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
Mahadeva
The Indo-European Cosmology – A Brief Guided Tour : Part One – Ritual Space And The Radiating Law
Two areas I have long intended to direct more effort towards extolling - are Indo-European Cosmology and Ritual. Both are fascinating, and as it happens, quite fundamentally coterminous much of the time. However, they're also both huge - and so instead of a series of five-to-fifty-thousand wor(l)d plus megaliths, I thought I'd try something a … Continue reading The Indo-European Cosmology – A Brief Guided Tour : Part One – Ritual Space And The Radiating Law
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
Gott In Himachal Pradesh – On The ShivLing Of Kinnaur Kailash [Incredible Indo-European Holy Sites Series Part I ]
It is Monday - Lord Shiva's Day! And therefore … we're starting our series on impressive Indo-European holy sites around the world, with this frankly amazing Shaivite place of pilgrimage - the ShivLing of Kinnaur Kailash, in Himachal Pradesh, India. We'll also be taking a brief look at how this site relates to comparable Western … Continue reading Gott In Himachal Pradesh – On The ShivLing Of Kinnaur Kailash [Incredible Indo-European Holy Sites Series Part I ]
ARYAN – IRMIN – UGRA MAN ?
It often seems that everybody knows, and is correspondingly keen to claim the mantle of "Aryan". And it is understandably so. The term is the most archaic Indo-European ethnonym we readily have directly available to us. Which should not be confused for its being a general nor generalized Indo-European ethnonym - as it is a … Continue reading ARYAN – IRMIN – UGRA MAN ?
The Subtle Play Of Lord Shiva’s Wit
There is a saying, in English - "Man Plans, Fate Laughs"; and it has … somewhat 'darker' counterparts in Old Norse, with tales of the intent of this or that narrative agonist ("protagonist", he may also be - although agonist (the "agon" as "struggle") is probably much more apt, not least due to the less … Continue reading The Subtle Play Of Lord Shiva’s Wit
“An Immortality Beyond Stone Endures Through Pious Minds Of Men” – A Reflection Upon Relics And Reverency
A fine rendering of a Shiva Murti, with an important message to convey. And yes, I do say that it is a 'fine rendering' regardless of the physical damage which has been wrought upon it in the image. Indeed, in much the same manner that it is rather difficult to perceive the constellation of Orion … Continue reading “An Immortality Beyond Stone Endures Through Pious Minds Of Men” – A Reflection Upon Relics And Reverency
Swear By The Sea, Swear By The Stars, Swear By The Sky – On The Mytholinguistics Of Varuna Neptune Ouranos
Within the realms of Indo-European mytho-theology, there are some areas wherein the paths of connectivity grow dark, occluded, hidden amidst the mists of time and conceptual space. This does not mean that they are not there - only that we aren't sure what the precise course of their path may be. And in the absence … Continue reading Swear By The Sea, Swear By The Stars, Swear By The Sky – On The Mytholinguistics Of Varuna Neptune Ouranos
OF BHAIRAVA AND BALANCE, Vedic, Eddic, and Homeric perspectives upon Lore and Order [Part 4D] KankalaMurti (Habeas Corpus) – The Inception Of Divine Reconciliation As The Beginnings Of Atonement
The 'short-form' rendition of the Tale of Bhairava, Brahma-Slayer, generally has Him pursued by the Brahmahatya personification until He reaches the Holy City of Varanasi/Kashi, whereupon Bhairava's symbolic act of penance is completed, the Skull of Brahma falls from His Mighty Blood-Stained Hand ['KapalaMochana'] and the Brahmahatya sinks into the ground mere meters from the … Continue reading OF BHAIRAVA AND BALANCE, Vedic, Eddic, and Homeric perspectives upon Lore and Order [Part 4D] KankalaMurti (Habeas Corpus) – The Inception Of Divine Reconciliation As The Beginnings Of Atonement