Tattúínárdǿla saga: If Star Wars Were an Icelandic Saga

A great article by Dr. Jackson Crawford about the Germanic/Icelandic inspiration for the Star Wars Saga.

A long time ago, in a North Atlantic far far away…

Introduction

Earlier this week I was drawn into an enlightening discussion with my colleague Ben Frey about the complicated textual tradition that lies behind George Lucas’s “Star Wars,” which few outside the scholarly community realize is a modern rendition of an old Germanic legend of a fatal conflict between a father and his treacherous son. Below I present some remarks on the Old Icelandic version of the legend, with some spare comparative notes on the cognate traditions in other old Germanic languages.

The story as presented in George Lucas’s films represents only one manuscript tradition, and a rather late and corrupt one at that – the Middle High German epic called Himelgengærelied (Song of the Skywalkers). There is also an Old High German palimpsest known to scholars, later overwritten by a Latin choral and only partly legible to us…

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Update on ‘The Indo-European Languages’

Much of the content on this website revolves around the Proto-Indo-Europeans and their descendant peoples, the Indo-Europeans. A couple of months ago I made it a priority to write a few introductionary articles on the Proto-Indo-Europeans themselves, their mythology and their languages, to make the topic more accessible and understandable to a wider audience. Now, … Continue reading Update on ‘The Indo-European Languages’ →

Update on Proto-Indo-European Society

Another update on one of my older posts, which I hope you'll find interesting: Subscribe for regular Updates:

The Origin of the Elder Futhark

The mythical runes of the Vikings have fascinated many throughout the centuries. In some areas of Scandinavia they remained in use until as late as the 17th century. But where did they originally come from? A comparison of the Latin, North Etruscan and Phoenician Theses of the origin of the runes.

The Origins of The Ancient Celts

Many European Nations today claim Celtic heritage. But where did their ancestors originally come from? A comparison of the linguistic, archaeological and genetic evidence.

Update on the Ancient Italic Peoples

As promised in last weeks article, I've been updating a few of my older posts, such as this one: Apart from this I've added a table of contents with links to the different sub-chapters to articles over 5 minutes reading time for easier access and navigation. I've also started work on a new, more in … Continue reading Update on the Ancient Italic Peoples →

Proto-Indo-European Religion: Gods, Myths and Practices

The myths and legends of the Proto-Indo-Europeans have influenced the world like no other be it through the great Greek Classics, the Icelandic Sagas or the Indian Vedas. But what exactly did they themselves believe in and how did they practice their faith?

History through Poems: Examining Beowulf

A great article on a classic of Old English Literature by Kristyn J. Miller.

Kristyn J. Miller

Epic poems have incredible staying power both as literary achievements and as historical resources. The Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf is one of the foremost examples of this. Despite its mythological themes, the story offers historians a rare insight into Anglo-Saxon ideals of masculinity, heroism, and society. At the same time, it presents literary scholars with a wellspring of opportunities to analyze symbolism and metaphor, as well as a look at the progression of our literary language.

Within the literary sphere, modern Beowulf criticism finds its origins in J.R.R. Tolkien. In his 1936 lecture at Oxford University, later transcribed as an essay, Tolkien argued:

I have read enough, I think, to venture the opinion that Beowulfiana is, while rich in many departments, specially poor in one. It is poor in criticism, criticism that is directed to the understanding of a poem as a poem.

The essay goes on to reaffirm the value…

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Sons of the Sun – A Brief Comparative Of The Indo-European Progenitor Twins — arya-akasha

An intersting article about the Divine Twins, two of the most fascinating deities of Indo-European Mythology, by arya-akasha.

The prehistoric Eurasians: The Proto-Indo-Europeans

A short introduction to the Proto-Indo-Europeans, featuring questions regarding their homeland, their daily lives, how their society worked, what they believed in and how they spread across all of Eurasia.

