How to Kill a Dragon: Aspects of Indo-European Poetics
In How to Kill a Dragon Calvert Watkins follows the continuum of poetic formulae in Indo-European languages, from Old Hittite to medieval Irish. He uses the comparative method to reconstruct traditional poetic formulae of considerable complexity that stretch as far back as the original common language. Thus, Watkins reveals the antiquity and tenacity of the Indo-European poetic tradition.

Watkins begins this study with an introduction to the field of comparative Indo-European poetics; he explores the Saussurian notions of synchrony and diachrony, and locates the various Indo-European traditions and ideologies of the spoken word. Further, his overview presents case studies on the forms of verbal art, with selected texts drawn from Indic, Iranian, Greek, Latin, Hittite, Armenian, Celtic, and Germanic languages.

In the remainder of the book, Watkins examines in detail the structure of the dragon/serpent-slaying myths, which recur in various guises throughout the Indo-European poetic tradition. He finds the "signature" formula for the myth—the divine hero who slays the serpent or overcomes adversaries—occurs in the same linguistic form in a wide range of sources and over millennia, including Old and Middle Iranian holy books, Greek epic, Celtic and Germanic sagas, down to Armenian oral folk epic of the last century. Watkins argues that this formula is the vehicle for the central theme of a proto-text, and a central part of the symbolic culture of speakers of the Proto-Indo-European language: the relation of humans to their universe, the values and expectations of their society. Therefore, he further argues, poetry was a social necessity for Indo- European society, where the poet could confer on patrons what they and their culture valued above all else: "imperishable fame."
1117312904
How to Kill a Dragon: Aspects of Indo-European Poetics
In How to Kill a Dragon Calvert Watkins follows the continuum of poetic formulae in Indo-European languages, from Old Hittite to medieval Irish. He uses the comparative method to reconstruct traditional poetic formulae of considerable complexity that stretch as far back as the original common language. Thus, Watkins reveals the antiquity and tenacity of the Indo-European poetic tradition.

Watkins begins this study with an introduction to the field of comparative Indo-European poetics; he explores the Saussurian notions of synchrony and diachrony, and locates the various Indo-European traditions and ideologies of the spoken word. Further, his overview presents case studies on the forms of verbal art, with selected texts drawn from Indic, Iranian, Greek, Latin, Hittite, Armenian, Celtic, and Germanic languages.

In the remainder of the book, Watkins examines in detail the structure of the dragon/serpent-slaying myths, which recur in various guises throughout the Indo-European poetic tradition. He finds the "signature" formula for the myth—the divine hero who slays the serpent or overcomes adversaries—occurs in the same linguistic form in a wide range of sources and over millennia, including Old and Middle Iranian holy books, Greek epic, Celtic and Germanic sagas, down to Armenian oral folk epic of the last century. Watkins argues that this formula is the vehicle for the central theme of a proto-text, and a central part of the symbolic culture of speakers of the Proto-Indo-European language: the relation of humans to their universe, the values and expectations of their society. Therefore, he further argues, poetry was a social necessity for Indo- European society, where the poet could confer on patrons what they and their culture valued above all else: "imperishable fame."
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How to Kill a Dragon: Aspects of Indo-European Poetics

How to Kill a Dragon: Aspects of Indo-European Poetics

by Calvert Watkins
How to Kill a Dragon: Aspects of Indo-European Poetics

How to Kill a Dragon: Aspects of Indo-European Poetics

by Calvert Watkins

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Overview

In How to Kill a Dragon Calvert Watkins follows the continuum of poetic formulae in Indo-European languages, from Old Hittite to medieval Irish. He uses the comparative method to reconstruct traditional poetic formulae of considerable complexity that stretch as far back as the original common language. Thus, Watkins reveals the antiquity and tenacity of the Indo-European poetic tradition.

Watkins begins this study with an introduction to the field of comparative Indo-European poetics; he explores the Saussurian notions of synchrony and diachrony, and locates the various Indo-European traditions and ideologies of the spoken word. Further, his overview presents case studies on the forms of verbal art, with selected texts drawn from Indic, Iranian, Greek, Latin, Hittite, Armenian, Celtic, and Germanic languages.

