Since our post on dietary choice has sparked some discussion we are placing some “deep-time” “philosophical” points on the matter here. They might not please everyone nor might everyone immediately get some parts of it. If you are one of those move on don't bother. My
Agreed with all of this. Amazing explanation and eminently sensible. Now I wonder why the cow veneration did not stay with other Indo Europeans?
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One thing to be understood is that cow veneration while ancestral to the Indo-Europeans -- seen in Germanics, Greeks, Iranians at least in specific terms it did not mean that bovine was not sacrificed among the Indo-Europeans. Probably the cow itself being needed for bull might
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have not been sacrificed but the male/castrato was. It was in many ways a costly sacrifice to show to the gods that you are giving them something you serious care for. However, I think the utter disregard for the animal stemmed from Abrahamistic influences
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So there was a shared veneration. I'm guessing in jambudvipa it coalesced further into a strict taboo due to the usefulness of bovines on the Gangetic plains, relative to the other domains of Indo Europeans?
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That's possible: intensive farming saw much greater value for live bovines than a quick meal which will not last long. We know from archaeology that the pre-Aryan denizens of southern India herded cattle but did eat them. There is no genetic evidence for them using their milk
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directly, though they might have made curds.
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Thank you.
End of conversation
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