ON THE INDO-EUROPEAN TYPOLOGY OF IOLAUS – THIRD DRAGONSLAYER Part Two – The Priest ‘pon Penitent Pathway : Herakles Indra’s Roaring Rampage of Repentance

For you see, Trisiras is a Brahmin. Slaying Him is a Brahmanicide - one of the most grievous and serious crimes that a man, even a God, can possibly commit. It attaches a heavy burden of sin to the enactor - even when, as with KaalBhairavJi against Brahma, the act is a vitally necessary and … Continue reading ON THE INDO-EUROPEAN TYPOLOGY OF IOLAUS – THIRD DRAGONSLAYER Part Two – The Priest ‘pon Penitent Pathway : Herakles Indra’s Roaring Rampage of Repentance

ON THE INDO-EUROPEAN TYPOLOGY OF IOLAUS – THIRD DRAGONSLAYER Part One – Indra And Iolaos : Hydras, Helpers, Heroes, Hercules

If you were to ask somebody the question "Who slayed Vritra", you would be presented with quite a simple answer. "I don't know, who's Vritra", probably. But for those even cursorily aware of the Indo-European mythology - more specifically its Vedic formulation - the reply would almost certainly come "Indra".  And that is not (necessarily) … Continue reading ON THE INDO-EUROPEAN TYPOLOGY OF IOLAUS – THIRD DRAGONSLAYER Part One – Indra And Iolaos : Hydras, Helpers, Heroes, Hercules

Red Bull – The Indo-European Sky Father And A Certain Empowering Brew

Something I have often taken a bit of pleasure in, is finding the 'echoes' of underlying archaic Indo-European symbolism amidst the wreckage of the modern world. In various cases, these are 'traces' that were probably not consciously intended as such by their contemporary authors - and yet which nevertheless have some fundamental, recurring resonancy back … Continue reading Red Bull – The Indo-European Sky Father And A Certain Empowering Brew

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

The Divine Wrath Of Devi Dhari And The Salvation Of Shaivite Kedarnath [Incredible Indo-European Holy Sites Series Part II ]

Jai Mata Di ! Facing of the Dhari Devi (Kali) murti ['Living Image'] in Uttarakhand. Now, the Temple there is … interesting, because of what happened there in 2013. That year, Her Shrine was due to be relocated in order to make way for a hydroelectric dam - following a Supreme Court decision which overruled … Continue reading The Divine Wrath Of Devi Dhari And The Salvation Of Shaivite Kedarnath [Incredible Indo-European Holy Sites Series Part II ]

THE WAGES OF SIN – NEMESIS Coin from the reign of Marcus Aurelius – Arte-Facts #8

Every so often, I see a coin of the Ancient World - and something about it resonates with me strongly. They may or may not be the most aesthetic or best-preserved numismatic … but it always turns out that there's something powerful to them which is worth sharing to a broader audience. This particular drachma … Continue reading THE WAGES OF SIN – NEMESIS Coin from the reign of Marcus Aurelius – Arte-Facts #8

“I Bend the Bow for Rudra that His Arrow May Strike and Slay the Hater of Devotion” – On Ugra Manyu And Perhaps Angra Mainyu

[Author's Note: This continues our excerpts series from #MahaShivRatri And The Mytholinguistics Of War - The Mind, The Mania, The Manyu. In this extract, we take a look at what's probably one of the least surprising potential Zoroastrian literal-demonizations of a Vedic Deity - the War God charged with the protection of piety against 'the … Continue reading “I Bend the Bow for Rudra that His Arrow May Strike and Slay the Hater of Devotion” – On Ugra Manyu And Perhaps Angra Mainyu