MODERN MUSIC HAS SIMILARITIES TO EVERYTHING FROM ANCIENT DRUIDS TO ‘FRANTIC’ JUNGLE BEAT

By Michael H. Brown

For your discernment:

One must always be careful not to over-reach, and not to lump any one thing into a category. The same is true with music of the past six decades: not all of it is nefarious, or at least that would be our current way of expressing it. The matter is difficult to discern. The fruits have not been grand. The artists themselves — for the most part, certainly not evil, ill-intended persons themselves — were a mixed bag, as there is a mixed bag in the world of Hollywood, finance, politics, education, and most fields.

Is the beat — the “new” way of pounding out rhythm — itself negative?

It’s an interesting question, for much of modern music bears unusual similarities to practices in ancient Mystery religions like those of Orpheus, and before that, of northern Africa.

When we left off, Christopher Knowles, author of The Secret History of Rock ‘n’ Roll, was discussing the links back to ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman deities.

Do spirits from that time linger? Were they resurrected during the “British invasion” of the Sixties?

It is a potentially interesting idea because as Knowles points out, “Britain was an important hub for trade in the Bronze Age, and its rich deposits of tin were need for the smelting of bronze. Eventually the island was conquered by the Romans, who settled the city of London. Because Phoenician traders were deeply involved in trade with northern Europe, Celtic music has a resemblance to the ancient music of the eastern Mediterranean. The Celtic music brought to America by British, Irish, and French immigrants would have an incalculable influence on the development of rock ‘n’ roll. Their ‘jigs and reels’ and ‘airs’ — that is, their raucous dance songs and mournful ballads — would form the backbone of American folksong. And that backbone was built on an ancient Druid tradition that spread across northern Europe, linking the ancient Mysteries of the Celts to their spiritual cousins in Egypt, Greece, and Asia Minor.”

The Druids, of course, were ancient occultists who had kept alive the mysterious practices from Babylonia and Egypt. They believed in reincarnation, ritual practices, and even human sacrifice. We see their remnants, some believe, in the ruins of Stonehenge. So too did the ancient Mysteries influence African music — including ritual drumming. (Think: beat generation.)

In times of old, there were wild and mystic festivals known as bacchanalia, and that it could lead to disaster might be glimpsed in how erotic frescoes depicting such initiation into such a ritual were found in the ruins of Pompeii. As our era draws closer to a close, perhaps the truth is clarifying itself. Some music was also informed by theosophy (forerunner of the New Age movement) as well as Asian mysticism. At the dawn of the twentieth century, occultists channeled the “god” Horus, whose symbol is now sometimes used, knowingly or unknowingly (much they don’t realize), with modern celebrities.

A notorious occultist found himself revered by men like Ozzie Osborne and his picture among the crowd on the cover of Sergeant Pepper.

The driving, pounding music even influenced certain Gospel music, which in its turn affected rhythm and blues and the rock of the Fifties. “A harder, faster take on jazz called ‘swing’ began to take hold during the Depression,” notes Knowles, a secular researcher. “Frantic ‘jungle drums’ were a big part of the swing sound.”

Throughout the Classical Age of Rock, argues Knowles, “certain genres and subgenres would evolve into virtual cults, many of which bear a startling resemblance to the cults of the ancient gods.”

He adds: “Mythic themes would repeatedly surface in the classic ROCK era, directly or otherwise. One of Donovan’s biggest hits was a paean to Atlantis, and Cream sang ‘Tales of Brave Ulysses.’ Pink Floyd recorded a performance film at Pompeii, the Grateful Dead played a series of concerts at the Great Pyramids, and King Crimson warbled ‘In the Wake of Poseidon.’ Boston’s biggest psychedelic band was named Orpheus. Unlikely stars like Elton John, Billy Squier, and Bozz Scaggs all sang odes to Hercules, and the Cocteau Twins sang hymns to Pandora, Persephone, and the Sirens. Note that both the ‘arena’ and the ‘stadium’ were Roman terms for venues in which spectacles were staged.”

Can we go too far with this?

We can go too far with anything. Many musicians simply pick up what they think are cool-sounding historical themes, and athletes and racecars and racehorses also use stadiums. Perhaps it is more fitting to see it all in the context of “entertainment.”

But that darkness entered our culture in significant part through music — and the use of drugs (another important feature of ancient ritual) — seems beyond dispute, taken now to wild excess with salacious current performers and the hellish landscape of heavy metal.

