That Pururavas is regarded as a mortal man, in relations with some sort of spiritual mistress, appears from the poem itself (v. 8, 9, 18). The human character of Pururavas also appears in R. V. i. 31, 4.
54
Selected Essays, i. 408.
55
The Apsaras is an ideally beautiful fairy woman, something ‘between the high gods and the lower grotesque beings,’ with ‘lotus eyes’ and other agreeable characteristics. A list of Apsaras known by name is given in Meyer’s Gandharven-Kentauren, p. 28. They are often regarded as cloud-maidens by mythologists.
56
Selected Essays, i. p. 405.
57
Cf. ruber, rufus, O. H. G. rôt, rudhira, ερυθρος; also Sanskrit, ravi, sun.
58
Myth. Ar. Nat., ii. 81.
59
R. V. iii. 29, 3.
60
The passage alluded to in Homer does not mean that dawn ‘ends’ the day, but ‘when the fair-tressed Dawn brought the full light of the third day’ (Od., v. 390).
61
Liebrecht (Zur Volkskunde, 241) is reminded by Pururavas (in Roth’s sense of der Brüller) of loud-thundering Zeus, εριyδουπος.
62
Herabkunft des Fetters, p. 86-89.
63
Liebrecht (Zur Volkskunde, p. 241) notices the reference to the ‘custom of women.’ But he thinks the clause a mere makeshift, introduced late to account for a prohibition of which the real meaning had been forgotten. The improbability of this view is indicated by the frequency of similar prohibitions in actual custom.
64
Astley, Collection of Voyages, ii. 24. This is given by Bluet and Moore on the evidence of one Job Ben Solomon, a native of Bunda in Futa. ‘Though Job had a daughter by his last wife, yet he never saw her without her veil, as having been married to her only two years.’ Excellently as this prohibition suits my theory, yet I confess I do not like Job’s security.
65
Brough Smyth, i. 423.
66
Bowen, Central Africa, p. 303.
67
Lafitau, i. 576.
68
Lubbock, Origin of Civilisation (1875), p. 75.
69
Chansons Pop. Bulg., p. 172.
70
Lectures on Language, Second Series, p. 41.
71
J. A. Farrer, Primitive Manners, p. 202, quoting Seemann.
72
Sébillot, Contes Pop. de la Haute-Bretagne, p. 183.
id="n50">