Mexico 'Closes' Statue Of Greek God Poseidon After Dispute With Local Deity

[maximus otter]

Authorities in Mexico have slapped a “closure” order on a 10-foot-tall (3-meter) aquatic statue of the Greek god of the sea Poseidon that was erected in May in the Gulf of Mexico just off the town of Progreso, Yucatan.

Mexico’s environmental protection agency said late Thursday that the statue, which appears to show an angry trident-wielding Poseidon “rising” from the sea a few meters from the beach, lacked permits. In the few months it has been up, tourists had gathered to take pictures of themselves with it as a striking background.

But it was symbolically “closed" Thursday — and could be removed altogether — after a group of activist lawyers filed a legal complaint saying the statue of the Greek offended the beliefs of local Maya Indigenous groups who prefer their own local god of water, known as Chaac.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/gods-must-angry-mexico-cancels-165428831.html

maximus otter

 

[Yithian]

Chaac is going to have to look pretty divine to trump Poseidon there.

Call me superstitious, but I'd think twice about ordering the removal of a poweful deity—even if I wasn't personally a follower.

 

[FORTFAN 7]

Before I comment on Poseidon, thank you for the kind welcome messages, a wonderful start, thank you.

Now, I fully agree with Yithian. Poseiden is not a nice fellow. He tried to drown me one cold winter morning, 1982.

While standing on a rock on the Melbourne coastline admiring huge waves driven by a fierce southerly, I somehow offending him, I don't remember my exact frame of mind but I recall that while speaking to him I called him Neptune, when a damn wave rushed at me, engulfed my slippery platform and almost dragged me in. I ran like hell.

I urge the activists; please reconsider your folly---Neptune does not have a sense of humour.

 

[Frideswide]

We have a thread (she said, vaguely) on Pan and our experience of panic. Not at all surprised that others are about!

 

[ramonmercado]

Aquaman will save us

 

[Xanatic*]

I wish they had made it out of a clear material, so it would look like he was manifesting from the water itself.

 

[Frideswide]

I wish they had made it out of a clear material, so it would look like he was manifesting from the water itself.

LOVELY IDEA!

 

[Fabio Picasso]

Chaac is a Mayan god as well as Tlaloc, a Nahua one, linked with water but fundamentally with rain, which means we are talking about a god who could not be linked to Poseidon, since he is a Greek god who is associated with the seas. and earthquakes. Rain was one of the attributes of Zeus.
It seems to me that in the desire to eliminate the "foreign" gods they did not realize that both deities do not govern the same phenomenon.

 

[FORTFAN 7]

Chaac is a Mayan god as well as Tlaloc, a Nahua one, linked with water but fundamentally with rain, which means we are talking about a god who could not be linked to Poseidon, since he is a Greek god who is associated with the seas. and earthquakes. Rain was one of the attributes of Zeus.
It seems to me that in the desire to eliminate the "foreign" gods they did not realize that both deities do not govern the same phenomenon.

Hmmmm---this will not turn out well.

A gaggle of lawyers want to take a salt water god to court and have him replaced him with a fresh water god.

I fear a classic Fortean style deluge is about to manifest over the Yucatan coastline.

 

[SimonBurchell]

Chaac is a Mayan god as well as Tlaloc, a Nahua one, linked with water but fundamentally with rain, which means we are talking about a god who could not be linked to Poseidon, since he is a Greek god who is associated with the seas. and earthquakes. Rain was one of the attributes of Zeus.
It seems to me that in the desire to eliminate the "foreign" gods they did not realize that both deities do not govern the same phenomenon.

Nevertheless, the local Maya would not be at all happy about a foreign deity being imposed upon them... again. Maya activists are quite vocal these days, and I can see their point. There has long been an imposition of Classical European expressions of art upon them, with these being viewed as superior by the upper class, who largely have their origins traced back to Europe and do not intermarry with indigenous peoples. These views stretch back to the Spanish Empire, and were still held after independence in many places. I have only socially met a truly upper class Latin American once. He was of pure Spanish descent, looked European, was arrogant and racist towards indigenous people. He was very friendly to me because I'm British, but I found him and his views deeply unpleasant.

