Mythology among the Hebrews and Its Historical DevelopmentGoldziher, Ignác
Religion
Mythology among the Hebrews and Its Historical Development
Goldziher, Ignác
Jewish mythology; Judaism -- History -- To 70 A.D.
Abraham and his wife Sarah (the princess or queen of heaven—the Moon as
we shall see) expel Hagar (Gen. XVI. 6). The Moon is jealous of Hagar.
What does Hagar signify in this Hebrew myth? The cognate Arabic language
offers the most satisfactory basis of interpretation of this name.
Hajara, the root of the name Hâgâr, denotes ‘to fly,’ and yields the
word hijrâ, ‘flight,’ especially known from the flight of Moḥammed from
Mecca to Medina. The mythic designation Hâgâr is consequently only one
of the names of the Sun in a feminine form. The battle of the two
figures of the night-sky against Hagar is again that inexhaustible theme
of all mythology, the battle of Day with Night. With respect to this
particular name the Arabic language gives us still further light. While
ġaṭasha denotes both ‘to be dark’ and ‘to move slowly,’ the hot noonday
sun is described by the Arabs by the participle of the verb from which
we have explained the name Hagar, _al-hâjirâ_ or _al-hijîrâ_ ‘the flying
one.’ That this is not mere chance, but is connected with the mythical
order of ideas from which we deduced the designation Hâgâr for the Sun,
is further confirmed by the word barâḥi or birâḥ, also denoting ‘flight’
(from the Hebrew and Arabic root _brḥ_ ‘to flee’), and yet belonging to
the nomenclature of the Sun.
The case is the same with the ‘fugitive and vagabond’ life of Cain;
after the conquest of Abel the Sun wanders from place to place, and
leads a life of unrest and motion till night comes. A reminiscence of
the solar significance of Cain is even found in the Agâdâ, which makes
the sign granted for the safety of Cain to consist in the brightening of
the sun; or, according to another interpretation, in a horn, which grew
up on him from the moment of the promise.[341] It is well known that the
sun’s rays were mythologically called _horns_,—a meaning which the
language preserved.
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