Ancient Goddesses of Sex and War - Ronald Hutton

[@CannibalMello]

Currently on a Hutton binge, and oh my, is my life enriched by it! I'm so grateful for this channel making this fantastic treasure trove of knowledge, humor and wisdom accessible to all of us, from the comfort of our own home.

[@abbylegend]

Yup, myself from Kerala trying to understand the Yakshis, Gandarvas, Apsaras and particularly Kotravai (Korravai and Durga) the goddess of war and victory, went in deeper and deeper and ended up in North Europe listening to Prof. Hutton. My goodness, there are so many similarities brought in by population migrations

[@ConLustig]

No one has made me more interested in going back to pursue my phd as much as this gentleman

[@notrueflagshere198]

It's wonderful that there are such people as this Hutton fellow.

[@authormichellefranklin]

Yesss! Been waiting for this talk ever since Prof. Hutton mentioned it. Always great to see Prof. Hutton. Please have him on again❤

[@chegeny]

Thank you, Gresham College, for posting Prof Ronald Hutton's excellent lectures. It's refreshing to hear an academic discussion regarding Inanna.

[@GleeChan]

Clicked for the thumbnail, stayed for the lecture. Well played Gresham College.

[@ladyjusticesusan]

I could listen to Dr. Hutton all day and all night for years and never tire of his amazing lessons. Thank you for this.

[@michellerenner6880]

Agree 100%

[@mikesummers-smith4091]

"The Epic of Gilgamesh is a buddy movie gone wrong". For that alone, never mind the exposition of how the Great Goddess got to take her kit off, please accept, Professor, this presentation internet, which you have won.

[@jeanetteharris7000]

Really love Professor Hutton. Great lecturer. Wonderful humor. Always a pleasure.

[@VEDADDY_OFFICIAL]

Hutton is a blessing to our civilization

[@matimus100]

Nonsense

[@robertr7569]

Prof hutton makes history so interesting with Memorable lectures.

[@michellerenner6880]

He’s an amazing story teller….

[@aplaceinthestars3207]

I always enjoy Hutton's contributions in the documentaries with Ruth Goodman et al. As a culture and centuries-spanning lecture, my head was spinning, but his cheeky quips kept my attention to the end.

[@uponseas]

Great lecture! Dr. Hutton mixes humour with facts, whilst never boring his audience... That said - Perhaps consider adding his name to the title of the video ?

[@carolagoldmann3933]

I received Anne Baring's and Jules Cashford's book today on "The Myth of the Goddess - Evolution of an Image" from 1991 and ch. 5 is on Inanna / Ishtar, what a nice coincidence! Thank you very much for this very interesting lecture.

[@taliabeaumont1617]

Everything is worth listening to. You don’t have to believe it it’s just worth taking in all information you can on every subject you’re interested in

[@ehfik]

"put his plow to her well watered lowlands" such sacred lines! xD

[@diarmuidh6980]

And she says that as an instruction…….how’s that for a pick-up line girls?

[@artemuslefaywynn1988]

I was brought to tears by his recitation of the Invocation of Venus 🕊

[@KernowekTim]

Excellent. Fascinating. Many thanks to Prof. Hutton, and Gresham College.

[@Pagyptsian]

Fantastic as always - and pointed me in the direction of some very interesting sources I have not read yet. Thank you!

[@enkilm]

I could watch Prof.Hutton’s lectures all day as I can also watch Dr. Irving Finkel and his Palestinian stories.

[@sarahrosen4985]

Palestinian stories? He is an Assyriologist. He is rooted in the Bronze Age, not the Iron Age and the Philistine invasion of Canaan or the Roman Empire and their renaming of the conquered Israel to Palestine.

[@guillemclapes5587]

Always great hearing Prof. Hutton. Great lecture, thank you! I will have to watch it again.

[@Arianrhod323]

Amazing every time!Thank you Professor Hutton.

[@huskymom234]

Love every lecture of Prof. Hutton - always a pleasure to hear.

[@sharonw2008]

Love Prof Hutton ❤ I was lucky to see him speak live many years ago and was awestruck x

[@joeyfotofr]

That is the most engaging and entertaining lecture on classical mythology, that I have heard since I studied with Dr. Matthew Evans, in San Francisco 50 years ago. Thank you, Professor Hutton...jt

[@3rdeye671]

Yes he has a unique style of presenting the material that is engaging and weaves it all into a coherent tale.

