Mithraism is an ancient religion, the mysteries of which were regarded by the Romans as having Persian or Zoroastrian sources. Its primary focus is on the deity Mithras (Greek: "Μίθρας"), a god of the sun. It was a notable religion in pre-modern Europe and ancient Persia, but it declined due to increasing conversion to Roman Catholicism and Islam. Several antiquarians like Agrippa, Weyer, and Alexander of Brennenburg studied Mithraism in the 16th century, in an attempt to unlock the mysterious power of the Orbs.
Mithraic artifacts, most notably the Orbs, play a major role in the Amnesia story. The Orbs contain great power in them, which Alexander wants to use to power the Traveller's Locket and return home.
The V-rod, a significant Mithraic symbol
Etymology[]
Mithraism derives its name from the primary object of worship, the God Mithras.
Beliefs[]
Practices[]
The Mithraeum[]
The Temple of Mithras in London.
The central focus of the Cult of Mithras was conducting rituals in an underground, explicitly cave-like temple. Within the City of London is located an example of a Mithraeum, The Temple of Mithras, on Walbrook Street. It was not discovered until the 1950s.
History[]
Mithraism was a mystery religion practised in the ancient world, and particularly in the Roman Empire from the 1st to 4th centuries CE. The religion entered Europe from Persia after Alexander the Great's conquests and saw a rapid spread throughout the Roman Empire after their conquests of Greece and the Near East. After the rise of Christianity in Europe and of Islam in the Middle East, Far East, and North Africa, many Mithraic temples were abandoned, leaving their contents untouched for centuries. In the early Industrial Age of Europe, several examples of a Mithraic temple (or Mithraeum) were discovered by archaeologists and explorers, such as Johann Weyer, Thurston Herbert, and Daniel.
The origin of the cult of Mithras dates from the time that the Hindus and Aryans still formed one person, for the god Mithras occurs in the religion and the sacred books of both races, i.e. in the Vedas and in the Avesta. In the Avesta, Mithras is referred to as a "Yazata", a divine entity different from God ("Ahura Mazda"), which one can interpret as a lesser deity or an archangel.
The first principle or highest God was according to Mithraism "Infinite Time"; this was called Aion or Saeculum, Kronos, or Saturnus.
A common misconception about Mithras is that it is the deity or the spirit of the sun, while in fact, Mithras is the deity of sunshine.
Trivia[]
- A symbol similar to the v-rod appears near the end of the game in one of the two rooms in front of the Orb Chamber.
- In Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, there is a gravestone in the Church graveyard which shares a nearly-identical drawing's similar to the Mithraic symbols.
- In Zoroastrian teachings, and in some of Aryan and Indian pagan religions, Mithras is pictured as an upholder of justice and punisher of sinners. Although in Zoroastrianism and later versions of Mithraism, Mithras often said to be somewhat forgiving and considerate of human crimes, in more ancient beliefs Mithras is pictured as more militant, vengeful, and unforgiving, which could explain the connection between Mithraism and the Shadow in the game.