Santo -
The Sapta Matrika are wonderful sources of inspiration for a wide
variety of Gloranthan goddesses - and actually have been a big
influence on my understanding of several Orlanthi goddesses as well.
BTW, for you Londoners there is a wonderful collection of Sapta
Matrika and Durga artwork at the British Museum. I think the goddess
Vinga is there as well.... :)
Jeff
- In WorldofGlorantha_at_yahoogroups.com, "Santo Sengupta"
<s.santo.sengupta_at_...> wrote:
>
> Namaste:
> The Seven Mothers (or Sapta Matrika) are an interesting group of
> lesser goddesses, who are considered to be aspects of the great mother
> goddess Durga. They are Shaktis (divine power) of seven of the gods,
> which manifested in feminine form to fight demons (antigods!) on the
> field of battle. They are not really worshiped independently in
> modern day Hindu practice, but still important in the mythology and
> hymns of the Goddess.
>
> More can be found here.
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrikas
>
> They don't really have much mythological similarity to the Seven
> Mothers of the Red Goddess, really.
>
> Speaking of the Red Goddess, Hinduism has several. None are
> precisely like Sedenya, but perhaps could provide inspiration into one
> of her faces. Like Lunarism, Goddesses in Hinduism have quite mutable
> and fluid identities, dependent on the worshipers outlook and what
> region they are from..
>
> - Lalita, the playful one, also known as Tripura Sundari. She is the
> goddess and dispenser of beauty and love.
> http://www.religiousworlds.com/mandalam/tripura.htm
> - Chinnamasta, the Goddess who severs her own head. Quite
Rashoranic really.
> http://www.exoticindiaart.com/product/HH56/
> - We also have a lesser known name/form of Durga known as
> "Raktadantika" - literally, she of the blood colored teeth (and body),
> who is a form of the goddess that devours demons.
>
> And then in Buddhism, there is Red Tara:
> http://www.exoticindiaart.com/product/TM95/
>
> --
> -S. Santo Sengupta
> "Aum Shanti Shanti Shantih."
>
> On Dec 13, 2007 10:25 PM, ileskela <ileskela_at_...> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Hello,
> >
> > Have you tried "Seven Mothers"? There's some very nice stuff there on
> > this group of goddesses FROM INDIA. :)
> >
> > -ILe
> >
> >
>