Dyaus Inter Alia – On The Sky Father’s Major Theonym And The Relative (In-)Frequency Of Its Occurrence Across Various Indo-European Spheres

Something a perspicacious associate [O.R.] observed is that even though each Indo-European mythic sphere may have its Sky Father deific in prominent pride of place … it is only amidst the Hellenic and Roman perspectives that we actually find 'Dyaus Pitar' (or, if we are being properly PIE : *Dyḗus ph₂tḗr) theonymics in prominent usage and … Continue reading Dyaus Inter Alia – On The Sky Father’s Major Theonym And The Relative (In-)Frequency Of Its Occurrence Across Various Indo-European Spheres

On Bellerophon – Echoes Of A Coronation Rite And Slayer Of The Demon Of Enclosure ?

Now *this* is interesting - quite a familiar shape, you'll see the various Christian depictions of St George engaged in a spot of dragon-slaying, for instance. However, what's depicted here is Bellerophon (mounted upon Pegasus) slaying the Chimaera, from a floor mosaic on Rhodes, circa 300-270 BC. I am not saying that various much more … Continue reading On Bellerophon – Echoes Of A Coronation Rite And Slayer Of The Demon Of Enclosure ?

Toward The Indo-European Identification Of Janus – Some Preliminary Observations

Despite its comforting familiarity to many in the modern Western sphere, many of the figures of the Roman religion are somewhat mysterious to us. Particularly when we seek to link them up to what ought be their correlate co-expressions elsewhere within the Indo-European religious world. This invites much speculation - some of it well-founded, and … Continue reading Toward The Indo-European Identification Of Janus – Some Preliminary Observations

The Way Of The Gun – The Surprising Re-Development Of A Proto-Indo-European Term Into Modern English … And its Comparative Cognates Considered In Both Ritual And Conventional Phraseology Across The Indo-European Sphere

Something I have long remarked upon is the manner in which certain terms, certain concepts … they are to be found in incredibly archaic spheres, and then they 'fade away' or they undergo some transmogrification which obscures their essence somewhat, only to thence re-emerge somewhere else entirely amidst one of the Indo-European descendant groups who … Continue reading The Way Of The Gun – The Surprising Re-Development Of A Proto-Indo-European Term Into Modern English … And its Comparative Cognates Considered In Both Ritual And Conventional Phraseology Across The Indo-European Sphere

Kaal Hades Erebus – A Brief Look At The Darkening Veil Betwixt Light And Life, Darkness And Death – The Solar Underworld Covered 

Something I love about our field is the manner in which the linguistics - the etymology - facilitates the proper understanding and construal of meaning. This is occasionally derided as being the supplanting of serious theology via etymology … but with this I do not agree. At most, it is the supplementation - and as … Continue reading Kaal Hades Erebus – A Brief Look At The Darkening Veil Betwixt Light And Life, Darkness And Death – The Solar Underworld Covered 

On The Subtle Satemization Of Centum In Modern English

Something I've been meaning to remark upon for awhile, is this rather amusing irony when it comes to the Centum-Satem divide in Indo-European linguistics. Now, for those unaware, you can classify most Indo-European languages into one of two categories - "Centum" languages, wherein an array of "K-" [and some "G-"] sounds and particles in Proto-Indo-European … Continue reading On The Subtle Satemization Of Centum In Modern English

The Indo-European Cosmology – A Brief Guided Tour : Part One – Ritual Space And The Radiating Law

Two areas I have long intended to direct more effort towards extolling - are Indo-European Cosmology and Ritual. Both are fascinating, and as it happens, quite fundamentally coterminous much of the time. However, they're also both huge - and so instead of a series of five-to-fifty-thousand wor(l)d plus megaliths, I thought I'd try something a … Continue reading The Indo-European Cosmology – A Brief Guided Tour : Part One – Ritual Space And The Radiating Law

The Place Of Worship – The Temple – The Home And Healing Whole Of The Community

Something I love about the Indo-European etymology - is that manner in which the roots of terms resonate with their descendants. And, in so doing, significantly broaden our understanding of just what they actually are - how we are to relate to them. A good example of this is the Ancient Greek ναός - 'Naos' … Continue reading The Place Of Worship – The Temple – The Home And Healing Whole Of The Community

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

Dyaus; Deva, Deus, Tyr: Many Gods, One Sky Father

Despite His centrality to our mythology, the Indo-European Sky Father is probably one of the most misunderstood Gods of our pantheon(s). You will semi-regularly hear people make all manner of outlandish claims about Him. The most common of which tend to be either that the Sky Father 'withered away' and was superceded by another God or … Continue reading Dyaus; Deva, Deus, Tyr: Many Gods, One Sky Father