Celtic, Germanic and Scythian: Torcs

SCYTHIAN GODS: The Religion of the Steppe Barbarians

Historical full length documentary on genetic origins of the nomadic steppe conquerors the SCYTHIANS - Learn about the ancient Scythian gods of Eurasia, and how the first nomadic horselords of the Ponto-Caspian Steppe practiced shamanism and offered animal sacrifices to their god of war! 

 Sources:

•  Albuquerque, C., ‘On the Scythian Pantheon’ 2018, Medium. 
• Bokovenko, Nikolay. (2015). The Emergence of the Tagar Culture. Antiquity. 80. 860-879. 10.1017/S0003598X00094473. 
• Cunliffe, B., ‘The Scythians: Nomad Warriors of the Steppe’ Oxford:2019. 
• Gershkovich, Y., Romashko, O., ‘Scythian sanctuaries of Ares: archaeological date and Herodotus' testimonies’ (in English) | - Academia.edu. 
• Herodotus. The Persian Wars, Volume II: Books 3-4. Translated by A. D. Godley. Loeb Classical Library 118. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1921. 
• Juras, A., Krzewińska, M., Nikitin, A. et al. Diverse origin of mitochondrial lineages in Iron Age Black Sea Scythians. Sci Rep 7, 43950 (2017). 
• Kuz’Mina, E.E., & Mallory, J.P. (2007). "Chapter Three. Classification of sites and the primary features of Andronovo unity". In The Origin of the Indo-Iranians. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. doi: 
• Sharkey, B. Predators and Prey: Cosmological Perspectivism in Scythian Animal Style Art. Arts 2022, 11, 120. 
• Stetsyuk, V., ‘Scythian Mythology’ (for alleged Chuvash etymology only)
• Iranic encyclopedia  
• Musaeum Scythia Blog 

The ancient Indo-European Cannabis Cult

Who were the first cannabis users in history? Cannabis sativa has been cultivated by humans for thousands of years both as a narcotic and also for making hemp fabrics. Brand new genetic and archaeological evidence places the original domestication event in China, but indicates that the plant was mainly spread by Indo-European peoples such as the Yamnaya and the Scythians. Cannabis was used in the funerary and religious rites in many pagan religions as well as in ancient Jewish rites in Israel.

Art

Waking of sky tree - Stonehenge shaman

A Forest of Shadows Art & Illustration  - Arda Viraf's dream

Sources

I was aided in research for this video by Chris Bennett of cannabisculture.com to whom I am very grateful

• Anthony, D., ‘The Horse, the Wheel, and Language’ 2007.
• Bennett, C., ‘Cannabis and the Soma solution’ Trine Day (2010)
• “Cannabis van 4200 jaar oud in graf Hanzelijn”
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• Eran Arie, Baruch Rosen & Dvory Namdar (2020) Cannabis and Frankincense at the Judahite Shrine of Arad, Tel Aviv
• Haak, W., Lazaridis, I., Patterson, N. et al. Massive migration from the steppe was a source for Indo-European languages in Europe. Nature 522, 207–211 (2015).
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• Hoffmann, K., Aufsätze zur Indoiranistik II, Wiesbaden, 1976. Georg Holzer, “Namen skythischer und sarmatischer Stämme,” Anzeiger der philosophisch-historischen Klassse der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften 125, 1988, pp. 193-213.
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• Ren, G., et al. Large-scale whole-genome resequencing unravels the domestication history of Cannabis sativa. Sci Adv. 2021 Jul 16;7(29):eabg2286.
• Rosetti Dinu V. Movilele funerare de la Gurbăneşti (r. Lehliu, reg. Bucureşti) / Les tumulus funéraires de Gurbăneşti. In: Materiale şi cercetări arheologice, N°6 1959. pp. 791-816;
• Ruck, Carl, affidavit in Bennett v The Attorney General for Canada and the Minister of Health for Canada, (2009)
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• Sherratt, Andrew, “Alcohol and its Alternatives:Symbol and substance in Pre-Industrial cultures,” in Consuming Habits: Drugs in History and Anthropology, by Jordan Goodman, Paul E. Lovejoy, Andrew Sherratt, Contributor Jordan Goodman, (Routledge, 1995)
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• Zhang He, “Is Shuma the Chinese Analog of Soma/Haoma?” Sino-Platonic Papers, 216 (October, 2011)