which he shakes when he becomes angry (Þrymskviða 1. 6). The verb
employed here, dýja, corresponds to the dhu ̄ used of Indra’s beard-shaking in
RV 2. 11. 17 and 10. 23. 1 and 4.^48
Snorri states that Ása-Thor is always victorious because honum fylgði afl ok
sterkleikr, ‘power and strength followed with him’ (Gylf. 9). In the same way
it is said that the goddess Strength (devı ̄ ́ Távis
̇
i) follows (sis
̇akti) Indra like
the sun the dawn (RV 1. 56. 4). Hesiod says that Zelos, Nike, Kratos, and Bia
(Aspiration, Victory, Power, and Strength) do not dwell or sit or go anywhere
but where Zeus leads the way, and he provides a mythical explanation for this
(Th. 386–401). It may be going too far to postulate a common archetype for
these parallel theological propositions, especially as analogies can be cited
from Semitic hymns.^49 But they deserve notice.
There is one further feature that links Indra, Heracles, and Thor. In each
case we find poetic recitals in which their famous achievements are listed.
From the numerous hymns to Indra in the Rigveda one may cite, for example,
- 33, 130; 2. 14, 15; 4. 16, 19, etc. In Greece whole epics were composed
on Heracles’ deeds, and Euripides in his tragedy on Heracles’ killing of his
children takes the opportunity to rehearse his previous accomplishments in a
choral ode (359–435). Skaldic poets wrote praises of Thor with enumerations
of his deeds.^50 See below, pp. 314–16.
The thunder-weaponThe thunder-god typically wields his own special weapon. It is generally
conceived as a club, mace, or hammer, made of stone or metal. The Anatolian
Tarh
̆
unna is depicted with a club, a battle-axe, or a three-pronged lightning
bolt.^51 Indra’s weapon is most often called a vájra-, probably ‘smasher’, from
the same root as Greek fα ́ γνυμι‘smash, break’. From the Sanskrit comes
Tocharian A was ́ir, B was ́ ̄rı ‘thunderbolt’. This is a very old noun, represented
not only in Avestan vazra- but in the second element of the Greek heroic
name Mele(w)agros. It gives also, as a loan-word in Finno-Ugric, Finnish
vasara‘hammer’ and Mordvinian uzˇer‘axe’.^52 It must originally have denoted
an ordinary club or celt. Another term used for Indra’s weapon is vadhá- (or
(^48) Grimm (1883–8), 177; Güntert (1923), 12; F. Specht, ZVS 65 (1938), 208–10; F. R. Schröder
(as n. 45), 40 f.; Schmitt (1967), 34 f., 185 f.
(^49) West (1997), 305.
(^50) de Vries (1956), i. 439 f. (^51) Gurney (1977), 22; Watkins (1995), 430.
(^52) B. Schlerath, Orbis 24 (1975), 493–518, cf. 26 (1977), 133 f.; Watkins (1995), 332, 411–13;
D. Q. Adams in EIEC 112; aliter Nagy (1974), 124 ≈ (1990), 197.
- Storm and Stream 251