Tomorrow marks one of the more important Shaivite observances of the year - Tripurari Purnima / Kartik Purnima . Which, inter alia, commemorates the Destruction of the Three Fortresses of the Demons by Lord Shiva . Now, it is often asserted by some that Lord Shiva is somehow not a Vedic God - something I … Continue reading On Lord Shiva As Tripurantaka In The Vedas
DeviSukta
The Radiant Queen and the Beautiful Princess – Two Indo-European Solar Goddesses – On Scythian Tabiti, Hindu Tapati, Greek Helen
I think by now that many would agree that if a little knowledge is a dangerous thing - then Wiki-knowledge can be the summation of many dangerous things put together. Due to its prominence as a source, questionable material placed thereupon has a way of spreading out and cropping up again all over the place. … Continue reading The Radiant Queen and the Beautiful Princess – Two Indo-European Solar Goddesses – On Scythian Tabiti, Hindu Tapati, Greek Helen
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
Shiva Is Not Indra – A Response To A Grave Mythunderstanding
It has come to my attention that there is a curious misbelief out there - that Shiva is somehow Indra. As in, the post-Vedic Deity Shiva is a 'continuation' of the Vedic Indra under a somewhat different name. I thought that this was merely a matter of some people being a bit misinformed - yet … Continue reading Shiva Is Not Indra – A Response To A Grave Mythunderstanding
On Athena Storm-Bringer And The Thunderbolt Also Of Zeus
There is a rather interesting line in Aeschylus' Eumenides concerning Athena -" I alone of the Gods know the keys to the house where His Thunderbolt is sealed." This is Athena speaking to the Erinyes - the Furies - and stating quite directly that She and She Alone is in possession to 'the keys' to … Continue reading On Athena Storm-Bringer And The Thunderbolt Also Of Zeus
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
Foe-Slayer Claims Our Eulogy – Understanding RigVeda VIII 100: Indra, Vak
Every so often, we come across a Hymnal that really really deserves a broader audience. In this case, RV VIII 100 - which details a rather lesser-known element to the Slaying of Vritra by Indra. Namely, the salient role of Vak Devi (Saraswati) in this conflict. It therefore seemed most appropriate to prepare a brief … Continue reading Foe-Slayer Claims Our Eulogy – Understanding RigVeda VIII 100: Indra, Vak
Soma Kvasir – The Eddic-Vedic Myth Of The Meath of Poetry
Every so often, we happen across some element that is clearly the same thing across two (or more) Indo-European cultures; and which, regardless of the otherwise impressive span of distance between them (whether distance of time, or mere geography), even a lay-person can immediately grasp that we are talking about the same concept. Unfortunately, this … Continue reading Soma Kvasir – The Eddic-Vedic Myth Of The Meath of Poetry
MahaShivRatri And The Mytholinguistics Of War [Part 3] – The Mind, The Mania, The Manyu
[Author's Note: It is said that some efforts take on a 'mind of their own'. While this was initially intended as the third part to our MythoLinguistics of War series, with a focus more narrowly upon the strong saliency of Indo-European concepts of "Mind" and 'Spirit' with those of Warfare - as the writing progressed, … Continue reading MahaShivRatri And The Mytholinguistics Of War [Part 3] – The Mind, The Mania, The Manyu