> Other IE mythologies like Germanic, Indian or Avestan had a IE core
that was
> modificated by influence by non-IE substrata and adstrata. But Greek
> mythology seems to be the opposite. I think he had a non-IE core,
> modificated by weak traits of IE superstratum. The core seems to be
a
> complex mix of Semitic, Anatolian and the enigmatic "Pelasgian".
> So, the IE divine pantheon of Sky-father and his children didnt
substitute
> the Semitic pantheon (the eternal quarrelling of El's children:
brothers
> against brothers) and the Mesopotamian pantheon - via Anatolia - (a
violent
> succession of generations : Ouranos-Kronos-Zeus / Alalush-Kumarpish-
Teshub /
> Tiamat against Enlil).
I don't think that the situation is as bad as that for the PIE
pantheon in Greece - though I would certainly admit that the Greeks
have taken on a good deal of other IE and non-IE Mediterranean
influence.
> So, it's so hard to fit IE structures in Greek mythology.
One comparison that I am always struck by, to use a Dumezilian three
functional approach, is the trio of brothers, Hades, Zeus and
Poseidon. When looked at in comparison to Baltic, Germanic and Vedic
trinities, you can start to see some similarities:
..........1st...............2nd............3rd
Prussian..Patollo...........Perkuno........Potrimpo
..........Death/Cattle......Thunder/War....Water/Fertility
Norse.....Odinn.............Thorr..........Freyr
..........Death/Magic/War...Thunder/War....Fertility
Vedic.....Varuna............Indra..........Nasatyas
..........Death/Magic.......Thunder/War....Horses/Fertility
Greek.....Hades[Plouton]....Zeus...........Poseidon
..........Death/Wealth......Thunder/King...Horses/Water
This is a very cursory list, there are actually more similarities to
go into, perhaps in the future - but I would highly recommend that
you check out Garrett Olmsted's "Gods of the Celts and the Indo
Europeans", in addition to Jaan Puhvel's "Comparative Mythology"
(which may have already read).
I believe that what has happened in Greece is that some of the
functions belonging to the 2nd function thunder god as well as the
first function sovereign god have been meshed together in Zeus.
Basically, the 2nd function warrior/thunder god took on the name and
sovereign/patron status of the 1st function sovereign god (*Dyeus)
and left a void - the 2nd function warrior duties were relegated to
Ares, and the death-god role was relegated to the chthonic Hades.
- Chris Gwinn