Yamnaya Warrior’s Mythical Weapon | Prehistoric Warfare Documentary

This Yamnaya warrior was buried in a kurgan (burial mound) on the steppe with this mighty weapon from prehistoric warfare. Is it the mythical weapon of Indra; the cudgel Vajra? What does it have to do with Hercules and Thor? We discuss the mythology of the Striker-Thunderer and talk about Yamnaya burial practices and how this image of the Yamnaya warrior inspired my work. The Indo-European myth of the Striker / Thunderer is seen in the forms of Thor, Herakles, and Indra. He is a thunder god - the sun of the sky father - who strikes with a hammer or an axe or club / cudgel. He makes thunder, sends lightning bolts crashing to earth, and he is a wandering hero who slays the serpent and other monsters.