Another Avatar of Mātariśvan? On the Hesychian Gloss Ἴθας, Ἴθαξ (ι 387 L)
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Article in proceedings › Research › peer-review
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Another Avatar of Mātariśvan? On the Hesychian Gloss Ἴθας, Ἴθαξ (ι 387 L). / Massetti, Laura.
Proceedings of the 29th Annual UCLA Indo-European Conference. ed. / David Goldstein; Stephanie Jamison; Brent Vine. Bremen : Hempen Verlag, 2019. p. 147–162.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Article in proceedings › Research › peer-review
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TY - GEN
T1 - Another Avatar of Mātariśvan? On the Hesychian Gloss Ἴθας, Ἴθαξ (ι 387 L)
AU - Massetti, Laura
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - The ancient lexicographer Hesychius (ι 387 L) preserves an isolated tradition on a character named Íthas or Íthaks, namely: ‘herald of the Titans, Prometheus’. I propose that Íthas and Íthaks reflect substantivizations or transferred epithets, which can be traced back to IE *h2ei̯dh “to kindle,” cf. αἴθω “to kindle.” The association between ‘kindling / producing warmth’ and Prometheus results consistent with Prometheus’ role in the fire-myth. In Hesiod, he steals fire using a “hollow fennel stalk”; therefore, he is considered the inventor of fire sticks by later authors, (Diod. 5.67.2). The association between Íthas/Íthaks (: Prometheus) and the function “herald” can be understood referring to two striking traits Prometheus has in common with Mātariśvan, the protagonist of the Vedic fire-theft episode: Mātariśvan, who is often identified with the fire-god Agni, is called “messenger.” Furthermore, the discovery of fire is connected with the act of kindling, denoted by Ved. sam edh (cf. samídh “fire stick”), etymologically related to Gk. aíthō and, consequently, to Íthas/Íthaks.
AB - The ancient lexicographer Hesychius (ι 387 L) preserves an isolated tradition on a character named Íthas or Íthaks, namely: ‘herald of the Titans, Prometheus’. I propose that Íthas and Íthaks reflect substantivizations or transferred epithets, which can be traced back to IE *h2ei̯dh “to kindle,” cf. αἴθω “to kindle.” The association between ‘kindling / producing warmth’ and Prometheus results consistent with Prometheus’ role in the fire-myth. In Hesiod, he steals fire using a “hollow fennel stalk”; therefore, he is considered the inventor of fire sticks by later authors, (Diod. 5.67.2). The association between Íthas/Íthaks (: Prometheus) and the function “herald” can be understood referring to two striking traits Prometheus has in common with Mātariśvan, the protagonist of the Vedic fire-theft episode: Mātariśvan, who is often identified with the fire-god Agni, is called “messenger.” Furthermore, the discovery of fire is connected with the act of kindling, denoted by Ved. sam edh (cf. samídh “fire stick”), etymologically related to Gk. aíthō and, consequently, to Íthas/Íthaks.
KW - Faculty of Humanities
KW - Fire-myth
KW - Prometheus
KW - Hermes
KW - Indo-European
KW - Hesychius
KW - Mythology
M3 - Article in proceedings
SN - 978-3-944312-64-4
SP - 147
EP - 162
BT - Proceedings of the 29th Annual UCLA Indo-European Conference
A2 - Goldstein, David
A2 - Jamison, Stephanie
A2 - Vine, Brent
PB - Hempen Verlag
CY - Bremen
ER -
ID: 218583496