Petra Genetrix
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The “Birth-giving stone” motif appears in the Vedic mythology, Mithraism and the Romanian carols.
The occurrence of this motif should not come as a surprise for us due to the Romanization of the Northern Lower-Danube area.
The Mithraism, present in the Roman World in the II-III-IV centuries AD, clearly makes use of this motif. In most of the preserved monuments, Mithras “appears” as if by magic from “dry stone”… As a child born out of it, with a torch in one hand and a knife in the other.
The Romanian expression designating a miraculous appearance – “he appeared from the ground, out of dry stone” is spectacular; Mithras was really “born” in a cave, from a stone. Mithras, growing up, will perform a miracle which consists in the transformation of a “Dry Stone” in a “Spring-Stone” – by hitting it with an Arrow. So… the romanian saying has preserved very well and unexpected these elements.
In the Vedic space, the God of Fire – Agni, appears from stone.
The meaning is elementary and archaic; Fire is “born” from stone … from Flint Stone. It’s man’s first magic act; an act which will be kept in the Indo-European collective conscience for millennia. The Fire is ritualized by both the Romans and the ancient Iranians,.. as a Sacred Space and a Divine Spark.
Like the Aryans… the ancient Romans had Three Sacred Fires: The Round Hearth – Central – dedicated to Vesta, Semicircular Hearth – Southern – dedicated to Vulcan and Square Hearth – Eastern – dedicated to Sacrificies.
Romans, like the Persians, they also had Mithra. He was the God of Light, Covenant, Salvation. He is a Prometheic Spirit – bringer and master of Fire. He is born from Stone… and gives mankind both Light and Iron. The Stone, beeing touched by itself – gives Fire; the Fire touching the Stone – gives Metal. Here is the second Magical Act of Humans… the forging of Iron.
Therefore Mithras – reunites the First Two Magical Acts of Mankind… Light and Iron… out of Stone. From Amorphous to AnthropoMorphous in a Single-One.
But Mithras … is also a Path. Mithras shows mankind the Path of Spirits,.. from a spark that animates an Amorphous Body – to a man that frees the Spirit in the Heavenly Light.
He’s born out of Stone, lives Heroically among the men… and then, he rises to the sky like a Sun – from Sun, together with the Sun. Mithra’s path is like the sparks from a hearth; from Earth to the Starlit Sky…Vertical…UpWards.
O revers path to the Fall of a Stone from the Skies.
A path followed by the ancient Iranians before Zoroaster.
A Path followed by the Romans before Theodosius.
Vlad Totoianu