Indo-European Table 1, Etruscan Vocabulary, Etruscan
Phrases with Indo-European cognates
9.16.11
Etruscan Vocabulary, Etruscan Phrases– Etruscan
etymological relationships to other Indo-European
languages; Proto-Indo-European (PIE):
Etruscan_Phrases
Indo-European Table 1,
Part 2
by Mel Copeland
(from
a work published in 1981)
Table 1, Section 1A:
Indo-European words as they relate to Etruscan.
Notes: *Armenian W = West Armenian; E = East
Armenian.
Sanskrit
Avestan & Armenian
Slavic & Baltic
Greek & Albanian
Latin
other
English
Etruscan
kas
ka, kahe,
who
(Avestan)
ke,
ce kasi,
who;
ke,
kodâm,
which; ce,
kodâm, ânce,
what (Persian)
chto, pron.
who;
cyj, pron. whose
sto, pron. what
(Belarus)
ka,
what (Baltic
Sudovian)
kas
(Lithuanian) ca, by which way,
where, whereby, as far as; CArl, who, which,
any (Romanian)
o
opios, who; pou, poios,
which; ti,
puios, which; poia,
poio, what (Greek)
kush,
who, qe,
that (Albanian)
quae or qua
pwy, sawl, a,
who; pa,
a, which; a, hwnnw
(honno [f]), that; hwn
(hon [f]), this; beth, pa,
what (Welsh)
ci,
who; ce, che,
quello, quella, cio, that
(Italian)
qui,
who, c' that, they,
these, those, which
what (French)
kuse,
Tocharian
kuis
(Hittite)
chavac, kryc, to
hide; slapy, adj.
blind (Belarus)
tyflos, grilia,
tyflono, blind;
apokrypto,
conceal
(Greek)
fsheh, mbaj të
fshehtë, zhduk, fut,
to hide; verboj,
qorroj, to blind
(Albanian)
caeco-are
celu, to hide, conceal,
cloak, dissemble;
cuddio, to
hide,
conceal, cloak, mask;
dirgelu, to secret,
conceal, hide; llechu, to
hide, shelter, lurk,
skulk; dallu, to blind,
dazzle, daze (Welsh)
nascondere, to
hide
(Italian)
cacher, to
hide, conceal
(French)
to make blind?
hide?
cace,
Script M8
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
CAF_, Script
ZA-4
x
kodâm, har kas,
any, adj., ce, adv.;
barxi, andaki, yekcand, adj., andaki, pron.,
some (Persian)
chto, pron.
who;
cyj, pron. whose
sto, pron. what
(Belarus)
o opoios, poios,
who; kapoios,
merikoi, peripou,
some (Greek)
dicka, adv., cilido,
ndonjë, kushdo,
pron. any; kush,
cili, who; i cili, që,
who, conj. , cili,
kush, që,
which,;
ai; ajo; ky;
atë;
kjo; i cili; e cila;
që;
kush, that,
pron. (Albanian)
quae
dim, peth, rhyw, un,
adj., unrhyw, adv. any;
peth, rhai, rhyw, adj.,
some; (Welsh)
alcuno, alcuni,
qualche, any; chi, who;
che, that
(Italian)
quelque, du, de, des, de
la, en, quiconque,
aucun, nul, personne,
any; quelque, certain,
du, de la, de l', des,
queques-uns, some;
qui, que,
who, which
(French)
any
[<OE aenig], some
[<OE sum];
relat. who, which,
what, that
binduka [m], drop;
cyut, cyotati, to drop, sprinkle' gal, galati,
pp. galita,
drip, drop, fall, vanish, pass away, gAlayati,
cause to drop, liquify, melt
ceke, âviz, [n],
cekidan, to drop (Persian)
puskac,
to drop;
upadak [m], fall,
drop, collapse
(Belarus)
stagona, afino na
pesi, ptosi, drop
(Greek) pakësohem,
ulem,
zvogëloj, to
decrease; ul, zbres, pakësoj,
poshtëroj,
vrenjtet, lower
(Albanian)
deicere,
to drop
disgyn,
to descend,
alight, dismount, light,
fall, drop, devolve, let
down; gollwng,
to
drop, loose, let go,
absolve, discharge,
dismiss, leak (Welsh)
calare
(Italian)
tomber
(French)
to lower, strike,
descend upon,
decline, set,
drop, decrease
KALI, Script
Q360; (See CAL, KALI above)
kiṇakṛta
x
x
x
callosus,
hard skinned, solid
callosita,
callous (Italian)
calleux,
callous, hard
(French)
name? callous,
hard skinned?
