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
RudraGanika
Yoginis, Valkyries, Maenads – The Sky Father’s Mesocosmic Female Retinue In Brief [Arya Akasha Arka]
Very cool. Originally posted by Manasataramgini, who had captioned the image: "The shaiva shrine of kukaDeshvara showing the niches with the yoginI-s in rudra's retinue" https://twitter.com/blog_supplement/status/1752177832258626011 Now, a brief word on the comparative Indo-European theology from me … In broader IE terms a similar pattern of association is observed with Dionysus and His Maenads (inter … Continue reading Yoginis, Valkyries, Maenads – The Sky Father’s Mesocosmic Female Retinue In Brief [Arya Akasha Arka]
On The ‘Interpretatio Germanica’ Of Odin
In the dying days for the past year, we had yet another brew-up of that perennial comparative IE misapprehension that we can succinctly surmise as "Jupiter is Thor", with a side-order of "because Tacitus said so". Now, as it should happen, Tacitus in fact said no such thing (and indeed, it's the Hercules that Tacitus … Continue reading On The ‘Interpretatio Germanica’ Of Odin
Homage to the Rudras of Horse and Chariot
It is Monday Night - Lord Shiva's Night - And therefore … an evocative modern illustration. It is from a series of such commissioned by the well-known Shaivite monastery in Hawaii. And what is it illustrating ? Well, I would say that it is the suite of verses known from the Yajurveda [TS IV 5 … Continue reading Homage to the Rudras of Horse and Chariot
On The Wolves Of Rudra – The Terrific, Well-Storied Wolves And Wolf Forms Of The Indo-European Sky Father [A Further Excerpt – On Werewolves & Wolf Priests]
Concluding Remarks – Whilst The Wolf Still Howls, There Is Hope [ IX ] We have covered a truly remarkable swathe of territory in this piece. Far more than I had initially intended – and with quite some ground yet left for a mostly-written follow-up. I had originally intended the ninth section to look at … Continue reading On The Wolves Of Rudra – The Terrific, Well-Storied Wolves And Wolf Forms Of The Indo-European Sky Father [A Further Excerpt – On Werewolves & Wolf Priests]
Chamunda – Brief Conceptual Resonancies For The Storm Facing Of Wrathful Sky Divinity
It is Friday - Devi's Day - And so therefore, as has become our custom, we present a brief commentary to go with a beautiful work of (A)Arti-fice ... In this case, a fine sandstone sculpture, about a thousand years old. Something which manages to convey a sense of Her 'Forcefulness', Her 'Essence' ... even … Continue reading Chamunda – Brief Conceptual Resonancies For The Storm Facing Of Wrathful Sky Divinity
‘Send the Wolves’ – Demons And Demon-Worshippers Driven Out From The Vedic Sacred Space By The Howling Hounds Of Heaven : An Exaltation !
Ever since I first read of it, this Vedic myth (and ritual operation) has resonated most potently within my mind. It deals with an 'exorcism' of sorts. One wherein a coterie of 'priests of demons' being fought by Indra are hurled into the howling demesne that is as the 'Gates of the Underworld' - the … Continue reading ‘Send the Wolves’ – Demons And Demon-Worshippers Driven Out From The Vedic Sacred Space By The Howling Hounds Of Heaven : An Exaltation !
Encountering The Great Hunter In The Wild – And Receiving His Arrow
Here's two depictions of a most particular encounter between Arjuna and … a certain Hunter (and His Wife), in the course of the Mahabharata. First, an illustration by Shobha Rajagopalan. This depicts both Arjuna and the Kirata (Who should be looking pretty familiar) engaged in the hunting of a (demonic) Boar. Now, of course, the … Continue reading Encountering The Great Hunter In The Wild – And Receiving His Arrow
Of Goddesses, Gods, and Ghosts at the Crossroads – A Comparative Indo-European Exploration
It fascinates me how our various Indo-European religions 'interlock'. Both in terms of the way that the same (or highly similar) elements co-occur in recognizable format across various of these, even separated by millennia or many thousands of kilometers; yet also in the way that a fulsome understanding of one can help to 'unlock' the … Continue reading Of Goddesses, Gods, and Ghosts at the Crossroads – A Comparative Indo-European Exploration
On The Army of Kali
Finger-Snapping Intensifies Kali - and Dakinis , striding forth from the Smashana (Cremation Ground). We would, perhaps, suggest that this is a 'Smashana *krewh₂-' As in a 'Crew' … but using that particular Proto-Indo-European term which stands for 'Cold Blood' (in contrast to *h₁ésh₂r̥ - 'hot-blood', 'alive-blood'). This informs Sanskrit 'Kravya' (क्रव्य - 'raw flesh', … Continue reading On The Army of Kali
arya-akasha 