By Janet Marugg | FāVS News Columnist
The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News.
We are nothing without it — the Earth under our feet, where we live and roam. The Earth brought us this far, taught us much, gave us the stories we tell that changed us. Earth spins our linear time into cycles of growth and rest, seasons of life and death. Again and again.
The Earth returning to life again is a popular story plot. Mythology is generous with resurrection stories. The ancient Near East gives us the myth of Tammuz, the Spring god of Mesopotamia, and Attis, resurrected by Cybele, the fertility goddess. In Greece, there was Persephone, who was returned to life every spring.
Ancient India tells of Satyaran and Bodhidharma, while the Norse myths tell of Odin’s rerising. Across the world, the Toltec people claim a creator god, Quelzalcoatl, resurrected. As Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, billions of people throughout the world follow other resurrected beings.
The most recent resurrected figures include Lobsang Rampa, (a Tibetan monk who turned out to be a British plumber named Cyril Hoskin). Lobsang gained a following by drilling a hole in his forehead to unlock a “third eye.” He “divined” numerous popular books and gained devoted followers.
Sai Baba of Shirdi is a saint revered by Muslims and Hindus alike. Even the current prime minister of India, Narendra Modi attends celebrations honoring this resurrected being. Followers of Sai Baba of Shirde still report physical encounters over a century after his burial.
In 2024, Prime Minister Modi meditated for 45 hours at the Swami Vivekananda Rock Memorial, and millions of people report Vivekandanda encounters. Modi also joins hundreds of millions at the birth centenary celebrations of Sathya Sai Baba, yet another resurrected being.
Modi also frequently expresses reverence for Sri Ramakrishna, a Hindu mystic who appears randomly to people after speaking with the goddess, Kali. People believe Sri Ramakrishna has the power to absorb and remove their sins.
The 1930’s gave us the Ethiopian Emperor, Haile Selassie of the Solomonic dynasty and adherent to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Around one million Rastafarians (a Jamaican Abrahamic religion) worldwide believe Haile Selassie to be the second coming of Jesus, another resurrection.
Earth Stories
The rising again myth is a self-fulfilling story that never dies. It’s everybody’s rebirth story told and retold annually by a tilted Earth. The second chance is a classic theme. We can’t get enough stories of redemption and regeneration.
Resurrection is not just for stories. Every spring, resurrection is our lived experience. Another rising, another resurgence, another resurrection. Maybe some people can embody the role of the resurrected so believably that they gain a following. Maybe not.
Maybe it’s OK to let the Earth be the star of the resurrection story. Earth Day is April 22, a day uniting billions of people worldwide in reverence for the best resurrector of all. Earth is the most knowable resurrector we have unhindered access to — Happy Earth Day!
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nice overview of resurrection myths, Janet. As you say, an actual resurrection we can rely on is that of the earth each spring in our part of the world. The resurrection of historical figures such as Jesus testifies to the power of their teachings.
It’s always interesting to see the commonalities among different religions and beliefs! I think it speaks to a deep, universal human longing – the chance for new beginnings, for change, for growth. Happy spring/Earth Day indeed!