Indo-European Studies 1
1.
Describe several of the factors that define a culture as Indo-European and how
those defining factors are useful in understanding that culture. (minimum 300
words)
Above all else “Indo-European” as defined by Jaan Puhvel is “a linguistic term
denoting the comparativistically reconstructable proto language that underlies
the Indic, Iranian, Tocharian, Anatolian, Armenian, Greek, Italic, Celtic,
Germanic, Baltic, and Slavic language groups” (Puhvel, 33). We are left
with the irritating fact that language and culture are not one in the same.
Yet, one may use language comparisons as one would use mythological
comparisons to find the underlying commonalities and thus recreate, to a greater
or lesser degree, a cohesive idea of the culture.
What kinds of linguistic commonalities can we identify that may shed some light on
shared aspects of Indo-European culture? Of paramount importance are the
wheel and the horse. We see cognates throughout IE languages. David
Anthony posits in his work The
Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes
Shaped the Modern World
that it was he domestication of the horse that first allowed the Proto
Indo-European people to migrate at all and that it was their development of
cart-technology that spread their culture from the steppes throughout Europe.
By easing transportation and commerce, through use of horse and wheel, the
PIE culture became dominant.
Making assumptions about a culture based on comparative linguistics is necessarily
risky. As one reads about the Indo-Europeans, one thing becomes abundantly
clear. Much of this work is conjecture. There is little fact upon
which to build. And each successive generation of scholars has a slightly
different take on the material and new presumptions and as common as mushrooms
after a rain. As we in ADF move forward, we much be prepared to accept new
ideas. We must not cling to old scholarship or comfortable ideas.
Since our ranks do not include many true scholars, and only a handful of
actual linguists we are dependant on not just the work of others, but also on
the interpretation of that work by others.
References:
Anthony, David W. The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes
Shaped the Modern World. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2007. Print.
Puhvel, Jaan. Comparative Mythology. 2nd. ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993.
Print.
2.
George Dumezil's theory of tripartition has been central to many modern
approaches to Indo-European studies. Outline Dumezil's three social functions in
general, and as they appear in one particular Indo-European society. Offer your
opinion as to whether you believe Dumezil's claim that tripartition is central
to IE cultures. (minimum 300 words)
The theories of Dumezil were an outgrowth of the work done by Emilie Durkheim
and Marcel Mauss who was a longtime mentor and close associate of Dumezil.
Durkheimian principle asserts that elements, such as places, situations,
and events, that find expression in myth represent important social and
cultural aspects of the people that engender the myths. Dumezil’s position
was that the earliest Indo-European societies shared “collective
representations.” The stratified, hierarchical, tripartite social
organization were characteristic of these societies. The three strata
outlined by Dumezil and referred to as “function” were a priestly
function, a warrior function, and a herding/cultivating function
(often referred to n ADF as a producer function). Each individual
classification was represented by a group of gods.
The spheres of influence of each of the functions is as follows, according to the
precedence given to each function within IE society as set forth by Dumezil. The
first function, the priestly stratum, were concerned with maintaining order,
judicial as well as magico-religious. The second function or warrior
strata dealt with physical superiority and prowess. The third, least
important function handled the sustenance of the people-the growing of crops and
raising of livestock as well as maintaining physical well-being. As Scott
Littleton points out, “underlying this functionally interrelated, tripartite
social and supernatural system was a tripartite ideology: a tendency to conceive
of phenomena in general as divided into three interrelated categories, defined
in terms of the three above mentioned ‘functions’ “ (Littleton 148).
IE Indian society was broken into four central castes: Brahmins (priests),
Ksatriyas or Rajputs (warriors), Vaisyas (cultivators), and Sudras (those who
serve). Only the first three castes are referred to as Arya, or human.
Sudras were considered outcasts and the caste was composed predominantly
by conquered peoples. Dumezil sees in the early Indian religious texts,
namely the Rg Veda though the pattern is repeated in the Vedas and even in the
later Mahabharata, a divine reflection of this social stratification.
At the top of the heap, panthen-wise, are Varuna(keeper of the
magico-religious order) and Mitra(concerned with the legal side of rulership).
