Phaidimos Front of a limestone block from the stepped base of a funerary monument, mid-6th century B.C. Greek, Attic, Archaic Limestone; Overall: 12 1/2 x 33 1/2in. (31.8 x 85.1cm) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1916 (16.174.6) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/249097 One of those tantalizing mysteries of the Classical World concerns the origins of … Continue reading On The Indo-European Etruscans?
Anatolia I.E.
An Oath-Breaker Is Rendered Less Than A Man – The Hittite Military Oath Example
For various reasons, I found myself reading a bit about Hittite oaths - and two points struck out at me. The first, is that there's so much going on in these that is fairly instantly recognizable to us from other Indo-European metaphysical-legal corpuses - and perhaps I may write more upon this in the not … Continue reading An Oath-Breaker Is Rendered Less Than A Man – The Hittite Military Oath Example
Votive Plate of Cybele, Great Goddess, Mountain Mother – Arte-Facts #5
This Is #GangSteppe - and also, fine Devi-otional (A)Art(I) for Friday ! Depicted is Goddess Cybele on an offering-plate, from 3rd century B.C. Ai-Khanoum, amidst the ruins of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom. Now, I find this artefact fascinating for quite a number of reasons. Not simply because of the various iconographic features upon it which come … Continue reading Votive Plate of Cybele, Great Goddess, Mountain Mother – Arte-Facts #5
“HERE BE INDO-ARYANS?” On the Vedic Gods of the Mitanni
I've had this document on my mind for quite awhile now. Not just because of what it is (which we'll get on to in just a moment), but also because of what it *represents*. See, this is one of the world's oldest surviving international peace-treaties. Dating from the mid-14th century B.C., it seeks to solemnize … Continue reading “HERE BE INDO-ARYANS?” On the Vedic Gods of the Mitanni
Hittite Ritual Axe; Indo-European Symbolic Explication
"Man, I've had this fine artefact in my head for the past day or so - a beautiful Hittite ritual axe. Now, I haven't *yet* done serious research nor work on Hittite and broader Anatolian Indo-European mythoreligious praxis [i.e. ritual], nor their symbolic lexicon. But I do recall two points from my previous brief … Continue reading Hittite Ritual Axe; Indo-European Symbolic Explication