वेदों की प्राचीनता एवं काल-निर्णय / ओरायन (लोकमान्य बाल गंगाधर तिलक - खगोलीय वैदिक शोध)

356 THE ARCTIC HOME IN THE VEDAS.
Avesta by Anquetil; and many attempts have been made not
only to identify the places mentioned therein, but to draw his-
torical conclusions therefrom. Thus Heeren, Rhode, Lassen,
Pictel, Bunsen, Haug and others have recognized in these ac-
counts of the Vendidad, a half historical, half mythical re-
miniscence of the primeval home and the countries known to the
followers of the Avesta, when these Fargards were composed.
Professor Spiegel at first took the same view as Rhode, but
has latterly retracted his opinion. On the other hand, Kiepert,
Breal, Darmesteter and others have shown that no historical
conclusion can be drawn from the description contained in the
first two chapters of the Vendidad; and this view seems to
be now mainly accepted. But it must be borne in mind that
this view was formulated at a time when the Vedic evidence in
support of the Arctic theory, set forth in the previous chap-
ters, was entirely unkown, and when the existence of an
Arctic home in ancient times was not regarded as probable
even on geological grounds, man being believed to be post-
Glacial and the Arctic regions always unsuited for human
habitation. The recent discoveries in Geology and Archæology
have, however, thrown a flood of new light on the subject;
and if the interpretation of the Vedic traditions noticed in
the previous chapters is correct, it will, I think, be readily
admitted that a reconsideration of the Avestic tradition from
the new standpoint is a necessity and that we should not
be deterred from undertaking the task by the recent verdict
of Zend scholars against the views of Bunsen and Haug re-
garding the historical character of the first two Fargards of
the Vendidad.
The first Fargard of the Vendidad is devoted to the enu-
meration of sixteen lands created by Ahura Mazda, the Su-
preme God of the Iranians. As soon as each land was created
Angara Mainyu, the evil spirit of the Avesta, created different
evils and plagues to invade the land and made it unfit for human