Primal religions, sometimes referred to as tribal, are the first religions usually contained in small groups where oral tradition dominates because literacy or writing is lacking. Although they are diminishing, primal religions still exist in Asia, the Pacific Islands, Siberia, and with the Indians of North and South America. (Smith 365)
The most authentic primal religion still in existence is the Aborigines of Australia because they were untouched by the Neo-lithic period happening 10,000 years ago. During this time, farming and stone tools were introduced. Because of the lack of influence from the outside world, the Aborigines have no organized religion or worship. Their lives are almost entirely ritual modeled after archetypes that exist in a different world. (Smith 366)
Although they believe in a single world that includes their normal life, which is measured by time, they also believe in a parallel world, which they call “the Dreaming”, which time does not influence. These two worlds are not really seen as separate, but as one world where the latter is a backdrop to the first filled with archetypes that they view as sacred. Examples would be the first male and female or the first hunter. (Smith 367)
–Bibliography —
Smith, Huston. The World’s Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 1991
Archon means “ruler” in Greek. In the Gnostic creation story, Sophia, the daughter of the Father of Light or the ultimate supreme being created the creator God below her called Ialdabaoth. He was the first Archon and created the world and six other Archons.
In the Gnostic text On the Origin of the World, the six Archons (not including Ialdabaoth) are called Yao (Lordship), Sabaoth (Divinity), Adonaios (Kingship), Eloaios (Envy), Oriaos (Riches), and Astaphaios (Sophia). (Barstone 64-65)
-Barstone, Willis. The Other Bible. San Francisco: Harper & Row Publishers, 1984.
Zecharia Sitchin, author of “The Earth Chronicles”, a series of books published in 1976 that represent Sitchin’s translations of ancient Sumerian texts, suggests that the Earth was visited by an alien race called the Annunaki approximately 432,000 years ago. They came to our planet to mine gold, which they needed to fix their ailing planet.
The Annunaki, which in Sumerian translates to “those who came down from the heavens”, were from a planet called Nibiru, which enters our solar system every so many thousands of years, causing flooding. He claims that about 250,000 years ago, the Annunaki created Homo Sapiens from Homo Erectus to use as slaves to mine the gold needed to fix their planet. He believed that the Annunaki are the Nephilim, the giants or people of renown, noted in Genesis in the Old Testament of the bible.
The Spirit of a Man Within a Mysterious Painting Stored Away for Years Returns Home
Rendering of local Tim Drinkwater in 1952 by Ruth Carson
Several years ago, a civil war reenactor entered Old Nottoway Antiques in Nottoway Courthouse, VA, to sell two civil war prints and a unique painting. Mark Derr, the owner of the antique store, was immediately intrigued by the latter because it was local and just a cool piece of folk art. He stared at it for a bit and realized it was signed R. Carson and dated 1952. The name immediately got his attention because Bob and Ruth Carson once owned his store and the property around it between 1931-1981. They eventually sold it at auction.
Even more intrigued, he started looking at the painting in more detail. The rendering includes an older, well-dressed gentleman sitting on a bench in front of a brick building. He noticed the vertical lines of the window frame in the painting, and suddenly it struck him that it was his store!
Old Nottoway Antiques March 2016
He turned to the seller sharply, eyes wide open and said, “Where did you get this?
The seller stepped back, hearing the intensity in Mark’s voice, probably thinking that he was being accused of stealing it.
“I’m sorry,” Mark said softening his tone. “I didn’t mean to react like that, but this is a painting of my store.”
Painting of Tim Drinkwater in 1952 in front of store as it appears today in 2016
The man was just as amazed and bewildered as Mark and told him that he got the items out of an old storage room in the area, and had no idea it was Old Nottoway Antiques in the painting.Nevertheless, Mark bought everything the man had. After he left, Mark did more research. He thought at first that R. Carson referred to the Robert (Bob) Carson, who ran the store as a general store for many years.
However, he did some further investigation. In a small town, that meant crossing the street and talking to the neighbor, Emma Crane, who has since passed on and once owned an antique store in Nottoway Courthouse for many years which was torn down when the new highway went in in the 1990’s. She explained to Mark that Bob Carson never painted and that it was his wife, Ruth, who was the painter.
From locals who have visited the shop since, Mark learned that the man in the painting was known as Tim Drinkwater.He researched the name in the census records and found out that in 1950 Drinkwater was 82 years old, making him 84 years old in the painting. Well known in the area, Drinkwater was born in the county in 1868 and spent his career in the city (Richmond) as a butler in a hotel. He returned to Nottoway Courthouse area upon his retirement. As a result, he was always nicely dressed (just as he appears in the painting), and had a saying everyone knew when he opened a door and entered, “Wellllll, people!”
Drinkwater must have meant something to Ruth Carson for her to take the time to paint him. Recently, Mark learned from a local lawyer that Tim Drinkwater’s head stone is on private property near Crystal Lake, his headstone overturned.
The painting is not for sale and will remain in Old Nottoway Antiques as long as Mark owns it. Eventually, he plans to donate it to the Nottoway Historical Association. The painting is the oldest known rendition of the antique store building in existence, and the only piece of Ruth Carson’s work known in the county.
