DUMÉZIL, Georges. Edited & translated by Einar Haugen. Introduction by C. Scott Littleton and Udo Strutynski.

Gods of the Ancient Northmen; [ UCLA Center for the Study of Comparative Folklore and Mythology; Publications III ]

Berkeley CA: University of California Press, 1973. First English language edition. Hardcover. Octavo. xlvi + 158pp. Pale green cloth with gilt title and author to spine, index. This translation by the Regents of the University of California. From the publisher: "Georges Dumezil's conception of the fundamental structure of the common Indo-European ideology has been one of the most significant contributions to general knowledge yet made in this century. In the course of the last thirty years many scholars have been building upon Dumezril's pioneer research, and have materially facilitated the development of the model of ancient Indo-European culture.
This model, according to Dumezil, was tripartite, representing 1. sovereignty: the principle of power, including order; 2. the implementation of power by force; and 3. the maintenance of physical well- being. Thus one finds a coordination of gods and social classes: Odin and Jupiter pair with the priesthood to represent sovereignty; Mars and Thor with the warrior caste represent force: the Dioscuri and Quirinus, with the herders and culturists, to represent welfare and fecundity.
This English translation offers the reader a sampling of some of the most important and most representative of Dumezil's writings in the field of Germanic mythology. The first part of the volume comprises a translation of Les Dieux des Germains: Essai sur la formation de la religion scandinave; "the second part consists of four articles that cover a range of deities and themes either not directly dealy with in the book or only briefly touched upon therein."
The author, Georges Edmond Raoul Dumézil (1898 – 1986) was a distinguished French professor at Istanbul University, École pratique des hautes études and the Collège de France, and a member of the Académie Française, whose work had a major influence on the fields of comparative mythology and Indo-European studies.
Just a hint of shelf wear, faint chafing and bruising to corners and spine ends, bookplate on front pastedown, else a tight, unmarked VG+ copy in very lightly rubbed, unclipped, mylar protected dust jacket. Item #70327
ISBN: 0520020448

Sold