Otto Donner
Indernas föreställningar om verldsskapelsen Jemförda med Finnarnes
"Indernas föreställningar om verldsskapelsen Jemförda med Finnarnes" by Otto Donner is an academic treatise written in the mid-19th century. The work explores comparative mythology, specifically focusing on the creation myths of Indian and Finnish cultures, examining their similarities and differences. The main topic centers on how these cultures perceive the origins of the world, drawing connections between their religious beliefs and mythological narratives. The opening of the study introduces the concept of comparative mythology, establishing a framework for analyzing the spiritual development of various peoples. It discusses the significance of the Turanian spirit in relation to the mythologies of the Altaic peoples and their linguistic consciousness, highlighting the shared understanding of divine concepts across different cultures. The text begins with references to Sanskrit texts and Indian cosmology while progressively laying out a comparative analysis with Finnish mythology. Donner illustrates how both mythologies depict cosmic creation and the essential nature of a single unifying principle behind existence, leading to the eventual discussion of figures such as Indra in Indian tradition and their Finnish counterparts.