With Naga Panchami - the Celebration of Serpents - just concluded, it seemed an admirable time to return to something we have oft mentioned in passing in the past. That being the most implacable figures of the Erinyes … and the perhaps lesser-known deific that is at Their Head. And, because this is an Arya … Continue reading Upon The Erinyes As ‘Sentinel Serpents’ – And Athena As ‘Dragon Queen’
Dionysus
The Spirits Of Ash And Fury – A RUDRAGANIKA Resonancy
It is Monday - Lord Rudra's Day - And therefore … absolutely amazing illustration by HC to further accompany our RUDRAGANIKA work looking at His Female Retinue. What we have hailed here as the Rudraganika we also find encounterable amidst the other and more westerly Indo-European spheres - as the Maenad (or the Meliae, etc.), … Continue reading The Spirits Of Ash And Fury – A RUDRAGANIKA Resonancy
The Indo-European ShivLing – Some Brief Comparative Points [Arya Akasha Arka]
Literally the same Deity. Rudra (Shiva) & Odin. To this, if we were really going to get into it, we would also be adding an array of other stone or wood focal points for worship of the Sky Father deific, found throughout the Indo-European sphere. Indeed, not just 'focal points' in the sense of altar-stones … Continue reading The Indo-European ShivLing – Some Brief Comparative Points [Arya Akasha Arka]
On Becoming Rudra – The Indo-European Investiture Of The Divine Essence In Ritual And Beyond
It is Wednesday ! Odin's Day ! And so therefore, some absolutely excellent (A)Art-i and accompanying commentary upon the relevant Indo-European theological precept, in His Name - quite literally, as it should happen. The art is by HC - and was initially destined to evocatively illustrate a section of my ongoing RUDRAGANIKA series.Yet it … … Continue reading On Becoming Rudra – The Indo-European Investiture Of The Divine Essence In Ritual And Beyond
Extraordinary Rendition – Specifically, Limb From Limb : Sambhunjati – A RUDRAGANIKA Excerpt
We present a further excerpt from our RUDRAGANIKA work - this time, looking at a most intriguing co-expression in the Vedic, Hellenic, and Nordic spheres. That of figures drawn from this female retinue of the Sky Father 'playing with Their food', and tearing apart wrongdoers. Whilst also weaving webs of fate using the entrails. This … Continue reading Extraordinary Rendition – Specifically, Limb From Limb : Sambhunjati – A RUDRAGANIKA Excerpt
Sculpture Of A Maenad In Offering
A most intriguing sculpted depiction of a Maenad, an embodied expression of the female retinue members of Dionysus. Now, as we have said - the Maenads are often approached as simply being 'frenzied' devotees of Dionysus. However, they are much more complex figures. The 'frenzy' is in fact 'furor' - they are 'inspired', and bearing … Continue reading Sculpture Of A Maenad In Offering
On The Hair Colouration Of Greek Gods
Recently, we had seen a comment that read the following: "Even though the vast population of Greeks were brunettes, their gods were always blond." Now, this fine mosaic depicting Poseidon and Amphitrite is, in fact, a Roman one from the 300s AD - but one shall, perhaps, immediately observe Poseidon's rather impressive blue hair. Indeed, … Continue reading On The Hair Colouration Of Greek Gods
The Spirits Of Ash, Milk, & Honey – A RUDRAGANIKA Excerpt
An excerpt from my recent RUDRAGANIKA (A)Arti-cle looking at the Female Retinue of the Indo-European Sky Father - in this piece, uncovering the remarkable concordancy of elements concerning members of this Retinue as tenders to the Axis Mundi, the World Tree or Sthambha. This is particularly oriented toward the Ash Nymphs, although also links into … Continue reading The Spirits Of Ash, Milk, & Honey – A RUDRAGANIKA Excerpt
The Thiasos Of Dionysus – A Rudraganika Excerpt
A further excerpt from my recent ' RUDRAGANIKA ' (A)Arti-cle, looking at the female Retinue of the Indo-European Sky Father deific. This time, oriented toward the 'Thiasos' ( θίασος ) processional that accompanies Dionysus (and, entirely uncoincidentally, Poseidon). The full-length piece can be found here: https://aryaakasha.com/2022/03/08/rudraganika-a-study-in-eternal-return-as-manifested-through-the-sky-fathers-female-retinue-across-the-indo-european-world/ Art, as per usual, by HC - who has … Continue reading The Thiasos Of Dionysus – A Rudraganika Excerpt
On The Etymology Of Bacchus – The Roarer
[illustration appears to be by a Jim Tierney] When it comes to Dionysus, there are various elements which are … challenging to make sense of. This is as it should be. One of these concerns the likely etymology - and therefore meaning - of one of His most prominent theonymics: Bacchus (or Bakkhos, Βάκχος, etc.). Usually … Continue reading On The Etymology Of Bacchus – The Roarer