Page:The Mythology of the Aryan Nations.djvu/189

Rh thus afforded by mythical phrases which described the various chap. changes of the heaven, sprung the metaphysical refinements of later - Hindu philosophers, and the wild and cumbrous developements of later Hindu mythology. The true greatness ofVaruna belongs to the earliest phase of Hindu thought. He is eclipsed first by Indra, and at length is overthrown by Krishna beneath the waters of the ocean. ^ If Dyaus and Varuna were alike doomed to lose their ancient The pri- majesty, a brighter lot was in store for Indra; and the picture which the oldest Vedic hymns present to us of this god has a special value as enabling us to determine the measure in which religion and mytho- physical. logy affected each other. That a moral or spiritual element may be discerned in some of the characteristics of this deity, is beyond question: that the whole idea of the god can be traced to the religious instinct of mankind, the boldest champions of the theory which ascribes the growth of all mythology to the direct action of religious impulse or revelation will scarcely venture to affirm. The true religious instinct must point to the absolute rule of one righteous God, and cannot itself originate the idea of many independent centres of action. If this instinct furnished the true germ of all mythology, then the mythology of the Iliad and Odyssey is far older than that of the Veda ; in other words, the crystallised granite is older than the ingredients of which it is composed. In our Homeric poems, in the midst of abundant signs indicating the later growth of the notion, we have an acknowledged King of heaven, from whom all the Olympian gods derive their power, or whose will they are at least bound to perform, and who alone retains unimpaired his full characteristics as lord of the bright heaven. Although Phoibos

Zendavesta, though the position of the six with Ormuzd himself make up two has otherwise become altered, and the mystic number of seven spirits of Mithra, who is not even reckoned holiness and purity. It has been well among the Amshaspands, is placed said that we have here "a striking between the two powers of good and instance of the intense monotheism of evil. " Zwischen Ormuzd (Licht) und the system of Zaralhustra, for they are Ariman (Finsterniss) steht Mithras not distinct divinities in origin, but, mitten inne, heisst darum Mittler, as their names show, merely phases of fiiffiTris, Plut. de Is." — Nork, J^eal the beneficent action and perfect cha- Worterbiuh, s. v. Mithrascult. The racter of the Supreme." ^Ir. Brown, Amshaspands, or Immortal Benefactors, Religion of Zoroaster, § 14, adds that a are the six spirits created by Ahura- like number of counsellors were in later Mazdao, the spirit known as the Good times invented for the evil Ahriman. Mind (Vohumano, Bahman) ; the spirit But these beings belong only to the of Truth ; of Good Government ; of domain of artificial mythology. Wisdom ; of Wealth ; of Health ; of ' Muir, Sanskrit Texts, part iv. ch. Immortal Happiness, Ameretad. These ii. sect. 5.