The Indo-European Migrations – How We’re Connected

How come that languages all across Eurasia use similar words for such essential concepts like family relations, flora and fauna and even God's and Doddesses? The answer lies in the prehistoric migrants of a people known as the Proto-Indo-Europeans.

Ragnarok and Reincarnation in Norse Mythology

Ragnarok describes the end of the world in Norse Mythology. Or does it really? Not only the world itself is reborn after its destruction, but one of the gods as well. Could this be an indication for reincarnation in Germanic myth or perhaps even evidence for a pan-Indo-European phenomenon of rebirth?

The History of the Indo-European Language Family

An overview of the Indo-European languages, including the Anatolian, Indo-Aryan, Hellenic, Celto-Italic, Balto-Slavic and Germanic languages.

The Ambiguous Status of the Tuatha De Danann

My post on the Irish goddess Airmid provoked a discussion on whether the Tuatha de Danann were really deities, or just heroic individuals. The answer, of course, depends on who you ask.The Ambiguous Status of the Tuatha De Danann This post is a repost. For more information click the link above.

Remnants of Proto-Indo-European Society in Sparta

Ancient Sparta is known for its exceptionally tough and militaristic society. But where did it come from? The answer may lie within Proto-Indo-European society.

Update: Subsistence Work of Hunter-Gatherers and New Project

As it has been a while since I announced the article about Subsistence Work in Hunter-Gatherer societies I thought that it's time for a general update. Unfortunately this project wasn't approved by my University and thus it had to be postponed indefinitely. I am still planning on writing and publishing at least a short article … Continue reading Update: Subsistence Work of Hunter-Gatherers and New Project →

Volunteering at a Historical Archive during Lockdown

How to spend your time productively during lockdown if you're into history.

The Proto-Indo-European Myth Of Creation

All societies have their own, unique story of creation, some of which we may be more familiar with than others. The ancient Greeks believed that in the beginning there was Chaos, the Norse that there was Ginnungagap, 'the big gap' of nothingness between the forces of fire and ice. But what if these myths, together with a few others across the Eurasian continent, had a common, Proto-Indo-European origin?

Proto-Indo-European Society: A short Introduction

Western society is often thought of as profoundly patriarchal, capitalist and power hungry, as has been shown multiple times throughout history. But how deep these traits run within our ancestry has only come to light within the last few decades with the reconstruction of Proto-Indo-European society.

The Origins of the Ancient Greeks

The ancient Greeks hold a special place within the history of Europe and the west, as the cradle of civilization, philosophy and science. But where did this sophisticated people come from?

The Ancient Germanic Tribes

A short introduction into the world of the ancient Germanic tribes, including their origins, culture, society and how they shaped the face of modern Europe in the migration period after the fall of the Roman Empire.

Do Ancestry DNA Tests Work?

Many people are understandably intrigued by the relatively new service of personal ancestry tests to determine their own origins. But how reliable are they really?

The Origin and Expansion of the Celtic Peoples

The Celts are one of the most mysterious people of European antiquity, despite the fact that at one point they occupied most of the continent. From Scotland in the North to Spain in the South, and from the Atlantic in the West to Anatolia in the East the Celts shaped the face of Europe like no other.

Before Rome: The Ancient Italic Peoples

Everybody has heard of the might of the Roman Empire. But even the Romans themselves came from humble beginnings and had to compete with a variety of other peoples across the Italian Peninsula, before they could think of expanding beyond.

The Indo-European Homeland and Way of Life

Where did our ancestors come from? And how did they live? This article tries to give some answers to these questions.

Where To Start? The Indo-European Connection

The underlying connection between people from Iceland and Portugal in the west, all the way to India in the east.

Introduction

This blog is going to take a closer look at the aspects of European History regarding the question where we came from, a subject which I have been interested in for a long time. The reader is advised to keep in mind that there's not going to be any groundbreaking scientific discoveries about the human … Continue reading Introduction →