Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions Part 18

"Long locks of hair and a long beard are mythological attributes of the Sun. The Sun's rays are compared with locks of hair on the face or head of the Sun.

"When the sun sets and leaves his place to the darkness, or when the powerful Summer Sun is succeeded by the weak rays of the Winter Sun, then Samson's long locks, in which alone his strength lies, are cut off through the treachery of his deceitful concubine, Delilah, the 'languis.h.i.+ng, languid,'

according to the meaning of the name (Delilah). The Beaming Apollo, moreover, is called the _Unshaven_; and Minos cannot conquer the solar hero Nisos, _till the latter loses his golden hair_."[72:1]

Through the influence of Delilah, Samson is at last made a prisoner. He tells her the secret of his strength, the _seven_ locks of hair are shaven off, and his strength leaves him. The shearing of the locks of the Sun must be followed by darkness and ruin.

From the shoulders of Phoibos Lykegenes flow the sacred locks, over which no razor might pa.s.s, and on the head of Nisos they become a palladium, invested with a mysterious power.[72:2] The long locks of hair which flow over his shoulders are taken from his head by Skylla, while he is asleep, and, like another Delilah, she thus delivers him and his people into the power of Minos.[72:3]

Prof. Steinthal says of Samson:

"His hair is a figure of increase and luxuriant fullness. In Winter, when nature appears to have lost all strength, the G.o.d of growing young life has lost his hair. In the Spring the hair grows again, and nature returns to life again. Of this original conception the Bible story still preserves a trace.

Samson's hair, after being cut off, grows again, and his strength comes back with it."[72:4]

Towards the end of his career, Samson's eyes are put out. Even here, the Hebrew writes with a singular fidelity to the old mythical speech. The tender light of evening is blotted out by the dark vapors; the light of the _Sun_ is quenched in gloom. _Samson's eyes are put out._

dipus, whose history resembles that of Samson and Hercules in many respects, tears out his eyes, towards the end of his career. In other words, the _Sun_ has blinded himself. Clouds and darkness have closed in about him, and the clear light is blotted out of the heaven.[72:5]

The final act, Samson's death, reminds us clearly and decisively of the Phenician Hercules, as Sun-G.o.d, who died at the Winter Solstice in the furthest West, where his _two pillars_ are set up to mark the end of his wanderings.

Samson also died at the _two pillars_, but in his case they are not the Pillars of the World, but are only set up in the middle of a great banqueting-hall. A feast was being held in honor of Dagon, the Fish-G.o.d; the Sun was in the sign of the Waterman, _Samson, the Sun-G.o.d, died_.[73:1]

The ethnology of the _name_ of Samson, as well as his adventures, are very closely connected with the _Solar_ Hercules. _"Samson" was the name of the Sun._[73:2] In Arabic, "_Shams-on_" means the _Sun_.[73:3] Samson had _seven_ locks of hair, the number of the planetary bodies.[73:4]

The author of "The Religion of Israel," speaking of Samson, says:

"The story of Samson and his deeds originated in a _Solar myth_, which was afterwards transformed by the narrator into a _saga_ about a mighty hero and deliverer of Israel. The very _name_ 'Samson,' is derived from the Hebrew word, and means 'Sun.' The hero's flowing locks were originally the _rays of the sun_, and other traces of the old myth have been preserved."[73:5]

Prof. Oort says:

"The story of Samson is simply a solar myth. In some of the features of the story the original meaning may be traced quite clearly, but in others the myth can no longer be recognized.

The exploits of some Danite hero, such as Shamgar, who 'slew six hundred Philistines with an ox-goad' (Judges iii. 31), have been woven into it; the whole has been remodeled after the ideas of the prophets of later ages, and finally, it has been fitted into the framework of the period of the Judges, as conceived by the writer of the book called after them."[73:6]

Again he says:

"The myth that lies at the foundation of this story is a description of the sun's course during the six winter months.

The G.o.d is gradually encompa.s.sed by his enemies, mist and darkness. At first he easily maintains his freedom, and gives glorious proofs of his strength; but the fetters grow stronger and stronger, until at last he is robbed of his crown of rays, and loses all his power and glory. _Such is the Sun in Winter._ But he has not lost his splendor forever. Gradually his strength returns, at last he reappears; and though he still seems to allow himself to be mocked, yet the power of avenging himself has returned, and in the end he triumphs over his enemies once more."[73:7]

Other nations beside the Hebrews and Greeks had their "mighty men" and lion-killers. The Hindoos had their Samson. His name was Bala-Rama, the "_Strong Rama_." He was considered by some an incarnation of Vishnu.[73:8]

Captain Wilford says, in "Asiatic Researches:"

"The _Indian_ Hercules, according to Cicero, was called _Belus_. He is the same as _Bala_, the brother of Crishna, and both are conjointly wors.h.i.+ped at Mutra; indeed, they are considered as one Avatar or Incarnation of Vishnou. _Bala_ is represented as a stout man, _with a club in his hand_. He is also called _Bala-rama._"[74:1]

There is a Hindoo legend which relates that Sevah had an encounter with a tiger, "whose mouth expanded like a cave, and whose voice resembled thunder." He slew the monster, and, like Hercules, covered himself with the skin.[74:2]

The a.s.syrians and Lydians, both Semitic nations, wors.h.i.+ped a Sun-G.o.d named Sandan or Sandon. He also was believed to be a _lion-killer_, and frequently figured struggling with the lion, or standing upon the slain lion.[74:3]

Ninevah, too, had her mighty hero and king, who slew a lion and other monsters. Layard, in his excavations, discovered a _bas-relief_ representation of this hero triumphing over the lion and wild bull.[74:4]