calos (calvs),
Script M-1
nikuJja [m], thicket,
bower, vault; nAka
[m], celestial vault,
heaven, sky;
nabhastala [tala, place, like the palm of the
hand] celestial vault; apavAraka, bed chamber;
bhUmigRha,
an underground
chamber; vezman, n.
dwelling, house,
chamber.
nâle, groaning,
sigh; nâlidan, to
sigh, groan
(Persian)
jencec,
moan
(Belarus)
thrino, bogko,
bogkito,
stenagmos, moan
(Greek)
kërcitje,
rënkim,
ofshamë, groan;
rënkoj, ofshaj, to
groan; pëshpërit, to
sigh (Albanian)
gemmatus-a-um,
adorned with jewels;
gemitus-us [m], a
sigh,
groan, groaning
griddfan, ochain,
tuchan, to groan; gemog,
adj. jeweled
(Welsh)
gemere,
to groan;
gemma
[f], gem, jewel
(Italian)
gémir,
to groan; bijou
[m], jewel (French)
bejeweled, jeweled [<OFr. jöel]?
a sigh, groan
[<OE granian]?
kamito (kamitv),
Script Q543
anugai
to sing after or to, to celebrate in song;
pragIta, singing; arcayati, -te}, pp.
{arcita} (q.v.) cause
to shine; honour, salute; stu, stauti, stute,
stavate, sing, chant; gA, gAyati (-te) & gAti, praise,
proclaim, call with a song, sing or call to
sarâyidan,
xândan,
âvâz
xândan,
to sing
(Persian)
picsnia [f], song
(Belarus)
grimat (Baltic
Sudovian)
tragoudo, psallo
(Greek)
këndoj, to sing
(Albanian)
cano, canere,
cecin, cantum
canu, to
sing, chant,
play, crow, ring
(Welsh)
can,
va. cantainn,
say,
sing, speak,
cànain,
[m], a language
cantainn,
singing,
speaking; (Scott)
kanañ,
to sing (Breton)
canto
[m] (1) song,
singing (2) corner;
cantare,
to sing;
cantante
[m] singer
(Italian)
chanter,
to sing
(French)
sir
(Hittite)
puraetR
[m], who goes before, leader;
senAvAha [m],
camUnAtha, camUpa,
pati, leader of an army; sArthapati
[m], chief
or leader of a caravan; grAmika [m], chief of
a village; nipa [m], chief, master
pisvâ, rahbar,
farmândeh,
leader; gondâvar,
commander; sar,
head (Persian)
cintA [f], thought,
consideration,
reflection, care or
sorrow about;
anyacintA [f], thought or care of some one
else; cAru,
pleasant, lovely, beautiful, dear
negahdâri,
parastâri, parvâ,
care [n]
(Persian)
apieka, achova
[f],
care, protection;
klapacicca, ab
kaho, to care for;
sanowny, adj.
dear; adsutny, adj.
absent (Belarus)
car, care (pl) car,
cart, wagon; drag,
dear (Romanian)
agapitos, akribos,
agapimenos, dear;
frontida, frontizo,
care; apon (Greek)
kujdesem, kam
kujdes, dua, pyes,
interesohem,
dëshiroj,
to care;
kujdes, gajle, care
[n]; që mungon, i
hutuar, absent
(Albanian)
curo-are, to care for,
cure, rest;
carus-a-um,
high
priced, dear, costly;
transf. dear, beloved;
careo-ere-ui,
to be
without, be absent
from
arail, to guard, care
for,
foster, cultivate
cur-iau
[m], throb,
ache, pain, beat, care,
trouble; absennu,
to
absent oneself (Welsh)
caro,
assenza [f],
absence (Italian)
cher; absence[f],
absence (French)
to care for;
to beabsent [<Lat.
