With NavRatri beginning tonight - here's an enumeration of the Nine NavaDurgas (One for each Night) … along with an attempt to make the theonyms more understandable via colour-coding. The colour of the part of the word in Sanskrit corresponds to the English word it's translated as. So, for instance, 'Shailaputri' has 'Shaila' (Mountain) in … Continue reading The Names Of The NavaDurgas In Accessible Translation For NavRatri
Jai Mata DI !
The Indo-European Queen of the Dead – A Bridging-Place Between Pitru Paksha And NavRatri
Pitru Paksha - the Fortnight of the Ancestors - is nearly at a close ; and immediately after it comes NavRatri - the Nine Nights of the Mother Goddess. The former, is when the veils between the worlds are thinner, and one's ancestors (Pitrs - etymologically cognate with 'Fathers') are able to come and visit, to receive … Continue reading The Indo-European Queen of the Dead – A Bridging-Place Between Pitru Paksha And NavRatri
Juno Sospita of the Palatine – An Interpretatio Romana In Motion !
Friday is, of course, Devi's Day - and so therefore, a visage less frequently depicted … a well-armed Warrior Goddess - Juno ! Now at first, this might seem strange. We are used to the idea of Juno as a regal, queenly figure; yet a shield and spear equipped female warrior amongst the Gods we … Continue reading Juno Sospita of the Palatine – An Interpretatio Romana In Motion !
Devi At Panjikent – A Sogdian Depiction Of The Great Goddess Accompanied By The Spear-Wielder
I am a bit late with this one - but Friday's Day is Devi's Day, and with Dawn just creeping over the horizon … outline reproduction of one of the incredible mural paintings from Panjikent, a Sogdian centre in modern-day Tajikistan. The central figure to the depiction is Nana, mounted upon a lion-like vahana. As … Continue reading Devi At Panjikent – A Sogdian Depiction Of The Great Goddess Accompanied By The Spear-Wielder
Dhumavati As Bride At The Dawn Of Creation – A Visage Less Commonly Depicted
Today is Friday - Devi's Day And so therefore, in-line with last week : fine Dhumavati (A)Art-i post. As you can see, #CorvidGang is well represented here - apt for the Goddess Whose Animal Is The Crow Interestingly, this particular Dhumavati depiction is in red - and various accouterments one ought expect for a Bride. … Continue reading Dhumavati As Bride At The Dawn Of Creation – A Visage Less Commonly Depicted
Sirius In Central Asia – Soma, Tisya, Tishtrya, Rudra
It is Wednesday - Odin's Day - and so therefore, as has become our custom, some fine devotional (a)art-i. Except this exquisite piece is not from the Northlands of Scandinavia - rather, its provenance is that most mysterious of Indo-European lands … far-flung Central Asia. Khotan, amidst the deserts and mountains fringing China's western edge in … Continue reading Sirius In Central Asia – Soma, Tisya, Tishtrya, Rudra
On Indo-European Nana
It is Friday - Devi's Day. And therefore … a most beautiful silver depiction from Chorasmia, in the heart of Central Asia. And one which, as per usual, I am going to take a completely different view of as compared to much of academia. Now, this style of depiction is not exclusively Chorasmian - far … Continue reading On Indo-European Nana
The Last Integral Aryan Civilization – A Manyu-Festo
"Bare is the back of the brotherless man."- Burnt Njal's Saga ; Iceland, 13th Century Every year on August 15th, we publish a tribute-piece for the Independence Day of India. This year, we elucidate the concept of India as the world's 'Last Integral Aryan Civilization' [a phrasing coined by my associate, Aldo Rapace] - and … Continue reading The Last Integral Aryan Civilization – A Manyu-Festo
On The Tocharian-Sourced Indo-European Toponymy For The Qilian Shan – And Associated Mytho-Linguistic Elements Running Right The Way Up To Kailash
For the past few days, I have been looking once more at Indo-Europeans in Central Asia - and even proximate to China. It is quite remarkable what there is out there, even if much of it has been forgotten or elsewise obscurated via the ravages of time. Now, these days the Qilian Shan refer to … Continue reading On The Tocharian-Sourced Indo-European Toponymy For The Qilian Shan – And Associated Mytho-Linguistic Elements Running Right The Way Up To Kailash
On The ‘Prime Deity’ Of The RigVeda
This poll somebody ran on twitter is interesting. Now, I have my own biases, of course, but I'm not sure that the results are especially accurate. For instance, it would take quite a .. selective reading to conclude Vishnu to be the "prime deity" of the RigVeda - that would seem to be a modern … Continue reading On The ‘Prime Deity’ Of The RigVeda