This article is a preliminary study into storm gods and their serpents nemesis , its symbolism and the adoption in various forms under different…

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Introduction

names across cultures. It is also related to the eagle (as symbol of skygod) and the serpent symbolism as seen in India and Mexico in the authors opinion. It  points out the bull relation to the skygod seen across all cultures and religions, the lion relation to the earth goddess/female aspect and proposes a theory why the Griffin is the shape it is in. Lastly it will show that the Vaijra of budhism and the respective Dorje was also based of the lightning of the specific sky god / storm gods. So many cultures had a storm god that weilded lightning, an axe or a hammer as their main god, all of them battled a serpent. Some have said the snake was chaos or forces of nature or even day battling the night, however as far as the author is aware there is no published explanation on this specific symbolism, nor an explicit link being made between the symbolism and deities across the different cultures worldwide showing that all these religions are adoptions of1 particular methaphore.

1. Symbolism of the male sky god
2. The skygod (or eagle) vs the snake/dragon/alligator
3. Symbolism of the female earth goddess
4. Depictions across cultures
5. The Vaijra / dorje and the bel of budhism

1. Symbolism of the male sky god
2. Hammer
3. Axe or Double axe
4. Lightning,  trident / double trident, Vaijra
5. Sickle
6. Thunderbolt
7. Horse
8. Snake/dragon/aligator

• The skygod (or eagle) vs the snake (dragon/alligator)

Every culture depicts this in the same way individually in the exact same manner with different names for their main storm deities. This can impossibly be coincidence and a common source or cultural exchange for this global symbolism is evident. Lets start with the numerous examples across different cultures.

The Multi-Headed Serpent (Mythology Synchroblog 5)

Thispak

Engraved shell plaque of unknown provenance; 39 mm high, ca. 2600-2300 BCE (Bible Lands Museum, Jerusalem). Right: stone cylinder seal from Tell Asmar, Iraq; 32 mm high, ca. 2271-2154 BCE (Iraq Museum, Baghdad). Source: Green 1997a, plates 13 and 14 (= ANEP 671 and 691).

Marduk and Mušḫuššu,

The mušḫuššu is the sacred animal of Marduk and his son Nabu during the Neo-Babylonian Empire. It was taken over by Marduk from Tishpak, the local god of Eshnunna.^[4] Tishpak (Tispak) is an Akkadian god, who replaced Ninazu as the tutelary deity of the city of Eshnunna

The myth of Tishpak batteling the dragon is mentioned in this article in full. https://www.jstor.org/stable/606370?read-now=1&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

The constellation Hydra was known in Babylonian astronomical texts as Bašmu, “the Serpent” (𒀯𒈲, ^MUL.dMUŠ). It was depicted as having the torso of a fish, a tail of a snake, the fore paws of a lion, the hind legs of an eagle, with wings, and with a head comparable to the mušḫuššu.^[5][6]

This will explain the later adoption, renaming and the relations of the god fighting the hydra like Hercules and many others.

The goddess named most often as the consort of Marduk was Zarpanitu.

Marduk’s star was Jupiter, and his sacred animals were horses, dogs, and especially the so-called dragon with forked tongue, representations of which adorn his city’s walls. On the oldest monuments Marduk is represented holding a triangular spade or hoe, interpreted as an emblem of fertility and vegetation. He is also pictured walking or in his war chariot. Typically, his tunic is adorned with stars; in his hand is a sceptre, and he carries a bow, spear, net, or thunderbolt. Kings of Assyria and Persia also honoured Marduk and Zarpanitu in inscriptions and rebuilt many of their temples. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Marduk

In Babylonian religion, Sarpanit (alternately Sarpanitu, Zarpanit, Zarpandit, Zerpanitum, Zerbanitu, or Zirbanit)^[1] is a mother goddess and the consort of the chief god, Marduk.^[2] Her name means “the shining one”,^[3] and she is sometimes associated with the planet Venus. By a play on words her name was interpreted as zēr-bānītu, or “creatress of seed”, and is thereby associated with the goddess Aruru, who, according to Babylonian myth, created mankind.^[4]

Her marriage with Marduk was celebrated annually at New Year in Babylon. She was worshipped via the rising moon, and was often depicted as being pregnant. She is also known as Erua. She may be the same as Gamsu, Ishtar, and/or Bêlit.^[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarpanit

 Louvre Paris Scroll Seal AO 22347

Drawing of a Neo-Assyrian relief from the temple of Ninurta at Nimrud, 800s BCE

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarpanit#/media/File:Chaos_Monster_and_Sun_God.png

editor Austen Henry Layard , drawing by L. Gruner – ‘Monuments of Nineveh, Second Series’ plate 5, London, J. Murray, 1853

