The Proto-Indo-European Religion, from which all our pantheons are derived.

This short article explores how deities often have connected names and similar myths, as well as how these similarities demonstrate how the various Indo-European religious traditions all come from the same root.

The article is beginner friendly, if you've struggled with grasping some of the ideas in some of our other articles this explains an important foundational concept in an easily understood way with no prior knowledge required.

https://telegra.ph/The-Proto-Indo-European-Religion-from-which-all-our-pantheons-are-derived-11-08

- Owen, The Sun Riders
@solarcult

Apollo, Óðinn, Dian Cecht and Brihaspati: The High Priest of the Word (Response to Survive the Jive) Part 1 of 2

https://taliesinsmap.blogspot.com/2020/11/apollo-oinn-dian-cecht-and-brihaspati.html

StJ’s channel: https://t.me/survivethejive

Building on Survive the Jive's blog post “Odin as Brihaspati,” we look at the web of divine “sages of the Word” found in Vedic mythology, which ulitmately reveals a parallel between them, Odin and Apollo, and between these and the Irish god Dian Cecht.

In doing so we gain a clearer insight into this divinity, the High Priest of the Word.

- O’Gravy, the Sun Riders
@solarcult

Indo-European Use of Entheogens

https://telegra.ph/Indo-European-Use-of-Entheogens-11-16

In this article I go over the use of mind-altering substances and their role in IE religion. This post also shows the possible substances that make up the legendary drink Soma or the ingredients of the Eleusinian Kykeon. The main point of this article is that these substances were integral to some rituals and certain beliefs of our ancestors.

-Kalin, The Sun Riders
@solarcult

Apollo, Óðinn, Dian Cecht and Brihaspati: The High Priest of the Word (Response to Survive the Jive) Part 2 of 2

https://taliesinsmap.blogspot.com/2020/11/apollo-oinn-dian-cecht-and-brihaspati_16.html?m=1

StJ: https://t.me/survivethejive

To conclude our investigation we first examine the serpent slaying myth in relation to this Priest of the Word and then ask
the unasked question:

why do both Apollo and Óðinn pursue mysterious, seemingly prophetic powers granted by a tree?

- O’Gravy, the Sun Riders
@solarcult

Archetypes of Immortality: Part 1 - The Nymph and the Nix

https://telegra.ph/The-Nymph-and-the-Nix-11-19

The young maiden in part one of this series, stands between the hero and immortality.
Who is she? What role does she play?

- Watonos, The Sun Riders
@solarcult

ON JARILO: INTRO

Jarilo, also known as Jaril, Jarun, Jure, Jurij, Jaro and Jarovit, is a very important pan-Slavic deity of vegetation, fertility and youth. Jarilo is considered by many to be the Slavic variant of the “Father Harvest” deity in Indo-European religion. In Belarus folklore, Jarilo is depicted as a barefooted young man, whose beauty couldn’t be matched, with a big phallus who is dressed in a white tunic and in a cape of the same colour. He wears a crown of field flowers and is riding a white or a green horse (depends on the region). His head is enriched with golden curls of hair. In one of his hands, Jarilo is carrying wheat, while in the other one he is carrying a human head, whose blood pours down on the fields. He comes to our world in early spring, bringing warmth with him. Throughout centuries, it has been sung about how the Earth gives birth to grass and plants where Jarilo has walked. Because of this, Croats and Slovenes refer to him with the epithet Zeleni, which means the Green One.

ON JARILO: THE MYTH OF JARILO

Radoslav Katičić, Croatian philologist and pan-Slavist and Vitomir Belaj, Croatian ethnologist, attempted to reconstruct the mythology surrounding Jarilo in the XX century. According to these authors, he was a fairly typical life-death-rebirth deity, believed to be (re)born and killed every year. His mythical life cycle followed the yearly life of various wheat plants, from seeding through vegetation to harvest.

The path that Jarilo takes is closely related to seasons. In short, the myth talks about Jarilo, the tenth son of Perun, being taken by Veles to underworld and spending winter there. In spring, as a young man, he travels across the rivers and across the plains, all the way to the groves. There he meets Morana, who is his twin sister, and they fall in love. Later during summer Jarilo cheats on her and she, in rage, makes her brothers kill Jarilo, after which she, because of anger and grief, turn into Morana as we know her, a deity of cold and dark times.

ON JARILO: GREEN JURIJ (Slovene equivalent of Jarilo)

“Holy Jurij knocks on the doors silently, one pant green, one pant red. Even though he just returned, already he made everyone happy, birds in the hedges, birds on the trees, yellow flowers which bloom beautifully, all celebrate his return in happiness. It has passed, winter has finally passed, Green Jurij returns to us at last. With him he brought sprouting seeds, arm length long green grass, from the green swamp and the bloody sea, through the rough roads and wide mountains.”
-Karel Štrekelj, Slovenian springtime song

The ritual is performed by a number of villagers, one of which, a young man is furnished in green, leafy branches. He is the representation of Green Jurij. Other villagers go with him and sing the ritual songs. They walk across the village and visit every homestead. People who live there come out and give Jurij a certain offering, for which he blesses their land and makes it fertile for this season.

ON JARILO: JAROVIT OF THE POLABIAN SLAVS AND HIS WAR FUNCTION

Jarovit can be translated into Furious Lord or Young Lord, but it can also be translated into Furious One or Young One, due to the suffix it (another example being rechit, meaning the one who talks a lot). Unlike other names under which this deity appeared, Jarovit didn’t survive through folklore, but on the other hand, Jarovit is the only variation of Jarilo’s name, which was recorded in the Middle Ages.

