A rishi (ṛṣi) denotes a poet-sage through whom the Vedic hymns flowed, credited also as divine scribes. According to post-Vedic tradition the rishi's a "seer" or "shaman" to whom the Vedas were "originally revealed" through states of higher consciousness. The rishis rose into prominence when Hinduism was in its early flowering, perhaps as far back as four thousand years ago. It's generally agreed upon that some of the very greatest of the ancient rishis were in fact women. According… (More on Rishis)