94 Dr. Mitra — Origin of Mytli about Kcrberos. [Mat, 



sun, in dawning beauty, in midday glory, in evening death, and the myth 

 of the sunset to represent the close of life, the dogs could scarcely be called 

 the sons of Dawn, for they would come with the gloaming, and not with 

 the rising sun. It may be said that the word U'sha = Dawn is used for all 

 the three stages of the sun's course, and the succession of the night to the 

 resplendence of the setting sun is what is meant by the affiliation ; but 

 neither Sarama, nor Hermes, nor Echidna, is associated with the gloam- 

 ing. I am disposed to think, therefore, that the solar theory is not by 

 itself sufficient to solve the question. There was something else — something 

 gross and material — in the life of the ancient Aryans which gave rise to the 

 story, and which was subsequently associated with the current solar mytho- 

 logy. And this something I fancy was connected with the funeral rites of 

 the time. 



In the most primitive state of human society the simplest and most 

 convenient mode of disposing of the dead was to fling it into the nearest 

 jungle or wild place, either to rot there, or to be eaten up by wild animals. 

 Carrion birds, jackals, foxes and dogs were the animals which were attract- 

 ed by such castings, and dogs, which had. been domesticated at a very early 

 age, were necessarily associated with the disposal of the dead. In this 

 plan of funeral the element of chance predominated, for it was quite un- 

 certain when the destruction would be completed by stray animals. To 

 obviate this uncertainly, the most primitive form of funeral was, it would 

 seem, at one time so far modified as to facilitate the consumption of the 

 dead in a short time by enticing wild dogs, or employing domestic dogs, for 

 the purpose. Such an expedient would not be by any means extraordinary. 

 In the present day the Parsis cany vultures to such places where there are 

 none, in order that they may be ready at hand to consume the dead in their 

 Towers of Silence. Such enticement or employment of dogs often repeated 

 would consolidate into a tribal or national custom, and the cutting up of 

 the corpse to facilitate rapid consumption would be an innovation that 

 would be easily introduced. 



That such a horrible form of funeral did obtain, and still obtains, in 

 some places is unquestionable. According to Herodotus (Lib. I) " the body 

 of a male Persian is never buried until it has been torn either by a dog or 

 a bird of prey. That the Magi have this custom is beyond a doubt, for 

 they practice it without any concealment", (llawlinson's Herodotus I, 

 140 §). We have the authority of Strabo (Lib. XV) to show that 

 the practice of exposing corpses to be devoured by dogs was current 

 among the Sogdians and the Bactrians, who on this account named their 

 dogs " buriers." Cicero noticed the same among the Hyrcanians. He 

 says — " In Hyrcania plebs publicos alit canes ; optimates, domesticos. Nobile 

 autem genus canum illud scimus esse. Sed pro sua quisque facultate 