ON JARILO: SURVIVAL OF JARILO WORSHIP THROUGH ST. GEORGE

St. George was a Roman soldier of Christian faith who had a Hellenic background. His legend talks about a dragon that lived in a lake near the city of Lide. The Dragon often came out of the lake and feasted upon anyone who has gotten too close. It also had a foul, poisonous breath which made people sick and they often died because of it. At some point townsfolk finally went with their complaints to the city ruler. He told them that in order to get rid of their dragon problem they have to sacrifice a child to the Dragon each day. Finally, one day, time came for the Lord’s daughter to be sacrificed, and when she came to the lake, St. George appeared in front of her and upon spotting the dragon, took his spear and pierced the Dragon’s head. His day was celebrated on the day of his death, on 23rd of April, later due to calendar changes Orthodox Christian Slavs started celebrating him on 6th of May.

ON JARILO: JARILO'S DAY CELEBRATION

Jarilo has been connected to a celebration that usually goes by the same name. The celebration of Jarilo takes place in spring. In Belarus, it was celebrated on 24th of April and in Banat region of Serbia it takes place on 7th of May. On the other hand, in Russia, it was celebrate in early June and unlike in other parts of Slavdom, here Jarilo is pictured as an old man. Folklore content is the same from Slovenia, to Russia. Jarilo is physically represented by a doll. Young people would go out to the fields and dance around, enjoying their time. At one point, they will make a figure of Jarilo with a big phallus out of straw or clay. The doll would be taken to its resting place in the same manner a deceased would be taken. Jarilo was usually carried by women and girls, with loud tears and cries. The men who followed the ritual commented how the women have the right to mourn him, for he was sweeter than honey. They would burn, bury or drown the doll and continue celebrating.

ON JARILO: JARILO'S DAY CELEBRATION II

Dr. Sreten Petrovich, Serbian philosopher and professor of aesthetics, who went through small villages and towns and collected lore, writes in his book Serbian Mythology: Mythology, Magic and Rituals – Researching Svrlyig Region about how people of the Svrlyig region celebrated the day of St. George. It all starts two days prior to George day.

“Rise young men and women, so we can go out and pick flowers, pick flowers so we can knit wreaths, first wreath for the bread which will feed all, second wreath for the sheep that will first be milked, third wreath for the lamb which will be sacrificed.”
Folk song from Buchum dedicated to this ritual

An Overview of Albanian Culture and Mythology

https://telegra.ph/An-Overview-of-Albanian-Culture-and-Mythology-11-26

A relatively obscure and undocumented branch of Indo-European religion, the Albanians have preserved many aspects of their ancient culture. This article goes into the basics of their native religion and how it has evolved over time with Abrahamic religions. It also shows some rituals and shares information about their deities and society. Thank you for reading.

-Kalin, The Sun Riders
@solarcult

Archetypes of Immortality: Part 2 - The Island and Immortality

https://telegra.ph/The-island-and-immortality-11-26

In this second article, the maiden guides the worthy to an island.
What awaits them there?

- Watonos, The Sun Riders
@solarcult

Modern English:
May heaven and earth make me glorious.
May Lord Ingui and the wise sage god Woden make me glorious.
May I attain the glory of divine light.
May this great glory never abandon me.
May it never abandon my people, among whom let me be a speaker of truth.
Ænglisc:
Mē wuldrien heofon and earþe.
Mē wuldrien Ing dryhten ond Wōden se wīsa god.
Ic begiete þæt wuldor hālges lēohtes.
Ne forlǣte þis wuldor nǣfre mē.
Ne forlǣte hit nǣfre mīn folc, gemang þǣm ic sóþspreca bēo.
Svensk:
Må Himlen och Jorden göra mig ärorik.
Må Ingvi Frej och vise man-guden Oden göra mig ärorik.
Må jag uppnå det heliga ljusets ära.
Må denna stora ära aldrig överge mig.
Må det aldrig överge mitt folk, bland dem låt mig vara en sanningssägare.
Deutsch:
Mögen Himmel und Erde mich prächtig machen.
Mögen Fro Ing and der wissend-weise Gott Wotan mich prächtig machen.
Möge ich die Pracht des göttlichen Lichts erlangen.
Möge diese große Pracht mich niemals verlassen.
Möge sie niemals mein Volk verlassen, für das sie mich ein Künder der Wahrheit sein lasse.
Heathen prayer for truth and enlightenment. Translated into 4 Germanic languages.

The Start of Numa’s Reign as the Second King of Rome after Romulus

Accordingly an augur (who thereafter, as a mark of honour, was made a priest of the state in permanent charge of that function) conducted him (Numa Pompilius) to the citadel and caused him to sit down on a stone, facing the south. The augur seated himself on Numa's left, having his head covered, and holding his in right hand the crooked staff without a knot which they call a lituus. Then, looking out over the City and the country beyond, he prayed to the gods, and marked off the heavens by a line from east to west, designating as ' right' the regions to the south, as 'left' those to the north, and fixing in his mind a landmark opposite to him and as far away as the eye could reach; next shifting the crook to his left hand and, laying his right hand on Numa's head, he uttered the following prayer: “Father Jupiter, if it is Heaven's will that this man Numa Pompilius, whose head I am touching, be king in Rome, do thou exhibit to us unmistakable signs within those limits which I have set.” He then specified the auspices which he desired should be sent, and upon their appearance Numa was declared king, and so descended from the augural station.

- Livy (1.18)

Here we can see Numa, perhaps the most pious king of Rome, used divination to confirm his right to rule, after he was unanimously voted for by the senators. This sort of divination should be revitalised in our new growing communities, especially when it comes to important decisions and confirming the Gods are on our sides regarding a particular action.

- Owen, The Sun Riders
@solarcult