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The term *H₂n̥gʷʰis, reconstructed from Proto-Indo-European, refers to a 'serpent' and may also be the name of a mythological multi-headed sea serpent or dragon defeated by the hero Trito with assistance from the god Perkʷunos.[1] This narrative is central to many Indo-European mythologies, featuring a common theme where a thunder god and a great hero battle a massive serpentine creature. The Proto-Indo-European root *h₂engʷʰ-, from which *H₂n̥gʷʰis is derived, is used across various traditions to signify the serpent.

In Hittite mythology, a similar story involves the dragon Illuyanka, defeated by the thunder god Tarḫunna. This tale, found in ancient Hittite tablets, is linked to the Hattian spring festival Puruli. According to Katz (1998), Illuyanka's name is probably a compound, consisting of two words for "snake", Proto-Indo-European *h₁illu- and *h₂engʷʰ-. The same compound members, inverted, appear in Latin anguilla "eel". The *h₁illu- word is cognate to English eel, and *h₂engʷʰ- is related to Sanskrit ahi and Avestan aži.[2]

Indo-Iranian mythologies share this motif, with the snake's name stemming from the same root, evident in languages and tales across the region. For instance, in Zoroastrianism and Persian mythology, the hero Fereydun defeats Zahhak, known for his serpent-like characteristics[3]. Similarly, the Vedic god Indra overcomes the serpent Vṛtrá, known as Ahi, who causes a drought by withholding waters, reflecting the story's widespread influence.[4]

The linguistic descent of the term for "snake" from Proto-Indo-European to various Indo-European languages illustrates the widespread nature of this mythological theme. Despite the variance in names and specifics, the underlying story of a heroic battle against a serpentine foe is a recurring motif. This extends to Slavic, Irish, Albanian, and Armenian mythologies, where similar tales involve dragons or serpents, often with names unrelated to *H₂n̥gʷʰis but sharing the same serpent or dragon symbolism. These narratives underscore the commonalities among Indo-European mythologies, highlighting a shared cultural heritage that transcends linguistic and geographical boundaries.

References[]

  1. Lincoln, Bruce (August 1976). "The Indo-European Cattle-Raiding Myth". History of Religions. 16 (1): 42–65. doi:10.1086/462755. JSTOR 1062296. S2CID 162286120.
  2. Katz, J. (1998). "How to be a Dragon in Indo-European: Hittite illuyankas and its Linguistic and Cultural Congeners in Latin, Greek, and Germanic". In Jasanoff; Melchert; Oliver (eds.). Mír Curad. Studies in Honor of Calvert Watkins. Innsbruck: Institut für Sprachwissenschaft der Universität Innsbruck. pp. 317–334. ISBN 3-85124-667-5.
  3. http://www.ensani.ir/fa/content/202551/default.aspx
  4. West, Martin L. (2007). Indo-European Poetry and Myth. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-928075-9.
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