This article shows that identical symbolism of the sun/skygod was prevalent in India and the western world, namely…
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the Greek and Roman civilizations and the modern western world and still used by emperors and governments today.
Author: Stijn van den Hoven
Website: www.stijnvandenhoven.com
Published date: 16-10-2019
Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Shri_Surya_Bhagvan_bazaar_art%2C_c.1940%27s.jpg
Image: Surya, the Indian sungod in his horse chariot
Index
India, the sun god Surya
The Ashwini twins and Revanta
The horse chariot of the sun god Surya
Western Civilization and their sky god, Castor and Pollux
The “horse tamers” in many European cities
The Greek and Roman Triad
Chariot of the god and the horse tamer twins
Triumphal Arches
The arch of heaven
The marble arch in London
God and his wife
Conclusion
India, the sungod Surya
The Rigveda (c. 1200-1000 BCE), is the earliest narrative the sungod Surya . Saranyu being his first wife. And Chhayya being shadow and his second wife, the Indian solar deity.
Surya is often depicted with his two wifes.
Image: Surya with his two wifes Saranyu and Chhaya, note the artistic halo/ rays of the sun in the sculpture.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chhaya#/media/File:Suryadeva.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surya
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saranyu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chhaya
The Ashwini twins and Revanta
The story goes that his first wife gave birth to twins after being impregnated in the guise of a mare by the sungod who changed his form to a stallion after she fled into the forest.
These twins are the Ashwini twins, which happen to be the first Nakshaastra lunar manion, in the same region as Aries. The start of the year.
They are depicted as on horses or with horse heads.
Image: The Ashwini twins in their horsehead form Ashwini Nakshastra
Source: https://www.astrosaxena.com/ashnaksh
Image: Revante on horseback: He is the brother of the Ashvins or the Ashwini Kumaaras, the twin Gods of healing, vision and also a child of the sungod. He is depicted riding a horse, whilst his twin Ashwini brothers are also related to horses (like their father the sungod and mother as mare)
Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Revanta.jpg
They had a brother called Revanta meaning brightness (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revanta) son of the sungod, a horse rider. So sometimes the sun and his two children is depicted in art and sometimes these 3 brothers where an emperor sits on a single horse as reference to the son of the sun of sungod himself.
Image: Sometimes we see Revanta in a triad with his twin brothers: Revanta Triad, ht. ca. 76 cm; Aring, District Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
The Ashwini are synonyms for sunrise and sunset, dawn/dusk and the morning and evenigstar. Revanta being brightness being the central figure sometimes replacing Surya in the triad. What is important here is the sun asocoiation, dusk and dawn and the horses.
The two wifes of the sungod Surya fulfilled similar allegoric roles in that triad, where Chhaya was shadow.
The horse Chariot of the sun god Surya
Image: Surya the sungod in his horse chariot is his often depicted form. Note: the two “masonic” pillars and compare these later to Viracocha and the Rockefeller building. Also seen here the horse twins ashvini on the side.
Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Lord_Surya.JPG
Image: Surya in his horse chariot. Note that the sungod himself, has a charioteer, Zeus had Nike. (Jupiter had Victoria, the later often shown angel of victory)
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surya#/media/File:Shri_Surya_Bhagvan_bazaar_art,_c.1940’s.jpg
Western Civilization and their Sky god
The greek and roman gods also have this trinity of a main skygod with two wifes. It is Zeus/Hera/Athena in Greece and Jupiter/Juno/Minerva in Roman mythology.
There is also the twins story which is Castor and Pollux in western mythology.
Image: The Girdle of Venus, depiction of Jupiter and Juno on Mount Ida, oil on canvas by Antoine Coypel.
In a private collection
Depicting the roman skygod (derived from sungod) and his wife. Note the twins, torch on is dawn, torch out or down is dusk.
Source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Roman-religion/images-videos
The “horse tamers” statues in many European cities
They show prominently today in Rome on Capitolone hill and in numerous other European cities (horse tamer statues). It is the twins/Ashvins as divine horsemen and the first Nakshastra (horse twin lunar mansion) as representation for dusk and dawn. In the centre we see the statue of emperor Marcus Aurelius on horseback.
Images above: Piazza del Campidoglio new square designed by Michelangelo.
Source: https://www.teggelaar.com/en/rome-day-3-continuation-6/
Noteworthy is the “sun” paving. The emperor here is depicted in the triad of dusk-midday sun- dawn as being the sun(god) on earth. The square was designed by Michelangelo.
