RAGNAROK AND THE NIGHT LORD

Consider the Sanskrit terms राजन् and रजनी - Rajan and Rajani. They look similar, no? In fact, you'd be forgiven, even notwithstanding that the former's got a longer 'a' sound ['Raajan' - like Raja, which derives directly therefrom], for thinking that they are perhaps related forms of the same word. Maybe a masculine and feminine … Continue reading RAGNAROK AND THE NIGHT LORD

The Tenth Day – The Death of the Demon – Dussehra / VijayaDashami

The Day after NavRatri [the 'Nine Nights' of Goddess Durga] is known as Vijaya Dashami / Dussehra - Victory on the Tenth,the Destruction of Evil. In many places, the Day is held to commemorate the Victory of Lord Rama over the demon-emperor Ravana. In others, it celebrates the Victory of Durga over Mahishasura. Others still, … Continue reading The Tenth Day – The Death of the Demon – Dussehra / VijayaDashami

MahaGauri – The Eighth Night of NavRatri – Eighth of the NavaDurgas

The Eight Night of #NavRatri is dedicated to Ma as MahaGauri – The Great White One. Now, as readers of yesterday’s piece – on KaalRatri – will be patently aware, this stands in seemingly stark contrast to the previous Night’s Aspect of MataJI, Who is the great(est) Black one. And yet, as it happens, a … Continue reading MahaGauri – The Eighth Night of NavRatri – Eighth of the NavaDurgas

A Lesser Son Of Greater ForeFathers – A Thought On The Last Night Of Pitru Paksha

"To be Indo-European, I think, means to be acutely conscious that one is the lesser son of Greater (Fore)Fathers." Tonight marks the end of Pitru Paksha - the Fortnight of the Ancestors; and that maxim, which I've been turning over in my head ever since it first ... turned up therein, seemed an appropriate thought … Continue reading A Lesser Son Of Greater ForeFathers – A Thought On The Last Night Of Pitru Paksha

Cybele In Spain – The Return of Myth to Madrid

It is FRIDAY - Therefore, Devi-otional (A)Art(I) One theme I've attempted to weave into my work is "Indo-Europeanism For The Modern Age" - the notion, the concept that what we do is not merely "mythology", in the sense of pouring over musty tomes [and/or online scan-uploads of same] to attempt to describe and detail the … Continue reading Cybele In Spain – The Return of Myth to Madrid

On Adopting The Mantle of Myth – And Pakistan’s Perilously Pained Pretensions To Same

One of my favourite concepts from the field of 20th century comparative mythography has to be Eliade's notion of the Eternal Return. That idea that many rituals are, in effect, 're-enactments' of prior and supernal Mythic Events; which not only carry their more overt (and often quite ornate) beneficial purpose for the participants, but which … Continue reading On Adopting The Mantle of Myth – And Pakistan’s Perilously Pained Pretensions To Same