Cybele was the fertility goddess of Phrygia, an ancient country of Asia Minor.
In Roman folklore, Cybele personified Mother Earth...
She was also associated with forests, mountains, and nature...
Although usually shown wearing a crown in the form of a city wall or carrying a drum, Cybele may also appear on a throne or in a chariot, accompanied by lions and sometimes bees...
According to legends, Cybele discovered that her youthful lover Attis was unfaithful.
In a jealous rage, she made him go mad and perish...
Regretting what she had done, Cybele mourned her loss and as a consequence the pine tree remained sacred...
Another version tells us that Cybele really was the daughter of the Phrygian king Maeon.
She eloped with Atys since her family disagreed with their relationship, and for this he king killed Atys.
This drove Cybele mad with grief and she would let no one come near the corpse. She roamed the countryside and sang lamentations accompanied by cymbals.
Because Atys was no buried his corpse caused a plague, and on oracle said his remains must be burned to stop the epidemic.
The decay was too far gone, though, and an image of him was burned instead...
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