What does Indo-European mean?
The term “Indo-European” refers to a language family to which English, among most other European languages, belongs. Today, due to extensive colonialist efforts by the major European powers over the last 500 years, Indo-European languages are spoken on every continent. Originally they were confined to a small area of the Eurasian steppes, however.
The Proto-Indo-Europeans
This is the name given to the people, which are thought to have spoken the language ancestral to all subsequent Indo-European languages. It is not know what they called themselves, but we do have a pretty good idea about where they came from, how and when they lived and what they believed in, by using the method of comparative linguistics, aided by archaeological finds in the proposed homeland of the earliest speakers of an Indo-European language.
The Indo-European-Speakers
As has been mentioned previously, speakers of Indo-European languages can be found all over the world today. This blog is chiefly concerned with the early speakers of these languages, however, such as the early Germanic, Celtic and Italic Tribes, as well as the Ancient Greeks and Romans. The focus clearly lies on the northern Indo-Europeans, but articles concerning other groups may be published from time to time as well.
Mythology
One of the most fascinating aspects of ancient cultures and civilisations are their myths and legends. They allow us a glimpse into the world in which these people lived, how they thought and what they felt, what they believed in and what entertained them. There are many myths of the Romans, Greeks, Norse and Celts which have survived the ages and through these we are able to reconstruct aspects of the even more ancient pantheon of the Proto-Indo-Europeans.
European Origins 