[@davidjazay9248]

Prof. Hutton never disappoints.

[@ChristopherBowly]

Excellent talk. Very many thanks,s.

[@blixten2928]

A wonderful, witty, learned presentation on a fascinating subject!

[@peterxyz3541]

Nice lecture. Thanks. I’m always fascinated by Inanna

[@astrosuse7724]

Brilliant!

[@derekstynes9631]

What a Wonderful Lecture ! Thank You Very Much for This Chance to See and Hear Prof. Huutton .

[@MrKieras666]

That's the most passionate and evocative way of introducing someone into subjects of history. This man deserves aNoble. Prize.

[@PetaloudesTouYialou]

Absolutely fascinating and beguiling! I am thrilled to have come across this lecture! ❤

[@Mirrorgirl492]

I see Prof. Hutton, I click, simples.

[@jalepezo]

So much needed in praise of Ma Kali and her yoginis and dakinis 🎉🎉🎉

[@trex3003]

Dr. Hutton is an amazing lecturer!

[@alisonwilliams-bailey3561]

"Isis Astarte Damona Hecate Demeter Ekana Inanna" lovely song of the Goddesses

[@daydays12]

Thank you Professor Hutton. Lovely lecture as usual.

[@jacobvardy]

A comment in praise of great Ishtar that she might ward off the dread youtube algorithm.

[@paulh2468]

Superlative presentation. Thank you.

[@naithom]

The talk is wonderful but may I suggest that you have someone correct the closed captioning for any students of listeners who are deaf or hard of hearing.

[@bloodyfluffybunny7411]

well go for it

[@dmitrygaltsin2314]

Bruno's hymn recited by Hutton was a separate liturgy. It is worth noting that the "Venus" avatar of this goddess was the center of the first state registered religious group that openly worshipped a pre-Christian deity, the Church of Aphrodite (1938 - 1969). Gleb Botkin the Russian founder of the church who lived in America for the most part of his life, saw Aphrodite as the cosmic deity of "Love, Beuty and Harmony", the creator of the cosmos and actually the only deity there is. Having survived revolution in Russia that killed his father, the doctor to the last Romanovs, Botkin was a pacifist and a moralist, who envisioned a process of cosmic evolution towards a world of heaven on earth, seeing his religion of Aphrodite as a means to this end. Botkin didn't have a big influence on the Pagan scene of the Anglophone countries when it came about, but he was routinely mentioned in Pagan histories (see Margot Adler or Chas Clifton) alongside Frederic Adams of Feraferia and the Zells of the Church of All Worlds.

[@crhu319]

May also have influenced William Marsden since his Wonder Woman was about conflict between Aries/Mars and Venus/Aphrodite with the Amazons on the side of love.

[@hildegerdhaugen7864]

Professor Ronald is a treasure!!

[@rebeccabedford9855]

My dad always called me Treasure Fit to be buried Love both him and Professor Hutton

[@BlissfulBombshells]

My NEW Favorite Story Teller🤗❣ Cannot wait to share with My Teens! Especially as My Son's favorite goddess is Aphrodite 💜🖤☄

[@fungalbob]

Great ending with Giordano Bruno

[@Helmofphilosophy]

Would be curious to hear Dr. Hutton's thoughts on the connection between the Mesopotamian Inana/ Ishtar and the Persian Anahita.

[@AidestheKiwi]

That benediction in Latin at the end was a beautiful ending.

[@macawism]

Would be interesting to know what connection if any mythological events, such as the arrival of Aphrodite to Bronze Age collapse

[@zenosAnalytic]

the idea of that one "Lilith" relief being of Inanna is so intriguing! You talked a little about how aspects of Astarte call to mind Artemis; I wonder if the owl iconography might have been shifted to Athena(I know Gimbutas makes an argument for Athena's bird motifs tying back to neolithic beliefs tied to waterfowl, but her justifications for the owl connection from that always struck me as a bit thin).

[@SkiiDreamr420]

Oh yeaaaaa! It's My man! ❣️ Professor Hutton I wish I could be your assistant.

[@KevinArdala01]

Brilliant as always. 😀👍

[@tkc1129]

Great talk!

