Shrouded within the uncertainty of Europe's distant past are many mysteries. Whilst we are relatively well informed about the Mediterranean with its mighty empires we know comparatively little about the heartland and the fringes of the European continent. It wasn't until the days of Julius Caesar that a new player stepped up onto the stage of European and – by extension to the modern age – World History: The Ancient Germanic Peoples. Caesar described them as even more brutish and uncivilized than the in the eyes of the Mediterranean World already savage Gauls and justified his campaigns into Gaul partially by claiming that they needed protection from the Germans. But before we venture too far into historical events involving these peoples the term “German” and its use in the context of Antiquity has to be clarified.
Indo-European
The Origins of The Ancient Celts
Where did the Ancient Celts originally come from? A comparison of the linguistic, archaeological and genetic evidence.
Proto-Indo-European Religion
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?
The prehistoric Eurasians: The Proto-Indo-Europeans
The Proto-Indo-Europeans are the hypothetical speakers of the (re-)constructed Proto-Indo-European language, the ancestor to most European and some central and south Asian languages.
The Indo-European Language Family
The Indo-European language family is the most widely spoken language family in the world today, partially due to Colonialism. But even before the European expansion Indo-European languages were spoken throughout Eurasia.
How linguistics helps us reconstruct ancient fire mythology — The Philological Society Blog
Report on the ‘Martin Burr Fund’ grant offered for a monograph on the Norse God Loki written by Riccardo Ginevra (Center for Hellenic Studies, Harvard University) The historical and comparative approach to Indo-European poetic language and myth has developed greatly in the second half of the 20th century, particularly thanks to the efforts of, among […]How … Continue reading How linguistics helps us reconstruct ancient fire mythology — The Philological Society Blog
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.
Ancient Mythology: The Proto-Indo-European Pantheon
The Gods of the Proto-Indo-European pantheon encompassed archetypes such as the Sky Father, chieftain of all gods, and his dragon-slaying son, the God of Thunder.
The Origin and Expansion of the Celtic Peoples
The Celts belong to the most mysterious of Europe's inhabitants. Today, Celtic speakers are confined to the far northwest of the continent, in the past, however, much of Continental Europe spoke Celtic. Where did they come from and how did they manage to cover such a vast area?