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
RigVeda
Krttika – The Six Swords of the Stars
An asterism of Bindrunes - 'Krittika'. Which I've constructed from ᚲ ᚱ ᛏ ᛏ ᚲ ᚨ (Kaunan, Raidho, Tiwaz Tiwaz, Kaunan, Ansuz); and which, well, it represents something rather important. Particularly for a certain 'Sword' of 'Divine Design' out there. 'Krttika' in Sanskrit means 'The Cutter' - and The Krttikas (plural) refer to the Pleiades. … Continue reading Krttika – The Six Swords of the Stars
Rahu – The Dark Graha And His Veiled Grasp
We begin to speak of a figure often veiled, an astrological potent who is, by definition, 'obscure' - and that, in the archaic Latin sense. The Graha - Rahu. Now before getting any further, it is necessary to provide a very brief overview of some relevant Hindu astrological understandings. The piece will unlikely make much … Continue reading Rahu – The Dark Graha And His Veiled Grasp
Sirius In Central Asia – Soma, Tisya, Tishtrya, Rudra
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
Midhvan for Monday – Lord Rudra’s Day
It is Monday - Lord Shiva's Day. And therefore - fine Roudran (A)Art-i. In this case - potentially - as Midhvan, and we shall explicate that term momentarily. Now, when one thinks of a figure of rather … apocalyptic significance turning up riding a white horse, it is perhaps rare that one's mind would immediately … Continue reading Midhvan for Monday – Lord Rudra’s Day
Vedic Dragon-Slaying In Sogdian Armour ? A Mural Of Panjikent
Something that has truly given me cause for wonder as we've been delving further into the mysteries of Indo-European Central Asia … is just how immediately recognizable certain myths, certain figures, certain truths remain even 'midst seemingly unfamiliar overlay. This fine rendering from Penjikent in modern-day Tajikistan is just such an instance. A Sogdian depiction, … Continue reading Vedic Dragon-Slaying In Sogdian Armour ? A Mural Of Panjikent
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
Ganesha – The Lord On The Gun
It is Tuesday - the Day of Mars (and, for that matter, Mangala). Therefore … an Indian Jawan ['soldier' or 'paramilitary'] with a certain devotional image tied to the foregrip of his rifle. Now, I have occasionally made semi-joking reference to the notion of "Gun-Esha". Of course, this is not the proper understandings for Lord … Continue reading Ganesha – The Lord On The Gun
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
On Robert Sepehr’s Spurious Suggestion That Vanaras Constituted A “Simian Slave Race”
Earlier today, an associate alerted me to some annoying remarks by one Rober Sepehr - a pseudo-anthropologist of dubious standing yet notable following, who appears to have made a small mint off conspiratorial ravings with a veneer of 'serious' sounding mythological referencing. This time, he's taken as his target some bizarre prognostications about a 'hidden history' … Continue reading On Robert Sepehr’s Spurious Suggestion That Vanaras Constituted A “Simian Slave Race”
arya-akasha 