'abraxas was used by the music group named santana on an album titled "santana abraxas". So, what does it mean?
2006-08-12 07:55:32 · 5 answers · asked by stonescats 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Teaching
Try this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraxas
2006-08-12 08:01:27 · answer #1 · answered by WenckeBrat 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A term used by the Basilideans, a Gnostic sect of the second century, designating the Supreme Being or god whom they worshipped. They believed that Jesus Christ emanated from Abraxas and was a phantom while here on earth. They believed the name contained great mysteries because it contained the seven Greek letters when computed numerically equaled the number 365, which is the number of days in the year. It was further believed that Abraxas commanded 365 gods, each possessing a virtue, so there was a virtue for each day of the year.
However, older mythologists place Abraxas among the Egyptian gods, while some demonologists cite him to be a demon with the head of a king and serpents forming his feet. He has been represented on amulets with a whip in his hand. The mystic word abracadabra was derived from his name. Many stones and gems were cut with his capricious symbolic markings, such as a human body having a fowl's or lion's heads, and snakes as limbs, which were worn by the Basilideans as amulets. Also, a favorite amulet bore the number 365.
Later Gnostic symbols were adopted by many societies devoted to magic and alchemy. It is most likely, therefore, that most abraxas stones that contained kabbalistic symbols made in the Middle Ages were talismans. A.G.H.
2006-08-12 08:03:02 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Abraxas God
2016-12-24 15:01:39 · answer #3 · answered by kullas 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The image most associated with abraxas is that of a composite creature with the head of a rooster, the body of a man, and legs made of serpents or scorpions. He carries a whip and shield, called wisdom and power, respectively. He was originally a Gnostic god but then was relegated to demon status in mideval times.
2016-03-16 23:58:45 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Abraxas Demon
2016-09-28 00:45:16 · answer #5 · answered by shiva 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hermann Hesse says: "The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born first must destroy a world. The bird flies to God. That God's name is Abraxas"
2006-08-12 08:48:11 · answer #6 · answered by Ibraheem G 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