Ragnarok : the age of fire and gravel

LEGENDS OF THE COMING OF THE COMET. 133

and said to Mareechee and his sons (the attendant genii) : ‘A wonderful animal has emanated from my essence ; at first of the smallest size, it has in one hour increased to this enormous bulk, and, without doubt, it is a portion of the almighty power.’ ”

Brahma, an earthly king, was at first frightened by the terrible spectacle in the air, and then claimed that he had produced it himself !

“They were engaged in this conversation when that vara, or ‘boar-form,’ suddenly uttered a sound dike the loudest thunder, and the echo reverberated and shook all the quarters of the universe.”

This is the same terrible noise which, as I have already shown, would necessarily result from the carbureted hydrogen of the comet exploding in our atmosphere. The legend continues :

“But still, under this dreadful awe of heaven, a certain wonderful divine confidence secretly animated the hearts of Brahma, Mareechee, and the other genii, who immediately began praises and thanksgiving. That vara (boar-form) figure, hearing the power of the Vedas and Mantras from their mouths, again made a loud noise, and became a dreadful spectacle. Shaking the full flowing mane which hung down his neck on both sides, and erecting the humid /airs of his body, he proudly displayed his two most exceedingly white tusks; then, rolling about his wine-colored (red) eyes, and erecting his tail, he descended from the region of the air, and plunged headforemost into the water. The whole body of water was conyulsed by the motion, and began to rise in waves, while the guardian spirit of the sea, being terrified, began to tremble for his domain and cry for mercy. *

How fully does this legend accord with the descriptions of comets given by astronomers, the “horrid hair,” the mane, the animal-like head! Compare it with Mr.

* Maurice’s “ Ancient History of Hindustan,” vol. i, p. 304.