"Because stories are important.People think that stories are shaped by people. In fact, it's the other way around. Stories exist independently of their players. If you know that, the knowledge is power. Stories, great flapping ribbons of shaped space-time, have been blowing and uncoiling around the universe since the beginning of time. And they have … Continue reading On The Nature Of Stories (viz. Myth and Mythic Resonance) – From Terry Pratchett
Myth And you
On Indo-European ‘Glory Imperishable’ And Becoming The Myth
The brightest stars do tend to burn up upon re-entry. But oh how they shine on the way out ! ἀριστεία - Aristea - refers to 'Excellence',κλέος - Kleos - to 'Renown', 'Glory'. The result of said Excellence. Grand exemplars are to be found - of course - within the Iliad. We are literally still … Continue reading On Indo-European ‘Glory Imperishable’ And Becoming The Myth
A Few Musings On Myth, Ritual, Reality, And Rsis
Yesterday, I happened across the following quote posted on twitter: "Cult expresses itself in two ways: myth and ritual. While myths are sacred stories about Gods and Goddesses, ritual is a symbolic act which expresses a mystic relationship between man and Deity."-Swami Bhajanananda This was being responded to by the modern-day Hindu sage Angiras, and … Continue reading A Few Musings On Myth, Ritual, Reality, And Rsis
The Near-Dioscuri Experience Of Simonides The Pious Poet
I found this rather amusing. Per Cicero, there is a tale of the Greek poet Simonides having a near-death experience. Or, we should say - a Near Dioscuri experience ! Simonides had been commissioned to eulogize the sporting victory of Scopas at a banquet held by the latter. In the course of doing so, the … Continue reading The Near-Dioscuri Experience Of Simonides The Pious Poet
On The Correct Understanding Of Myth, Mythos, And Mythology
Something I have been meaning to do for some time now, is set out in grander detail the true meaning of the term Myth - and how 'Mythology' is NOT a synonym for 'Fantasy', 'Fallacy', 'Falsehood', 'Fiction'. And, from there, segue into speaking about the concepts of 'Mythic Truth' relative to the more ordinary, mundane, … Continue reading On The Correct Understanding Of Myth, Mythos, And Mythology
An Immortality Of Stone And Storied Deeds – The Jatayu Colossus of Kerala
I have often maintained that India is a place wherein the past - and here, I mean the folk-memory inherent in Mythic recollections and retellings - is not merely 'remembered', nor 'commemorated' … but actively re-immanentized into the living present. This is one reason why it has still-living, still-vibrant Indo-European mytho-religious tradition. Now, what we … Continue reading An Immortality Of Stone And Storied Deeds – The Jatayu Colossus of Kerala
OF BHAIRAVA AND BALANCE – Vedic, Eddic, and Homeric perspectives on Lore and Order [Part 3B]: The Vengeance of Athena, The Wrath of Poseidon, The Hubris Of Ajax the Lesser And Also Of The Undutiful Greeks
Two further points shall be made here before we move on to our third comparative example, and thence ultimately to our conclusions and instruction resulting therefrom for the Modern Indo-European Man [technically speaking, this is "man" in a less-gendered than usual sense - 'thinking being', or 'Child of Man(n)u(s)', I mean] . The first of … Continue reading OF BHAIRAVA AND BALANCE – Vedic, Eddic, and Homeric perspectives on Lore and Order [Part 3B]: The Vengeance of Athena, The Wrath of Poseidon, The Hubris Of Ajax the Lesser And Also Of The Undutiful Greeks
OF BHAIRAVA AND BALANCE – Vedic, Eddic, and Homeric perspectives on Lore and Order [Part 3A]: Ajax the Lesser and Athena’s Right Arm Of Vengeance
Consider the figure of Ajax the Lesser. Specifically in the context of his actions during and after the Sack of Troy. Here, we see a number of accounts attesting that Ajax (the Lesser) had sought booty of war by pillaging even into the Temple of Athena - grabbing hold of Cassandra, who had been taking … Continue reading OF BHAIRAVA AND BALANCE – Vedic, Eddic, and Homeric perspectives on Lore and Order [Part 3A]: Ajax the Lesser and Athena’s Right Arm Of Vengeance
OF BHAIRAVA AND BALANCE – Vedic, Eddic, and Homeric Perspectives Upon Lore And Order In The Indo-European World View [Part 1]
One of my favourite myths from the Hindu - and more especially, Shaivite - legendarium, is that which surrounds Kaal Bhairava. Not merely because it is there are some cool happenings within it, or because we see one of the two best-presented incidences of an Axe as a Roudran Theological Argument [the other, of course, … Continue reading OF BHAIRAVA AND BALANCE – Vedic, Eddic, and Homeric Perspectives Upon Lore And Order In The Indo-European World View [Part 1]
On The Mytholinguistics Of War [Part 1]
In many ways, it is not at all a controversial thing to assert that War is rather fundamental to the Indo-European View of the Universe. One of the first mythemes that almost everybody tends to identify when they begin their journey along the skeins of comparative Indo-European mythography - is that of the 'Chaoskampf', the … Continue reading On The Mytholinguistics Of War [Part 1]