[@WilliamHostman]

I want to thank the presenter for getting Giordano Bruno's cause for his trial for heresy correct!!!

[@davidroberts1026]

@Gresham College Whose translation of the Pervigilium Veneris is Professor Hutton reading from? Thank you.

[@dido.the.side.h0646]

love this guy

[@AndreyBogoslowskyNewYorkCity]

Turan (mythology) Turan was the Etruscan goddess of love, fertility and vitality and patroness of the city of Velch. Turan. Goddess of Love, Beauty, Health, Vitality and ...

[@mikeg2924]

Got it!! This is a wonderful lecture. But its closed captioning, unfortunately, is very defective.

[@stutzaj]

Very interesting, though I'm very surprised that the Egyptian goddess Isis was not mentioned.

[@diarmuidh6980]

Probably doesn’t think there is a direct link - at least in ancient times - obviously both Egyptian and Sumerian lines merge much later as roots of a pre-Christian mythos and belief systems but that’s about 1500 years after the period he discusses. Early Egyptian pantheon is very distinct from West Asian traditions, apparently it derives more from North African peoples migrating into Nile basin as the Sahara dried up. To an academic this is a major distinction. Obviously the basic idea of some kind of great iconic female figure traces back far into the Paleolithic - but that “connection” is based on surviving carvings and figurines with no surviving mythos and that is too vague for this kind of lecture.

[@missadventuresmotorcycledi2773]

Oh he is fabulous

[@gaylehudson7267]

beautiful that history of the North is being shared. ( properly, mythology)

[@peterzoeftig2513]

Velikovski explains how Venus became venerated in this dual way, everywhere on Earth, because the planet was a visible comet that came into very close contact with Earth, on a returning orbit, for several hundred years.

[@DaniZeros]

Love and war in the same package? That's why I named my cat Inanna. It's almost perfect 😂

[@kimasher]

I am a devotee of Jiu Tian Xuan Nu, the mysterious lady of the 9 clouds. The Taoist Goddess of sex and war, an ancient and powerful force. I am surprised how the main energy of these goddesses and their role in society is not even mentioned in this talk. It’s not about passion and rage, it’s about the acts of creation and destruction being two sides of the same coin. It’s about transformative energy. It’s the energy that converts yin to yang and vice versa. And from a feminist perspective it is completely empowering, she is the mother of the void, the giver of knowledge to win victory. She is the dynamo that moves Tao forwards.

[@ΔημήτριοςΣκουρτέλης]

Venus Genetrix was the ancestor of the Romans, as the mother of Aeneas, founder of Rome. The name ROMA (in Latin) is the anagram of AMOR (cupid) another son of Venus.

[@fluffywaffles]

What is the difference between BC and BCE?

[@rosscroft3954]

Before christ before common era

[@ehfik]

we stopped doing religion.

[@leeborocz-johnson1649]

There is a Greek goddess, Alala, who is often described as a war goddess and a personification of the war cry of the Greeks. Googling has not helped me get much more information about her than that---she is also described as a daughter of the personification of war, Polemos, and that comes with all the relevant geneological stuff. But the most crucial bit of information that I'm not finding is the earliest known attestation of her---whether she is a latecomer like Aphrodite, or goes back much further. All that I can find points to Pindar as the authoritative source for her, and it is perhaps interesting that Alala, like her father Polemos, seem to be mostly *personifications* of things rather than persons, invested with personality, like Ares and Aphrodite. Maybe that means something. Anyways, this is probably wrong, but the sonic similarities between "Inanna" and "Alala", including stresses on syllables, makes me wonder if the Greeks imported Inanna in a fairly direct manner. I don't imagine I'm remotely correct, but my brain just couldn't help going to this place.

[@taliabeaumont1617]

Oh hey any speech on women in history sounds good

[@carinaaugust643]

“literal rock chick” startled a laugh out of me.

[@TomFynn]

"Deities behaving badly" Now that is a show I would like to watch.

[@kittywampusdrums]

It's funny to see people presume polytheistic religions based on the many deities in their canons yet they have all been pluriform monotheistic, possessing many different aspects and qualities personified from one Absolute or overlord Creator.

[@ggn1]

I applauded when he took a sip of water

[@Bad_Object]

Religions were much more fun in those days.

