Dear John,
>Lithuania was the last country in Europe to submit to the Xtian yoke,
>and as in many Baltic regions Pagan survival was better in outlying
>terrain than in the warmer South. At Siva Ling in Siberia, a site which
>owes it's name's origin to Tantrik India, Shamen still gather for their
>rituals. No wonder the Vikings had a Rainbow Bridge....one end of it
>must have been in Asia. The name of the elders: the Aesir reinforces
>that notion. This is obviously an important work, that points to a land
>bridge, and I hope it finds a publisher.
There is another possible line of transmission of Tantra to the west and
that is through gypsies. The Romany gypsies in the west are considered
descended from nomads in India who maintain there culture, trades and
lifestyle there to this day. These tribes include the Sapera Nath, who
make their living as snake catchers and snake charmers. They consider
themselves descendents of Kanni Nath, a rival to Gorakh Nath. The Sapera
Nath gypsies also travelled to Ceylon and North Africa where they
maintain their snake charming practice. Despite the lack of dangerous
snakes in Europe some sense of the office survived, as gypsies in UK
have been known to refer to non-gypsies who control snakes as "Sapengro"
meaning "Snake master".
Of course, generally, snake charming is dreadfully cruel. But in its
best practice, the snakes are quickly returned to the wild and whilst in
the care of the charmer are kept harmless by being frequently milked.
The venom being mixed with milk and drunk by the charmer as a religious
sacrament with health giving effects.
My best wishes
Ben
--
Ben Fernee
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