Comparative Religion

Mithraism and its Effects on the Early Roman Church©

Mithraism an Introduction

One of the key points of Mithraism is the prevention of the human ego from turning our hearts to stone. Man’s greed and corruption must be controlled in order to overcome the ego. One must turn their head away from the physical as the intellect is unable to overcome the ego. It is only when we look with our hearts believing that Mithra, our only crown, that a successful battle against ego can fought. It is only on the path of Mithra with the guidance of the Father who has already slain the Bull that we can demonstrate literally that Love moves the Universe. This is perhaps one of the greatest mystery within the Cult of Mithras.

Persian traditions tell us that the god Mithras was actually born into the human form of a Savior as predicted by Zarathustra. The mother of Mithras was Anahita, said to be an immaculate virgin mother who was at a time worshiped as a fertility goddess before the Zoroastrian reformation. Anahita was said to have conceived the Savior from the seed of Zarathustra preserved in the waters of Lake Hamun in the Persian province of Sistan.

Another legend has it that his birth took place in a cave or a deep hole in the ground, where shepherds attended him and regaled him with gifts, at the winter solstice. This is an older myth about the birth of Mithra, and that his magical birth at the dawn of time was from a rock from which he formed himself using only his ‘will’. In his hands he holds a dagger and a torch and is the twelve signs of the zodiac surround him, showing his image as a stellar god who rules the cosmos even at his birth. Some statues and paintings show a serpent to be coiled around the feet of the Mithras or birth stone. Upon his death 208 B.C. at the age of 64, it is said that Mithra ascended into heaven

Not long after his birth he challenged other forces when the world was young and after his battle with the Sun he formed a friendship with him. As a result of this friendship Mithras was bestowed with a crown of rays from the Sun. Mithras was regularly identified by his worshipers with the Sun or as the Son of the Sun.

Mithra’s birth was celebrated at the winter solstice because on this day, it was believed that the Sun began its journey to the northern skies.

Some images depict Mithras on horseback with bow and arrow in his hand, hunting a stag whose horn is represented by the crescent moon. He may be seen accompanied by a lion, snake and a dog.

Mithras was to rule over the changes of the seasons and the movement of the heavens themselves and this was represented celestially by watching the movement of the constellations.

Later as the Romans began their world conquests many of the soldiers embarassed this religion, bringing it back to Rome with them from Persia and the far east. Some high placed priests captured in those lands were also relocated to various parts of the Roman empire and much of the Mithraian religion was changed to satisfy the new rulers especially in Britain, Spain, Italy, and even Greece

Tauroctony ( Bull-slaying scene)

The slaying of a Bull was the central to the Western form of Mithraism and was present within every Temple. Here all the mystery of this tradition comes together, showing its Persian origins and the incorporation of Roman astrology and Greek mythology, giving rise to an esoteric path that must have made a lasting impression on those who were prepared to follow its path. The Bull that Mithra kills is his ego, which is the aim of all followers of Mithra.

Mithras is usually facing away from the Bull with one foot on its back and, one hand holding the bull's head and, the other hand stabbing the bull in the neck where blood spews forth. Near him there is a dog, a raven, a scorpion, a snake, a lion, a cup. There is an ear of wheat is growing from the tip of the bulls tail. The cloak of Mithras represents the night sky with stars and the signs of the zodiac which surround the whole scene. Symbols of the seven planets are present while two torch bearers of Mithras stand at either side of the bull slaying scene.

The two torchbearers are Cautes and Cautopates who symbolise the equnioxes; Cautes torch is pointing upward for the spring equinox, while Cautopates torch is pointing down for autumn equinox.

Mithras was asked by the sun to kill the Bull, but he was reluctant to do it. The Raven, the messenger of the Sun, comes to him again with the message and this time Mithras goes into the field, captures the Bull and bodily lifts the back legs of the bull over his shoulder and drags him to the cave of his birth. The crescent moon over the bull suggests a connection to the moon.

After Mithras kills the bull, its blood comes the wine and all the useful plants that cover the earth. Its tail became wheat which gave us our bread. The seed and the genitals of the bull are taken to the moon goddess and purified giving rise to all animals. By slaying the first Bull, becomes the worlds co-creator as life comes to the earth

In the west Mithra is best known as cult of Mithras which had an immense popularity among the Roman Legions, From late 1st century BC until 4th century AD. During which it came under the influence of Greek and Roman mythologies. However like other mystery traditions of that period (the Eleusinian mysteries and Isian mysteries) the Mithraic cult maintained secrecy and its teaching were only revealed to initiates. Remains of Mithraic temples can be found through out the Roman empire, from Palestine across north of Africa, and across central Europe to North of England.

The Rites of Mithras

There were seven degrees of initiation, these degrees allowed the neophyte to proceed through the seven celestial bodies. Allowing the reversing of the human soul’s descent into the world at birth. Ascending the seven heavens and walking through Milky Way and returning to the origin of the Soul. The initiates worked with the four elements and seven planetary energies. The initiations involved purifications and ordeals.

The first degree was of corax (Raven) under Mercury. This stage symbolized death of neophyte. In ancient Persia it was a custom to expose dead bodies to be eaten by ravens on funeral towers. Raven as symbol of death can also be seen in some tarot packs as card 13 instead of Grim Reaper. At this stage the neophyte dies and is re-born into a spiritual path. A mantra was given to him to repeat and his sins were washed away by baptism in water.