[@lucone2937]

Yeah, monotheistic religions are pretty dull with their mythology. I prefer Tykhe, the ancient Greek Goddess of fortune, chance, providence and fate. Her counterpart is Nemesis if someone gets too arrogant.

[@Bad_Object]

@@lucone2937 She sounds like fun. I think Terry Pratchett was big fan of hers, with out realization. He called her Lady Luck in his books. Does she also have green eyes?

[@lucone2937]

@@Bad_Object Tykhe (Fortuna for Romans) was particularly popular during the Hellenistic era in the Seleucid Empire. There's a famous statue called Tyche of Antioch, and she had her own temple Tykhaion (Tychaion). In the Greek world view, Tyche (Τύχη) could be the personification of the fortune of a city, a nation, or a person. She usually carries the cornucopia as the symbol of the plentiful gifts of fortune.

[@dawn670]

Agreed. No fun in Texas that’s for sure. No Dumuzis here 🙄. Maybe I’ll find a Baal.

[@tsifj]

Do you entertain the possibility of being randomly sacrificed?

[@Getpojke]

The chap near the end who ask how gods & goddesses are attributed their roles has puzzled me too. The nearest analogy I can think of in modern times is how Catholics attribute responsibilities to their plethora of Saints. To me as an outsider to monotheism I see these saints as "small gods". Like deities of places like the local well or spring, or odd things that happen or go bump in the night, people want to give them form so they can be bargained with or prayed to.

[@schroecat1]

I grew up in the Catholic tradition, and have always been extremely curious about the pagan deities of earlier periods. My view of the Saints is that they absolutely are minor deities in their own right, and are further a form of ancestor worship. Catholics tell the stories of the deeds, discuss their symbolism, pray to them and ask for divine intervention.

[@diarmuidh6980]

That’s consistent with older traditions, where some divinities were “higher” and intrinsically divine across an entire “system”. Lower divinities were either purely local (like a mountain) or true remembered ancestors who were “voted in” as gods, like the goddess of bread and beer - sort of ancient equivalent of Einstein. Einstein is a good example of an ancestral being who has achieved a closest modern equivalent to godhood solely due to his achievements. The role of saints in Catholicism was derived from a recognition that early Christians from many traditions found it terrifying to pray directly to the Chief God, and preferred to go through intercessions. In much the same way as they would go through a connection at court to apply for something rather than marching up to the High King and asking him directly. Several grouos of pagan gods became absorbed into sainthood. The most important Irish female saint is called Brigid, supposedly based on an early Christian cleric of that name, but the name Brigid originated from an earlier Celtic goddess of ….you guessed it …..war and sex. It is doubtful that the Christian Brigid would have achieved mich influence if she had been named differently. More recently Multiple Aztec gods were locally transmuted into Mexican saints - an interesting study. So it’s a combination of early peoples thinking that the court of higher beings functioned like an ancient mortal court (so don’t ask the King for anything in case he is having a bad day) and the merging of old and new religion among an illiterate population converting to a religion that they didn’t particularly understand. Even the monks/ local priests probably only had a very limited understanding of their faith.

[@albertdittel8898]

I wonder whether Sokrates tried the same trick as Phryne before getting executed...🤔

[@AVADAMS1967]

Giordano Bruno's execution was slightly more complicated than his devotion to Venus. He is the father of cosmology, postulating following the influence of Copernicus, that the Stars were Suns, with planets of their own, and possibly life like on earth. For this, and his beliefs about pagan deities is why he was tried and burnt at the stake.

[@bryonblack4040]

❤❤❤

[@ThomasKnott]

This is where JRPGs get their stories from

[@Tipi_Dan]

Love of women causes conflict between men. Love and war have been intimately connected since the beginning. How ancient is the saying, "All's fair vin love and war."? Does this common truism date back to the worship of Inanna and Ishtar, passed down through history in vernacular speech?

[@Mornin.Coffee]

Respectable effort

[@myparceltape1169]

Is that why there is sturdiness of the foundation.

[@tensevo]

22:22 The Gold Blonde Aphrodite Literal Rock Chick born out of chaos, marries the Smith God

[@vladimirp2674]

Magical yarn. Ancient Greece and Rome are notorious fot it's hypersexuality, wantoness, lawless and sumptuous life. Philosophically, it gave birth to brand new understanding of woman virtues, transforming idea of femine appearance into sort of cult, when certain rituals and sacrifices atributed, created an air of arrogant, thriving, promising culture. Still, woman in ancient socity played inferior roles. But through the art and poetry dedicated to patronesses, muses, goddesses we are able to trace the utmost uniquenesess of household life in Athens. From my viewpoint, this question is dissected perfectly. We praise the classics.

