Leviathan is one of the most formidable and famous creatures of the Old Testament.
Not only myths, but also Christian texts mention some amazing and terrible creatures generated by the human imagination.
An example of such a creature is Leviathan, a legendary sea beast with a fiery mouth. It is interesting that in many cultures there are similar images similar to Leviathan, and sometimes “twin” creatures that are incredibly similar to it. What do the Old Testament and other sources tell us about Leviathan? Could this beast really exist?
Leviathan - a beast from the biblical story
The parables mention that the Lord created a pair for each creature.
However, there were beings created in a single kind. Perhaps this is a reflection of ancient myths about sea and land creatures, real monsters. Such legends are found all over the world, and the Semitic peoples who became the founders of the Bible are no exception. Leviathan is a sea beast of unprecedented strength and size. It is described in detail in the book of Job, where the Lord explains his plan for its creation . Its appearance is also partially indicated there: it has two jaws, a huge body covered with the strongest scales, fire-breathing and capable of evaporating the seas. At the same time, contrary to later sources, it is separately noted that the monster itself does not belong to demons or hellish forces, but is only a manifestation and symbol of the limitless power of the Lord.
Behemoth and Leviathan in the Book of Job
Old Testament books and parables report that there were two such animals. The second is Behemoth, whose name was later given to the demon. They are described as creations of God, which no weapon, neither mortal nor angel, can handle. It is believed that it is impossible to catch, subdue and kill these creatures. They will die only during the Last Judgment, killing each other, and the saved righteous will feast on their meat.
In the Old Testament tradition
Leviathan is mentioned in the books of the Old Testament: In the Book of Job (Job. -).
Can you pull out Leviathan with a fish and grab his tongue with a rope? will you put a ring in his nostrils? Will you pierce his jaw with a needle? will he beg you a lot and speak to you meekly? Will he make an agreement with you, and will you take him as your slave forever? Will you play with him like a bird, and will you tie him for your girls? will his fishing companions sell it, will it be divided among the Canaanite merchants? Can you pierce his skin with a spear and his head with a fisherman's point? Place your hand on it, and remember the struggle: you will not advance. Hope is in vain: won’t you fall from one look from him? There is no one so brave who would dare to disturb him; who can stand before My face? Who went before Me that I should repay him? under the whole sky everything is Mine. I will not keep silent about his members, about their strength and beautiful proportionality
Who can open his robe, who can come near his double jaws? Who can open the doors of his face? the circle of his teeth is horror; His strong shields are splendor; they are sealed as if with a firm seal; one touches the other close, so that no air passes between them; one with the other lie tightly, interlocked and do not move apart. His sneezing makes light appear; his eyes are like the eyelashes of dawn; flames come out of its mouth, fiery sparks jump out; smoke comes out of his nostrils, like from a boiling pot or cauldron. His breath heats the coals, and flames come out of his mouth. Power dwells on his neck, and terror runs before him. The fleshy parts of his body are firmly united with each other and do not tremble. His heart is hard as a stone and tough as a lower millstone. When he rises, the strongmen are in fear, completely lost in horror. The sword that touches him will not stand, neither the spear, nor the javelin, nor the armor. He considers iron to be straw, copper to be rotten wood. The bow's daughter will not put him to flight; sling stones turn into chaff for him. His mace is considered a straw; he laughs at the whistling of the dart. There are sharp stones under him, and he lies on the sharp stones in the mud. He boils the abyss like a cauldron, and turns the sea into boiling ointment; leaves behind him a luminous path; the abyss seems gray. There is no one like him on earth; he was created fearless; looks at everything lofty with courage; he is the king over all the sons of pride. (Job.)
In the Book of Psalms:
| You crushed the head of Leviathan and gave him as food to the people of the desert. (Ps.) |
| This is a great and spacious sea: there are reptiles there, of which there is no number, animals small and large; there are ships sailing, there is this leviathan, whom You created to play in it. (Ps.) |
In the Book of the Prophet Isaiah:
| On that day the Lord will smite with His heavy sword, and great and strong, Leviathan the straight running serpent, and Leviathan the crooked serpent, and He will kill the sea monster. (Isa.) |
It is also mentioned in the interpretive literature of the Old Testament tradition: Midrash Bereshit Rabbah: “The verse indicates Leviathan: “ And God created great fish and every living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth, according to their kind.”
“(Gen.) (in another translation “
And God created the sea monsters (taninim) according to their kind
”): Rabbi Pinchas on behalf of Rabbi Idi said: It is written:
tanninam
is a hippopotamus and a leviathan, which have no mate.
This gives rise to an interpretation that relates monsters to mythical unpaired creatures. According to parallel aggadic traditions (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 75), the Creator, having created male and female monsters, then destroyed the female individual, since their reproduction could be destructive for the created world. According to other commentators (Resh Lakish), the female individual exists, but the process of reproduction has stopped.”
Midrash Vayikra Rabba: “Leviathan will enter into a battle with the “wild bull” in which both will die.”
Treatise by Bava Batra: “From the meat of leviathan killed by the archangel Gabriel, God will arrange a feast for the righteous, which they will enjoy sitting in a tent made from the skin of leviathan.”
John Milton defines Leviathan as a sea monster (English sea-beast) and localizes it in the sea near the “Norwegian rocks.”
The history of Leviathan and parallels with other nations
The first mentions of Leviathan come to us from ancient Semitic texts and Egyptian myths. It was believed that it was protected from the east by crocodiles living in the Nile - legends about these creatures reached Mesopotamia and the ancestors of the Jewish peoples, where they could transform into the form of Leviathan. A similar beast is also mentioned in ancient Babylonian legends. In them, the god Baal became the only one who was able to defeat the most powerful servant, the personal monster of the sea god named Yama.