These gods, according to Dumezil, reflect the brahmin caste within the
society. The second function is performed among the ranks of the gods by
the Maruts especially by Indra. Indra, like the Norse Thor, leads
armies and defeats terrible monsters, triumphing by wielding his superior
strength. he, again like Thor, is the mythic representation of the
Ksatriya caste. On the bottom rung of the ladder of importance are the
Asvins, the divine twins who deal with all manner of plant, animal, and human
fertility and well-being.
Personally, I find the Dumezilian tripartite functions a convenient way to look at myths
from across cultures. Whether his theories are useful when evaluating the
historic peoples is debateable. There are plenty of ways in which IE
cultures and mythologies seem to violently diverge from his stratification.
Too many IE gods fulfill multiple functions to fit neatly into one stratum
or another. Ultimately any theory can be bent to fit whatever position an author
would like to assume. Regardless Dumezil's theories are a useful
tool for looking at religions as a whole, but they are just one tool we use when
reconstructing IE religion.
References:
Littleton, Scott. "The Comparative Indo-European Mythology of George Dumezil." Journal
of the Folklore Institute. Vol. 1.No. 3 (Dec. 1964): 147-166. Print.
3.
Choose one Indo-European culture and describe briefly the influences that have
shaped it and distinguish it from other Indo-European derived cultures. Examples
include migration, contact with other cultures, changes in religion, language,
and political factors. Is there any sense in which this culture can be said to
have stopped being an Indo-European culture? (minimum 300
words)
The Greeks are a fascinating example of the fluidity of IE cultural lines.
Greek mythology is, in many ways, the benchmark by which other mythologies
are evaluated. Most modern westerners are familiar with the greek myths
and have at least a passing understanding of the contributions of the Greeks to
western philosophy and culture. However, upon closer study, Greek culture
is difficult to pin down for all the invasions, migrations, and general
absorption of other cultures and lines of thought. Jaan Puhvel breaks down his
examination of Greece into the following, “The three main components of ancient
Greek culture in general, and of myth in particular, may be described as
substratal (“Aegan,” “Pelasgian,” “Minoan” in Crete), superstratal
(Indo-European Greek), and adstratal (the steady seepage from Asia Minor and
points farther east” (Puhvel, 127). Puhvel points to 2000 B.C.E. as
the start of the influx of IE Greek-speakers. He sees that influx as
generally completed by the arrival of the dorians around 1200 B.C.E. Crete
was generally a separate deity until the mainland Greeks established their
presence circa 1400 B.C.E. By the end of the Helladic period (1400-1060
B.C.E.) the southern and central areas of Greece shared a primitive style of
literacy. About this time the Greeks were settling into parts of Asia
Minor giving that culture entre into IE Greek culture. Despite massive
colonization all over the place, including toward the Black Sea, Italy, and
Gaul, Greek firmly maintained their identity as Greeks. Puhvel
refers to Greek as second only to Lithuanian as the most ancient living IE
language.
We can find two sides to Zeus. On one hand there is the clearly IE Zeus in
control of clouds and thunder who enforces oath-keeping and sits in judgement.
there is also the parallel Cretan Zeus who lived in a cave and was suckled
by goats in a very vegetation-god manner.from this we can see that the original
PIE mythic figure, di-we,
absorbed an indigenous Cretan god, in the classic Greek style of absorbing
the new into their Greek whole. As Puhvel states, “Greek culture is a
matter not of preserving but of becoming, not so much of interrelation as of
fusion, in short,a new synthesis” (126-7).
Despite our excessive familiarity with Greek mythology, it is perhaps the most difficult
IE culture to fit into DUmezil’s tripartite structure. An example given by
Scott Littleton of how difficult it can be to fit Greek mythology into the
structure is Zeus. Zeus manifests both first and second function
attributes. He achieves his ends through a combination of magico-religious
authority as well as physical strength, not to mention the Cretan Zeus who is a
third function figure (but not addressed by Littleton). Dumezil pointed to
the work of Plato for examples of tripartition in Greek culture claiming that
Plato’s four categories of classes in his ideal society (as laid out in his
Republic)
must have been based on actual class distinctions. Those Platonic classes
were: priests and lawmakers, soldiers and guardians, laborers, and artisans.
Dumezil combined the laborers and artisans to fit into his
framework.
