#pie reconstructionism
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looking-at-the-deiwos · 3 months ago
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Páusōn
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Or as I write it, Páuson. Also known as Páhuson (with a hard h like the h in loch) or Péh₂usōn. His name means "Protector".
Páuson is the god of shepherds, nature, doorways, roads, paths, traveling, animals, forests and hunting; He also acts as a psychopomp.
He is the god of the liminal, the in-between. He guards travelers, merchants, and other go-betweens. He guards herds, sources of wealth, as well. He may thus be prayed to both as an opener of the ways and as a giver of prosperity.
He is characterized as a liminal deity himself, being in a way an in-between between man and animal in the depictions of his descendants. The figure of the horned god corresponds well to how he would be depicted.
Finally, he seems to have had a connection to fertility and sexuality, especially granting sexual prowess
He also had the names K̑ṝnónos and Pṇtóspotis according to this source
Offerings
taken from here
Coins or pieces of valuable metals
Depictions or imagery related to goats
Goat's milk
silver and gold beads
Sheperd's crook
Depictions or imagery related to crossroads
goat horns, fur or leather (ethically sourced)
symbols of abundance
lantern (related to his dominion over travel and his role as psychopomp)
Devotional acts
Travel to new places
Go on hiking in nature
Take care of the forest
Pick up trash you see on the road
Take care of your financial security
Learn about nature preservation programs in your area
Associations
Goats
Forests
Shepherds
Roads
Travels
the Wild in nature
Money
Commerce
Yew
Wednesday
April
Descendants in later pantheons
Pan (Greek)
Hermes (Greek)
Faunus (Roman)
Mercury (Greek)
Pushan (Vedic)
Cernunnos (Celtic)
Finally, here's his wikipedia article
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faith-of-the-wheel · 26 days ago
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Rudlós part 2.5: Additional possible cognates
Some other possible reflexes of Rudlos are much harder to prove and provide, in my opinion, little additional detail. They might corroborate previously shown characteristics. Many of these are Celtic(Gaulic) deities who are poorly attested but whose symbology may be more helpful than the very poorly attested, but linguistically relevant, Rudianos/Rudiobus. Many continental Germanic and Celtic deities are represented by kennings and epithets, rather than their 'original' names. As Ceisiwr Serith (2009) suggests in his book about ancient PIE religion, this may have been common for many cultures descended from the PIE language groups; to utter the name of a god was to attract their attention, which was not always desired. And to shower one in descriptive epithets was to prove devotion and knowledge of them in prayer.
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Faunus/Silvanus
The name Faunus is generally thought to stem from Proto-Italic *fawe or *fawono (variant *fawōn(jo)), cognate with Umbrian fons(foner) meaning 'merciful'. It may ultimately derive from PIE *bʰh₂u-n ('favourable'), which also reflects Old Irish búan ('good, favourable, firm') and Middle Welsh bun ('maiden, sweetheart').
Another theory(Briquel, 1974, and Sergent, 1991) contends that Faunus is the Latin outcome of PIE *dhau-no- ('the strangler', thus denoting the 'wolf'. Somehow.), a proposition suggested by the fact that the two Luperci ("wolf-men", from Latin lupus, 'wolf') are commonly treated as temporary priests of the god Faunus.
He strongly associated with Pan, and would alter be depicted in a similar manner. However, the oldest depictions do not ascribe bestial features to him at all. It is believed that he was worshiped by traditional Roman farmers in another capacity before he became a nature deity. He was associated directly by the ancient, and at times seemingly identical, Lupercus.
The name Silvānus is a derivation from Latin silva ('forest, wood'). It is cognate with the Latin words silvester ('wild, not cultivated'), silvicola ('inhabiting woodlands') or silvaticus ('of woodlands or scrub'). The earlier etymology of silva is unclear.
He was associated with Mars, who is also sometimes depicted wearing a wolf's pelt, and seeing as Cato refers to him consistently as Mars Silvanus, giving him a warlike, martial aspect, and a solid wolf connection. Silvanus as an aspect of Mars combined with his association with forests and glades, give context to the worship of Silvanus as the giver of the art of forest(read ambush/mobile stealthy) warfare. In particular, the initiation rituals of the Evocati appear to have referenced Silvanus as a protective god of raiding for women and cattle. Some have argued that this could be Etruscan influence but it would line up very well with our already established character of Rudlos as a god of aggressive warfare, wild nature, and the village plundering, cattle/women stealing Koryos/Mannerbund.
