<p style="text-align: left">Rich Martinez
Professor Lauer
Humanities I 1301
February 21, 2011</p>
<p style="text-align: center">
“Rig Veda – Rigvedic Period”</p>
To understand how an ancient Sanskrit text becomes sacred to followers of the Hindu religion we must first learn of a “band of foreigners that entered the Indian subcontinent and settled throughout the Indus Valley.” (32)  This group of nomadic and pastoral communities spoke Indo-European languages calling themselves “noble people.”(32). <!--more-->and they began their journey traveling the passes of Hindu Kush Mountains and established themselves in small agriculture villages in northern parts of India.
Wealthy individuals in early Aryan society owned extensive herds of cattle.  Horses were considered prize possessions for two reasons; the amount they paid for them and because they did not breed well in these hot and dry climates.  Innovative for their time their farming required artificial systems of irrigation's which in turn required cooperative efforts by many locally as well of those of a higher degree and in most instances these individuals held high religious place within their communities. A common business practice that’s similar with our own local government, state government, federal entities that work with many religious institutions like we see today and how they support one another.
These early “noble people.” (32). didn’t use writing but composed numerous poems and songs and preserved extensive collections of religious and literary works by memorizing them and then passing them orally from one generation to another in their own native sacred language.
Religious scholars believe that the there are four Vedas which are collections of hymns, songs and prayers, and rituals honoring the various gods of the Aryans.  The earliest and most important from this collection is the “Rig Veda, a collection of 1,028 hymns addressed to various Hindu gods.”(65)  Many of these hymns were designed to be sung during specific religious rituals, especially sacrifices and they contain stories about the deed of the Hindu gods.  Hindus believe “that the Vedas were not composed by people, but rather directly revealed, mirroring Christian beliefs about the Bible.”(59)  There have been many translations published for people to read the Rigveda in their native languages.  But like all works of translation the concerns for retaining the original poetic content of the Rigveda continues to prove difficult no different than the various translations of King James Version for practicing Christians today.   These hymns are the major way in which the Aryan people praised their gods.  The subject of the hymns is the personification of the powers of nature below is an example of hymn written in poetic form:
"This light hath come, of all the lights the fairest,
The brilliant brightness hath been born, far-shining,
Urged on to prompt the sun-god's shining power.
Night and Morning clash not, nor yet do linger." (Bloomfield 30).
Very evident in our modern times is the practice of religion and how we sing hymns in Church, and recite certain religious rituals for weddings and funerals alike.  The creation of the Rig Veda like our Bible must have taken place over several centuries and respected by so many as well.
Due to the nomadic nature of the society described it cannot be localized, and in its earliest phase describes tribes that were essentially on the move and historical records set in only after the end of the Vedic period with much of it remaining scarce throughout this time.  Their nomadic abilities to use tools available from their environment helped this group to adapt and cope with demands that came with such early life.
Evident enough in our in society today am I ever again amazed on how this group sustained themselves, and lived from the land to survive.  There is much to be learn from these hard working travelers that were considered nomadic for their times.  If only they could see how we as a society have improved our means of travel for example; how astonished they would be to learn that they could travel in merely minute’s miles away from their villages.
No. 290 - Hymns from the Rig Veda ,

Encaustic and Collage on Wood
<p style="text-align: center">Works Cited</p>
<p style="text-align: left">Doniger, Wendy. “The Hindus: an alternative history”
New York: Penguin Press, 2009. Print
Fiero, Gloria. “The Humanistic Tradition”Vol 1 6e. Ed.
New York: McGraw-Hill Press, 2011. E-Book</p>