In a magisterial work, Jaan Puhvel unravels the prehistoric Indo-Euopean origins of the traditions of India and Iran, Greece and Rome, of the Celts, Germans, Balts, and Slavs. Utilizing the methodologies of historical linguistics and archaeology, he reconstructs a shared religious, mytholoigcal, and cultural heritage. Separate chapters on individual traditions as well as on recurrent thees-god and warrior, king and virgin, fire and water-give life to Comparative Mythology as both a general introduction and a detaled reference.
Preface
Introduction
Part I: Directions
Chapter 1. The Study of Myth
Chapter 2. Creation Myth in the Ancient Near East
Chapter 3. The Concepts "Indo-European" and "Indo-Iranian"
Part II: Traditions
Chapter 4. Vedic India
Chapter 5. Epic India
Chapter 6. Ancient Iran
Chapter 7. Epic Iran
Chapter 8. Ancient Greece
Chapter 9. Ancient Rome
Chapter 10. Celtic Myth
Chapter 11. Germanic Myth
Chapter 12. Baltic and Slavic Myth
Part III: Themes
Chapter 13. God and Warrior
Chapter 14. King and Virgin
Chapter 15. Horse and Ruler
Chapter 16. Fire in Water
Chapter 17. Twin and Brother
Index
