Who is SOl?

(Comments)

Raised by Wolves: Mithraism and Sol Explained

HBO Max's sci-fi series Raised By Wolves features a religious faction that references Sol and the Mithraic Mysteries. Here are the real-world Roman concepts the show borrowed from.

Raised By Wolves Mithraism
Photo: HBO Max

The following contains spoilers for RAISED BY WOLVES.

HBO Max’s new sci-fi series Raised By Wolves, created by Aaron Guzikowski and executive produced by Ridley Scott, sees humanity (and their androids) reduced to two warring religious factions; Atheists, and the “Mithraic”, who follow a religion dedicated to the sun god Sol.

The Mithraic get their name from an ancient religious cult of the god Mithras. The god Mitra originally came from ancient Persia (modern Iran). At the height of the Roman Empire, he began to be worshipped as Mithras in a Roman mystery cult. The cult became very popular, especially with soldiers. The sun god Sol was originally a separate god, but Mithras was often worshipped together with “Sol Invictus”, the conquering sun. This is why in the show, the two gods have been blended into one and the Mithraists, or “Mithraic”, worship a single god called Sol, who is associated with “the Light”. It’s also why the Mithraic characters wear sun emblems and sun pendants in the same way Christians might wear crosses.

Why did the creators of Raised By Wolves choose Mithriasm as the basis for their futuristic religion? Well, the show makes no secret of the fact that the “Mithraic” are standing in for strands of Christianity. Much of their imagery is drawn straight from Roman Catholicism – the priests’ robes and the long, belted robes worn by the young boys assisting them are clearly based on Roman Catholic robes for priests and altar boys and girls. In Episode 2, we see characters Caleb and Mary being offered what looks like Roman Catholic communion, in the form of round wafers of unleavened bread and a drink (presumably wine) from a silver chalice.

AD – CONTENT CONTINUES BELOW

The cult of Mithras is a particularly useful choice for a comparison with Christianity, especially Roman Catholicism, because several elements of Mithraic religion were adopted by early Christians (the clue is in the name – it’s a Roman religion!). Ancient Mithraists shared a ritual meal of bread and wine, just like early Christians (though the Christian detail of the unleavened bread comes from the Jewish Passover). Both Mithras and Jesus were associated with light and the sun. The early Christians deliberately took over Mithras’ birthday on the 25th December to celebrate the birthday of Jesus instead, a date conveniently close to the Roman winter festival of Saturnalia (17-23 December), though nowhere near where the Christian gospels would place the birth of Jesus (if there were shepherds out all night watching sheep and lambs, it must have been spring). And, like most mystery cults, Mithraism offered personal salvation in this life and the next, just as Christianity did. In 1882, a historian called Ernest Renan actually suggested that if Christianity had not taken over the Roman world, Mithraism would have done – most modern historians would disagree with that, but the association has stuck.

However, some elements of the “Mithraic” religion in the show would be completely unrecognizable to an ancient follower of Mithras. Ancient Mithraism was not a monotheistic religion. The mystery cults included cults to the Egyptian goddess Isis, the Anatolian goddess Cybele, the Greek god Dionysus and the Greek hero Orpheus, and they weren’t rivals to ancient pagan religion in general; they were add-ons. Everyone in the Roman Empire (except Jews) was expected to worship the main state gods – Jupiter, Juno, Neptune and so on – as well as the cult of the emperors who had become gods (i.e. the ones who hadn’t been assassinated).

We call them “mystery cults” because the rituals they practiced, the “mysteries” or “secret rites”, were kept secret from anyone who wasn’t initiated into the cult. They were members-only clubs, which you had to pay to join, and go through an initiation ritual. We don’t know exactly what these were like because, of course, they were a secret! Only members could learn the secrets of the god or goddess and take part in the secret ceremonies. Like modern Freemasonry, ancient Mithraism also allowed members to rise through the ranks of the cult, gaining different levels as they went. Also like Freemasonry, and unlike the other mystery cults, membership was usually restricted to men.

All this means that a lot of the attitudes of the “Mithraic” on the show would sound completely weird to ancient Mithraists. They would be especially confused by the Mithraic reliance on a book of “Scriptures”, since it was forbidden on pain of death to write down anything about the sacred mysteries or the secrets of the cult. Most of what we know about ancient Mithraism, we’ve put together from images and inscriptions from inside the secret chamber of the Mithraeum. This was a place of worship designed to look like a cave, which only people who had been initiated into the cult were allowed to enter, so no one outside the cult would see the images or know the cult’s secrets. The idea that any group would only be allowed to hear stories from “Scriptures” represents an extreme minority even for Christianity, but would have been completely confusing to ancient Mithraist.