And, of course, there is the story of the judgement of Paris. Paris must choose
between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite.Each goddess offers him a gift. Hera offers
him kingship (first function), Athena offers him military victory(second
function) and Aphrodite offers him earthly delights (third function).
Shunning the first and second function goddesses, his preference for the
third function dooms Troy(but it was probably worth it).
Can Greek culture be said to have, at some point, ceased to be IE? Of course.
Once Christianity raised its head and spread its influence, all bets were
off and the IE module of synthesis and adsorption ended.
References:
Littleton, Scott. "The Comparative Indo-European Mythology of George Dumezil." Journal of the Folklore Institute.
Vol. 1.No. 3 (Dec. 1964): 147-166. Print.
Puhvel, Jaan. Comparative Mythology. 2nd. ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993. Print.
4.
Choose one other Indo-European culture and compare and contrast it to the
culture discussed in question 3 above with respect to each culture's
Indo-European nature. (minimum 300 words)
Comparing greek and norse cultures is likely a tricky exercise, but as they are the two
with which I am most familiar, it only makes sense. While a tripartite
dissection of Greek culture may have proved tenuous, within a Norse context, by
which I am referring to Germanic and Scandinavian peoples, it is fairly simple
to identify.
Where Zeus is a fence sitter between first and second functions, depending on which
version of him one addresses, Odhinn and Tyr are clearly ensconced as first
function deities involved in oath- and order-keeping as well as magical
undertakings.
Ares serves as the Greek divine manifestation of the second function, the
warrior caste. Athena also find a place in the second function, though she,like
Zeus, may fit in multiple tiers. For the Norse peoples, Thor served
that function. Thor dominates giants, monstrous serpents and the forces of
nature through his physical superiority and weaponry.
The third function becomes slightly more confused within a Greek context though
Dumezil points to the dioscuri, Castor and Pollux, based on his assertion that
the third function is often filled by Divine Twins. Additionally, Castor
and Pollux have earth-connections as they are the children of Leda who was
seduced by Zeus in the form of a swan and her children were hatched from eggs.
In his work Gods
of the Ancient Northmen
Dumezil identifies Njord and Frey as the third function deities. This
seems odd to me as Frey and Freya are in fact twins. However, Dumezil does
refer to Freya in a third function context. He is preoccupied with the
role of Frey and Njord as the hostages from the Vanir (gods of the earth and
fertility-totally third function the lot of them) exchanged with the Aesir to
end the war between the two races of gods. It is a staple of Dumezilian
theory that the third function gods battles with the first and second function
gods and only at the conclusion of the war can they be integrated into the
tiered society.
References:
Dumezil, Georges. Gods of the Ancient Northmen.
Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: University of California Press, 1973. Print.
Littleton, Scott. "The Comparative Indo-European Mythology of George Dumezil." Journal
of the Folklore Institute.
Vol. 1.No. 3 (Dec. 1964): 147-166. Print.
5.
From its beginnings, ADF has defined itself in relation to Indo-European pagan
traditions. What relevance do you think historical and reconstructed IE
traditions from the past have in constructing or reconstructing a Pagan
spirituality for the present and future? (minimum 600 words)
For
my eighth birthday all I wanted was an unabridged edition of Bulfinch's
Mythology.
Some of the first books I picked up on my own when an early reader were
books of Greek and Roman mythology aimed at young readers. By eight years
old I wanted the real deal, no more yong reader versions. The myths of our
ancestors are powerful, they are compelling, they can call to us through time.I
think many of us in the modern Pagan movement have felt that same connection to
the old stories.
The
poet T.S. Eliot referred to what he called the Mythic Method. In a
nutshell the mythic method says that the ancient mythological motifs communicate
to us on a subconscious level. Eliot asserted that the motifs reflected in
mythology were symbols of the deepest currents of human experience and
indicative of the biggest truths of existence. When a writer references
this mythological material, no matter how much in passing, he or she is
accessing all of that material and the work connects with the reader on the
deepest level. Sounds like religion to me!
With
repetition, actions gain ease, beliefs gain strength, magic gains power.
What ritual structure could be stronger than that which was performed
before history was written? Why would we,who seek to bring the gods of the
ancients into the modern world, not use these ritual structures from the past.
