theology
Shapeshifting Transformation
Form-mutability as a constitutional property of divine and preternatural beings — gods, heroes, spirits, and their human practitioners possessing inherent capacity to alter form across human, animal, plant, or elemental states. Loki and Odin's transformations in Norse, Math's pigs and Blodeuwedd's owl-shape and Pwyll's exchange with Arawn in the Mabinogion, the Greek Proteus, the Indian dasavatara, Vainamoinen's bird-flight in the Kalevala, Ovid's metamorphoses, the shamanic and witch's capacity for ritual form-change. Distinct from anthropomorphism (divine taking specific human form, single embodiment) in that anthropomorphism establishes a stable form whereas this concept establishes form's plurality and instability.
130 passages · 7 traditions
finnic55
◆The Kalevala | Rune IIb
“Wainamoinen, old and trusty, Thought awhile, and well considered, How to kill the mighty oak-tree, First created for his pleasure, How to fell the tree majestic, How to lop its hundred branches.
Sad the lives of man and hero, Sad the homes…”
◆The Kalevala | Rune IIIa
“AND YOUKAHAINEN.
Wainamoinen, ancient minstrel, Passed his years in full contentment, On the meadows of Wainola, On the plains of Kalevala, Singing ever wondrous legends, Songs of ancient wit and wisdom, Chanting one day, then a second, Si…”
◆The Kalevala | Rune IIId
“Thou wert never seen or heard of When the earth was first created, When were made the ether-spaces, When the air was crystal-pillared, When the Moon was placed in orbit, When the silver Sun was planted, When the Bear was firmly stationed, W…”
◆The Kalevala | Rune IIIe
“Now it was that Youkahainen Comprehended but too clearly What his folly, what the end was, Of the journey he had ventured, Vainly he had undertaken For the glory of a contest With the grand, old Wainamoinen.
When at last young Youkahainen,…”
◆The Kalevala | Rune IVd
“Thus the tearful maiden answered: Therefore do I weep and sorrow, Wretched maiden all my life long, Since poor Aino, thou hast given, Since thy daughter thou hast promised To the aged Wainamoinen, Comfort to his years declining Prop to stay…”
◆The Kalevala | Rune IVe
“Weeping Aino, now disrobing, Lays aside with care her garments, Hangs her silk robes on the alders, Drops her gold-cross on the sea-shore, On the aspen hangs her ribbons, On the rocks her silken stockings, On the grass her shoes of deer-ski…”
◆The Kalevala | Rune IVg
“As the tear-drops fall and mingle, Form they streamlets three in number, And their source, the mother's eyelids, Streamlets formed from pearly tear-drops, Flowing on like little rivers, And each streamlet larger growing, Soon becomes a rush…”
◆The Kalevala | Rune Va
“'S LAMENTATION.
Far and wide the tidings travelled, Far away men heard the story Of the flight and death of Aino, Sister dear of Youkahainen, Fairest daughter of creation.
Wainamoinen, brave and truthful, Straightway fell to bitter weepin…”
Show all 55 →celtic47
◆The Mabinogion | Tale THE LADY OF THE FOUNTAINl
““My lord Arthur,” said Gwalchmai, “here is Owain, who has vanquished me, and will not take my arms.” “My lord,” said Owain, “it is he that has vanquished me, and he will not take my sword.” “Give me your swords,” said Arthur, “and then neit…”
◆The Mabinogion | Tale THE LADY OF THE FOUNTAINq
“And we were thrown into a state of stupor, and while we were thus, the demon who owns this Castle slew all our husbands, and took from us our horses, and our raiment, and our gold, and our silver; and the corpses of our husbands are still i…”
◆The Mabinogion | Tale PEREDUR THE SON OF EVRAWCs
“Thou seest the many lovely maidens that there are in this Court; thou shalt have her whom thou best likest for the lady of thy love.” “Lady, I came not hither from my country to woo; but match yourselves as it liketh you with the comely you…”
◆The Mabinogion | Tale PEREDUR THE SON OF EVRAWC}
“And he destroys the branches of the best trees in the forest, and he kills every animal that he meets with therein; and those that he doth not slay perish of hunger.