[@oogusboogus2748]

That's going to be the title of my memoir.

[@theomnisthour6400]

You forgot to mention Sin, who gave the namw Shinar Sumer) and the original name of Sinanna, the Sumerian version of Lilith, the shapeshifting hermaphrodite arch demon destroyer of chosen species, chosen peoples, and messiah candidates

[@onepainfulangel1111]

🌹 🕊

[@SerifSansSerif]

Ehhhh... That first question irks me. The professor's answer is ok, but it doesn't quite hit upon the fact that the question is trying to apply modern western sensibilities to a 4000+ old culture. HOWEVER, I wonder if this isn't a part of a longer series of presentations as I felt that it was great for a small narrative of the Middle Eastern to Greco-Roman tradition, it lacks coverage of other goddesses in mythologies that have the strange duality of war and sex, Celtic being the first to come to mind.

[@zenosAnalytic]

A thought that occurs to me watching this: there are obvs influence on Greek beliefs from Inanna, but Inanna's portfolio is broken up btwn three goddess by the greeks(for whatever reason: maybe Artemis and Athena were simply well established); Aphrodite(love and sex), Athena(war and statecraft), and Artemis(beasts and hunting), and two of these are very EMPHATICALLY Virgins. Now: the Greeks were pretty renowned misogynists. Could this virgnizing have been an expression of that? Like: One goddess who had sex(well, two: there's Hera, tho that's deemphasized in the stories) was bad enough, but three would have been Too Much, so Artemis and Athena's sexuality had to be controlled(obvsl there are other reasons for it: Artemis's connection to youth, and Athena's role as The City, with her virginity acting as both symbolic of the city's unprenatrability, and communal nature).

[@corticallarvae]

Violence and love stem from the same impulse

[@RonJohn63]

5:51 Vital fluids, huh? Did she drink "grain alcohol and rainwater"?

[@belkyhernandez8281]

If this isn't about Xena, I will be very disappointed.

[@16252]

cool

[@rursus8354]

Yay! Duck fields!

[@marcoandreknottjung3418]

Sometimes Man st. Woman! My beloved morning star! Also Mars in itself, combined with Mercury and Sun! The Magic Four of the Firmament or Roof, which proof!

[@theomnisthour6400]

You are seeing what the real Taran bull, Leo Lion, ansd Gemini twins are capable of when riled by the adversary

[@yonitree]

good1

[@AndreyBogoslowskyNewYorkCity]

Prof. Hutton in the lecture in the KZbin video does read a passage from Bruno’s works. It’s a reading of about 7 lines in Bruno’s Cantus Circaeus, a Latin work that he wrote in 1582 (not 1584). It’s preceded and followed by invocations to other pagan gods. Prof. Hutton doesn’t introduce Bruno accurately by the way. Bruno didn’t “worship” Venus & the other ancient gods and the Inquisition didn’t condemn him for that reason. Also, his reading of the Latin omits parts of Bruno’s original and the ending is completely invented!

[@waynemcauliffe-fv5yf]

What about The Morrigan in Ireland mate?

[@AlIguana]

he talks about Morrighan

[@whatabouttheearth]

A. That's WAY WAY WAY later. B. The "Celts" didn't have writing until Christianity so their myths are in all actuality shrouded in mystery. Those types of Irish myths didn't even exist when Inana was worshipped, the Bell Beakers (L21 haplogroup) were just starting to move into western Europe.

[@arjan2777]

Late third century bc😊 I am sure he means millennium. I like his lectures and he probably did think he said millennium. For some reason it is endearing. He said millennium later.

[@mikeFrench-y2w]

Artemis, another spin off?

[@georgeeverette3912]

Any connection with the veneration of "Mother Mary?"

[@Bb5y]

And further east? Marishiten?

[@MrTomemac]

Probably, many of the Christian sites, rites etc. we’re just plastered over previously pagan practices. Similarly the similar stories that harken to Apollo et al. Same with dates for certain things were just to cover up pagan ones.