Hraste and Vukovic connect Faunus/Silvanus to Rudra/Shiva. To qoute:
" Contemporary history of religion affirms that Roman Faunus and Silvanus represent the same divinity. This article argues for the Indo-European parallel between Faunus/Silvanus and Vedic Rudra/Shiva based on several similarities. They both possess two names that should be interpreted thus: one as wild and savage (Silvanus/Rudra) and the other as favorable and propitious (Faunus/Shiva). The male divinity can appear in both the plural and the singular, or he can have a homonymous female counterpart (Faunus/Fauna/Fauni — Rudra/Rudrání/Rudrás). They have a cult and abode distinct from other gods, closely associated with woods and wilderness. They are in special relation to animals, cattle, in particular. They have common abilities, such as healing all creatures. Their destructive character puts them in relation to the god of war. Poetry is the function of Faunus while Rudra's sons, the Maruts, accompanying Indra on his martial exploits, sing hymns of praise"
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Cocidius
Silvanus as been identified in Romano-British religion with a northern Brittonic deity, Cocidius. He was also equated with Mars, in his capacity as a god of war and hunting, and also with Silvanus, as a god of forests, groves and wild fields. He was most likely worshiped by lower-ranked Roman soldiers, as well as by the Britons for whom he was probably a tribal god(a Genius Loci). The name may be related to Brittonic cocco-('red'), suggesting that statues of the god might have been painted red, and connecting him to Celtic reflexes of Rudlos, Rudianos and Rudiobus. His epithet Vernostonus connects him to Alder trees, which are associated with poetry, and the gods Apollon and Odin, and Dyeus Pter.
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*U̯ātonos by Senobessus Bolgon
Visucius/Cissonius/U̯ātonos
Delamarre suggests a couple of meanings for Visucius, ranging from ‘Crow’ or ‘Raven’ from *uisuco or *uesākos to ‘who knows’, ‘who foretells’’ or ‘who sees’, possibly derived from *witsu. Olmstead however argues that it could mean ‘the Worthy’, coming from *Wesu. While the etymology is controversial, they all seem to point back towards a Rudlos-cognate. He is likely connected to the 'Gaulish Mercury' whose identity remains complicated but very well could be a transplanted Wodanaz. Senobessus Bolgon, a blog dedicated to Gaulish Polytheism, has a great article on the reconstructed GaulishU̯ātonos you can read here.
Visucius was connected by by the romans via interpretatio with Mercury, and according to Miranda Green via epigraphy recorded byJan de Vries, with Mars as well. His name and associations could indicate him being a psychopomp and a deity of eloquence, trade, traveling, knowledge, oaths, magic. Mercury was also associated with the god Lugus, who shares all of the above qualities. If Visucius is similar or identical to Lugus, we may be able to assume that he is also similar to Germanic Wotan/Odin. This is likely because of the cultural cross-pollination between eastern Gaulish and continental Germanic tribes.
Not nearly as much is to be said for Cissionius, other than that the name is almost as common as Visucius in Belgic regions.  According to Green, Cissionius also had a doublet goddess by the name of Cissionia, much like how Visucius had one called Visucia. For these reasons, as well as Senobessus Bolgon treats both Visucius and Cissionius as the same deity, as will we. 
Let's take a step back, look at all the cognates. We have very well documented, direct attestations, in the Germanic, Vedic, and an Anatolian/Greek cognate that backs up both very well. A pair poorly understood potential cognates in the Roman tradition. Several Celtic cognates, back up by linguistics and by Interpretatio romana. A possible Slavic linguistic cognate.
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skaldish · 3 years ago
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My take on this is that Norse pagans have put way too much stock into what PIE can actually tell us. The way I see it, PIE can only provide pre-Norse information. We can't extrapolate what Old Norse religion would have looked like by looking at other PIE descendants because a religion's development is highly variable, to the point where it's impossible to predict.
Unlike the Greeks and Romans, the Norse people didn't have the agricultural stability of other PIE-descendants, which meant they didn't have the division of labor needed to develop a strong intellectual class who could standardize their religion. We can't find a strong identity for what Old Norse practices looked like because there really wasn't any. The religion was pretty early in its development when Christianization happened.