On the left of the hill and seen in the previous picture also, we find another imposing building in Rome. However this is a modern building that houses two quadriga’s, namely for Liberty and freedom, not being true to the original design of 1 horse chariot for Victory. The overall look reminds us of what Buckingham palace looked like before the eastern façade was added as we can see later in this paper.
Image: The Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II (Altare della Patria). Construction started in 1885 and was completed in 1935.
Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Piazza_Venezia_-_Il_Vittoriano.jpg
The Greek and Roman Triad
Image: Capitolone triad Juno/Jupiter/Minerva. Capitoline Triad – Museum of Guidonia Note the birds associated to the them. Owl for Minerva(Athena) Eagle for Jupiter (Zeus) and peacock for Juno (Hera)
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An interesting point is that capitilone hil was dedicated to the triad of Jupiter/Juno/Minerva.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitoline_Triad
The similarities between the Indian Surya with his two “sons”, or his wifes are beginning to show clearly in Greek and Roman art and mythology, showing the origin of the skygod that later formed the basis for Christianity.
The trinity of Hera (Peacock symbol)/Zeus/Athena or Juno/Jupiter/Minerva is no different to their Vedic counterparts of Saranyu/Surya/Chhaya complete with the twins as seen in art across Europe deemed as being Greek or Roman mythology but in fact having vedic origins.. The central sungod in between the morning and eveningstar.
Triumphal Arches
Now let us have a look at some other expressions of roman art namely the triumphal arches.
These arches often created as victory monuments have a distinct design copied till today in modern versions. There is an interesting story about the first triumphal arch. These arches always have the distinct “tryptich” design of a large door with two smaller doors, something seen across the world in many religious monuments as well. This has a particular reason.
Image + Source: Quote Wikipedia: The Arch of Septimius Severus (Italian: Arco di Settimio Severo) at the northwest end of the Roman Forum is a white marble triumphal arch dedicated in 203 to commemorate the Parthian victories of Emperor Septimius Severus and his two sons, Caracalla and Geta, in the two campaigns against the Parthians of 194/195 and 197–199. After the death of Septimius Severus, his sons Caracalla and Geta were initially joint emperors. Caracalla had Geta assassinated in 212 (brothers slain each other, cain/abel); Geta’s memorials were destroyed and all images or mentions of him were removed from public buildings and monuments. Accordingly, Geta’s image and inscriptions referring to him were removed from the arch. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_of_Septimius_Severus
The following is of particular importance for our further argument.
“A staircase in the south pier leads to the top of the monument, on which were statues of the emperor and his two sons in a four-horse chariot (quadriga), accompanied by soldiers.”
Chariot of the god and the horse tamer twins
Now this particular design element is seen on many European arches. Either a proposed single horse emperor or the charioteer Victory/Nike, the charioteer of the skygod Zeus/Jupiter
Image: Horse tamers (ashvini twins) flanking the Austrian parliament building in Vienna, Austria.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austrian_Parliament_Building#/media/File:WienParlament.jpg
The horse chariot statue (or single emperor on a horse for Revanta) on ancient buillding and triumphal arcs seen are a direct representation of Surya the sun god, or the emporer/ king as sungod on earth in his horse chariot with his twin sons. (dusk and dawn) The arch itself is the arch of heaven. However often in modern times is depicted Victoria in the horse chariot as charioteer of the sun/sky god and not the sun/sky god himself, which is why these are often in from of palaces, as the king/emporer is then the sun/skygod on earth symbolically.
Image: The Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel is a triumphal arch in Paris, located in the Place du Carrousel. It is an example of Corinthian style architecture. It was built between 1806 and 1808 to commemorate Napoleon’s military victories of the previous year. Note the two golden horse tamers. In the middle, Victoria or Nike, the charioteer of Zeus. Hence these triumphal arches seen also on palace entrances, the link with the sungod or emperor on earth. Even though the charioteer is depicted it is identical in symbolism to the early arch of the emperor and his “two sons”
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe_du_Carrousel
The above design for Napoleon, another emperor, depicts the classical arch design with the distinct 3 doors seen in many temples and churches in all its glory. Horses of Saint Mark statues on the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in Paris. Now here is where its becoming obvious. It is showing the sun chariot with the two horse tamer twin sons (Ashvins) on the sides, just like the Vedic depictions of the same. This is not a single occurrence. There are many identical depictions across Europe and in Russia. The actual sun or sky god was omitted and only the charioteer Victory/Nike is shown in modern times. Yet she was the charioteer of the skygod.