And what is worse than that, he comes every night, and drinks up the fish…”
◆The Mabinogion | Tale KILHWCH AND OLWENb
“Then said she unto him, “I declare to thee, that it is thy destiny not to be suited with a wife until thou obtain Olwen, the daughter of Yspaddaden Penkawr.” And the youth blushed, and the love of the maiden diffused itself through all his…”
◆The Mabinogion | Tale KILHWCH AND OLWENh
“Garanwyn the son of Kai, and Amren the son of Bedwyr, and Ely Amyr, and Rheu Rhwyd Dyrys, and Rhun Rhudwern, and Eli, and Trachmyr (Arthur’s chief huntsmen).
And Llwyddeu the son of Kelcoed, and Hunabwy the son of Gwryon, and Gwynn Godyvro…”
◆The Mabinogion | Tale KILHWCH AND OLWENi
“Uchtryd Varyf Draws (who spread his red untrimmed beard over the eight-and-forty rafters which were in Arthur’s Hall).
Elidyr Gyvarwydd.
Yskyrdav and Yscudydd (two attendants of Gwenhwyvar were they.
Their feet were swift as their though…”
◆The Mabinogion | Tale KILHWCH AND OLWENj
“Gwenllian Deg the majestic maiden.
Creiddylad the daughter of Lludd Llaw Ereint.
(She was the most splendid maiden in the three Islands of the mighty, and in the three Islands adjacent, and for her Gwythyr the son of Greidawl and Gwynn th…”
Show all 47 →western_esoteric13
◆The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Manly P. Hall) | Ceremonial Magic and Sorceryb
“Man, incapable of controlling his own appetites, is not equal to the task of governing the fiery and tempestuous elemental spirits.
Many a magician has lost his life as the result of opening a way whereby submundane creatures could become…”
◆The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Manly P. Hall) | The Elements and Their Inhabitantse
“The imagination of the Greeks peopled the regions of earth and sea with divinities, to whose agency it attributed the phenomena that our philosophy ascribes to the operation of natural law." Thus, in behalf of the plant it worked with, the…”
◆The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Manly P. Hall) | American Indian Symbolismg
“To secure this information, Hunahpu pulled a hair from his leg, which hair then became a strange insect called Xan ; buzzing along the black road, the Xan entered the council chamber of the princes of Xibalba and stung the leg of the figure…”
◆The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Manly P. Hall) | American Indian Symbolismi
“Concerning these rolls, Colonel Carrick Mallery writes: "To persons acquainted with secret societies, a good comparison for the Midewiwin charts would be what is called a trestleboard of a Masonic order, which is printed and published and p…”
◆The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Manly P. Hall) | American Indian Symbolismk
“Pisces, their ashes turning into man-fishes , and later back into human form." It would seem more appropriate to assign the river of blood to Aries and that of mud to Taurus, and it is not at all improbable that in the ancient form of the l…”
◆Transcendental Magic I: The Doctrine (Éliphas Lévi) | Introductiona
“Behind the veil of all the hieratic and mystical allegories of ancient doctrines, behind the darkness and strange ordeals of all initiations, under the seal of all sacred writings, in the ruins of Nineveh or Thebes, on the crumbling stones…”
◆Transcendental Magic I: The Doctrine (Éliphas Lévi) | 14. Transmutationsa
“SPHERA LUNAE SEMPITERNUM AUXILIUM St.
AUGUSTINE questioned seriously whether Apuleius could have been changed into an ass by a Thessalian sorceress, and theologians have long debated about the transformation of Nebuchadnezzar into a wild b…”
◆Transcendental Magic I: The Doctrine (Éliphas Lévi) | 14. Transmutationsc
“She accused him when he wished to withdraw from her, and the conversion of this young woman was a revenge, for there is nothing more cruel than depraved passions.
An influential society, which intervened in the trial of Grandier for the de…”
Show all 13 →norse6
◆The Poetic Edda: Hovamol | Section 1b
“Hail to the giver!
| a guest has come; Where shall the stranger sit?
Swift shall he be who, | with swords shall try The proof of his might to make.
[1.
This stanza is quoted by Snorri, the second line being omitted in most of the Prose…”
◆The Poetic Edda: Hovamol | Section 1h
“In a brother's slayer, | if thou meet him abroad, In a half-burned house, | in a horse full swift-- One leg is hurt | and the horse is useless-- None had ever such faith | as to trust in them all.
89.