I actually wrote about this phenomenon here if you want to read more. Credit to my clergy for helping with this, because she has an M.Div and is more qualified to talk about the intersectionality between religious development and cultural development than I am:
I also want to point out that plumping up Norse Heathenry by taking from Vedic, Greek, Roman, etc. sources is not "reconstruction." This is all additive information. Extra stuff. We're assuming a religion "ought to look a certain way" and "have certain things" so we're taking from other PIE-descended practices and "Norsifying" them, maybe to feel like we qualify and have substance.
It's high time we come to terms with the fact that our standard for reconstructionism was developed during German Romanticism, which sought to idealize the past in a time rife with antisemitism and racism. I have no doubt that we still have very skewed methods within our reconstructionist approaches, especially considering most of the people avidly reconstructing Norse religions up until the 2010's were white nationalists.
So to that I say, I absolutely hope this has some serious theological implications, and I hope we have some very critical discussions about it within our various heathen circles.
There's plenty of evidence that European paganism and Hinduism have shared roots, although the people who incorporate this into their own religious practices tend to be on the racist side for some reason
Alright this is a weird one so bare with me.
There is no evidence that European paganism shares roots with Hinduism. European and Indian-subcontinental ethnographic language cultures bare some very distant roots, but Vedic religions and the myriad pre-Christian religions of Europe were developed completely separately.
Please understand, the idea that paganism and Hinduism have a shared theological ancestor is a direct result of Nazi pseudohistory.
In the early 20th century, we knew a lot less about ancient Greece. Many people thought that Mycenaean Greece was a highly-advanced culture that had developed shit like steam engines and electricity. People legitimately thought that the ancient Greeks were like the forerunners from Halo.
Also in the early 20th century, there were a lot of German ethnonationalists looking around at the great works of the ancient world and going "If Germans are supposed to be the master race, why haven't we built shit like the the pyramids, or Angkor Wat?" So they started shopping around for some historical group of people they could reasonably claim lineage from.
There are some similarities between European and Indian-subcontiantal language groups. They shared an ancestor roughly 6,000 years ago, an ancestor that linguists call the "Indo-Aryan" language group. Early German ethnonationalists saw that term and ran with it. They built this myth that the Indo-Aryans were a culture of Magical White People responsible for everything cool and impressive. It also let them claim lineage from Alexander the great.
This narrative never really caught on with the mainstream Nazis, or even with the more occult-poisioned woo-y Nazis, but it was the favorite narrative of an absolutely bizarre woman named Savitri Devi. She was a greek woman who gave herself an Indian name and was instrumental in spreading Nazi propaganda after WWII.
I am not doing this topic justice, but Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke has an amazing book on the topic called Hitler's Priestess: Savitri Devi, the Hindu-Aryan Myth, and National-Socialism.
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looking-at-the-deiwos · 3 months ago
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Dhég̑hōm Mā́tēr
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Or as I write it, Dhéghom Máter, also Dʰéǵʰōm Méh₂tēr. Her name means "Mother Earth"
She was also called Pḷt��wī or Pl̥th₂éwih₂, meaning "the Broad One", and dʰengwo, meaning "Dark" (dark-skinned?)
Dhéghom is Mother Earth. Associated with plants, nature, fertility, motherhood, cooking and agriculture. She also had a cthonic aspect, being considered both the mother of all life and the place where all living returned to with death. As an ever present mother, oaths were sometimes made by her.
She is sometimes seen as a partner of Dyéus, or of Perkwúnos (or both ;)). Both these sources consider the idea of her being both the mother and consort of Perkwúnos
Offerings
Taken from here
Stones
Symbols of deep waters, earth and grain
Depictions or imagery related to pregnancy
Grains
Green ribbons
Depictions or imagery related to breasts
Depictions or imagery of sows
Devotional acts
Gardening!
