Happy Birthday, Mithras!

[invictus]

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

1. He was born on December 25, and his birth was witnessed by amazed shepherds

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

2. I hope that unrec was for the picture being way too big

and not mockery of someone's religion.

We Mithras cultists are quite sensitive.

Seriously, though... link to a smaller image.

[dkf]

3. The detail on that image is quite stunning.

I say leave it the way it is.

[WCGreen]

6. recommend....

I do believe there are some people that just go around unrec just for the hell of it...

[LiberalEsto]

4. Happy Mithras' birthday to you too.

And a merry solstice.

It's interesting to note that in the picture, Mithras is wearing a hat that looks very much like an elf hat in our modern depiction of Santa's elves.

[Forkboy]

5. I didn't realize they were that old.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmX1SwOVfX4

[bread_and_roses]

7. Gore Vidal made good use of Mithraism in "Creation"

a wonderfully entertaining novel. So did Mary Stewart in "The Crystal Cave" - also a good read, if not in quite the same league as Vidal. Surely anyone with a few brain cells, reading the Mithra story will see seeds of the Nativity story, as indeed, in many other mythic constructs - the hidden child king, for one obvious example.

on edit - meant to add, may all enjoy the pleasures of the season, whichever pleasures they may be. I celebrate the Solstice-Festivus-and-the-Jesus-story-tells-us-how-precious-is-each-child-born-however-"lowly"-and-animals-are-worthy-too holiday myself.

[roguevalley]

8. it was awesomely popular in the roman army and a serious threat

to Christianity.

[niyad]

9. k and r--and a most blessed solstice, yule, saturnalia, etc., to you.

I just love pointing out to the fundie types that their jesus story is, almost word for word, identical to that of mithras (or, actually, any of the year/vegetation kings) it's so cute watching their widdle heads explode.