[INDOLOGY] unicorn rgveda

[George Thompson]

Speaking of horns, RV 1.163, one of the two asvastutis in the RV, refers to
the horse's golden horns [in stanza 9], while in stanza 11 it is said that
his horns branch out in many directions.  Clearly, the horse is wearing a
reindeer mask like the one found in Pazyryk. See Sergei Rudenko *Frozen
Tombs of Siberia: The Pazyryk Burials of Iron-Age Horsemen* [published in
Russian in 1953 and translated into English in 1970].

cheers,

George


On Mon, Jun 15, 2015 at 1:00 PM, Rupert Gethin <Rupert.Gethin at bristol.ac.uk>
wrote:

>  It is perhaps worth pointing out that in the poetic style of English that
> Griffith was using "with pointed horn" is strictly speaking also neutral as
> to number. Compare this phrase from George Henry Needler's 1904 translation
> of the Nibelungenleid (916): " The boar within the forest they’d chase with
> pointed spear"
>
> Rupert Gethin
> University of Bristol
>
> Email: Rupert.Gethin at bristol.ac.uk
>
>
> On 15/06/2015 17:21, Gruenendahl, Reinhold wrote:
>
>
> As did Geldner's "Wie ein spitzhorniger Stier", by the way.
>
> RG
>
>
>  ------------------------------
> *Von:* INDOLOGY [indology-bounces at list.indology.info]" im Auftrag von
> "Hock, Hans Henrich [hhhock at illinois.edu]
> *Gesendet:* Montag, 15. Juni 2015 16:57
> *An:* Khem Lao
> *Cc:* Indology List
> *Betreff:* Re: [INDOLOGY] unicorn rgveda
>
>  Thanks for your message, Khem Lao.
>
>  It is always good to go to the original, rather than rely on a
> 19th-century translation. Here is the Sanskrit text:
>
>  vṛṣabhó ná tigmáśṛṅgo (RV 10.86.15)
>
>  As you can see, *tigmáśṛṅga* is a bahuvrīhi compound, whose gender and
> number marking is determined by the possessor (the bull). The gender and
> number of the thing possessed (the sharp *tigma* horn *śṛṅga*) is
> neutralized. The reading ‘with pointed (or sharp) horn’ therefore is
> arbitrary; an alternative reading ‘with sharp horns’ is equally possible,
> and given the nature of bovine animals, probably more likely. Jamison &
> Brereton’s translation ‘sharp-horned’ manages to capture the neutralization
> of number indication very nicely.
>
>  Best wishes,
>
>  Hans Henrich Hock
>
>
>
>  On 15 Jun 2015, at 03:26, Khem Lao <khemlao241 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>   Hi Hans,
>     RV 10/86/15 has this translation by Griffith:
>
> 15. Like as a bull with pointed horn, loud bellowing amid the herds,
>     Sweet to thine heart, O Indra, is the brew which she who tends thee pours.
>     Supreme is Indra over all.
>
>   Why do scholars not accept this as the unicorn depicted on IVC seals?
>
>  Best,
>  Khem
>
>
>
>
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