Rigvedic and Homeric hymns

as a part of the Indo-European

heritage
 Who are the Indo-Europeans?
these societies speak related languages derived from a
common ancestral tongue, and occupy most of the
territory from the western isles of Europe to the
northern half of the Indian subcontinent
it’s a huge and incredibly diverse group that derives
from the speech of one ancient and forgotten people
The Kurgan Hypothesis
the most popular current theory is the ‘Pontic steppe’
or ‘Kurgan’ hypothesis, whose main proponent was an
archaeologist Maria Gimbutas
 early Indo-Europeans are identified with warrior
pastoralists who built kurgan (i.e. burial mounds) in the
steppes to the north of the Black and Caspian Sea in
what is now southern Russia and the Ukraine
The Kurgan Hypothesis
commencing about 6000 years ago (4000 B.C.), and
coinciding with the taming of the horse, these Copper
Age people expanded from their homeland in a
number of waves, overwhelming the Neolithic farmers
of Europe and conquering Central Asia and India
The Kurgan Hypothesis
the Kurgan people took their language with them,
giving rise to a secondary homeland of the Celtic,
Italic, Germanic, Balto-Slavic, Greek and other
European branches, while conquests in the south and
east produced the various Indo-European languages of
India, Persia and Asia Minor
by the time of year 3000 B.C., most pre-existing
languages were erased and various independent Indo-
European language groups and cultures had started to
develop
Discovering the connection
In the year 1786 Sir William Jones discovered that
Sanskrit possesses striking similarities to Greek, Latin,
and Celtic
he theorized that they all sprang from a common source
- an even more ancient language that had since become
extinct
 the comparison of Sanskrit with the two classical
languages (Greek and Latin) revolutionized the
perception of linguistic relationships
- Franz Bopp was the first to establish comparison
on a systematic basis - Comparative Method
Indo-European poetics
the study of the Indo-European poetics has so far
proceeded in three distinctive streams:
(1) formulaics
(2) metrics
(3) stylistics
Indo-European poetics - formulaics
formulaics examines and compares lexically and
semantically cognate or closely similar phrases in
cognate languages, like Homeric Greek ὠκέες Ἳπποι
and Vedic áśvās... āśávaḥ - „swift horses”
Indo-European poetics - metrics
metrics examines and compares similar versification
systems, like the vers line grouped into strophes in
both Vedic and Greek poetry
Indo-European poetics - stylistics
stylistics examines and compares all the other
linguistic devices, figures and other phonological,
morphological and syntactic variables
Formulaics
the formula is a vehicle for the central theme of a
proto-text, a central part of the symbolic culture of
the speakers of Proto-Indo-European language
Formulaics
Rigvedic ákṣiti śrávaḥ, śrávaḥ ákṣitam and Homeric
κλέος ἄφθιτον both meaning „imperishable fame”
the two phrases, Vedic and Greek, were equated by
Adalbert Kuhn in year 1853
Kuhn equated two bipartite noun phrases of noun plus
adjective, which hold the same meaning
Formulaics
the comparability extended beyond the simple words
to their suffixal constituents:
śrav - as akṣi – ta - m

κλεϝ - εσ ἀφθι – το - ν

 what Kuhn had done was to equate two set or fixed

phrases between two languages, which later theory
would term as formulas
Metrics
metrical system is based on the phonological and
prosodic foundation
Metrics
in the system of the proto-language ancestral to Greek
and Indo-Iranian the rhythm was quantitative, based
on the alternation of long or heavy („strong time”)
and short or light („weak time”) syllables
long syllables contain a long vocalic nucleus (long
vowel/diphtong) or a short vowel followed by at least
two consonants
short syllables contain a short vowel followed by no
more than one consonant
Metrics
the basic rhythmic alternation consisted of strong
times (–) separated by weak times (∪)
the verse line tended to be isosyllabic - with a fixed
syllable count
the arrangement of lines was stichic (line-by-line),
typically grouped into three-or-four-line strophes
which could themselves be grouped in units of three
(Vedic tṛcas and the strophe-antistrophe-epode
composition of Greek choral lyric’s)
Stylistics
stylistics refers to all the other formal features of
language, all the linguistic devices which in Jakobson’s
phrase are „what makes a verbal message a work of art”
Stylistics
ἐν δορὶ μέν μοι μᾶζα μεμαγμένη· ἐν δορὶ δʹ οἶνος
Ἰσμαρικός· πίνω δʹ ἐν δορὶ κεκλιμένος