Black and white crop of full engraving plate scan – from Plate 5 of the work “A second series of the monuments of Nineveh: including bas-reliefs from the Palace of Sennacherib and bronzes from the ruins of Nimroud ; from drawings made on the spot, during a second expedition to Assyria” (AH Layard) The description given in the text of the work of the plate reads : PLATE V BAS-RELIEFS AT AN ENTRANCE TO A SMALL TEMPLE (NIMROUD) Part of one side of the entrance near which stood the bas-relief of the King last described. The group is believed to represent the god to whom the temple was dedicated, driving out the evil spirit.† On the opposite side of the doorway the same figures were repeated. These bas-reliefs are now in the British Museum [..] † Ibid.. p.348 The plate description is on page 2 of the work. The image in the book is by Faucher-Gudin , an drawing based on the excavated Bas-Relief. The Bas-Relief was in not as good condition. Sources for the description an full plate include : http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/layard1853/0010/image http://www.etana.org/sites/default/files/coretexts/17171.pdf (no text) The reference in the text to “Ibid. p.348” is to Discoveries in the ruins of Nineveh and Babylon (Layard, 1853) – which can be seen here https://archive.org/stream/discoveriesinru00layagoog#page/n398/mode/2up quote (p.348-349): About thirty feet to the right, or north, of the lion gateway was a second entrance, at each side of which were two singular figures. One was that of a monster, whose head, of fanciful and hideous form, had long pointed ears and extended jaws, armed with huge teeth. Its body was covered with feathers, its fore-feet were those of a lion, its hind legs ended in the talons of an eagle, and it had spreading wings and the tail of a bird. Behind this strange image was a winged man, whose dress consisted of an upper garment with a skirt of skin or fur, an under robe fringed with tassels, and the sacred horned hat. A long sword was suspended from his shoulders by an embossed belt; sandals, armlets, and bracelets, completed his attire. He grasped in each hand an object in the form of a double trident, resembling the thunderbolt of the Greek Jove, which he was in the attitude of hurling against the monster, who turned furiously towards him. This group appears to represent the bad spirit driven out by a good deity; a fit subject for the entrance to a temple, dedicated to the god of war. The singular combination of forms by which the Assyrian sculptor portrayed the evil principle, so prominent an element in the Chaldæan, and afterwards in the Magian, religions system, cannot fail to strike the reader. There is also in the same work and illustration of the relief in situ in the temple (between p.350 and 351) Interpretation There are at least two interpretations of what the image is/was intended to represent. Some sources interpret the image as [Bel-Merodach] Marduk (with thunderbolt) fighting Tiamat eg History of Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria Vol. 3 (Maspero, G.; Sayce, A. H.) , https://archive.org/stream/egypt03maspuoft#page/n28/mode/1up Some modern sources state this is probably Anzu and Ninurta. eg in Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: An Illustrated Dictionary? (Jeremy A. Black and Anthony Green ISBN: 978-0-292-70794-8) p.142 states as text to same image : ” Ninurta or Adad pursues a leonine bird-monster, perhaps the Anzû or Asakku. “ A discussion of the development of the interpretation of this image can be found here http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/nimrud/livesofobjects/anzu/index.html archived link Original Source The original gypsum wall carving from which the drawing was taken is now (2018) displayed in Room 6 of the British Museum. Details of the object can be found here: British Museum reference BM 124571 http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=367087&partId=1&searchText=relief&people=117843&page=1 http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=367087&partId=1&searchText=relief&people=117843&page=2 The actual object also has a cuneiform inscription across the (approx.) middle third, not reproduced in the drawing. The texts is thought to be a “boilerplate” text used throughout the palace/temple on several reliefs – for more details and translation of a presumed nearly identical text see Assyrian Rulers of the Early First Millennium BC, I (1114-859 BC) vol. 1, (Grayson, Albert Kirk,Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 1991) p.232 no.5 (entry A.0.101.5) which references entry A.0.101.3 ; there were also inscriptions on the backs of the slabs – see same publication reference A.0.101.31 (no.31, p.293) .. the inscriptions reference Ashurnasirpal [II] son of Tukulti-Ninurta [II] – which dates the objects to 883 to 859 BC. (see en:Ashurnasirpal II) Note that the object was one of a pair on either side of the passage – [based on the drawing by Malan] the object’s pair was left-right inverted so that the portrayals matched – a drawing of the object’s pair by S.C. Malan partially in-situ at the excavation can be found in A Visiting Artist at Nineveh in 1850 (C. J. Gadd) in the journal “Iraq” vol.5, 1938 , DOI: 10.2307/4241628 , [1] , description p.120 no. 134, illus. plate XV

a)    Sumerian seal with Indus script methodology — Marduk killing Kingu

Source: https://sites.google.com/site/induscivilizationsite/5-b-mesopotamian-influence-on-ivc/marduk-killing-kinku

