DIE INDISCHEN TEMPELLEGENDEN VON DER SICH MELKENDEN KUH UND DEM BLUTENDEN LHVGAM

Abstract

Two legends connected with much temple building are particularly common
throughout the Indian subcontinent. One is the legend of the cow that milks
itself, and the other is that of the bleeding lingam. The present article examines
the reasons for the popularity of these legends. Both tell of the accidental finding of an idol, usually a svayambhü Iirigam (i.e., a lingam born of itself). Because of their functional identity and their psychological and structural opposition, the two legends have sometimes been joined into one. Their key elements, milk and blood, are in binary opposition on many axes.
The 130-odd versions that have been collected are remarkably similar, and only in rare cases are there inversions. Usually the narrative remains the same, while the component elements may be replaced by equivalent ones.
Although the purpose of these legends is religious, they also reflect the economic and social situation of their creators. The great popularity of these legends seems chiefly due to certain typically Indian Concepts. The legend of the cow that milks itself reflects the cultural importance of milk in association with the sanctity of the cow and the 'abhiseka rite. In the legend of the bleding lingam the cruelty of the wounding corresponds in some features to the character of Siva and of the dlvinities connected with him.