In my spear is my kneaded bread; in my spear

Ismarian wine; I drink leaning on my spear

(Archilochus)
Stylistics

the triple figure of anaphora of the weapon is surely

recognizable and responding to the same figure of
anaphora, this time five-fold, of another weapon in
Rigveda 6.75.2:
Stylistics
dhánvanā gā́ dhánvanājíṃ jayema
dhánvanā tīvrā́ḥ samádo jayema
dhánuḥ śátror apakāmáṃ kṛṇoti
dhánvanā sárvāḥ pradíśo jayema

With the bow may we win cattle, with the bow

the fight;
with the bow may we win fierce battles.
The bow takes away the enemy’s zeal;
with the bow may we win all the regions.
Stylistics
 it can be noticed that the Vedic anaphora is more
complex, encompassing the repeated verb jayema, and
that the Vedic anaphora includes a figure of polyptoton
or variation in case (instrumental – nominative)
Conclusion on IE poetics
 Greeks and Indo-Aryans received from the Indo-
European period a literary tradition which not always
found use of writing, but there was an oral tradition of
Indo-European poetry, as will be shown by the
comparable identity of the two languages
The Hymns
the hymns originated as a celebration of both gods and men
gods had to be addressed and hymned in worthy style, and it
was natural for the professional exponent of the verbal arts
to compose the words
however, it was not the gods who gave him his daily bread
and his gifts of horses and cowes  it was the mortal king or
a nobleman at whose court the poet performed, and he too
required the poet’s praise
the hymn to the god(s) was typically of an invocatory nature
 the poet invited him or them to come and participate in
ceremony, and prayed for blessings
The Hymns
the ocassion for the performance was a public
ceremony, in most cases involving a sacrifice or other
offering
Praise of god’s status and powers

the god’s name in the hymns is often accompanied by

honorific epithets in apposition giving a characteristic
structure:
Praise of god’s status and powers
śaṃsā mahāmindraṃ yasmin viśvā ā kṛṣṭayaḥ
somapāḥ kāmamavyan | 
yaṃ sukratuṃ dhiṣaṇe vibhvataṣṭaṃ ghanaṃ
vṛtrāṇāṃ janayanta devāḥ || 
yaṃ nu nakiḥ pṛtanāsu svarājaṃ dvitā tarati nṛtamaṃ
hariṣṭhām | 
inatamaḥ satvabhiryo ha śūṣaiḥ pṛthujrayā
aminādāyurdasyoḥ ||
Praise of god’s status and powers
Praise great Indra, at whom all
Soma-drinking tribes direct their desire,
whom, intelligent, master-crafted, the two worlds,
the gods bore, hammer of foes;
whom...;
who, most mighty with his brave champions...

RV ( 3.49.1-2)
Praise of god’s status and powers
αἰδοίην, χρυσοστέφανον, καλὴν Ἀφροδίτην
ᾁσομαι, ἣ πάσης Κύπρου κρήδεμνα λέλογχεν

Of the reverend, gold-crowned, lovely Aphrodite

I will sing, who has been assigned the citadels of all
Cyprus

(HH to Aphrodite, 6.1-2)

Rig Veda Mandala 1 Hymn 35 - Savitar
RigVedaMandala1Hymn35-Savitar
Rig Veda Mandala 1 Hymn 35 - Savitar
RigVedaMandala1Hymn35-Savitar
Homeric Hymn to Helios, XXXI
Homeric Hymn to Helios, XXXI
And now, O Muse Calliope, daughter of Zeus, begin to sing of glowing Helios
whom mild-eyed Euryphaessa, the far-shining one, bare to the Son of Earth and
starry Heaven. For Hyperion wedded glorious Euryphaessa,
his own sister, who bare him lovely children, rosy-armed Eos and rich-tressed
Selene and tireless Helios who is like the deathless gods. As he rides in his chariot,
he shines upon men and deathless gods, and piercingly he gazes with his eyes
from his golden helmet. Bright rays beam dazzlingly from him, and his bright
locks streaming from the temples of his head gracefully enclose his far-seen face: a
rich, fine-spun garment glows upon his body and flutters in the wind: and
stallions carry him.
Then, when he has stayed on his golden-yoked chariot and horses, he rests there
upon the highest point of heaven, until he marvelously drives them down again
through heaven to Ocean.
Hail to you, lord! Freely bestow on me substance that cheers the heart. And now
that I have begun with you, I will celebrate the race of mortal men half-divine
whose deeds the Muses have showed to mankind.
 Invocation
Rigvedic hymn to Savitar starts with an invocation of the gods –
Agni, Mitra, Varuṇa and Savitar, with the words:
- hvayāmy agnim...hvayāmi mitrāvaruṇāv...hvayāmi
savitāram
= Agni I invoke...I call on Mitra nad Varuna...
I call on Savitar
(RV, 35.1)