1)                          See this depiction in this Sumerian seal, Marduk is killing kingu, which is similar to the Tamil mythological story of Muruga killing Sura padman. In reality it is a calendar story, indicating month of Karthigai (Tamil Month). When moon attains full moon stage and reaches near to Pleiades constellation, that moon position indicates the month of Karthigai. Pleiades constellation is depicted in this seal by seven dots, where as  Orion constellation is depicted as “Marduk”.   2)                   It looks like that Kingu is a composite animal, consisting of four star constellations “Cassiopeia + Andromeda + Aries + Cetus”. See the tail of Kingu, it looks like a goat’s tail (or) (could be cock’s tail also), indicating the Aries (Or) ( horn of Cetus). It is likely that Kingu could be a composite animal with Lion’s head, wings of a bird(peacock) and goat’s tail, indicating three different constellations put together and not a single star constellation.   The fight between marduk and Kingu indicates —-    ——Month and Date      3)                    The first important point to be noted here is that the seal gives an indication about month and date like Indus seals. Note the the “sun” is near Kingu indicating the month of Kingu. “Moon” is near “Eagle constellation” indicating day of “Eagle“. The significant point to be observed here is that even though the scene shown in the seal seems to be a continuous one, it is not so. It is segmented into three sections, one is the scene of Marduk killing Kingu, second scene is Priest worshipping ancestor below the “Eagle constellation’ and third scene is abrupt appearance of camel in the fag end of the seal.     4)                      The second  important point to be noted in this seal is that the camel seen in the extreme left end. What is the Sanskrit name of Camel? It is “Ushtra” (Vut —Hindi) —“U” (Vu) stands for “Day” in Indus seal and it looks like that the same principle had been used in this  case of Sumerian seals also. This seal indicates that there could be  similarities and evolutionary relationship between IVC seals and Sumerian seals.     5)                        The third important point to be noted here is that there is some kind of two dumbbells above the Camel head along with three dots. Considered together, this symbol may be indicating 8 th day of the moon phase (8 th day of  waning moon is Tamil New year) (see the para.no. 12—narrated here in this page below)  –(Number 8 is calculated because — there are 2 dots in each dumbbell + 1 dot in the centre + 3 dots below = All dots put together amounts to 8 Dots equal to 8 Days) (Or) (Dumbbell could be indicating a higher number than “2”, it could be “5”, this point needs further verification).   5-a)                     The fourth important point to be noted in this seal is the symbol of “Spear” in the right extreme corner, but very near to “Kingu” figure.The  explanation for spear symbol is that, this symbol could have stood for Sumerian God “Marduk”. Just like Tamil God “Muruga” is always identified with symbol of “Spear“, it is possible that symbol of spear might have indicated “Marduk” , there by the phonetic sound of “Ma“. In turn “Ma” sound might have been the abbreviation for “Maas” (Sanskrit word for –Month) (“Maatham“ —Tamil word for “Month”)    5-b)                             The second possible explanation for spear is that, it could be indicating birth day of Muruga ” Marduk” . Birth day of Muruga falls on Vishaka day. Hence, there is a possibility that “Spear Symbol” could actually be indicating Vishaka Constellation (Libra). If such an explanation is accepted, totally different explanation has to be given for “Padma Sura“. “Ophiuchus constellation” generally coincides with lotus flower idea and looks like that idea of “Brahma “(God) sitting on this “lotus” relates to this constellation. Note that the name of ashura as “Padma sura” refers to “Padmam” (Sanskrit Name for Lotus).         5-c)                            At this juncture it is relevant that, we should refer to the interpretations of Bengt Hemtun (https://sites.google.com/site/induscivilizationsite/book-published/chapter-9), Bengt states that this above given Sumerian seal is a composite figure consisting of five constellations indicating five seasons. ——   In Sumer and Egypt, these symbols designate five seasons of a year. The Gemini constellation identify the first season (spring season), which is shown as front toes of the horse. Constellations Cancer, Lynx and Ursa Major put together makes the archer, and this archer indicates the second season of Sumerians. The other seasons are marked by other constellations like Scorpio and rear portion of the horse. The constellation Scorpio is explicitly shown in the first seal and still is the popularly used zodiac symbol. relevant of this figure to Indian cultural idea is that this figure of “Sumerian Archer” almost tallys with idea of “Padma sura”.   5-d)                           This idea of Bengt Hemtun need not be taken as such, it can be slightly  modified to a certain extent to fit our theory that this archer figure coincides with Sagittarius, Scorpio and Ophiuchus constellation (Padamam =Lotus).  These three constellations refer to three months of a year , which corresponds to a single season of the year. The final conclusion is that , the Kingu figure shown in the first seal need not be the combination as described above. This may be considered as second possibility of star constellation combination of Sagittarius, Scorpio and Ophiuchus constellations. In such a scenario the “spear” symbol perfectly tallys with Libra constellation. The earlier interpretation that the seal is in three segments (Para-3 above) also needs to be modified. If the idea of “Kingu” is equal to combination of Sagittarius, Scorpio and Ophiuchus constellations is taken as second possibility, then the seal given in the top is in four segments, which explains the month and date theory in a better way.   5-e)                      There is a possibility of third explanation for spear symbol. Verify the details given in Jyotisha Vedanga Table, serial.no.16, gives the symbol of “Fork” for “Libra constellation. It means that, in Kalan model calendar, the fork carried by Kalan coincides with Libra(fork is carried by devil in European Mythology) (old gods are degraded by depicting them as devil by the new upcoming religions) , which actually looks like a fork. The Kalan picture presented by me, the three prongs of fork are near Leo constellation, it needs a correction and three prongs of the fork should be near Libra. This explanation shows that the Libra constellation was originally indicated by “Fork Symbol”. It looks like that after ascendency of “Marduk” over all other Sumerian gods, this “Fork” was given a stylish new modern look by “Spear”. Hence forth, where ever “Spear symbol” arises it should be read as “Libra Constellation”.   Kanda Sashti  Festival  —Thiruchendur       6)                         This festival is held in the month of Karthigai (November month —Month varies depending on Moon Position) (Because, it is based on Moon calendar) This year (2012) it was held  in days of 14th Nov to 20th November.  —————Festival ends — after one week —- 28 th November —- “Full Moon Day” Karthigai Deepam festival of Thiruvannamalai temple also coincides with this month’s “full moon” day. Basically it is one of the  important festival month of Tamils as well as Hindus. Ref —http://tiruchendur.org/      7)                       God Muruga kills the demon Sura Padman and his brother on various forms daily from Nov 14 th onwards,  but demon comes back in  various forms, however on the 6th day of festival, Muruga finally kills the demon, who was hiding in a tree. Demon takes the form of Peacock and Cock. God Murugan subdues the Peacock as his “Vahan”(Vehicle) and Cock as symbol of his flag. At this junction, it is relevant to note that in Sanskrit Language “Murugi” means cock, note that this word coincides with the God’s name “Muruga“.      8)                        Now, this entire story should be seen in the context of a calendar. God Murugan (equivalent of Marduk) is represented by Orion constellation. (Pleiades constellation also represents Murugan, Six heads of Murugan is equal to six stars of Pleiades ). Peacock is represented by Cassiopeia (Queen) + Andromeda (princess) constellations. Whereas the cock is represented by Cetus constellation.       9)                      Murugan kills the Ashura in three forms, they are as following, Singamuga (Lion Face) Taraka, and Sura padman. Out of these three forms the Singa muga can be equated with the lion face shown of Kingu shown in the seal , Wing of Kingu looks like wings of a peacock, whereas tail of Kingu looks like a tail of a cock. So it looks like that Kingu almost looks like the Sura Padman of Tamil mythology.      10)                      For the final conflict with God Murugan, Sura Padman comes in the form of a ” Tree”.  Generally  ( Cassiopeia + Andromeda + Aries + Cetus) constellations are being depicted as tree in various Indus symbols. That could mean that after destruction of tree, the  composite constellation ( Cassiopeia + Andromeda + Aries + Cetus)   is split into three constellations i.e. Peacock, Goat and Cock. The remaining Ashura form “Taraka” could be the later day Goat.   11)                There are difference which are yet to be reconciled, the differences are as following:    1) The seal given above is not showing a Full Moon day, 2) Moon is in ‘Eagle constellation” not in” Pleiades” , 3) Sun is also not in “Scorpio” but in Composite constellation of ( Cassiopeia + Andromeda + Aries + Cetus).      12)                          Because of this above said three differences, it can be safely assumed that this above shown seal is indicating some festival date, but not equal to “Karthigai” day. This sun position in Kingu and Moon position in Eagle approximately coincides with Gregorian calendar date of 30 th April, which is almost equal to Tamil New Year day of 13th April. The difference is due to the fact there is difference of 1000 to 3000 years between the of making of this seal and Tamil New year day as per the calendar as on today. Some calendar expert may be able to reconcile this difference, whereas certainly I am not expert in this field and I am not in a position to reconcile this difference.       13)                        This story also explains the basis of Ashuras and Devas conflict stories of Hindu mythology. Ashuras are various constellations of Moon calendar, where as Devas are various constellations of sun calendar. The war between Ashuras and Devas is simply difference of opinion between Sun calendar priests and Moon calendar priests, over the differences in calculation of seasons and determining date of New Year. (Of course , they could have added up the additional story that black skinned people as Ashuras and White skinned people as Devas) (However, in Zoroastrian religion Ahura Mazda (note that he is a good Ashura) is depicted as good over evil Devas) . This shows that  roles of good  and evil are interchangeable depending on the success of Moon calendar and Sun calendar priests.