Image: St Peters palace square, st Petersburg. Showing the chariot of victory with his two horsetamer twin sons (Ashvin) on a palace entrance.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_Square and https://www.viator.com/St-Petersburg-attractions/St-Petersburg-Palace-Square-Dvortsovaya-Ploshchad/d908-a2964
Image: St Peters palace square detail, showing the sungod in his chariot with the horse tamer suns the Ashwin. It’s a diluted image of the sky sun god Zeus in the chariot with charioteer Nike/Victoria but relates to exactly that part of mythology of the sungod and his twin sons the ashvini horse tamers.
The roman triumph was celebrated by emperors as the Sky sungod Zeus in his chariot. Her a detail from the arch of Marcus Aurelius. Bas-relief from the Arch of Marcus Aurelius, Rome, now in the Capitoline Museum in Rome.
Image: Panel from a representation of a triumph of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius; a winged genius hovers above his head (this is Nike, zeus angel of victory/charioteer)
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_triumph and https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Bas_relief_from_Arch_of_Marcus_Aurelius_triumph_chariot.jpg
The Arch of heaven
The arch shows usually the sun, Zeus or the skygod on the keystone, or, on the original design, leo, the summer constellation. The the two angels on the side on the front of these arches is a dual representation of Nike with her laurel wreath. We also see this on the marble arch design in London and recurring in ancient roman art. The oldest depiction is of the skygod in eagle form, holding the caduceus (twin snake winged solar disk from Egyptian symbolism) on the temple of Jupiter in Baalbek
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Image: Skygod Jupiter in his eagle form, flanked by two angels and holding the caduceus and garlands, one of the oldest depictions of the two “angels” flanking based on earlier Egyptian symbolism of the winged solar disk with the two snakes, the true origin of the caduceus.
Source: https://ancientarchives.wordpress.com/ancient-structures/baalbek-closeup-of-lintel-bacchus-temple/
The marble arch in London
The marble arch was first intended to be a grand entrance to Buckingham palace. A place that would fit with its symbolism. Buckingham palace was beautifull in 1837 before they build the east wing, its current front. On the image here below we see the marble arch as the entrance to the palace, although in its incompleted state. (See later intended designs)
Image: “The Queen’s Palace, Pimlico, Middlesex” (Buckingham Palace) published in Dugdale’s England and Wales Delineated, about 1845. Steel engraved antique print with recent hand colour, good condition. Size 11 x 8 cms including title, plus margins. Ref H8417 Source: http://www.antiqueprints.com/proddetail.php?prod=h8417
On building of the east wing, most of this grand appeal of neo roman design got lost in favour of a plain straight façade. However they did keep true to some of the original design queues. Its distinct triple “doors” of that arch (and overal 3 design), with reference to the sungod are incorporated in that design, still, the palace lost much of its former grandeur.
Image: Currrent façade of Buckingham palace since 1845. Note the distinct tree doors of the original marble arch still incorporated in its design.
Source: https://www.theprintsgallery.com/products/buckingham-palace
These days, a statue to victoria (or nike/victoria) the charioteer of Zeus stands in front, still honouring the symbolism we see on many palaces and the usual preferred statue on the triumphal arches as Zeus charioteer as can be seen in this paper, hence for those who understand this symbolism it clearly still shows.
Image: Victoria in front of Buckingham palace, just like on many other palaces, government buildings.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Memorial,_London
Image: Victoria in front of Buckingham palace, just like on many other palaces, government buildings.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Memorial,_London
Image: Marble arch London
Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Marble_Arch_%2829797251968%29.jpg
The story on marble arch is a very interesting one, as due to fund limitations its not even close to its intended design. The original design was beautiful. Instead of the sungod in the middle it shown Leo for the summer solstice. Then on top it showed Brittania, (or Durga) and the king on a horse for the male sungod.
Image: Original Marble arch design. Architectural model of Marble Arch circa 1826 (front) © Victoria and Albert Museum. The lion instead of Zeus is on the original design, for Leo, mid summer. The victory angels on the side. The (sun) king on top on his horse, with below him the female Brittania or Durga, consort of god with her lion symbolism.
Source: https://marble-arch.london/culture-blog/what-marble-arch-might-have-looked-like/
Image: Original Marble arch design. Architectural model of Marble Arch circa 1826 (rear) © Victoria and Albert Museum
Source: https://marble-arch.london/culture-blog/what-marble-arch-might-have-looked-like/
Image: The original location in front of Buckingham Palace. An engraving of Buckingham Palace by J Woods after a picture by Hablot Browne and R Garland, published in 1837. This shows the palace as built for George IV with Marble Arch as the front gate.