 the gods are being called upon a sacrifice, the poet is

praising and inviting them
 Invocation
 Homeric hymn to Helios also starts with an invocation, but
not of the gods – it is an invocation of the Muse of epic
poetry – Kalliope:
- Ἥλιον ὑμνεῖν αὖτε Διὸς τέκος ἄρχεο Μοῦσα,
Καλλιόπη...
= O, Muse Calliope, daughter of Zeus,
begin to sing of glowing Helios...
(HH, 31.1-2)

 in Greek tradition this kind of invocation is not a

part of sacrificial ritual, but rather a part of some other
ceremony
 Matching phrases
ratham hiraṇyapraügam χρυσόζυγον ἅρμα
āsthād ratham στήσας ἅρμα
dyāvāpṛthivī Γαίης... καὶ οὐρανοῦ
abhi... dyām ṛṇoti πέμπῃσι δι᾽ οὐρανοῦ
Phrases that underwent specific changes
describing Savitar, the third strophe of the hymn is aluding on
the subject of his ascent, overcoming and siding:

- yāti devaḥ pravatā yāty udvatā... ā yāti parāvato =

the god moves by the downward path, the upward...he
journeys

Hyperion (Ὑπερίων) is the father of Helios in the hymn, but

elsewhere it is an epithet or a name which replaces Helios’s name;

- hyperion means „the one who goes up”  ὑπέρ = up, over,
across + ἰών = part sg pres act masc nom of a verb εἶμι = to go
Phrases that underwent specific changes
 epithet of Savitar in the fourth strophe is citrabhānuḥ =
the bright-rayed
 citra = bright, clear + bhānu =  light, a ray of light

 Euryphaessa (Εὐρυφάεσσα) is the mother of Helios; the

goddess of wide light
 εὐρύς = wide + φάος = light
 Final prayers
at the end of many hymns, there can be found
examples of final prayers
the poet again, like in the invocation, addresses the
gods - but not for the same purpose;
- here the poet is asking from the gods for protection
in life, blessings and bestowing of happiness
 Final prayers
sa śevṛdham adhi dhā dyumnam asme
mahi kṣatraṃ janāṣāḷ indra tavyam | 
rakṣā ca no maghonaḥ pāhi sūrīn
rāye ca naḥ svapatyā iṣe dhāḥ ||

= So give us, Indra, bliss-increasing glory, give us great

sway and strength that conquers people.
Preserve our wealthy patrons, save our princes;
vouchsafe us wealth and food with noble offspring.

(RV 54.11)
 Final prayers
Χαῖρε, θεά, δὸς δ᾽ ἄμμι τύχην εὐδαιμονίην τε

= Hail, goddess, and give us good fortune with

happiness!
(HH to Athena, 11.5)
Conclusion
given examples can show us that there is a thread of
common lineage which can be traced much further in the
history to make a discovery about the origin of our culture

 the mathcing frases (formulas) which contain almost

the same epithets and depict same themese, the presence of
the stylistic figures (like invocation and final prayers), the
way of praising and addressing the gods – all of this, and
many more, are clues which lead us to the discovery of once
unified community and their way of life
Conclusion
searching for meaning, pattern repetition and
connection between languages or any other sort of
cultural structure, is needed in order of attaing the
knowledge about our origins, and ultimately, about
ourselves
Bibliography
 Ježić, Mislav.(1987). „Ṛgvedski himni: izvori indijske kulture
i indoeuropsko nasljeđe”, Zagreb: Globus
 Watkings, Calvert.(2001). „How to kill a dragon: Aspects of
Indo-European poetics”, Oxford: Oxford University press
 West, Martin Litchfield.(2007). „Indo-European poetry and
myth”, Oxford; New York: Oxford University press

 http://
sanskritdocuments.org/mirrors/rigveda/sanskrit03/RV0301
noaccent.html

 http://www.sanskritweb.net/rigveda/rv01.pdf
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!