The Arctic Home in the Vedas; Being Also a New Key to the Interpretation of Many Vedic Texts and Legends

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1903 edition. Excerpt: ... THE COWS' WALK. The Pravargya ceremony --Symbolises the revival of the yearly sacrifice --Milk representing seed heated in Gharma or ifahdvira --Mantras used on the occasion of pouring milk into it --The two creating the five, and the ten of Vivasvat --Indicate the death of the year after five seasons or ten months --The tradition about the sun falling beyond the sky --Annual Sattras --Their type, the (Javthn-ayanam or the Cows' walk --Lasted for 10 or 12 months according to the Aitareya Brahmana --Two passages from the Taittiriya Samhita describing the Gavum-ayanam --Mention 10 months' duration of the Sattra, but give no reason except that it was an ancient practice --Plainly indicates an ancient sacrificial year of ten months --Comparison with the old Boman year of ten months or 304 days --How the rest of 360 days were disposed of by the Bomans not yet known --They represented a long period of darkness according to the legend of the Dashagvas --Thus leading to the Arctic theory --Prof. Max Muller on the threefold nature of cows in the Vedas --Cows as animate, rain and dawns or days in the Rig-Veda--Ten months' Cows' walk thus means the ten months' duration of ordinary days and nights --350 oxen of Helios--Implies a night of ten days --The stealing of Apollon's oxen by Hermes --Cows stolen by Vritra in the Vedas--Represent the stealing of day-cows thereby causing the long night --Further sacrificial evidence from the Vedas --Classification of the Somasacrifices --Difference between Eh&ha and AMna --A hundred nightly sacrifices --Annual Sattra* like the Gavdm-ayanam --Model out-line or scheme of ceremonies therein --Other modifications of the same --All at present based upon a civil year --But lasted for ten months in ancient times...