Page:History of India Vol 1.djvu/54

26 curious passage the seer laments his ignorance of the mysteries of religious rites by saying: "I know not the warp and I know not the woof" of religious rites; and elsewhere the weaving and bleaching of sheep's wool are attributed to the god Pushan, who, as we have already seen, is the god of shepherds.

Every Aryan village had probably its barber then as now, and the clearance of forests by fire is in one passage described as the shaving of the earth. Carpentry was also well known, and we have frequent allusions to the construction of carts and chariots. The use of iron, of gold, and of other metals was well known, and the Rig-Veda contains references to the work of the blacksmith and the goldsmith.

But we get a better idea of working in metals in Vedic times from the descriptions of various gold ornaments and iron utensils and implements of war which are to be found throughout the Rig- Veda. The allusions are numerous, and we select only a few as illustrations. We are told of armour used in war and of golden helmets, while mention is also made of armour for the shoulders or arms, probably a shield. The lightning is compared not only to a javelin, but also to a sword or battle-axe, and to bows and arrows and quivers. Three thousand mailed warriors are mentioned; feathered, sharp-pointed, shining shafts are described; and sharp-edged swords are noted, as well as war-chariots and kettle-drums. And lastly, we have a spirited account of the arms and accoutrements of war, which we shall translate for our readers further on.