Trident of Poseidon: history and photo of weapons

The trident of Poseidon is an inseparable attribute of this ancient Greek god - the ruler of the seas. Whatever his portrayal is, an old-timed bearded athlete always appears in front of the viewer, holding in his hands a kind of weapon consisting of a shaft, crowned with a three-pronged tip.

Fishing tackle, which became a formidable weapon

His predilection for the trident is quite understandable, because originally it was intended solely for fishing, that is, the beloved occupation of the god of the seas, and much later the inhabitants of the land realized that they could successfully pierce not only the concealed catfish, but the stomachs of their enemies. To this end, they somewhat changed the design of the trident, removing the hooks intended to hold the fish, since in battle after a successful strike no one was required to hold.

Since then, the rather innocuous trident Poseidon, whose photo is presented in this article, has become a formidable and universal weapon. It was used for melee, as a throwing spear, and for capturing enemy weapons.

The inhabitants of ancient Rome, who were very fond of bloody spectacles, armed them with gladiators-retirees. It was a special category of suicide bombers who came out into the arena with a trident and a fishing net, thus portraying fishermen whose task was to hit the armed with the sword and shield of the enemy who played the role of "fish" in this scene.

The trident's path to the depths of the continents

Researchers do not have a common opinion about where the trident Poseidon first appeared, which later became so popular. Since he began his procession around the world as a fishing tackle, it is quite logical to assume that it was spawned by a civilization associated with water expanses, and not necessarily by the seas - these could be areas of river spills.

It is also believed that in a later period, when the peoples began to settle deep into the continents, they began to equip the tridents of the gods who commanded other elements, but somehow connected with the water - rains, thunderstorms, floods and so on.

An example is the ancient Iranian god Apam-Napat, due to his geographical position, deprived of the opportunity to manage in the seas, but completely commanded by rivers. On local fishermen and casual bathers, he instilled fear, shaking in the air the same trident as the one that we see in the hands of his Greek colleague.

Tridents of ancient Sumerian gods

The trident of Poseidon or something very similar to it, the researchers found on the images of the ancient Sumerian goddess Inanna, also known under her Akkadian name Ishtar. From mythology it is known that, having devoted itself exclusively to love and fertility in the youth, it eventually switched to quarrels, quarrels and, as a result, military conflicts (the female character is prone to spoil over the years). Since then, a trident appeared on the images of the goddess, but, so to speak, in his ladies' version - more like a tulip flower than a military weapon.

Quite differently, the trident of Poseidon looked in the hands of her close friend - the god Ishkur, also familiar to us from the Sumerian-Akkadian mythology. From the time of his birth, he commanded thunder, storm and wind, which is why he acquired a quick-tempered and scandalous temper. Even the intervention of his father, the god of the sky Anu, who instructed his son to look after the water elements, including the rains so necessary to people in these hot and arid lands, did not correct the situation. In his hands, the trident looks like a ruthless weapon.

The Terrible Weapon of the Hittite God Teshuba

The Hittite god of thunderstorm Teshub, who was revered once in all of Asia Minor, could not do without a trident. Other inhabitants of the local pantheon gave him special honors, since he occupied the leading position among them. Once Teshub's primacy was tried to challenge the father of the gods Kumarbi, having set on him one of his sons - giant Ullikumme, made not of living flesh, but of pure jade.

Since the trident could not cope with this, Teshub sawed his enemy with a sacred saw, the same one that had once been separated from the sky, after which he willingly posed on his wreckage, holding a hammer in one hand with the blows of which he caused thunder, and in the other , Its mighty trident. This rod of Poseidon appears in most of his images, one of which can be seen in our article.

Indian deities not indifferent to tridents

However, the real excitement of the trident caused among the gods and goddesses of Ancient India. He was desired to have several inhabitants of the local Vedic pantheon, the main one being the god of the world waters of Varuna. When and where his cult originated, no one knows, but eventually, on the Indian subcontinent, he became so entrenched that all other deities respectfully parted before him.

Universal worship and flattery flows so dulled Varuna's vigilance that he did not even notice how he was overthrown by the insidious Shiva, the multi-handed god of pastoral tribes not connected with the water element, but also hurried to acquire a trident. His admirers still wear on their foreheads a sign called a trashula and is made in the form of three sharp prongs.

Shiva's example was also followed by his wife, the goddess warrior Durga. But she was decorated with this weapon not out of empty vanity, but because of, so to speak, "professional necessity". With the trident in his hands was seen and the ancient Indian fire god Agni. Marine attributes in the hands of this arsonist, according to scientists, the transformation of symbols associated with showers, thunder and lightning.

Even more profound interpretation of this attribute of the ancient gods was given to Buddhists who gave it a philosophical and mystical meaning, denoting it with the word "trirate", which means - the "three jewels" of the Buddha. Without delving into the essence of their wisdom, we only note that the image of the trident is still used by them in tantric yoga - a system of Buddhist and Hindu methods of human self-improvement.

Images of the trident that have become state symbols

In the ancient world, the image of the trident was often associated not only with individual mythical personalities, but also with the cultures of entire peoples that really existed on earth. For example, his images were found during excavations conducted on the territories of the most ancient cities of Crete - Knossos, Festa and Zakros.

