[Cronos]

Higher beings exist simultaneously? I kind of disagree with that as most primitive gods do tend to have been originally men elevated to divine status because of their deeds (think Gilgamesh, Heracles etc.). Indra must have been a chieftain or a line of chieftains taking that name, similar to what happened in Egypt with the house of Osiris and Amun-Ra.

Similarly Rama of the Ramayana is quite clearly a human hero, elevated to Godhood because of his deeds. We see the same thing happening to the Buddha even though he insisted that he was not divine.

[little jeremiah]

I have to leave for a two day trip in half an hour. I would be glad to discuss this when I come back, if you're still around. Have been a student of the Vedas for more than 30 years, if you're interested in a Vedic perspective - not just scholarly (I wouldn't call myself in any way a scholar, I don't read Sanskrit) but a student.