I believe that many, if not most, people on a Pagan path crave a
connection with the past, crave a religion that is rooted in history, crave a
system of faith based on the traditions of people who (we believe) were closer
to the earth. I believe many Pagans look around and see that the big
modern religions are not serving the people. Those within the monotheistic
faiths wage wars and destroy our planet with apparent impunity. If modern
religions cannot offer a system of belief and/or practices that meet our need to
live compassionately upon the earth, we need something else. Simply making
up a religion will not work for a certain type of person. It wouldn’t work
for me. I would constantly feel like it wasn’t “real” or “legitimate.”
However, I can call myself a Druid and feel like I am part of a real
belief system because it has a history.
Many
neo=pagan groups and traditions say their practices are based on ancient
practices. In general, their scholarship is shoddy if it exists at all.
One cannot simply say one is practicing an ancient path without some sort
of supporting research. Well, one can in fact say that but I won’t listen
for very long.
On the other hand, strict reconstruction is as impossible as it is impractical.
We no longer live in a world in which could practice exactly like our
ancestors did, even if we knew just what that might have looked like.
Religion and social structures are indelibly linked. there is no
religion in a vacuum. We do not live in tribal communities anymore so
necessarily the mores of the past must not be looked to as useful guides for
acceptable behavior. Also, with all of our learning and science, true
belief is difficult. We know so very much today that it is hard to live in
wonder or faith. There are some among us Pagan who can reconcile lightning
as a meteorological fact with the bright bolts of Zeus.
I must look at the lore allegorically, I don’t generally accept it as true and I
don’t usually anthropomorphize the gods. However, I appreciate that I
could if I wanted to. I appreciate that ADF has been steadily working
toward creating a community in which I am surrounded by folks who have teatime
conversations with their very real and present patron gods and goddesses.
Historical and reconstructed IE traditions from the past are useful in the development of
our religion because those traditions have power, they work, they worked for our
ancestors and they will work for us. And For the group who prefers to
approach religion from an academic, more theoretical position, the inclusion of
those historic and reconstructed traditions give our church legitimacy.
1.
Describe several of the factors that define a culture as Indo-European and how
those defining factors are useful in understanding that culture. (minimum 300
words)
Above all else “Indo-European” as defined by Jaan Puhvel is “a linguistic term
denoting the comparativistically reconstructable proto language that underlies
the Indic, Iranian, Tocharian, Anatolian, Armenian, Greek, Italic, Celtic,
Germanic, Baltic, and Slavic language groups” (Puhvel, 33). We are left
with the irritating fact that language and culture are not one in the same.
Yet, one may use language comparisons as one would use mythological
comparisons to find the underlying commonalities and thus recreate, to a greater
or lesser degree, a cohesive idea of the culture.
What kinds of linguistic commonalities can we identify that may shed some light on
shared aspects of Indo-European culture? Of paramount importance are the
wheel and the horse. We see cognates throughout IE languages. David
Anthony posits in his work The
Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes
Shaped the Modern World
that it was he domestication of the horse that first allowed the Proto
Indo-European people to migrate at all and that it was their development of
cart-technology that spread their culture from the steppes throughout Europe.
By easing transportation and commerce, through use of horse and wheel, the
PIE culture became dominant.
Making assumptions about a culture based on comparative linguistics is necessarily
risky. As one reads about the Indo-Europeans, one thing becomes abundantly
clear. Much of this work is conjecture. There is little fact upon
which to build. And each successive generation of scholars has a slightly
different take on the material and new presumptions and as common as mushrooms
after a rain. As we in ADF move forward, we much be prepared to accept new
ideas. We must not cling to old scholarship or comfortable ideas.
Since our ranks do not include many true scholars, and only a handful of
actual linguists we are dependant on not just the work of others, but also on
the interpretation of that work by others.
References:
Anthony, David W. The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes
Shaped the Modern World. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2007. Print.
Puhvel, Jaan. Comparative Mythology. 2nd. ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993.
Print.
2.