abense (abesse) to
be away] from, dear, cherished
apieka, achova
[f],
care, protection;
klapacicca, ab
kaho, to care for;
sanowny, adj.
dear (Belarus)
frontida, frontizo,
care; agapitos,
akribos,
agapimenos, dear
(Greek) xhan,
dua,
to care
for; i dashurr, adj.,
dear; dua fort,
ushqej, mbaj gjallë,
to cherish
(Albanian)
curo-are,
to care for
carus-a-um,
adj. high
priced, dear
Transf. dear, beloved;
caritas-atis,
[f.]
dearness
ku'ca, stan,
dwelling; koliba,
hut; dom,
house
(Serbo-Croatian)
chatka [f] dom [m]
house (Belarus)
grintan, house,
building; namai,
dwelling (Baltic
Sudovian) casa, case
(pl) house, home, hut (Romanian)
diz, dideSTi, dizati, -te
{dedizyate}, produce a witness, grant, bestow,
show, prove yourself; nimittatva
[n], the being a cause, causality; AdimUla
[n], the first cause; kisalay, -yati,
to cause to sprout or germinate
lâbe kardan,
darxâst kardan, to
plead; vânemud
kardan, bahaâne
kardan, to pretend
angize, sabab,
bahân, cause [n]
(Persian)
prycyna [f], cause,
reason; razvazlivy,
adj. reasonable; rozum
[m],
reason,
intellect, mind
(Belarus)
CĂUZA, to cause
(Romanian)
dadlau, to argue,
debate, dispute, plead,
advocate; achosi, to
cause; achos-ion [m],
cause, affair, behalf; pledio, to
plead, argue (Welsh)
pretendere, asserire,
pretend; addurre,
difendere, perorare,
plead, causa [f],
cause
(Italian) plaider,
alléguer, plead
pétendre,
prétexter,
pretend, cause [f],
cause (French)
to give as a reason,
pretend [<Lat.
praetendo -tendere
-tendi -tentum], plead [<OFr. plaider]
case,
Script R22,
R114,
casi,
Script M13
nAth, nAthate,
to seek aid, beg, ask' praznay, yati, to
inquire after;
prach, pRcchati
(-te), to ask, question,
inquire
jostoju kardan,
juyidan, jostan, to
seek; bâzjuyi
kardan, rasidegi
kardan, puyidan,
to inquire
(Persian)
sukac, to
look for,
seek; daviedvacca,
v. imp.;
daviedacca, v.
perf., inquire
pytacca, v. imp.,
zapytacca, v. perf.
to ask; raicca,
consult, ask
(Belarus)
ced, conj. =
{ca +
i3d}) and; also, even
(w. prec. {api});
when, if (often prec.
by {iti} = if thus, in
this case). {atha ced} but if {na ced
(cenna}) or {no ced} if not, else. Rarely
{yadi ced = ced} alone.
cegune, cerâ,
whereby (Persian)
dzie, pron. where
at; kudy, pron.
where to, skul,
pron. where from heta, pron. it,
that; hety, pron., = toj, this, that;
hodzi, hodzie, adv., that
will do!; pakul,
conj. as long as,
while, when
(Belarus) CEA, aCEA, aCEEA,
this (Romanian)
episis, also; ti,
poios, poia,
poio,
what; pou, opou,
where; dia tou
opoiou, me to
opoio, whereby
(Greek)
me anën e të cilit,
përmes së cilës,
adv. whereby;
gjithashtu, edhe,
adv. also; që,
that
(Albanian)
qua, abl. [f] of
qui, as
adv.
