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

Kulikov, Leonid
(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)

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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.
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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)