Set of Sacrificial Weapons 19th century Indian, Bengal (?) or Nepalese Just as Durg? was a manifestation of the focused anger of the gods, so too was the godess K?l? (literally, "the black one") an emanation born of the wrath of Durg?. K?l? is worshiped both as the most bloodthirsty member of the Hindu pantheon and, conversely, as the most life affirming. The goddess's dichotomous nature as destroyer and savior is implicit in these three sacramental weapons, which were used in the ritualistic slaughter of animals offered to her as is said to have sprung fully formed, in the mid

Set of Sacrificial Weapons 19th century Indian, Bengal (?) or Nepalese Just as Durg? was a manifestation of the focused anger of the gods, so too was the godess K?l? (literally, "the black one") an emanation born of the wrath of Durg?. K?l? is worshiped both as the most bloodthirsty member of the Hindu pantheon and, conversely, as the most life affirming. The goddess's dichotomous nature as destroyer and savior is implicit in these three sacramental weapons, which were used in the ritualistic slaughter of animals offered to her as is said to have sprung fully formed, in the midst of battle, from the forehead of an enraged Durg?. The very image of death, with dark shriveled skin, wild disheveled hair, a wide gaping mouth with bared fangs, clad only in a necklace and skirt made from the body parts of her opponents, and driven by an insatiable lust for their blood, she is the consummate destroyer. She also appears as the personified rage of other, usually benign, goddesses, including P?rvat?, Sat?, and S?t?. In some episodes of K?l?'s legends her fury reaches such dangerous proportions that it can be quelled only by the death of her husband, Shiva. In effect, he sacrifices himself to K?l? by appearing as a corpse at her feet amid the carnage she has wrought, so that in recognizing him she will realize the impact of the destruction she has K?l?'s role as the ultimate agent of death there evolved the other fundamental aspect of her persona, that of the universal mother, the ultimate source of life. As such she is the principal deity of Shaktism, the worship of the trancendent female generative forces that are the font of all life and stability in the universe. Although wild and deadly, with a mouth reddened by blood, this K?l? can also be young and beautiful. In her resides the complete life cycle, from the creation of existence out of the void to its inevitable return to worship of K?l?, like that of the other Indian goddesses

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