[DUMZ-1] DUMZIL NOTES

.
The I-E Three-functions ideology is, for Dumzil, uniquely I-E, having no
parallels among the ancient civilizations of the Near East, the Nile Valley,
China, or any other region of the Old World prior to the I-E migrations in
the second millennium B.C. (Littleton, New Comparative Mythology, 6).
[C]lassical Indian social organization was composed of four main
castes: the Brhmanas (more commonly rendered Brahmans), or priests; the
Ksatriyas, or warriors; the Vaisyas, or cultivators; and the Sudras, or those
whose obligation it was to serve all the rest. Of these castes, only the first
three were defined as Arya, a description which, like many contemporary
ethnic self-identification terms, seems originally to have meant simply
people; the Sudras, thusincluded the conquered, indigenous
population. In its broad outlines, this system still obtains, despite the
proliferation of sub-castes within each major group and the fact that today
the line between Vaisya and Sudra is by no means clearly defined in many
regions, especially in South India (ibid., 7). Or, Arya could mean free
men (ibid. cites Laroche 1960).
The hymns of the Rig Veda do not present a fully developed picture of the
classical Hindu castes or Varna, although the roots of the words later used
as caste designations (e.g., Brahman, from brh-, be great) are indeed
present (ibid., footnote 6).

Thus, respectively, Mitra and Varuna reflect the two basic function of the
Brahman: (1) to serve as an arbiter of legal and contractual disputes, and (2)
to serve as a magical and religious practitioner, conducting sacrifices,
divining, performing marriages, and the like (ibid., 8).
At the second supernatural level, one finds a set of young, virile, warlike
gods (i.e., the Maruts), dominated byIndra. It is Indra who fights
monsters (e.g., Vrtra), leads armies, and, unlike Mitra and Varuna,
generally gains his ends through the exercise of physical strength. Intra,
thus, is a collective representation of the Ksatriya caste, whose prime
function is to protect the society from the threat or actuality of armed
invasion (ibid.).
Finally, at the lowest level, there appear a number of deities whose
principal function is to maintain and promote plant and animal fertility, to
assure bountiful harvests, and generally to preside over matters of human
physical well-being and comfort. Chief among these are the Avins, or
Divine Twins. Also included hereis a female figure, the goddess,
Sarasvat (ibid., 9).
By far the oldest datable example of tripartition among the Indo-Iranians
or any other group of I-E speakers, for that mattercan be found in the
famous treaty of the fourteenth century B.C., preserved in the archives at
Boghazky, between the Mitannian king, Matiwaza, and his Hittite
conquerors. Matiwaza, who belonged to an Indo-Iranian (or perhaps
already Indic; see Thieme, 1960) military aristocracy that had imposed
itself several centuries earlier upon the predominantly Hurrian population
of this north Syrian state, invoked his gods as witnesses to the treaty;
among them appear, unmistakably, and in the following order, the names
Mitra-Varuna, Indara (i.e., Indra), and Nsatyas (i.e., the Avins). That
these gods represented the same social and supernatural functions and
conception of sovereignty as their later Vedic / counterparts seems certain,
Dumzil feels, pointing out that, although relatively little is known about
the social organization of fourteenth-century B.C. Mitanni, the fact that its
I-E-speaking ruling class is referred to as marya or maru (cf. Indra and the
Maruts) would seem to indicate the presence at least of the I-E warrior

stratum; that the other two strata were also present seems quite probable,
he asserts, given the series of gods listed in the treaty.
Another, albeit much later, Indo-Iranian example can be found in
Herodotus account (4.5-6) of the Scythian origin myth, wherein three
object of burning golda [1] cup, an [2] ax, and a [3] plow with yokefall
from the sky and are recovered by the youngest son of Targitaos, the
primeval being. (-) The three objects symbolize, respectively, the first,
second, and third functions, and from their recoverer, Kolaxas, springs the
dominant Scythian class or tribe. From Kolaxas two elder brothers, who
successively failed in their attempts to recover the burning implements,
issue the Scythian warrior and food-producing classes. (-) The cup
associated as it is with the preparation and consumption by priests of
sacred beveragesan I-E pattern that has long been recognizedof which
mead, madhu, soma, and haoma are examples, serves as a symbolic
expression of the first function in a number of ancient I-E traditions, as
well as in modern European folklore (ibid., 9-10).
As far as Iran itself is concerned, it is in the theological reforms of
Zoroaster during the seventh and sixth centuries B.C. that Dumzil sees
the clearest expression of the I-E system. In attempting to substitute an
ethical and metaphysical dualism for the ancient Iranian polytheism, a
polytheism that appears to have been broadly similar to that of Vedic
India, Zoroaster conceived of a series of more or less abstract beings as part
of the retinue of the Good Principle (Ahura Mazdah). These beings,
labeled Amea Spentas (Immortal Beneficences), remarkably parallel the
Indic gods previously discussed: Aa (Order) and Vohu Manah (Good /
Thought), respectively, correspond to Varuna and Mitra and thus may be
viewed as representatives of the first function; Xathra (Physical Force)
parallels Indra and represents the second function; the pair Haurvatt
(Health) and Amerett (Immortality) parallel the Avins and relate to
the third function, as does the female figure rmaiti (Pious Thought), a
Zoroastrian version of the archaic Iranian goddess Anhit and a
counterpart of the previously mentioned Sarasvat (ibid., 10-11).