Ancient Mithraists were also extremely unlikely to get involved in any kind of holy war. Because the cult was an add-on to the worship of many gods, the members of the cult would be involved in worshipping lots of other gods anyway, with Mithras as an added personal extra. Ancient people often weren’t too keen on atheists, as any refusal to sacrifice to the gods might endanger everyone if the gods got angry about it, so a holy war against atheists might be more likely than one against another religion, but it wouldn’t be because they thought the atheists should all worship their one specific god.

Although they didn’t start any holy wars, a lot of members of the cult of Mithras were in the army. It was against the law to meet in small groups unless it was for religious purposes in the Roman Empire, because the emperors were afraid that people might conspire against them. So if a group of soldiers all joined the same cult, they could meet together and socialize and bond in a way that was more difficult without the excuse of religion. In Raised By Wolves, all human survivors are expected to be “Mithraic”, but there is still a heavy military sense to it, thanks to the fact they’ve been fighting a war.

AD – CONTENT CONTINUES BELOW

Whether the “Mithraic mysteries” that their prophet is expected to lead them to will have anything in common with the ancient mysteries remains to be seen. Mithras’ myth centred around the killing of a bull – in fact, this was the symbol shown in all the Mithraeums in a similar way to images of Jesus on the cross in Catholic churches, so really a bull might have been a better choice of emblem than a sun! Watch out for references to bulls in later episodes, and listen out for everybody’s names, too. When Mother gives her name in Episode 1, she says it’s Lamia, a child-eating monster from Greco-Roman mythology, so that’s something to bear in mind!

Currently unrated

Comments

Riddles

22nd Jul- 2020, by: Editor in Chief
524 Shares 4 Comments
Generic placeholder image
20 Oct- 2019, by: Editor in Chief
524 Shares 4 Comments
Generic placeholder image
20Aug- 2019, by: Editor in Chief
524 Shares 4 Comments
10Aug- 2019, by: Editor in Chief
424 Shares 4 Comments
Generic placeholder image
10Aug- 2015, by: Editor in Chief
424 Shares 4 Comments

More News  »

What is department of Government efficiency

Recent news

The **Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)** is a proposed initiative by President-elect Donald Trump, aiming to streamline federal operations and reduce wasteful spending. Announced on November 12, 2024, the department is set to be co-led by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

read more
1 day, 2 hours ago

Who Kyle Singler

Recent news

Kyle Singler is a former professional basketball player known for his collegiate success at Duke University and his tenure in the NBA.

read more
1 day, 2 hours ago

Who is Pete Hegseth

Recent news

Pete Hegseth is an American television host, author, and Army National Guard officer, recently nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the United States Secretary of Defense.

read more
1 day, 2 hours ago

Who is Anne Applebaum

Recent news

Anne Applebaum is a renowned journalist, historian, and author whose works delve into some of the most pressing and complex topics of the modern era. Her expertise lies in examining the intricacies of authoritarian regimes, the rise of populism, and the fragility of democratic institutions. Her Pulitzer Prize-winning book, "Gulag: A History," offers an in-depth exploration of the Soviet labor camp system, shedding light on the human suffering and ideological underpinnings of one of the 20th century’s most oppressive systems.

read more
1 day, 2 hours ago

What is Plexity AI and how it can help us to see our civilization in the future?

Recent news

Plexity AI is a marvel of our times—a confluence of technological ingenuity and the boundless hunger for understanding. At its core, Plexity AI represents an advanced synthesis of artificial intelligence and machine learning, built not merely to mimic thought but to empower it. Unlike earlier iterations of AI, which focused on specialized tasks or data crunching, Plexity seems designed to operate as an expansive intellectual partner, capable of untangling the Gordian knots of complexity that define the modern era.

read more
1 day, 2 hours ago

template for tanya jawab wifi

Recent news

Pertanyaan kali ini adalah 

read more
2 months ago

Kalender pendidikan 2023 / 2024

Recent news

Tahun ajaran baru telah tiba. Yuk, cek kalender akademik 2023/2023 jenjang SD, SMP, SMA, SMK di wilayah DKI Jakarta terbaru untuk mengetahui jadwal pelaksanaan PTS, PAS, PAT/UKK, dan hari libur nasional.

read more
5 months ago

Harga BBNI meluncur tajam di bulan April, apakah kita perlu khawatir?

Recent news

Harga BBNI meluncur tajam di bulan April 2024, apakah kita perlu khawatir! Tentu tidak! Karena dari analisa nya sebenarnya sudah sangat aman!

read more
6 months, 3 weeks ago

More News »

Generic placeholder image

Collaboratively administrate empowered markets via plug-and-play networks. Dynamically procrastinate B2C users after installed base benefits. Dramatically visualize customer directed convergence without