July 9th, 2017

Hanuman (हनुमान्) is a diety with a monkey likeness. Though primarily associated with Hinduism, he also exists in various forms in other religions and folklore, such as Jainism, Buddhism, and possibly also Chinese tradition. Such a well travelled god certainly accumulates many names, and Hanuman is no exception. One of his names, used in north India, is बजरंगबली (bajarangabali), which means वज्र (vajra) अङ्ग (ang, meaning limbs or body) वली (wali, meaning lord). Thus, a lord with limbs like a 'vajra'. But what on earth is a vajra? It's both the concept of the strength of a diamond, and the power of lightning, combined into one word. Vajra is also the name of a small two-headed club that is strongly associated with Hanuman, Indra, and Hinduism is general. Like Hanuman, the symbol has travelled, and is found in the Emblem of Bhutan, Japanese Buddhist iconography, and (somewhat modified) on the Emblem of the Royal Arms of Thailand.

Bonus:

One of the oldest stories of Hanuman talks of how he mistook the sun for a fruit, and leaped towards it. He (depending on the source) was either struck down by Indra, or burned as he approached, accounting for his disfigured monkey-like jaw. The story contains tantalising similarities to that of Icarus, and perhaps hints at a common origin (such as that of Indra and Zeus). Unfortunately, there is not enough evidence to conclusively rule out coincidence.

-E