Page:The Religion of the Veda.djvu/115

 LECTURE THE H D. The Prehistoric Gods. Two prehistoric periods bearing upon Hindu religion- Scepticism about Comparative Mythology-Difficulties in the way of Comparative Mythology-Comparative Mythology and Ethnology-The myth of Cerberus- The Indo-European period-Prehistoric words for god-Father Sky and Mother Earth-The Thunderer -The Vedic Açvins, or "Horsemen," the two Sons of Heaven The Dioscuri in Greck mythology-The Lettish myth of the two "Sons of God"---Common kernel of the myth of the two "Sons of Heaven"- The Aryan, or Indo-Iranian period-Important re- ligious ideas common to the two peoples-The dual gods Varuna and Mitra-Ahura Mazda and Varuna- The conception of rta, or "cosmic order"-The Adityas -Aditi, the mother of the Adityas-Mitra, a sun god -The sun, the moon, and the planets-The Adityas and Amesha Spents-Early ethical concepts among the Indo-Europeans-Varuna and Greek Ouranos (Uranus) -The origin of man-Sundry parents of man-"Father Manu" Yama and Yami, the "Twins"-Interlacing of the myths of the first man-The human character of Manu and Yama-Yama, the god of the dead-Soma, the sacrificial drink of the gods-The myth of Soma and the Heavenly Eagle-Value of the preceding reconstructions. 99