Rolls Royce
The symbolism of the triad with Victoria on top of the arch extends to a famous motor car designer. Rolls Royce. Looking closer we clearly can identify a classical Greek or roman building in the grill. The symbolism from buildings is extended to this modern “chariot”.
Image: The famous Rolls Royce grill based on the pantheon building in Rome.
Source: Car grills, Wikipedia.
The designer “Sykes’ got a brief from Claude Johnson to evoke the spirit of mythical beauty, Nike, whose graceful image was admired in The Louvre. The Rolls Royce Wikipedia entry says the hood ornament specifically rejected modeling it on the Winged Victory of Samothrace. He felt that a more feminine representation might be apt. Source: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_of_Ecstasy)
The ultimate (more feminine) form chosen does not deter from the fact that Nike (or Victoria), Zeus charioteer, was indeed the basis for the hood ornament as instructed by Claude Johnson.
In context if the hood ornament is the entrance to the temple, the cabin of the car is the temple itself. Likewise if Nike is Zeus charioteer and a motorcar is a modern chariot, the driver or occupants are thus equated with the main god that resides “in the temple”.
Image: The pantheon building in Rome. The triangle or triad is identical to the 3 door symbolism and sometimes seen in 1 building. It symbolizes dawn, mid sun and dusk or sometimes the seasons summer, spring/autumn and winter.
Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Rome_Pantheon_front.jpg
The famous Rolls Royce Grill is based on the entrance to the Roman Pantheon building. Its hood ornament is based on Victory/Nike.
Image: the winged victory statue from Samothrace, now in the Louvre, to which the spirit of ectasy was modelled, although in a more femine form.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace
Like Victory has a place in front of palaces and on the triumph arches, she has a prominent place as the charioteer of Zeus, thus there is the link with the roman pantheon, which was the main building of worship for Zeus and the other olympians before Catholicism.
These gods where directly taken from Greece and renamed. Yet as we can see they where in many cultures under different names.
The link to the pantheon and roman polytheism is in a way is interesting since many wealthy people of other religions now drive around with the “image” of this polytheistic religion before the catholic church, the very building that housed numerous gods with Victoria being Zeus Charioteer and in statues often seen in his hand. Looking at that image we can clearly see the winged angel as sided on the marble arch, as seen on the Baalbek relief and on the arches riding her chariot.
Image: Zeus with Nike (Victoria)
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Most who drive a Rolls Royce, likely do not know this history and see the Rolls Royce merely as a status symbol. Some might know, since its also all over the palaces and government buildings.
It is quite distinct and beautiful symbolism, similar to placing Victoria in front of the palace as seen earlier in this paper on the paragraph on Buckingham palace.
Since she was close to Zeus and his charioteer, the king or driver of the rolls Royce is thus “equated” with the main sun/sky god, like the French kings “Le roi soleil”, or the sunkings. This is something that has happened in many cultures worldwide where leader equate themselves with the sun on earth, either by only being able to enter the main door of the temple as king or through clever architecture and symbolism as shown in this paper.
God and his wife
Identical sun/sky gods under different names where seen in early Vedic culture, notably the Rig Veda and the Greek and Roman civilizations that later gave rise to western architecture and sculptures. Surya and Indra are directly linked to Zeus and Jupiter. These “sky or sungods” formed the basis of the later single Jaweh in Christian religion. If one looks at the ceiling of the sistine chapel to the famous fresco, one can see god, but one can also see his arm around one angel that is particularly female. The author thinks that this is because its based on the the Skygod Zeus, with his wife Hera (or Jupiter/Juno) that the creation of Adam is in fact Ganymede, zeus gay lover while his wife Hera watched and thus based on earlier Greek mythology. (Adam in perfect male form) The composition to a trained eye suggest that the “male angel” is in fact Hera(Juno), Zeus(Jupiters) wife.
Image: Creation of Adam, also by Michelangelo. He knew his mythology and remodelled it to suite the church.
Image: Hidden in plain sight: There is just to much emphasis in composition on this “male angel” next to the Skygod with his arm around “him”. The next image of a statue of Jupiter and Juno makes this relation further obvious.
Image: Statue of Zeus and Hera in Albertina Square, Vienna, Austria. Put this next to the sixtine chappel image and the male angel with female facial features all of the sudden looks more like Gods consort, hidden in a male form.
