The depiction of gods in Greek and Tamil epics: A comparative study on Homer‟s „The Iliad‟ and Kampar‟s „Kambarāmāyanam‟.”.

Abstract

The depiction of Gods in ‗The Iliad‘ is representative of the heroic and materialistic background that the Greeks emerged in. The Gods were venerated for their power and immortality more than their virtue. They were a class to be won over by prayer and sacrifice. In ‗Kambarāmāyanam‘ the Gods are immortal and powerful. Yet they were moral and presented with the intention of cultivating piety and morality in the reader. The research question of this study is to find in what aspect does the depiction of Gods in Greek epics differ from that of the Tamil epics and interpret the possible reasons for the existence of both similarities and differences among the two. This study is done by gathering relevant information from both Greek and Tamil literary sources. Further reading is done on writings done on the social, cultural and regional backgrounds of the two writers while being conscious of the time gap. Gathered information is analyzed in order to examine the divinity presented in the works themselves- in Homer‘s ‗The Iliad‘ and Kampar‘s ‗Kambarāmāyanam‘ There have been discussions among scholars on the depiction of Greek Gods with that of Rakshasa in ‗Kambarāmāyanam‘ interpreting the Greek gods as mere beings of power and evil. However in this research it is argued that the depiction of gods in relevant epics is a clear reproduction of time and culture that each poet lived in. Moreover the intention of this study is to understand how the two respective cultures presented a common theme through the medium of epic