146 The Religion of the Veda
Rig~Veda and the Avesta report the names of the same ancient worthies that prepared the fluid for the gods: Vedic Vivasvant, Yarna, and Trita Aptya; Avestan Vivanhvant, Yima, Athwya and Thrita. This marks the most intimate, if not the most import- ant, relation between the two religious literatures.
Mythically, this wonderful drink was conceived as coming from heaven, the type on earth of the heaw only fluid that is hidden in the clouds. In the Veda a heavenly eagle, doubtless the lightning, breaks through the brazen castle, the cloud, within which the heavenly fluid is confined, and carries it off to earth, that is, causes it to pour down upon the earth. It is the simple phenomenon of cloud, lightning, and downpour of refreshing and life-giving rain which is turned into the heavenly prototype of this delightful drink.‘
The Iranian known is also fetched from heaven by a bird, though the manner of his descent to earth is not told. In both literatures the drink finally turns god, slays demons, casts min- siles, and gains in his perfect wisdom’ light for
1 See the author in young of the American Oriental Society, xvi., I 17'. For analogous conceptions in Greek mythology, sec Usener in Renew-kg: Museum, 1):. , 24f. For winged lightning sec Jacohethal, Der Blitz in der Oflentalircflm 2:ch Grier/girder; .Zi'rmrt, p. 1:9, 25
f. 36%. 4.2-
BVedic smimtu m Arcstan finehmtm