There are clear relations between the Sumerian Marduk and this image found on Candi Sukuh Java.  Even though this visual relation was noted in 2005 by Wayne Hershell, the explanation why and which exact symbols those where not mentioned.

Symbols that makes this “Marduk” – Note the two lightning bolts, the sickle and the 3 tiered headdress (Of bullshorns)

Assyrian cylinder seal, ca. 800-750 BCE

Left: cylinder seal, yellow frit, glazed, 17 mm high; Assyrian, Nineveh, ca. 900-700 BCE (Berlin VA 7951). Right: cylinder seal, serpentine, 17 mm high; Assyrian, Nineveh, ca. 800-600 BCE (Pierpont Morgan Library, NY).

Nergal defeats a giant serpent called a bašmu source: http://kiwihellenist.blogspot.com/2018/11/tiamat-and-other-dragons.html

There are poetic and linguistic links between many dragon-slaying stories, too, as argued by Calvin Watkins in his classic study How to kill a dragon (1995). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Kill_a_Dragon

Krishna overcomes Kaliya (indian)

Indra vs Vitra (Indian) Indra

इन्द्र – Lord Indra

Ancient telluric technology devices – VAJRA ??

Lord Indra is considered as the lord of gods. He governs heavens and looks after the affairs of gods and goddesses. He is the most effective and powerful lord and in almost all the wars with the demons in earlier ages, he acted as the chief commander of forces, of gods. It is believed that rains, droughts or famines are dependent on lord Indra. If he is unhappy with man and the world, he causes sufferings to humanity either through annihilating rains or famine like conditions. Hill people have different perception about Indra. In certain parts of the state, people call the deity, Indrunaag, the lord of rain and cloud, thunderstorm, plenty and scarcity, love and anger. The anthropomorphic god Indra was the most important god in the Vedic religion and he later became a major figure in Hinduism and an important deity in Buddhism, Cham and Chinese tradition. For the Aryas he was their national god and he was regarded as the protector of the military aristocracy and the Kshatriyas warriors.


Indra’s father is the sage Kashyapa, son of the sage Marichi who is one of the mind-born sons of Brahma. Kashyapa married numerous daughters of Brahma’s other son Daksha, including Aditi, mother of the twelve Adityas which include Indra. This is confirmed in numerous scriptures.

Here is what the Aranya Kanda of the Ramayana says, for instance:

Of them Kashyapa accepted eight slender-waisted daughters of Daksha Prajapati, namely Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kealakaa and Tamara, Krodhavasha, also thus Manu and even Anala also as wives. Then Kashyapa is gladdened and said to those young wives, “You all shall deliver sons similar to me and who can sustain the three worlds.” … Aditi gave birth to twelve Adityas, the Sun-gods, eight Vasu-s, the Terrestrials-gods, eleven Rudras, the Fury-gods, and two Ashvins, the medicine-gods, total thirty-three of them.

And here is what the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata says:

And [Dakaha] bestowed ten of his daughters on Dharma, and thirteen on Kasyapa. And he gave twenty-seven to Chandra, who are all engaged in indicating time. And Kasyapa, the son of Marichi, begat on the eldest of his thirteen wives, the Adityas, the celestials endued with great energy and having Indra as their head and also Vivasvat (the Sun).

Finally, here is what the Srimad Bhagavatam says:

[Daksha] gave ten daughters in charity to Dharmarāja [Yamarāja], thirteen to Kaśyapa [first twelve and then one more], twenty-seven to the moon-god, and two each to Aṅgirā, Kṛśāśva and Bhūta. The other four daughters were given to Kaśyapa…. O King Parīkṣit, now please hear from me the names of Kaśyapa’s wives, from whose wombs the population of the entire universe has come. They are the mothers of almost all the population of the entire universe, and their names are very auspicious to hear. They are Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kāṣṭhā, Ariṣṭā, Surasā, Ilā, Muni, Krodhavaśā, Tāmrā, Surabhi, Saramā and Timi…. Now please hear me as I describe the descendants of Aditi in chronological order. In this dynasty the Supreme Personality of Godhead Nārāyaṇa descended by His plenary expansion. The names of the sons of Aditi are as follows: Vivasvān, Aryamā, Pūṣā, Tvaṣṭā, Savitā, Bhaga, Dhātā, Vidhātā, Varuṇa, Mitra, Śatru and Urukrama.

Shatru is another name for Indra.


Indra has many epithets notably:

Śakra (शक्र) – powerful one.
Vṛṣan (वृषन्) – mighty.
Vṛtrahan (वृत्रहन्) – slayer of Vṛtra.
Meghavāhana (मेघवाहन) – he whose cloud is vehicle.
Devarāja (देवराज) – king of deities.
Devendra (देवेन्द्र)- the lord of deities.[4]
Surendra (सुरेन्द्र) – chief of deities.
Svargapati (स्वर्गपति) – the lord of heaven (Svarga Loka).
Vajrapāṇī (वज्रपाणि) – he who has thunderbolt (Vajra) in his hand.
Vāsava (वासव) – lord of Vasus


IN OTHER RELIGIONS

Indra is known as Sakra in Buddhism and he rules the 33 gods. In Cambodian tradition he is known as Pah En the god of the sky and he is the most popular of the gods. He is considered to live atop Mt. Meru or Prah Sumer along with his servants the Yeaks (Yashas), fearsome ogres with fangs and red eyes who can transform themselves at will into any shape they please. In the Cham religion of Vietnam he is also the god of thunder and rides a white elephant. In Chinese tradition he is identified with the god Ti-shi. Finally, the god is still worshipped today in the Rajasthan region of India in the festival of Inder Puja which calls for rains to prevent the frequent droughts prevalent in this desert state.