Wearing green or brown
Cooking
Educate yourself on local flora and fauna
Eat fruit and vegetables
Learn new recipes involving either vegetables or grains
Make bread
Honor the cycles of nature (seasons, etc)
Picking flowers
Drink natural teas
Ground yourself in nature
Associations
Stones
Vegetation
Fruit
Agriculture
Pregnancy
Motherhood
Landscapes
Sows
Green and brown
the feast of Mabon
November
Monday
Descendants in later pantheons
Cthonia (Greek)
Demeter (Greek)
Semele (Greek)
Plataia (Greek)
Gaia (Greek)
Terra/Tellus Mater (Roman)
Ceres (Roman)
Jörd (Nordic)
Prithvi Mata (Vedic)
Finally, here's her wikipedia article
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looking-at-the-deiwos · 2 months ago
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Dā́nu
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Or as I write it, Dánu. Also known as Donu or Deh₂nu
She is the goddess of rivers and fertility. She may be worshiped effectively at local rivers, especially the major river in a watershed, and especially at that river's source.
This source characterizes her as one of the G̑hṃg̑ṇ̄tṓs, twelve primordial deities who existed before the déiwōs. Dánu in specific would become the mother of Dhéghom, Apóm Népots, Diwóna and Dyéus, whose father was another one of the G̑hṃg̑ṇ̄tṓs, Séwətōr. Because of this, the déiwōs are also called Dānéwyōs, that is "children of Dánu".
Offerings
taken from here
Water in a clear glass vial from a local river or water source
stone from a local water source (you can paint it with blue wavy lines)
Devotional acts
Go swimming at your local river or water source
Pick up trash at your local river or water source
Learn about rivers, get informed especially on the ecology of your local river
Support preservation efforts for your local river or water source
Associations
Blue
White
Rivers
Water
Fertility
May
Friday
Descendants in later pantheons
Dānu (Vedic)
Danu (Celtic)
Dôn (Celtic)
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looking-at-the-deiwos · 2 months ago
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Could you do an informational post on Mórā?
K̑ólyā
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Or as I write it Kólya, also found as Kolyos, her name means "The Coverer". She's also known as Mórā or Mértis.
She's the goddess of the underworld, the dead and winter. While Yemós is the deity who rules over the underworld, Kólya is death itself. She is in charge of taking away souls to the underworld when the time of death comes. She is said to take the souls with a noose or a snare.
According to this source, she is the daughter of the goddess of night, Nókʷts, and the god of sleep, Swépnos. She is in turn the consort of the god of magic Wélnos and with him fathers the many monsters of Proto Indo-European myth, like the great monster Wṛ́tros which is slain by the thunder god Perkʷū́nos.
Offerings
taken from here
Goad
noose or hook
black stone, ideally one with a magnetic charge
imagery of scavenger animals: crow, raven, etc.
crow or raven feathers
Devotional acts
UPG
Visit cemeteries and leave flowers (with permission!)
Collect animal bones (ethically sourced)
Learn more about death and take your time to get more comfortable with the concept
Collect antiques
If you can, help those who are closer to death (the elderly, those in hospice, etc.)
Associations
Black
Noose
Hook
Winter
Beech
the feast of Samhain
Descendants in later pantheons
Hel (Nordic)
Calypso (Greek)
Mors (Roman)
Sarva (Indian)
Kālī (Indian)
Māra (Indian)
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looking-at-the-deiwos · 3 months ago
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the Diwós Sūnū́
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Or as I write it, the Diwós Sunú. Also simply called "the Divine Twins"
Diwós Sunú means "Sons of Dyéus". They are also known as the Ék̑winō (Horse-like), the Diwós Népote (Descendants of Dyéus), the Yéwone (Young Ones), etc.
They are great horse riders and warriors. Their fight, however, is to help and save those in need, be they gods or mortals. They are youthful and strong
This source, gives their individual names as Áusros and Wékʷsperos:
Áusros is the god of the morning star, a god of fertility and harvest. He is more peaceful and associated with cattle.
Wékʷsperos is the god of the evening star, a god of war and travel. He is more of a warrior, patron of riders, owners of horses, warriors and cavalrymen.
They are the sons of Dyéus and Apóm Népots with Ékwona, each of these gods fathering one of the twins.
As a pair, the Twins guide mankind, especially sailors, farmers, and riders, and may be prayed to for healing, fertility, and prosperity. They are divine rescuers from all sorts of immediate crises. They will be there in the midst of a hurricane. They are the closest deities to humanity, sometimes featured as sharing meals with us instead of receiving sacrifice.
