#proto indo european religion

[looking-at-the-deiwos]

Proto Indo-European (PIE) Pantheon

Main gods

These gods are the most easily reconstructed and appear in different sources of PIE religion

Dyḗus Pətḗr ☁️

Diwónā 🐄

Dhég̑hōm Mā́tēr 🌿

Apṓm Népōts 🌊

Áusōs 🌅

Sā́wōl ☀️

Mḗnōs 🌕

the Diwós Sūnū́ 🏇🏼

Perkʷū́nos ⛈️

Páusōn 🐐

Aryomḗn ⚖️

Wéstyā 🏠

Ék̑wonā 🐎

Yemós 💀

Dā́nu 🏞️

K̑ólyā ☠️

Priyā́ 🌹

Other gods

Not as easily reconstructed and don't appear in all sources

Wēyús 🌬️

Ṇgʷnís 🔥

Wórunos 🌌

Wélnos 🧙🏼‍♂️

Préwyos 🍆

Rudlós 🌀

Wḷkā́nos ⚒️

Léudheros 🍇

Swépnos 💤

Sówəmos🍶

Ṛ́tk̑onā 🐻

For the full pantheon according to the most wide possible view of it check here, other sources are way much more reserved and give less gods for the pantheon, less than 20

I will be making posts exploring each deity and I'll be linking them from here too! Stay tuned!

[faith-of-the-wheel]

Part 3: Leudheros, Aspect or Son?

From Proto-Indo-European *h₁leudʰero ('belonging to the people', hence 'free'). God of viticulture, alcohol, fertility, and freedom. He also typically has a female counterpart, Leudhera, who is essentially, perhaps even literally, his twin in all aspects. The Senowera Document lists him as both an epithet of Rudlos and an entirely separate god with a separate lineage.

His cognates include the Roman deities Liber & Libera, The Norse Lóðurr, and the Greek words ’Ελεύθερος & Έλευθέρα, referring to the concept of freedom and island respectively. She may also cognate with Greek Dionysus, who resembles Liber and was later syncretised with him into his Roman characterization as Bacchus, and Gallo-Roman Sucellus. I'm unable to find any Indo-Iranian cognate, so he/they may not have existed in earlier PIE stages.

The main argument here is whether or not Leudheros and his domains are aspects of Rudlos, or separate deity. Keep in mind that in IE thought, the existence of a concept implies a deity of said concept, creating many gods that are deified abstractions. Xaryomen is an example of such deities formed from abstractions, albeit Xaryomen is likely much older, as he much better attested.

Let's take a look at these cognates.

Lóðurr:

Not much is known about Lóðurr. His name occurs only once, attested to in the Poetic Edda. He is mention alongside Hoenir and Odin in the creation of mankind. It's says the while Odin gave the first man and woman breath, and Hoenir gave sense/spirit, it was Lóðurr who gave flesh and blood.

"Lóðurr's friend" is used as a kenning for Odin.

It is possible that his name appears on one of the Nordendorf fibulae as Logaþore, along side Wodan and Wigiþonar(Thor). I personally find it interesting that he is the first of the three but that may not indicate much.

Many scholars considered Lóðurr to another name for Loki.

Liber Pater:

He was a patron deity of Rome's plebeians and was part of their Aventine Triad. His festival of Liberalia (March 17) became associated with free speech and the rights attached to coming of age. Before his official adoption as a Roman deity, Liber was companion to two different goddesses in two separate, archaic fertility cults; Ceres, an agricultural and fertility goddess of Rome's Hellenized neighbors, and Libera, his female equivalent(and sister in several sources).

Leudheros is primarily reconstructed from Liber. Latin Liber means "free", or "free one"; when coupled with "Pater", it means "The Free Father", who personifies freedom and champions its attendant rights, as opposed to dependent servitude. His patronage of Rome's underclass associated with plebian civil disobediance against the patricians, and his worship seems to have been associated with republicanism/the famous roman anti-monarchism of the republican era.

Liber also personified male fertility, which was "ejaculated as the "soft seed" of human and animal semen". His temples held the image of a phallus. The rites ensured the growth of seeds and repelled any malicious enchantment (fascinatus) from fields.

I could into detail about his syncretism with Dionysus but i'm just gonna copy-paste the wikipedia section on it because I feel it is more than sufficient.

"Liber's associations with wine, inebriation, uninhibited freedom and the subversion of the powerful made him a close equivalent to the Greek god Dionysus, who was Romanised as Bacchus. In Graeco-Roman culture, Dionysus was euhemerised as a historical figure, a heroic saviour, world-traveller and founder of cities; and conqueror of India, whence he had returned in the first ever triumph, drawn in a golden chariot by tigers, accompanied by a retinue of drunken satyrs and maenads. In some cults, and probably in the popular imagination, Liber was gradually assimilated to Bacchus and came to share his Romanised "Dionysian" iconography and myths. Pliny calls him "the first to establish the practice of buying and selling; he also invented the diadem, the emblem of royalty, and the triumphal procession." Roman mosaics and sarcophagi attest to various representations of this exotic triumphal procession. In Roman and Greek literary sources from the late Republic and Imperial era, several notable triumphs feature similar, distinctively "Bacchic" processional elements, recalling the supposedly historic "Triumph of Liber"."

Other Alcohol Gods

Dionysus presents a strong cause due to his fundamental connections to viticulture, wine, rebellion, individualism, and even frenzied violence. There is some solid linguistic evidence connecting them given that one of his most popular epithets is Dionysus Eleutherius, "The Liberator", derived from Ελεύθερος, shown above to be cognate with Liber. Eleutherius is also the aspect Dionysus specifically associated with rebellion against authority and freedom of personal expression, lining up closely with Liber's character as patron of the plebians.

Rugatis is a Lithuanian god of beer. He has a tentative etymological link to Rugiaevit, and thus Rudlos. We know he had very strong fertility ties, evidenced by etymology potentially relating his name to the "heat" of animals, and some rituals related to marriage, but not much else is known of him. We do known he had a wife whose name was the feminine form of his.

Earlier I said their were no Indo-Iranian cognates. But there just might be one. This is a BIG stretch though. The Vedic god Varuna, who we will talk about a lot more in the next part of the series, has a daughter named Varuni(Note: his wife, and the personification of his shakti are both also called Varuni, and the three are sometimes said to be one goddess) is a goddess of wine. I want to make note of this because we have shown a pattern of Leudheros' cognates having sister-wives who bear a feminine form of their name, and act as a female equivalent with all the same domains and characteristics.

Obviously, Varuna himself is not particularly associated with Alcohol in any surviving work, but in the next part of the series, I intend to show a potential link between him and Rudlos through yet another reconstructed PIE deity, Worunos. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

I feel this could either way. I think that what we have proven most concretely is the preponderance of alcohol deities in IE cultures(we haven't covered them because those had little to nothing indicating them as potential cognates. Vedic Soma, for example), and perhaps some common-ish formats for their characterization.

That said I personally believe that Leudheros should probably be reconstructed separately, most likely as Rudlos' son, alongside his sister-wife, Leudhera. Perhaps one could even use that as an epithet of his, Rudlosunu. I believe they are related for the following reasons:

Rudlos has very clear connections to alcohol, they madness that it brings, and it's origin. But none of his descendants are considered gods of alcohol, the closest is Odin, who is known to prefer foreign wines over mead.

Rudlos' cognates often work closely with sources of alcohol or gods of alcohol, cognate with Leudheros or not.

Dionysus is an excellent example of the overlap between the domains of frenzied violence and war, and that of alcohol and civil disobedience.

Rudlos is connected to alcohol because it enables(especially if laced with something fun) the induction of madness and frenzy in a person. He is associated with it, but not patron of it. But it would make sense for the patron of alcohol to be associated closely with Rudlos.

I'm going to create a separate post for information on the worship of Leudheros and Leudhera at a later date, at which point I'll just link this post to it for simplicity so stayed tuned for that.

[gwydpolls]

Time Travel Question 22: Ancient History X and Earlier

These Questions are the result of suggestions from the previous iteration.

This category may include suggestions made too late to fall into the correct grouping.

Please add new suggestions below if you have them for future consideration. All cultures and time periods welcome.

[castilestateofmind]

"Do not think of the Proto-Indo-Europeans as a people who died out a long time ago. They live, and their culture lives, in us; transformed by time and the influences of other cultures maybe, but still recognisable at the core of our values, language, and culture. By understanding them, we understand ourselves."

-Ceisiwr Serith.

