Head and Heart Storm

<p>An extensive study of self-sacrificial images in Indian art, this book examines concepts such as head-offering, human sacrifice, blood, suicide, valour, self-immolation, and self-giving in the context of religion and politics to explore why these images were produced and how they became paradigms of heroism.</p> <p><em>List of Plates</em>. <em>Glossary</em>. <i>Foreword</i>. <i>Preface</i>. <i>Acknowledgements</i>.<b> </b>Introduction. <b>1.</b> The Images of Sacrifice <b>2.</b> Human Sacrifice from Myth to Reality: the Integration of Tantra <b>3.</b> Distinguishing Suicide and Self-Sacrifice <b>4.</b> Symbols of the Body Offering <b>5.</b> The Gods who Receive Sacrifice <b>6.</b> The Heroes who Self-Sacrifice <b>7.</b> The Historic Setting for Self-Immolation <b>8.</b> Remembrance and Memorial <b>9.</b> Motivations for Abandonment of the Body: Political and Military <b>10.</b> Motivations for Abandonment of the Body: Health and Society <b>11.</b> Chinnamastā: Divine Reciprocity. Conclusion. <i>Appendix</i>. <i>Bibliography</i>. <i>About the Author</i>. <i>Index</i></p>