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The Prehistoric Gods I 09

“shine,” shows that the word came from the lumin- ous manifestations of nature by day and night, and determines authoritatively the source from which the IndowEumpcans derived their first and most pervasive conception of divine power. On more limited lode-European territory appears another general term, Slavic Zagvi, Old Persian dogs Avestan érrgfia “ god,” Sanskrit Mega “god of for... tune.” ‘ The word is again of clear origin : it means “spender of goods, or blessings.” It contains the abstract conception of a good god, embodying an eternal and never slumbering wish of mankind. The same eastern region of the Indo~European territory has in common another sacred word, used as an attribute of divinity, namely, Avestan (Persian) spams, Lithuanian ss'zxrrztas, Old Slavic weir? “ pure ” or “holy.” This secures for prehistoric religion an important spiritual concept. Two important con- captions expressing sentiment towards the gods, that of reverence (Sanskrit yej‘, Avestan yes, Greek airy in iiGO/xrrz,“revere”), and that of belief (Sanskrit florid/id, Latin credo, Celtic 67mm, “ believe ”) come from old times, though they need not necessarily have been in vogue in every part of the territory

1 The “ Phrygian ” Zeus Bagaios reported by the Greek glosse- grapher I-Iesychios is nothing but the I’ersian Bags; see the author in Transactions of tsz American Pfiilolegz’ral Association, vol. xxxv.,

p. xxxi.