The Horse in Indo-Iranian Mythology

摘要

With focus on the mythology of the horse, the rituals in which it is involved, and the philo-logical study of the texts (p. 13), Philippe Swennen investigates, comparing and contrast-ing, the physical description of the (sacred) horse in the ancient Indic and Iranian literature,the Vedas and the Avesta (part 1) and its role in Indian and Iranian ritual (part 2) and myth(part 3), thus also providing a starting point for further study of how a common heritage wasmodified in the two cultures (p. vii). The arguments are based mainly on the ancient texts,but later descriptions are also adduced as support, for instance, the Classical authors writingabout Persia (pt. 1, chap. 2 B and E). A large number of relevant Old Indic and (mostlyYoung) Avestan texts (notably, Yas't 8 to Tigtriia = Sirius) with detailed, mainly philo-logical, commentaries are included as an appendix (pp. 301-98). There is a useful sum-mary in English.