God Rock Radio # 142 – Myths and Legends of Africa Part 1

In a special two part program folklorist and mythologist extraordinaire, Jack “The Agnostic” Garcia (who is often referred to as the heavy metal Joseph Campbell) examines the rich and diverse myths  and legends of the birthplace of humanity and the Mother to us all – The continent of Africa. In Part 1 , Jack focuses on the creation myths of many different peoples – from the sacred stories of the Yoruba of Nigeria in which the supreme God Olorun and his vassal God Orishnala – set the cosmos into motion by tossing a snail shell (the symbol of female genitalia,conception,pregnancy, birth and the fertile waters of the sea) that is filled with a magical dirt from the heavens bringing all plant and animal life into being. To the tale of  the Dogon peoples of Mali -in which a cosmic egg known as Amma vibrates seven times then bursts open to reveal the creator spirits called Nommos who then get busy building the universe plus many other creation myths from the Bambara, Kuba -etc.  Next Jack examines the multicultural myth of the origins of human sexuality and the many diverse sacred stories about the arrival of death into the world and in conclusion Jack recites the beautiful story of Marwe from the Wachanga peoples of Kenya, in which a young girl in an act of remorse and desperation drowns herself ending up in the land of the dead , where  she gains wisdom and riches as well as a handsome husband upon her return to the land of the living.

7 tracks hit forward to advance.

God Rock Radio #141 – The History and Mystery of Tibet – Part 3

Jack “The Agnostic” Garcia concludes GRR’s epic Tibetan trilogy by playing storyteller and reciting some of the indigenous Shamanic Bon religions , myths and legends including the creation of the universe and the dawn of humanity. Next up, Jack explores the flowering of Buddhism in Tibet ignited by such Buddhist Saints as Padmasambhava , Marpa and Milarepa and also gets into the tales of the greatest mythical hero of Tibet – King Gesar, a combination of King Arthur, Merlin the Magician and Hercules rolled into one, who is sent down to Earth by the Gods in order to fight evil and injustice.  Jack then examines the enduring western myth about Tibet, the hidden Holy City of Shangri-La  , a type of repository for wisdom and knowledge as the world marches towards destruction.  And last but not least – Jack explores The Book of The Dead , and acts as a tour guide through the various stages of the death experience providing a unique vision of what may be awaiting us all when we shuffle off this mortal coil.

7 tracks hit forward to advance.