The Symbolism of the Flood
The Flood is a symbol of major evolutionary change
It can describe physical change caused by a real flood.
He told the story of the primal strife,with the destruction at last
of the race of Giants by the rushing Flood.
A terrible end. Estranged was that race from the Lord of eternity;
the tide of water was the final reward that the Ruler sent them
But it can also describe fundamental changes in ideas and beliefs
just when you and other nations are beginning to be provided
with letters and the other requisites of civilized life, after the usual interval,
the stream from heaven, like a pestilence, comes pouring down,
and leaves only those of you who are destitute of letters and education;
and so you have to begin all over again like children,
and know nothing of what happened in ancient times.
Perhaps the Flood is slow gradual and almost imperceptible
or perhaps it is sudden and violent
Of those texts that have survived most emphasise
that we know nothing of history really, because successive floods
- both figurative and literal - washed away all the evidence
The memorials which your own and other nations have once had
of the famous actions of mankind perish in the waters; and the rude survivors in the mountains
begin again, knowing nothing of the worlds before the flood.
The genealogies which are recited to us out of our own annals, are a mere children's story.
For in the first place, you remember one deluge only,
and there were many of them, and you know nothing of that fairest
and noblest race of which you are a seed or remnant.
Water symbolically ‘dissolves’ things; removes them, washes them away
It is a form of purification , removing dross
When the alchemists said they could create gold from dross.
They were talking symbolically.
Wash away the worthless rubbish in a person’s mind,
or even a town, city or country’s systems of governance and
you may well find ‘gold’ good ideas surface
But the Flood is always needed first to create a clean surface on which to build anew.
And a symbolic Ark is a good way to preserve the good,
From THE ERIDU GENESIS [Sumeria c. 3100 BC]
At the time that Ziusudra was king, he made a wall to pray in front of.
He prayed regularly every day, until one day he heard a voice. And this voice said:
Step up to the wall to my left and listen! Let me speak a word to you at the wall
and may you grasp what I say, may you heed my advice!
By our hand a Flood will sweep over the cities of the half-bushel baskets,
and the country; the decision that mankind is to be destroyed has been made.
.Now... Hear what I have to say to you...
And the god Enki then instructed Ziusudra to build a boat and load it
with pairs of living things, and Ziusudra complied.
And the time came when all the evil winds, all stormy winds gathered into one and with them,
then, the Flood swept over the cities of the half-bushel baskets
for seven days and seven nights.
But after the flood had swept over the country, after the evil wind
had tossed the big boat about on the great waters,
the sun came out, spreading light over heaven and earth.
Another, far more catastrophic way of removing rubbish is by symbolic Fire. Or actual fire.
But that is then known as Purgatory.
But purification can quell the Flames, if you have enough Water
From Asclepius Hermes Trismegistus
Such will be the old age of the world; irreverence, disorder, disregard for everything good.
When all this comes to pass, Asclepius, then the master and father, the god
whose power is primary, governor of the first god, will look on this conduct
and these wilful crimes, and in an act of will which is god's benevolence
he will take his stand against the vices and the perversion in everything,
righting wrongs, washing away malice in a Flood or consuming it
in Fire or ending it by spreading pestilential disease everywhere.