[rrcraft-and-lore]

Tapati, who is she, and why is she significant?

Well, first, she is a river goddess, but daughter of the sun god, Surya. However, her name means the hot one, the burning one. Interestingly enough, her name is tied to the river she's said to rule over - HOWEVER, language time.

Agni, a vedic fire god, has a scythian counterpart similar in name (and the scythian's are the older culture that broke off to form the vedic, indo iranian/iranian, and levant people as well as others - mixing, breeding, invading).

Back to Tapati.

Her name is cognate with the Scythian supreme fire goddess, Tabiti. Very interesting.

Tabiti is the supreme goddess of all things in the Scythian culture, primordial, the first flame, and much like Ianna (from Summerian mythology I talked about later) went on to inspire entire god/goddess roles, and had mantles inverted as interestingly enough, there's evidence some first/supreme deities were feminine, later flipped to male as cultures evolved - their places/roles attributes assigned to male gods and their places changed - made wives, daughters, so on a similar sort of flipping happens out of the Scythian culture/ proto Indo Europeans (that I've talked about) where the root word for a divine (doesn't mean good just divinely powered) being evolved along languages the ahura, asura, and asir (Norse) come from an older proto Indo-European/Scythian word.

In the Vedic stories, the daevas are good, the asura evil. In the Avestan and Iranian texts...the ahura/asura are good, and the daevas are evil.

We know the Norse asir and vanir warred also very interesting. And interesting how gods/goddesses are changed, subsumed, adopted and more, no? Tabiti was never represented in/by art, btw. Her representation was always an actual fireplace -- a flame. That's what you used.

There's historical written evidence in places of Agni's animal form being both referred to as a bull, AND a cow in places - different genders. And his flame being referred to as female in places.

In the Hindu bronze age, Agni had way more of a prominent role as fire did before later dwindling...as fire does (ooooo symbolic - okay that's just cuz of time and shifting priorities), but there are more similarities of these things in Baltic cultures -- but oh why?

(Why am I hopping around? Cuz gods/goddesses, archetypes, beats, stories all do too - all connected you muppets).

Well, did you know the closest cognate to Sanskrit is Lithuanian? It's kept so much of its proto Indo European roots.

Wait, a South Asian language and Baltic European language are cognates? YUH. WEIRD.

Almost like they both derived out of an older culture, language, their practices, beliefs and more.

And most of human history is just migrating, fucking, invading, and settling in new places and staying long enough until your features continue to change due to bow chicka wow wowing and environment.

Funny how that works.

Here's some Scythian clothing (oh btw, women were warriors/could be too - congrats you learned that).

Does this style look familiar? Yeah, you can see the evolution/adaptation from this to later styles (bearing similarities) in Iran, India, Mongolia, the Baltics.

Cuz....y'know, that's where the proto Indo Europeans went about their biz and got jiggy with it and settled. Wow-wow-wee-wah! Okay now I'm done. Circular ish convo to get there but started with a fire goddess, it's relevant, but it all comes back to this.

Btw, this is also an important lesson for fantasy authors.

Because of all these connections and how old a bad ass fire goddess is, many of the oldest cultures are regarded as fire worshippers (like the Zoroastrians) did you know some keep an eternal burning flame? -- one is in Udvada Gujarat in India.

This flame has been said to have been kept burning for 1,500 years.

FIFTEEN HUNDRED.

And again, while most of the surviving Indo Iranic sun gods are male, there is evidence the ORIGINAL sun deity (including in/from the German, Baltic, and Slavic religions) was FEMALE.

[eagle-longing-for-rostau]

[faith-of-the-wheel]

I saw this wonderful post, and decided to piggyback off of it to talk about an important and often understated aspect of Indo-European theology. It has been argued convincingly by actual academics(and Ceisiwr Serith if you don't want to drown in sesquipedalian nonsense. Also, you're welcome for giving you a new word to google) that the Proto-Indo-European religion(as we have reconstructed it, anyway) deified abstractions.

Put simply, they believed that the existence of a concept implied the existence of deity who ruled over it. Take jokes for an example. Jokes are not a material thing but they are a concept unique unto themselves and all people across all cultures recognize them in some form or another. Therefore, there must be a god of jokes. While I can think of some rather humorously characterized deities, I can not think a historically attested or reconstructed god of jokes worshiped by ancient peoples, but the existence means there is a being who governs/embodies them.

If a concept can not/is not rolled into a previously known/worshiped deity, and there is a perceived need to worship the being who embodies the concept, then a new cult centered around this deity is formed. This deified concept is often simply noun representing said concept as a name.

This system is perhaps most strongly represented by the Roman religion. The cults of Luna, Fortuna, and Salus, were all created in this way. The well reconstructed PIE deity Xaryomen is often thought to be this type of deity, representing IE society(or society at large today) as a whole, perhaps not all that unlike the many "National Gods" of the Ancient Middle East.

I've made a previous post about how I believe Ares is this type of god, wherein I suppose that the use of his name as a noun meaning 'war' may predate his cult entirely.

Ares’ name is often used in ways that make it clear that war is his realm, just as the sea is the realm of Poseidon, the underworld the realm of Hades, and the sky the realm of Zeus. In the Iliad, several characters refer to war as ‘the turmoil of Ares’. Nestor refers to a great clash of armies as a ‘deed of Ares’. The works of war are the works of Ares (Hom. Il. 11.732–36). The poet refers to war as ‘the strife of Ares’ (Hom. Il. 5.861; 14.149). It is at the hands of Ares that battles are endured (Hom. Il. 3.126–28), and it is by Ares that the combatants are slain: Nestor speaks of the many long-haired Achaians whose blood keen Ares has spilled around the river Skamander (Hom. Il. 7.328–30), while Priam tells both his household and Achilles that Ares has slain his many fine sons (Hom. Il. 24.253–62, 498).27 When the spears are flying, Ares guides their paths. The poet tells us how Ares causes spears to fall short from Meriones and Automedon (Hom. Il. 16.610–13, 17.525���29), just as he allows the spear to embed itself in the chest of Alkathous, robbing it of its momentum only once the man has been mortally wounded (Hom. Il. 13.443–44). In similar fashion, the sixth century poet Anakreon, as quoted in the Palatine Anthology, describes the battle-dead as being slain by Ares (Anth. Pal. 7.226 = Anac. fr.100D Diehl), as do the seventh-century Spartan poet Tyrtaios (Stob. Flor. 4.10. 6 = Tyrtaios fr.12 West) and a pair of Archaic inscribed epitaphs. To Anakreon, those who survive a battle do so because they have been spared by Ares (Anth. Pal. 7.160 = Anac. fr.100D Diehl). Ares was unique amongst all the gods of the ancient Aegean in being a god whose name was used as a metonym for war. While divine warriors, patrons of warriors, protectors in battle, and bringers of destruction could be found throughout the Near East, only Ares was identified directly with war. The Classical Attic tragedians inherited the idea that Ares was both synonymous with war as its anthropomorphic personification and also its divine ruler, responsible for all deaths in battle and for the survival of all those who walked away. In this, Ares filled a distinct niche, more specific than Zeus and Fate, who ruled over all walks of life, and less partisan than the many warrior-protectors who stalked each battlefield. Stories about and cults for Ares therefore enabled the Greeks to engage with the idea of war as an independent force with a distinctive character. - Alexander T. Millington, Worshipping Violence, in Brill's Companion to Greek Land Warfare Beyond the Phalanx

[thevixenwitch]

Sources for Celtic History and Paganism!

