Skanda , Heimdall , Kumara – The Star-Borne Son Of The Sky Father

A brief Indo-European observation inspired by the SkandaMata Night of NavRatri -  Skanda, the War God Son of Shiva, has Six Heads. This is due to the rather unique manner of His Birth - wherein the embryonic Skanda is transplanted to six mothers via Agni, the Krittika Stars (we would know these in the West … Continue reading Skanda , Heimdall , Kumara – The Star-Borne Son Of The Sky Father

The Transcendent Indo-European Typology Of The God Of Masks – The Sky Father Dances On [ On The Indo-European ‘Interpretatio’ Of Dionysus Part Dieux ]

In my previous piece upon the subject, I asserted that Dionysus is a facing of the Indo-European Sky Father; and sought to illustrate this via the illumination of a range of connections of Dionysus to a range of figures from the broad Indo-European mythology - both Greek and of further afield. This article shall go … Continue reading The Transcendent Indo-European Typology Of The God Of Masks – The Sky Father Dances On [ On The Indo-European ‘Interpretatio’ Of Dionysus Part Dieux ]

On The Indo-European ‘Interpretatio’ Of Dionysus – A Roaring Exaltation Of The Sky Father Comparatively Considered

Dionysus is a deservedly fascinating figure. And also a badly misunderstood one. As are many Greek deities, especially in their comparative Indo-European situation. I have written upon the linkages of Dionysus to various facings - dramatic masques, we may perhaps say - in other Indo-European pantheons in the past, and shall not seek to repeat … Continue reading On The Indo-European ‘Interpretatio’ Of Dionysus – A Roaring Exaltation Of The Sky Father Comparatively Considered

On Svarog As Sky Father – The Indo-European Sky Father As Song-Smith Of The Cosmos

In many ways, the enigmatic figure of Svarog is emblematic of both the difficulties that we face when reconstructing Indo-European mythology … and also the marvelous enduring features that make it so easy - if you know where and how to look.  I say "difficulties", because Svarog is a seriously under-directly-attested figure, even by the … Continue reading On Svarog As Sky Father – The Indo-European Sky Father As Song-Smith Of The Cosmos

On The Preservation Of Faith In The Indo-European Periphery – And Its Corrosion In The Indo-European Core

[Author's Note: This was initially intended as a brief introduction to a piece on the Slavic figure of Svarog as a Sky Father expression - however, it has grown somewhat, and contains an important, freestanding point. So here it is on its own] The Indo-European world can probably be divided up into those mythic cultures … Continue reading On The Preservation Of Faith In The Indo-European Periphery – And Its Corrosion In The Indo-European Core

On The Indo-European Symbolism Of The Ash Tree – And The Ensuing Origins Of The Spear-Race Of Man

Often in the course of work, we begin writing about one topic - only to find that it has serious and substantial bearing upon another. Thus was the case when I sat down to pen "WORLD-SPEAR", looking at the iconic weapon of the Sky Father. I'd known that there would be significant salience for the … Continue reading On The Indo-European Symbolism Of The Ash Tree – And The Ensuing Origins Of The Spear-Race Of Man

Furor Teutonicus And Furor Poeticus – The Furious Goddess-Given Power Of Both Barbarian And Brahmin Alike

Something I have long advocated, is that the two forms of 'Furor' spoken about - "Furor Teutonicus" ('Germanic Fury' - Berserk Battle-Rage) and "Furor Poeticus" (The 'Fury of the Poet' - Artistic Inspiration of a certain all-consuming caliber) are, in essence, the same quality. Just differently expressed.  On the surface, this can sound curious. After … Continue reading Furor Teutonicus And Furor Poeticus – The Furious Goddess-Given Power Of Both Barbarian And Brahmin Alike

The Cyclopes And The Ribhus Elves – Solar Smiths of the Sky Father

One of the most iconic creatures from Greek mythology must surely be the Cyclopes. Best known from Odysseus' encounter with Polyphemus during the course of the Odyssey, the Cyclopes is one of those classic mythic tropes - the big, brutish monster who must be defeated via cunning and guile lest he devour the hero and … Continue reading The Cyclopes And The Ribhus Elves – Solar Smiths of the Sky Father

The Gryphon – Indo-European Guardian of the Golden Realm

One of the more seizing figures to have captured the imagination - both ancient and modern - is the Griffin (occasionally, and to my mind superiorly, spelled 'Gryphon'). Almost everybody knows it - a creature that is simultaneously leonine and aquiline. Part Lion, part Eagle. And usually pictured by us in its heraldic form, something … Continue reading The Gryphon – Indo-European Guardian of the Golden Realm

A THIRD DRAUGHT OF SOMA-KVASIR – THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE MEANING OF THE MEAD

As I have previously illustrated, it now seems that Snorri Sturluson's accounting of the Mead of Poetry is drawing from, and perhaps inexpertly seeking to summarize materials that are far older. That are Indo-European. That have likely been passed down since the points roughly at which the Vedic and the Eddic religious canons were broadly … Continue reading A THIRD DRAUGHT OF SOMA-KVASIR – THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE MEANING OF THE MEAD