Symbolism Of The Skull

The location of the head, the dome shape of the skull and its role as a spiritual center have often led to its being compared with the heaven of the human body, the seat of the life force of the body and spirit. By cutting off a corpse's head and preserving the skull as a possession, primitive man attained several goals. First he possessed the closest and most personal memory of the dead person, and then he acquired the person's life force and its use to the benefit of those coming after. The more skulls he could accumulate, the broader the extent of this spiritual underpinning. The more skulls one can take the more spiritual power to win wars, pillage, and power.

An example of the use of heads taken in war, the Cisalpin Guals ambushed and destroyed the army of the Roman ex-consul Postumius, through great fanfare they carried off the leaders head with the rest of the spoils of war. The cured skull of Postumius was encircled with a golden crown and was used as a wine cup in rituals and celebrations. Since the skull is the highest point of the body it is used in ritual to transfer spiritual energy to the priest and keepers of the temple.

16 x 14 inches, pen and ink, on 190lb cotton watercolor paper

Today I added the background color and starting the shading to give depth. I think I will add a hint of color to the tree and leaves.

The Tree Of Life

The Bodhi-tree under which the Buddha found enlightenment. In early Buddhist iconography the tree represents Buddha. An inscription at Angkor states that its roots are the Brahma, its trunk Shiva and its branches Vishnu. This is a classic description of the world axis. The cosmic tree, used to obtain the drink of immortality in the churning of the sea of milk. Which is shown at Angkor with Vishnu at its foot, upon its trunk and at its top. There are many variations of this theme throughout the Buddhist temple systems.

The Tree in Buddhist Myth

Queen Maya, Buddha's mother was heavily pregnant with the bodhisattva Gotama Buddha as she traveled through Lumbini Park in the land we now call Nepal at the foot of the Himalayan mountains. She had taken rest in the shade of the sala tree. As she rested contractions started and she grabbed the branch of the sala tree to give her strength and the baby Buddha to be was born under the sala tree. It was an auspicious day. The birth took place on a full moon (which is now celebrated as Vesak, the festival of the triple event of Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death), in the year 623 B.C.

Sala Tree

Head Hunting

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