Poul Anderson's Maurai worship Tanaroa Creator, Lesu Haristi and shark-toothed Nan whereas his Killimaraichan's recognize a dichotomy of Dolphin and Shark and refer to "'...the Great Abyss...'" (The Winter Of The World, X, p. 106)
However, real world deities can be as awesome as their fictional counterparts. Thus, Christ is the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Christian Trinity whereas Krishna is an avatar of the second member of the Hindu Trimurti. We have alternative theologies even in a single reality.
16 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
And, of course, we both recognize that "Lesu Haristi" was how "Jesus Christ" came to be spelt in the Maurai series. I'm more doubtful of "shark-toothed Nan," however. The Maurai Federation was centered in New Zealand, where almost everybody were Christians. Even allowing for the chaos following the War of Judgment, WOULD the Holy Spirit be forgotten and replaced by a pagan god?
The same reasoning might apply to the Australia of the Ice Age seen in THE WINTER OF THE WORLD (called by then, in the eastern half, Killimaraich). Except I agree that ten thousand years would be more than enough time for the former Australians to lapse into a purely pagan religion. Apparently their fear of the "Great Abyss" is analogous to Hell.
And I do believe Christ to be the true and actual Incarnation of the Second Person of the Trinity. Krishna is a Hindu god I know too little about to comment on. I do think Hinduism is a morphing together of several pagan mythologies, the gods of the invading Indo Europeans along with those of the previously existing inhabitants.
The ancient Sanskrit texts gives us some ideas of what the ancestral tongue of all the Indo-European languages was like.
Sean
Sean,
I value the Krishna of the BHAGAVAD GITA as the guru of karma yoga (nonattached action) although, of course, he is also the mouthpiece for a Hindu synthesis.
On Poul Anderson Appreciation, see "Krishna," Wed, 11 March, 2015.
On Religion and Philosophy, see "Teachings," Fri, 20 July, 2018.
Hinduism is morphed mythologies and philosophies.
Paul.
Mythologies and ritual practices.
Philosophies and spiritual practices.
Neat.
Kaor, Paul!
And in the context of the Judaeo-Christian, I would have addled "Israel and Revelation." Which also happens to be the title of one of Eric Voegelin's books, a philosopher Poul Anderson seems to have greatly admired.
So, to revise your list a bit:
Mythologies and ritual practices.
Philosophies and spiritual practices.
Israel, Revelation, and philosophies/spiritual practices.
Sean
Sean,
OK. My list was meant just to summarize Hinduism but we can broaden it out, of course.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I did not realize you had only Hinduism in mind. I thought you had in mind the Greco-Roman philosophers as well.
I'm rather puzzled by this attraction you seem to have for Hinduism, btw. I don't think of it, really, as more than the last surviving pagan religion which is "real." But then I recall you seem to have later Hindu philosophizing in mind, from about AD 1500 on wards, I think.
Sean
Sean,
Yes. There is an ancient Indian meditative tradition expressed through Jainism, Yoga and Buddhism. I practice in that tradition. The Hindu philosophical systems formulate it.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
My admittedly vague and possibly incorrect memory is of having read that Hindu philosophizing didn't truly start till after learned Hindus had come into contact with the Portuguese explorers and missionaries who reached India around 1500.
Classical Greco-Roman and Medieval philosophy is more REAL to me.
Sean
Sean,
But the meditative tradition is ancient.
Paul.
I think the philosophical sutras are older than 1500, because they were oral, but will have to check.
Sean,
The Indian philosophical schools were formulated BC.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I sit corrected, then! I DO have a vague recollection of how contact with the Portuguese and Catholic missionaries reviving interest in philosophical issues by some educated, upper caste Hindus.
Sean
Sean,
I am sure that that did happen.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
And I think the Sikh religion began as a revolt by some Hindus against the polytheism of "orthodox" Hinduism. But I might be wrong.
Sean
Sean,
Sikhism is certainly a pure monotheism. It also began as a Hindu-Muslim ecumenicism. Persecuted by the Mughal regime, the Sikhs had to organize for self-defense and became a third distinct religion after their founder's death.
I think of the Granth as coming after the Koran and the Bible although some hymns in the Granth were written by Hindus.
Paul.
Dear Mr. Stirling,
That does fill in what I was hesitantly recalling about the Sikhs! I'm not surprised they were persecuted by the Muslims. The Muslim view that Mohammed was the "seal of the prophets" meant that anyone else who claimed to be a prophet after him would not be accepted. The Bahais and their founder were persecuted for similar reasons.
Sean
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