Book Review
'In Search of the Indo-Europeans: Language, Archaeology and Myth', by J.P. Mallory
When I first picked up this book, it's because I'd been trying to read Jaan Puhvel's 'Comparative Mythology', but found myself frustrated by my lack of grounding in the more 'physical' aspects of what we know of the Indo-Europeans. As the title of Puhvel's book suggests, it represents a particular method of researching IE cultures as opposed to giving a good overall introduction to the subject, and so while it's an entertaining read, I think I would recommend that any newcomer to the subject start with Mallory's book.
Although drier than Puhvel's writing, Mallory is methodical and conservative in his interpretations of physical, and linguistic evidence, which I appreciate. I found the first chapter, 'The Discovery of the Indo-Europeans', and its overview of the various scholastic currents that eventually led to the discovery of the Indo-Europeans very entertaining; indeed I had a good chucked about Goropianism (P11).
Chapters two and three were concentrated on tracing the various Indo-European groups in Asia Minor and Europe respectively, and this is where Mallory really filled in what was missing for me when I first tried to read Puhvel. His approach in each chapter is to start with the cultures that we can most confidently describe as being IE language speakers with the earliest literary records, before widening his focus to other similar groups in the same geograhpic area. For example, in chapter three, he begins with the Hittites, turns his focus to the other IE cultures in the Anatolian group (Luwian and Palaic), and then gradually traces his way around the other various IE groups in Asia Minor and beyond (such as the Tocharians). Along the way, Mallory integrates evidence from the archaeological record (such as burials and pottery), and the contemporary accounts of neighbouring cultures with whom the IE cultures interacted, to present the fullest picture possible without wandering into the realm of supposition. The interdisciplinary approach is one that I truly appreciate.
As someone with a language-based degree and a burgeoning interest in linguistic paleontology, chapter four, 'Proto-Indo-European Culture', was a delight to me. In this chapter, Mallory takes a look at what words we have been able to reconstruct of the Proto-Indo-European language, and what we can ultimately ascertain about everything from the kind of environment they lived in, to their economy, social structure, and technology. I especially found the section on familial relationships, especially regarding fosterage and the roots of nepotism (P. 124) interesting.
When it came to the chapter on Indo-European Religion, I think I was hoping for a little more, for it to be a little longer and more in depth, however I think that would have been going outside Mallory's typical purview and more into the realm of supposition. As expected, there was a heavy focus on tripartation, horse sacrifice, the divine twins, and a discussion on the usefulness of what Mallory refers to as 'new comparative mythology'. This is, without a doubt, Puhvel's territory, and were I to give advice to a newcomer on what to read and when, I would tell them to read Mallory, but then begin Puhvel's book after reading chapter five.
Chapter six took a look at the problems of trying to locate the Indo-European Homeland. Again, Mallory took a methodical and careful approach, and began by ascertaining just how big, on average, a linguistic area tends to be. Then, moving onto an analysis of the potential neighbouring cultural areas of that homeland, he sets out to prove contact through loan words, the geographical concentration of IE languages, linguistic paleontology, and a cursory look at archaeology.
The next two chapters, 'The Archaeology of the Proto-Indo-Europeans', and 'Indo-European Expansions' were some of my favourites in the book. I found myself fascinated by the commonalities of burial practices among the early cultures that might be called PIE cultures (such as Sredny Stog, Corded Ware, TRB, Globular Amphora, Yamnaya, and other steppe cultures), and the use of ochre in ritual. In some ways, to me, the ochre seems to be representative of blood, its use on Kurgan burials, anthropomorphic stone stelae (as found at Kalanchak, P. 204), and Afansievo censers (P.223), suggests that it may have been seen as a purifying/sanctifying substance. When discussing the Corded Ware culture, Mallory does not mention the use of ochre, and so I wonder if for some reason the use of ochre in ritual didn't continue as the Indo-Europeans expanded north and west, and why that would have been the case. These chapters were dense, satisfying, and I feel like I could write an entire review on just them.
The epilogue, as a discussion of the history, use, and abuse of the term 'Aryan', left me both irritated and glad. I was irritated because there are certain movements that would try and use Indo-European studies to support racist agendas, but I was glad that Mallory not only went there, but thoroughly demonstrated the error of ideologies that would see us place people and languages in hierarchies of 'greater' and 'lesser'. After addressing that less savoury subject, Mallory moved on to looking at the actual legacy of the Indo-Europeans, the domestication of the horse, our linguistic heritage, and as the final picture in the book (Peter Breugal's 'Land of Cockayne') demonstrates, a potential adherence to the idea of tripartation.
