Introduction...

[Guest guest]

Hello all,

 

I've been lurking on the list for about a week or two, so, given typical

rules of list etiquette, I'd imagine an introduction is in order.

 

I most often go by the pseudonym of Catilyne, after the Roman

heretic/anarchist made famous by Julius Caesar and Cicero's "Catilinarian

Oratories". I guess I could best be described as a neo-Pagan Druid (all

standard disclaimers apply). Relatedly, I'm peripherally involved in an

Druidic organization named Ar nDraiocht Fein or ADF, and I'm occasionally

active in an ADF grove here in Virginia. In short, you could call me a

neo-Pagan reconstructionist -- interested in researching and reviving the

old religions in a context of modern society.

 

Which, in a rather roundabout way, explains why I'm most interested in all

aspects of the Pagan religion practiced by the Vedic branch of the

Indo-European peoples. Although I have some interest in the modern Hindu

religions, it seems to me that the Vedic religion "evolved" in a direction

slightly outside that of its original roots on its way to becoming

Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. Thus, I'm trying to stay focused on the time

period epitomized by the original four Vedas & the Upanisads. (please note

that this is not a value judgement, mind you -- merely a personal

preference. <*grin*>) Philosophically, I'm wholly polytheistic and view

each of the gods/goddesses as real and discrete entities (duotheism makes

little more sense to me than monotheism, and "aspects" are something I

reserve for discussions of Jungian psychology -- not religious practice).

 

That said, I'm finding there's not a helluva lot of information readily

available. Most of the works regarding the Indo-European peoples seems to

focus on the Celts, Norse, or Greco-Romans with precious little on the

Vedic religions. On the flipside, most of the religious analysis dealing

with the Vedic peoples focuses on Hindu thought or philosophical directions

far removed from the original IE invaders. Otherwise, one can only consult

the original source material (aside: can anybody recommend a good complete

translation of the four Vedas?) or an occasional chapter in

anthropological/archeological works such as Mircea Eliade's writings or

Mallory's "In Search of the Indo-Europeans". Thus, I'd *love* to hear any

leads on scholarly texts dealing with the subject matter.

 

Look forward to chatting with you all, and thanks a lot!!!!

 

-c-

_____

"i want to reach my hand into the dark and *feel* what reaches back"

-recoil