George Dumezil's theory of tripartition has been central to many modern
approaches to Indo-European studies. Outline Dumezil's three social functions in
general, and as they appear in one particular Indo-European society. Offer your
opinion as to whether you believe Dumezil's claim that tripartition is central
to IE cultures. (minimum 300 words)
The theories of Dumezil were an outgrowth of the work done by Emilie Durkheim
and Marcel Mauss who was a longtime mentor and close associate of Dumezil.
Durkheimian principle asserts that elements, such as places, situations,
and events, that find expression in myth represent important social and
cultural aspects of the people that engender the myths. Dumezil’s position
was that the earliest Indo-European societies shared “collective
representations.” The stratified, hierarchical, tripartite social
organization were characteristic of these societies. The three strata
outlined by Dumezil and referred to as “function” were a priestly
function, a warrior function, and a herding/cultivating function
(often referred to n ADF as a producer function). Each individual
classification was represented by a group of gods.
The spheres of influence of each of the functions is as follows, according to the
precedence given to each function within IE society as set forth by Dumezil. The
first function, the priestly stratum, were concerned with maintaining order,
judicial as well as magico-religious. The second function or warrior
strata dealt with physical superiority and prowess. The third, least
important function handled the sustenance of the people-the growing of crops and
raising of livestock as well as maintaining physical well-being. As Scott
Littleton points out, “underlying this functionally interrelated, tripartite
social and supernatural system was a tripartite ideology: a tendency to conceive
of phenomena in general as divided into three interrelated categories, defined
in terms of the three above mentioned ‘functions’ “ (Littleton 148).
IE Indian society was broken into four central castes: Brahmins (priests),
Ksatriyas or Rajputs (warriors), Vaisyas (cultivators), and Sudras (those who
serve). Only the first three castes are referred to as Arya, or human.
Sudras were considered outcasts and the caste was composed predominantly
by conquered peoples. Dumezil sees in the early Indian religious texts,
namely the Rg Veda though the pattern is repeated in the Vedas and even in the
later Mahabharata, a divine reflection of this social stratification.
At the top of the heap, panthen-wise, are Varuna(keeper of the
magico-religious order) and Mitra(concerned with the legal side of rulership).
These gods, according to Dumezil, reflect the brahmin caste within the
society. The second function is performed among the ranks of the gods by
the Maruts especially by Indra. Indra, like the Norse Thor, leads
armies and defeats terrible monsters, triumphing by wielding his superior
strength. he, again like Thor, is the mythic representation of the
Ksatriya caste. On the bottom rung of the ladder of importance are the
Asvins, the divine twins who deal with all manner of plant, animal, and human
fertility and well-being.
Personally, I find the Dumezilian tripartite functions a convenient way to look at myths
from across cultures. Whether his theories are useful when evaluating the
historic peoples is debateable. There are plenty of ways in which IE
cultures and mythologies seem to violently diverge from his stratification.
Too many IE gods fulfill multiple functions to fit neatly into one stratum
or another. Ultimately any theory can be bent to fit whatever position an author
would like to assume. Regardless Dumezil's theories are a useful
tool for looking at religions as a whole, but they are just one tool we use when
reconstructing IE religion.
References:
Littleton, Scott. "The Comparative Indo-European Mythology of George Dumezil." Journal
of the Folklore Institute. Vol. 1.No. 3 (Dec. 1964): 147-166. Print.
3.
Choose one Indo-European culture and describe briefly the influences that have
shaped it and distinguish it from other Indo-European derived cultures. Examples
include migration, contact with other cultures, changes in religion, language,
and political factors. Is there any sense in which this culture can be said to
have stopped being an Indo-European culture? (minimum 300
words)
The Greeks are a fascinating example of the fluidity of IE cultural lines.
