Yamī, Yama et leurs cousins indo-européens. Notes sur le mythe indo-européen de l’inceste primordial

(2022) Nouvelle Mythologie Comparée / New Comparative Mythology (Mélanges offerts à la mémoire de Nick J. Allen / In Memoriam Nicholas — Vol. 6, n° 1, p. 71-82 (2022)

Files

KulikovYamīYamaetleurscousins--NMC6GsAllen2022_NMBR.pdf
  • Open Access
  • Adobe PDF
  • 1.27 MB

Details

Authors
Abstract
This paper focuses on the Indo-European myth of the primordial incest, foremost using evidence from Vedic (Ṛgveda and Atharvaveda) and, more broadly, Indo-Iranian. On the basis of a philological and linguistic analysis of the dialogue hymn RV 10.10 (Yama and Yamī), I argue that Yamī, notorious for her hyper-sexuality, can be considered as the central figure of this common Indo-Iranian myth, being the (potential) sexual partner of the first human, Yama, and yet retaining connection with the world of gods and half-gods (demons) and betraying a number of features of a female half-deity. I will also briefly discuss possible parallels from other Indo-European mythologies, in particular, from Celtic and Germanic (Norse) mythologies, paying special attention to the goddess of sexuality Freyja, comparable in several respects to Yamī.
Affiliations

Citations

Kulikov, L. (2022). Yamī, Yama et leurs cousins indo-européens. Notes sur le mythe indo-européen de l’inceste primordial. Nouvelle Mythologie Comparée / New Comparative Mythology (Mélanges offerts à la mémoire de Nick J. Allen / In Memoriam Nicholas, 6(1), 71-82. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/100541 (Original work published 2022)