Gods of the Ancient Northmen

by Georges Dumézil

Book Overview

Book by Georges Dumezil This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520035070
• ISBN13: 9780520035072
• Release Date: June 1977
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 203 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Classic, still of modern importance

Dumezil largely founded the discipline of tracing themes and stories across Indo-European traditions. His work was pioneering and often lead to a rough framing of ideas which other scholars would later fill in to some extent. His arguments are sound, and his logic solid. This does not mean that the book does not contain ideas which may miss the mark (I am somewhat unconvinced of his arguments relating to the murder of Baldr and the parallels in the Mahabharata), but the general theories and framework are still very much accepted. I would highly recommend this work as an introduction to Dumezil's work, as well as an important look into Norse mythology in general.

The first review on Amazon for this book?

It's a shame no one else has reviewed this books because it's really a classic. The works of Dumezil are still THE standard in comparative Indo-European religion. I can't even begin to guess the number of books I've read that make reference to his works in their footnotes. If you have heard of "trifunctionalism"** it's probably due to the influence of Dumezil. This book is a great read and very informative. ** The theory that Indo-European societies were traditionally structured in a tripartite manner and are patterned after the divine order and the various roles of the gods themselves. 1. Maintenance of Cosmic and Juridical Order. ( Priestly caste and Juridical powers.. Varuna and Mitra or Wotan and Tyr) 2. The exersize of physical prowess ( the warrior caste , Thor or Indra) 3. The promotion of physical well being and producers (farmers, craftsmen.. Frey and Freya.)