Depicted Deities

Depicted Deities
Author :
Publisher : BRILL
Total Pages : 98
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9789004646605
ISBN-13 : 9004646604
Rating : 4/5 (05 Downloads)

Synopsis Depicted Deities by : M.L.B. Blom

This book deals with the rules of art. More specifically, it treats of the unwritten rules of Nepalese religious art as laid down in ‘model books’. These can be seen as manuals for the artists, in which they can find the correct way to represent, in visual art, any of some 2000 godly figures. The representation of these gods, all of them with their particular attributes, was (and is) subject to more or less strict rules. These books, the kind of which is also found in Europe in the early Middle Ages, have developed into a special tradition in Nepal, where a unique number of model books was found to be in existence, the oldest of them going back to the 15th century. The author of this study (the first in its kind) has traced the development in time of some 150 popular Hindu deities to determine the meaning of these model books for the artists using them, and also to see if the representation of these gods is in any way related to changes in society.

Egyptian Gods & Goddesses

Egyptian Gods & Goddesses
Author :
Publisher : The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc
Total Pages : 109
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781622751556
ISBN-13 : 1622751558
Rating : 4/5 (56 Downloads)

Synopsis Egyptian Gods & Goddesses by : Johnathan Deaver

Gods and goddesses—in human, animal, and other forms—were central to the ancient Egyptian way of life. Identified with the natural world, daily living, and the afterlife, they maintained order and prevented chaos from permeating the human world. The figures documented in ancient hieroglyphics are given dimension in this absorbing volume, which examines the characteristics and significance of many of the Egyptian gods and goddesses and also looks at related topics such as ancient symbols and the influence of Egyptian mythology on other cultures and belief systems.

The Standards of Mesopotamia in the Third and Fourth Millennia BCE

The Standards of Mesopotamia in the Third and Fourth Millennia BCE
Author :
Publisher : Mohr Siebeck
Total Pages : 445
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9783161614651
ISBN-13 : 3161614658
Rating : 4/5 (51 Downloads)

Synopsis The Standards of Mesopotamia in the Third and Fourth Millennia BCE by : Renate Marian van Dijk-Coombes

Depictions of standards form a fundamental part of the visual repertoire of ancient Mesopotamia. These depictions can offer great insight into the thought world of the peoples with which they are associated, because different standards were associated with different deities, and could be found in multiple contexts. In this book, Renate Marian van Dijk-Coombes examines the standards which are represented in the visual culture of the third and fourth millennia BCE, covering the Uruk, Early Dynastic, Akkadian and Neo-Sumerian periods. She analyses each of the different standards, how they looked, what they symbolised and the context(s) in which they were found. In addition, developments and changes in the representation of these standards are traced across the periods under discussion.

Goddess Kali, God Thoughts, Sri Sri Ramakrishna and A Few Slices of Sri Sri Ramakrishna’s Soul (Introducing ‘SoulOlogy’)

Goddess Kali, God Thoughts, Sri Sri Ramakrishna and A Few Slices of Sri Sri Ramakrishna’s Soul (Introducing ‘SoulOlogy’)
Author :
Publisher : Allied Publishers
Total Pages : 256
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9789389934748
ISBN-13 : 9389934745
Rating : 4/5 (48 Downloads)

Synopsis Goddess Kali, God Thoughts, Sri Sri Ramakrishna and A Few Slices of Sri Sri Ramakrishna’s Soul (Introducing ‘SoulOlogy’) by : Dr. Siddhartha Ganguli

Hinduism is a polytheistic religion. For the Hindus, Goddess Kali is the only austere, down-to-earth deity who believes in absolute simplicity and openness. She does not hide her body; she is naked with her private parts covered by a garland of severed hands of demons slain by her. Her mind is overt as she sticks out her tongue representing her thirst for the blood of evil people whom she is determined to overpower and also her feeling of shame. Her soul yearns for pure and authentic love. She is unlike other Hindu goddesses who are opulently dressed and majestically ornamented. Kali’s child, God incarnate Sri Sri Ramakrishna, like his mother goddess is casual not only about his dress but also about his worshipping habits. This book looks at Ramakrishna, his method of devotion, his yearning for the goddess, and his value system and entire philosophy. It analyses the Hindu Saint’s soul and its slices that he had shared and still continues to share, even today—long after he left this planet, with those who understand him thoroughly and are meant to propagate his message. The author’s method of analysis and treatment of the subject are unique as no other Kali or Ramakrishna scholar had used for their probes earlier.

Current Research in Egyptology 2007

Current Research in Egyptology 2007
Author :
Publisher : Oxbow Books
Total Pages : 161
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781785704086
ISBN-13 : 1785704087
Rating : 4/5 (86 Downloads)

Synopsis Current Research in Egyptology 2007 by : Ken Griffin

The Eighth Annual Current Research in Egyptology Symposium (CRE 2007) was held at Swansea University on the 19th-21st April. The conference brought together graduate and postgraduate students of Egyptology from ten different countries, contributing to a total of 40 presentations. The range of topics included art and architecture, archaeology, literature and language, history and society as well as scientific analysis spanning the entire epoch of Egyptian history from the Predynastic to the Coptic era. The papers presented in the following volume represent a diverse range of topics and multidisciplinary approaches.

Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics: Mundas-Phrygians

Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics: Mundas-Phrygians
Author :
Publisher :
Total Pages : 942
Release :
ISBN-10 : HARVARD:AH3I6N
ISBN-13 :
Rating : 4/5 (6N Downloads)

Synopsis Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics: Mundas-Phrygians by : James Hastings

Scope: theology, philosophy, ethics of various religions and ethical systems and relevant portions of anthropology, mythology, folklore, biology, psychology, economics and sociology.

The World between Empires

The World between Empires
Author :
Publisher : Metropolitan Museum of Art
Total Pages : 335
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781588396839
ISBN-13 : 1588396835
Rating : 4/5 (39 Downloads)

Synopsis The World between Empires by : Blair Fowlkes-Childs

The World between Empires presents a new perspective on the art and culture of the Middle East in the years 100 B.C.–A.D. 250, a time marked by the struggle for control by the Roman and Parthian Empires. For the first time, this book weaves together the cultural histories of the cities along the great incense and silk routes that connected southwestern Arabia, Nabataea, Judaea, Syria, and Mesopotamia. It captures the intricate web of influence and religious diversity that emerged in the Middle East through the exchange of goods and ideas. And for our current age, when several of the archaeological sites featured here—including Palmyra, Dura- Europos, and Hatra—have been subject to deliberate destruction and looting, it addresses the crucial subject of preserving what has been lost and contextualizes the significance of these works on a local and global scale. This essential volume features 186 objects of exceptional importance from Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. Readers are taken on a fascinating journey that explores sites of intense political and religious struggles against Roman rule as well as important religious centers and military bulwarks of the Parthian Empire. Reaching across two millennia, The World between Empires brings vividly to life how individuals and cities in ancient times defined themselves, and how these factors continue to resonate today. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Verdana}

The Aztec Book of Destiny

The Aztec Book of Destiny
Author :
Publisher : BookSurge LLC
Total Pages : 420
Release :
ISBN-10 : 1419611631
ISBN-13 : 9781419611636
Rating : 4/5 (31 Downloads)

Synopsis The Aztec Book of Destiny by : Rick Holmer

The Aztec Book of Destiny summarizes traditional Mesoamerican beliefs about the spiritual nature of time and its influence on one's personality and fate. The ancient Aztec, Toltec and Maya believed that the day of birth, as defined in their sacred calendar, affects destiny; and this philosophy has guided their daily lives for more than 3000 years. This book condenses the scattered and disparate literature about these beliefs into a fun and informative narrative; but it goes far beyond what academics and popular authors have published to date. The author presents a unique perspective shaped by the wisdom of a traditional calendar-keeper he met in Mexico in 1973. The book's message is that the calendar is not simply an ancient and forgotten curiosity - it is as relevant today as in ancient times. The majority of the book projects the timeless Mesoamerican philosophy into contemporary Western society encouraging introspection and self-awareness.

The Heavenly Court

The Heavenly Court
Author :
Publisher : BRILL
Total Pages : 494
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9789004190238
ISBN-13 : 9004190236
Rating : 4/5 (38 Downloads)

Synopsis The Heavenly Court by : Lennert Gesterkamp

One of the most magnificent and enduring themes in Chinese painting history can be found depicted in Daoist temples from the local village up to the very capital, viz., the paintings of the Heavenly Court (chaoyuan tu). Surprisingly, its images have remained largely unstudied in Western scholarship. Drawing on a comparative study of four complete sets of wall paintings dating back to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries (the oldest examples), and their related images, painting criticism, stele inscriptions, and Daoist ritual manuals, the author offers the first comprehensive study of the historical development, iconography, ritual context, methods of mural design, and the personalisations made by patrons of the four Heavenly Court paintings.

Pharaoh's Land and Beyond

Pharaoh's Land and Beyond
Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Total Pages : 377
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780190229092
ISBN-13 : 0190229098
Rating : 4/5 (92 Downloads)

Synopsis Pharaoh's Land and Beyond by : Pearce Paul Creasman

The concept of pharaonic Egypt as a unified, homogeneous, and isolated cultural entity is misleading. Ancient Egypt was a rich tapestry of social, religious, technological, and economic interconnections among numerous cultures from disparate lands. In fifteen chapters divided into five thematic groups, Pharaoh's Land and Beyond uniquely examines Egypt's relationship with its wider world. The first section details the geographical contexts of interconnections by examining ancient Egyptian exploration, maritime routes, and overland passages. In the next section, chapters address the human principals of association: peoples, with the attendant difficulties of differentiating ethnic identities from the record; diplomatic actors, with their complex balances and presentations of power; and the military, with its evolving role in pharaonic expansion. Natural events, from droughts and floods to illness and epidemics, also played significant roles in this ancient world, as examined in the third section. The final two sections explore the physical manifestations of interconnections between pharaonic Egypt and its neighbors, first in the form of material objects and second, in the powerful exchange of ideas. Whether through diffusion and borrowing of knowledge and technology, through the flow of words by script and literature, or through exchanges in the religious sphere, the pharaonic Egypt that we know today was constantly changing--and changing the cultures around it. This illustrious work represents the first synthesis of these cultural relationships, unbounded by time, geography, or mode.