Hope not too surely | for early harve…”
◆The Poetic Edda: Hovamol | Section 1i
“50 Foul scorn was my meed | from the crafty maid, And nought from the woman I won.
* * * 103.
Though glad at home, | and merry with guests, A man shall be wary and wise; The sage and shrewd, | wide wisdom seeking, Must see that his speech…”
◆The Poetic Edda: Hovamol | Section 1o
“A sixth I know, | if harm one seeks With a sapling's roots to send me; The hero himself | who wreaks his hate Shall taste the ill ere I.
153.
A seventh I know, | if I see in flames The hall o'er my comrades' heads; It burns not so wide |…”
◆The Poetic Edda: Voluspo | Section 1f
“Lothur : apparently an older name for Loki, the treacherous but ingenious son of Laufey, whose divinity Snorri regards as somewhat doubtful.
He was adopted by Othin, who subsequently had good reason to regret it.
Loki probably represents…”
◆The Poetic Edda: Voluspo | Section 1i
“On all sides saw I | Valkyries assemble, Ready to ride | to the ranks of the gods; Skuld bore the shield, | and Skogul rode next, Guth, Hild, Gondul, | and Geirskogul.
Of Herjan's maidens | the list have ye heard, Valkyries ready | to ride…”
gnosticism4
◆Pistis Sophia | Document FIRSTe
“And having come, coming unto the World I came unto the midst of the Rulers of the Sphere, I was the likeness of Gabriel the angel of the Aeons, and knew me not the Rulers of the Aeons.
But they were thinking that I am Gabriel the angel.
I…”
◆Pistis Sophia | Document SECONDe
“And the Self-willed dispatched out of the Height in the thirteenth Aeon, he dispatched another great power of light, it came down unto the Chaos as an [125 ] arrow flying, that he should help his emanations, and take away the lights of the…”
◆Pistis Sophia | Document THIRD}
“And the tenth chamber there are many Rulers in it seven heads of dragon to each of them in their original face, and he who is over them all they are wont to call his name in their Place, Xarmarokh.
And eleventh chamber, there are many Rule…”
◆Pistis Sophia | Document THIRD
“These (commands) are those which are wont the Rulers of the great Destiny of the Aeons they are wont to deliver them (him, MS ) to the counterfeit spirit: and are wont the Rulers, they are wont to call the Ministers of the Aeons amounting t…”
renaissance_hermeticism4
◆Agrippa: The Philosophy of Natural Magic, Chapter XXIX — What Things Are Under the Power of Mercury, and Are Called Mercurial | Chapter XXIX, Section 1
“CHAPTER XXIX. What Things Are Under the Power of Mercury, and Are Called Mercurial . Things under Mercury are these: Amongst Elements, water, though it moves all things indistinctly. Amongst humors, those especially which are mixed, as also…”
◆Agrippa: The Philosophy of Natural Magic, Chapter XXXVI — Of the Union of Mixed Things, and the Introduction of a More Noble Form and the Senses of Life | Chapter XXXVI, Section 1
“CHAPTER XXXVI. Of the Union of Mixed Things, and the Introduction of a More Noble Form and the Senses of Life . Moreover , we must know, that by how much the more noble the form of anything is, by so much the more prone and apt it is to rec…”
◆Agrippa: The Philosophy of Natural Magic, Chapter XLI — XLI. Of Sorceries, and Their Power | Chapter XLI, Section 1
“CHAPTER XLI. Of Sorceries, and Their Power . The force of sorceries is reported to be so great that they are believed to be able to subvert, consume and change all inferior things, according to Virgil's muse: Mœris for me these herbs in Pon…”
◆Agrippa: The Philosophy of Natural Magic, Chapter XLV — Of Collyries, Unctions, Love-Medicines, and Their Virtues | Chapter XLV, Section 1b
“Also by divers rites, observations, ceremonies, religions and superstitions; all which shall be handled in their places.
And not only by these kind of arts are passions, apparitions and images induced, but also things themselves, which are…”
mesopotamian1
◆Epic of Gilgamesh: Tablet VI — Ishtar and the Bull of Heaven | Tablet VI, Section 1b
“(Sooth), thou shalt vouch (?) for the truth (?) of (this) list—Thy maidenhood's consort, Tammuz, each year dost make him the cause of Wailing , (then cometh Next) the bird Roller gay-feather’d thou lovedst, and (yet) thou didst smite him 50…”