Vritra

In the early Vedic religion, Vritra (Sanskrit: वृत्र, vṛtra; Pali: वत्र, vatra lit. ‘enveloper’) is a serpent or dragon, the personification of drought and adversary of Indra. He identified as an Asura. Vritra was also known in the Vedas as Ahi (Sanskrit: अहि ahi, lit. ‘snake’). He appears as a dragon blocking the course of the rivers and is heroically slain by Indra.^[1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susna Susna, who is described as a horned serpent-demon, aids the Asuras in their war against Indra and his fellow Deva gods. Whenever an Asura is killed in battle, Susna uses his mystical breath (which contains the essence of the amrta, the fluid of immortality) 

Source: https://histence.blogspot.com/2016/03/lord-indra-part-1.html

Susna

In the Rigveda, Susna is described as being a “child of mists” similar to Vritra, a massive dragon who blocks the rivers of the world.^[7] Like Vritra, Susna is seen as a causer of drought and as a foe of Indra. However, while Indra is able to kill Vritra with a lightning bolt, Susna must be destroyed by returning water to the land. To defeat the demon, Indra destroy’s Susna’s fortress and, at the request of his follower Kutsa, sends rains to end the drought, defeating the demon.^[2] One passage from the text notes Indra “made flow the springs restrained by the season through killing Susna, the child of mists.”^[2]

• Hinduism portal

References[edit]

1. ^ Jump up to:^ab Chakravarty, U. (1994). INDRA’S PROTÉGÉS IN THE ṚGVEDA. Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute,75(1/4), 51-64. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41694405
   1. ^ Jump up to:^a b c Journal of the American Oriental Society. American Oriental Society. 1917.
   1. ^ “Demons in Vedic Literature | Mahavidya”. www.mahavidya.ca. Retrieved 2018-11-09.
   1. ^ Jump up to:^a b Hindu Myths: A Sourcebook. Penguin. 1975. ISBN 9780140443066.
   1. ^ Jump up to:^a b Abel, Ernest L. (2014-12-09). Intoxication in Mythology: A Worldwide Dictionary of Gods, Rites, Intoxicants and Places. McFarland. ISBN 9781476606378.
   1. ^ O’Flaherty, Wendy Doniger (1982-11-15). Women, Androgynes, and Other Mythical Beasts. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226618500.
   1. ^ “Demons in Vedic Literature | Mahavidya”. www.mahavidya.ca. Retrieved 2018-11-09.

According to the Rig Veda, Vritra kept the waters of the world captive until he was killed by Indra

Vishnu vs Ananta-Shesha (indian) 

Apep vs Ra (Egypt)

Atum and the snake Apophis

Set speared Apep

Horus (hero)  vs sobek  (Egypt) (Horus under the form of a horseman piercing a crocodile with his spear, louvre museum)

Zeus vs Typhon (Greek)

 Zeus as stormgod is well known. Note the specific lightning bol shapes, which we will discuss later as the Vaijra symbol

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Jupiter_Smyrna_Louvre_Ma13.jpg

Thor vs Jörmungandr’s (Nors) Thor

 Marduk or Bel vs Tiamat (Sumerian) Note again the specific shape of the lightning in Vaijra shape.

Ba’al

Stele of Baal with a club, wearing a conical headress, and holding the stem of a plant. Ugarit, c.1499-1299 BC. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Bronze statue of Melqart, bearing a strong resemblance to the Stele of Baal. Melqart (milqartu, tutelary god of city of phoenician city of Tyre)

Melqart was the tutelary god of the Phoenician city of Tyre. Melqart was often titled the “Lord of Tyre” (Ba‘al Ṣūr) and was considered to be the progenitor of the Tyrian royal family.^{[citation needed]} As Tyrian trade and colonization expanded, Melqart became venerated in Phoenician and Punic cultures from Lebanon to Spain.

Stela with Melqart on his lion from Amrit in Syria, c. 550 BC

 Hadad vs Têmtum (Mesopotamia)

Adad and Iškur are usually written with the logogram 𒀭𒅎 ^dIM^[7]—the same symbol used for the Hurrian god Teshub.^[8] Hadad was also called Pidar, Rapiu, Baal-Zephon,^[9] Hadad was equated with the Greek god Zeus; the Roman god Jupiter, as Jupiter Dolichenus; the Indo-European Nasite Hittite storm-god Teshub; the Egyptian god Amun.^{[citation needed]}

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadad

Iškur/Adad (god)

 

 http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/ikur/

Mesopotamian storm god, associated with both life-giving and destructive properties of rain and flood.

Functions

This Assyrian stela from Arslan Tash in northern Syria (8th century BCE), now in the Louvre Museum, shows Adad in a characteristic pose: mounted on a bull, brandishing lightning bolts. © 2000 RMN/Franck Raux

Sumerian Iškur and his Akkadian counterpart Adad, syncretised TT  at an early stage, were storm gods, ambivalent figures whose intervention might either benefit or harm humankind. The destructive aspects of the storm god are often prominent in southern Mesopotamia, whereas in the north he was venerated to a greater extent as the beneficent bringer of rain. This probably reflects the differing importance of rainfall for agriculture in the respective regions (cf. Bienkowski and Millard 2000: 2; Schwemer 2007: 129-130). However, both sides of Iškur/Adad’s character are explored in Sumerian and Akkadian literature (Schwemer 2001a: 182-3; 419-424; 2007: 134-5; see further below).

His ability to deploy the destructive forces of nature meant that Iškur/Adad was also conceptualised as a warlike figure. In one Sumerian hymn, Iškur ‘destroys the rebellious land like the wind. He makes it barren like the ašagu plant’ (Cohen 1981: 60). Similar themes appear in Akkadian texts, including omen apodoses TT  where Adad overwhelms the army or land of the enemy (Schwemer 2001a: 416-19, 687-69).

Adad was also associated with divination and justice. Paired with Šamaš, he is addressed as ‘lord of prayers and divination’, and invoked to preside over haruspicies TT  or as a witness in legal contexts (Schwemer 2001a: 221-6, 323-7, 683-7; Foster 2005: 754-6; Starr 1983: 30ff.).

Divine Genealogy and Syncretisms

According to what became the dominant genealogy, Iškur/Adad’s father is the sky-god An/Anu. However, in Sumerian literature Iškur is sometimes the son of Enlil; the disparity probably reflects two local traditions (see further Schwemer 2001a: 166-8; 2007: 132-3). A mother of Iškur/Adad is mentioned only once, in an Old Babylonian prayer where Iškur is called the son of Uraš (Schwemer 2001a: 168).

Iškur’s wife is the goddess Medimša; Adad’s wife is Šala. The god list An = Anum attests five children for Iškur/Adad: two sons, and three daughters (Litke 1998: 143 ll. 246-252; Schwemer 2001a: 67-9).

