I've done some research on the pearl, but not its mythology. There are "pearls" of a sort (one can view these using the Google function) found in the craniums of elephants and thus the big beast is connected with them. As for pearls and "nāgas", I don't know about this, but there is a sort of gem that gets formed in a cobra's head (solidified venom residues?) This also is a gem on the market for centuries in India, I recall. It's the reason why in Tamil literature anyway cobras are said to bring out their "gems" at night to help light their path. As I recall, these look more like rubies...not pearls. Jim Ryan Asian Philosophies and Cultures California Institute of Integral Studies 1453 Mission St. San Francisco, CA 94103 On 04/25/2024 5:56 AM PDT Reich, James David via INDOLOGY <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > Dear Paola, > > Various versions of the myths concerning the origins of pearl are found in > the texts translated by Louis Finot in Les Lapidaires Indiens. > https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.291975/mode/2up > > > There are various types of pearls described in these texts, some of them > seemingly mythical or hypothetical— oyster pearls are only one type . The > myths about oyster pearls usually have something to do with rainwater > dropping into oysters but no lightning, as far as I'm aware. I do vaguely > recall one text describing how to obtain pearls from nāgas, or check if a > pearl is truly from a nāga, and as I recall that process does have something > to do with lightning. But I don't think lightning is present in the formation > of the pearl. Perhaps Eliade confused these stories? > > Best, > James Reich > > > --------------------------------------------- > From: INDOLOGY <[email protected]> on behalf of Paolo E. > Rosati via INDOLOGY <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, April 25, 2024 5:45 AM > To: Indology <[email protected]> > Subject: [INDOLOGY] mythologies of the pearl > > Dear all, > > while I was reading Eliade's Images and Symbols, my attention was struck by > his vague reference to an "oriental mythology", which affirms that the pearl > was born from the penetration of a lightning inside a shell/oyster. > > I think he got this information from Realencyclopädie der Classischen > Altertumswissenschaft (entry: "Margaritai"), but I am not sure at all. > > Can someone indicate a more specific reference to this myth? or to other > myths related to the pearl? > > With my best wishes, > Paolo > > -- > Paolo E. Rosati > PhD in Asian and African Studies > > https://uniroma1.academia.edu/paolo > https://uniroma1.academia.edu/PaoloRosati/erosati/ > https://uniroma1.academia.edu/PaoloRosati/ > [email protected] mailto:[email protected] > > Mobile/Whatsapp: (+39) 338 73 83 472 > Skype: paoloe.rosati > > > _______________________________________________ > INDOLOGY mailing list > [email protected] > https://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology >
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