They both are the consorts of the sun goddess Sáwol and they pull her chariot across the sky each day at her command
Offerings
Depictions or imagery of horses
Two horses
two horses' heads
two horseshoes
images of ocean waves with white peaks
Swan down, other water bird down
oats
Devotional acts
Riding or taking care of horses
Helping someone in need
Stand up for others
Work out or play a sport
Go sailing
Visit the sea or walk on the beach
Have a meal with friends
Associations
Horses
Sailors
Farmers
Youth
Sea
Athleticism
Swans
Abundance
Love
Healing
Oaths
St. Elmo's fire
Ash
the feasts of Yule and Litha
June and December
Sunday
Descendants in later pantheons
the Dioskouroi (Greek)
the Dioscuri (Roman)
the Ashvins (Vedic)
the Dieva dēli (Lithuanian)
Hengist and Horsa (Germanic)
Finally, here's their wikipedia page
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looking-at-the-deiwos · 2 months ago
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Could you make a post about Rudlos
Rudlós
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Also known as Wā́tonos and Léudheros.
He is the wild god of alcohol, frenzy, wild nature, poetry, shamanism, and arcane wisdom; he's a sender and a healer of plagues.
The name Rudlós derives either from rewd-, "rend, tear apart", or from rew-, "howl". So his name could be understood as "The Howler".
From his descendants we can see epithets of Rudlós as "the Frightening one" or "The Three-Eyed one". He sends diseases and also heals them, so he's invoked both as a lord of remedies and so that he doesn't send plagues.
This source has Wā́tonos (Proto Indo-European name from which comes later Woden and Odin) as another name or aspect of Rudlós, no doubt because of his role as god of frenzy, arcane wisdom and the wild hunt (Odin's name means "Lord of Frenzy"). So he could also be understood as the ancestor of Odin and related deities.
According to said source, Rudlós is one of the Ghṃgṇ̄tṓs, twelve ancient deities who arose from the sacrifice of Yemós and ruled before the Déiwōs. Rudlós married his sister Anghésonā and became the father of Páusōn and the Mā́wortes, gods of war, leaded by the god Mā́worts.
Offerings
Milk
Honey
Alcoholic beverages (induces frenzy)
Elements or imagery related to hunting (esp. bow and arrow)
Devotional acts
Have an alcoholic drink (if possible)
Visit wild natural places (safely)
Dance to music that elevates your spirits
Practice a form of divination
Try poetry or archery
Associations
Shamanism
Trance
Madness
Frenzy
The wild hunt
Plagues
Healing
alcohol and poetry
Descendants in later pantheons
Rudra (Vedic)
Rudianos (Celtic)
Rudiobus (Celtic)
Rŭglŭ (Old Russian)
Woden (Germanic)
Odin (Nordic)
Ódr (Nordic)
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looking-at-the-deiwos · 2 months ago
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Ék̑wonā
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Or as I write it, Ékwona. Her name means "Horse-like". She is also known as Mēdhéwī, Médhunā (meaning "Intoxicator" or "Goddess of Mead"), and Rēg̑ṇtónā (meaning "Great Queen")
Ékwona is the goddess of horses, sexuality, marriage, vengeance, sovereignty, and mead. She is a goddess of wild and free sexuality. She mates with warriors and through this bestows sovereignty (a really ancient belief of the Proto Indo-Europeans). Rulership here is hers to give.
Her sexuality is always on her own terms and she defends those who have seen their consent violated. She is a very powerful goddess who overtakes in vengeance those who go against her desires or try to hurt those under her domain.
She's the goddess of horses and all the things related to them. She also rules over mead and such intoxicating beverages (related to her nature as wild and untamed)
She is considered the mother of the Diwós Sunú, with both Dyéus and Apóm Népots. She also gave birth to other heroes and gods.
Offerings
taken from here
Horse shoe
Depictions or imagery of horses
Horse hair
Mead
horse's milk
kumis
oats
Devotional acts
Practice equitation
Ride or take care of horses
Make or drink mead
Take positions of leadership
do something you find pleasure in
support victims of SA
Associations
Horses
Mead
White and Red
Sexuality
Kingship
December
Saturday
Samhain
Descendants in later pantheons
Epona (Celtic)
Medb (Celtic)
Madhavi (Indian)
Rhiannon (Celtic)
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looking-at-the-deiwos · 3 months ago
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Diwónā / Gʷóuwindā
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or as I write it, Diwóna / Gwóuwinda. Also Diwōnā or Diuōneh₂
(note: some people see Diwóna and Gwóuwinda as different goddesses, while others see them as two aspects of the same goddess. I here take the second approach according to this)
Diwóna is the goddess of marriage, abundance, oaths, magic, destiny and domestic crafts. She is a trifunctional deity who presides over war, poetic inspiration, sovereignty, wisdom, artistry and crafts. She is the consort of Dyéus Patér.
