J is for the Juggernaut
The Juggernaut, also referred to as the Grey, the Tide, the Effacer and the Balancer among many other names -depending on the tradition of the particular cult or sect devoted to it - is a cosmic force presumed to reside in the aetherless void between dimensions. Nothing is known of its exact nature. The only available sources on the Juggernaut are various disparate religious texts, of which some can be traced back to ancient times, while others seem to have originated more recently from other dimensional planes. While these esoteric scriptures all have a pervading vagueness in common, and the few particulars they mention often contradict each other outright, certain recurring, shared themes can be gleaned from them. The Juggernaut is interpreted as a non-corporeal, non-aware body of energy, which throughout the aeons enters the material dimensions and purges them. On the question of the extent to and the form in which this purge takes place, there is only speculation, and this has led to vastly different groups taking up the Juggernaut as a figurehead or object of worship. Certain nefarious cabals hail the Juggernaut as a force of destruction and death, and consider it the embodiment of chaos, while to circles dedicated to maintaining the fine balance between good and evil, law and chaos the Juggernaut is the great equalizer, and thus a force of true neutrality.
Whichever faction has the right of it, the foretold return of the Juggernaut is the source of much concern by those who give credence to it, as these sages predict its passage would surely sever the link to the other planar realms and be the end of magick as it is understood today.
This is really interesting-- I didn't know there was so much context here. I mean, I knew the X-Men character got his name from somewhere, but thank you for enlightening me!
ReplyDeleteThe word juggernaut is actually derived from Hindu Mythology.
ReplyDeleteThe etymological root is Jagannatha (lord of the universe), a Sanskrit epithet for the deity, made up of Jag-an, which means cosmos, and natha, signifying lord.
As the story goes, every year in mid-summer, Lord Jagannath, with his elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra, goes on vacation, travelling on grand chariots, from his temple in Puri, to his garden palace in the countryside. This belief of the Hindus has given rise to one of the biggest religious festivals in India — the Rath Yatra or the Chariot Festival. This is also the etymological origin of the English word 'Juggernaut'.
When the British first observed the Rath Yatra in the 18th century, they were so amazed that they sent home shocking descriptions which gave rise to the term 'juggernaut', meaning "destructive force". This connotation may have originated from the occasional but accidental death of some devotees under the chariot wheels caused by the crowd and commotion.
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Bibliography:
http://hinduism.about.com/od/rathyatra/a...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juggernaut