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
Hinduism
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
On The Army of Kali
Finger-Snapping Intensifies Kali - and Dakinis , striding forth from the Smashana (Cremation Ground). We would, perhaps, suggest that this is a 'Smashana *krewh₂-' As in a 'Crew' … but using that particular Proto-Indo-European term which stands for 'Cold Blood' (in contrast to *h₁ésh₂r̥ - 'hot-blood', 'alive-blood'). This informs Sanskrit 'Kravya' (क्रव्य - 'raw flesh', … Continue reading On The Army of Kali
A Havan For Hinglaj Mata – Jai Mata Di !
It is Friday - Devi's Day ! And so Therefore - this incredible shot of a Havan underway at the Hinglaj Mata Shakti Peetha … rendered, in its way, all the more incredible when we consider that this is, in fact, taking place in the midst of Pakistan. And, further, that the site itself is … Continue reading A Havan For Hinglaj Mata – Jai Mata Di !
On Prayer – An Indo-European Commentary Upon Purported Germanic ‘God-Bothering’ With Same
Recently, our attention was drawn to a post from a "Reconstructionist Germanic Heathenry" page which made some claims about prayer that we feel deserve a bit of a closer look. The post itself had been taking aim at "Christian Baggage" in Germanic revivalist adherents - and had singled out … well, we'll quote for you: … Continue reading On Prayer – An Indo-European Commentary Upon Purported Germanic ‘God-Bothering’ With Same
The Crows Of Kali
For Kali Jayanti - a Crow. Now, of course, I am indulging myself here by presenting a Crow as Devotee to Her … yet there is actually a comparatively little-known suite of resonant conceptry for the Corvid in relation to Kali. She is, after all, Kakamukhi - The Crow-Faced One. This is as we should … Continue reading The Crows Of Kali
Dyaus Inter Alia – On The Sky Father’s Major Theonym And The Relative (In-)Frequency Of Its Occurrence Across Various Indo-European Spheres
Something a perspicacious associate [O.R.] observed is that even though each Indo-European mythic sphere may have its Sky Father deific in prominent pride of place … it is only amidst the Hellenic and Roman perspectives that we actually find 'Dyaus Pitar' (or, if we are being properly PIE : *Dyḗus ph₂tḗr) theonymics in prominent usage and … Continue reading Dyaus Inter Alia – On The Sky Father’s Major Theonym And The Relative (In-)Frequency Of Its Occurrence Across Various Indo-European Spheres
In Search Of Shiva As Dyaus In Subsequent Scripture
Recently, as has often become the case, a few 'threads' converged. In this instance, around the situation Rudra (Shiva) as Sky Father - Dyaus Pitar. It always seems to come back down to theonyms. We can put forward the comparative theological evidence for how strongly Shiva adheres to the Sky Father deific complex … but … Continue reading In Search Of Shiva As Dyaus In Subsequent Scripture
Skanda Mars
[Author's Note: As we had said - it'll be awhile before I'm fully operational again. So, in the mean-time, here's a half-completed draft looking at the prominent figure of Lord Skanda. We had sought to set out the various refractions as to the origin-mythology around this most eminent of 'Charger-Skewerer' figures of the Sky Father's … Continue reading Skanda Mars