So today I was reading Ancient Fire: An Introduction to Gaulish Celtic Polytheism by Segomâros Widugeni when it struck me just how many of the sources were the type of thing that wouldn't necessarily come up on a regular search, particularly some out-of-print books, a lot of which are actually available on the Internet Archive! I took some time to take note of each listed source, and tried to see if I could find the right place to request them from (in the case of a handful of articles and theses), find PDF links where they did already exist, basically whatever I could! Some books are available to buy, most secondhand, and while most are available on Amazon, I won't be linking those here. I'd encourage anyone shopping to consider an alternative option if they can! Now, I haven't read through all of these, but the moment I found at least one of them seems to be impossible to find, I was reminded of the dangers of dying media. So I wanted to put these together so anyone could use them. Not every resource listed is in English. Anyway, on to the list~

Cernunnos: Looking a Different Way

By Ceisiwr Serith

https://ceisiwrserith.com/therest/Cernunnos/cernunnospaper.htm

Cernunnos Origin and Transformation of A Celtic Divinity

By Phyllis Fray Bober

https://www.scribd.com/document/460345187/cernunnos-origin-and-transformation-of-a-celtic-divinity-phyllis-fray-bober

Basic Celtic Deity Types

by Alexei Kondratiev

https://naomh-na-tursan.livejournal.com/5752.html

Deep Ancestors: Practicing the Religion of the Proto-Indo-Europeans

Book by Ceisiwr Serith

https://www.scribd.com/document/362472999/Deep-Ancestors-Practicing-the-Religion-of-the-Proto-Indo-Europeans

The Gods of the Celts and the Indo-Europeans

Book by Garrett S. Olmsted

https://www.academia.edu/38135817/The_Gods_of_the_Celts_and_the_Indo_Europeans_revised_2019_

Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend

Book by Miranda Aldhouse-Green

https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/dictionary-of-celtic-myth-and-legend_miranda-aldhouse-green/543335/#edition=5215209&idiq=16154030

The Book of The Great Queen: The Many Faces of the Morrigan from Ancient Legends to Modern Devotions

Book by Morpheus Ravenna Further

to tongu do dia toinges mo thuath [“Mi a dyngaf dynged it”], &c.

By John Koch

https://www.academia.edu/7242277/Further_to_tongu_do_dia_toinges_mo_thuath_Mi_a_dyngaf_dynged_it_and_c

Goddesses in Celtic Religion Cult and Mythology: A Comparative Study of Ancient Ireland, Britain and Gaul

By Noémie Beck

http://theses.univ-lyon2.fr/documents/lyon2/2009/beck_n#p=0&a=title

The Integration of Mercury and Lugus: Myth and History in Late Iron Age and Early Roman Gaul

By Krista Ovist

https://archives.library.wales/index.php/integration-of-mercury-and-lugus

Lady with a Mead Cup: Ritual, Prophecy, and Lordship in the European Warband from La Tène to the Viking Age

Book by Michael J. Enright

How to Kill a Dragon: Aspects of Indo-European Poetics

Book by Calvert Watkins

https://ia801404.us.archive.org/view_archive.php?archive=/7/items/twain-mark-a-connecticut-yankee-in-king-arthurs-court/1-ptry.zip&file=How%20to%20Kill%20a%20Dragon%20-%20Aspects%20of%20Indo%20European%20Poetics.pdf

The Celtic Gauls: Gods, Rites and Sanctuaries

Book by Jean-Louis Brunaux

The Apple Branch: A Path to Celtic Ritual

Book by Alexei Kondratiev

https://archive.org/details/applebranchpatht0000kond

Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology

Book by James Mackillop

https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofcelt0000mack

The female deities of the Celtic religion: worship and mythology: a comparative study of ancient Ireland, Great Britain and Gaul

By Noémie Beck

https://theses.fr/2009LYO20084

Celtic Curses

Book by Bernard Mees

https://www.academia.edu/1012094/Celtic_Curses_Woodbridge_Boydell_2009

Guide to Irish Mythology

Book by Daragh Smyth

https://archive.org/details/guidetoirishmyth00smyt

The Sacred Isle

Book by Dáithí Ó hÓgáin

https://archive.org/details/sacredislebelief0000ohog

The Matronae and Matres: Breathing New Life into an Old Religion

By River Devora

http://polytheist.com/the-web-of-blessings/2015/08/12/the-matronae-and-matres-breathing-new-life-into-an-old-religion/

Interpretatio Romana and Matronae Iconography

By River Devora

http://polytheist.com/the-web-of-blessings/2015/08/31/interpretatio-romana-and-matronae-iconography/#:~:text=The%20overlay%20of%20interpretatio%20Romana,and%20plaques%20and%20glean%20valuable

Celtic chiefdom, Celtic state: the evolution of complex social systems in prehistoric Europe

By Arnold, Bettina and Gibson, D. Blair

https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/3086499

*butacos, *wossos, *geistlos, *ambactos. Celtic Socioeconomic Organisation in the European Iron Age. Studia Celtica 40, 2006: 23-41

By Raimund Karl

https://www.academia.edu/245239/_butacos_wossos_geistlos_ambactos_Celtic_Socioeconomic_Organisation_in_the_European_Iron_Age_Studia_Celtica_40_2006_23_41

The Ancient Celts

Book by Barry Cunliffe

https://archive.org/details/ancientcelts00cunl_0

Sengoidelc: Old Irish for Beginners

Book by David Stifter

https://archive.org/details/sengoidelcoldiri0000stif

Greek Kελτóς and Γαλάτης, Latin Gallus ‘Gaul’

By Kim McCone

https://spr.harrassowitz-library.com/article/spr/2006/1/6

Celtic Heritage: Ancient Tradition in Ireland and Wales

Book by Alwyn and Brinley Rees

https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.36494

Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism

By Erynn Rowan Laurie, Kathryn Price NicDhàna, Aedh Rua Ó Mórríghan, Kym Lambert ní Dhoireann and John Machate, ed. by Erynn Rowan Laurie

https://web.archive.org/web/20080418025755/http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usma&c=trads&id=6645

Which witch is which? : a concise guide to Wiccan and Neo-Pagan paths and traditions

Book Compiled and Edited by Patricia Telesco

Sources for the Three Realms

By Annie Loughlin - original source link is dead, need help to locate!

Dictionnaire de la Langue Gauloise

Book by Xavier Delmarre

https://archive.org/details/dictionnairedelal00dela (referred to as “Essential for Gaulish Language study)

The Settling of the Manor of Tara

By R.I. Best

https://www.ucd.ie/tlh/trans/rib.eriu.4.001.t.text.html

The court of law in Iron Age ‚Celtic’ societies. In R. Karl & J. Leskovar (eds.), Interpretierte Eisenzeiten 3. Fallstudien, Methoden, Theorie. Tagungsbeiträge der 3. Linzer Gespräche zur interpretativen Eisenzeitarchäologie. Studien zur Kulturgeschichte von Oberösterreich Folge 22, Linz: Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum 2009: 135-60.

By Raimund Karl

https://www.academia.edu/245221/The_court_of_law_in_Iron_Age_Celtic_societies_In_R_Karl_and_J_Leskovar_eds_Interpretierte_Eisenzeiten_3_Fallstudien_Methoden_Theorie_Tagungsbeitr%C3%A4ge_der_3_Linzer_Gespr%C3%A4che_zur_interpretativen_Eisenzeitarch%C3%A4ologie_Studien_zur_Kulturgeschichte_von_Ober%C3%B6sterreich_Folge_22_Linz_Ober%C3%B6sterreichisches_Landesmuseum_2009_135_60

Matasović Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic

By Ranko Matasović

https://archive.org/details/matasovic-etymological-dictionary-of-proto-celtic

Hammer of the Gods: Anglo-Saxon Paganism in Modern Times Second Edition

Book by Swain Wodening

https://archive.org/details/hammerofgodsangl0000swai

Various Works by Christopher Scott Thompson - recommended re: honor in Gaulish society

https://cateransociety.wordpress.com/books/

A Handbook of the Scottish Gaelic World

Book by Michael Newton and Michael Steven Newton

Celtic Values

By Alexei Kondratiev

http://dagdacelt.freehostia.com/values.html

European paganism : the realities of cult from antiquity to the Middle Ages

By Ken Dowden

https://archive.org/details/europeanpaganism0000dowd

A Definitive Reconstructed Text of the Coligny Calendar

By Garrett Olmsted

https://www.academia.edu/62011364/A_Definitive_Reconstructed_Text_of_the_Coligny_Calendar

New Calendar of Gaulish Polytheism

By Jess via Nemeton Nigromanitcos

https://thebloodybones.wordpress.com/2015/07/10/new-calendar-of-gaulish-polytheism/#more-265

Calendar of Feast-Days of Deities

Via the blog Deo Mercutio

https://deomercurio.wordpress.com/calendar-of-feast-days-of-deities/

Altkeltische Sozialstrukturen

By Raimund Karl

https://homepage.univie.ac.at/Raimund.Karl/Sozialstrukturen.pdf

La Langue Gauloise

Book by Pierre-Yves Lambert

https://www.scribd.com/document/782869557/Lambert-1994-La-langue-gauloise-description-linguistique-commentaire-d-inscriptions-choisies