Jormungandr
In the image of Leviathan, there is an interesting parallel with Scandinavian mythology - it is also believed that a huge boar lives in Asgard, the meat of which is eaten every evening by warriors who died in battle. This coincides with the parable of Leviathan and the righteous who will eat it after the Judgment. Another reference to the myths of Scandinavia is the serpent Jormungandr - the same sea monster. And the scene of the Last Judgment itself, in which mythical beasts will fight, is very similar to Ragnarok - the end of the world.
Parallels are drawn between Leviathan and the ancient Greek creatures Scylla and Charybdis or the Lernaean Hydra. And in ancient Russian mythology, this image was borrowed from the Miracle Yudo, known from many fairy tales. There are analogues of powerful sea creatures with similar features in almost all world religions and traditions.
According to scientists, in the Middle Ages and antiquity, sea animals - whales, sperm whales, killer whales, giant squids and even walruses - were often confused with Leviathan. This left its mark on some animal names in Latin. And in modern culture, it is often identified with something soulless and invincible - a ruthless machine of bureaucracy and mutual guarantee, as was demonstrated in the film of the same name.
In culture
- In the cartoon "How to Train Your Dragon 2
", Leviathan (or the Great Troublemaker) is the mostKyogre
a huge dragon and also the king of dragons. Could be gray or white, and also looked a bit like a mammoth.
- The Miracle Yudo the Whale Fish
from the fairy tale “
The Little Humpbacked Horse
is similar to Leviathan . - Leviathan became the prototype of Kyogre,
a water Pokémon and enemy
of Groudon. - Leviathan is similar to Monstro, the giant whale from the Disney cartoon Pinocchio
. - In another Disney cartoon "Atlantis
» Leviathan is a giant robotic cancer that protects Atlantis.Leviathan in the Mass Effect franchise
- In the game Subnautica, Leviathan
is a group of monsters, the largest on the planet. - In the world of WarHammer 40k,
leviathans are half-demons, half-beasts, a cross between nature and a creation of the warp, living in the depths of the world's oceans. It is not clear whether they are possessed by demons, mutated by the touch of the Empyrean, or were created by dark magicians - In the world of Metro
, leviathan has become a reality. It is not known for certain whether people have encountered at least one specimen, but the monster itself has sailed next to their equipment more than once. These monsters live in the seas - at least in the Baltic and Okhotsk seas, as well as in the Pacific Ocean. - In the Supernatural leviathans
are monsters, one of God's first creations. They are something between werewolves and ghouls. - There is a myth in stalker mythology about the stalker Leviathan. He will come and challenge Aristarchus.
- The Sea Kings, monsters from the One Piece
.
Demon Leviathan - who is he?
Demon Leviathan from the TV series Supernatural
Due to the fact that in mythology this entity was considered strong and capable of destruction, many medieval researchers classified it as a demon. In the 16th century, the scientist Binsfeld identified Leviathan with one of the deadly sins - envy, and ranked the seraphim among the angelic order. He believed that he was the prince of hell, standing on an equal level of power with Lucifer.
Other interpreters of the Old Testament believed that Leviathan was one of the names of Satan. His bestial, destructive aspect. Well-known grimoires, for example, the Keys of Solomon, do not indicate in any way the existence of such a demon. And this is an important factor in the study of the figure.
Now it is believed that Leviathan is another force. It does not refer to the conflict between Heaven and Hell. Seems to be a neutral ruler of the seas. The same can be said about the ancient Greek Poseidon or the Roman Neptune. These gods occupied an intermediate place between Zeus-Jupiter and Hades-Hades. However, the neutral position has attracted the interest of researchers in recent centuries. Separate cults were even formed on their basis.
Leviathan is the personification of a huge monster that hides in the depths of the sea and has incredible power. Cults of his worship are present in small form. But modern, as well as ancient demonology, does not pay due attention to it. All this clearly shows his lack of connection with real demons.
Scandal around the film
Lilia is Nikolai's wife.
A still from the film “Leviathan” - a film that you may or may not like, but it definitely won’t leave you indifferent. After the release of the film, an incredible buzz arose: some called the film a breakthrough and a bold step, while others criticized Zvyagintsev for exaggerating the colors too much.
One thing is true - since the legendary film “Brother”, not a single domestically produced film has caused such heated discussions or even real battles. But neither “Cargo 200” nor “Burnt by the Sun 2” were subjected to such professional and amateur criticism.
It is noteworthy that there were no average ratings for the film - there were either enthusiastic or furiously indignant
The criticism grew into a real scandal. Many considered it unacceptable to show the life of provincial Russia in such black colors. Some called the picture “intentional blackness.” Activists of Orthodox organizations, as well as a number of creative figures, spoke out against the film, believing that it discredits not only the state structure of the country, but also the Russian Orthodox Church. Moreover, there were calls to remove the film from distribution, since this film is “evil.” Activists wrote an open letter to the Ministry of Culture calling for a ban on the film's appearance on screens.
Foreign reviews
The village where the film was filmed
But foreign critics received the film well, the foreign press even called it brilliant. Zvyagintsev's drama won the Cannes Film Festival prize for best screenplay, then the Golden Globe Award and the prize for best film at the London Film Festival. The biggest achievement is the Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film . The British newspaper The Guardian called “Leviathan” grandiose and reproached other Russian directors for making films only on topics that are convenient for them.