The storm god was equated with other Near Eastern storm gods including north Babylonian/Assyrian Wer, Hurrian Teššub and Hittite-Luwian Tarhun(t) (see Schwemer 2001a for more detailed information).

Cult Place(s)s

Iškur/Adad was worshipped all over Mesopotamia and beyond. In Babylonia an early centre of his cult was the temple é-u₄-gal-gal(-la), ‘House of Great Storms,’ at Karkar, where he was head of the local pantheon; in the first millennium this role was played by the northern city of Zabban. He had a temple at Babylon – ‘House of Abundance’ – and sanctuaries in other cities including Sippar, Nippur, Ur, and Uruk (Schwemer 2001a: 129-61, 304-84, 638-49).

The important temple of Adad at Assur, the ‘House which Hears Prayers’, was converted into a double temple of Adad and Anu by king Šamši-Adad I (ca. 1808-1776 BCE). Adad’s main cult centre during the Neo-Assyrian period was at Kurbaʾil, but temples for him existed in Kalhu, Nineveh and many other cities (Schwemer 2001a: 237ff, 577-81, 595-611). For additional temple names see George 1993, index s.v. ‘Adad’ and ‘Iškur’).

Time Periods Attested

Iškur is first directly attested in the mid-third millennium, when he is mentioned in god lists and was worshipped at Lagaš, Adab and Karkar (Schwemer 2001a: 129-31; 2007: 131). At around the same time, Semitic Hadda (Adad) was being worshipped as an important deity at Ebla and Mari. Probably during the Old Akkadian period the cult of Adad spread across Babylonia, and he was syncretised with Iškur (Schwemer 2001a: 196-7; 2007: 135-8).

By the Old Babylonian period Iškur/Adad was one of the ‘great gods’ of the Babylonian pantheon with sanctuaries in many cities (Schwemer 2001a: 304-84). In literary texts he features as both creator and destroyer (see further Schwemer 2001a: 175-96, 419-24). He is ‘the bringer of plenty’ in Enki and the World Order (ETCSL 1.1.3, line 316), and in Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta he causes a storm that makes wheat grow on the barren mountainside (ETCSL 1.8.2.3, lines 542-555). Elsewhere his violence is emphasized. In a praise poem for Šulgi, the king proudly declares that he was unafraid when ‘thundering storms made the earth quake and Iškur roared in the broad heavens’ (ETCSL 2.4.2.01, lines 65-66), while in the Old Babylonian (and Standard Babylonian) version of the poem Atrahasis, Adad causes first drought and famine, and then the flood which is to wipe out mankind (Foster 2005: 227ff).

Adad also occupied a high position in the Assyrian pantheon, and his temple at Assur is already attested early in the second millennium. The double temple which replaced it remained a prominent place of worship, and was restored by many later rulers, including Tiglath-Pileser I (1114-1076 BCE), who states ‘I made its walls suitably radiant, like the rising of the stars’ (Grayson 1991: A.0.87.1, col. vii, lines 99-100).

First-millennium literary texts show Iškur/Adad in his customary roles. He is invoked to protect crops from storms (Schwemer 2001a: 678-83), but also to bring fertility and prosperity, as in a prayer from Sargon’s capital Dur-Šarrukin: ‘bring the rains from heaven and the floods from underground in good season … make his subjects lie down in safe pastures amidst plenty and abundance’ (Foster 2005: 784). A continued link with haruspicy TT  is clear from Adad’s appearance in diviners’ prayers (Schwemer 2001a: 683-6), as well as his title ‘lord of divination’ in the incantation series Šurpu (SpTU 3, 71, r.i.5′).

Iškur/Adad was worshipped throughout Mesopotamia during the first half of the first millennium, although he was accorded greater importance in Assyria, where inscriptions attest to his perennial popularity with the royal family – to take just one example, Ashurnasirpal II (883-859 BCE) calls himself ‘beloved of Adad, (who is) almighty among the gods’ (Grayson 1991: A.0.101.26, lines 40-41).

In Babylonia he was no longer one of the highest-ranking deities, although he received cult at most major centres, continuing into the Hellenistic period in Uruk and Babylon (Schwemer 2001a: 637-49; Beaulieu 2003: 325-6; Linssen 2004, esp. 64-9). At Uruk, he and Šala are invoked in curses designed to protect what were to be some of the last surviving texts of cuneiform culture: ‘Whoever takes it (the tablet) away, may Adad and Šala take him away!’ (e.g. AfO 14, Taf. VI; TCL 6, 10).

Iconography

Iškur/Adad is typically represented brandishing lightning bolts and standing on or beside a bull or lion-dragon (see image). The lion-dragon is the symbolic animal of the storm god in third-millennium art, supplanted though not entirely replaced by the bull from the Ur III period onwards (Schwemer 2008: 31-6).

Name and Spellings

Although the use of the sign for Sumerian IM, ‘wind’ to write his name is transparent, the etymology of Sumerian Iškur is unknown; it may be an otherwise obsolete Sumerian word, or borrowed from a language that was neither Sumerian nor Semitic (Schwemer 2001a: 31, 131; 2007: 130-1). Akkadian Adad (also Addu) is derived from the Semitic root *hdd, ‘to thunder’ – in West Semitic the storm god is called Hadda, Haddu or Hadad, and the Akkadian word addu means ‘thunderstorm’ (Schwemer 2007: 125, 135-6).

Written forms:

^diškur (IM), ^d10, ^da-da-ad, ^dad-da-a, ^d‘à-da

Normalized forms:

Iškur, Adad, Addu, Haddu

Iškur in Online Corpora

• The Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative
• The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature
• The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Royal Insriptions
• The Corpus of Ancient Mesopotamian Scholarship

Adad in Online Corpora

• The Corpus of Ancient Mesopotamian Scholarship

Further Reading

• Schwemer 2001a, Wettergottgestalten
• Schwemer 2007, “The storm-gods of the Ancient Near East, I.”
• Schwemer 2008, “The storm-gods of the Ancient Near East, II.”