In the remainder of the book, Watkins examines in detail the structure of the dragon/serpent-slaying myths, which recur in various guises throughout the Indo-European poetic tradition. He finds the "signature" formula for the myth—the divine hero who slays the serpent or overcomes adversaries—occurs in the same linguistic form in a wide range of sources and over millennia, including Old and Middle Iranian holy books, Greek epic, Celtic and Germanic sagas, down to Armenian oral folk epic of the last century. Watkins argues that this formula is the vehicle for the central theme of a proto-text, and a central part of the symbolic culture of speakers of the Proto-Indo-European language: the relation of humans to their universe, the values and expectations of their society. Therefore, he further argues, poetry was a social necessity for Indo- European society, where the poet could confer on patrons what they and their culture valued above all else: "imperishable fame."

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780195144130
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication date: 05/17/2001
Edition description: New Edition
Pages: 640
Product dimensions: 6.43(w) x 9.17(h) x 1.66(d)

About the Author

Harvard University

Table of Contents

ABSTRACTS OF INDO-EUROPEAN POLITICSI. The Field of Comparative Poetics: Introduction and Background1. The comparative method in linguistic and poetics2. Sketch for a history of Indo-European politics3. Poetics as grammar: Typology of poetic devices, and some rules of poetic grammar4. Poetics as repertory: The poetic traditions of the Indo-European world — sources and texts5. The Indo-European poet: His social function and his art6. The poet's truth: The power, particularly, and preservation of the wordII. Case Studies7. Greece and the art of the world8. Vedic India and the art of the world9. Ireland and the art of the syllable10. Saxa loquuntur: The first age of poetry in Italy — Faliscan and South Picene11. Most ancient Indo-Europeans12. The comparison of formulaic sequences13. An Indo-European stylistic figure14. A late Indo-European traditional epithet15. An Indo-European theme and formula: Imperishable fame16. The hidden track of the cow: Obscure styles in Indo-EuropeanIII. The Strophic Style: An Indo-European Poetic Form17. Some Indo-European prayers: Cato's lustration of the fields18. Umbria: The Tales of Iguvium19. Italy and India: The elliptic offering20. Strophic structures as "rhythmic prose"? Italic21. Strophic structures in Iranian22. 'Truth of Truth', 'most kavi of kavis', 'throng-lord of throngs': An Indo-Iranian stylistic figure23. More strophic structures24. Early Irish irosc/i25. The iAsvamedha/i or Horse Sacrifice: An Indo-European Liturgical form26. Orphic gold leaves and the great way of the soul: Strophic style, funerary ritual formula, and eschatologyHOW TO KILL A DRAGON IN INDO-EUROPEAN: A CONTRIBUTION TO THE THEORY OF THE FORUMLAIV. The Basic Forumla and Its Variants in the Narration of the Myth27. Preliminaries28. The root i*guhen/i-: Vedic ihan/i-29. The root i*guhen/i-: Avestan ijan/i-30. The root i*guhen/i-: Hittite ikuen/i- and the Indo-European theme and formula31. The slayer slain: A reciprocal forumla32. First variant: The root i*uedh/i-33. 'Like a reed': The Indo-European background of a Luvian ritual34. Second variant: the root i*terh2/i-35. Latin itarentum/i, the iludi saeculares/i, and Indo-European eschatology36. The myth of Greece: Variations on the formula and theme37. Expansion of the forumla: A recursive formulaic figure38. Herakles, the formulaic hero39. Hermes, Enualios, and Lukoworgos: The Serpent-slayer and the Man-slayer40. iNektar/i and the adversary Death41. The saga of Iphitos and the hero as monster42. The name of Meleager43. The Germanic world44. Thor's hammer and the mace of ContractV. Some Indo-European Dragons and Dragon-Slayers45. Fergus mae Leti and the muirdris46. Typhoeus and the Illuyankas47. Python and Ahi Budhnya, the Serpent of the Deep48. Azi dahaka, Visvarupa, and GreyonVI. From Myth to Epic49. From God to hero: The formulaic network in Greek50. The best of the Achaeans51. To be the death of: Transformation of the formula52. The forumla without the word: A note on Euripides and Lysias53. The basic forumla and the announcement of death54. Further Indo-European comparisons and themes55. The song of victory in GreekVII. From Myth to Charm56. From dragon to worm57. The charms of Indo-European58. Indo-European medical doctrine59. The poet as healer
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