F INA L EXA M LECTUR E OUTLINESLec t ur e Ou tli ne : R ig Ved a I. Rig Veda a) = the oldest literary work of India b) composed around:1. c. 1700-1100 BCE2. composed in early Sanskrit language3. Sanskrit = Indo-European languagec) existed in oral form for many centuries, THEN written downd) 1028 hymns to gods, in 10 books (all praising gods somehow)e) rig (“praise”) + veda (“knowledge”)f) Vedic people: composed the Rig Vedag) but LATER, Rig Veda became:1. sacred to the Hindus2. earliest of four Vedasg) 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 todayII. Vedic godsa) Agni1. agni means: “fire” (cf. Latin ignis)• these two words are “cognate” which just means the words are related2. binatural (thing + god)• binatural in a way that we haven’t seen yet• he is a tangible thing (fire), and a god3. 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 deade. poetry (light)• assoc. with a fire of inspiration, poets of the Rig Veda call on Agni to spark themb) Soma11. deified sacred drink2. binatural (thing + god)• Soma = actual drink you can drink AND a god3. soma (drink):a. hallucinogenic drinkb. 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 todayc. 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 ite. poetry (vision)4. EFFECTS:a) associated with fear1) 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 dob) 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 forc) Indra:1. he is king of the gods2. 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 god4. 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 humans5. poet/seer (cf. Agni, Soma)• poets writing the Rig Veda compare themselves to Ingra who seems to be a poetIII. 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 unborn2. child is somehow going to kill his father3. compare to Kronos! (in greek Hesiod’s Theogony) COULD BE ON FINAL:2• 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 bornd) 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 - herof) kills father• kills his father after he is outIV. Killing of Vritra (1.32)a) Vritra = dragon/serpent (could be demon also, demonic)b) holds back all the waters in the worldc) 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 monsterV. Sarama and the Panis (10.108) a) Sarama = Indra’s dog b) Panis = demonsc) Panis live beyond the river Rasa1. Rasa = encircles heaven AND earth (gods/humans)2. demons live beyond the river which encircles heaven/earth3. 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 resistsVI. Creation M yths a) Creation (10.129)1. enigmatic2. primordial waters• waters seem to already exist - seen in Enuma Elish and Genesis3. creation somehow inititateda. “What stirred?” (10.129.1)• question asked “what stirred?” that started creation!b. “That one breathed” (10.129.2)3• we are not told who/what stirred or breathed!• ultimate question of how did everything start?!4. gods are not even born yetb) Golden Embryo (10.121)• significance of “golden embryo”: egg like metaphorical creator god, golden egg that starts/begins creation1. unknown creator god2. referred to as Hiranyagarbha• 2 Sanskrit words:a. “gold” (hirany)b. “womb/seed/embryo/egg” (garbha)3. 10.121.10a. god named as Prajapati (creator god) in the last lineb. some scholars think this is later addition that didn’t existbefore4. Golden Embryoa. 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 waters...yet creates them. and he separates the earth and sky...yet he also creates them. thesec) Purusha (10.90)• he is called “man” in our reading but he isn’t necessarily a man1. Purusha = a cosmic giant/primeval male2. dismembered by a creator god (Tiamat and Apsu’s bodies
View Full Document
Unlocking...