Under her aspect of Gwóuwinda she is the goddess of cows, motherhood, loyalty in relationships, nurture, purity and motherly love.
The name Diwónā means something like "Goddess", and its the feminine version of the name Dyéus. Gʷóuwindā means something like "She who provides the cows" or "Cow-like". According to this source, she also had names like Diwī́ Mā́tēr, Dhḗsyā, Dhēsónā and Séleswṇtī.
She is to be approached as a motherly being who blesses her children with love and protects them fiercely from attacks.
Offerings
Taken from here
Depictions or imagery of cows
Milk
Cow horns (ethically sourced)
Depictions or imagery related to motherhood
Poetry
Embroidery and crochet pieces
Devotional acts
Loyality in your relationships
Embroidery & crochet
Writing poetry
Wearing one of her colors
Wearing cow imagery
Drinking milk (if it's healthy for you)
honoring motherhood and nurture in your relationships
Helping someone pregnant
Protecting those you love
Associations
Cows
Colors white, black and brown
Color red (UPG)
May (Gwóuwinda)
August (Diwóna)
Descendants in later pantheons
Dione (Greek)
Diana (Roman)
Devi (Vedic)
Govinda (Indian)
These other descendants are based on roles and not linguistically, but have been presented by this source
Hera (Greek)
Juno (Roman)
Sarasvati (Indian)
Anahita (Iranian)
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looking-at-the-deiwos · 2 months ago
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Préwyos
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Préwyos (also called Wenéspotis or Yḗros) is the god of fertility, gardens, summer, love and beauty. He is characterized as a jolly deity who embodies simplicity, the rustic, and pleasure. He focuses on the essential aspects of life, like sustenance and pleasure.
Préwyos can be invoked for fertility and abundance in gardens, farms and livestock. This can also be translated to giving a central place to pleasure and your natural needs in daily life.
He is also understood as the brother, consort and/or male version of the goddess Priyá. Together, according to this source, they are the parents and rulers of the Amséwes, a series of minor gods who rule over more rustic and down to earth domains compared to the déiwōs, who are often times more celestial and beyond human affairs.
Préwyos is a phallic deity, a symbol of fertility and pleasure, as shown by the representations of his descendants Freyr and Priapus.
Offerings
Fruit
Flowers from a garden
Depictions or imagery of fruit
Depictions or imagery of gardens
Depictions or imagery of phalluses
Devotional acts
Gardening! you can devote a garden space to him
Do activities that give you pleasure
Eat fruit
Help out at a farm or with livestock
Associations
Gardens
Fruits
Summer
Love
Phallus
Pleasure
the feast of Beltane
Descendants in later pantheons
Freyr (Nordic)
Priapus (Greek)
Mutunus Tutunus (Roman)
Frawjaz (Germanic)
Jaryło (Slavic)
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looking-at-the-deiwos · 2 months ago
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could you write about Rtkona?
Ṛ́tkonā
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Or as I write it Rtkona, her name means "She of the bears".
Rtkona is the goddess of hunting, wild animals esp. bears, and the constellation Ursa Major.
Proto Indo-European religion has many goddesses associated with animals like Gwóuwinda (cows), Ékwona (horses), and Rtkona. Gʷóuwindā lies within the center of social function as a goddess of marriage and family, while Ék̑wonā lies on the periphery between the social and asocial, as a war and fertility goddess. Meanwhile, Ṛ́tk̑onā represents the other side of that spectrum, as a goddess of wilderness and hunting in forests.
Offerings
imagery related to bears, woods or hunting
sticks taken from woods or other similar items
Devotional acts
take a walk in nature, especially in wild areas (safely)
invest in animal/nature conservation efforts
wear outfits inspired by bears
have images of bears around
take risks
Associations
Bears
the woods
the wilderness
forests
the hunt
Descendants in later pantheons
Artio (Celtic)
Artemis (Greek)
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looking-at-the-deiwos · 3 months ago
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Wéstyā
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Or as I write it, Wéstya. Her name means "She of the Household" or "Burning one". Other names for her are Démspotnī, "Lady of the House", Hā́sānoyā (with a hard h like the ch in loch), "Goddess of the Hearth" and Tépṇtī, related to "Warming"
Wéstya is the goddess of the hearth. She also rules over fire, the home and food stores. As the patron of the home fire, she embodies the very basis of the house and family. She is the place of refuge to which we go to feel safe, rest and be with those we consider our kin.