Greek mythology is, in many ways, the benchmark by which other mythologies
are evaluated. Most modern westerners are familiar with the greek myths
and have at least a passing understanding of the contributions of the Greeks to
western philosophy and culture. However, upon closer study, Greek culture
is difficult to pin down for all the invasions, migrations, and general
absorption of other cultures and lines of thought. Jaan Puhvel breaks down his
examination of Greece into the following, “The three main components of ancient
Greek culture in general, and of myth in particular, may be described as
substratal (“Aegan,” “Pelasgian,” “Minoan” in Crete), superstratal
(Indo-European Greek), and adstratal (the steady seepage from Asia Minor and
points farther east” (Puhvel, 127). Puhvel points to 2000 B.C.E. as
the start of the influx of IE Greek-speakers. He sees that influx as
generally completed by the arrival of the dorians around 1200 B.C.E. Crete
was generally a separate deity until the mainland Greeks established their
presence circa 1400 B.C.E. By the end of the Helladic period (1400-1060
B.C.E.) the southern and central areas of Greece shared a primitive style of
literacy. About this time the Greeks were settling into parts of Asia
Minor giving that culture entre into IE Greek culture. Despite massive
colonization all over the place, including toward the Black Sea, Italy, and
Gaul, Greek firmly maintained their identity as Greeks. Puhvel
refers to Greek as second only to Lithuanian as the most ancient living IE
language.
We can find two sides to Zeus. On one hand there is the clearly IE Zeus in
control of clouds and thunder who enforces oath-keeping and sits in judgement.
there is also the parallel Cretan Zeus who lived in a cave and was suckled
by goats in a very vegetation-god manner.from this we can see that the original
PIE mythic figure, di-we,
absorbed an indigenous Cretan god, in the classic Greek style of absorbing
the new into their Greek whole. As Puhvel states, “Greek culture is a
matter not of preserving but of becoming, not so much of interrelation as of
fusion, in short,a new synthesis” (126-7).
Despite our excessive familiarity with Greek mythology, it is perhaps the most difficult
IE culture to fit into DUmezil’s tripartite structure. An example given by
Scott Littleton of how difficult it can be to fit Greek mythology into the
structure is Zeus. Zeus manifests both first and second function
attributes. He achieves his ends through a combination of magico-religious
authority as well as physical strength, not to mention the Cretan Zeus who is a
third function figure (but not addressed by Littleton). Dumezil pointed to
the work of Plato for examples of tripartition in Greek culture claiming that
Plato’s four categories of classes in his ideal society (as laid out in his
Republic)
must have been based on actual class distinctions. Those Platonic classes
were: priests and lawmakers, soldiers and guardians, laborers, and artisans.
Dumezil combined the laborers and artisans to fit into his
framework.
And, of course, there is the story of the judgement of Paris. Paris must choose
between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite.Each goddess offers him a gift. Hera offers
him kingship (first function), Athena offers him military victory(second
function) and Aphrodite offers him earthly delights (third function).
Shunning the first and second function goddesses, his preference for the
third function dooms Troy(but it was probably worth it).
Can Greek culture be said to have, at some point, ceased to be IE? Of course.
Once Christianity raised its head and spread its influence, all bets were
off and the IE module of synthesis and adsorption ended.
References:
Littleton, Scott. "The Comparative Indo-European Mythology of George Dumezil." Journal of the Folklore Institute.
Vol. 1.No. 3 (Dec. 1964): 147-166. Print.
Puhvel, Jaan. Comparative Mythology. 2nd. ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993. Print.
4.
Choose one other Indo-European culture and compare and contrast it to the
culture discussed in question 3 above with respect to each culture's
Indo-European nature. (minimum 300 words)
Comparing greek and norse cultures is likely a tricky exercise, but as they are the two
with which I am most familiar, it only makes sense. While a tripartite
dissection of Greek culture may have proved tenuous, within a Norse context, by
which I am referring to Germanic and Scandinavian peoples, it is fairly simple
to identify.
Where Zeus is a fence sitter between first and second functions, depending on which
version of him one addresses, Odhinn and Tyr are clearly ensconced as first
function deities involved in oath- and order-keeping as well as magical
undertakings.
Ares serves as the Greek divine manifestation of the second function, the
warrior caste. Athena also find a place in the second function, though she,like
Zeus, may fit in multiple tiers. For the Norse peoples, Thor served
that function. Thor dominates giants, monstrous serpents and the forces of
nature through his physical superiority and weaponry.
The third function becomes slightly more confused within a Greek context though
Dumezil points to the dioscuri, Castor and Pollux, based on his assertion that
the third function is often filled by Divine Twins. Additionally, Castor
and Pollux have earth-connections as they are the children of Leda who was
seduced by Zeus in the form of a swan and her children were hatched from eggs.
