Stories and Features
So, Why a Galli?
So, why have I done a strip about a religious cult in ancient Rome? Why bother when all the characters must be long dead an buried?
The main reason is that I'm a modern follower of Cybele, a modern gallae. The idea of doing this strip grew on me as I was completing my Honours in Visual Arts and creating my Trans Tarot Deck. That project was all about showing how gender transition was a human process.
With this comic, I wanted to show how the ancient galli were first, real human beings, and not just mindless cult followers. The period I've set the strip in was the start of the end of the cult, as the Roman Empire was soon (50-60 years) to become "officially" Christian, and the old pagan religions would soon be ruthlessly repressed and/or destroyed.
Today, trans folk are being denied their history, and being taught to believe that being trans is purely a psychological/medical condition. And while this may in part be correct, it is not the whole story. Any gendertransition is a spiritual journey, and this strip is an attempt to acknowledge that. I hope that I've succeeded in showing this.
All hail the Magna Mater!
Related Web Sites
- The Galli (wikipedia)
- General information page.
- The Temple of Cybele
- Authoritative history, plus detailed info about the modern revival of the religion, written by a genuine transsexual Priestess
- The Maetreum of Cybele
- Website of the Maetreum of Cybele, Palenville, New York, USA.
- Ancient Spirituality of the galli and Amazons
- Detailed page from the Metro'on
- Lucretius (98-c.55 BCE): The Worship of Cybele
- Ancient History Sourcebook
- The first Missionary War
- The Church takes over of the Roman Empire
Also see the Tales of the Galli...
Cyclopedia |
Gazetteer |
Timeline |
Who's Who |
The ancient Galli |
The Cult of Cybele |
Galli Rituals
Seabrook's Web Comic Serials
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