The next degree is of Nymphus(male-bride) under Venus. The neophyte wears a veil and carries a lamp in his hand. He is unable to see the light of truth until the veil of reality is lifted. He is vowed to the cult, and becomes celibate for at least duration of this stage. He is a bride(lover) of Mithra. He also offers a cup of water to the statute of Mithra, the cup is his heart and the water is his love.

On reaching Miles (solider) under Mars, the neophyte had to kneel naked (casting off old life), blindfolded with hands tied. (In similar manner of Wiccan initations) He was then offered a crown on the point of a sword. Once crowned, his binds were cut with a single stroke of the sword and blindfold removed. This represented his liberation from bondages of the material world. He would then remove the crown from his head and placing it on his shoulder, saying: "Mithra is my only crown" (Fanz Cumont, The Mysteries of Mithra). This also symbolizes the removing the head itself, allowing Mithra to be the guide. The meaning of the first part of Taliesin's Song of the Macrocosm refers to this and his initiation.

At this stage the neophyte starts the real battle against his lower self, a solider is one actively struggles with the real enemy. The stage of Leo (lion) is first of the senior degrees and is under Jupiter. He is entering the element of fire. Therefore the lions were not allowed to touch water during the ritual, and instead honey was offered to the initiate to wash his hands and anoint his tongue. The lions carry the food for the ritual meal that was prepared by the lower grades to the ritual feast, and take part. Lion’s duties included attending the sacred altar flame. The ritual feast represented Mithra’s last supper of bread and wine with his companions, before his ascend to the heavens in Suns chariot.

The degree of Perses (Persian) under moon, "The initiate to this grade obtained through it an affiliation to that race which alone was worthy of receiving the highest revelations of wisdom of Magi" (Fanz Cumont, Rapport sur une mission a Rome, in Academic des inscrition et Belles-Letters, Comptes Rendes, 1945 p.418). The emblem for this stage was a harpe, the harpe that Persus decapitated the Gorgon. Symbolizing the destruction of the lower and animal aspect of the initiate. The initiate was also purified with honey as he was under the protection of the Moon. "Honey is associated with purity and fertility of the moon as this was, in ancient Iran believed to be the source of honey, and thus the expression of honey-moon denotes not the period of a month after marriage, but continued love and fertility in married life." (Dr. Masoud Homayouri, Origin of Persian Gnosis).

Daniels, Mithras and his temples on the Wall). Mithra also presided over changing of seasons and the movement of heavens themselves, The scene of Mithra slaying a bull represents, "the precession of the equinoxes; Mithra was in effect moving the entire universe" (Professor David Ulansey, The origins of Mithraic Mysteries). Mithras represented by constellation Persus changes the position of the celestial sphere by slaying constellation Taurus and moving the earth into constellation Aries at spring equinox, this miracle of Mithra is product of Roman astrologers and a latter development that is not seen in Iran to the same extent. However the celebration for changing of seasons was carried out both by western and eastern followers of Mithra: Nou-roz (spring equinox), Mehregan (autumn equinox), Shab-Yalda (winter solstice) and summer solstice.

As Christianity gathered momentum and eventually became the Roman Empires state religion, Mithraism was not tolerated. The Apologist saw it as a "satanic transversty of the holiest rites of their religion." Fanz Cumont, The Mysteries of Mithra). Nevertheless Catholicism has preserved some of the outer form of Mithraism to name some; the timing of Christmas, Bishops adaptation of miters as sign of their office, Christians priests becoming Father despite Jesus specific proscription of the acceptance of such title (Matthew 23:9), and "the Mithraic Holy father wore a red cap and garment and a ring, and carried a shepherds staff. The Head Christian adopted the same title and outfitted himself in the same manner." (William Harwood, Mythology's Last Gods: Yahweh and Jesus). While the outer appearance of Mithraism can be detected in Catholicism, some traces of the inner teachings of Mithraism can be found in Sufisim, therefore study of Sufisim allows a new insight into Mithraism, and possibly vice versa.

There is so much more that is out of the scope of this document if you are interested in Mithraism.

What I was astonished to find was the parallels between the Catholic Church and Mithraism, which I believe were borrowed or perhaps stolen by the Roman Church to compete with Mithraism

For example, the story of the virgin birth; that is found in many religions not just Christianity and Mithraism, and other things were ‘borrowed.’

For example:

a. There are seven sacraments or levels in both.

b. The move of Jesus birthday to December 25, which is also Mitra’s birthdate.

c. A baptism is required by both religions. Mithraism used blood, and Christians use water as the blood of the lamb.

d. The Roman Church built St Peters and other Papal buildings on the sites of previous Mithrian temples in Rome. Probably in a final effort to stamp out it’s competition.

I believe that the Roman Church would have over taken Mithraism in time due to its being a male only religion.

From this course I gained a huge of information on religions I had never heard of and a lot of additional information on the ones I knew of.

What I liked best was depth of knowledge supplied and many links to other sites for further information.

What I liked least??? That’s difficult to say. At first I thought 6 months was too long, but then after seeing the content of the lessons maybe I wrong.

To improve the course perhaps the lessons could be supplied via CD or DVD.

I will be taking further courses in the future.

Rev. Thomas J. Benton

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