The Dragons Tattoo

INDIA - HINDU MONKEY LORE
PRE-BUDDHIST MYTHOLOGY

The Sanskrit term Vanara means monkey or forest dweller. Other Sanskrit terms for monkey include Makata and Kapi. In India, the most widely known Vanara is Hanuman, the monkey warrior who appears in the epic Hindu tale Ramayana. Even today, Hanuman is a very popular village god in southern, central and northern India, and artwork of Hanuman can still be found easily in India and other nations in Southeast Asia.

Hanuman is a manifestation (avatar) of the Hindu god Shiva. In one version of the story, Shiva and Parvati ("daughter of the mountain") transform themselves into monkeys and are playing amorous games in the forest when Hanuman is conceived. Since their union took place while in monkey form, Shiva realizes his child will be simian, and instructs Vayu (the wind god) to deposit the gestating seed into the womb of a female monkey named Anjana. Anjana was originally a celestial maiden (apsara) named Punjisthala, but a curse had transformed her into a monkey. Vayu possesses Anjana, with her consent, and she gives birth to Hanuman. Hanuman is thus also called Maruti (son of the wind) and Anjaneya (son of Anjana).

Legend asserts that Hanuman, soon after birth, confused the sun for a fruit that he could eat. When he took flight to catch the sun, he was struck down by a thunderbolt for his foolishness by the Hindu God Indra. The bolt struck Hanuman in the jaw, cutting his cheeks, and henceforth he was called Hanuman (Sanskrit "hanu" means cheek). He lay unconscious until Indra withdrew the bolt's magic to pacify the wind god Vayu, who had sucked away all the air of the cosmos to show his displeasure with Indra. To make amends and placate Vayu, the gods endowed Hanuman with special godlike powers. As Hanuman grows up, he becomes even more invincible, but he is a trickster and is eventually cursed by the sages for his mischievousness -- he is made to forget his powers until reminded of them by others. In the Ramayana epic, Hanuman's fellow vanaras help him recollect his powers, which he uses to aid Rama in rescuing Rama's wife, Sita, from the evil Ravana (the king of the Raksa). Hanuman redeems himself, and becomes a metaphor for bravery, loyalty, and dedication to righteousness.