A Nyíregyházi Jósa András Múzeum évkönyve 47. (Nyíregyháza, 2005)

Régészet - János Makkay: The Miracle Stag in Ancient Greek mythical stories and their Indo-Iranian counterparts

The Miracle Stag convincingly supports the theory of Gyula László about the origin and later development of mythical beliefs in wondrous stags and hinds amongst very early population groups of the western part of the Eurasian steppic belt. Similar beliefs are known from the Iranian mythology concerning other animals, too, in good accord with archaeological finds, listed above. There is an Avestan story (Yast 6), according to which the astral god Tistriya is described in mythic tales as a boar with golden horns, sometimes as a horse with yellow ears, or as a beautiful youth (DARMESTETER-MILLS 1882/1887. Part I., 1887/ 1992., Ixxiv., the Vendidad, & 36.). Tistrya appears as the bright and glorious (Sirius) star, who goes down to the sea in the shape of a while, beautiful horse, with golden ears and a golden caparison (DARMESTETER-MILLS 1882/1 887. Part II., 1882/1993., 99., the Tir Yast, verses VIII: 18, esp. 20, 26, 30, etc.). According to the Bundahisn, he was converted into three forms, the form of a man, a horse, and of a bull (DARMESTETER-MILLS 1882/1887. Part II., 1882/1993., 99., note 1.). The expression of the while beautiful horse, with a golden caparison perfectly corresponds to the above-mentioned Scythian chamfrons or frontstalls, as for example no. 'e' of my list (Fig. 15), and also to the reconstructions of Gyula László. There are also good Vedic parallels. One hymn writes on the heavenly sacrifical horse to the effect, that it is provided with characteristic body parts of a deer - and also with eagle's wings and claws - (a new appearance was given to the horse). Very simple, this detail speaks about a sacrificial horse, extremely similar in its appearance to Scythian representations (see the list no. 'a' and T above). Moreover, the horse has a gilded or pure gold antler: „Limbs of the deer hadst thou, and eagle pinions. ... Horns made of gold hath he : his feet are iron : ... Thy horns are spread abroad in all directions : ..."

21 Corresponding to this morphological admixture of characteristic body parts of horses and red deers, the hymns of the Rig-Veda also contains details about chariots of deities, instead of horses drawn by harnessed or yoked deers.

28 Vedic and other Indo-Aryan sources used to emphasize not fully accidentally, that if an animal is hornless and furnished with a mane, it is in the form of the horse, for the horse is hornless and furnished with a mane (EGGELING 1894/1996. Part III., 177). Dappled sacrificial horses fly with pinions.

19 since the great bird, doubtless, was the horse.

30 According to the commentary to this line, the horse can be identified with the sacrificed horse, which, in the shape of a bird, carries the Sacrificer up to Heaven. The shape of the altar is that of some large birds -probably an eagle or a falcon (EGGELING 1885/1995. Part IV, p. xxi)

31 -and this is why Agni ('the altar') takes the form of a bird in order to carry the Sacrificer to Heaven. The Ancient Greek parallel presents itself: according to some Greek sources Ganymedes, son of Tros, a Trojan prince, the cupbearer of Zeus was snatched up to the Sky by an eagle {Verg.Aen. 5.255., OLDENBURG 1988,38-39.). :7 Rig-Veda I. CLXIII.I.. 9., 11. = GRIFFITH 1889/1987. I. 230-231. According to the commentary (p. 232) the expression horns made of gold is used figuratively for mane. See the piece listed under /;: horns made in the shape of mane (?). :s Rig-Veda I.XXXIX.

6. = GRIFFITH 1889/1987:1. 60. (Ye to your chariot have yoked the spotted deer: a red deer, as a leader, draws.). Rig-Veda I.LXXXV.5. = GRIFFITH 1889/1987:1. 117. (When ye have harnassed to your cars the spotted deer, ...).- Rig-Veda Ü.XXXIV.3. = GRIFFITH 1889/1987:1. 320. (Maruts with helms of gold ... come with your spotted deer, ...). - Rig-Veda V.L1II.1. = GRIFFITH /1

889/1987:1. 557. (What time their [Maruts"] spotted deer were yoked?). - Rig-Veda V.LV.6. = GRIFFITH 1889/1987:1. 561. (When to your [Maruts'] car-poles ye have yoked your spotted deer, to be your steeds, ...). :

" Rig-Veda VIII. V.33. = GRIFFITH 1889/1987:11. 128. (May dappled horses, steeds who tly with pinions, ...). In the Atharva Veda (Book VI, hymn 92: For success of a horse) the steed goes in Indra's impulse, with mind quickness, that is put in the horse in secret, and goes about committed to the hawk, 'to the wind - with that strength do thou, O steed, being strong, win the race, rescuing in the conflict. WHITNEY 1905/1996. •"' The S'atapatha-Brahmana: XIII.

2.6.15. EGGELING 1900/1994. Part V, 315: the great bird, doubtless, was the horse. " Trasadasyu. the king of Piiru had a horse which was lent to him by the gods Mitra and Varuna, and he (Pfiru) was glad when his horse came storming from afar like a falcon, overtaking all the chariots like the wind: OLDENBERG 1988. 37.