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 2. CHARACTERISTICS OF VEDIC MYTHOLOGY. 3. SOURCES OF V. M. 3 pre-Vedic period, the severance may have become complete. Such is the case with Varuņa, in whom the connexion can only be inferred from mytho- logical traits surviving from an earlier age. The process of abstraction has here proceeded so far, that Varuna's character resembles that of the divine ruler in a monotheistic belief of an exalted type. Personification has, how- ever, nowhere in Vedic mythology attained to the individualized anthropo- morphism characteristic of the Hellenic gods. The Vedic deities have but very few distinguishing features, while many attributes and powers are shared by all alike. This is partly due to the fact that the departments of nature which they represent have often much in common, while their anthropomor- phism is comparatively undeveloped. Thus the activity of a thunder-god, of the fire-god in his lightning form, and of the storm-gods might easily be de- scribed in similar language, their main function in the eyes of the Vedic poets being the discharge of rain. Again, it cannot be doubted that various Vedic deities have started from the same source ³, but have become differentiated by an appellative denoting a particular attribute having gradually assumed an independent character. Such is the case with the solar gods. There is, more- over, often a want of clearness in the statements of the Vedic poets about the deeds of the gods; for owing to the character of the literature, myths are not related but only alluded to. Nor can thorough consistency be ex- pected in such mythological allusions when it is remembered that they are made by a number of different poets, whose productions extend over a pro- longed literary period. I BRI. XIII ff.; P. v. BRADKE, Dyaus Asura, Halle 1885, 2-11; ZDMG. 40, 670. 2 ORV. 591-4. - 3 L. v. SCHROEDER, WZKM. 9, 125-6; cp. BRI. 25. Works on Vedic Mythology in general: R. ROTH, Die höchsten Götter der arischen Völker, ZDMG. 6, 67-77; 7, 607; BÖHTLINGK and ROTH, Sanskritwörter- buch, 7 vols., St. Petersburg 1852-75; J. MUIR, Original Sanskrit Texts on the Origin and History of the People of India, their Religion and Institutions, 5 vols., especially vols. 42 revised (1873) and 53 (1884); GRASSMANN, Wörterbuch zum Rig- Veda, Leipzig 1873; Rig-Veda übersetzt und mit kritischen und erläuternden An- merkungen versehen, 2 vols., Leipzig 1876-7; W. D. WHITNEY, Oriental and Linguistic Studies, 2, 149 ff.; JAOS. 3, 291 ff. 331 ff.; P. WURM, Geschichte der indischen Religion, Basel 1874, pp. 21-54; A. BERGAIGNE, La Religion Védique d'après les Hymnes du Rigveda, 3 vols., Paris 1878-83; A. LUDWIG, Der Rigveda oder die heiligen Hymnen der Brahmaṇa. Zum ersten Male vollständig ins Deutsche übersetzt. Mit Commentar und Einleitung. Prag, Wien, Leipzig 1876-88; F. MAX MÜLLER, Lectures on the Origin and Growth of Religion, London 1878; A. KAEGI, Der Rigveda, 2nd ed., Leipzig 1881; English Translation by R. ARROWSMITH, Boston 1886; A. BARTH, The Religions of India, London 1882; A. KUHN, Mythologische Studien. I2: Die Herabkunft des Feuers und des Göttertranks, Gütersloh 1886; L. v. SCHRÖDER, Indiens Litteratur und Kultur, Leipzig 1887, pp. 45-145; P. D. CHANTEPIE DE LA SAUSSAYE, Lehrbuch der Re- ligionsgeschichte, Freiburg i. B., 1887, 1, pp. 346-69; PISCHEL and GELDNER, Vedische Studien. vol. I, Stuttgart 1889, vol. II, part I 1892; A. HILLEBRANDT, Vedische Mythologie, vol. I, Soma und verwandte Götter, Breslau 1891; P. REGNAUD, Le Rig-Véda et les Origines de la Mythologie indo-européenne, Paris 1892 (the author follows principles of interpretation altogether opposed to those generally accepted). E. HARDY, Die Vedisch-brahmanische Periode der Religion des alten Indiens, Münster i. W. 1893; H. OLDENBERG, Die Religion des Veda, Berlin 1894; P. DEUSSEN, Allgemeine Geschichte der Philosophie mit besonderer Berück- sichtigung der Religionen, vol. I, part 1, Philosophie des Veda bis auf die Upanishad's, Leipzig 1894; E. W. HOPKINS, The Religions of India, Boston and London 1895. - S 3. Sources of Vedic Mythology. By far the most important source of Vedic Mythology is the oldest literary monument of India, the Rigveda. Its mythology deals with a number of coördinate nature gods of varying importance. This polytheism under the influence of an increasing 1* -