hefyd, adv.
also, too,
moreover; conj.,
likewise; cyn, adv.
as; pwy, sawl, a,
who; pa,
a, which; a, hwnnw
(honno [f]), that; hwn (hon [f]), this; beth, pa,
what (Welsh)
anchi, inoltre, also;
qua, adv.
here; chi,
who (Italian)
aussi, de plus,
également, also; que,
that, as, then, only,
but, rel. pron. whom,
that, which, what, que;
(French)
ka, kahe, who
(Avestan)
ke,
ce kasi, who;
ke,
kodâm,
which; ce,
kodâm, ânce,
what (Persian)
niekatory, pron.
some; niekalki,
adv. several, some,
few (Belarus) cei,
those (Romanian)
o opoios, poios,
who; o opoios,
poios, pou,
which;
ekeinos, oti, oste,
that (Greek)
që,
that; cfarë, c,
sa, adj. what
(Albanian)
quae, any, some
pwy, sawl, a,
who; pa,
a, which; a, hwnnw
(honno [f]), that; hwn
(hon [f]), this; beth, pa,
what (Welsh)
alcuni; qualche, some
(Italian)
quelque (French)
any, some; relat.
who, which, what, that
cei, Script
Q65, K119, TC290
x
zirâ,
because, conj. (Persian)
bo, conj. because,
for; dziela, pron.
because of, for; z
-za, pron. because of (Belarus)"de aCEIA,
because (Romanian)
epeidi, giati, dioti,
because (Greek)
për arsye të, sepse, nga që,
because, conj. (Albanian)
ekeinoi, ekeines,
ekeina, those
(Greek)
këta, këto, ato,
pron. those
(Albanian)
quegil, quel
hwnnw (honno; [f],
hynny [n]), rheini,
rheiny (Welsh)
quel,
quegli, quelli
(Italian)
ces, ceux-là, those;
quel, what,
which
(French)
those
cel, Script
R64, G-1, TC325
prAzu, adj., very
quick, swift; tUrta,
adj. quick, swift;
senAjU, adj., swift as an arrow; sthag,
sthagayati, pp.
sthagita, to cover, hide, conceal; mluc, mlocati,
to go to rest, hide behind, go down, set
chavac, kryc, to
hide; chutki,
sparki, adj.
quick,
rapid, fast
(Belarus)
krybo, krybomai,
hide; tachys,
grigoros, rapid;
apokrypto, conceal
(Greek)
fsheh, mbaj të
fshehtë, zhduk, fut, strukem, to hide;
iatypëratyshëm, i
shpejtë,
adj. swift
(Albanian)
celo-are, to
hide; celer-eris, swift
celo, to
hide, conceal,
cloak, dissemble; cuddio, to
hide,
conceal, cloak, mask;
(Welsh)
celere, adj.
(Italian)
ces, ceux-là, those;
celer, to
hide; célerité [f], speed,
swiftness, alacrity (French)
to hide, to be
swift, fast; speed
[<OE sped,
success]; code [<Lat. codex (older
caudex)-dicis [m],
trunk of a tree;
transf. a book
made from
wooden tablets]
cela,
Script
AG-1;
CELeRIM,
Script,
Z582;
celi,
Script Z180,
Z197, Z263, Z357,
Z412, Z421, Z1040,
Z1337, Z1345;
celo (celv),
Script
Z727, Z897, Z1203
celto (celtv)
, Script
Q813– probably cel
tv or, L. celator,
a
concealor, or Celtae
arum, the
Celts
āhāraya, to
dine, take food; viS,
viveSTi, to stir,
not rest, finish food,
overcome, conquer;
ghas, ghasti, to
devour, swallow, eat;
jaks, jaksiti,
to eat,
consume; saMbhojya
adj. to be enjoyed or
eaten; valbh, valbhate, to eat, taste;
sAyamazana [m], evening meal, supper
sâm
xordan, nahâr xordan, sâm
dâdan, to dine; xordan, to eat
(Persian)
jesci, v. imp.,
zjesci, v. perf., to
eat; zjadac, v.