Rome and trifunctionality: Here, in my opinion, [Dumzil] has made a

most important contribution to scholarship, whatever may prove to be the
fate of his overall system (ibid., 11).
Dumzil finds in the three earliest kings of Rome, [1] Romulus, [2] Numa,
and [3] Tullus Hostilius, the characteristic gods of the joint sovereignty
(Romulus equaling Varuna, and Numa, Mitra) and the god of the second
function (Tullus Hostilius equaling Indra). The third function is less clearly
evident, although Dumzil / feels it was represented by the Sabines, who
were traditionally viewed as devotees of luxury, la tranquillit, and la
volupt. In the legendary Sabine War, Dumzil sees an expression of an IE mythic theme not yet mentioned: a struggle between representatives of
the first two functions and those of the third, wherein the latter are
defeated and thus brought into the social system. [This] would serve to
explain the lowly position of the cultivator in I-E society; he was the last to
be admitted to it, as far as myth is concerned. This assumed war between
the functions is further discussed in connection with its appearance in
ancient Scandinavian myth (ibid., 11-12).
In the so-called pre-Capitoline or archaic triad, consisting of [1] Jupiter,
[2] Mars, and [3] Quirinus, he finds, respectively, the magico-religious half
of the first function, the second function, and part of the third function.
The picture is completed by several obscure and little-known early Roman
gods: Dius Fidius, who is often coupled with Jupiter, represents the Mitra
half of the sovereignty, and Ops (related to the root of the English word
opulent), who is often paired with Quirinus (ibid., 12).
Dumzil attempts to demonstrate that the Norse gods, Othinn and Tyr,
respectively, represent the magico-religious and juridical aspect of the
sovereignty, and that Thrr, the warrior, corresponds to Mars and Indra
and is a second-function figure. The twin gods, Freyr and Njorr, are seen
to be third-function figures, corresponding to Quirinus and Ops, as well as
to the Avins. In addition, Dumzil has indicated the presence of a thirdfunction female figure here, the goddess Freya, whom he links with
Sarasvati and Anahita. Finally, thetheme or a war betweenthe first two
functions andthe third is expressedin the mythical conflict between

the Aesir, the dominant group of gods, to which Othinn, Tyr, and Thrr
belong, and the Vanir, to which Freyr, Njordr, and Freya belong. Like the
Sabines, the Vanir, representing the third function, are defeated and thus
brought into the system (ibid., 12).
Celtic trifunctionality: the three Machas of Ulster, one of whom was a
prophetess, the wife of Nemed the Sacred; the second, a female warrior
who fought her way to the throne; and the third, the beautiful wife of a
farmer, to whom she brought additional riches and presented twins. Yet,
no overall division of either the Irish, Brythonic, or Gallic pantheons has
yet been made with any degree of certainty. This, of course, is in large part
the result of imperfect knowledge of these pantheons, especially that of
ancient Gaul (ibid., 13).
Dumezil claims that the three Gallic techniques of human sacrifice, as
reported by Lucan and others, represent a tripartite formula, and that each
technique can be seen as ensuring the social and supernatural effectiveness
of one of the three I-E functions. Thus, hanging related to the first
function, burning related to the second, and drowning in a keg ensured the
effectiveness of the third (ibid., 14).
Dumezil sees the Greek Dioscuri as third-function a la Asvins, though he
was not the first to see this (ibid.).
Judgment of Paris: Paris must choose between the regal Hera, the warlike
Athena, and the voluptuous Aphrodite. So as to influence him in his
choice, each goddess, here seen as a representative of one of the three
functions, offers Paris a gift: Hera offers world sovereignty (first function),
Athena promises military prowess (second function), and Aphrodite
tenders the gift of earthly pleasure (third function). Paris chooses the latter
goddess and thus, / by alienating Hera and Athena, ensures Troys
ultimate downfall (Dumezil, 1953a) (ibid., 14-15).
Croesus and Solons dialogue: Croesus asks [Solon] to name the happiest
man be had ever met, confident that he himself will be named; however,
Solon names Tellos of Athens, a rich man and a vaunted warrior, who died

gloriously in battle. Croesus then asks who is next. This time Solon names
two young and athletic Argive brothers, Cleobis and Biton, who died
serving Hera in her temple. Finally, Croesus asks about himself, and solon
merely points out that he is rich, being unable to say whether his death
will be happy or not; and, as Dumezil reminds us, Croesus was not rich at
the time of his death and died neither gloriously (eventually he became a
vassal of Cyrus) nor piously. (-) In terms of the figures themselves
(including Croesus), they represent, respectively, the third, second, and
first functions; however, the manner of death reflects, respectively, the
second, first, and third function. [See if you can muster a doxaphysical
explanation in an essay/chapter] As far
Left sl. 10

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