Jaan Puhvel

There is no doubt that Jaan Puhvel is knowledgeable regarding the subject of Indo-European Mythology. That being said it also appears that he is impressed with his own knowledge as evidenced by the tenor of his writing in this book. It is almost as if he was jotting down notes for a book but never got around to editing it prior to print. Puhvel’s tendency to follow a random thought down a myriad of paths adds to the confusion promoted by his lofty verbiage and knowledge. Although Puhvel states that it is in response to promises made to students over the years to be a resource for others and he hopes that it is lucid enough to be of some use, at first reading he has missed the mark.

Admittedly this is not a work for the casual reader but for one who is interested in the subject on more than a blasé basis. It is also not a book that can be digested by simply reading from front to back, nor with just a onetime experience. Rather this text should be studied as opposed to read in order to glean from its’ pages the wealth of information and knowledge that it contains. For my part it was one of the more difficult works that I have read over the years, especially when trying to read it in a standard front to back system. This is perhaps as a result of the method of writing employed by Puhvel where it is not really intended to be a text so much as a resource for use in study of culture and mythology. I soon realized that what I had perceived to be an above average knowledge of Greek and Roman mythology was inadequate to enable me to comprehend how these figures translated into other cultures.

Having reached the above conclusions I sat down and decided how I might best digest the information that was held within this tome. I formulated the concept that for me at least, I would be best suited to start with those traditions with which I was most familiar, in this case the Greek then Roman. Fortunately Puhvel divides up the various cultures of the Indo-European world in just such a manner. I began my exploration with Chapter 8, Ancient Greece where I soon learned Puhvel’s feelings on Greece. He states in the topic paragraph, beginning in the second line that, “Greek myth tends to carry disproportionate weight in any comparison.” I at first found this objectionable but upon further reflection much later on I realized that he meant we tend to judge everything from that which we are most acquainted. Why is that so? Because Greek mythology is what we are taught in our schools leaving us with the impression that this is the most important mythology for us to know; an obvious misconception when pondered upon with an open mind!

I moved through Ancient Rome, another mythological culture familiar to me, and into Celtic Myth because this was my Hearth Culture and was an area which I needed to know a great deal more about. From there I sallied forth into Germanic, Baltic and Slavic, Vedic and Epic India and finally Ancient and Epic Iran. Having thus acquainted myself quite thoroughly with his style, I was able to comprehend much more easily his themes of the third section.

Although Puhvel states in the Preface that his work “… cannot pretend to be a summa of any kind; it is merely one man’s’ view of a complex and somewhat amorphous mass of multimillenial tradition…” (p. IX-X) his apparent aloof manner of writing would suggest otherwise. In the chapter on Epic India for example he states that the Mahabharata is the largest epic known to world literature (p69), a fact that he bases upon the vast number of couplets in the work. It takes another full page of reading, wherein he breaks down the Odyssey and the Iliad hexameters in comparison to the Mahabharata, before the reader begins to find out why this is so important to devote so much time and space to a work that is known in a relatively small circle of scholars.

The work is, as already stated, a vast resource for those who are interested and it can be easily understood why it has importance to the ADF in particular. While each member has their own Hearth culture it is extremely helpful to know how that culture meshes and intertwines with those that are adopted by other members of the ADF. To use the knowledge gained by reading this work, is for me a development of more understanding, empathy and acceptance for those who choose these other cultural Hearths. Quite apart from the foundation of knowledge obtained is the further depth of belief and comprehension for that which is essential in the practice which we have all chosen. In the end I think Puhvel reaches his goal by supplying a text that if studied appropriately and used as a resource for reference it is a valuable tool.

I would caution others to begin as I finally did when studying this book. Begin with what you are familiar and move in a logical sequence for you from that point. Don’t be satisfied with one reading, but be prepared to research, question, annotate and digest what Puhvel writes. In that way, you will gain much more than you anticipate or could hope to expect. Keep the work handy as a reference resource because as you traverse other writings you will come back to Comparative Mythology for clarification and understanding.… (meer)

What an eye-opener! You will find hundreds of tiny similarities, discovered by Puhvel, which form together a striking whole of a "what might have been in the minds of those ancient guys". The author is a famous comparative mythologist and although he writes in a quite academic style, his thoughts are profound and easy to follow and spiced with a "special" kind of humour. The book is divided in two main parts: 1. Introduction to the main Indo-European mythologies, 2. A deeper view on some themes which survived in different branches of the mythological traditions. The well structured texts, the cross-references and an index, which is a little bit meagre, help even the mythological virgins to find their way through the pages surprising them with a glimpse on the well hidden, but eternal flames of the ancient roots.… (meer)