Posted by Tiglath from 007.c.011.mel.iprimus.net.au (210.50.218.7) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 at 3:32AM :
Just felt like telling you a true story that happened early this year while I was working with the Assyrian-Chaldean groups of Melbourne. The committee had joined together to hold the Akitu Festival celebrated on 1st April (Kha B’Neesan).
We had been discussing merchandise that could be sold on the day in order to generate funds and cover our costs for the day. One of the members named Kamil brought in a 3D picture of a Lammaso with a caption saying from the De Keletia family to the Amir of Emirates, I think it said.
Anyway after taking a quick glance at the image I was shocked to see that the Lammasu was not actually a winged bull at all. Thanks to the De Keletia family the symbol of our ancient Assyrian ancestors had been literally castrated. The 3D full color picture depicted a winged cow!
I was shocked and told Kamil very bluntly if you use this image as a print for T-shirts on the day I will leave this group and not attend this event.
The poor guy, although he meant well couldn’t understand why I was so upset. He thought he was doing something good, especially as he was from our Chaldean church and trying to promote the symbol of our ancient Assyrian ancestors.
When he asked why, I explained that the Lammasu was a symbol of our ancient Assyrian ancestors. They stood at the portals to the Assyrian palaces to protect the King and his court against evil and malevolent spirits that could harm or hurt the King and his Empire. Anyone depicting a Lammasu as a winged cow and not a winged bull, as is artistically and historically correct, was committing cultural vandalism.
It was then that a couple of the other members jumped in and exclaimed, “Oh come on let’s not go over board……besides its embarrassing to depict the Lammasu with its privates.”
There you had it in that one sentence.
Due to being stuck in this Christian amber we are not only unable to see how serious it was to change our cultural images to suit the Judeo-Christian mindset but we also remove the genitals in order to appease yahoo.com!
It was then that I emphatically stated the winged bull was a symbol of our ancient ancestors and the strength and power they once possessed…….if that was true then I suppose you guys are right a winged cow does aptly depict us today.
Winged Cow it is!
This confused them. Was I insulting them or agreeing with them?
Another member named James turned to me and said as I was leaving. “But we’ve been using that same symbol as our group’s logo for the past 20 years!”
-- Tiglath
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