The Indo-European Divine Rite Of The Covenant In Vafþrúðnismál ? Some Preliminary Notes

Because it's been awhile since I put out properly finished content - here's what you might consider some 'working notes'. Basically, a slightly edited version of a reply I'd put together for two gentlemen in discussion of a particular pair of verses from the Vafþrúðnismál, which upon the surface would appear to quite considerably resonate with my contemplations … Continue reading The Indo-European Divine Rite Of The Covenant In Vafþrúðnismál ? Some Preliminary Notes

The ‘Golden Hair’ Of Indra – The Reality To An Oft-Cited RigVedic Verse

I've seen this RigVedic verse - RV X 96 8 - come up several times in the past few weeks; quoted (in English only) by persons seemingly looking to assert that Indra was purportedly in possession of both hair and beard of blond, in the manner of some rather particular stereotype of Northern European (or, … Continue reading The ‘Golden Hair’ Of Indra – The Reality To An Oft-Cited RigVedic Verse

A Post For The Sky Father [Arya Akasha Arka]

I had intended to have this up on Monday - Lord Shiva's Day - however the brief overview for the concept turned itself into a half-written full-length article. Instead of that, we shall just observe that the Indo-European Sky Father being engaged with in these recurrent iterations of Post/Pillar or Tree, speaks to a significant … Continue reading A Post For The Sky Father [Arya Akasha Arka]

Why We Offer To The Gods [Part Three: I Bring The Fire]

In our previous installments, we had sought to extoll two key elements. For the first - some brief textual attestations of Roman and Vedic provenance for the concept of the Gods being actively supported ("subsist[ing]", as one translated section had it) through our offerings to Them through the proper rites. Which is, of course, a … Continue reading Why We Offer To The Gods [Part Three: I Bring The Fire]

Why We Offer To The Gods [Part Two: Irrigating The Worlds With Blood-Dimmed Tide]

As you can see there from the title, our intent with these linked pieces has been to take a look at one of the more foundational questions to the Indo-European theology. Namely, why it is that we carry out rites of sacrifice and offering to the Gods in the first place. I suspect that for … Continue reading Why We Offer To The Gods [Part Two: Irrigating The Worlds With Blood-Dimmed Tide]

On The Symbolism Of The Gigantes & Gigantomachy [Part One: He Shall Tread]

We had earlier received a question as to the iconography of the Gigantes of Classical myth - more specifically, what was up with the Serpents they so prominently feature instead of legs in an array of renderings. And, because it's a very, very cool illustration for the concept - here's a beautiful 2nd-3rd Century (BC) … Continue reading On The Symbolism Of The Gigantes & Gigantomachy [Part One: He Shall Tread]

Why We Offer To The Gods [Part One: The Integral Performance]

It is occasionally intriguing how various elements 'turn up'. I had been looking for a particular quotation on an unrelated matter (from G.K. Chesterton, as it happens), and had somehow happened across the following passages from Lucian's "Zeus Tragoedus" (Ζεὺς Τραγῳδός) (often translated somewhat loosely as "Zeus Rants"). And, at just about the same time, … Continue reading Why We Offer To The Gods [Part One: The Integral Performance]

Dawn & Dyaus

I'd recently been tagged in a post commenting upon the (Proto-)Indo-European Dawn Goddess [said deific underpinning the Hellenic figure of Eos - beautifully rendered here by Yliade], which had borne the following line:  "She was probably the child of the Dyēus Phter, the Sky-Father ." And, me being me, this precipitated a rather … extended … Continue reading Dawn & Dyaus

Diwija Dualis [Part One: Divinity, Co-Invoked In Stone]

For some reason, I found these absolutely beautiful. Three facings to the same rather large (as in, it's around two meters tall) marble block, unearthed at Corinth in 1974 - it'd been shifted and integrated into a Byzantine-era wall. The female figures are reasonably straightforwardly identified as Kore (Persephone) and Demeter, with the male figure … Continue reading Diwija Dualis [Part One: Divinity, Co-Invoked In Stone]