imp., zjesci, v.
perf. to eat
(Belarus)
cina, to dine (Romanian)
gevmatizo, dine;
trogo, eat (Greek)
ha darkë, ha drekë,
bëj darkë, shtroj, to
dine; darkë [n],
supper (Albanian)
ceno-are
ciniawa, to
dine, lunch
(Welsh)
cena [f],
supper,
(Italian)
souper [m], supper
(French)
vilApa [m],
lamentation; zvas,
zvasiti, zvasati,
te, blow, bluster, hiss,
whistle, snort, breathe, sigh; lap,
lapAta (-te),chatter, prate, talk,
lament, wail; kaj,kUjati, -te,
make inarticulate sounds, cry, sing, moan,
groan; niryāc,
to beg or solicit from, entreat, ask, request; prayāc,
to ask for, beg, solicit, request to
ask for , beg , solicit , requestniryāc
nimraomnô [ni
mrû], to speak
submissively, to
declare, to address,
wail (Avestan)
gerye kardan,
geristan, ask
rixtan, to weep
(Persian)
lament,
lamentowac,
oplakiwac, lament
(Polish)
asarat, to weep
(Baltic-Sudovian) cere,
to ask for, beg (Romanian)
khaso, dakryzo,
stazo, to weep
(Greek)
qaj,
vajtoj,
to weep
(Albanian)
queror,
queri, questo;
to bewail, lament;
mendicare, to ask feverishly
cero-are, to cover with wax
marwnad-au
[f],
lament, elegy, dirge;
alaethu, to lament; cwynfan,
to complain,
lament; cwyno,
cwynfan to complain,
lament, bewail, whine;
galarnadu, to bewail, lament; galaru, to
mourn, grieve, lament;
caoidh
[f], weeping,
lamentation; caoidh,
va. weep, mourn,
bewail (Scott)
lamentare,
vt. to lament; demandare, to ask, pregare,
chiedere,
to beg (Italian)
lamenter,
to lament; demander, to ask; prier,
mendier, to beg (French)
to bewail, lament
[<Lat. lamentor
-ari, to weep, wail, lament], whine
[<OE hwinan,
to
make a whizzing
sound]; mourn [<OE murnan]
Ceres,
goddess of agriculture; transf. bread, grain,
corn
ceris, AN32, SM-3
prakara,
m. heap,
multitude; cayana,
heap, pile; stupa [m]
agnicaya,
heap or mass of fireagnicayaagnicaya
dowr gereftan,
hambastan, to
encircle; dâyere,
farvand, cambar,
circle [n]; tude,
kope, poste, heap [n]; angostar, halqe [n], zang
zadan, to ring (Persian)
gromadzic, halda,
kupa, mnostwo,
sterta, heap; kola,
kolo, krag, obwod,
sfery, zakreslic
okrag, circle
(Polish)
akruzac, v. imp.,
akruzyc, v. perf.
to surrond [mil.]
(Belarus)
grandis, preiperstas, ring
(Baltic-Sudovian) CERNEA,
CERNIA, name (Romanian)
soros, sorevo,
syssorevo, heap;
daktycidi,
palaistra,
koudounisma,
koudounizo, ring
(Greek)
turrë,
head; rrethoj,
përqarkoj,
to
surround
(Albanian)
acervo-are,
to heap up acervus-i [m], heap
curnennu,
to heap,
stack; pentyrro,
to
heap, pile, accumulate,
amass (Welsh) curnenu, curnenn,
to
heap, stack; amgylchu,
amgylch, to surround,
encircle, compass,
encompass; tyrru,
to
surround amgarn-au
[m.f.], metal circle,
ferrule, ring càrn
[m.] a heap, pile, va. heap, pile (Scott) cernere,
to choose, sort (Italian) cerne
[m.] ring, circle;
cerner, to surround
(French)
encircle
[<Lat.
