After I posted my note about the PDF version of Robert Temple's book, I came across several Web sites with references to "water beings" that are mentioned in Temple's 1997 edition [that I have not received yet]. Before I write a note about the Dogon and our calendar, I have created a page for images that provide an interesting supplement to my last note.

Water Beings
Water beings are half-human and half-fish. There are a surprising number of images of water-beings on the Web:

• Fuxi and Nu Gua, Fish-Tailed Founders of China
  I think the most provocative image of "water beings" is a bas relief from a Han Dynasty Wu Liang tomb -- due to the fact that one of the beings has a Mason's square in their hand.

  The relief dates back to the second century A.D. The inscription says that they governed the world within the seas, created trigrams [the system of the Book of Changes], and created kingship.

  Fuxi is holding a carpenter's and mason's square as an emblem of his role as "creator of civilization." He is shown with his tail entwined with his wife, Nu Gua. They're holding a baby fish-tailed creature with two legs as separate tails [as seen with Greek Triton figures].

  Notes:

  1. Bas Relief - Sculptured artwork that is raised with an overall depth that is shallow [bas relief from the Italian basso rilievo meaning low relief].

  2. Book of Changes - The Book of Changes is also known as the I-Ching, a divination/fortune telling system with a reputation that says it is "inspired by god" [lower case god meaning alien beings].

  3. Creator of civilization - Are Mason's invoking a fish-tailed being when they say, "Great Architect of the Universe?" [See: "Great Architect of the Universe," under "The All Seeing Eye, Note, 3/12/10].

  4. Triton is the son of Posideon.

• Matsya Avatar - Vishnu's Fish Incarnation
  Web articles say that Vishnu's "Matsya Avatar" or the fish incarnation is the first of the ten incarnations [mataya means "fish"]. Vishnu is the Hindu supreme soul who is blue in all of his incarnations. [his incarnations are Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki].

  In my note on 3/11/10, I mentioned that New Age Web sites say that Sirians are blue [For a list of Eastern deities who were blue, see Note, 3/11/10].

  Hindus have asked James Cameron to attach a disclaimer to his film, Avatar to explain that it has no connection to Hinduism.

• Isis and Osiris
  In 2006, Iran's Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies [CAIS] published a press release titled, "Snakemen Stone Reliefs Discovered in Jiroft" [south central Iran] announcing that "recent archeological excavations in Kenar-Sandal area in Jiroft resulted in the discovery of two stone reliefs. The reliefs depict human faces and snake bodies."

  Bronze statues of Isis and Osiris have also been found. The statue at right is Isis and Osirus showing their tails intertwined.

  Mary Jo