[Hindu] Karttikeya, or Skanda as he is also known, is the Hindu god of war. He is the leader of the divine armies. He also seems to be the god of male virility. He is usually depicted as a youthful man full of vigor who has six heads. Sometimes he has twelve arms and twelve legs. He rides a peacock into battle, carrying a bow and arrows. There are several strange stories told regarding Karttikeya's birth. He is the son of either Agni or Shiva, or even a combination of the two. In Vedic times, he was the son of Agni and the river Ganges, but he was conceived in an odd way. Apparently, the goddess of the river Ganges, Ganga, and Agni's wife Svaha conspired together for Ganga to produce a child. Svaha went to her husband over the course of six nights, in six different disguises. She retained his seed, and brought it to Ganga, maker her pregnant. Karttikeya was born from her waters. In another, later story, Karttikeya is the son of Shiva and Parvati. It seemed that the two were consta...
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