Vedic Metre in its Historical Development c14.88

c14.88

The frequency of ‘contamination’ in the popular Rigveda has already been used as evidence of date in Chapter II: in other points the metre of that period is in close agreement with that of the cretic period. On the other hand the provisional theory of an ‘archaic period’ receives confirmation from the appearance of a great number of new features which are seen to characterize the groups assigned to this period: and the examination of these details promises to supply us with the means of defining with considerable accuracy the list of hymns which should be assigned to this period. For the intermediate periods we can only expect to trace the history in its broader outlines.