Death, War, and Sacrifice: Studies in Ideology & Practice

Book by Bruce Lincoln

The Gods of the Celts

Book by Miranda Aldhouse-Green

https://archive.org/details/godsofceltsar00mira

War Goddess The Morrigan And Her Germano Celtic Counterparts

Book by Angelique Gulermovich Epstein

https://archive.org/details/WarGoddessTheMorriganAndHerGermanoCelticCounterparts

Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby

- Database of “almost all inscriptions ever recorded”

https://db.edcs.eu/epigr/hinweise/hinweis-en.html

A website on Gallo-Roman religion:

http://www.deomercurio.be/en/

A scholarly website with information on Epona:

https://epona.net/

[astroyongie]

🐈‍⬛ ྀི Goddess Worship: An Introduction of Freyja 🐈‍⬛ ྀི

Note: Day 17 of our October calendar! Today we have an introduction of deities I work with/worship. This post is to provide some information about the deities but also how I work with them personally. Everyone has their own methods with the Gods, and you should do whatever feels right with you while also respecting the bases of the religions.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

Historical Background:

Freyja (or Freya) is a major goddess in Norse mythology, belonging to the Vanir tribe of deities, which are associated with fertility, prosperity, and nature. (Vanir and Aesir are different deities in the Norse Mytho). She is the daughter of Njord, the sea god, and sister to Freyr (Twins), the god of fertility, peace, and prosperity. Her hall is known as Fólkvangr which welcome half of the warriors who died in battle. She is also the goddess of love, beauty, war, death, and magic (her magic is known as seidr associated with prophecy and shape-shifting. she could see into the future and use the power of runes). Freyja’s worship may predate Norse mythology, with roots in earlier Germanic or proto-Indo-European traditions second the archeologists studies.

Attributes and Symbols:

Cats: Freyja’s chariot is said to be drawn by two large cats, symbolizing fertility and domesticity. She has been long symbolized through cats and usually people who. worship her will use cats to connect with her Boars: She also rides the boar named Hildisvíni, a symbol of fertility, protection, and strength. Brísingamen: Her famous necklace, a symbol of fertility, sexuality, and beauty. The Brísingamen was often considered an object of great power and desire as in the mytho many creatures and gods have fought to have it. Falcon Cloak: This magical cloak allows Freyja to shapeshift into a bird, symbolizing freedom, the soul’s flight, and her connection to magic. Amber and Gold: Amber, known as "Freyja's tears," is associated with the goddess due to the myth where she weeps golden tears for her missing husband, Óðr.

Worship and Rituals:

Seidr (Magic): Freyja is a practitioner and teacher of seidr, a form of Norse magic involving divination, trance states, and influencing fate. Women (and men) who practiced seidr would invoke her for aid. this pratice is still used in the Nordic countries but it needs to be taught through initiation. One cannot learn to practice Seidr magic without initiation by another Seidr. One way of worshipping her is through the practice of Runes. Love and Fertility: As a fertility goddess, Freyja was worshipped by those seeking love, marriage, and fertility. Offerings of gold, honey, and flowers were made in her name. A lot of people would also use sexual intercourse as a way to give away their energy to the goddess in exchange of love and pregnancy. Battle and Death: Despite being a goddess of love, Freyja is also a goddess of war and death. Half of those who die in battle are said to go to her hall, Fólkvangr, while the other half go to Odin’s hall, Valhalla. One can worship her not only for love but also for strenght in battles. She is fierce when it comes to help protect those who pray her. Now in the modern times, her worship of battles have been adjusted with internal battles, challenges in life and even justice. Festivals: Freyja was likely honored during seasonal festivals like Dísablót (mostly done during winter seasons), where offerings were made to the dísir, female spirits or ancestors, who were linked to fertility and protection. It involves sacrifices (not animals but instead sacrificing something of you in return of something else) and ritual offerings to Freyja or the feminine ancestor spirits. Unfortunately there isn't many source of information about the norse mythology as Norse People didn't especially write it.

-> When worshipping Freyja, do not take her for granted. Her energy is pure and warm but she wishes for attention. Make a small altar for her, give offerings every friday (and of course offerings during spells were you invoke her energy or help). The important here to feel connected to the deity and respect her as a whole energy. Everyone has their own way of praticing, so do what feels right. But remember to do your own research. Get out of TikTok and READ! archeological revues and works are important.

-> Ideas for offerings: Wine, honey, bread, prayers, cat symbols (statues, whiskers, furr, ect), same with boar figures, jewelery, gold, coins, amber, red fruits, apples, incense, candles, anything else that feels right to you

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

"Freyja, Lady, Vanadis: An Introduction to the Goddess" by Patricia M. Lafayllve

"The Viking Way: Religion and War in Late Iron Age Scandinavia" by Neil Price

"Gods and Myths of Northern Europe" by H.R. Ellis Davidson LA MITOLOGÍA, Y. E. C. D. THE MYTHOLOGY AND CULT OF FREYJA AND HER IMPORTANCE TO VIKING AGE WOMEN. Bellows, Henry Adams (Trans.) (1923).

A Edda Poetica. American-Scandinavian Foundation

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[chthonic-sorcery]

The Ars Goetia didn't originate from "King Solomon" as it claims.

If it did, it wouldn't be heavily influenced by fucking Greek magic, since Solomon supposedly lived thousands of years before that period.

Medieval monks, who really wrote the Ars Goetia, had a very well documented habit of assigning parentage of magical texts to apocryphal figures like Solomon to make them seem cooler or more powerful. Particularly to christian adjacent figures, since otherwise these books would be considered hersey.

Even the word Goetia itself derives from the Greek Goêteia, meaning sorcery, specifically sorcery utilizing chthonic powers, or the Underworld: Gods, Daemons, and the Dead.

Goêteia comes from the proto Indo-European word goos, meaning to mourn, cry, or to wail; it comes from ancient funeral laments and mourning practices.

Also, Solomon likely never existed, hate to burst your bubble, but there has been zero archeological evidence found to support his, or his "father" king David's existence. Unlike other real kings of roughly the same periods, like King Nebuchadnezzar II.

Even the fact that the magic circles within the Ars Goetia utilize the same coiled serpents and five-pointed stars that Greek goêteia uses, stemming from EGYPT and Egyptian practice, not some psudeo-biblical figure like Solomon.

But wait, there's more

Even the use of demons isn't Solomonic, nor is it Jewish or christian.

It's also fucking Greek.

The word demon itself derives from the Greek daemon, meaning earthly divinity (rather than heavenly/ouranic) or a messenger of the Gods.

It was taken and absorbed into early christian theology like many other concepts such as Tartarus due to early christianity rising in the same region.

Particularly the use of daemons in magic through evocation, or even invocation (calling them within yourself to become possessed, a hallmark of Daemonism and the Engastraitai) through ritual incantations of voces magicae and nomina barbara.

All of it is fucking Greek, no Solomon to be found.

I'll add a step further: even the use of Jewish aspects of magic within the Ars Goetia stems from Greek goêteia, as Greek goêteia was a syncretism of Greek, Jewish, Egyptian, and Mesopotamian magical and spiritual practices.

Fuck, just take a look at the Greek Magical Papyri sonetime if you don't believe it.

Hell, even take a look at the Coptic Magical Papyri, which was a syncretism of early christianity and what we would call "ancient Egyptian" religion and Magical practices:

See the similarities?

Solomon my ass.

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Learn more here

[looking-at-the-deiwos]

Páusōn

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

[faith-of-the-wheel]

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.

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"

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.

*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 Gaulish U̯ātonos 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. 

Lugh, Cu Chulainn, Oisín and Fionn Mac Cumhaill.

I forgot to add these last time, but I've finally remembered to return to this post. Irish religion, especially the details of its deities, can be very hard to nail down due their euhemerization or christian alteration. However, I think aspects/cognates of Rudlos can most certainly be found in Ireland.

I previously spoken about the connection between Odin, Fenrir, Lugh and Cu Chulainn, in Rudlos Part 2, Comparison of Cognates, under the section about Odin. For ease however, I'm going to paste it below.

"I also think this relates to the myths of Fenrir and Irish Cú Chulainn, who parallel each other in some interesting ways. And keep in mind that Irish religion before christian influence would likely be among the most conservative traditions. Cú Chulainn took over the role of a guard dog as a lad, like Fenrir was taken to Asgard to live among the gods despite the punishment of his siblings. He needed to be submerged in three vats of water to quell his war rage where he was dangerous to friend and foe, and Fenrir was bound three times. When Cú Chulainn is killed, after tying himself to the standing stone/menhir, a figure of sovereignty similar to Tyr, Lugh "of the Long arm" cuts his head off, then the sword falls from Cú Chulainn and cuts Lugh's hand off just as Fenrir bites of Tyr's hand after being bound to a mountain.

