It is Wednesday - Odin's Day - and so therefore, as has become our custom, some fine devotional (a)art-i. Except this exquisite piece is not from the Northlands of Scandinavia - rather, its provenance is that most mysterious of Indo-European lands … far-flung Central Asia. Khotan, amidst the deserts and mountains fringing China's western edge in … Continue reading Sirius In Central Asia – Soma, Tisya, Tishtrya, Rudra
Greek
Grandfather In The Sky – An Account Of Nuristani Imro Appearing To His Shamans, Situated In Indo-European Context
It is Wednesday - Woden's Day - and therefore, something a little different. This is another excerpt from Richard Strand's interview with the Nuristani Vasi headman, Zaman Xan, in 1973. See if you notice anything … familiar sounding from a comparative Indo-European perspective: Speaking of his tribe's shamans, and their manner for encountering Imra / … Continue reading Grandfather In The Sky – An Account Of Nuristani Imro Appearing To His Shamans, Situated In Indo-European Context
On Indo-European Nana
It is Friday - Devi's Day. And therefore … a most beautiful silver depiction from Chorasmia, in the heart of Central Asia. And one which, as per usual, I am going to take a completely different view of as compared to much of academia. Now, this style of depiction is not exclusively Chorasmian - far … Continue reading On Indo-European Nana
On Wolves Against Zoroastrian Identification
Something else that has been playing upon my mind as applies that fine Sogdian funerary sculpture's purported Zoroastrian provenancy … is the name of the Sogdian whose tomb it was. In his own language, it is Wirkak - that is to say, 'Wolf', from the same root a Sanskrit 'Vrka', etc. Now, why that is interesting … Continue reading On Wolves Against Zoroastrian Identification
On Bowing To The Gods – The Greek Perception (An Excerpt)
Now, when these debates come up in earnest around something as simple as bowing before a God - we inevitably find people objecting upon the basis of a rather skewed (mis-)understanding of history and scripture (yes, Indo-European religions have scripture - almost as if this is rather important as a feature of an enduring tradition … Continue reading On Bowing To The Gods – The Greek Perception (An Excerpt)
On Bowing To Gods – AND Drinking With Them !
I've had this image - and its underlying sentiment - on my mind for a few days now. It's something that often comes up in Western (neo-)pagan circles, and represents multiple layers of fundamental misapprehension about Indo-European religion. Indeed, it is very much a modern take - reflective of modern prejudices, (mis-)perceptions, and hangups - masquerading … Continue reading On Bowing To Gods – AND Drinking With Them !
Brief Overview Of Some Empowering Elixir Comparanda – Soma, Kvasir, Mead of Poetry, Ambrosia, etc.
As promised, short-form not-articles of broader interest. This is from an interaction about Soma / Kvasir / Mead of Poetry / Ambrosia, etc. etc.Begins:--We can tell that Soma & Kvasir *should* be the same substance based around the unmistakably coterminous elements contained in the Skaldskaparmal & Havamal mythology for the obtaining of the latter ... … Continue reading Brief Overview Of Some Empowering Elixir Comparanda – Soma, Kvasir, Mead of Poetry, Ambrosia, etc.
Hellenic Solidarity For Hindu NASA Intern A Bright Spark Amidst The Black
Earlier this week, NASA posted a tweet featuring four of its young interns at their workstations. One of these was a Hindu woman in a bindi - whose workspace featured several deific depictions (small statuettes, a miniature shivling, and a few pictures up on the walls).Now, sadly this was … a bit much for some … Continue reading Hellenic Solidarity For Hindu NASA Intern A Bright Spark Amidst The Black
On The Archaic Notion Of The Indo-European Demigod
Recently, in the course of a discussion elsewhere, an occasional correspondant - 'Indian History' on twitter - made mention of a most intriguing Sanskrit term he'd observed in a Hymnal of the RigVeda. We were discussing 'Demigods', and whether these were a more exclusively Greek / Classical phenomenon or something of a broader Indo-European provenance. … Continue reading On The Archaic Notion Of The Indo-European Demigod
Of Monsters And Demonstrations – An Excerpt
Monster, is from the same root as ‘Demonstrate’ – and interestingly, the ‘Mon’ within this is a form of PIE ‘Men’ (i.e. Spirit, Mind, Mental Activity .. and a potential root for ‘Man’/’Men’ as our species (self-)designation … a perhaps rather better one than ‘Doubly Wise Man’ (‘Homo Sapiens Sapiens’), but, then, I digress). It … Continue reading Of Monsters And Demonstrations – An Excerpt
arya-akasha 