Jacob, Alexander: Brahman

A Study of the Solar Rituals of the Indo-Europeans. This supplement to the author's study of Indo-European cosmology ("Âtman", Olms 2005) employs the cosmological insights of the ancient Indo-Europeans to illuminate the various sacrificial, theurgic and gnostic systems that were developed therefrom by the Japhetic Aryans and the Hamitic Egyptians, Sumerians and later Indians. The original yogic understanding of the full macrocosmic dimension of the human microcosm is seen to inform both the Vedic fire-rituals and the later Agamic temple-rituals since they focus equally on the solar force either as contained within the ritual fire or as embodied in divine idols and in human devotees. A consistent picture thus emerges of the apparently diverse religions of the Indo-Europeans. An appendix collects several hymns that exemplify the principal stages of the development of the solar force. IX,291 Seiten, broschiert (Religionswissenschaftliche Texte und Studien; Band 15/Olms Verlag 2012)