=== インド・ヨーロッパ祖語 ===
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ヴェーダのルドラは、アポローンと似たような働きをする。 恐ろしい神は「射手」と呼ばれ、弓もまたシヴァ神の属性である<ref>For Śarva as a name of Shiva see: Apte, p. 910.</ref>。ルドラは矢で病気をもたらすこともあったが、人々を病気から解放することもでき、彼に代替するシヴァは医薬神である<ref>For association between Rudra and disease, with Rigvedic references, see: Bhandarkar, p. 146.</ref>。
The [[Vedic]] [[Rudra]] has some similar functions with Apollo. The terrible god is called "the archer" and the bow is also an attribute of [[Shiva]]. Rudra could bring diseases with his arrows, but he was able to free people of them and his alternative Shiva is a healer physician god.<ref>For association between Rudra and disease, with Rigvedic references, see: Bhandarkar, p. 146.</ref> However the [[Indo-European language|Indo-European]] component of Apollo does not explain his strong relation with omens, exorcisms, and with the oracular cult.
==Oracular cult==