If I were going to craft a (Greco-)Roman Durgā 'resonance' representation for one of these Durgā Puja Pandals which are the custom in West Bengal (there is a rather fine Athena resonant effort I have posted previously) - I would have drawn upon Juno Sospita & Quiritis (Curitis). This is Juno the Warrior, the epithets being 'The … Continue reading Durgā Interpretatio For The Present Devotional Season
Interpretatio Romana
Prometheus & Ithax, Saboteur of Sacrifice – Part One: The Emissary of the Anti-Divine
As applies Prometheus - everybody knows the main 'pop-culture' narrative. But what if there was an additional reason that Prometheus deserved the outcome - and for Prometheus to have wanted to interfere with setting down the formulaic metaphysics of sacrifice to begin with… Now, here is the key detail - a fragment transmitted via Hesychius … Continue reading Prometheus & Ithax, Saboteur of Sacrifice – Part One: The Emissary of the Anti-Divine
The Kouretes And The Rudras
Beautiful rendition of the Kouretes (Curetes) carrying out Their Dance about the newborn youthful Zeus (the infant at the base - there's a tripartite Thunderbolt behind Him also). Their Dance with its noise was undertaken to shield Zeus from Kronos - It was a … Safety Dance Now, I didn't just post this in order … Continue reading The Kouretes And The Rudras
Psychopompi Germanica – And Why It’s Not Odin
In recent days I have run into a rather recurrent skein of assertions about Odin purportedly being a "Psychopomp". Now as for why this has kept coming up - the context has been fairly much what you'd expect. Namely, people looking to affirm an accuracy for that well-known 'Interpretatio' from Tacitus, whereby Odin is inferred … Continue reading Psychopompi Germanica – And Why It’s Not Odin
The Inadequate ‘Interpretatio’ Of Odin – A Grimm Exemplar
Following one of those 'spirited' exchanges in relation to the theology of Odin some days ago (you know the type - an affronted (and affronting!) multi-paragraph "HE'S NOT MY REAL (SKY) FATHER!" column, which is then thrust … in my direction / into an ambush / into next week, by the time I've finished writing … Continue reading The Inadequate ‘Interpretatio’ Of Odin – A Grimm Exemplar
The Thunderbolt (And Storm Shield) Of Athena – A Brief Compilation
Recently, we'd had somebody write in via the site with relation to the 'Storm' characteristic in association with Athena. It's something which one should think would enjoy more prominence in the perception as to the Goddess - but despite various attestations from around the Classical legendaria, as well as the strong implicit sense to such a prospect … Continue reading The Thunderbolt (And Storm Shield) Of Athena – A Brief Compilation
The Cailleach – Brief Comparanda [Arya Akasha Arka]
Happened across this impressive rendition earlier this evening, by the inimitable Angus McBride (known for both Osprey and certain tabletop RPG offerings). It depicts the Cailleach Bheur - effectively synonymous with the Cailleach Bhéarra (see Hull 1927, inter alia), also known as Buí , the Wife of Lugh. She is a figure of far broader … Continue reading The Cailleach – Brief Comparanda [Arya Akasha Arka]
Halloween, Diwali, Kali Puja, Amavasya Syzygy
Interesting Syzygy tonight : it's Halloween and Diwali. And also, if you're in Bengal and/or my house, Kālī Pūjā. These latter two being because it's also an Amāvasyā [Night of No Moon] tonight, as well. As for what that is, the Amāvasyā of each month [where the Sun and Moon 'dwell (-vāsya) together (amā-)'] has … Continue reading Halloween, Diwali, Kali Puja, Amavasya Syzygy
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]
arya-akasha 