Ravenous Hyenas and the Wounded Sun: Myth and Ritual in Ancient India

Vedic Sanskrit literature contains a wealth of material concerning the mythology and religious practices of India between 1500 and 500 BCE. a crucial period in the formation of traditional Indian culture. Stephanie W. Jamison here addresses the conditions that have limited our understanding of Vedic myth and ritual, such as the profusion and obscurity of the texts and the tendency on the part of scholars to approach mythology and ritual independently. Tracing two key myths through a variety of texts, Jamison provides insight into the relationship between early Indic myth and ritual as well as offering a new methodology for their study. After a brief survey of Vedic literature and religion, Jamison examines the recurrences of the myths.