Myth and Symbol

Shiva

Shiva appears in the trimurti, the sacred grouping of three, as the destroyer. His origins are in the Vedic Rudra, the "howler" or "ruddy one", a malevolent storm god, later called shiva in order to propitiate him. Amound the complex of Indian deities, Shiva is a wrathful avenger, as well as herdsman of souls. With similar ambivalence, he is not only linked with yoga and asceticism, but also has a pronounced erotic aspect.

Shiva's wife appears variously as Sati and Uma or Parvati. He is also sometimes paired with the "inaccessible" Durga and the dark goddess Kali. In painting he is usually shown as pale or ashen-faced, with a blue neck caused by shallowing the poison which was generated at the churning of the cosmic ocean and threatened to destroy mankind: this is an example of Shiva as protector. Other attributes of Shiva include a necklace of skulls. A garland of snakes, the coiled locks of an ascetic, the crescent moon, and a third eye of illumination (and destruction).

creation

the hero

goddesses

gods

tricksters

afterlife

love

Shiva

Discussion

Links