Decayed Gods: Origin and Development of Georges Dumezil's "Ideologie Tripartie" (Studies in Greek and Roman Religion)

In 1930 Dumézil wrote an article in which he defended the Indo-European character of the Indian varnas . In 1986 he was completing his final 25 Esquisses , research proposals the aim of which was to allow his model of the 'idéologie tripartie' of Indo-European traditions to be applied to his 'disciples'. According to this model Indo-European traditions were typified by a threefold division into functions of society, the world of the gods, and the heroic traditions. These were the functions of sovereignty, power and 'fertility'. This theoretical model was elaborated by Dumézil in a large number of books and articles. Between 1930 and 1986 he broadened enormously the amount of data on which his model was based. To do so he had regularly to adapt and reformulate his model. This was not without consequences for the material which he had interpreted earlier on. In this study a detailed description is given of this process of reformulation and reinterpretation and the conclusion is that the totality of the various models does not, despite its aesthetic attraction, satisfy the criteria which should be set for scientific models. DECAYED GODS 4 CONTENTS 6 Preface 12 Abbreviations 15 1 INTRODUCTION 18 Indo-Europeans 18 The term "Indo-European" 18 Indo-European "Urheimat" and culture 20 Dumezil's view of the "Urheimat" and Proto-Indo-European culture 21 Tripartition: a general introduction 24 The pre-1930 period 24 "La préhistoire indo-iranienne des castes" 25 "La préhistoire des flamines majeurs" 26 The system: a synopsis 27 The "sociale" tripartition 27 General principle of classification 29 Tripartition in the pantheon 30 The discussion 32 Indifference 32 Acclaim 33 The pioneers 33 Academic respectability 33 Elaboration 34 Criticism 34 Criticism and rejection of (secondary) interpretations 34 Criticism of the conclusion 36 Criticism by providing better models 36 Criticism of the explicit or implicit political implications 36 Conclusion 37 2 METHODOLOGY 38 The methodological concepts 38 Typological versus genetic 38 "Ensembles" 39 Myth as an entity 39 The world of the gods as an entity 41 Religion as an entity 43 "Centre propre" 44 "Idéologie, conception, fonction" 45 Summary: The methodological concepts 48 The auxiliary hypotheses 48 Auxiliary hypotheses preceding the origin of the tripartite model 48 Auxiliary hypotheses in connection with the tripartite model 50 Historicisation 51 Summary: Historicisation 60 The Germanic shift: the "glissement guerrier" 61 Summary: The Germanic shift: the "glissement guerrier" 63 The reforms of Zarathustra 63 Summary: The reforms of Zarathustra 66 The Celtic shift 67 The Indian shift 67 Disappearance of the functional structure 68 Summary: The Celtic shift; The Indian shift; Disappearance of the functional structure 69 Summary: The auxiliary hypotheses 69 The paradigmatic framework 69 Culture/the supernatural 70 First response 70 Second response 71 Third response 72 Summary: Culture/the supematural 72 Conscious/unconscious 73 Summary: Conscious/unconscious 74 3 THE TRIPARTITE SYSTEM 75 Tripartition in India 75 Social tripartition 75 Tripartition in the pantheon 76 Summary: Tripartition in India 84 Tripartition in Iran 84 Social tripartition in ancient Iran 84 Scythian tripartition 85 Summary: Scythian tripartition 88 Tripartition among the families of the Nartes 89 Summary: Tripartition among the families of the Nartes 92 Tripartition in the "pantheon" 92 The post-Zoroastrian period 92 The Amesha Spentas 94 