On the photo is a scene from the rape of Europe, the Daughter of the Phoenician King Agenor. Everybody knows this story. Is there somebody who asked him/herself: WHY Zeus transformed himself in a bull? Why not an ass or a cat or a dog? Why not a bear, finally?What is a bull for Europe? Not that mythic girl but a part of the Earth. We wanted to make a list of the bull appearances in the human life in Europe. Here is this list.
1/ "Italia"= "Vitelia"= "the land/country of the bulls"
It's difficult to find the real roots of many words today. This is one of the possible interpretations.
2/ One of the Sannitic totemic animals was the bull.
3/ The myths about Hercules and the bulls
4/ Androcephalic bull Mesopotamia
5/ God Api, Egypt
6/ Crete, jumps over the bull
7/ Minotaur8/ Shedu, Mesopotamia
9/ "Odissea"
10/ "Suovetaurilia" -one of the most sacred and traditional rites of Roman religion
11/ Corrida
Now, you see how much was loved this character in (Sud-) Europe and (North-)Africa. I'll be glad if you add other stories, images that prove it. It is very interesting as a theme of study.
We say, bull was not only the biggest, most powerful and unpredictable animal in the forests of Europe. It was one of the most important sources of the economy of these countries (Italy).
More about it in my next posts.
