1 FINAL EXAM LECTURE OUTLINES Lecture Outline: Rig Veda I. Rig Veda a) = the oldest literary work of India b) composed around: 1. c. 1700-1100 BCE 2. composed in early Sanskrit language 3. Sanskrit = Indo-European language c) existed in oral form for many centuries, THEN written down d) 1028 hymns to gods, in 10 books (all praising gods somehow) e) rig (“praise”) + veda (“knowledge”) f) Vedic people: composed the Rig Veda g) but LATER, Rig Veda became: 1. sacred to the Hindus 2. earliest of four Vedas g) cf. Israelite scriptures = sacred to Jews and Christians • all poems, all poetry. several poems that tell different bits of the same myths, so we combine pieces together to achieve the full effect and info • we are handling the Rig Veda in concurrence with the originating culture: Veda Culture (NOT with HInduism) - just like we handled the Bible as Israelite culture (NOT Jews or Christian) • Rig Veda is still a sacred text to people today II. Vedic gods a) Agni 1. agni means: “fire” (cf. Latin ignis) • these two words are “cognate” which just means the words are related 2. binatural (thing + god) • binatural in a way that we haven’t seen yet • he is a tangible thing (fire), and a god 3. Agni is different types of fire: (heat, light) a. natural fire, lightning, sun b. domestic = hearth • the fire that you keep/burn in your home, “hearth” c. ritual = sacrifice (cf. 1.1) • Agni can be described as god of sacrifice since he is fire which is related to sacrifice • serves as a hymn to Agni himself d. funereal = cremation • assoc. with funereal purposes because: need fire to cremate the dead e. poetry (light) • assoc. with a fire of inspiration, poets of the Rig Veda call on Agni to spark them b) Soma2 1. deified sacred drink 2. binatural (thing + god) • Soma = actual drink you can drink AND a god 3. soma (drink): a. hallucinogenic drink b. made from an unknown plant (mts.) • only thing we know is it seems to grow in the mountains, don’t know what the plant is or if the plant still exists today c. drank by gods and priests - special drink! d. assoc. with vitality and immortality (gods) • seems that priests don’t neccessarily become gods but partake in momentary god like rituals or momentarily connected with the gods when they drink it e. poetry (vision) 4. EFFECTS: a) associated with fear 1) 8.79.7: “Be kind and merciful to us.” 2) 8.79.8: “Do not enrage us; do not terrify us.” • soma is a frightening drink because it makes you do things you might not normally do b) associated with exultation: 10.119.12: “I am huge, huge! Flying to the cloud.” • we suspect that this could be a god talking, that he is transformed - possibly Ingra - could be that when gods consume soma it can make you even more powerful/magical than you already for c) Indra: 1. he is king of the gods 2. god of thunder AND war • another storm god associated as king of the gods! 3. rain, fertility • connected to rain and fertility since he is the god of thunder/storm god 4. avid drinker of soma • drinks it often, thats why we suspect it was him speaking the above quote • likes to drink it and then beat up on monsters or humans 5. poet/seer (cf. Agni, Soma) • poets writing the Rig Veda compare themselves to Ingra who seems to be a poet III. Birth/Childhood of Indra (4.18) a) dialogue (Indra and mother) b) mother = Aditi?; father = Tvashtr? c) common motif in Indo-European mythology: 1. child that is somehow kept unborn 2. child is somehow going to kill his father 3. compare to Kronos! (in greek Hesiod’s Theogony) COULD BE ON FINAL:3 • similar to Kronos because Kronos overthrows his father Ouranos - Kronos was also kept unborn because Ouranos will not let Gaia give birth to her children, Kronos castrated and overthrew his father; difference is Indra’s mother won’t let Indra be born d) Indra kept in womb (cf. Gaia) • mother keeps him in there - perhaps because she’s trying to protect him from father? e) bursts out mother’s side • Indra doesn’t want to be stuck in there so he bursts out! shows that he’s special - hero f) kills father • kills his father after he is out IV. Killing of Vritra (1.32) a) Vritra = dragon/serpent (could be demon also, demonic) b) holds back all the waters in the world c) Indra uses his thunderbolts to kill Vritra! d) when Indra kills Vritra: all the rivers in the world are created! COULD BE ON FINAL: • compare to Tiamat. when Tiamat is killed by Marduk...Tigris and Euphrates rivers are made from her! another example of storm god defeating a dragon like monster V. Sarama and the Panis (10.108) a) Sarama = Indra’s dog b) Panis = demons c) Panis live beyond the river Rasa 1. Rasa = encircles heaven AND earth (gods/humans) 2. demons live beyond the river which encircles heaven/earth 3. cf. Okeanos • Okeanos circles the earth too! (not heaven though) d) the Panis stole cattle of the Angirases (family of sages/priests) • Sarama is trying to get the cattle back e) Sarama tracks down cattle f) resists bribes of Panis • Panis demons try to bribe Sarama into betraying her master Indra but she resists VI. Creation Myths a) Creation (10.129) 1. enigmatic 2. primordial waters • waters seem to already exist - seen in Enuma Elish and Genesis 3. creation somehow inititated a. “What stirred?” (10.129.1) • question asked “what stirred?” that started creation! b. “That one breathed” (10.129.2)4 • we are not told who/what stirred or breathed! • ultimate question of how did everything start?! 4. gods are not even born yet b) Golden Embryo (10.121) • significance of “golden embryo”: egg like metaphorical creator god, golden egg that starts/begins creation 1. unknown creator god 2. referred to as Hiranyagarbha • 2 Sanskrit words: a. “gold” (hirany) b. “womb/seed/embryo/egg” (garbha) 3. 10.121.10 a. god named as Prajapati (creator god) in the last line b. some scholars think this is later addition that didn’t exist before 4. Golden Embryo a. arises FROM the primordial waters (7) b. yet he creates waters (9) c. separates earth, sky (1, 5) d. creates earth, sky (9) • we see all these contradictions! he arises from the
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