(^46) A Wiccan Bible
Near East—The Akkadian green man, Tammuz, presents the story of Persephone with
a reversal of both gender and climate. At the time and location of his lore, the colder
months were the ones to produce crops and the hot months were seen as barren due to
the intense sun. Each year he is taken to the Underworld by demons. Without his fer-
tility blessing the green of the Earth, the Summer begins. With his return, the Earth
cools and the green returns to the land. This story is virtually retold in the Sumerian
story of Damuzi.
Central and Northern Europe—When the Finnish Sampsa sleeps (separation) there is
Winter. When he awakes he is reunited (union) with his bride in Holy Matrimony and
Summer returns. In the Autumn he again sleeps, and Winter returns.
North America—Onatha, the Iroquois personification of Spring and Summer was kid-
napped by a demon and brought to the Underworld. There she remained and her
mother, Eithinoha, mourned her loss. As a result, fertility left the land until the Sun
went looking for her, casting his rays and warming the soil as he did. Eventually she saw
the light and snuck up from the Underworld as the new wheat crop. Every Autumn she
is kidnapped again by that demon, and every Spring she returns. When she is in the
Underworld, we see Winter. When she is not, we see Summer.
The Creation of the Sun
The Splitting of the Solar Year
As children who are themselves parents often turn to their parents for advice, so
did Sky and Earth turn to their mother Darkness for advice. In response to d with
permission from her Lord, Darkness took from her Lord enough Light to create the
Sun. Then she set both Earth and Sky rotating about the Sun such that they would see
the answer. Although the Sun was created by Darkness, it was created of Light.
From the Sun’s interaction with Earth and Sky, we received the solar year as the
amount of time it takes Earth and Sky to revolve around the Sun. And on that year
does fall Winter and Summer, each being one half of the whole.
Winter
Dark Half of the year
Light Half of the year
Summer
Feminine
Masculine
h WB Chap 01.p65 46 7/11/2003, 5:48 PM
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