circus-i,
ring], heap [<OE
hëap]
Cerniie, a family name?
cerniie
(heaps,
tumuli?), Script Q19, Q23
atisaṃdheya; easily settled;
vivAda [m], dispute;
vad, vadati, -te, to
speak, raise the voice,
sing, sound, dispute;
sunizcita adj., well
determined or quite
certain; kRtanizcaya
adj. convinced, certain,
sure; resolute,
determined to
to settle by
contest,
dispute [<Lat.
dipsuto-are],
control; certain
[<OFr. certain]
cert, Script
R565,
R574;
See PVLVMiK
(polumik) Script
Au79, Au99
x
x
x
x
x
x
Cerun,
herdsman of Spain whose cattle were stolen by
Hercules
CERUN
(CERVN)
CERUN (CERVN), PH-3
mithyA, adv. wrongly,
falsely, in vain; With
{brU, vac}, etc. speak
falsely, tell a lie;
kaitava [f], deceit,
fraud, lie; asant, not
existing, unreal,
untruth, lie
doruq [n], doruq
goftan, derâz
kasidan, xâbidan,
to lie (Persian)
chlusic, to
lie, tell
lies; chlusnia [f],
lie; fals
[f],
falsehood [f],
mana [f], lie,
untruth (Belarus)
psevdomai, leo
psemata, xaplono,
briskomai, psema,
lie (Greek)
falsitet,
ide e
gabuar, pavërtetësi,
falsehood;
falsifikoj,
shtrembëroj, to
falsify (Albanian)
ist, adj., ist,
istgâh,,[n], istâdan,
bâzistâdan,
band
âvardan, to stop
(Persian)
prpynak [m], to
halt, stop;
prypyniacca, v.
imp., prypynicca,
v. perf., to stop;
spyniacca, vi.
imp., spynicca, v.
perf., stop, come
to a standstill;
spyniac, v. perf.,
spynic, v. imp.
stop, bring to a
standstill (Belarus)
stabdit (Baltic
Sudovian)
har, har yek, har
kodâm, adj., har,
har yek, har
kodâm, pron. each;
har, harme, harkas,
adj., har, harkas,
pron. every;
hamekas,
harnekas, harke,
harkas, everyone
(Persian)
kozny, pron.
every, each
(Belarus) cest,
each, this one (Romanian)
hety, pron. = toj,
this, that (Belarus) CEŞTI,
this, these (Romanian)
aftos, afti, afto,
this; aftoi, aftes,
afta, these (Greek)
këta, këto, these
(Albanian)
hic, haec, hoc
hwn [m], hon [f], hyn
[n], this; hynny,
rheini, rheiny, those
(Welsh) questo, pron.
[m], this
one, questi, queste
[m.f., pl.] (Italian) ce, cet,
cette, demonst.
adj., (French)
gildio, to yield,
forgo,
relinguish; ildio, to
yield; rhoi, rhoddi,
dyro, rhotho, to give,
bestow, yield, confer,
grant, impart, put,
ascribe; ymroddi
(ymroi), to apply
oneself, devote
oneself, yield, resign,
surrender (Welsh)
cedere to
cede, yield,
surrender, give in
(Italian)
céder, to give
up,
yield, give away
(French)
pai, to go (Hittite)
to go, proceed, to turn
out, happen, fall to the lot of a
person, retire,
grant, yield
ceto (cetv),
Script
N311, N378, Q162
uccasaMzaya,
standing above (star);
tar, star; stR,
star
star, stara [-],
strãm (Avestan)
setâre,
axtar, star
(Persian)
zorka [f], star
(Belarus)
lauksend, star
(Baltic-Sudovian)
* Hittite words from www.utexas.edu
(1) from: http://www.verbix.com/documents/etruscan/dravidian.htm#intr; regarding
the word, capra:
"Only the finding of the true source of Etruscan can
definitively settle the vexing problem of which
textual words are actually members of that tongue or
are borrowings from other tongues or wrongly
ascribed to it by the authorities whence they were
extracted. For instance, Herodotus affirms that the
word kapra ("goat") is Etruscan, though it is now
known to be the Latin capra for sure. How many
errors such as this actually affect the many words
assumed to be Etruscan by the ancient Classical
authors? And these are by far the majority of words
included in the more extensive "Etruscan"
glossaries, which often fail to explicitly mention
this controversial, unreliable origin."
