Re: So be it

Gwydionash@... wrote:

> In a message dated 12/4/99 2:11:50 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> waluk@...
> writes:
>
> << Gerry here: Where did you get your information on PIE dieties? I
> always
> thought that PIE was a hypothetical construct? Any references would
> be most
> appreciated. >>
>
> The PIE language is a hypothetically constructed language, and the
> natural
> assumption has always been that the people who spoke PIE had a culture
> and
> religion that can be reconstructed from the various IE evidence just
> as in
> the case of reconstructing the PIE language from the daughter
> languages.
> Some of the authors who discuss PIE religion are Georges Dumezil, Jaan
> Puhvel
> (he has a book called _Comparative Mythology_), Stig Wikander, Bruce
> Lincoln,
> and Donald Ward. All of these scholars are part of the Dumezilian
> school of
> thought on PIE religion (known as Indo-European Tripartition). The
> best
> introductions to Dumezil's theories would be the book by Puhvel and a
> book
> called _New Comparative Mythology_ by C. Scott Littleton. The
> theories of
> Dumezil and the work of his followers is, of course, the latest trend
> in PIE
> religion and mythology, and not everyone agrees that the tripartite
> system
> that Dumezil defines is limited to the Indo-European speaking people
> but is a
> natural phenomenon that can be found worldwide (I think there are a
> few
> opponents of Dumezil on this list, or at least some who are
> skeptical). And
> the theory of Indo-European Tripartition has been taken to extremes by
> some
> people, at least in my opinion. But the work of Dumezil launched a
> whole new
> approach to PIE religion that moved away (finally) from the obsession
> of 19th
> century scholars to see PIE religion as a reflection of natural
> phenomenon
> solely (storm gods and solar gods) to PIE relgion existing as a
> reflection of
> PIE society and culture. But anyway, I'm rambling. Hope this helps.
>
> Chad Brown

Hi Chad. You're knowledge about PIE is very impressive. But by giving
this hypothetical construct a religious base, aren't you creating a new
"group" about which future scholars can then discuss and describe PIE's
society and culture? This is absolutely amazing! Please ramble some
more.
Gerry