| Kali
Hindu
The black-skinned goddess of strong passions, be they homicidal, violent, erotic, or motherly. Kali springs from the forehead of the goddess Durga when the latter is angry. Mortals see her most often when she appears at battles or upon the burning grounds. They report her as an emaciated figure, whose tongue hangs out between her large fangs. She wears a necklace of of skulls and rotting heads. Her images often depict her trampling her husband, Shiva. One must be cautious about invoking her, even though she is a terrifyingly efficient fighter on behalf of good, because she threatens to destroy all of creation when she becomes drunk with battle lust. Despite these monstrous aspects, Kali is beloved of the powerless in Indian society, especially members of the lower castes who see her as their Divine Mother who loves them and protects them from evil. Feminists see her as the personification of female power. New Agers revere her for her unbridled sensuality. Members of the Thugee cult made a ritual out of murder and robbery in her name. They represented her with a pickax, that had been consecrated by its use to dig a victim's grave; they called this sacred implement "the tooth of Kali". The Thugs roved the high roads every autumn, setting themselves on wealthy victims who they strangled. Corrupt local officials shared in the spoils. Their reign of terror came to an end when British colonialist set out to destroy them between 1828 and 1849.
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