DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.638#0045
INTRODUCTION xli
as the Scottish Cailleach, or the Egyptian Hathor, who, as
the earlier Sekhet, rejoiced in accomplishing the slaughter
of the enemies of Ra.1 Kali, as we shall see (Chapter VIII)
replaced the Vedic king of the gods as a successful demon
slayer. As the Egyptian Ra went forth to restrain Hathor,
so did Shiva hasten to the battlefield, flooded by gore, to
prevail upon his spouse Kali to spare the remnant of her
enemies.
The rise of the goddesses may have been due in part
to the influence of Dravidian folk-religion. This does
not, however, vitiate the theory that moon, water, and
earth worship was not unconnected with the ascendancy
of the Brown race in India. The Dravidian brunet long
heads were, as we have said, probably represented in the
pre-Aryan, as well as the post-Vedic folk-waves, which
mingled with pre-Dravidian stocks. Mr. Crooke inclines
to the view that the Aryan conquest was more moral and
intellectual than racial.2 The decline of the patriarchal
religion of the Vedic military aristocracy may thus be ac-
counted for; the religious practices of the earlier p;/nle
might ultimately have attained prominence in fusion with
imported ideas. If the Aryan racial type was distinctive,
as it appears to have been, in colour at any rate, the pre-
dominant people who flourished when the hymns were
composed, may have greatly declined in numbers owing
to the ravages of disease which in every new country
eliminates the unfit in the process of time. Even if
Aryan conquest was more racial in character than Mr.
Crooke will allow, the physical phenomena of the present
day can be accounted for in this way, due allowance being
made, of course, for the crossment of types. In all
countries which have sustained the shock of invasion, the
tendency to revert to the aboriginal type is very marked.
1 See Egyptian Myth and Legend, ' The North-Western Provinces of India, 1897, p. 60.
as the Scottish Cailleach, or the Egyptian Hathor, who, as
the earlier Sekhet, rejoiced in accomplishing the slaughter
of the enemies of Ra.1 Kali, as we shall see (Chapter VIII)
replaced the Vedic king of the gods as a successful demon
slayer. As the Egyptian Ra went forth to restrain Hathor,
so did Shiva hasten to the battlefield, flooded by gore, to
prevail upon his spouse Kali to spare the remnant of her
enemies.
The rise of the goddesses may have been due in part
to the influence of Dravidian folk-religion. This does
not, however, vitiate the theory that moon, water, and
earth worship was not unconnected with the ascendancy
of the Brown race in India. The Dravidian brunet long
heads were, as we have said, probably represented in the
pre-Aryan, as well as the post-Vedic folk-waves, which
mingled with pre-Dravidian stocks. Mr. Crooke inclines
to the view that the Aryan conquest was more moral and
intellectual than racial.2 The decline of the patriarchal
religion of the Vedic military aristocracy may thus be ac-
counted for; the religious practices of the earlier p;/nle
might ultimately have attained prominence in fusion with
imported ideas. If the Aryan racial type was distinctive,
as it appears to have been, in colour at any rate, the pre-
dominant people who flourished when the hymns were
composed, may have greatly declined in numbers owing
to the ravages of disease which in every new country
eliminates the unfit in the process of time. Even if
Aryan conquest was more racial in character than Mr.
Crooke will allow, the physical phenomena of the present
day can be accounted for in this way, due allowance being
made, of course, for the crossment of types. In all
countries which have sustained the shock of invasion, the
tendency to revert to the aboriginal type is very marked.
1 See Egyptian Myth and Legend, ' The North-Western Provinces of India, 1897, p. 60.