Definitions by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫
Rama
Lord Rama is one of the most commonly adored gods of Hindus and is known as an ideal man and hero of the epic Ramayana.
He is always holding a bow and arrow indicating his readiness to destroy evils. He is also called "Shri Rama". More commonly he is pictured in a family style, (Ram Parivar) with his wife Sita, brother Lakshman and devotee Hanuman who is sitting near Lord Rama's feet.
Rama by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 4, 2010
Vishnu
A loving god who cares for those who love him. Known in his avatars of Rama and Krishna, there are eight other recognized avatars (including the Buddha). Vishnu’s chief consort is Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and fortune. As Shiva is known for his lingam, Vishnu is known by his saligrama (a fossilized ammonite from the Gandaki River) and normally holds a conch shell, a chakra, a mace and a lotus. He rides the bird Garuda and is often seen resting on the world serpent Ananta.
Vishnu is regarded as a major god in Hinduism and Indian mythology. He is thought as the preserver of the universe while two other major Hindu gods Brahma and Shiva, are regarded respectively, as the creator and destroyer of the universe.
Vishnu by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 4, 2010
Brahma
Brahma is the god first represented in the Hindu Triad (Trimurti). He is the creator of the universe and all living beings are said to have evolved from him.
Brahma is depicted as red in color with four heads, bearded faces, and four arms. His hands hold a kamandalu, his bow or a rosary, a sacrificial ladle, and the Vedas. Brahma is sometimes depicted as sitting on a lotus. The four Vedas are said to have originated from his head. The four castes (Varna) are also believed to have originated from Brahma: the Brahmins from his head, the Kshatriyas from his arms, the Vaishyas from his thighs, and the Shudras from his feet.
Brahma by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 4, 2010
Necromancy
Communication with the dead for purposes of divination or magically influencing the course of natural events.
Necromancy is the act of conjuring the dead for divination. It dates back to Persia, Greece and Rome, and in the Middle Ages was widely practiced by magicians, sorcerers, and witches. It was condemned by the Catholic Church as "the agency of evil spirits," and in Elizabethan England was outlawed by the Witchcraft Act of 1604. Necromancy is not to be confused with conjuring devils or demons for help. Necromancy is the seeking of the spirits of the dead. The spirits are sought because they, being without physical bodies, are no longer limited by the earthly plane. Therefore, it is thought these spirits have access to information of the past and future which is not available to the living. It has been used to help find sunken or buried treasure, and whether or not a person was murdered or died from other causes.
Necromancy by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 4, 2010
Isis
Isis, the Egyptian goddess of rebirth remains one of the most familiar images of empowered and utter femininity. The goddess Isis was the first daughter of Geb, god of the Earth, and Nut, the goddess of the Overarching Sky. Isis was born on the first day between the first years of creation, and was adored by her human followers.
Unlike the other Egyptian goddesses, the goddess Isis spent time among her people, teaching women how to grind corn and make bread, spin flax and weave cloth, and how to tame men enough to live with them.
Isis by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 4, 2010
Osiris
Osiris was king of the gods. His wife Isis was goddess of fertility and magic and their son Horus was the falcon-headed god of the sky. Osiris was sacrificed by his brother Set in a bid to usurp him. Set cut him into pieces and scattered them across Egypt. Isis and Horus found the pieces and restored Osiris to life. Horus remained to rule the Land of the Living and Osiris went to the Underworld to rule the Land of the Dead. The Pharaoh was an incarnation of Horus.
In his original form, a green-skinned man dressed in the raiment of a pharaoh. Following the Legend of Osiris, he appears as a green-skinned man in the form of a mummified pharaoh. He is often depicted wearing the atef crown with a pair of ram horns at its base.
Osiris by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 4, 2010
Horus
Horus was among the most important gods of Egypt, particularly because the Pharaoh was supposed to be his earthly embodiment. Kings would eventually take the name of Horus as one of their own. At the same time, the Pharaohs were the followers of Re and so Horus became associated with the sun as well. To the people this solar deity became identified as the son of Osiris. Attempts to resolve the conflicts between these different gods in different parts of Egypt resulted in at least fifteen distinct forms of Horus. They can be divided fairly easily into two groups, solar and Osirian, based on the parentage of the particular form of Horus. If he is said to be the son of Isis, he is Osirian; otherwise he is a solar deity. The solar Horus was called the son of Atum, or Re, or Geb and Nut variously.
Horus by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 4, 2010