In the Great God’s Hair: Translated from the Original Manuscript

F.W. Bain translated this work from the original Sanskrit, and offered this as an introduction, The name of the little Indian gable, here presented to the lover of curiosities in an English dress, is ambiguous. We may translate it indifferently, either: The New Moon in the hair of the God of Gods, or else, She That Reduces the Pride of Gods, Demons, and all the Rest of Creation, that is the Goddess of Beauty and Fortune. To those unfamiliar with the peculiar genius of the Sanskrit language, it might seem singular, that two such different ideas should be expressible by the one and the same word. but it is just in this power of dexterous ambiguity that the beauty of that language lies. Francis William Bain was born on April 29, 1863 and lived until March 3, 1940. He enjoyed a wide variety of pursuits in his life, ranging from being an amateur footballer to serving as a professor of history in British India. Yet he considered himself primarily a writer, specializing in fantasy, which he claimed to have translated from Sanskrit. However, these works were not directly taken from Hindu manuscripts, but were rather a mixture of Orientalism and Bain’s interest in fantasy. Although it was revealed that Bain was lying about the origins of such works as In the Great God’s Hair, his readership was unaffected. However, it is important for readers of to know that the views that this work imparts on marriage, love, and religion, are largely those of Bain’s and not a true reflection of Hinduism.