Pages: 255-264

Although the names of Greek Zeus, Roman Jupiter, Indian Dyaus belong with the semantic sphere of brightness of heaven and daylight, it can be shown that some European (and particularly, Indo-European) ethnic groups were also familiar with an idea of the night sky god. Greek, Indian, Iranian and other texts repeatedly mention the eye of the highest god, and there are Sumerian precedents for that. The idea of the eye of god can be related to symbolic representation of the celestial pole with stars revolving around it. With transition to the Iron Age, the earlier symbols and metaphors became attributes of either the Sun or Sky God who turned into the Thunderer. Various motifs of European Bronze Age decorations can be interpreted in similar way. Along with the image of the eye of god, changes in religious preferences and local pantheons also brought about the idea of one-eyed monsters such as Cyclops or Balor.

Keywords: Europe, Bronze Age, Early Iron Age, sky god, celestial pole, all-seeing eye, one-eyed monsters.

Information about author:

Dmitri Panchenko (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Saint Petersburg State University. Universitetskaya Emb., 7—9, Saint Petersburg, 199034, Russian Federation; Higher School of Economics in Saint Petersburg. Soiuza Pechatnikov St., 16, Saint Petersburg, 190008, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]