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Started by: White Crow Sent: 17/02/2001 16:46 10 Replies
Well it all seems to have gone quite dark in tone on this site the last few days, so...

Some Pagans believe in past lives, some don't, but whatever, we are bound, enthralled and nurtured by tales both true and mythological of people gone by.

What figures from the past inspire you and why?

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From: White Crow Sent: 17/02/2001 16:57 1 of 10
For me without a doubt it would be Little John from the Robin Hood legends.

I have actually visited Little Johns grave in Hathersage, Derbyshire several times, and it has always had a profound effect on me.

Its hard to really know what kind of a man he was except for (a) he was a leutenant to Little John and (b) he was really big! But never-the-less hes interested me since childhood, when staff in hand I'd often play Little John to my brothers Robin Hood.

Little John was not a leader or a legend, but he was the right arm of one. I like to think he must have been a strong and loyal companion to Robin Hood, virtues I try hard to bring out of myself.

Like Little John, I've grown and grown ... and most peoples first impression of me can be a fierce one, like some strong Nordic brute! However Little John is supposed to have been a shepard before he joined Robin Hood, so would have been a fierce protector coupled with a more gentler, nurturing nature ... something again which strikes a chord.

Do I think I'm Little John reincarnated? Nope. Is he a powerful icon and hero to me? Yep!

Blessed Be

White Crow

From: White Crow Sent: 18/02/2001 16:58 2 of 10
Oooh ...

I had a friend who did history who once told me that one of the reasons that the legend of Robin Hood had such power in the period was that the country, although ruled by Normans, the Norse legends were sustained. Robin the hooded outlaw stired in many the images of Odin, who would walk about in secret as a hooded traveller.

Then this morning I read this passage "(he) championed the farming freeman ... his physical image fits this role well, he was huge, red-bearded, possessed of a vast appetite, quick to lose his temper and quick to regain it, a bit slow on the uptake, but immensely strong and dependable" ... this wasnt the author describing Little John, but instead Thor in a book on Norse legend, yet the words seem equally applicable to my image of Little John!

Me think I have found me a god!

Blessings,

White Crow

From: Akasha Sent: 18/02/2001 17:24 3 of 10
i think origins of witchcraft has a bit about robin hood, at least thats the obnly place wherei thonk i could have read it, but apperntly it was a title, not a name, like you have a pope r a sheriff, you have a robin hood, i cant remember what he actually did though
kash

From: White Crow Sent: 18/02/2001 20:09 4 of 10
There was a Little John though ... the man in the grave at Hathersage is a huge guy!

But you are right, I am putting attributes to a myth not a real person. But the virtues I attribute him are ones I myself try to live up to so it all gets complicated from there doesn't it?

Anyway, thanks for the post Akasha!

White Crow

From: Dionne Sent: 18/02/2001 20:31 5 of 10
We all beleive in what feels right...right?..

If your heart leads you to Little John...or Big John...or uncle John for that matter...I say go with it..

someone (can't remeber who off the top of my head)...posted a reply to one of the messeages saying something like "if it feels like the truth, then it is the truth"..
Can't go far wrong if you go with that I reckon..

blessings...

...D...

From: munkipoo Sent: 18/02/2001 22:05 6 of 10
okay two people probly not known by all of you and neither from history but all tghe same very inspiring

trent reznor
devin townsend

both of them for sharing the responsibility of knowing everything that has ever happened to me and being able to express it in lyrical and musical form.......

how they do it i dont know and ill never find out......i just hope they carry on doing it

From: Ookster Sent: 19/02/2001 01:08 7 of 10
Right-this is what I think. Feel free to pull to pieces and laugh, but this is just my take on things.
Most people I know have an interest in one particular historical theme or some sort of hobby-well, I think that this is because we have some sort of connection to the past via this interest. Eg -the little boy fascinated with trains-why? (not necessarily a good example, but you get my drift)
well, from a young age i have always had a fascination with Egypt-always. I can remember when I was 8 winning a school prize fro a project I did, I read all the books I could get on it in the childrens library and then went on to the bigger stuff...it was wierd. It felt familiar.
It's always been that way with me ever since-nope, I wasn't Cleopatra, but I think there is something in it...What I'd love to think was that I worked or did something at Bubastis. This may explain my minor league cat obsession, my love of the Geyer-Anderson Cat in the British Museum and my feeling of familiarity with certain objects. Of course, it could all be cobblers. But that's my take on it!
(EG-Perhaps White Crow knew Little John in a past life?) the upshot is we'll never know-but it's nice to have a theory isn't it?

From: scott Sent: 19/02/2001 18:54 8 of 10
I agree Ookster, I believe that the reason we are held fascinated with certain periods of history is because we hold past-life memories from there! I like to think this anyway!

Scott

From: madferrit Sent: 19/02/2001 19:09 9 of 10
... I''m beginning to come to that belief Scott - I've always (for no apparent reason) been fascinated by the 1940s - everything, clothing, music, furniture styles (!), you name it... could be an explanation I suppose... (then, I could just be losing a few more of my marbles)

From: Katrina Sent: 19/02/2001 19:39 10 of 10
I agree with you too - I have a few "memories" from different periods of history - just disjointed fragments really, some of which I had long before I knew anything about the period. In fact some of the memories didn't fit in with what I knew historically, so I dismissed them as silly dreams (most of these memories surfaced in dreams), but since researching deeper, I've found that they were historically accurate. I also feel at home with different periods in history, even when I haven't any of these memories. I'm a cat lover too, Ookster, and also feel very familiar with ancient Egyptian stuff. I wear a silver ankh round my neck, and have black Bastet statues around the room! I mentioned on another message about my fascination with Sirius and Orion too. I really want to visit Egypt one day and go to all the sites.

Has anyone else had weird "memories", possibly from another life - and tried to dismiss them as daft, but realised that they won't go away? It's great to be able to talk about stuff like this without people thinking you're from another planet.....or are we? (just kidding )

Katrina