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Aesir-asura Correspondence





LINGUISTICS


  • ansuz. The plural of this Proto-Germanic word was '''---ansiwiz''', which by regular sound changes into ''æsir''.


  • ''', where '''---''' is the zero-grade form equivalent to the Gemanic '''---ansu-''', both from a Proto-Indo-European root '''---H2ensu-'''. In Sanskrit, '''' (PIIr '''---''') means "vital spirit" or "life", and is presumably related, suggesting a common meaning "spirit".



MEANING


Both words describe a family of divine beings, the Æsir is the pantheon of the principal Norse Gods , and Asuras are a group of Hindu Demons . Each group is set up against another group of gods; the Æsir warred with the Vanir , whereas the Asuras oppose the Devas . In Norse mythology the Æsir are generally approved of (and worshipped) while the asuras have a more negative reputation in the Indian religions. However, the use of ''ahura'' to refer to the greatest god of Zoroastrianism implies that the word once had more favorable connotations.

The relationship between the Æsir and Vanir parallel the Asuras and Devas in another way; like the Æsir, the Asuras were associated in Vedic myth with human phenomena (contracts, the arts, fate), while the Vanir, like the Devas, are associated with the natural world (such as Njord and Freyr, associated with fertility).


REFERENCES

  • Watkins, Calvert. 2000. The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots. New York, Houghton Mifflin.



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