Here's the really interesting thing, the myth of Fenrir and Tyr was made around the same time as the Ulfhednar were banned and considered outlaws in the Norse kingdoms. This may also explain why his father is the outlaw/trickster Loki and not the heavily wolf associated god of the Ulfhednar, Oðinn. From this point of view, Fenrir might even be a hypostasis of Oðinn in his berserker, frenzy aspect."

This would all seem to make Cu Chulainn a cognate of Rudlos. His name meaning "hound" and his berserker rage makes it particularly clear to me. He is traditionally thought to be an incarnation of Lugh, and he is son. Lugh himself is famed for his use of the spear, as is the Welsh Lleu Llaw Gyffes, but his other aspects give him much more in common with Dyeus or the Hellenic Athena. He is commonly thought to be the Irish expression of the pan-Celtic god Lugus, however this has been questioned.

Lugus has no widely accepted etymology, however he has been connected to Hamel and Maier proposed a derivation from proto-Celtic *lugus ("lynx"), perhaps used allusively to mean "warrior", but an article by John Carey found the evidence for the existence of such a word in proto-Celtic lacking. Other etymologies derive "Lugus" from the name of the Norse Loki,  proto-Celtic *luc- ("mouse" or "rat"), and Gaulish lougos ("raven").  You may note that mice and ravens are animals closely associated with Rudlos, as is being a warrior. However, aside from the spear connection, I feel there are no solid grounds to call Lugh, Lleu, or Lugus a cognate of Rudlos.

Fionn mac Cumhaill, who will be referenced further as Fionn, is the leader of the Fianna bands of young roving hunter-warriors(very Koryos sounding, no?), as well as being a seer and poet. His famous tale of catching the Salmon of Wisdom is quest to gain said wisdom from a source of water(symbolically representing chaos in early IE thought), not unlike Odin's and Rudra's. He is often depicted hunting with his hounds Bran and Sceólang, and fighting with his spear and sword, and is himself rather young. Macgnímartha Finn is specifically about his boyhood exploits, adding to his youthful association. Water drunk from his hands is also said to heal even the most severe wounds. He is also said to have been taught the art of war and hunting by a woman called Liath Luachra("Grey One of Luachair"), who bears some similar it Scathach and her relationship to Cu Chulainn.

In Old Irish, Finn/Fionn means "white, bright, lustrous; fair, light-hued (of complexion, hair, etc.); fair, handsome, bright, blessed; in moral sense, fair, just, true". It is cognate with Primitive Irish VENDO- (found in names from Ogam inscriptions), Welsh gwyn (cf. Gwyn ap Nudd), Cornish gwen, Breton gwenn, Continental Celtic and Common Brittonic*uindo- (a common element in personal and place names), and comes from the Proto-Celtic adjective masculine singular *windos. The name seems rather generic but does bring to mind the descriptors used for Hellenic Apollon, and occasional Vedic Rudra. In myth, his mother initially named him Deimne(literally "sureness" or "certainty", also a name that means a young male deer) and several legends tell how he gained the name Fionn when his hair turned prematurely white.

He is also married to Sadhbh, who is also called Sive, pronounced the same. We're gonna get into her very soon in the second part of Rtkona series, but suffice it to say she is pretty convincing cognate and particularly my theory that Rtkona and Rudlos are lovers.

They had a son together, Oisín, who was regarded in legend as the greatest poet of Ireland, a warrior of the Fianna in the Ossianic or Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. His name literally means "young deer", in refernce to his mother. He is also considered a demigod, and given the age of his character and mythos, he reinforces the divinity of his parents.

Lets circle back to Bran and Sceólang, whose names mean "Raven" and "Survivor" respectively. Bran is typically male, while Sceolang is typically female, but their are a few variations. The hounds' mother, Uirne, was transformed into a dog while pregnant, hence the canine birth of her twin children. While Uirne is returned to full humanity after giving birth to her pups, Bran and Sceólang remain hounds throughout the duration of their mythos. As Uirne is the sister of Fionn's mother Muirne, Bran and Sceólang would be their masters' cousins.

I think the arguement for the relation of Cu Chulainn, Fionn, and perhaps even Oison is rather strong and more than worth updating this post.

Orion(also Dionysus, sorta)

This one is also a stretch but I feel there are some shocking connections when you dig into it.

Orion was a Gigas huntsman, companion of the goddess Artemis, who Zeus (or maybe Artemis herself) placed among the stars as the constellation of Orion.

The stories of his birth are numerous, his death even more so. I will link his wikipedia article here, as it covers most of the relevant details of one does not wish to go through each individual account.

The parts of most importance are this:

He was blinded and regained his sight(think of Odin's lost eye)

The star Sirius is called his dog(In India, it was associated with Rudra), As are Canis Major and Canis Minor.

Went to Crete where he hunted with Artemis and her mother Leto, and threatened to kill every beast on Earth.

Gaia (Apollon in some versions, disapproving of his sister's relationship with a male) objected and sent a giant scorpion to kill Orion.

It succeeded in killing him, and after his death, the two goddesses asked Zeus to place Orion among the constellations.

In several versions, Eos(very ancient IE goddess) falls in love with him and takes him to Delos, where Artemis kills him.

In one version, he plans to marry Artemis, before Apollon orchestrates his death.

Artemis mourns him greatly

His name may come from the ancient Greek word oros, which means "mountain". It may also come from the word horion, which means "boundary" or "limit". Both seem fair origins and either could reasonably relate to an epithet of Rudlos. However, it has also been argued, very speculatively, that it come from Akkadian Uru-anna, meaning “heaven's light”.

Orion had a hero cult in the region of Boeotia(the area surrounding Thebes). The number of places associated with his birth suggest that it was widespread. Hyria, the most frequently mentioned, was in the center of Boeotia. A feast of Orion was held there as late as the Roman Empire. Maurice Bowra argues that Orion was a national hero of the Boeotians, much as Castor and Pollux were for the Dorians. He bases this claim on the Athenian epigram on the Battle of Coronea in which a hero gave the Boeotian army an oracle, then fought on their side and defeated the Athenians.

I want you to keep in mind the panhellenic hero cult of Herakles, who is widely regarded as a cognate of the IE thunder god, Perkwunos, was also believed to have been a historic mortal man and even had several graves where his body was believed to have been laid to rest. Orion also had a grave in Boeotia, at the foot of Mount Cerycius(Now Tanagra), enhancing his mountain connection. Indeed, if Orion was once Rudlos, it is very possible aspects of his myth and cult split off from him and on to other deities, namely his more establish but originally Anatolian cognate, Apollon. Dionysus was similarly euhemerized although this happened much later.

Also keep in mind, Orion is not a human, but a member of the Gigantes, often translated as Giants, although they were no more than a foot taller than the average Greek, not the monsters that snap trees like tooth-picks they are often depicted as. Gigantes were known for their size and strength, and were considered the children of Gaia. Orion himself was considered to be the pinnacle of mortal hunting ability, and incredibly strong. The current consensus, backed up by Homer, is that Orion's name, myth, and cult, predate the naming of the constellation.

In Dionysus (1976), Karl Kerényi portrays Orion as a shamanic hunting hero, surviving from Minoan times (hence his association with Crete). Kerényi derives Hyrieus (and Hyria) from the Cretan dialect word ὕρον hyron, meaning "beehive", which survives only in ancient dictionaries. From this association he turns Orion into a representative of the old mead-drinking cultures, overcome by the wine masters Oenopion and Oeneus. (The Greek for "wine" is oinos.) Fontenrose cites a source stating that Oenopion taught the Chians how to make wine before anybody else knew how.

In some versions, he is the son of Poseidon, who grants him the power to walk on water.

Joseph Fontenrose wrote Orion: the Myth of the Hunter and the Huntress (1981) to show Orion as the type specimen of a variety of grotesque hero. He views him as similar to Cú Chulainn, that is, stronger, larger, and more potent than ordinary men and the violent lover of the Divine Huntress.

The Boeotian school of epic poetry was primarily focused with the genealogies of the gods and heroes. Several other myths are attached to Orion in this way: A papyrus fragment of the Boeotian poet Corinna gives Orion fifty sons (a traditional number). This included the oracular hero Acraephen, who gave a response to Asopus regarding Asopus' daughters who were abducted by the gods. Corinna sang of Orion conquering and naming all the land of the dawn. Bowra argues that Orion was believed to have delivered oracles as well, probably at a different shrine.