Source: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/535435843180655585/?nic=1
The old skygod or sungod is likely also the basis for the single Muslim god Allah, conveniently leaving his wife out. But even EL or Jaweh had a consort like many others. Something we still see in Shiva and Durga today. The lion and bull seen also in Lamassu in Sumeria.Usualy this was the sky and earth god respectively. Shiva might be blue for a reason.
Image: Shiva and Durga/Parvarti. Just like on the original marble arch design in the form of the sungod as king and Brittania.
Source: https://kirtan.nu/parvati-shiva-ganesha-plaatjes-van-pictures-of/
Image: Surya with Saranyu
Source: http://www.hindudevotionalblog.com/2015/05/saranyu-wife-of-surya-sun-god.html
The bull (crescent) has always been a symbol of the skygod, as it was for Zeus when he abducted Europa and many other levant gods. Like the eagle, a symbol of Nazi Germany and the United States or the double headed eagle of India in the form of Garuda. The lion was always a symbol of the female goddess, Cybele, Brittania and Durga, who are identical as shown in this article. https://www.stijnvandenhoven.com/2018/03/16/maria-magdelene-john-virgo-durga-brittania/ Would have anyone thought the British adapted Durga in its exact symbolism to represent their kingdom as personified Brittania.
Image: Clearly Brittania has been based on the Indian god Durga or other lion goddess in many religions before this. Later research links Durga to the eastern fish and panther like aphrodite and artemis , Inanna and Annunitum and not to Virgo/Leo
Source: http://www.lexicolatry.com/2013/11/brittania-brit-chick-with-three-pronged.html
Source: https://astrobhava.com/product/durga-homa-yagna/
There have been numerous Sanskrit language relations also in the Balkan and Lithunia with the Ashvini horse houses.
Image: Lithuanian ashvini houses, the horse twins.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%C5%A1vieniai
The author earlier proposed that the Trireme ship design used in Greece was in the form of the Makara. https://www.stijnvandenhoven.com/2019/05/14/the-vedic-origins-of-greek-ship-design/
Conclusion
The similarities of the sungod Surya in the chariot with either his two wifes or his two sons and the dawn/sun/dusk relation in Indian and Roman/Greek art expressions are undeniable and clearly depicted in Rome on the most important hills and western government spots.
This 3 door symbolism is also used in temples and churches around the world further suggesting the astronomical origins of god (sky/sun god) and religions as the same symbolism is used worldwide. Even Viracocha is a sungod, also seen on the top of the Rockefeller building, where this particular 3 door symbolism is present at the bottom of the building.
Image: the clear “tryptich doors” as seen in many churches and the triumphal arches pointing to these.
The image over the central door shows a male older figure with a compass, “the great architect” in masonic terms, which is another term for “god” or the supreme being. The middle door in temples was only to be used by the king or emperor still in asia today whilst the sidedoors where for the common people. This temple reference is a further link between the emperor as representation of sun / skygod on earth.
If we look close, on Rockefeller plaza, the old general electric building is a direct reference to the sungod. It is an almost direct copy of the gate of the sun in Tiwanaku.
Image: Top of GE Building now known as 570 Lexington Ave, building showing the sungod. Note him holding the twin pillars like Viracocha and the earlier Surya image. Here the sungod sits in the central arch again on the keystone.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Electric_Building#/media/File:570_Lexington_Avenue2.JPG
Image: Viracocha on the gate of the sun In Tiwanaku
Source: Links to vedic culture http://vediccafe.blogspot.com/2012/07/in-valmiki-ramayan-of-india-virochana.html
Earlier links where made by the author between the vedic and meso American civilizations in his “Makara paper” Source: https://www.academia.edu/34955818/The_Makara_a_clear_link_between_Meso_American_and_Asian_Vedic_cultures
Since the Rigveda is deemed older than western civilizations, the question can arise if also the western civilization were seeded either by a vedic seafaring civilization or why else it became so prominently embedded in the mythology of these cultures if there was no relation between them. What was the real source of these gods, or was it perhaps Egypt and Sumeria that seeded the religions of the nations.
Alexander the greats campaign into India in 326bc might have brought back the basis of gods used in the western world from India, renamed them and used them, or, there was another vedic influence and origin of these civilizations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_campaign_of_Alexander_the_Great)
We may conclude that this specific symbolism has spread across cultures and adopted as such by many nations, specifically still with the ruling elite, whilst a clear origin of god lies in astronomy and solar worship later transformed into a single sky deity omitting its roots in polytheism and astrotheology.
For those who are aware of the specific symbolism, it can still be seen today in many palaces, government buildings, cathedrals, churches and temples of the past, showing it has endured in its specific form for ages.