Some Hindu, Egyptian and Aztec deities were shown with blue or turquoise skin, although the colors vary by deity and period. Early Vedic texts link Indra with the blue firmament; Krishna's familiar dark-blue form appears in later traditions. The video argues that methemoglobinemia may explain the imagery, but this is a hypothesis, not an established diagnosis. Indigo was used in ancient South Asia well before the 1st century CE.
The video speculates that methemoglobinemia may explain blue deities
Key facts
- The Rigveda associates Indra with the blue firmament; the familiar dark-blue Krishna appears in later Hindu texts.
- Blue or turquoise coloring occurs in Egyptian and Aztec iconography, but Osiris is usually shown green and the listed Aztec deities did not share a uniform blue-skin convention.
- Natural indigo was used in ancient South Asia before the 1st century CE, so blue deity imagery did not begin only when indigo supposedly became available.
- The assignments of particular deities to śyāma, nīla and other colors are interpretive rather than a universal system of Hindu iconography.
- At elevated levels around 15%, methemoglobinemia can cause cyanosis and chocolate-brown blood, but the explanation for the deities is the video presenter's hypothesis, not an established diagnosis.
Sources
Ancient Egyptian gods and goddessesbritishmuseum.org
He was often portrayed as a man with red or blue skin, wearing a headdress of two feathers, or as a ram-headed man. By the Middle Kingdom, Amun became linked ...
Amunen.wikipedia.org
Amun was painted with blue skin, symbolizing his association with air and primeval creation. recorded of the Egyptian gods. Amun was instead painted with blue ...
Amun-Re and the Theban Triad - Hypostylememphis.edu
Amun's skin could be red, it was usually blue and sometimes black; to the Egyptians, both colors symbolized the abundant fertility of the Nile Valley's rich ...
10 Astonishing Facts about Amun, Egyptian God of the Airfactcity.com
Amun is typically depicted as having blue skin to help associate him with the wind, sky, and air that he frequently represents.
Huītzilōpōchtlien.wikipedia.org
Huitzilopochtli is the solar and war deity of sacrifice in Aztec religion. He was also the patron god of the Aztecs and their capital city, Tenochtitlan.
Understanding RigVeda VIII 100: Indra, Vakaryaakasha.com
“3 Striving for strength bring forth a laud to Indra, a truthful hymn if he in truth existeth. One and another say, There is no Indra. Who hath ...
Indra - Biblical Cyclopediabiblicalcyclopedia.com
The name itself is of doubtful origin, meaning either (1) "blue" (as epithet of the firmament) ... Vedic hymns in honor of Indra, may at least be matter of doubt.
Lord Indra: King of the Devas and Vedic God of Thunder ...exoticindiaart.com
In the Rigveda, he is celebrated as a powerful warrior and storm deity associated with thunder, rain, lightning, and the defeat of Vritra. Later ...
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