This is quite simply one of the most chad-looking images I have seen; a representation of one of the Scythian nobles buried at Pazyryk in the Siberian East, about two and a half thousand years ago. Now, the Pazyryk find itself is quite fascinating - in no small part because the freezing of the site … Continue reading “An Image, Frozen In Time” – What Pazyryk Scythian Tombs Can Tell Us About Our Indo-European Ancestors
Hinduism
Glorious Modern Art For An Ancient Hindu Hymnal
Friday Evening Devi-otional (A)Art(I) Posting This is some truly excellent art which helps to illustrate evocatively a rather core series of principles to Shakta theology and cosmogony; which are also extolled in the course of my favourite of the RigVedic Hymnals - the renowned DeviSukta [RV X 125]. Note that it is the Hand of … Continue reading Glorious Modern Art For An Ancient Hindu Hymnal
Divinity Is Not A Democracy
When I was younger, I thought this was pretty profound, and more than that - not entirely far removed from How It All Works: "The idea of Gods empowered (and possibly created) by worship naturally has a strong attraction for modern fantasy fans: It takes the prevailing social order of democracy and projects it into … Continue reading Divinity Is Not A Democracy
“An Immortality Beyond Stone Endures Through Pious Minds Of Men” – A Reflection Upon Relics And Reverency
A fine rendering of a Shiva Murti, with an important message to convey. And yes, I do say that it is a 'fine rendering' regardless of the physical damage which has been wrought upon it in the image. Indeed, in much the same manner that it is rather difficult to perceive the constellation of Orion … Continue reading “An Immortality Beyond Stone Endures Through Pious Minds Of Men” – A Reflection Upon Relics And Reverency
Swear By The Sea, Swear By The Stars, Swear By The Sky – On The Mytholinguistics Of Varuna Neptune Ouranos
Within the realms of Indo-European mytho-theology, there are some areas wherein the paths of connectivity grow dark, occluded, hidden amidst the mists of time and conceptual space. This does not mean that they are not there - only that we aren't sure what the precise course of their path may be. And in the absence … Continue reading Swear By The Sea, Swear By The Stars, Swear By The Sky – On The Mytholinguistics Of Varuna Neptune Ouranos
AN INDO-EUROPEAN GUIDE-BOOK OF THE DEAD – Part Three: The River Of Stars
To Return to the Skies Above Us, then, there are two important points to be raised ... points upon a single shaft, much like Hades' Bident. The first of these is the nature of the Path to which Yama is said to have held the noble, sacred, and solemn duty of being the first being … Continue reading AN INDO-EUROPEAN GUIDE-BOOK OF THE DEAD – Part Three: The River Of Stars
AN INDO-EUROPEAN GUIDE-BOOK OF THE DEAD – Part Two: Paramevyoman to Patalaloka – ‘Outer Heaven’ to ‘Under World’
Often, when we are thinking about the afterlife, and the Realm of the Dead, our thoughts quite understandably go downhill. That's what a "Katabasis" means, after all - "Going Under". Because we are anticipating that we are heading for some form of "Underworld". Which is not entirely inaccurate, and nor should it be dismissed as … Continue reading AN INDO-EUROPEAN GUIDE-BOOK OF THE DEAD – Part Two: Paramevyoman to Patalaloka – ‘Outer Heaven’ to ‘Under World’
ON THE ELVES OF THE NORTH POLE
By now it should come as little surprise that much of the contemporary pseudo-mythology around Christmas is, in fact, based upon far older underpinnings - elements that have somehow 'seeped through' the veiling sheens not only of Christianity, but of Coca-Cola and McWorld. Some things, I would go so far as to say, are so … Continue reading ON THE ELVES OF THE NORTH POLE
AN INDO-EUROPEAN GUIDE-BOOK OF THE DEAD – Part One: Death Is Just The Beginning
The nature of many an Indo-European sacred text about the Afterlife, the Underworld (and, indeed, just about everything else - but those subjects especially), is that it is a combination of "Preview" and "Guidebook". It's possible to do a full-on travelogue which goes into often quite (gruesomely) graphic detail, of course; but for various reasons - … Continue reading AN INDO-EUROPEAN GUIDE-BOOK OF THE DEAD – Part One: Death Is Just The Beginning
AN INDO-EUROPEAN GUIDE-BOOK OF THE DEAD – Part Prelude: The Path Of The Dead Is Open
RV X 14 - Yama [Griffith Translation]1 HONOUR the King with thine oblations, Yama, Vivasvān's Son, who gathers men together,Who travelled to the lofty heights above us, who searches out and shows the path to many.2 Yama first found for us a place to dwell in: this pasture never can be taken from Us.Men born … Continue reading AN INDO-EUROPEAN GUIDE-BOOK OF THE DEAD – Part Prelude: The Path Of The Dead Is Open
