Earlier this week, one of our associates - who's a good guy, although we don't always agree - put up a thought about comparative Indo-European theology. It included the following: "All IE religions have a sky father, Earth mother and twin Gods. But, that doesn't mean those Gods aren't sovereign entities, uniquely different from … Continue reading “Einu nafni hétumk aldregi / síz ek með folkum fór” – “By one name I have never been known / since I went among the people”
Shaivism
JAI MAHAKAAL On Moon-Day
JAI MAHAKAAL MAHAKAALSMRITI REMEMBER DEATH IT IS MONDAY, THEREFORE - GLORIOUS (MODERN) SHIVA (A)ART(I) As a brief point of explication ... Kaal (काल)is one of my favourite words in any language. For it simultaneously means BLACK, TIME, DEATH, DESTINY/FATE [and also Iron, and also the pupil of the eye - which, as you'll note here, … Continue reading JAI MAHAKAAL On Moon-Day
“To Speak Is To Uphold The Weight Of The Universe” – Supernal, Scientific, Sunyata, Sanatana Theories of Language
'The Dialects Are In Motion' - arcing towards a synthesis position on two views of Language Introduction: A World of Words One of the reasons why I have often advocated for the use of etymology in our field of Indo-European mytho-religion, is in order to strengthen our discernment of what is *actually* going on, by … Continue reading “To Speak Is To Uphold The Weight Of The Universe” – Supernal, Scientific, Sunyata, Sanatana Theories of Language
ON THE GATES OF SOMNATH TEMPLE – AN ESSAY OF RAKSHA(PALA) FOR BOTH SWARAJ AND BANDHAN
The 15th of August marks India's Independence Day; and, as has become my custom, I have penned an article in honour of both the occasion, and the state and struggle for which it stands. Whereas 2017's piece looked at the geopolitical saliency of India, especially from the perspective of a small South Pacific state such … Continue reading ON THE GATES OF SOMNATH TEMPLE – AN ESSAY OF RAKSHA(PALA) FOR BOTH SWARAJ AND BANDHAN
The Bringer Of Shocking Enlightenment
Vishnu-posting? On a Wednesday? ON MY WALL?? It's more likely than you think! "You can run on for a long time [...] Sooner or later God'll cut you down" - Johnny Cash, 'God's Gonna Cut You Down' "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and … Continue reading The Bringer Of Shocking Enlightenment
NAGA PANCHAMI – A CELEBRATION OF SERPENTS
Today marks the Hindu observance of Naga Panchami - an occasion where we honour the Snakes. Now, this might seem a most curious thing to those cursorily acquainted with Indo-European mythology. After all, pretty much every Indo-European culture and religion has voluminous accountings of the righteous and holy *smiting* of the Serpentine, the Draconic, the … Continue reading NAGA PANCHAMI – A CELEBRATION OF SERPENTS
Hades as Gaurivara, Persephone as Gauri
SHIVA-AS-YAMA, SHIVA-AS-KAAL, bearing a most Gauri bride indeed. Monday Devotional (A)Art(I) Posting! Now, technically speaking, this is actually a depiction of Hades & Persephone by Ulpiano Checa, circa 1888 [the painting, I mean, not when They were depicted]. However, not only do we have reasonable strength of analysis to make a strong linkage between Hades … Continue reading Hades as Gaurivara, Persephone as Gauri
‘Time And I Against Any Other Two’ – an Indo-European analysis of a maxim.
There is an aphorism of the great Baltasar Gracian which I have been turning over in my mind a fair bit this week. Not least because, upon closer inspection there's some *strongly* Indo-European [and, although Gracian could not possibly have known it, Shaivite - Shakta] subtext immanent within it. I shall not repeat it in full … Continue reading ‘Time And I Against Any Other Two’ – an Indo-European analysis of a maxim.
“Spend It Well”
"The coin in question, if you were wondering, is a Kushan minting from the reign of King Vasudeva, also a Hindu convert. Depicted on the right is Shiva with Nandi, and on the left, 'Oesho' - "Ishvara" ['God-Emperor'], another Epithet [and cosmological Function] of Mahadev, although also possibly [contingent upon which etymological theorizing we are … Continue reading “Spend It Well”
Sky-Earth-Thunder – A Brief Comparative Model of the Divine Family
"Instead of posting a multi-thousand word article, I thought I'd try experiment with a shorter-form word-count chart. This time, a) seeking to briefly express how many Indo-European mythologies record a Sky Father - Earth Mother, Striker/Thunderer familial unit; b) show that Greek/Roman mythology did some ... odd things, that lead to at least two 'layers' … Continue reading Sky-Earth-Thunder – A Brief Comparative Model of the Divine Family