It seems the most logical, natural thing in the world - and certainly, we have amply attested acknowledgement for this in and about multiple Indo-European spheres. Yet somehow , the situation of the Thunderbolt has become something of a 'cudgel' with which some have sought to 'beat' deifics such as Odin and Shiva out of … Continue reading A Thunderbolt For The Sky Father – Amidst The Burning Branches Of Demon-Smiting Lightning
Thunderbolt
‘For Want Of A Horse’ – On The Proper Perspective Upon Ritual Offerings And Why The ‘Asva’ Of ‘Asvamedha’ Is Held To Be Necessary As Same
Over the weekend, we had received a question from a reader as to the reasoning underpinning the Asvamedha - the Horse Sacrifice. Specifically, why would one offer a horse given the high value of such a creature in the late Bronze Age / early Iron Age milieu. Now, several people proffered suggestions as to the answer here, … Continue reading ‘For Want Of A Horse’ – On The Proper Perspective Upon Ritual Offerings And Why The ‘Asva’ Of ‘Asvamedha’ Is Held To Be Necessary As Same
On The Equinox War-Rites Of The Indo-Europeans
The 19th of March, per the Roman calendar, marks a prominent observance to Minerva - so named 'Quinquatria' due to its occurring on the fifth day ('Quinque') following the Ides of March. And, as should perhaps come as a surprise to no-one by this point, we happened to notice some rather significant points of Indo-European … Continue reading On The Equinox War-Rites Of The Indo-Europeans
The War-Stones Of The Altar
I Have Theology For That Now, when I say that, I get the sense that some of you think I'm joking. Or that I just have some abstract concept in my head. No, I literally have theology for that. In fact, not just theology, but astrology, too ! Shatapatha Brahmana II 1 2 : "13 … Continue reading The War-Stones Of The Altar
Adorned By The Mantle Of Fire And The Masque Of Death
A fitting image, we had felt, to resonate with a figure encountered at various points in our work over this past year, and that we might perhaps think of as something of a 'Para-Kali' or even 'Proto-Kali' (and, of course, Chandika / Chamunda, and Durga, are also heavily in-mind here for reasons that ought prove … Continue reading Adorned By The Mantle Of Fire And The Masque Of Death
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
On Indo-European Solar Warfare – An Over-View
This week just gone marked Diwali (Deepavali) - the rather aptly translated 'Festival of Lights'. Which, as seemingly every once-over-lightly-for-a-Western-audience writeup seeks to swiftly remind us, exalts the 'Victory of Light over Darkness". It's a simple enough concept - and has near-infinite potential saliency (c.f., for instance the Solar Eclipse occurring in Svati immediately the … Continue reading On Indo-European Solar Warfare – An Over-View
On The Meaning Of Dragons – An Indo-European Exploration : Part Three – The Custodian of Colchis , The Draconic Defender Of The Nemean Naos Dios
Now, there are two key points that we wish to make viz. this circumstance of the Colchisian Dragon (and we shall leave certain comments viz. Medea and other such potent female figures in relation to the Dragons for another day). The first of which being that it is quite clear that the specific suite of … Continue reading On The Meaning Of Dragons – An Indo-European Exploration : Part Three – The Custodian of Colchis , The Draconic Defender Of The Nemean Naos Dios
On The Meaning Of Dragons – An Indo-European Exploration [Introduction & Part One – The Problem of Perception And The Horrific Hostile Hellenic Herpeton]
Some years ago, I happened across a remark of the great Argentine author, Jorge Luis Borges, on the subject of dragons: "We do not know what the dragon means, just as we do not know the meaning of the universe, but there is something in the image of the dragon that is congenial to man’s imagination and … Continue reading On The Meaning Of Dragons – An Indo-European Exploration [Introduction & Part One – The Problem of Perception And The Horrific Hostile Hellenic Herpeton]
Devi Athena Arms The Warrior Of The Divine
It's Friday - Devi's Day And so, therefore, a fine sculpted depiction from the series of Classically inspired works by Karl Heinrich Möller that adorn the Schlossbrücke in Berlin. In this case, 'Athena Arms The Warrior' ('Athena bewaffnet den Krieger') - which we would consider to be an expression of a typology prominent not only … Continue reading Devi Athena Arms The Warrior Of The Divine
arya-akasha 