Nalayira Divya Prabandham Kaṇnaṇ and Greek Herakles - Union of Binary Oppositions in Fighting with Animals and the Formula for Variation

Abstract

It is mentioned by Greek historian Arrian that Indians worshipped Greek Herakles. The myths related with Greek Herakles like fighting against living creatures and wild animals and displaying their extra-ordinary power against natural elements are all found in the myths of Tamil God Kaṇnaṇ. So it is asserted that the Indian Herakles worshipped by Tamil people is none other than Tamil God Kaṇnaṇ through myths. Greek Herakles with lion head cap becomes Lion headed God in Tamil myth. Thus the binary oppositions between ‘Man and Animal’ and between ‘Man and God’ united as the God with animal headed human body. This research attempts to compare the Greek and Tamil myths with their theories of mythology. Keywords: Greek, Herakles, Krishna, myths, Tamil Kannan