The stories surrounding Orion resemble those of several other mythical hunters of the Boeotian region. The hunter Kephalos (Cephalus), for example, was also said to have been seduced by the goddess Eos. Another, Aktaion (Actaeon), was similarly killed by Artemis while out hunting. And finally, the earth-born Boeotian giant Tityos attempted to violate the goddess Leto(just as Orion assaulted Opis/Artemis) and was destroyed by Apollon and Artemis with their arrows.

Now, as a Hellenist, I would argue the myth involving Apollon orchestrating Orion's death is one to be interpreted as illustrating the function of Apollon as the god who brings us back to reason. u/messageofapollo over on reddit made a small post in r/Hellenism that I feel sums up an excellent Hellenist reading of the story, which I will link here.

However, in the name of PIE reconstructionism I would also argue this interpretation of that same myth: It may also represent the cult of Apollon, who would become a symbol of Greek-ness(Hellenismos, if you will) itself and one of the most widely spread and consistent cults of Greece, overtaking what remained of Orion's and retaking what it had once been and much more. A cognate of Rudlos circumventing and usurping another cognate, albeit a small, euhemerized one, to great acclaim.

It also like to you to take a look at this article by Michael Janda, specifically section 2 which starts on page 4. It compares a myth of Rudra defending Ushas from Prajapati to the myth of Orion, specifically the version involving Eos. They're connections to the same stars, the same symbols, and a remarkably similar narrative. I do not agree with all of his conclusions, including his statement that a parallel between Greek and Indic sources = it's definitely PIE, but they're both archaic enough I'm also not too worried and about mutual influence. I don't think the PIE's drank wine either, although they almost certainly had some form of alcohol.

I'd also caution that while I see his point, I do not believe Artemis to be all that reflexive of the Dawn Goddess. Rather, I think the relevance is in her being his sister. And while Eos/Ushas and her earlier incarnations could have held a consistent nocturnal role, I don't see strong evidence for it.

Later in the article he makes an argument for the reflexive nature of Dionysus, which I feel is largely adequate. I'm not personally motivated much by Dionysus as a cognate, even if he indeed is. He has been altered so heavily I don't feel he adds much to the table.

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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. A whole series of Celtic cognates, back up by linguistics, comparative mythology, and by Interpretatio romana. And a possible Greek reflex, not of Rudlos himself, but perhaps his relationship with Rtkona.

[hrizantemy]

if you were to completely redesign the Illyrian, how would you do it, what would their culture be and what would they look like??

The real Illyrians were an Indo-European group who lived in the western Balkans, in what is now Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, Bosnia, and parts of Croatia and Serbia. Their culture was tribal, warrior-based, highly spiritual, and deeply connected to land and kinship.

1. Name & Language Roots

First: reclaim the name “Illyrian.” Instead of being a shallow placeholder for “aggressive bat-wing men,” the name should reflect a proud, tribal confederation of clans—descended from ancient highland warriors. Their language would include roots from Albanian and Proto-Illyrian dialects, with oral poetry, songs of mourning, and epics sung around mountain fires.

2. Social Structure: Tribal Confederacies

Real Illyrians lived in tribal federations, each with its own chieftains and warrior aristocracy. I would bring this into canon: the Illyrians aren’t just “camps”—they’re sovereign tribes with loose allegiance to the Night Court, and their loyalty is bought, not owed. Each tribe has a Council of Elders and Chieftains, with some practicing elective rulership where war-leaders are chosen through ritual trial, not bloodline.

Matriarchal clans exist too—older than any patriarchal power, passed through the line of sky priestesses, who once clipped the wings of men as divine penance. The current system of oppression? A perversion of ancient tradition twisted by power-hungry warlords and Rhysand’s court, who exploit internal conflict to keep them divided and dependent.

3. Religion and Spiritual Practice

Historically, Illyrians worshipped nature spirits, serpent deities, and mountain gods. In this fantasy adaptation, Illyrians would revere the Sky-Father and the Stone-Mother—two ancient beings who gave them wings and stone to live between worlds.

Wings are sacred. Wing-clipping is not just mutilation—it’s sacrilege, and the resurgence of this practice under modern Night Court control is a political weapon to suppress rebellious bloodlines. Warrior-priestesses once guarded shrines on the highest peaks where only those who could fly were permitted to worship.

Death rites involve sky-funerals: the dead are burned on high plateaus so their spirits can ride the wind to the afterlife. The wingless are buried in tombs in the valleys—a mark of shame in some clans, a mercy in others.

4. Economy, Craft, and Innovation

Instead of being portrayed as “poor savages,” the redesigned Illyrians would be fierce highlanders with a rich barter-based economy. They trade obsidian, leather, mountain herbs, and metal alloys unique to their region. They have smiths who forge armor and alchemists.

Flight gear is advanced: aerodynamic cloaks, harnesses imbued with wind glyphs, and helmets carved to honor ancestral beasts. Wings are treated with reverence—oiled with sacred resins, decorated with clan paint before battle, bound in mourning when a loved one dies.

5. Gender & Power Dynamics

Gender in real Illyrian society wasn’t well-documented, but fantasy allows us to expand. In my version:

• Warrior women are common, especially in the tribes that still worship the Stone-Mother. In some clans, only women can lead raids; in others, daughters inherit land and wings.

• Wing-clipping is not universal. It’s a divisive cultural trauma, used by colonial forces (like Rhysand’s Night Court) to weaken female power within rebellious clans.

• Marriage customs involve bonding rituals and trials of endurance. Love matches are common, but political unions are sacred treaties.

6. Aesthetic and Visual Identity

Visually, these Illyrians would draw from traditional Balkan dress, war paint, and ritual tattoos:

• Heavy layered wool cloaks, silver-studded leather, and hand-stitched embroidery.

• Feather motifs, not batlike, dominate their wings and clothing—suggesting eagle or falcon heritage.

• Skin adorned with ancestral ink, marking clan history, flight achievements, and personal victories.

• Their wings are shaped more like a bird of prey—sleek, powerful, elegant—and more distinct from other fae for anatomical and symbolic reasons.

7. Language, Stories & Music

Real Illyrians were known for oral tradition—so these new Illyrians would sing their lineage, tell stories of queens and serpents, and compose elegies for daughters passed through generations.

Their music is haunting, polyphonic, and full of harmonies sung at mountaintop festivals during solstices or blood moons. Instruments would include stringed zithers, bone flutes, and drums carved from trees.

8. Relationship to the Night Court

Here’s where it gets juicy.

The Night Court uses the Illyrians as disposable soldiers, but in this version, the Illyrians are not passive. They remember their history, their gods, and the betrayals of past High Lords. There are Illyrian liberation movements, traitor lords secretly allied, and young war-chiefs dreaming of independence.

TL;DR:

The redesigned Illyrians are inspired by real-world Balkan highland warriors—fierce, proud, complex, deeply spiritual, and politically fractured. They are not a monolith of misogyny, but a tapestry of survival, resistance, and memory.

[alpaca-clouds]

The Otherworld, Fea/Fey and what little we know about Celtic mythology

Okay. I was now asked more than once about this. Which is fair. What is the Otherworld? I have noted this word more than once in regard to Maria and her magic - and if you have read any of my writing on Castlevania you might have stumbled across the word as well, as I reference it fairly often there as well.

If you are one of those five people who came originally from Twitter to follow me here, you might also know that a friend and I work on a comic called Otherworldly. So, let me talk about the Otherworld.

The Celtic Otherworld

The general concept and name of the Otherworld comes from the celtic mythology. Once more we know most about it from the Gaelic mythology, because most of the oral tradition that has survived is from the Scots and the Irish. And you might even have heard at some point of Tír na nÓg, which was one of the names for the Gaelic variation of this myth. If you were at any point a fan of Lord of the Rings you might also be aware of the concept, despite Tolkien using another name for it.

Generally speaking the Otherworld is a world of eternal youth and beauty, in which the fae/fey, as well as the gods of this religion tend to live. But in some cases humans wander into the Otherworld as well. Maybe because they get invited into it by a fae of some variation of sidhe, or just because they get lost. In those cases we might have stories in which children get lost in the forest and years later stumble out of the forest not having aged a single day.

Something that is maybe specific interesting for Maria: The Gaulic mythology (so the one of the French celts) actually said, there were two Otherworlds: The White World and the Black World. The White World was a sort of heaven, the Black World a sort of hell - even though that is obviously just once more interpreting it through a Christian lense.

