Very, very cool ! On the left, is Maheshvari (Devi) - on the right, Agni. Now, it might at first seem a little curious - we are used to thinking of Agni as a 'two-faced' figure in the iconography. Yet in a way … These depictions are, quite literally, two sides of the same artwork. … Continue reading The Divine Empress And The Fire God – Beautiful Newari Art And The Durga Suktam
Hinduism
The Dancing Shiva of Nohleshwar
It is Monday - Lord Shiva's Day !And so therefore, this remarkable sculpture of He, photographed by an associate of ours [N.G., to whom we are indebted for its appearance and permitted use].The figure comes from the walls of the Nohleshwar Temple in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh. This is a Shaivite Temple, with the eponymous Nohleshwar … Continue reading The Dancing Shiva of Nohleshwar
Of Goddesses, Gods, and Ghosts at the Crossroads – A Comparative Indo-European Exploration [Extract 3]: Part Three: Cosmology, At The Crossroads
[Depicted is the fine marble Hekate from the Greek isle of Aegina, in overtly 'Triple-Facing' Goddess form. Note that the Initiatory Torches are, here, utilized to create an illusion of 'depth' - and, to my mind at least, almost seem to connote different 'pathways' off through trees.] The first point to be made concerns Ambika. … Continue reading Of Goddesses, Gods, and Ghosts at the Crossroads – A Comparative Indo-European Exploration [Extract 3]: Part Three: Cosmology, At The Crossroads
Of Goddesses, Gods, and Ghosts at the Crossroads – A Comparative Indo-European Exploration [Extract 2]: Part Two – The Dread Deifics Of The Catuspatha
Part Two: The Dread Deifics Of The Catuspatha [Art by Rupam Raaj R.; and we are having Rudra in amidst a Smashana because we are unable to find good art of Him at the Crossroads directly. Yet for reasons we shall get into in due course - well, the two spaces are somewhat coterminous] Now, … Continue reading Of Goddesses, Gods, and Ghosts at the Crossroads – A Comparative Indo-European Exploration [Extract 2]: Part Two – The Dread Deifics Of The Catuspatha
Of Goddesses, Gods, and Ghosts at the Crossroads – A Comparative Indo-European Exploration
It fascinates me how our various Indo-European religions 'interlock'. Both in terms of the way that the same (or highly similar) elements co-occur in recognizable format across various of these, even separated by millennia or many thousands of kilometers; yet also in the way that a fulsome understanding of one can help to 'unlock' the … Continue reading Of Goddesses, Gods, and Ghosts at the Crossroads – A Comparative Indo-European Exploration
द्यौस; देवा, देउस , टिर : बहुल देवता, एक द्यौस पिता
द्यौस; देवा, देउस , टिर : बहुल देवता, एक द्यौस पिता हमारे पौराणिक साहित्य में इन्डो-यूरोपियन परम्पराओंके पूजनीय द्यौस पिता की मुख्यता के बावजूद उनके देवत्व को ठीक से समझा नहीं जाता। आप अन्य लोगों को उनके बारे में कई बेतुकि बातें एवं झूठी निन्दा करते हुए पाएंगे। उन झूठो में सबसे सामान्य यह कि … Continue reading द्यौस; देवा, देउस , टिर : बहुल देवता, एक द्यौस पिता
Apollo ‘The Three-Eyed One’ . . . ?
We were rather interested, just now, to read of Apollo's epithet of Τριοπιον - 'Triopion' Why? Because the name in question appears to mean 'Three-Eyed'. Now ostensibly, it pertains to an Anatolian town - and therefore Apollo Triopion is the Apollo of Triopion. Triopion having being founded by a figure bearing such a 'Three-Eyed' (Triopas) … Continue reading Apollo ‘The Three-Eyed One’ . . . ?
Operation VaishvaDevi – A Show of Force
Navratri, the famed Nine Nights of the Goddess, is soon to begin. We propose to have a broad Indo-European 'Show of Force' (Shakti) for the occasion. What do we mean by this? Navratri is, of course, a Hindu observance. Yet the Goddess is broader than 'just' the Hindusphere. She has also been worshipped amidst all … Continue reading Operation VaishvaDevi – A Show of Force
Artemis Agrotera And Devi – Queen Of The Wilds, Ruler Of Animals, And Huntress Supreme
I find this very adorable. Devi as - as we would say in the Western IE sphere (well, in Ancient Greek, at any rate) - a 'Potnia Theron'. Now this term is generally applied to Artemis. And we have explored in great depth elsewhere how Artemis concords with our Devi. It therefore seems adamantly excellent … Continue reading Artemis Agrotera And Devi – Queen Of The Wilds, Ruler Of Animals, And Huntress Supreme
On A Potential Afghan Origination For The Elephant Visage Of Lord Ganesha
In amidst the fusillading frequency of my Ganesha posting this week, we had had a rather intriguing question. Namely, whether - given the irreducibly Elephantine iconography of Ganesha - there were any clear cognates for this in the Western (i.e. European) Indo-European sphere. I have to say - none spring instantly to mind. Which doesn't … Continue reading On A Potential Afghan Origination For The Elephant Visage Of Lord Ganesha