INDO-EUROPEAN POETRY AND MYTH

"The Indo-Europeans, speakers of the prehistoric parent language from which most European and some Asiatic languages are descended, most probably lived on the Eurasian steppes some five or six thousand years ago. Since the mid nineteenth century it has been realized that through the comparative method it may be possible to recover not only details of their language but also something of their religion and mythology and of the forms and diction of their poetry. Martin West's book provides a systematic survey of the solider results achieved in this field and develops them further." "Topics covered include the status of poets and poetry in Indo-European societies; metre, style, and diction; gods and other supernatural beings, from Father Sky and Mother Earth to the Sun-god and his beautiful daughter, the Thunder-god and other elemental deities, and earthly orders such as Nymphs and Elves; the forms of hymns, prayers, and incantations; conceptions about the world, its origins, mankind, death, and fate; the ideology of fame and of immortalization through poetry; the typology of the king and the hero; the hero as warrior, and the conventions of battle narrative."--Jacket.