Mitra-Varuna: An Essay on Two Indo-European Representations of Sovereignty (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781912808977)

A classic text that develops one prong of Dum騷il's tripartite hypothesis of Indo-European tribes: the sacred sovereign.

Georges Dum騷il's fascination with the myths and histories of India, Rome, Scandinavia, and the Celts yielded an idea that became his most influential scholarly legacy: the tripartite hypothesis, which divides Indo-European societal functions into three classes: the sacred sovereign, the warrior, and the producer. Mitra-Varuna, originally published in 1940, concentrates on the first function, that of sovereignty. Dum騷il identifies two types of rulers, the first judicial and worldly, the second divine and supernatural. These figures, both priestly, are oppositional but complementary. The title nods to these roles, referring to the gods Mitra, a rational mediator, and Varuna, an awesome religious figure.

Stuart Elden's critical edition, based on the 1988 English translation by Derek Coltman, identifies variations between the first and second French editions and completes--and in places corrects--Dum騷il's references. The editor's detailed introduction situates Mitra-Varuna within Dum騷il's career, outlines how his treatment of its themes developed over time, and relates the book to the political controversy around his ideas. Two new appendices contain passages that did not appear in the second French edition.

Author: Georges Dum騷il
ISBN-10: 1912808978
ISBN-13: 9781912808977
Publisher: Hau
Language: English
Published: 07/06/2024
Pages: 164
Format: Paperback