From: João S. Lopes Filho
Message: 11222
Date: 2001-11-18
----- Original Message -----
From: William P. Reaves <beowulf@...>
To: <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2001 3:44 AM
Subject: [tied] Rydberg on the Ribhus of the Rigveda
> The following is an excerpt from chapter 111 of Viktor Rydberg's
> Undersokingar i Germanisk Mythologi, Volume 1 ("Teutonic Mythology"
> translated by Rasmus Anderson, 1889).
>
> It regards a comparison of the Rigveda's competition of the artists the
> Ribhus and Tvastar with the Germanic tale of the competition between the
> artists The Sons of Ivaldi and Brokk and Sindri as told in the Younger
Edda.
> After studying the evidence, I am convinced that the two likely had a
common
> origin in PIE myth. To my knowledge no one else has ever pointed this out.
>
> However, please note that modern scholars such as Ursula Dronke recognize
a
> lingusitic connection between the name "Ribhus" and the ON "alfar"
(elves).
> In other chapters, Rydberg identifies the Sons of Ivaldi as elves, and
> demonstrates that a similar myth is told of them as of the Ribhus. The
final
> paragraph is a remarkable observation about the likely date of the PIE
> source myth and its division into two distinct branches that evolved
> independantly.
>
> The passage presupposes a familarity with the Germanic tale of the contest
> of the artists, if anyone is unfamilar with this tale, I will provide a
> link. Please ask.
>
> [Note Rydberg uses the word "Aryan" for Indo-European, without the racial
> connotations it would later develop. He discusses the use of this term
fully
> in Chapter 6 of the book, and he uses it in a purely scientific fashion
lest
> anyone get hung up on the use of the word.]
>
> Chapter 111:
>
> Above (see No. 54), it has already been shown that the fragments of old
> Aryan mythology, which Avesta, Zend, and Bundehesh have preserved, speak
of
> a terrible winter, which visited the world. To rescue that which is
noblest
> and best among plants, animals, and men from the coming destruction, Jima
> arranged in the lower world a separate enclosed domain, within which
> selected organisms live an uncontaminated life undisturbed by the events
of
> this world, so that they may people a more beautiful and a happier earth
in
> the regenerated world. I have shown that the same myth in all important
> details reappears in the Teutonic doctrine anent Mimir's grove and the
> ásmegir living there. In the Iranian records, we read that the great
winter
> was the work of the evil spirit, but they do not tell the details or the
> epic causes of the destruction by the cold. Of these causes we get
> information in Rigveda, the Indian sister of the Iranian mythology.
>
> Clothed with divine rank, there lives among Rigveda's gods an
extraordinary
> artist, Tvashtar (Tvashtri), often mentioned and addressed in Rigveda's
> hymns. The word means "the masterworkman," "the handi-workman" (Bergaigne,
> Relig. Ved., iii. 45; Darmesteter, Ormazd, 63, 100). He is the one who
forms
> the organisms in the maternal wombs, the one who prepares and first
> possesses as his secret the strength- and inspiration-giving soma-drink
> (Rigv., ii. 53, &c.); it is he that supports the races of men (Rigv., iii.
> 55, 19). Among the wonderful things made by his hands are mentioned a
> goblet, which the gods drink from, and which fills itself with blessings
> (Rigv., iii. 55, 20 ; x. 53, 9), and Indra's, the Hinduic Thor's,
> thunderbolt, corresponding to Thor's Mjolnir.
>
> But among mortals brothers have been reared, themselves mortals, and not
of
> divine rank, but who have educated themselves into artists, whose skill
> fills the world within astonishment. They are three in number, usually
> called the Ribhus, but also Anus and Ayus, names which possibly may have
> some original connection with the Volund names Anund and Ajo. Most clever
> and enterprising in successful artistic efforts is the youngest of the
three
> (Rigv., iv. 34). They are also soma-brewers, skalds, and heroes (Rigv.,
iv.
> 36, 5, 7), and one of them, like Volund's brother Orvandil-Egil, is an
> unsurpassed archer (Rigv., iv. 36, 6). On account of their handiwork,
these
> mortal artists come in contact with the gods (Rigv., iv. 35), and as
Volund
> and Orvandil-Egil become Thor's friends, allies, war-comrades, and
servants,
> so the Ribhns become Indra's (Rigv., i. 51, 2; vii. 37, 7); "with Indra,
the
> helpful, allied themselves the helpers; with Indra, the nimble, the
Ribhus".
> They make weapons, coats-of-mail, and means of locomotion, and make
> wonderful treasures for the gods. On earth they produce vegetation in the
> deserts, and hew out ways for the fertlising streams (Rigv., v. 42, 12;
iv.
> 33, 7). With Ivaldi's sons, they, therefore, share the qualities of being
at
> the same time creators of vegetation, and smiths at the hearth, and
> bestowers of precious treasures to the gods.
>
> But some evil tongue persuaded the gods that the Ribhus had said
something
> derogatory of the goblet made by Tvashtar. This made Tvashtar angry, and
he
> demanded their death. The gods then sent the fire-god Agni to the Ribhus.
> The Ribhus asked: "Why has the most excellent, the most youthful one come
to
> us? On what errand does he come?" Agni told them that it was reported that
> they had found fault with Tvashtar's goblet; they declared that they had
not
> said anything derogatory, but only talked about the material of which it
was
> made. Agni meanwhile stated the resolution of the gods, to the effect that
> they were to make from Tvashtar's goblet four others of the same kind. If
> they were unable to do this, then the gods would doubtless satisfy
> Tvashtar's request and take their lives; but if they were able to make the
> goblets, then they should share with the gods the right to receive
> offerings. Moreover, they were to give the following proof of mastership.