Summary: Tripartition in the ''pantheon" 96 Tripartition in Rome 96 Social tripartition in ancient Rome 96 Summary: Social tripartition in ancient Rome 103 Jupiter, Mars and Quirinus 103 Summary: Jupiter, Mars and Quirinus 112 Romulus and his companions and the Roman kingship cycle 112 Summary: Romulus and his companions and the Roman kingship cycle 117 Tripartite German material 118 Odhinn, Thôrr and Freyr 118 The problem 118 The "glissement militaire" 119 The gods of Uppsala 120 The curse of Egill 122 The sons of Mannus 123 Other evidence and "bilan" 124 Summary: Odhinn, Thôrr and Freyr 126 Social tripartition 126 Celtic tripartition 127 Social tripartition 127 The Tuatha Dê Danann 129 Greek tripartition 130 Summary: Celtic tripartition; Greek tripartition 130 4 THE MITRA-VARUNA CONCEPT 131 Introduction 131 Mitra - Varuna 133 Summary: Mitra - Varuna 138 Mithra - Ahura Mazda 140 Summary: Mithra - Ahura Mazda 142 Vohu Manah - Asha 143 Summary: Vohu Manah - Asha 146 Romulus - Numa 147 Summary: Romulus - Numa 152 Jupiter - Dius Fidius/Fides 152 Summary: Jupiter - Dius Fidius/Fides 155 Odhinn - Ullr/Mithotyn/Tyr 156 Odhinn/Othinus - Ullr/Ollerus, Mithotyn 156 Odhinn - Tyr 158 Summary: Odhinn - Ullr/Mithotyn/Tyr 160 Greek bipartition 161 SUMMARY: THE MITRA-VARUNA CONCEPT 161 5 BIPARTITA MINORA 163 "Le Borgne" - "Le Manchot" 163 Odhinn - Tyr 163 Horatius Codes - Mucius Scaevola 165 The Celtic "Le Borgne" - "Le Manchot" 168 Bhaga and Savitr 170 Cyclops - 100-handed giants 171 Taxrnoruw - Ahriman 172 Summary: "Le Borgne" - "Le Manchot" 173 Concepts related to the bipartition 173 The "polytechnicien" versus the "grand magicien" 173 The "mauvais roi temporaire" 174 The "grimace héroïque" 175 Summary: Concepts related to the biparlition 176 Theoretical precursors of the bipartition 176 Le problème des Centaurs 176 Iran 177 India 178 Greece 179 Rome 179 Conclusion 180 Ouranos - Varuna 180 Flamen - Brahman 182 Jeunesse, éternité, aube 183 Relation between the theoretical precursors and the M/V concept 184 Regnum - interregnum = Mitra - Varuna 184 Brahman - râj = Mitra - Varuna 186 Summary: Theoretical precursors of the bipartition 189 The exclusiveness of the bipartition 190 Summary: The exclusiveness of the bipartition 193 6 TRIPARTITA MINORA 194 "Aesir" - "Vanir" 194 Introduction 194 The Germanic and Roman conflicts 194 The Tuatha Dê Danann and the Fomoire 206 Indra and the Nâsatyas 208 The conflict among the Nartes 211 Summary: "Aesir" - "Vanir" 213 Indo-European eschatology 215 Introduction 215 The interpretation of the Mahâbhârata 215 The "suite romaine" 227 Summary: Indo-European eschatology 234 Goddesses 234 Summary: Goddesses 243 7 EVALUATION 245 Verifiability 246 Verification 246 Falsification 249 Precision and inconsistencies 250 Precision 250 Inconsistencies 254 Conclusion 256 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 258 INDEX 264 STUDIES IN GREEK AND ROMAN RELIGION 272 This study offers a detailed analysis of Dumézil's model of the Indo-European 'idéologie tripartie'. Such an analysis is a first prerequisite to any evaluation of his work, given its size. The author concludes that the constant reformulation of the model and the reinterpretation of the facts have weakened the credibility of his model too much. This study offers a detailed analysis of Dumezil's model of the Indo-European 'ideologie tripartie'. Such an analysis is a first prerequisite to any evaluation of his work, given its size. The author concludes that the constant reformulation of the model and the reinterpretation of the facts have weakened the credibility of his model too much.