*H₂n̥gʷʰis

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*H₂n̥gʷʰis
mythological serpent
Equivalents
Greek equivalent	Zmei
Hinduism equivalent	Vritra
Hittite equivalent	Illuyanka
Zoroastrian equivalent	Zahhak
Armenian equivalent	Vishap

*H₂n̥gʷʰis is a reconstructed

Evidence

A unifying characteristic of most Indo-European descendant mythologies is a story about a battle between a god of thunder, the great hero and a huge serpentine creature. Indo-Iranian and probably also Hittite traditions use the same Proto-Indo-European root *h₂engʷʰ-, whence *h₂n̥gʷʰis, to denote the serpent.

Hittite mythology

Possible

. According to Katz (1998), Illuyanka's name is probably a compound, consisting of two words for "snake", Proto-Indo-European *h₁illu- and *h₂engʷʰ-. The same compound members, inverted, appear in Latin anguilla "eel". The *h₁illu- word is cognate to English eel, and *h₂engʷʰ- is related to Sanskrit ahi and Avestan aži.^[2]

Indo-Iranian mythologies

In Indo-Iranian traditions name of a snake stems from the same root, which is reconstructible in

In Hindu mythology, the Vedic god Indra slays the multi-headed serpent Vṛtrá, which has been causing a drought by trapping the waters in his mountain lair.^[4] In the

*Háǰʰiš, and in turn, of Proto-Indo-European *h₂n̥gʷʰis.

Descendant tree

• PIE: *h₂engʷʰ- → *h₂n̥gʷʰis, “snake”^[5]
  • Proto-Indo-Iranian: *Háǰʰiš, “id.”
    • romanized: ahi, epithet of Vṛtrá
    • Avestan: 𐬀𐬲𐬌⸱𐬛𐬀𐬵𐬁𐬐𐬀, romanized: aži.dahāka
      • Parthian: 𐫀𐫋𐫅𐫍𐫀𐫃, romanized: ažδahāg (borrowing)
        • Persian: اژدها, romanized: aždahā
  • (probably) Hittite: Illuyanka

As for other related Indo-European myths, slayed serpents usually bear names etymologically unrelated to *h₂n̥gʷʰis, but they frequently have a same meaning "snake, serpent": In most

in Macedonian fairytales. In Irish mythology, Oilliphéist (Irish: ollphéist, from Irish oll 'great', and péist 'worm, monster, reptile')^[6] are the sea monsters of similar type, the most prominent of which was Caoránach, who was expelled by Saint Patrick to Lough Dearg in Donegal, Ulster.^[7][8] The name of similar Albanian mythical creatures Kulshedra (kulshedër; def. kulshedra), who were slain by heroes drangue, derives from Latin chersydrus, which roughly translates to an "amphibious snake".^[9][10] Armenian dragon

Old Armenian: վիշապ), who was slain by Vahagn, derives its name from an Iranian language,^[11] and can also mean "leviathan", "whale", or "Draco

".

See also

• Trito
• Manu and Yemo
• Hercules
• Vahagn
• Yamata no Orochi a similar myth in Shinto

References

1. ^ Lincoln 1976, pp. 63–64.
2. ISBN 3-85124-667-5
   .
3. ^ Kajani Hesari, Hojjat. "Mythical creatures in Shahnameh". Retrieved July 10, 2016.
4. ^ West 2007, pp. 255–257.
5. ^ Mallory & Adams 1997, p. 530.
6. ^ Mahon, Michael Patrick (1919). Ireland's Fairy Lore. Boston, Mass., T.J. Flynn & company. p. 187.
7. ^ O'Connor, Daniel (1879). Lough Derg and Its Pilgrimages: With Map and Illustrations. J. Dollard. p. 131.
8. ISBN 978-1-60868-217-1
   .
9. ^ Elsie (2001a), "Kulshedra", A Dictionary of Albanian Religion, Mythology, and Folk Culture, pp. 153–156.
10. ^ Fishta, Elsie & Mathie-Heck (2005), p. 435.
11. ^ Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1979), “վիշապ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), volume IV, 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press, pages 341ab

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