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
Shyena
A Brief Note On Tvastr As Dyaus
We had a question to the page about why I'd placed Dyaus and Tvastr in the same spaces on a recent image. A good question. I have long maintained that Tvastr is also an expression of the Indo-European Sky Father deific [i.e. Dyaus Pitar]. I have sketched out the typology for the Masque of the … Continue reading A Brief Note On Tvastr As Dyaus
The ShivLing – A Guide To The Cosmos [ Glorious Modern Hindu Art (of) Post For MahaShivRatri ]
Another favourite Shaivite work of (A)Art-i for #MahaShivRatri - this depicts a ShivLing , which we might succinctly describe as a Shaivite Altar, although which has as its essence both the Axis Mundi of the universe entire and the Sthambha - the Sacrificial Post - of the Vedic religion. It is closely correlate with the … Continue reading The ShivLing – A Guide To The Cosmos [ Glorious Modern Hindu Art (of) Post For MahaShivRatri ]
Thursday – Jupiter’s Day, Brihaspati’s Day Rather Than Thor’s Day
It is Thursday - Jupiter's Day ; or, in the Hindu reckoning, Brihaspati's Day. Now, there is an obvious disconnect here between Thursday as Thor's Day … and the day being regarded as the Day of the Thundering Sky Father. This is due to the Interpretatio Romana framework as wielded by post-Christianization figures having some … Continue reading Thursday – Jupiter’s Day, Brihaspati’s Day Rather Than Thor’s Day
On Odin As Agni
Part One: Kindling The Flame In a number of my previous works now, I have established the fundamental equation of the Odin of the Eddic mythology with the Shiva of the Vedic sphere. I have also shown how the Rudra, the Brihaspati, the Agni, the Vayu, the Parjanya of the Vedas - are also all Faces, … Continue reading On Odin As Agni
The Sea Horse Of Sovereignty – On Hellenic Poseidon , Vedic Varuna, Scythian Thagimasidas , And The Essential Equine Elevator-Empowerer Of The Ancient Indo-European King
Something that has long puzzled commentators is the strong association of the Greek figure of Poseidon with the Horse. This is incredibly prominent within the Poseidonic mythology - the form taken by Poseidon in His pursuit of Demeter Erinyes, for instance, or that of the Son born to that union, Arion (The Pegasus, likewise, is … Continue reading The Sea Horse Of Sovereignty – On Hellenic Poseidon , Vedic Varuna, Scythian Thagimasidas , And The Essential Equine Elevator-Empowerer Of The Ancient Indo-European King
Red Bull – The Indo-European Sky Father And A Certain Empowering Brew
Something I have often taken a bit of pleasure in, is finding the 'echoes' of underlying archaic Indo-European symbolism amidst the wreckage of the modern world. In various cases, these are 'traces' that were probably not consciously intended as such by their contemporary authors - and yet which nevertheless have some fundamental, recurring resonancy back … Continue reading Red Bull – The Indo-European Sky Father And A Certain Empowering Brew
Foe-Slayer Claims Our Eulogy – Understanding RigVeda VIII 100: Indra, Vak
Every so often, we come across a Hymnal that really really deserves a broader audience. In this case, RV VIII 100 - which details a rather lesser-known element to the Slaying of Vritra by Indra. Namely, the salient role of Vak Devi (Saraswati) in this conflict. It therefore seemed most appropriate to prepare a brief … Continue reading Foe-Slayer Claims Our Eulogy – Understanding RigVeda VIII 100: Indra, Vak
Hail Hydra-Slayer: On The Mythic Combat Of Herakles And Athena – Indra And Vak Saraswati, Against The Demon-Dragon Of The Water
Herakles against the Hydra, Indra against Vritra - these are surely some of the best-known mythic combats in each of the Greek/Classical and Vedic/Hindu legendariums. Similarities immediately begin to suggest themselves - clearly, each is a fight of the Thunderer/Striker against a Demon-Dragon that is to be found 'midst waters. However, there is another, less … Continue reading Hail Hydra-Slayer: On The Mythic Combat Of Herakles And Athena – Indra And Vak Saraswati, Against The Demon-Dragon Of The Water
Soma Kvasir Abbreviated – The Myth of the Mead of Poetry, Distilled
In a bid to make some of the content from last week's Soma and the Mead of Poetry article more accessible, I've compiled a brief side-by-side comparative of the most important direct equivalencies we've identified between these, drawn from the Skaldskaparmal and various Vedic hymnals: Eddic - Vedic - Meaning E: Kvasir - V: Soma … Continue reading Soma Kvasir Abbreviated – The Myth of the Mead of Poetry, Distilled