Wéstya has domain over fire in its role as the warming center of the house and also as a source of cooked food. Fire relates to purity, so Wéstya is deeply associated with purity.
(She is not however the Proto Indo-European deity of fire itself, they are another déiwos we will see later on)
She also plays a key role in ritual and has connection with the concept of eternal fires (fires that were never extinguished). Veiling seems to be a way to honor her too.
Wéstya also rules over the Dṃyṓs, household spirits who protect each home and their member (akin to the roman Lares and similar household spirits)
Offerings
taken from here
Fire
butter or oil lamp
Clarified butter
red, yellow, and orange beads
Devotional acts
Lit up candles (stay safe)
Tidy up your room or your home
Cook for your family/kin
Take care of relationships with your family
Organize your shelves and fridge
Veil
Honor your house and how it shelters you
Get something new and needed for your home (maybe a new rug, cleaning implement or table you have been needing for ages)
Associations
Colours red, yellow and orange
Fire
Cooking
Food storing
Rowan
the feast of Imbolc
February
Descendants in later pantheons
Hestia (Greek)
Despoina (Greek)
Vesta (Roman)
Tabiti (Scythian)
Brigit (Celtic), according to this
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looking-at-the-deiwos · 3 months ago
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Mḗnōs
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Or as I write it, Ménos. Also found as Mḗnōt or Meh₁not. His name means "The Moon"
Ménos is the god of the moon. He is considered the brother of Sáwol. He also crosses the sky on a chariot, according to the myth
Ménos is associated with time (because of the role of the moon in measuring the night and the months), hunting, fishing, magic, healing and learning, according to this source. He is also considered a good of thinking and memory, according to this source
Offerings
taken from here
White or silver disk
moonstone sphere
time piece, hourglass
white quartz
pebbles
Depictions or imagery of the moon
moon water
Devotional acts
Bask in the light of the full moon
Observe the phases of the moon
honor the cycles of the moon
Wear white or purple
Wear imagery or jewelry of the moon
Moon-gazing
Make moon water
Make a night-time ritual
Taking a full walk outside during the crescent or full moon
Sharpen your mind; play memory games
Became comfortable with change
Continue learning through your life
learn about your healthcare options
Associations
White
Purple (UPG)
All moon festivals
time
healing
thinking, memory and learning
hunting and fishing
magic
Willow
Monday
January
Descendants in later pantheons
Máni (Nordic)
Meno (Lithuanian)
Mene (Greek)
Mah (Iranian)
Men (Phrygian)
Myesyats (Slavic)
Finally, here's his wikipedia article (shared with his sister)
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looking-at-the-deiwos · 3 months ago
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Dyḗus Pətḗr
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or as I write it, Dyéus Patér. Also Dyḗus ph₂tḗr
Dyéus is the god of the Sky. The blue, bright sky of day, daylight and clouds are his natural dominion. He also fulfills the role of a Father and is the Leader of the whole pantheon (my own UPG is that he leads the déiwōs not like a king but like a father).
Dyéus is also connected to the concept of the Ártus or Hártus (with a strong h like the ch in loch). The Ártus is the universal law that underlies the cosmos, the order and beauty of it that makes life possible. Dyéus, then, upholds the Ártus and represents the concept of justice but in a cosmic and natural way (justice as in the laws of society are the dominion of another déiwos). In the trifunctional view of Proto Indo-european society, he fulfills the role of the priest-king. He's a patron of priests and the idea of doing rituals in respectful ways.
The first part of his name, Dyéus, derives from déiwos, which is the generic term for a god. So in a way he is THE god. The second part of his name, Patér, means father. Thus, seeing him as your father in the sky is totally valid (traditional even ;)!
In english his name literally means "father daylight-sky-god"
He seems to have had a connection to oaths, coming from his connection with the natural law of the Ártus.
