Indo european cosmology - order and chaos

[NaturaNaturans]

Indo-European Cosmology

Sometimes I've pondered how our ancestors viewed gods: whether they were literal "men in the sky" whom they worshipped, or if they had a more sophisticated understanding. Therefore, I'll explore this a bit here.

In mythological context, "cosmology" refers to the study of how the universe, cosmos, was created and structured according to a specific cultural or religious belief system. Cosmology in mythology usually explores how the world came into being, how it operates, and how it's organized, based on the mythological narratives and beliefs of a particular culture or religion.

The great void

Völuspá (trans. Bellows):
Sea nor cool waves nor sand there were Earth had not been, nor heaven above, But a yawning gap, and grass nowhere.

Rigveda 10:129 (trans. Doniger):
There was neither non-existence nor existence then there was neither the realm of space nor the sky which is beyond... There was neither death nor immortality then. There was no distinguishing sign of night nor of day.

Hesiot:
It was said that in the beginning of time there was chaos. Chaos existed without form or purpose. And from chaos there came Gaia who was the earth and who created all the land. She was the primordial being of the earth and she would give birth to the heavens, who was known as Uranus.

Click to expand...

So, from all these traditions we see clear similarities, about how the world was created from nothing. The beginning of the universe, or everything, is so unthinkable for us that nobody can do it any better. In Norse mythology, the creation narrative goes something like this:

Ginnungagap describes the primordial state of infinite emptiness or abyss in Norse mythology. It's a state of total disorder and infinity that existed before the universe was created. In Ginnungagap, there is nothing except the potential for creation. From Ginnungagap arose two realms, Niflheim and Muspelheim.
Creation narrative: In Norse mythology, especially in the poem "Voluspá" in the Elder Edda, the creation of the world is described. Creation starts with Ginnungagap and continues with the two realms, Niflheim and Muspelheim, coming into existence. In contrast to Muspelheim, which is the realm of fire and heat, Niflheim is the realm of ice and cold. The name "Niflheim" comes from the Old Norse word "Nifl," meaning "mist" or "fog," and "heim," meaning "world" or "home." It's in the meeting between these that the first beings come into existence. The cosmic cow Audhumbla licks the giant Ymir (the devourer) out of the ice, and he is slaughtered by the three brothers Odin, Vili, and Ve, who shape the earth out of his body parts. Thus, the universe was created by "sacrificing" chaos and transforming it into order. We see a very similar symbolism in the Greek creation narrative.

Logos, Chaos, and Cosmos

Zoroastrianism shares certain concepts that can be compared to the idea of a cosmic order or principle. In Zoroastrianism, Ahura Mazda is the supreme god, representing goodness, light, and truth. Ahura Mazda is the creator of the universe and the source of all goodness and order. In this understanding, Ahura Mazda can be regarded as a form of cosmic principle or logos governing the universe toward goodness and justice. Zoroastrianism also teaches about the struggle between good (Ahura Mazda) and evil (Angra Mainyu or Ahriman).
In Norse mythology, certain concepts can be compared to the idea of a cosmic order or principle. In Norse mythology, there is a belief in fate or "ørlög" that governs the universe. Ørlög can be seen as a form of cosmic destiny or order that affects all actions and events. Destiny is woven by Norns, who are the goddesses who determine fate.

The word "chaos" originates from Greek mythology and philosophy. It comes from the Greek word "χάος" (pronounced "khaos"), meaning "void," "abyss," or "disorder." In Greek mythology, chaos referred to the original state of disorder and emptiness that existed before the universe was created. In Hesiod's work "Theogony," as mentioned earlier, chaos is described as the original state where everything was in disorder, and nothing was defined or organized. It was only through cosmic forces and divine action that chaos was shaped and structured, and the universe took shape.

Etymologically, the word "chaos" comes from the Greek verb "χαίνω" (pronounced "khaino"), meaning "to yawn open," "to gape," or "to make empty."
The word "cosmos" also comes from Greek, from the word "κόσμος" (pronounced "kosmos"). Originally, it had a broad meaning referring to world order, beauty, and harmony. Etymologically, it's related to the verb "κοσμέω" (pronounced "kosmeo"), meaning "to arrange" or "to adorn." In Greek philosophy, the term "cosmos" was used to describe the ordered and harmonious structure of the universe. This included both the physical world and the moral and social order. According to this philosophy, the cosmos was an expression of perfect harmony and balance.


