[[gods]] Subform of [[god-in-disguise]] + [[hospitality-strangers]] # God as Guest (or Beggar) - A god appears digusised as a guest, and requests the hospitality of a mortal hosehold. - Sometimes the god in question isn't just a guest, but a beggar or outcast. #### Greek - [[zeus]] usually disguised himself as beggar. - All strangers and beggars were under his protection. As such he was called ***Zeus Xenios***. - [Gods in Disguise](god-in-disguise) show up a lot in greek myth, but its subform of God as Beggar only shows up in a humanized for in the figure of Odysseus (who Athen disguises). His friends percieve his inner heroic attribues, despite appearing as a peasant, and extend the traditional courtesies of the honored guest to him. But the suitors fail to precieve him as a man protected by Athena. #### India - {[[atharva-veda]]9.6.3-7} - A ***vrātya*** ("outcast, criminal" later "wild holy man") may actually be Shiva in desiguise [AV-15.11](https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/av/av15011.htm). - In the story of Vishvamitr, the legendary Harishchandra is force to sell himself into bondage of a lowly ugly man of the chandala cast named pravira, who--it is later revelaed--was actually the god Dharma is disguise. - Adi Shankara once gave way on the road to a chandala beggar with 4 dogs, who it turns out was actually Shiva and the 4 vedas. #### Celtic - In the myth of the Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel [*Togail Druidne Dá Derga* in the Ulster Cycle] a dark hairy and hideous with comes to the hostel one night and asks to enter. But the king refused on the basis of a cultural taboo against recieving female guests after sunset. The witch--who says her name is Cailb, but is actually [[badb]]--insist on hospitality and refuses to leave. So the king offers her an ox and a cured pig if she'll go away. She then challenges him by threatening to leave, which propmts him to let her in. This implies that hospitality was more important than fear of breaking taboo and/or the witch. #### Norse - Odin as old man - Rendition of these tales by [STJ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fthVOicnuQM) - In *Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar* (from *Heimskingla*), the hateful and murderous Christian king Olaf met a strange hooded one eyed man at a banquet. this man was knowledgeable and eloquent, he regaled king olaf about the great pagan that had once lived in this banquet hall, and who was buried there. He also had a sacred cow. Odin tried to get the king to eat some of the meat from this cow (I guess he time travels to get it) but the king throws it out. - In the story of Geirrod and Agnar in *Grímnismál* Odin & Frigg disguise themselves as a couple of elderly peasants. - [[havamal-2-4]] - In the sagas even enemies are given hospitality, atleast, until the sun rises, thereafter t is permisible to kill them. Killing someone, even when they are an enemy-guest in your home, was considered extremely dishonorable. Home is a peace zone. Even the gods abide by this tradition. In *Skáldskaparmál* for instance th egiant Hrungnir is permitted to enter Ásgarðr where he is invited to drink. But he got drunk and abusive, even making threats of violence against the gods. At this point, the duty of hospitality no longer applied, so the gods called on Thor to deal with this unruly guest. Thor says he thinks that hospitality shouldn't have been extended to the race of giants in the first place. The two dual, and Thor shatteres Hrungnir's skull with his hammer.