The sun (which has its own déiwos) is sometimes referred to as "the eye of Dyéus"
Dyéus also has other names like Olyópətēr, which means All-Father, and Mitrós, which is associated with a role he had as a double deity with another god that we will see later)
Offerings
Taken from here
Feathers of either eagles or of your local highest flying birds
Depictions or imagery of clouds
Depictions or imagery of oxen
Depictions or imagery of eagles
Depictions or imagery related to fatherhood
Golden beads
Devotional acts
Mostly UPG
Cloud watching
Wearing blue
Learning about different types of clouds
Collecting feathers
Climbing a hill or mountain
Doing things related to fatherhood or leadership
Associations
Taken from here and here
Oxen
Mountain tops
The open sky
Clouds as his herd
Eagles
Feathers of high flying birds
Eye
Gold threads
Obelisk (white)
Alder
Thursday
January
Descendants in later pantheons
The deities of the Proto Indo-European (PIE) pantheon are reconstructed based on the cognates (similar names, myths and such) between later deities in different pantheons of indo-european peoples (Greek, Roman, Germanic, Nordic, Vedic, Iranian, Celtic, Slavic, Baltic, among others). As these people spread out they took their gods with them which got reshaped through generations and the evolution of language.
Dyéus is the most securely reconstructed deity of the proto indo-europeans. Here are some of his most famous descendants or versions in later pantheons:
Zeus (Greek)
Jupiter (Roman)
Tyr (Nordic)
Tiwaz (Germanic)
Diēvas (Lithuanian)
Dyaus Pitar (Vedic)
The Dagda (Celtic)
Mitra (Vedic and Iranian)
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Finally, here's his wikipedia article
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looking-at-the-deiwos · 3 months ago
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Yemós
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Also found as Yemo. Their name means "Twin" or "Double"
Yemós is the ruler of the afterlife or Underworld (Dhubnóm). They are the deity of the dead and may be prayed to by those about to die, or on behalf of those who have just died. Yemós is also characterized as bigender.
Yemós is not the deity of death, however. They are the one who rules over the dead, but they do not make them die, or decide when they will.
Yemós is the twin of Mónus or Mánnus and both are the protagonists of the Proto Indo-European creation myth:
Proto Indo-European creation myth
From the primeval chaos (G̑hā́nos) eventually emerged the universal principle of order, the Ártus. From these two emerged a cosmic egg, the Olyōwyóm. After it hatched three beings came into existance: Ammādhēinús, the primeval cow; and the twins Yemós and Mónus. Ammadheinús then nourished the two twins.
Eventually, Mónus sacrificed Ammadheinús and his own twin Yemós. Mónus then dismembers the body of Yemós and uses the parts to create the world: Their skull becomes the sky; their body the earth; their hair the trees and grass; their blood the rivers and seas; their brain the clouds; their bones the mountains and stones, etc. From Ammadheinús' body came all animal life.
From their sacrifice, Yemós became the first to die and also the first immortal, becoming the first deity after their sacrificial death, ruler of the underworld and of the dead, of which they are the first. Mónus became the first priest, the first king and the first mortal. From Mónus all humans descend.
After their sacrifice, Yemós begot the twelve primordial deities, the G̑hṃg̑ṇ̄tṓs, from which in turn descend the Deiwṓs and from which descend the Amséwes and all the lesser deities. So Yemós is the ancestor of all deities.
Offerings
taken from here
Skull (possibly with crown or gold wire(s))
black lantern
burial shroud
tomb image with spirals (maybe made into a candle holder)
inverted cauldron
red and black woven rope hanging from ceiling
crow or raven feathers wrapped in gold wire
depictions or imagery of skulls or tombs
Dirt with flame-colored stone
a large golden bead, or a number of small golden beads
Devotional acts
Learn about and honor your ancestors/those who have passed
Keep family heirlooms
Visit the graves of family members and leave flowers
Visit cemeteries and if allowed leave flowers
Learn about death and how to address it in a healthy way
Work on learning how to let go of the past
Visit ruins or ghost towns (safely!)
Associations
Skulls
Graveyards
Darkness
Black and red
Crows and ravens (because of their black feathers)
The feast of Samhain
October
Descendants in later pantheons
Yama (Vedic)
Yima (Iranian)
Ymir (Nordic)
Remus (Roman)
Hades, in their role as ruler of the underworld (Greek)
Dis, in their role as ruler of the underworld (Roman)
Finally, here's their wikipedia article (shared with their brother)
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