[resources: spiritual warfare books and Michael Brown pilgrimage to Medjugorje]

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[Feedback:

“I was taught many years go by some very intense Christians brothers and sisters, the whole scenario regarding Lucifer being the first ‘music minister’ before his fall. He is depicted as ‘walking amidst the fiery stones’ which refers to his privilege of being the only angel who was permitted to walk amidst the presence of God,” writes Chris Lyford of San Francisco, citing Ezekiel 28: 11-19. “The understanding is that he possessed the spirit of music, which, being a creature (music) is ordered to the worship of it’s creator. When he fell (along with the other 1/3 of the angels) he took the same spirit with him (exorcists call them ‘endowments, or ant-sacraments’). So he still has the power of music, but now because he chose rebellion it’s ordered toward rebellion from God (in the same way we as creatures can order the atom to explode). This is why he can actually commerce (see verse 16) in music by offering fame and superhuman wealth and power via music (deal with the devil- crossroads, etc.). The thing that people forget is that when the angels fell, it created a ‘hole’ in the heavenly liturgy — and in the ministry of worship of God. Guess who gets to fill in the gap, or hole created? Us! This is why there rages a battle around music; when we worship God with music (from our hearts, and with all our strength) we are fulfilling the ministerial responsibility which was lucifers in heaven. See all the scriptures where God’s presence inhabits the praise of His people, or where the battle is won by sending the musicians out first! The enemy hates it when we sing even the most simple ‘Jesus loves me’ songs, because we are filling the role he will never fill again! God began to set up the redeemed creation in the Old Testament, as He gave Aaron instructions on how to set up the proper worship of Him (precursor to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass) he had the instruments blessed with Holy oil. This is the sign that God has very significant plans for this creation. Now if you notice within worship services there is a difference between the music ministry just leading songs (as any decent musician can do) and the sense of the presence of God, or anointing. There is a huge difference between being ‘appointed’ to lead worship though music, and actually having the anointing. If one is appointed to lead, the anointing is there for the asking however meager the talent be. The anointing has to be humbly prayed for. There is another aspect to this I want to mention: when someone with a big portion of God given talent is praised for their use of that talent, especially during the dynamic moment when the talent is being used (could be other than music too) the person experiences an intoxication, an euphoric subjective experience due to the cheering and clapping (praise) of which they are the object. Lucifer’s intention of wanting to be ‘like God’ in that he wanted to experience the praise of humans and angels is the very rotten fruit he still offers (because he still has something to barter with — music power — and fame, etc.). In the days to come God will inhabit the praises of his people in a way even more powerful than in Old Testament times when the musicians marched out in front of the army and routed the enemy! All the music ministers need to do is to get it into their head that there is the anointing, and the Kings wine to be aware of, so that they don’t fall off of the position they have been given (as responsible worship leaders). Our Lady is the model of the new music minister having taken hold of her right as she cried out the Magnificat! After thousands of years of ‘stop-gap’ measures, the real deal begins the regeneration of the creation of music. The new Eve announces her arrival. And on the night before He died Jesus (the new Adam) sings praise to His Father (Matthew 26:17-30), and may have sung Psalm 118. We, His body, are also in a time of preparation for our Passover. How important that we should stay close to Mary and continue to sing praises in order to stay within the presence of God during the gathering storm. “For these times, you have the Rosary, and even more so, the praise.'”]

[Also from another viewer: “I like your articles about music. Here is my take. Music is simply ‘audible math’ (or light you can hear) — take your pick. Whether the beat is 4/4 or 3/4, when you listen to music, you are hearing the audible representation of a mathematical formula — a proof — if you will. A harmonic (which is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency) is also a ‘correctly’ multiplied formula, that sounds pleasing, because it is mathematically right. Conversely, a discordant note, sounds ‘displeasing’ — because the math is wrong.

“Even the most terrible musical groups, with immoral lyrics or hate-filled screaming, do not realize that the sounds and patterns that come from their instruments are in effect, in concert with the fundamental laws of physics (which God has designed).

“Pro-homosexual groups have stolen the image of a rainbow, but that does not make an actual rainbow any less pleasing to the eye. I believe that the temporary use of music (to promote bad/immoral ideas), is just that. Temporary. Despite the efforts of some artists to promote bad things, a light is shining through, like a light under a wicker basket. It can’t be hidden. The best way to understand the math of a harmonic is to see it visually, which this image explains (see wiki link) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonic).”]

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