I've read Aurelius' meditations where he describes "unright" actions, behavior, and conduct as "ungrammatical (that which goes against "all-nature")." Since logos (order) also means word, I find this interesting.

 

In the beginning was Logos, and Logos was with God, and Logos was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Concept of God

The fundamental Indo-European root for divine creation is *dheh1, meaning "to set in place, lay down, or establish", as evidenced in the Hittite expression nēbis dēgan dāir ("... established heaven (and) earth"), the young Avestan formula kə huvāpå raocåscā dāt təmåscā? ("What skillful artificer made the regions of light and dark?"), the name of the Vedic creator god Dhātr, and possibly in the Greek name Thetis, presented as a semi-divine goddess in Alcman's poetry. The concept of the cosmic egg, symbolizing the primordial state from which the universe arises, is also found in many Indo-European creation myths. A similar description of the appearance of the universe before the act of creation is also found in the Vedic, Germanic, and partly in the Greek tradition.

The basic word for "god" in Proto-Indo-European is *deiwós ("celestial"), itself a derivative of *dei- ("to shine, be bright"). On the other hand, the word for "earth" (*dʰéǵʰōm) has roots in both "earthly" and "human", as evidenced particularly in the Latin cognates humus and homo. This suggests a hierarchical perception of humanity's status in relation to the gods, confirmed by the use of the term "mortal" (*mr̩tós) as a synonym for "human" as opposed to the never-dying gods in Indo-European traditions. The idea is expressed in the Homeric phrase "of the immortal gods and of men who walk on earth".
(wiki)

A Monistic Understanding of Gods

So, these are just my thoughts, but I suspect that Indo-European traditions operated with a monistic or pantheistic understanding of gods, rather than a polytheistic one.
Dyeius Pater (sky-father) gave rise to a variety of gods, illustrated below:



Odin was known as All-father. Prajapati is also known as "Father of all creatures", and his role as a creator figure and deity with a central role in cosmology can be compared to Odin's role as Allfather in Norse mythology. Zeus plays a similar role in Greek mythology. My theory is that all gods (their offspring) are aspects of this one god - the Allfather who gave life to everything, and not literally a "man in the sky."

Hymn to Zeus – Cleanthes, ca. 3th century bc

Translated by Stephen Hanselman

Spoiler

 

Most honored of immortals, many-named one, ever omnipotent,

Zeus, prime mover of nature, steering all things by your law,

Greetings! For it is proper for all mortals to speak to you:

For we all descend from you, bearing our share of your likeness

We alone, of all mortal creatures that live and move on earth.

So, I shall make song of you constantly and sing forever of your might.

Truly, this whole universe, spinning around the earth,

Obeys you wherever you lead, and willingly submits to your rule;

Such is the servant you hold in your unconquerable hands,

A double-edged, fiery, ever-living thunderbolt.

For by its strikes all the works of nature happen.

By it you direct the universal reason, which pervades all things

Intermixing with the great and small lights of the heavens.

Because of this you are the greatest, the highest ruler of all.

Not a single thing that is done on earth happens without you, God,

Nor in the divine heavenly sphere nor in the sea,

Except for what bad people do in their foolishness.

But you know how to make the crooked straight

And to bring order to the disorderly; even the unloved is loved by you.

For you have so joined all things into one, the good and the bad,

That they all share in a single unified everlasting reason.

It is shirked and avoided by all the wicked among mortals,

The wretched, who ever long for the getting of good things,

Neither see nor hear God's universal law,

By which, obeying with understanding, they could share in the good life.

But instead they chase after this and that, far from the good,

Some in their aggressive zeal for fame,

Others with a disordered obsession with profits,

Still others in indulgence and the pleasurable exertions of the body.

[They desire the good] but are carried off here and there,

All the while in zealous pursuit of completely different outcomes.

But bountiful Zeus, shrouded in dark clouds and ruling the thunder,

Protect human beings from their ruinous ignorance;

Scatter it from our souls, grant that we might obtain

True judgment on which you rely to steer all things with justice;

So that having won honor, we may honor you in return,

Constantly singing of your works, as it is proper

For mortals to do. For neither mortals nor gods have any greater privilege

Than to make everlasting song of the universal law in justice.

 

 

 

Ill end it with a reconstuction of the indo-european creation myth done by David Anthony, «the horse, the wheel and the language» p. 132:


Sources: some wiki articles (can link if somebody wants), a little use of chatgpt, the ones mentioned in texts.

Edited March 26 by NaturaNaturans