(2)
Twigs are an important part of the 650 pages of
hymns of the Rig Veda, since it is by
means of two sticks that the ancient sages of the
Rig Veda were able to make their fire (as well as
the fire within their homes). Agni, the god of fire,
is the central figure of the Rig Veda. The fire is
considered the messenger of men and gods (like the
Greek god Hermes). But unlike Hermes Agni was
self-begotten, since it had been observed that
lightning, a form of Agni, is self-begotten.
Connected to fire is the sun, the god Sura, and the
dawn, the goddess Usas. A form of the sun god is
Mitra (Persian, Mithra). Associated with the
lightning was thunder, which was the weapon of the
supreme god, Indra (who was like the Greek god Zeus,
Roman god Jupiter, Etruscan god Tinia). Worship, or
sacrifice, was conducted three times a day: dawn,
noon, and sunset. From the weight of the hymns in
the Rig Veda the dawn ceremony was no doubt
the most important, setting the appeal for the
coming day's wealth. The dawn ceremony for the
Etruscans was no doubt the most important with
respect to the augurs, as seen in the Divine_Mirror.html.
Wealth in cattle, children, and booty from raids was
the predominate thing for which the Aryan people
prayed, arranged in a circle:
(Rig
Veda Book VIII.86)
11. Bards joined in song to Indra so that he
might drink the Soma juice,
The Lord of Light, that he whose laws
stand fast might aid with power and
with the help he gives
12. The holy sages form a ring, looking and
singing to the Ram [Indra]
Inciters, full of vigour, not to be deceived,
are with the chanters, nigh to hear.
According to the Rig Veda
the [original] Hindu pantheon includes 33 gods.
The location of the initial five tribes invading
the Indus region of ancient India, now Eastern
Pakistan and Western India, initially included the
upper reaches of the river Sarasvati. The river
was a supreme goddess in her own right. The
drainage basin of the Sarasvati is now desert and
an area of the Harappan civilization. The
Sarasvati can be viewed by a satellite photograph
as a dry river bed system. It reaches from the
Punjab, east of the Sutlej river (mentioned in the
Rig Veda), toward the Gulf of Kutch on the
Arabian Sea. The people that attacked the cities
of this area (some forts had "metal," Sanskrit,
"ayas," walls), fighting for booty in terms of
cattle, horses, slaves and gold, were
Indo-Europeans. Because of the time in which they
were conducting their cattle raids, what is
recorded in the Rig Veda may have a
bearing upon Etruscan practices. The frequent use
of the word, "ayas," which could mean "copper /
bronze" or "iron" according to Vedic scholars,
suggests that the invaders were Iron Age people,
dating more into the period 1,200 B.C. to 850
B.C., making them contemporaries of the Etruscans
and other Iron Age peoples who during that period
were migrating. Currently scholars believe that
the Rig Veda was from a period of time ~ 1,500
B.C., and some argue that the speakers of Sanskrit
originated in India and migrated eastward and
westward. However, this theory is controverted by
the Rig Veda, the oldest Sanskrit
document, which shows an evolving tradition,
initially focused on cattle raids on the order of
the Irish epic, T'ain Bo Cuailange, and
the attempts to defend themselves against the
brown-skinned peoples of the region. A frequent
ephitet of Indra describes him as "fair-skinned,"
contrasting him and his Aryans with the
brown-skinned, godless indiginous peoples of the
Sarasvati region. What determined whether one was
godless was whether the people practiced a ritual
centered in what can be called a "Banquet of the
Gods." The banquet included the offering of cows,
horses and a juice called Soma. The cattle being
offered at the three banquets of the gods were
tied to a pillar or stake called the Vanaspati
(Rig Veda IX.V. 10). The ritual
included the purification of the Vanaspati with
Soma. This is what the Encyclopaedia
Britaninica says about Soma:
"Soma, in ancient Indian cult worship, an
unidentified plant, the juice of which was a
fundamental offering of the Vedic sacrifices.
