Ancient cosmologies of western countries: Similar to the Puranas
This presentation is about ancient cosmologies which have surprising yet undeniable similarities
to what we find in the Indian Puranas.
That is because there was once a worldwide Vedic culture, which later became fragmented
and misunderstood.
Many such cosmologies do appear very naïve today.
However, upon analysis the original Puranic descriptions are based on an high degree of
spiritual and worldly knowledge.
Its best to familiarise yourself with Puranic cosmology by viewing Astronomy of the Bhagavat
Purana, and Invisible realms in the Vedic Hindu Universe on my channel.
Lets go!
I am going to start with ancient Mesopotamia, because of its huge historical influence over
western civilisation.
The Sumerians believed in a plurality of heavens and earths.
Incantations of the 2nd millennium BCE refers to seven heavens and seven earths, created
by seven generations of Gods.
This is a Babylonian Map of the World: a clay tablet written in Akadian depicting their
known world.
In it, Mesopotamia is surrounded by a circular "bitter ocean”, and seven "regions", depicted
as triangular ‘mountains’’, shown lying beyond the Ocean.
Note that Puranic cosmology similarly includes 7 heavenly divisions in the universe, populated
by successive generations of demigods.
And, the horizontal axis of the Puranic universe includes the earth surrounded by concentric
circles including various types of oceans, and a mountain barrier.
Western Europe The Celtic universe had a number of superior
realms, above the earth.
The earth level is the Mid-world with the 4 directions.
There are also subterranean worlds that could be reached via caves, burial mounds and even
fairy hills.
Again, similar to the Puranas.
Many scholars conclude now that Stonehenge in England once served as a huge solar calendar.
Some take it further.
They suggest that the entire site was the physical representation of -
one month.
With also the annual summer and winter solstices.
Stonehenge might have looked like this about 2400 BCE.
At dawn on the Summer Solstice, the rays of the sun would have shone straight through
to strike the "altar stone" in the centre.
Nearby Avebury includes 2 inner stone circle temples of the sun and moon.
The outer boundary marked a much larger sacred space.
The site may have looked something like this.
There’s a similar site in Goseck, Germany.
It is believed to have been an ancient observatory.
The ancient European Druids were influenced by Indian vaastu.
A great example today is the Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala.
This was shot on high speed on summer solstice.
Check it out!
But there’s a Greek connection too.
Greece Significantly, the Greek god Apollo is the
equivalent to the Vedic sun god Surya.
He was also the god of arts and healing.
The ancient site at Delphi in Greece was once dedicated to Apollo.
The circular building there housed the Oracle – the high priestess: the Pythia.
Pilgrims considered the site as the centre of the cosmos.
It’s worth noting that the architecture of the ancient Greeks includes many circular
‘Stonehenge-like’ buildings.
That is more apparent in overhead plans.
Now compare the circular Chausath Yogini Temple in Morena , India: It was a shrine to the
yoginis, daughters of Parvati and Lord Shiva.
Thus there’s a Shiva lingam within the inner sanctum there.
And note architectural similarities to the mandap of the Sun Temple in Modhera, Gujarat.
The famous Greek Mount Olympus and the Indian Mount Meru are both believed to be abodes
of the gods manifest in this world as a local mountain, but they have links to the celestial
world.
Then there’s the Greek star group - the 7 sisters, called the Sapta rishis in India.
Often known as the Big Dipper today.
Scandinavia Ancient Norse cosmology divides the universe
into nine realms.
The centre of the universe was the great world-tree Yggdrasil and the nine realms either spread
out from the tree or existed in levels stretching from the roots down and side-to-side.
They saw the world as a disc floating on the sea.
In the middle, Yggdrasil was an “axis mundi” making a connection with the cosmos
The Puranic universe describes the 9 different realms of Jambhudvip, and huge trees at the
foot of the central Mt Meru.
Meru is the central axis which also points up to the higher worlds.
And, like Norse cosmology, the world is a disc surrounded by a salt ocean.
It’s also worth noting that the Bhagavad gita describes an upside-down banyan tree
that represents the universe, along with all the material distractions and the need to
progress upwards.
The Gita explains that one who wants to get out of this material existence must know this
tree.
The United States (North America)
The Sioux Indians have 4 ages and a buffalo loses one leg as each age passes.
Presently it only has one leg.
That is exactly what is described in Vedic Hindu scriptures.
The Hopi culture also has 4 ages, which they called the 4 worlds.
Navajo cosmography is very similar to what you find in the Puranas.
Their homeland’s sacred mountain ranges reflect Jambhudvip, the four directions and
the concentric rings of bhu-mandala.
This Navajo sand painting also shows the four directional mountains, surrounding a central
world mountain.
All very interesting you must agree.
Thanks for watching!