The Ancient Babylonians had a hero lion-slayer, Izdubar by name. The destruction of the lion, and other monsters, by Izdubar, is often depicted on the cylinders and engraved gems belonging to the early Babylonian monarchy.[74:5]

Izdubar is represented as a great or mighty man, who, in the early days after the flood, destroyed wild animals, and conquered a number of petty kings.[74:6]

Izdubar resembles the Grecian hero, Hercules, in other respects than as a destroyer of wild animals, &c. We are told that he "wandered to the regions where gigantic composite monsters held and controlled the rising and setting sun, from these learned the road to _the region of the blessed_, and pa.s.sing across _a great waste of land_, he arrived at a region where _splendid trees were laden with jewels_."[74:7]

He also resembles Hercules, Samson, and other solar-G.o.ds, in the particular of _long flowing locks of hair_. In the Babylonian and a.s.syrian sculptures he is always represented with a marked physiognomy, and always indicated as a man with _ma.s.ses of curls over his head_ and a large curly beard.[74:8]

Here, evidently, is the Babylonian legend of Hercules. He too was a _wanderer_, going from the furthest East to the furthest West. He crossed "a great waste of land" (the desert of Lybia), visited "the region of the blessed," where there were "splendid trees laden with jewels" (golden apples).

The ancient Egyptians had their Hercules. According to Herodotus, he was known several thousand years before the Grecian hero of that name. This the Egyptians affirmed, and that he was _born_ in their country.[75:1]

The story of Hercules was known in the Island of Thasos, by the Phenician colony settled there, five centuries before he was known in Greece.[75:2] Fig. No. 4 is from an ancient representation of Hercules in conflict with the lion, taken from Gorio.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. No. 4]

Another mighty hero was the Grecian Bellerophon. The minstrels sang of the beauty and the great deeds of Bellerophon throughout all the land of Argos. His arm was strong in battle; his feet were swift in the chase.

None that were poor and weak and wretched feared the might of Bellerophon. To them the sight of his beautiful form brought only joy and gladness; but the proud and boastful, the slanderer and the robber, dreaded the glance of his keen eye. For a long time he fought the Solymi and the Amazons, until all his enemies shrank from the stroke of his mighty arm, and sought for mercy.[75:3]

The second of the princ.i.p.al G.o.ds of the Ancient _Scandinavians_ was named Thor, and was no less known than Odin among the Teutonic nations.

The Edda calls him expressly the most valiant of the sons of Odin. He was considered the "_defender_" and "_avenger_." He always carried a mallet, which, as often as he discharged it, returned to his hand of itself; he grasped it with gauntlets of iron, and was further possessed of a girdle which had the virtue of renewing his strength as often as was needful. It was with these formidable arms that he overthrew to the ground the monsters and giants, when he was sent by the G.o.ds to oppose their enemies. He was represented of gigantic size, and as the stoutest and strongest of the G.o.ds.[76:1] Thor was simply the Hercules of the Northern nations. He was the Sun personified.[76:2]

Without enumerating them, we can safely say, that there was not a nation of antiquity, from the remotest East to the furthest West, that did not have its mighty hero, and counterpart of Hercules and Samson.[76:3]

FOOTNOTES:

[62:1] The idea of a woman conceiving, and bearing a son in her old age, seems to have been a Hebrew peculiarity, as a number of their remarkable personages were born, so it is said, of parents well advanced in years, or of a woman who was supposed to have been _barren_. As ill.u.s.trations, we may mention this case of _Samson_, and that of _Joseph_ being born of Rachel. The beautiful Rachel, who was so much beloved by Jacob, her husband, was barren, and she bore him no sons. This caused grief and discontent on her part, and anger on the part of her husband. In her old age, however, she bore the wonderful child Joseph. (See Genesis, x.x.x.

1-29.)

_Isaac_ was born of a woman (Sarah) who had been barren many years. _An angel appeared to her_ when her lord (Abraham) "was ninety years old and nine," and informed her that she would conceive and bear a son. (See Gen. xvi.)

_Samuel_, the "holy man," was also born of a woman (Hannah) who had been barren many years. In grief, she prayed to the Lord for a child, and was finally comforted by receiving her wish. (See 1 Samuel, i. 1-20.)

_John the Baptist_ was also a miraculously conceived infant. His mother, Elizabeth, bore him _in her old age_. _An angel also informed her_ and her husband Zachariah, that this event would take place. (See Luke, i.

1-25.)

_Mary_, the mother of _Jesus_, was born of a woman (Anna) who was "old and stricken in years," and who had been barren all her life. _An angel appeared to Anna and her husband_ (Joachim), and told them what was about to take place. (See "The Gospel of Mary," Apoc.)

Thus we see, that the idea of a wonderful child being born of a woman who had pa.s.sed the age which nature had destined for her to bear children, and who had been barren all her life, was a favorite one among the Hebrews. The idea that the ancestors of a race lived to a fabulous old age, is also a familiar one among the ancients.

Most ancient nations relate in their fables that their ancestors lived to be very old men. For instance; the _Persian_ patriarch Kaiomaras reigned 560 years; Jems.h.i.+d reigned 300 years; Jahmurash reigned 700 years; Dahak reigned 1000 years; Feridun reigned 120 years; Manugeher reigned 500 years; Kaikans reigned 150 years; and Bahaman reigned 112 years. (See Dunlap: Son of the Man, p. 155, _note_.)

[64:1] Judges, xiv.

[65:1] Judges, xv.

[66:1] Judges, xvi.

[66:2] Perhaps that of Izdubar. See chapter xi.