SANTA - Claus and Sun-god Worship
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SANTA - Claus
and Sun-god Worship
"the symbolism of the nimbus or halo was early in use
among the pagans who determined its form. In the monuments
of Hellenic and Roman art, the heads of the gods,
heroes, and other distinguished persons are often found
with a disc-shaped halo, a circle of light, or a rayed-
fillet. They are, therefore, associated especially with
gods and creatures such as the Phoenix. The disc of light
is likewise used in the Pompeian wall paintings to typify gods
and demigods only. The custom of the Egyptian and
Syrian kings of having themselves represented with a rayed
crown to indicate the status of demigods, spread
throughout the East and the West. In Rome the halo was
first used only for deceased emperors as a sign of
celestial bliss, but afterwards living rulers also were
given the rayed crown."
--Catholic Encyclopedia
New Advent - "Nimbus in Art"
SANTA - Claus
and Sun-god Worship
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SANTA - Claus
and Sun-god Worship
"The nimbus (radiant light) or HALO
around many of the ancient gods and goddesses
originated in SUN worship."
--J.C. Cooper's Illustrated Encyclopedia
of Traditional Symbols, p.112
"NiMBUS, HALO...originally indicative of SOLAR power
and the SUN'S DISK, hence an attribute of SUN-GODS."
--J.C. Cooper's Illustrated Encyclopedia
of Traditional Symbols, p.112
"NIMBUS - The sun in the heavens is a cosmic example,
for the floods of sunlight which it pours forth are the
vital aura, NIMBUS, or glory surrounding the solar heart.
The adoption of the nimbus surrounding the heads or
entire bodies of the Christian saints was a clear case
of borrowing from the Orient, because from time immemorial
the nimbus has been used there to signify spiritual
ecstasy, as exemplified in large numbers of Buddhist
images."
-- Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary: Nf-Nz
Copyright © 1999 by Theosophical University Press
"Since the most ancient times,
the sun has been a favorite "god"
or god symbol of pagan people all
around the world. The Babylonians,
Persians, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans
all had their sun gods. The native peoples
of North and South America widely practiced
sun worship, as did their Asian ancestors.
Sun worship was also widely practiced by
the people of the Middle East, and even the
Israelites were sometimes corrupted by it:
The Europeans too were deeply involved in
sun worship, and many of their sun-god
festivals were carried over when they
professed conversion to Christianity.
These can still be seen today in the
Easter bonfire and sunrise services,
and the Christmas burning of the Yule log."
-Sun Worship
by Wayne Blank
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"The nimbus (radiant light) or HALO
around many of the ancient gods and goddesses
originated in SUN worship."
--J.C. Cooper's Illustrated Encyclopedia
of Traditional Symbols, p.112
"The heads of Saints didn't really glow
as is so often portrayed in religious art.
The use of the halo, or nimbus, originated
with the pagan Greeks and Romans to represent
their sun god, Helios. Later artists adopted
it for use in Christian images."
-Sun Worship
by Wayne Blank
"The halo is actually just the sun
behind the person's head, as illustrated above.
It's easy to recognize once one realizes what
it is, although it's also often stylized to
make it less obvious. Originally a very
devious way of mixing idolatrous sun worship
with Christianity by converts who were not
all that converted, the pagan halo became an
unfortunate tradition in Christian art."
-Sun Worship
by Wayne Blank
"Halos are pictured as a luminous ring
or a disk of light that surrounds an object.
Webster's Dictionary describes a halo as
the aura of glory, veneration, or sentiment
surrounding an idealized person or thing.
But it was the ancient pagans that originated
this practice of using halos or "sun-disks"
to signify the divinity of the sun god.
Many of the customs and much of the icons
of our worlds religions were adapted from
paganism, and Sun worship is what spawned
the use of these sun disks in pictures and
graven images."
-Sun Worship in Christianity?
A study by Timothy Youngblood
"The birthday of the sun-god Mithra
was December 25. Instead of opposing this
idolatry, the Catholic church literally
made up the idea that December 25 was
Christ's birthday, and celebrated the
pagan holiday with a new name, "Christmas."
-Christmas; A Biblical Perspective
by Darwin Fish
DECEMBER 25th
The Birth of a "sun-god"
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