The stalks of the plant were pressed between
stones, and the juice was filtered through
sheep's wool and then mixed with water and milk.
After first being offered as a libation to the
gods, the remainder of the soma was consumed by
the priests and the sacrificer. It was highly
valued for its exhilarating, probably
hallucinogenic, effect. The personified deity
Soma was the “master of plants,” the healer of
disease, and the bestower of riches.
The soma cult exhibits a
number of similarities to the corresponding
haoma cult of the ancient Iranians and is
suggestive of shared beliefs among the ancient
Indo-Europeans in a kind of elixir of the gods.
Like haoma, the soma plant grows in the
mountains, but its true origin is believed to be
heaven, whence it was brought to earth by an
eagle. The pressing of soma was associated with
the fertilizing rain, which makes possible all
life and growth."
Soma was a golden-brown
color, probably made from hemp, and in the rite
around a circular fire altar was strewn carefully
cut grass (possibly hemp). The juice was pressed
between two rocks into a large wooden vat and from
the vat, called a dronakalasa, the Soma – which
may have been fermented, since the Rig Veda
refers to it expanding or growing – was poured
from pitchers through a woolen cloth, called a
strainer, and the pure fluid was then mixed with
milk. At some point the Soma is mixed with water,
honey, barley and curds and lastly milk. The text
refers to Soma as "meath" (mead), and most of the
instructions for making it are in the Rig Veda
Book IX, Ralph T. H Griffith's translation. Bits
of the process are scattered throughout the Rig
Veda.
Those who were godless did not participate in the
Soma rite. However, as one gets deeper into the Rig
Veda, one can see the five tribes of Aryans
becoming more settled, to the extent that their
hymns focused on getting protection of the gods
against internicine warfare. Early in the Rig
Veda it is clear that a barbarian is not
favored by the gods. But then, in Book VIII the
priests (Brahmins) sing about issues involving
battles between Soma worshippers. Who is more
favored? The most favored would be those who are
more generous with their offerings. The more
cattle you offer the more the gods give you. The
gods frown on the niggardly. And of course a
niggardly offering would not be well received from
the priests who lived off of the offrings.
Indra is always available to defend the sincere
worshipper from his chariot, driven by two bay
steeds. He is the defender of herds, like
Cúchulainn, the Celtic hero of the great
cattle-raid, the T'ain Bo Cuailange. Like
Cúchulainn, Indra and other Hindu gods have
the ability to morph, but Cúchulainn did
have some interesting feats that stretched the
imagination a bit more than Indra did, in my
opinion. Indra the dragon killer shares a heritage
seen in other Indo-European heroes, such as the
German Siegfried and English Beowolf.
Drinking mead is part of an
old Indo-European ritual and the mead, an
alcoholic beverage fermented with honey and water,
certainly aquired more than an alcoholic kick to
it in India (probably containing in its brew
marijuana from the hemp). Barley was probably the
main grain from which mead was made, as was the
case with Soma. The ritual represented in Etruscan
banquet scenes is probably mead made out of wine,
perhaps like the later Roman mulsum, or mulse.
Within the Etruscan banquet scenes are icons such
as an altar, the passing of a small stick or wand,
offering an egg, and the depiction of horses, and
it may be that bay or red colored horses are the
choice of the Etruscan riders in the afterlife.
The blue-grey colors, as in Hindu pictures, deal
with death, the otherworld, Erebus. Unlike
the view of the Rig Veda, of praying for
long-life – not addressing a world after death –
the Etruscans focused completely on the
'hereafter," more on the same level as the
Egyptians, as can be seen in their murals.
