Aatxe, also called Aatxegorri, of the Basque culture. His name means young red bull. Aatxe is a shapeshifter who can appear as a young man and also as a fiery red bull. He is in the service of Mari, a mother goddess associated with weather. He works as her enforcer. Aatxe’s abode is the same kind of underground mountain cavern where Mari dwells. He emerges at night, usually in stormy weather, and his job is to punish those who have wronged others through such nefarious activities as lying, cheating, and thieving. Under the light of a misty full moon, Basque witches have been known to call him by chanting “Lord Red, Lord Red, Lord Red.” I can see this image so clearly in my mind, can’t you?
Asterion, the Minotaur of ancient Crete, a mighty island nation that ruled the Mediterranean before the preeminence of the Hellenic Greeks. Asterion’s body was that of a man, but his head was like a bull. He was the son of a sacred white bull sent to King Minos by the god Poseidon for purposes of sacrifice. Because of his uniqueness and beauty, Minos kept him and sacrificed a lesser bull instead. This sacrilege infuriated Poseidon, who then charmed the wife of King Minos into falling in love with the white bull. Asterion was the offspring of the bull and Minos’ wife. He was imprisoned for life in the bowels of the labyrinth, or maze. Asterion is representative of the mystic union between the goddess and her consort. My favorite book about Theseus and the Minotaur is The King Must Die by Mary Renault. Have you read that one?
Donn Cualinge, the Brown Bull of Cooley of Irish mythology. He was a virile stud bull who became the central figure in a battle called the Tain Bo Cualinge, or the Cattle Raid of Cooley. The altercation was between the army of the warrioress Queen Maeve and the army representing the rightful owner of Donn. The hero Cuchulain was a central figure in the story, and it’s interesting that the Morrigan, in the form of a crow, whispered to Donn of Maeve’s raiding plans. Cuchulain killed many enemies by calling for single, man to man combat. However, Donn ended up eventually being driven to Maeve’s land, where he defeated her champion and his rival. Unfortunately, Donn was mortally wounded. In his remaining days, he visited several of his favorite locales and then returned to Cooley to die. The Tain is a fabulous Irish epic tale detailing the story and well worth reading again and again.
I remember being out swimming as a kid when the group of us encountered a bull. We made it over the fence as it pawed, snorted, and began to come toward us. We learned to carefully eyeball a pasture before invading it. You may recall me talking about Nero Wolfe mysteries before. In Some Buried Caesar, Wolfe is stuck in a pasture with a ferocious bull. How does he get out of it? Please read the story. It’s a treasure.
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Paranormal Fantasy Romance
It seems that the bull is one of the most worshiped creatures of the animal world throughout the ancient world. Egypt, the Paleolithic European cave paintings, Mesopotamia and many other cultures had the bull as a powerful symbol.Traditional songs of Christmas often tell of the bull and the donkey warming baby Jesus with their breath.
The highest personal concept in Thracian religion is the tribal ancestor-hero-protector. He rides in a chariot that is harnessed to a bull.
( My younger daughter is born under the sign of Taurus/the bull).
Thank you for a new highly informative post!
Carmen, I have always been drawn to the Thracian mythology and symbolism. Isn’t the Scythian related? There is evidence for the Scythian being transmitted to the Celts and then to the Irish Celts as well. That idea came up in Time Singer. As Taurus, your daughter must be close and loving with her family. My moon is in Taurus, one of the most stable signs for the lovely fickle moon. Does Taurus figure in your chart?
Fascinating as ever, Flossie. I do love these posts. I too have a taurean child. This post made me think of the worship of Mithras and the bull sacrifices made to him.
With a Taurus child, sometimes Taurus will figure somewhere in a parent’s chart. Is that the case with you, Daisy? Thank you for mentioning Mithras. I have always been so drawn to him and had many dreams about him years ago.
I remember reading a few fantasy novels in which Asterion played a part, but wasn’t familiar with the other two mythological bulls you mentioned. Interesting that this animal appears in the folklore of many different cultures.
Your tale about swimming reminds me of the time a friend and I took a short cut behind a pasture on the way home. There, fenced beside the lane was a bull in a corral. Although it was enclosed and had a covering over its eyes, I was scared witless and never took that short cut again!
I’m glad the bull didn’t rush you, Mae. They are such big up close. I love the common folklore thread of the bull and other iconic themes.
another interesting post!
Thanks, Cathy!
In our early married years of raising cattle, hubby and I have had several near misses with ornery bulls. Just as the bulls are dangerous and unpredictible, one of my astrological signs is Taurus. Maybe that’s where I get my tenacious streak. Another good post, Flossie.
We all need some spot of Tauran tenacity in our charts, Loretta! Ornery is a good word to describe a bull. You never know what they’ll do, but you know they have something on their minds.