Once upon a time, they were the centers of a critically-Minoan civilization that had passed away in ages, part of the emblem of which was the trident of Poseidon. The weapon of the sea god for good reason became a symbol of culture that existed on the island from 2700 to 1400 BC, that is, for thirteen centuries. The ancient Cretans, being undivided owners of the Mediterranean, were obliged by their prosperity to maritime trade, thus, the attribute of the sea deity had for them not only symbolic, but also sacred significance.

As a state symbol, the trident also used the ancient Bespora kingdom, which once possessed vast lands in the Northern Black Sea region. During the excavations, archaeologists discovered coins issued in the 3rd century BC, in which portraits of kings were always accompanied by images of a trident. It turned out that besporka monarchs considered themselves the direct descendants of the god of the seas of Poseidon, and their genealogy was derived from his son - the mythical hero Eumolp.

The weapon of Poseidon in the Slavic lands

And, finally, the fashion for the tridents and our Slav lands did not pass. For many centuries it was a dynastic sign of the Rurikovich family. Despite the fact that each of his representatives tried to make some personal changes in it, adding crosses, circles, bends and lines, in general, the stylized, but quite distinct image, reminiscent of the Poseidon Trident, was preserved. The photo of this dynastic sign of our ancient rulers precedes this paragraph.

As evidenced by the results of archaeological excavations, princely, and since the times of Ivan the Terrible and the royal sign of the trident was posed not only on official charters, but also on a variety of subjects. For example, it can be seen on a brick preserved from the Church of the Tithes, erected in Kiev in 996, on the slabs with which the floor of the Assumption Church in Vladimir-Volynsky (XII century) was covered, as well as on many bricks and stones from which the temples were built , Castles and palaces of that ancient era. In the country's museums, many medallions, rings, coins, as well as samples of weapons, utensils, and any household utensils decorated with the image of a trident are exhibited. Today, the trident has decorated the coat of arms of Ukraine.

Trident on the banner of Genghis Khan

The owner of the distinctive sign, made in the form of a trident, was also the famous Genghis Khan, who at the beginning of the thirteenth century led the innumerable hordes of steppe nomads pouring into Rus. His sacred banner - sulde - was a trident, lifted to the shaft, under which nine dangling brushes, made of yak wool, were strengthened. Today in the valley of Delun-Baldok (Mongolia), on the place where, according to historians, the conqueror was born, a commemorative stele, crowned with his tribal sign-trident, is installed. After the death of Genghis Khan, this symbol passed to his direct heirs. In particular, it is found on coins minted during the reign of Khan Baty.

European symbolism, which included a trident

In the Middle Ages, the image of the trident was widely used in the symbolism of Western Europe. In particular, it can be found on Frankish, Anglo-Saxon and Czech coins. Ancient Prussians still in the pagan period they were decorated with memorial stones and cult complexes of tracts.

Not without tridents and Scandinavians. Known, for example, is the Icelandic 18th-century manuscript dedicated to the heroic deeds of the hero of the national epic Odin. On his pages there are many times symbolic images of the trident, and the main character is represented holding these weapons. By the way, he has a two-sided battle, that is, enemy teeth that spread along the enemy, are located at both ends of the shaft, which gives him an even more warlike appearance.

The trident of Poseidon found its place in Christian symbolism, and sometimes in the most opposite meanings. Along with the use of the Holy Trinity as a symbol, on many icons it can be seen in the hands of devils tormenting unrepentant sinners. Thus, a trident in Christianity can simultaneously play a role as a symbol of holiness, and a satanic sign.

Uranus, Poseidon, Pluto (planet) - a trident in the starry sky

The mention of the Greek god, the owner of a formidable trident, can also be found on the map of the starry sky. True, here he stands under his second name - Neptune. In 1905, the American astronomer Percival Lowell, having discovered the deviations of the orbit of this planet, as well as its closest neighbor Uranus, came to the conclusion that they were affected by some invisible from the Earth and an unknown cosmic body. It was discovered in 1930, the planet Uranus. Since then, the weapons of the sea king fit into the space maps, because it is easy to see that Uranus, Poseidon, Pluto (planet) - a trident. In a word, Greek and Roman deities today have firmly won the starry sky. With the development of civilization, many planets have got their names - for example, Mars, Venus, Jupiter and so on.

How to make a trident Poseidon own hands

The sea god of the ancient Greeks already in the Soviet period of the history of our country became an indispensable character of the sea holidays and associated costume performances. For this purpose, it was very easy to make a trident of Poseidon with his own hands made of paper, cardboard or plywood. Gently cut or sawed out its outline, and then pasted with foil. As a shaft, a thin stick or even a simple handle from a mop was used. People of the older generation, who once spent summer vacations in pioneer camps, probably remember this simple technique.

Fashion for tattoos depicting a trident

Nowadays, the symbolism, which includes the image of the trident, is used by representatives of a number of youth subcultures. It is often possible to meet young people who adorn themselves with a "trident of Poseidon" on a body. If most of them realize their aesthetic needs in this way, then a certain part of the youth puts a specific meaning into the image. For them, the trident is a symbol of power and power. He, in their opinion, can be one of the elements of self-affirmation.

In recent decades, when millions of Russians were able to freely travel abroad, the symbolism depicting the trident of Poseidon was quite firmly in use. Greece is among the most frequent routes of Russian tourists, and this largely explains the interest in its history and mythology. Every year it is visited by thousands of our compatriots.

One of the tourist companies even organized an excursion "Poseidon's Trident", the participants of which get an opportunity to see those places where the events unfolded, the heroes of which were the immortal inhabitants of Olympus.