Generally speaking this was less of an afterlife. While the souls of the deceased would generally pass through the otherworld, most of them would then go on (possibly for reincarnation). Though we have some stories of heroes that remain in the Otherworld and become sorts of gods.

The Otherworld as a General Concept

This is the moment where I will once again talk about Indo-European mythology. As you might have heard: Pretty much all cultures that existed in Europe and around the Mediterranean and some part of Asia go back to one culture that originally lived in the area that is today's Ukraine, which in anthropology is called the Proto-Indo-European culture. And we are fairly certain, that the Otherworld at the very least goes back to the mythology that this culture has had - if not even further back, as similar concepts are even found outside of these connected cultures.

Basically, these cultures generally have a realm or parallel world in which the gods reside and at times all sorts of other paranormal creatures.

This is why some authors, like me, use this parallel in their writing. Of course we are well aware that anthropoligically speaking these parallels are there, because the cultures have the same root and have influenced each other. But of course, as a fantasy writer it is hard to not look at it and go: "Well, what if all these cultures have this concept because it is real?!"

Fae/Fey

Lastly we should talk about the Fae/Fey. Again, the wording goes back to the Celts. Fae/Fey is generally a word that is often used today as "fairy", though technically the fae in the mythology are usually not little humanoids with wings. Mainly they seem to have been a sort of spirit-like being, some of which showed as humans with otherworldly beauty and eternal youth. This is mainly where the elves in fantasy come from. Some could also appear as both animals or monsters of sorts.

The general thought is, that they probably anthropologically speaking fae probably go back to a spiritual religion, in which nature spirits were revered in different ways - and then got personified partly as fae or gods.

And if we are talking fantasy writers once more: Given those parallels with the Otherworld, especially Urban Fantasy does this little trick quite often, where pretty much all spiritual beings from all sorts of religions just get qualified as "fae", no matter from what culture they come. So Yokai from Shinto might also qualify as fae in this way of looking at it.

And that in the end brings us back to Maria, whose familiars obviously were originally based in East Asian mythology, while the way she summons them clearly is more linked to the celtic culture.

It will be really interesting to see (if the Netflix algorithm decided that it would be worth it for Netflix to let Powerhouse make another season) how this is going to tie back to Maria's backstory eventually.

[room-surprise]

do you know or have thoughts on why the dm characters sometimes reference ‘hell’ (as in ‘what the hell?’) given how the series handles religion? is that an anime thing or translation thing or…???

This is such a great question, and fun to answer, so thank you for writing to me!!! I think there's two things happening at the same time: What does hell really mean in English, and what are the characters actually saying in the original Japanese?

If the characters say hell in the original manga or in any translations, I think it is pretty safe to assume that they aren't referring to the Christian hell specifically, since it doesn't appear to exist in the Dungeon Meshi world. They are instead referring to the generic concept of a hell.

NON-CHRISTIAN HELLS

Hell is a word that can refer to a "bad afterlife" in many different world cultures. Obviously all of these cultures have their own names for these places, but when they are translated into English they are frequently referred to as "Buddhist hell", "Hindu hell", "Nordic hell", etc.

The word "hell" was adopted by Christians to describe something in their religion, but does not originate with them.

The modern English word hell is derived from Old English hel, to refer to a nether world of the dead. The word has cognates in all branches of the Germanic languages, and they all ultimately derive from the reconstructed Proto-Germanic feminine noun xaljō or haljō ('concealed place, the underworld'), and can be traced back even further to Proto-Indo European.

When the Germanic peoples were converted to Christianity, the word "hell" was adopted to refer to the Christian underworld. Before that time, hell was called many different things by the Christians, including "Sheol" (grave, death, pit, underworld), "Gehenna" (valley of wailing), "Hades" or "Tartarus." (The first two are Hebrew words, and the latter two are Ancient Greek. All of these words are attempting to describe similar things, a bad afterlife.) These Germanic cultures (most of Northern, Western and Central Europe) are the primary cultural influence of Dungeon Meshi's Eastern and Northern Continents, where the story takes place, and where most of the characters are from. So the word hel/hell would be native to the region, and logical for the characters to use both as a swear word, and also as a reference to whatever afterlife they might believe in.

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERS ACTUALLY SAYING THOUGH?

Dungeon Meshi is, for better or for worse, written in standard, contemporary Japanese, without any particular emphasis or attempt to sound "old fashioned" or like it is "fantasy", so any changes or additions made in translation to make the dialog or narration sound that way are just that: additions and changes. The changes made during translation aren't inherently bad, but the original text is very neutral, and open to interpretation. For example, Yaad calls Laios "tono/dono" in Japanese, which is an honorific that has no direct English equivalent, but is used between two people of similar social status, when one wants to be extra polite to the other. It does not imply nobility, but respect higher than "mister" and lower than "lord." Most English translations have rendered this as "Sir Laios" which isn't literally what Yaad says, but conveys the idea with something that "feels right" for the setting. It may be that in Dungeon Meshi the characters are literally saying the English word "hell/heru" in Japanese (ヘル), the word jigoku (地獄), which is the Japanese word for Buddhist hell, another word for a specific different underworld or afterlife, they are saying a Japanese swear word, or just using casual/impolite language that doesn't have a direct translation into English, and so needs to be localized into something that will make sense in English.

The last one is most likely what is happening, and I can think of a couple of common phrases that would most likely be translated into "What the hell?":

The polite, neutral way to say "What's that?" or "What [should I] do?" is "Nan-darou? (なんだろう?) or "Nani?" (何), which just means "What?"

The more casual, aggressive, masculine way of saying it is "Nani-kore?" (なにこれ？) which doesn't mention hell in any way, but translates to something like "What the hell?" or "What the fuck?" It's more rude because it's casual speech, but doesn't literally use words for hell or fuck in it. It technically means the same thing as "Nan-darou?" or "Nani?" But translating it the same way would be ignoring the context and tone of the words.

Another thing that's often said in Japanese is "Uso!" (うそ！) Which literally means "lie" or "not true", but in conversation it’s often used to say things like "you're lying!", "For real?!", "really?", or "No way!"

Often these exclamations of "Uso!" don't have anything to do with lying or untruths, they are meant to express surprise (this can't be happening!) or a response to someone talking about an outrageous and terrible event they experienced, like saying "No way! I can't believe that happened to you!" It's also sometimes translated as "What the hell…" or "Unbelievable…"

If the translators tried to keep this sort of thing literal, the manga would be full of lines like:

CHILCHUCK, running for his life from a mimic: What's this?! (Nani-kore?!) (He isn't literally asking what the mimic is, he is expressing surprise, so he should shout some curse words in English like hell, fuck, shit, etc.)

MARCILLE, horrified by the chimera: Lie! (Uso!) (She isn't just saying the word "lie" with no context, she is expressing shock, horror and disbelief at what she sees, so she should say something like "No, that can't be..." or "Impossible...")

I am not an expert in Japanese, but I hope that all of this is helpful to you, anon, and anyone else that's interested in this sort of thing!

[talonabraxas]

Solar Diety

A solar deity (also sun god(dess)) is a deity who represents the sun, or an aspect of it, usually by its perceived power and strength. Solar deities and sun worship can be found throughout most of recorded history in various forms. Hence, many beliefs have formed around this worship, such as the "missing sun" found in many cultures.

Solar deities throughout cultures

In different religions solarised supreme deities carry different names and are associated with different aspects of the cultural universe of the society, but for the most part its raw image remains identical.

The Neolithic concept of a solar barge, the sun as traversing the sky in a boat, is found in the later myths of ancient Egypt, with Ra and Horus. Earlier Egyptian myths imply that the sun is within the lioness, Sekhmet, at night and can be seen reflected in her eyes or that it is within the cow, Hathor during the night, being reborn each morning as her son (bull). Proto-Indo-European religion has a solar chariot, the sun as traversing the sky in a chariot.

During the Roman Empire, a festival of the birth of the Unconquered Sun (or Dies Natalis Solis Invicti) was celebrated on the winter solstice — the "rebirth" of the sun. In Germanic mythology this is Sol, in Vedic Surya, and in Greek Helios (occasionally referred to as Titan) and (sometimes) as Apollo. Mesopotamian Shamash plays an important role during the Bronze Age, and "my Sun" is eventually used as an address to royalty. Similarly, South American cultures have emphatic Sun worship, see Inti.