 

[Tunn11]

Before I comment on Poseidon, thank you for the kind welcome messages, a wonderful start, thank you.

Now, I fully agree with Yithian. Poseiden is not a nice fellow. He tried to drown me one cold winter morning, 1982.

While standing on a rock on the Melbourne coastline admiring huge waves driven by a fierce southerly, I somehow offending him, I don't remember my exact frame of mind but I recall that while speaking to him I called him Neptune, when a damn wave rushed at me, engulfed my slippery platform and almost dragged me in. I ran like hell.

I urge the activists; please reconsider your folly---Neptune does not have a sense of humour.

Oh no! You've just called Poseiden, Neptune again.........

 

[Xanatic*]

"You want me to remove that statue? Ahh, but you see that is a foreign god, I will need to order special parts. That will cost you extra."

 

[Fabio Picasso]

Nevertheless, the local Maya would not be at all happy about a foreign deity being imposed upon them... again. Maya activists are quite vocal these days, and I can see their point. There has long been an imposition of Classical European expressions of art upon them, with these being viewed as superior by the upper class, who largely have their origins traced back to Europe and do not intermarry with indigenous peoples. These views stretch back to the Spanish Empire, and were still held after independence in many places. I have only socially met a truly upper class Latin American once. He was of pure Spanish descent, looked European, was arrogant and racist towards indigenous people. He was very friendly to me because I'm British, but I found him and his views deeply unpleasant.

I completely agree with you, however, beyond having criticized on many occasions the racism of the Spanish who conquered America, in this case it seems to me that removing an image of a foreign god is meaningless. On the one hand, being of Native American descent, I consider that if an image does not fit my beliefs, its existence simply does not bother me. It's like banning Daffy Duck. Likewise, let us analyze a religious event as important as the apparition of the Virgin of Guadalupe, obviously Catholic, to a Chichimeca native Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin. I don't think it's possible to eradicate that belief from Mexico. Let's leave everyone free to believe in whatever god they want and in this way let's set an example in not being discriminatory.

 

[SimonBurchell]

I completely agree with you, however, beyond having criticized on many occasions the racism of the Spanish who conquered America, in this case it seems to me that removing an image of a foreign god is meaningless. On the one hand, being of Native American descent, I consider that if an image does not fit my beliefs, its existence simply does not bother me. It's like banning Daffy Duck. Likewise, let us analyze a religious event as important as the apparition of the Virgin of Guadalupe, obviously Catholic, to a Chichimeca native Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin. I don't think it's possible to eradicate that belief from Mexico. Let's leave everyone free to believe in whatever god they want and in this way let's set an example in not being discriminatory.

That's fine in a liberal society, but the Maya are deeply conservative. It is more likely to stir up violence than a "live and let live" response.

 

[Steven]

Even the all-powerful Augustus, who had much to fear from the public's idolisation of the deity named Liber, kept the god's statues in place.


This post is a handy demonstration of why I am single.

 

[Fabio Picasso]

That's fine in a liberal society, but the Maya are deeply conservative. It is more likely to stir up violence than a "live and let live" response.

But to claim not to be subject to discrimination, Aboriginal people would have to be much more tolerant. Clearly, it is excellent to be conservative in religion and social customs. In fact, in my country there are ethnic groups that continue celebrating their special dates and praying to their gods without caring about other religions or political holidays or those of supposed heroes of the country. It would be necessary to really see who is behind these demonstrations. If you read any newspaper in my country you will see that there are Mapuche people fighting to recover their lands, but I have talked many times with real Mapuche chiefs and they do not recognize these vandals, who for political purposes exploit the true rights of the people. aboriginals but committing crimes, sabotage, robberies, arson and attacking local residents with firearms.