This talk focuses on the myth of Yamī and her twin‐brother Yama, the first humans, according to Indo‐Iranian (Vedic) tradition, its origin and some aspects of Yamī's behaviour (in particular, her hypersexuality) which betray a number of features of a half‐deity, rather than of a human. On the basis of a linguistic and philological analysis of the dialogue hymn Ṛgveda 10.10, where Yamī attempts to seduce her brother to commit incest, I argue that the mythological status of the twins should be reconsidered.
The Indo‐Iranian Myth of Yamī and Yama's Primordial Incest and its (Non‐)Indo‐European Origins: From Demonic to Human Sexuality?
29.11.2019 15:15 - 16:45
Organiser:
Institut für Südasien-, Tibet- und Buddhismuskunde
Location:
Seminarraum 1 des Instituts für Südasien‐, Tibet‐ und Buddhismuskunde, Universitätscampus, Spitalgasse 2, Hof 2.7, 1090 Wien