Gleanings in World Mythology

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This book is a collection of eighteen papers on the mythologies of various peoples, from all over the world-Indian (vedic and epic-puranic), Mesopotamian, Avestan, Greek, and Norse, published by the author, over a period spanning about 35 years (1987-2022); there are a few more in the pipeline. As some of the journals and edited works, in which they have appeared, are not often easily available to students and the general readers, they are being published, in the form of an anthology.

The anthology begins with Rudra, the guardian of the Uncreate; moves on to ancient Indian cosmogony, deals with the devâsura conflict in vedic tradition: attempts a comparison between vedic Asura-Varuna and Avestan Ahura Mazda: traces the vicissitudes in the fortunes of the Indian sky gods; and makes certain observations on the status of goddesses in vedic, Avestan, and Greek pantheons.

The theft of fire is studied next. Initially certain deities, like Agni and Rudra-Siva in India, and Hermes in the Greek world, were not accorded a position in the orthodox pantheon. The next four papers discuss the manner, in which they attained prominent position in the pantheon. An attempt has been made to provide an interpretation of the symbolism of the Vishnu Dasavatára.

The author has tried to explore the role of hunger and greed in the 'fall' of man. A psychoanalytical approach to mythology has been attempted in the context of the Oedipus complex and Hamlet syndrome, and a legal approach in the context of the crime of rape in the ancient world. There are also two papers on Buddhist mythology-one dealing with the seven connatal ones of the Buddha, and the other with Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara and his transformation into the female deity, Kuan-yin, in China.

A Select Bibliography and over forty illustrations, add to the merit of the work.

Dr Prashant Srivastava (BA Honours, MA, PhD, DLitt) is Professor, and Former Head, Department of Ancient Indian History and Archaeology. University of Lucknow, Lucknow. He has been awarded four gold medals (BA Honours, one; MA, two; DLitt, one). He is the author of 16 books, including Joint Coin types of Ancient India (Varanasi, 1990); Aspects of Ancient Indian Numismatics (Delhi, 1996; Delhi, 2022); Coins of Ancient India (Lucknow, 1997, jointly with Professor K K Thaplyal); Art Motifs on Ancient Indian Coins (New Delhi, 2004): The Apracharajas (Delhi, 2007); Gleanings in Ancient Indian Numismatics (Delhi, 2014); The Successors of the Mauryas (Delhi, 2017); and Religious Systems in Ancient India (Delhi, 2020). He is one of the editors of History and Heritage Essays in Honour of Professor KK Thaplyal (3 volumes, Delhi, 2007); A Bouquet of Indian Heritage: Research and Management (2 volumes, Delhi, 2015); and Indian Culture and Art: Continuity and Change (2 volumes, Delhi, 2015). He served as an assistant editor of Aitikya, a research journal of Ancient History and Culture (Delhi). He has also contributed over 80 research papers in reputed journals, and about two dozen popular articles on ancient Indian history in magazines and newspapers. In 2006, he was awarded a major research project by the University Grants Commission, New Delhi, for a period of three years, and his Encyclopaedia of Indian Coins (Ancient Coins of Northern India, up to circa 650 AD) (2 volumes, Delhi, 2012), has evolved out of the same project report, submitted to the University Grants Commission.

My interest in mythology was kindled by my grandmothers, both ladies of almost no formal education: The paternal one was a storehouse of anecdotes about those mythical heroes of the time, the brave freedom-fighters of India (my Grandfather being one of them); the maternal one knew the whole of Tulasidasa's Rama-charita-manasa by heart.

There also lived with us, an ancient, widowed aunt of my Father, who had a Master's in English-a rare feat for an Indian lady in those days. It was she, who fostered my love for mythology. She introduced me to Varuna and Verethraghna, to Enlil and Ninlil, to Isis and Osiris, to Ares and Thor. After listening to her tales, I would go to sleep, thinking of Dyaus the pita and janitä, Ahura Mazda the All Creator, Odin the All Father. I would dream of the lovely Venus, who, I was told, was known to the ancient Greeks as Aphrodite. I would admire Indra and Apollo, Enki and Balder, even the wily but handsome Loki charmed me, despite his constant scheming against my hero, Thor.

How I would long for the vajra of Indra, the aegis of Athena, the cornucopiae of Demeter, and the caduceus of Hermes? How I would burn with the desire to accompany Gilgamesh, in his quest for immortality, though I shuddered at the mere thought of being cast in the role of the gross, hairy, uncouth Enkidu? I thought of the Gorgons as hideous creatures, till Grandaunt told me that ancient Greeks often named their daughters Gorgona, and why would anyone name one's daughter after hideous creatures? I hated Seth, for what he did to Osiris, and admired Isis, for her Sävitri-like conduct. Ba'al always repulsed me, although I was assured, time and again, that human sacrifice was quite common among the ancients. Sometimes, I would wake up from nightmares of Ragnarok, all drenched in cold sweat. My constant fear was the crossing of the chinvar bridge, or not having a coin to pay Charon, for ferrying me across the Styx.

The writings of Stella Kramrisch, Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty, and Danielle Feller, have also left a profound impact on my mind: In the field of mythology, I regard them as 'the crone of the [u]nderworld', 'the maiden of the upper air', and 'the nymph of the earth or sea', respectively the triple-goddesses of Robert Graves. Reading them is a pleasure.

**Contents and Sample Pages**