleyouthswhoworePhrygianhatsjustlikeMithras, andjustAttisCybele’s Gallipriests.The Chiaramontiwerealsooftenshownin thatsamepeculiarcross‐leggedattitude;justlikehowAttisandthe Galliwere oftenshown,whetherstandingorlaying;justliketheeffigiesofthecross‐legged knightsonthegravesatTemplechurch.Thenamesofthetwo Chiaramontiwere CautesandCautophanes.Eachheldatorch,withonepointingitupwards,and theotherpointingitdownwards,respectively.Seeingthisremindedmeagainof EliphasLevi’sdepictionoftheTemplardemonBaphomet,withonehand pointingup,andtheotherpointingdown,alongwithatorchburningbetweenhis goathorns.