In his work Gods
of the Ancient Northmen
Dumezil identifies Njord and Frey as the third function deities. This
seems odd to me as Frey and Freya are in fact twins. However, Dumezil does
refer to Freya in a third function context. He is preoccupied with the
role of Frey and Njord as the hostages from the Vanir (gods of the earth and
fertility-totally third function the lot of them) exchanged with the Aesir to
end the war between the two races of gods. It is a staple of Dumezilian
theory that the third function gods battles with the first and second function
gods and only at the conclusion of the war can they be integrated into the
tiered society.
References:
Dumezil, Georges. Gods of the Ancient Northmen.
Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: University of California Press, 1973. Print.
Littleton, Scott. "The Comparative Indo-European Mythology of George Dumezil." Journal
of the Folklore Institute.
Vol. 1.No. 3 (Dec. 1964): 147-166. Print.
5.
From its beginnings, ADF has defined itself in relation to Indo-European pagan
traditions. What relevance do you think historical and reconstructed IE
traditions from the past have in constructing or reconstructing a Pagan
spirituality for the present and future? (minimum 600 words)
For
my eighth birthday all I wanted was an unabridged edition of Bulfinch's
Mythology.
Some of the first books I picked up on my own when an early reader were
books of Greek and Roman mythology aimed at young readers. By eight years
old I wanted the real deal, no more yong reader versions. The myths of our
ancestors are powerful, they are compelling, they can call to us through time.I
think many of us in the modern Pagan movement have felt that same connection to
the old stories.
The
poet T.S. Eliot referred to what he called the Mythic Method. In a
nutshell the mythic method says that the ancient mythological motifs communicate
to us on a subconscious level. Eliot asserted that the motifs reflected in
mythology were symbols of the deepest currents of human experience and
indicative of the biggest truths of existence. When a writer references
this mythological material, no matter how much in passing, he or she is
accessing all of that material and the work connects with the reader on the
deepest level. Sounds like religion to me!
With
repetition, actions gain ease, beliefs gain strength, magic gains power.
What ritual structure could be stronger than that which was performed
before history was written? Why would we,who seek to bring the gods of the
ancients into the modern world, not use these ritual structures from the past.
I believe that many, if not most, people on a Pagan path crave a
connection with the past, crave a religion that is rooted in history, crave a
system of faith based on the traditions of people who (we believe) were closer
to the earth. I believe many Pagans look around and see that the big
modern religions are not serving the people. Those within the monotheistic
faiths wage wars and destroy our planet with apparent impunity. If modern
religions cannot offer a system of belief and/or practices that meet our need to
live compassionately upon the earth, we need something else. Simply making
up a religion will not work for a certain type of person. It wouldn’t work
for me. I would constantly feel like it wasn’t “real” or “legitimate.”
However, I can call myself a Druid and feel like I am part of a real
belief system because it has a history.
Many
neo=pagan groups and traditions say their practices are based on ancient
practices. In general, their scholarship is shoddy if it exists at all.
One cannot simply say one is practicing an ancient path without some sort
of supporting research. Well, one can in fact say that but I won’t listen
for very long.
On the other hand, strict reconstruction is as impossible as it is impractical.
We no longer live in a world in which could practice exactly like our
ancestors did, even if we knew just what that might have looked like.
Religion and social structures are indelibly linked. there is no
religion in a vacuum. We do not live in tribal communities anymore so
necessarily the mores of the past must not be looked to as useful guides for
acceptable behavior. Also, with all of our learning and science, true
belief is difficult. We know so very much today that it is hard to live in
wonder or faith. There are some among us Pagan who can reconcile lightning
as a meteorological fact with the bright bolts of Zeus.
I must look at the lore allegorically, I don’t generally accept it as true and I
don’t usually anthropomorphize the gods. However, I appreciate that I
could if I wanted to. I appreciate that ADF has been steadily working
toward creating a community in which I am surrounded by folks who have teatime
conversations with their very real and present patron gods and goddesses.
Historical and reconstructed IE traditions from the past are useful in the development of
our religion because those traditions have power, they work, they worked for our
ancestors and they will work for us. And For the group who prefers to
approach religion from an academic, more theoretical position, the inclusion of
those historic and reconstructed traditions give our church legitimacy.