Historicity of The Flood

[Periannan Chandrasekaran]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Yaroslav V. Vassilkov [mailto:yavass at YV1041.SPB.EDU]
> Sent: Thursday, June 10, 1999 5:10 AM
> To: INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK
> Subject: Re: Historicity of The Flood
>
>>
> There is one significant difference: Sanskrit versions
> contain no mention of
> any bird sent to look for a dry land. However birds appear in
> some tribal
> Indian flood myths: e.g., God sends two birds to see are
> there any survivors
> after the flood, the birds perch on the "ark" (hollow log)
> and hear the voices
> of children (survivors) inside (Kamars). It is tempting to
> view in this light
> the well-known IVC representation of a ship with two birds on it.
>
> Even without the "bird" motif, there are too many
> similiarities between Indian
> and Mesopotamian flood myths and this points to some kind of genetic
> connection.
>

I think there *may* be a bird motif in the Tamil version of a *similar*
incident
described in the cangkam text (<3rd century AD?)
paripADal poem #3 addressed to tirumAl (viSNu):
"
uzi Azik kaN iru nilam uru kezu
kEzalAy maruppin2 uzutOy enavum
mA vicumpu ozuku pun2al vaRaLa an2n2ac
cEvalAyc ciRakarp pularttiyOy en2avum" (paripADal:3:...)

kEzal = wild boar; an2n2ac cEval = male swan;
txln: " ...[you] who, as the fearsome wild boar, plowed the earth
during the apocalyptic flood with the tusk and
who, as the male swan, dried [the earth]
the waters poured by the great skies  with the wings".

Regards,
Chandra



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