Kathryn Stevens

Kathryn Stevens, ‘Iškur/Adad (god)’, Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses, Oracc and the UK Higher Education Academy, 2016 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/ikur/]

Teshub (hittite) vs  Illuyanka/Heddamu (Hurian)

Teshub (also written Teshup or Tešup; cuneiform ^dIM; hieroglyphic Luwian (DEUS)TONITRUS, read as Tarhunzas^[1]) was the Hurrian god of sky, thunder, and storms. Taru was the name of a similar Hattic Storm God, whose mythology and worship as a primary deity continued and evolved through descendant Luwian and Hittite cultures. In these two, Taru was known as Tarhun / Tarhunt- / Tarhuwant- / Tarhunta,  Tarḫunna + Tarḫun   – Luwians: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luwians

Tarhun, also spelled Taru, Tarhu, Tarhunt, Tarhunna, orTarhuis, ancient Anatolian weather god. His name appears in Hittite and Assyrian records (c. 1400–61

Tarhunz

Tarḫunz (stem: Tarḫunt-) was the weather god and chief god of the Luwians, a people of Bronze Age and early Iron Age Anatolia. He is closely associated with the Hittite god Tarḫunna and the Hurrian god Teshub. Again the exact same symbolism.

Here a statue in Aleppo: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Hetite_God_in_Aleppo.jpg

Tarhunt and the dragon Illuyanka (hittite)

Taranis (The link to Taru, Tarhan is obvious)

 (Celtic) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taranis

In Celtic mythology, Taranis is the god of thunder, who was worshipped primarily in Gaul, Gallaecia, Britain, Ireland but also in the Rhineland and Danube regions, amongst others. Taranis, along with Esus and Toutatis as part of a sacred triad, was mentioned by the Roman poet Lucan in his epic poem Pharsalia as a Celtic deity to whom human sacrificial offerings were made.^[1] Taranis was associated, as was the cyclops Brontes (“thunder”) in Greek mythology, with the wheel.

Symbolic votive wheels were offered at shrines (such as in Alesia), cast in rivers (such as the Seine), buried in tombs or worn as amulets since the Middle Bronze Age.^[9] Such “wheel pendants” from the Bronze Age usually had four spokes, and are commonly identified as solar symbols or “sun cross“. Artefacts parallel to the Celtic votive wheels or wheel-pendants are the so-called Zierscheiben in a Germanic context. The identification of the Sun with a wheel, or a chariot, has parallels in Germanic, Greek and Vedic mythology (see sun chariot).

Note the later adoption of this wheel by Budhism as the 8 folded path.

Stone wheel representation from the Santa Tegra hill-fort (A Guarda, Galicia). Museo arqueolóxico do castro de Santa Tegra^[10]

Golden Celtic wheel with symbols, Balesme, Haute-Marne. Musée d’Archéologie Nationale.

Jupiter Dolichemus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_Dolichenus

Jupiter Dolichemus was identical to Zeus Symbolism, wielding aze and thunderbolt standing on a bull.

Dolichena

Quote: “Much as the Capitoline Jupiter is accompanied by Juno Regina, the Jupiter of Doliche has his own consort—also called Juno Regina in inscriptions. If Jupiter Dolichenus corresponds to the Hittite storm god Tarhun, then Juno Dolichena should correspond to his consort, the sun-goddess of Arinna—the leading goddess of the Hittites. The Hittite queen Puduhepa salutes her as “queen of all lands! In the land of Ḫatti you have assumed the name Sun-Goddess of Arinna, but in respect to the land which you have made (the land) of cedars (that is, Syria), you have assumed the name of Ḫebat” (Hebat being a Hurrian mother-goddess; Beckman 1989, pp. 99–100).

The usual companion of Ba‘al Hadad was Atargatis, an important goddess also known as Derceto who can be recognized by her depiction, at times, with the body of a fish. Her major sanctuary was at Hierapolis Bambyce (90 km northeast of Aleppo and 100 km southeast of Doliche). She was the deity of whom Lucian of Samosata wrote at length in his work De deá Syriá.

Statuette of Jupiter Dolichenus (left) standing on his bull and Juno Regina (right) on her doe. Jupiter’s double-headed axe and thunderbolt have disappeared, but there still remain Juno’s sceptre and mirror (unless the latter is a patera).
(Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, Mainz)

The iconography and character of Juno Dolichena differ appreciably from those of her Near Eastern precursors. Gone are the fish and doves of Derceto; gone, too, is any hint of the orgiastic rites or self-castration practised in honour of the Syrian goddess at Hierapolis Bambyce. Rather, Juno Dolichena comports herself modestly by her husband’s side. (Nash-Williams attributes the sobriety of the cult of Jupiter and Juno Dolicheni to the relative austerity inherited from Hittite religion.) Clad in a long gown, she holds a mirror in her right hand and a sceptre in her left. Unlike Hebat, who relishes the company of lions, Juno Dolichena stands atop what is normally identified as a doe (although, as I have often remarked, this animal sometimes looks a bit different), mirroring her consort’s stance on the back of the bull.

At times, Juno Dolichena appears with the attributes of Isis.”Source: https://dolichenum.wordpress.com/2014/11/20/juno-dolichena/

The deer relates to Diana and Artemis, both moon goddesses and of the hunt. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_(mythology)

Votive relief to Jupiter Dolichenus (left, with double-axe and lightning bolt) and Juno Dolichena (right, with mirror and scepter). From Rome, 3rd century.

Baʿal vs Lôtān (send by seagod Yam) (Canaanite /Syrian) or Tannin (Tannin is sometimes associated with Tiamat and, in modern Hebrew, the name tannin means CROCODILE) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tannin_(monster)

Perun vs Veles (Click here for the article: Slavic Relations)

Perkūnas Baltic Latvian Lithuanian and Latvian mythology

Ninurta

Hheroic Akkadian deity Ninurta, (iraq) killing numerous snakes.

muš-saĝ-7

Bashmu (“venomous serpent”), killed by Ninurta

Mušmaḫḫū (“distinguished serpent”), killed by Ninurta

Seven-headed serpent, killed by Ninurta

Ušumgallu (“great serpent”)

Heracles/Hercules vs Hydra

St. Michael / George and the Dragon

 Jaweh vs Levithian Hebrew)

 Jaweh battled a snake, Tiamat.

Hydra vs Hercules (Greek)

Dragon vs St. George (Europe, this particularly in st. mark square, Venice)

mdugud vs Ninurta  (Sumeria) 

Făt-Frumos (Romanian) vs Balaur or Zmeu

Zmeu

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For the river, see Zmeu River. For the village in Iaşi County, see Lungani. For the computer scanner, see ZmEu (vulnerability scanner).

