Re: Aryans and Aryans

Kathryn Aegis (aegis@igc.apc.org)
Fri, 27 Dec 1996 17:57:07 +0000


>I've always heard that "Aryan" as applied to Europeans is pure baloney
>(it belongs properly to India and Iran). Am I behind the times?

This confusion may stem from the myths that have been propogated
around the concept of Aryan. According to ancient history scholars,
two sets of nomadic tribes living on the fringes of the Fertile Crescent
began a series of raids on agricultural tribes in the interior
shortly after developing bronze weaponry. One set of tribes is referred
to as Aryan (I'm blanking on what the others were called). The Aryan
culture was characterized by a worship of war gods symbolized by sun
and sword symbols which supposedly had an effect on Judaism.

The Viking conquests, on the other hand, were originated by bands of
economically dispossessed young men from Iceland and Greenland who
conducted lightening raids along coastal Europe, eventually settling
amongst the communities they raided. All of our words in English
dealing with ordinary household items stem from Viking linguistic
influence.

Thus ends my history lecture for today!

Sin,

Kathryn Aegis