Words: 894
'In Search of the Indo-Europeans: Language, Archaeology and Myth', by J.P. Mallory
When I first picked up this book, it's because I'd been trying to read Jaan Puhvel's 'Comparative Mythology', but found myself frustrated by my lack of grounding in the more 'physical' aspects of what we know of the Indo-Europeans. As the title of Puhvel's book suggests, it represents a particular method of researching IE cultures as opposed to giving a good overall introduction to the subject, and so while it's an entertaining read, I think I would recommend that any newcomer to the subject start with Mallory's book.
Although drier than Puhvel's writing, Mallory is methodical and conservative in his interpretations of physical, and linguistic evidence, which I appreciate. I found the first chapter, 'The Discovery of the Indo-Europeans', and its overview of the various scholastic currents that eventually led to the discovery of the Indo-Europeans very entertaining; indeed I had a good chucked about Goropianism (P11).
Chapters two and three were concentrated on tracing the various Indo-European groups in Asia Minor and Europe respectively, and this is where Mallory really filled in what was missing for me when I first tried to read Puhvel. His approach in each chapter is to start with the cultures that we can most confidently describe as being IE language speakers with the earliest literary records, before widening his focus to other similar groups in the same geograhpic area. For example, in chapter three, he begins with the Hittites, turns his focus to the other IE cultures in the Anatolian group (Luwian and Palaic), and then gradually traces his way around the other various IE groups in Asia Minor and beyond (such as the Tocharians). Along the way, Mallory integrates evidence from the archaeological record (such as burials and pottery), and the contemporary accounts of neighbouring cultures with whom the IE cultures interacted, to present the fullest picture possible without wandering into the realm of supposition. The interdisciplinary approach is one that I truly appreciate.
As someone with a language-based degree and a burgeoning interest in linguistic paleontology, chapter four, 'Proto-Indo-European Culture', was a delight to me. In this chapter, Mallory takes a look at what words we have been able to reconstruct of the Proto-Indo-European language, and what we can ultimately ascertain about everything from the kind of environment they lived in, to their economy, social structure, and technology. I especially found the section on familial relationships, especially regarding fosterage and the roots of nepotism (P. 124) interesting.
When it came to the chapter on Indo-European Religion, I think I was hoping for a little more, for it to be a little longer and more in depth, however I think that would have been going outside Mallory's typical purview and more into the realm of supposition. As expected, there was a heavy focus on tripartation, horse sacrifice, the divine twins, and a discussion on the usefulness of what Mallory refers to as 'new comparative mythology'. This is, without a doubt, Puhvel's territory, and were I to give advice to a newcomer on what to read and when, I would tell them to read Mallory, but then begin Puhvel's book after reading chapter five.
Chapter six took a look at the problems of trying to locate the Indo-European Homeland. Again, Mallory took a methodical and careful approach, and began by ascertaining just how big, on average, a linguistic area tends to be. Then, moving onto an analysis of the potential neighbouring cultural areas of that homeland, he sets out to prove contact through loan words, the geographical concentration of IE languages, linguistic paleontology, and a cursory look at archaeology.
The next two chapters, 'The Archaeology of the Proto-Indo-Europeans', and 'Indo-European Expansions' were some of my favourites in the book. I found myself fascinated by the commonalities of burial practices among the early cultures that might be called PIE cultures (such as Sredny Stog, Corded Ware, TRB, Globular Amphora, Yamnaya, and other steppe cultures), and the use of ochre in ritual. In some ways, to me, the ochre seems to be representative of blood, its use on Kurgan burials, anthropomorphic stone stelae (as found at Kalanchak, P. 204), and Afansievo censers (P.223), suggests that it may have been seen as a purifying/sanctifying substance. When discussing the Corded Ware culture, Mallory does not mention the use of ochre, and so I wonder if for some reason the use of ochre in ritual didn't continue as the Indo-Europeans expanded north and west, and why that would have been the case. These chapters were dense, satisfying, and I feel like I could write an entire review on just them.
The epilogue, as a discussion of the history, use, and abuse of the term 'Aryan', left me both irritated and glad. I was irritated because there are certain movements that would try and use Indo-European studies to support racist agendas, but I was glad that Mallory not only went there, but thoroughly demonstrated the error of ideologies that would see us place people and languages in hierarchies of 'greater' and 'lesser'. After addressing that less savoury subject, Mallory moved on to looking at the actual legacy of the Indo-Europeans, the domestication of the horse, our linguistic heritage, and as the final picture in the book (Peter Breugal's 'Land of Cockayne') demonstrates, a potential adherence to the idea of tripartation.
Words: 894
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