> They were to smithy a living horse, a living chariot, a living cow, and
they
> were to create a means of rejuvenation and demonstrate its efficacy on two
> aged and enfeebled beings. The Ribhus informed the gods that they would do
> what was demanded of them. So they made the wonderful chariot or the
> chariot-ship, which they gave to the Asvinians - the beautiful twin-gods -
> on which they ride through the air and on the sea (cp. Skidbladnir, Frey's
> ship, and Hringhorni, Baldur's, and probably also Hodur's means of
> locomotion through the air and on the sea). Of one horse they made two,
and
> presented them to Indra. Out of an empty cow's hide they smithied a cow
(cp.
> Sindri's work of art when he made the boar Slidrugtanni out of an empty
> pig's skin). They made the remedy of rejuvenation, and tested it
> successfully on their aged parents. Finally, they do the great master-work
> of producing four goblets of equal excellence from Tvashtar's. Thereupon
> they appear before the gods who, "with insight," test their works.
Tvashtar
> himself could not help being astounded when he saw the goblets. But the
> result of the test by the gods, and the judgment passed on the art-works
of
> the Ribhus, were fraught with danger for the future. Both Tvashtar and the
> Ribhus became dissatisfied. Tvashtar abandoned the gods and betook himself
> to the mountains with the dises of vegetation, in whose company he is
often
> mentioned. The Ribhus refused to accept from the gods the proffered share
in
> morning and noon sacrifices, and went away cursing their adversaries. They
> proceeded on long journeys, and the gods knew not where to find them
(Rigv.,
> i. 161, 1-13; iv. 33, 1-11, &c.).
>
> The result of this trouble between the primeval artists themselves, and
> between them and the gods, becomes clear from the significance which
> Tvashtar, he who nourishes the world, and the Ribhus, they who deck the
> deserts with vegetation, and irrigate the valleys, have as symbols of
> nature. The beneficent powers of nature, who hitherto had operated in the
> service of the gods, abandon their work, and over the world are spread
that
> winter of which the Iranian mythology speaks, that darkness, and that
reign
> of giant-monsters which, according to Rigveda, once prevailed, and during
> which time Indra, at the head of the gods, fought valiantly to restore
order
> and to bring back the sun.
>
> Here we find remarkable points of contact, or rather contact surfaces,
> between the Asiatic-Aryan groups of myths and the Teutonic. The question
is
> not as to similarity in special details. That kind of similarities may be
> pointed out in nearly all mythic groups in the world, and, as a rule,
> altogether too bold hypotheses are built on the feeble foundations they
> offer. The question here is in regard to identity in great, central,
> connected collections of myths. Such are: The myths concerning an original
> harmony between a divine clan on the one hand, and artists subordinate to,
> and in the service of, the divine clan on the other band. Artists who
> produce fertility, ornaments, and weapons for the gods, know how to brew
the
> strength- and inspiration-giving mead, and are closely connected with
dises
> of vegetation, who, as we shall show, appear as swan-maids, not only in
the
> Teutonic mythology but also in the Hinduic; the myths telling how this
> harmony was frustrated by a judgment in a competition, the contending
> parties being on the one hand he who in the Hinduic mythology made Indra's
> thunderbolt, and in the Teutonic Thor's thundering Mjolnir; and on the
other
> hand three brothers, of whom one is an excellent archer; the myths
> concerning the consequences of the judgment, the destruction of nature by
> frost-powers and giant-monsters; the myths (in the Iranian and Teutonic
> records of antiquity) concerning the subterranean paradise, in which a
> selection of the best beings of creation are protected against
annihilation,
> and continue to live uncorrupted through centuries; the myths (in the
> Iranian and Teutonic records of antiquity) of the destiny of these beings,
> connected with the myths likewise common to the Iranian and Teutonic
> mythologies concerning the destruction and regeneration of the world.
Common
> to the Hinduic and Teutonic mythology is also the idea that a cunning,
> spying being, in Rigveda Dadhyak (Dadhyank), in the Icelandic sources
Loki,
> has lost his head to an artist who smithied the bolt for Indra and the
> hammer for Thor, but saves his wager through cunning.
>
> An important observation should here be pointed out. A comparison between
> different passages in Rigveda shows, that of all the remarkable works of
art
> which were exhibited to the gods for their examination, there was
originally
> not one of metal. Tvashtar's goblet was not made of gold, but of fire and
> water and a third element. Indra's thunderbolt was made of the bones of
the
> head of Dadhyak's horse, and it is in a later tradition that it becomes
> bronze. Common to the Aryan-Asiatic and the Teutonic mythology is the
> ability of the primeval artists to make animals from empty skins of
beasts,
> and of making from one work of art several similar ones (the goblet of the
> Ribhus, Sindri's Draupnir). In the Teutonic mythology, Thor's hammer was
not
> originally of metal, but of stone, and the other works produced by Sindri
> and Ivaldi's sons may in the course of centuries have undergone similar
> changes. It should also be noted that not a trace is to be found in the
> Asiatic groups of myths of a single one to be compared with that
concerning
> Svipdag and the sword of victory. In the Teutonic heroic saga, Geirvandil,
> the spear-hero, is the father of Orvandil, the archer, and of him is born
> Svipdag, the sword-hero (cp. No. 123). The myth concerning the sword of
> victory seems to be purely Teutonic, and to have sprung into existence
> during one of the bronze or iron ages, while the myths concerning the
> judgment passed on the primeval artists, and concerning the fimbul-winter
> following, must hail from a time when metals were not yet used by the
> Aryans. In the other event it would be most incredible to suppose that the
> judgment should concern works of art, of which not a single one originally
> suggested a product of metal.
>
>
>
>
>
>
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