Făt-Frumos and a zmeu, art by Nadia Bulighin

The Zmeu (plural: zmei, feminine: zmeoaică/zmeoaice) is a fantastic creature of Romanian folklore and Romanian mythology. Sometimes compared to other fantastic creatures, such as the balaur or the vârcolac, the zmeu is nevertheless distinct, because it usually has clear anthropomorphic traits: it is humanoid and has legs, arms, the ability to create and use artifacts such as weapons, and has the desire to marry young girls. In some stories, Zmeu appears in the sky and spits fire. In other stories, it has a magical precious stone on its head that shines like the sun. It likes beautiful young girls, whom it kidnaps, usually for the purpose of marrying them. It is almost always defeated by a daring prince or knight-errant. Its natural form is that of a dragon or balaur.

Name[edit]

Most scholars agree that Zmeu’s name and appearance are derived from the Slavic Zmey. However, the linguist Sorin Paliga challenges the notion that the Romanian word Zmeu is of Slavic origin, and hypothesizes that the pan-Slavic forms were an early Slavic loan from the Dacian language.^[1] The relation with Romanian zmeură ‘raspberry’ has been deemed to be possible, but rather unlikely, by Alexandru Ciorănescu.^[2]

The word also refers to the kites that children fly.

Role and functions[edit]

The “zmeu” figures prominently in many Romanian folk tales as the manifestation of the destructive forces of greed and selfishness. Often, the zmeu steals something of great value, which only Făt-Frumos (the Romanian “Prince Charming“; literally: “handsome youth”) can retrieve through his great, selfless bravery. For example,

in the ballad of the knight Greuceanu, the zmeu steals the sun and the moon from the sky, thereby enshrouding all humanity in darkness. In the story of Prâslea the Brave and the Golden Apples, the zmeu robs the king of the precious “golden apples“;

–à Golden aples is stars..

 a parallel can be drawn to the German fairy tale The Golden Bird, the Russian Tsarevitch Ivan, the Fire Bird and the Gray Wolf, and the Bulgarian The Nine Peahens and the Golden Apples — although in all these other cases, the thief was a bird (nevertheless, in some versions of the Romanian story, the zmeu does transform into a bird to steal the golden apples). Usually, the zmeu resides in the “other world” (celălalt tărâm) and sometimes Făt-Frumos has to descend into his dark kingdom, implying that the zmeu lives underground.

The zmeu has a plethora of magical, destructive powers at his disposal. He can fly, shapeshift, and has tremendous supernatural strength. Ultimately, the abilities of the zmeu are of no avail, as Făt-Frumos defeats him through martial skill and daring.

Some English translations refer to the “zmeu” as the ogre or giant from western European mythologies. Like the ogre, the zmeu likes to kidnap a maiden to be his wife in his otherworldly realm. After Făt-Frumos slays the zmeu, he takes the maiden as his bride-to-be. Similarly, like the giant in the popular British stories of Jack and the Beanstalk, the zmeu returns home to his fortress from his raids into human lands sensing that a human (Făt-Frumos) is lying in ambush somewhere nearby. A Zmeu is also sometimes pictured as a flame who goes in the room of a young girl or widow and once inside, becomes a man and seduces her.

Cadmus fighting the dragon

The term Balaur (Macedo-Romanian bul’ar) is of unknown etymology. It has been linked with Albanian boljë (“snake”) buljar (“water snake”), all terms possibly stemming from the same Thracian root, *bell- or *ber- “beast, monster”, the traces of which can also be found in the name of the Greek mythological hero Bellerophon (“the beast killer”). The Transylvanian Saxon balaur “dragon”, and balaura, an insult term in Serbia, are borrowed from Romanian.^[4] [5] The Serbo-Croatian blavor/blaor/blavur (“European legless lizard”) is cognate with balaur, and it is regarded as one of few pre-Slavic Balkan relict words in Serbo-Croatian.^[5] The maniraptor theropod Balaur bondoc is named after this creature.

Bellerophon (/bəˈlɛrəfən/; Ancient Greek: Βελλεροφῶν) or Bellerophontes (Βελλεροφόντης) is a hero of Greek mythology. He was “the greatest hero and slayer of monsters, alongside Cadmus and Perseus, before the days of Heracles“,^[1] 

Illapa and Wiracocha

Illapa, the Inca thunder god, was believed to control the weather. The Incas prayed to Illapa for rain and protection from drought. He was envisioned as a warrior in the sky who held a sling and was dressed in shining garments. The lightning was believed to be the flashing of his clothing, and the thunder was the crack of his sling. His sling stone was the lightning bolt that broke his sister’s water jug, causing the rain to fall. In a land of frequent drought, where the people depended on agriculture to sustain them, the god of rain was of paramount importance.

See alsoIncas, The .

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

John H. Rowe, “Inca Culture at the Time of the Spanish Conquest,” in Handbook of South American Indians, vol. 2 (1946), pp. 183-330. Additional sources include Burr Cartwright Brundage, The Empire of the Inca (1963) and The Lords of Cuzco: A History and Description of the Inca People in Their Final Days (1967).

Additional Bibliography

Barham Ode, Walid. Apu pitusiray = Realismo mítico. Calca: Asociación Cultural Pumaruna, 2005.

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Jones, David M. Mythology of the Incas: Myths and Legends of the Ancient Andes, Western Valleys, Deserts, and Amazonia. London: Southwater, 2007.

Rosa, Greg. Incan Mythology and Other Myths of the Andes. New York: Rosen Group, 2007.

Sullivan, William. The Secret of the Incas: Myth, Astronomy, and the War against Time. New York: Crown Publishers, 1996.

Urton, Gary. Inca Myths. Austin: University of Texas, 1999.

                                        Gordon F. McEwan

The lightning bolt, the axe/hammer and the vaijra(dorje)

 If we look closer at the lightning bolt in the deities hand, we see similarities of this depiction across cultures as well.

Eventualy this reached budhism where the Dorje  became a closed pronged Vaijra. The Vajra being the exact depiction of thundergods lightning across cultures.

If we look up the meaning of Vaijra, we see indeed it means thunderbolt or diamond.

Adititional

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balaur

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C4%83t-Frumos

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