Obscure Mythology: Chapter 25, Yerunthully

Australian, a magical rope

     Here we are, just one chapter away from finishing the entire alphabet! I have had a great time uncovering these mythological gems and I am glad that I am going to actually finish this project, whether it’s a few months late or not! I started this Obscure Mythology project back in late May and now here we are in mid November with just one chapter to go. I am not going to lie, this summer was especially hard on me emotionally. I had to deal with real world issues that a person cannot be prepared for, such as losing a loved one and dealing with another who has full blown Alzheimer’s all the while still trying to work, pay bills, raise kids, have a little me time and write a weekly blog. In short I spent all this time dealing with adult things all while trying to keep some sort of sanity through it all. I believe it is reasons like this that our ancient ancestors started telling these myths and stories in the first place. They were a way to show us that even when life is bringing us down there is a reason for it all. I was devastated when my Grandfather passed away and I am still in a state of mourning yet I believe he is in a better place surrounded by friend sand family, looking down at his earthly family every now and then. Admittedly, there are not a lot of entries for the letter Y, in the Myth dictionary but when I came across this one I had to use it because it fits perfectly with the story of my Grandfather’s passing and some extraordinary events that happened shortly after. I will place the Y entry and the I will say a little about my experiences this summer.

Yerunthully, Australian, a rope.

When a person dies, this rope is lowered from the heavens so that the spirit can climb up. When the spirit reaches the top, the rope falls as a meteor.

     The night I had found out that Grandpa passed away, I wet out onto the steps outside the house to cry ad contemplate in peace. While I was sitting outside reminiscing and mourning, I looked to the night sky and prayed. I wasn’t praying to a God or mythological being, I was praying to my Grandfather, telling him how much I loved him and how much I would miss him. I thanked him for all he did for myself and my brother as we were growing up and then I said good-bye, for now. As soon as I had finished my silent memorial I watched as a bright light streaked across the sky directly above me. I am a skywatcher, anytime I am outside at night I am looking for UFO’s, comets, or any other motion in the night skies and this was only the second shooting star I’d seen in probably 10 years. I took it as a sign that Grandpa had heard my words. About a week later I headed up to my hometown to attend my Grandfather’s memorial service. It was not easy but I knew it had to be done. I spent the evening catching up with relatives and sharing great stories about the man who raised me. As I left my Aunt’s house after hours of reminiscing I stared up into the clear summer night’s sky as I was unlocking my car and watched in sheer amazement as a bright light streaked across the night sky, blazing across the twinkling darkness until it disappeared into the horizon. I took it as another sign that Grandpa had been watching or that he had been present in spirit. It’s hard to explain how a few perfectly timed shooting stars could calm my anxiety and depression over losing my Grandfather but they did have a calming effect and even if it is just coincidence, it is better than nothing. Having something to believe in is what has brought mythology and religion into our existence in the first place. In my 24 previous posts about obscure mythology I have been noticing how all of these myths and legends seem to have similar beginnings or connections to vastly different cultures and I had always thought that perhaps some alien or supernatural forces were responsible but maybe, just maybe our myths and legends are so similar for the simple fact that we are all human beings and deep down we all have fear and confusion over why and who we really are. We are more connected than we may even know. It saddens me that we spend most of our lives enclosed in our own little bubbles worried about no one but ourselves, were greed and self preservation have separated us and pitted us against one another. These ancient myths, they hold arcane knowledge about how to live and coexist and they show us what happens when we forsake our ancient roots. We all have the same DNA, we are 99.9% related, researchers have pinpointed one ancient female from Africa (Mitochondrial Eve) who lived nearly 200,000 years ago who is responsible for every human on the planet! If we All come from the same blood, we are all family. This explains why our myths/legends have so much commonality; we are all from the same family. We are all spiritual beings on a physical trip before returning back to our original plane of existence wherever that may be. We need to stop worrying about the individual and start worrying about the family as a whole before it is too late.

When I read this entry, I imagined my Grandfather climbing the rope, getting ready to return back to his spiritual home and I can feel better knowing he is there watching us, waiting for us to return to him. Seeing those comets, shooting stars or whatever they may have been wasn’t a coincidence in my mind, it was a sign, a spiritual recognition that my Grandfather had moved on and that he was in a place were he could keep an eye on his family.

This summer was difficult emotionally and losing my Grandfather was painful but I now accept it as a part of life and something that must be experienced in order to truly understand life, death and everything in between. I am certain that many ancient myths were told and retold not to scare us about death and what comes next but to be ready for it and to accept it.

I am one chapter away from ending this project and blasting forth with a whole bunch of strange and mysterious things I have been researching since May. I appreciate all of you who have stayed the course and enjoyed my Obscure Mythology and my ramblings. I shall return very soon with all new exciting material! Until then have a great week and as always, PEACE!!!!!!!

                                    above image: My Grandma, me and Grandpa (RIP)