During the later periods of Roman history, sun worship gained in importance and ultimately led to what has been called a “solar monotheism.” Nearly all the gods of the period were possessed of solar qualities, and both Christ and Mithra acquired the traits of solar deities. The feast of Sol Invictus (Unconquered Sun) on December 25 was celebrated with great joy, and eventually this date was taken over by the Christians as Christmas, the birthday of Christ.[1]

Hinduism

The Ādityas are one of the principal deities of the Vedic classical Hinduism belonging to Solar class. In the Vedas, numerous hymns are dedicated to Mitra, Varuna and Savitr.

Even the Gayatri mantra, which is regarded as one of the most sacred of the Vedic hymns is dedicated to Savitr, one of the principal Ādityas. The Adityas are a group of solar deities, from the Brahmana period numbering twelve. The ritual of sandhyavandanam, performed by Hindus, is an elaborate set of hand gestures and body movements, designed to greet and revere the sun.

The sun god in Hinduism is an ancient and revered deity. In later Hindu usage, all the Vedic Ādityas lost identity and metamorphosed into one composite deity, Surya, the sun. The attributes of all other Ādityas merged into that of Surya and the names of all other Ādityas became synonymous with or epithets of Surya.

The Ramayana has Lord Rama as a descendant of the Surya, thus belonging to the Surya Vansh or the clan of the Sun. The Mahabharata describes one of its warrior heroes Karna as being the son of the Pandava mother Kunti and Surya.

The sun god is said to married to the goddess Ranaadeh, also known as Sanjnya. She is depicted in dual form, being both sunlight and shadow, personified. The goddess is revered in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

The charioteer of Surya is Aruna, who is also personified as the redness that accompanies the sunlight in dawn and dusk. The Sun God is driven by a seven-horsed Chariot depicting the seven days of the week.

In India, at Konark, in the state of Orissa, a temple is dedicated to Surya. The Konark temple has also been declared a UNESCO world heritage site. Surya is the most prominent of the navagrahas or nine celestial objects of the Hindus. Navagrahas can be found in almost all Hindu temples. There are further temples dedicated to Surya, one in Arasavilli, Srikakulam District in AndhraPradesh, one in Gujarat and another in Rajasthan. The temple at Arasavilli was constructed in such a way that on the day of Radhasaptami, the sun's rays directly fall on the feet of the Sri Suryanarayana Swami, the deity at the temple.

Chhath (Hindi: छठ, also called Dala Chhath) is an ancient Hindu festival dedicated to Surya, the chief solar deity, unique to Bihar, Jharkhand and the Terai. This major festival is also celebrated in the northeast region of India, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Chhattisgarh.Hymns praying to the sun can be found in the Vedas, the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism. Practiced in different parts of India, the worship of the sun has been described in the Rigveda.

Ancient Egypt

Sun worship was exceptionally prevalent in ancient Egyptian religion. The earliest deities associated with the sun are Wadjet, Sekhmet, Hathor, Nut, Bastet, Bat, and Menhit. First Hathor, and then Isis, give birth to and nurse Horus and Ra. Hathor the horned-cow is one of the twelve daughters of Ra, gifted with joy and is a wet-nurse to Horus.

The sun's movement across the sky represents a struggle between the Pharaoh's soul and an avatar of Osiris. Ra travels across the sky in his solar-boat; at dawn he drives away the demon apep of darkness. The "solarisation" of several local gods (Hnum-Re, Min-Re, Amon-Re) reaches its peak in the period of the fifth dynasty.

In the eighteenth dynasty, Akhenaten changed the polytheistic religion of Egypt to a monotheistic one, Atenism of the solar-disk and is the first recorded state monotheism. All other deities were replaced by the Aten, including, Amun-Ra, the reigning sun god of Akhenaten's own region. Unlike other deities, the Aten did not have multiple forms. His only image was a disk—a symbol of the sun.

Soon after Akhenaten's death, worship of the traditional deities was reestablished by the religious leaders (Ay the High-Priest of Amen-Ra, mentor of Tutankhaten/Tutankhamen) who had adopted the Aten during the reign of Akhenaten.

Chinese mythology

In Chinese mythological cosmology, there were originally ten suns in the sky, who were all brothers. They were supposed to emerge one at a time as commanded by the Jade Emperor. They were all very young and loved to fool around. Once they decided to all go into the sky to play, all at once. This made the world too hot and nothing grew. A hero named Hou Yi shot down nine of them with a bow and arrow to save the people of the earth. He is still honored to this day. In another myth, the solar eclipse was caused by the magical dog of heaven biting off a piece of the sun. The referenced event is said to have occurred around 2,160BCE. There was a tradition in China to make lots of loud celebratory sounds during a solar eclipse to scare the sacred "dog" away. The Deity of the Sun in Chinese mythology is Ri Gong Tai Yang Xing Jun (Tai Yang Gong / Grandfather Sun) or Star Lord of the Solar Palace, Lord of the Sun. In some mythologies, Tai Yang Xing Jun is believed to be Hou Yi. Tai Yang Xing Jun is usually decipted with the Star Lord of the Lunar Palace, Lord of the Moon, Yue Gong Tai Yin Xing Jun (Tai Yin Niang Niang / Lady Tai Yin).

Buddhism

In Buddhist cosmology, the bodhisattva of the sun is known as Ri Gong Ri Guang Pu Sa (The Bright Solar Boddhisattva of the Solar Palace) / Ri Gong Ri Guang Tian Zi (The Bright Solar Prince of the Solar Palace) / Ri Gong Ri Guang Zun Tian Pu Sa (The Greatly Revered Bright Solar Prince of the Solar Palace / one of the 20 or 24 guardian devas). In Sanskrit, He is known as Suryaprabha. He is usually decipted with Yue Gong Yue Guang Pu Sa (The Bright Lunar Boddhisattva of the Lunar Palace) / Yue Gong Yue Guang Tian Zi ( The Bright Lunar Prince of the Lunar Palace) / Yue Gong Yue Guang Zun Tian Pu Sa (The Greatly Revered Bright Lunar Prince of the Lunar Palace / one of the 20 or 24 guardian devas) or known as Candraprabha in Sanskrit. With Yao Shi Fo / Bhaisajyaguru Buddha (Medicine Buddha), these two boddhisattvas create the Dong Fang San Sheng or the Three Holy Sages of the East.

Africa

The Munshi tribe considers the sun to be the son of the supreme being Awondo and the moon is Awondo's daughter. The Barotse tribe believes that the Sun is inhabited by the sky god Nyambi and the Moon is his wife. Even where the sun god is equated with the supreme being, in some African mythologies he or she does not have any special functions or privileges as compared to other deities.

Aztec mythology

In Aztec mythology, Tonatiuh (Nahuatl:Ollin Tonatiuh "Movement of the Sun") was the sun god. The Aztec people considered him the leader of Tollan, heaven. He was also known as the fifth sun, because the Aztecs believed that he was the sun that took over when the fourth sun was expelled from the sky. According to their cosmology, each sun was a god with its own cosmic era. According to the Aztecs, they were still in Tonatiuh's era. According to the Aztec creation myth, the god demanded human sacrifice as tribute and without it would refuse to move through the sky. It is said that 20,000 people were sacrificed each year to Tonatiuh and other gods, though this number is thought to be inflated either by the Aztecs, who wanted to inspire fear in their enemies, or the Spaniards, who wanted to vilify the Aztecs. The Aztecs were fascinated by the sun and carefully observed it, and had a solar calendar second only in accuracy to the Mayan's. Many of today's remaining Aztec monuments have structures aligned with the sun.

In the Aztec calendar, Tonatiuh is the lord of the thirteen days from 1 Death to 13 Flint. The preceding thirteen days are ruled over by Chalchiuhtlicue, and the following thirteen by Tlaloc.

Indonesian mythology

The same swapping process is seen in Indonesia. The solar gods have a stronger presence in Indonesia's religious life and myth. In some cases the sun is revered as a "father" or "founder" of the tribe. This may apply for the whole tribe or only for the royal and ruling families. This practise is more common in Australia and on the island of Timor, where the tribal leaders are seen as direct heirs to the sun god.

Some of the initiation rites include the second reincarnation of the rite's subject as a "son of the sun", through a symbolic death and a rebirth in the form of a sun. These rituals hint that the Sun may have an important role in the sphere of funerary beliefs. Watching the un's path has given birth to the idea in some societies that the deity of the Sun descends in to the underworld without dying and is capable of returning afterward. This is the reason for the Sun being associated with functions such as guide of the deceased tribe members to the underworld, as well as with revival of perished. The sun is a mediator between the planes of the living and the dead.

Theosophy The primary local deity in Theosophy is the Solar Logos, i.e., the consciousness of the sun.