The hero cult : A spectacle of world history that changed civilization

by: Haarmann, H. LaBGC

Price: 50,88 EURO

(in stock)

The hero cult is at the very core of western civilization. Does this characteristic feature originate in the milieu of Greek civilization of antiquity, with an early manifestation in Homer?s epic Iliad? No. In fact, it dates back at least 7000 years, and the beginnings are associated with the warrior caste of the Proto-Indo-European pastoralists in the Eurasian steppe who started to migrate into the vast region of Old Europe. With them the cult of heroes entered and changed civilization.
With their patriarchal structure and clear hierarchy the Indo-Europeans from the Eurasian steppe took advantage or their warrior caste and won the fusion process with the ancient Europeans. First slowly over generations then rapidly life in Old Europe changed from a peaceful egalitarian system to a patriarchal class system with the important class of warriors.What the newcomers maintained from the Old European order were the goddesses. The veneration of goddesses continued to be a vital part of life and additionally, goddesses were now seen as patrons to the warriors accompanying and protecting them on their way to become heroes. One of these pre-Greek goddesses stands out among all the other daughters of the Goddess of Old Europe, and this is Athena. The interaction of this pre-Greek goddess with the Indo-European heroes will be highlighted in particular. The contrast between the earliest advanced culture in human history and the ideology of the cult of heroes may stimulate the discussion about our present and it may inspire visions for our future.

Contents:
Cover
Title Pages
Table of Contents
Maps and figures
Introduction: The spread of the cult of heroes, their encounter with goddesses ..
1 Setting the stage for the encounter: The world of Old Europe and subsequent cultures
Athena's divine genealogy-On the longevity of Old European soundings
Stage 1: Old Europe and its cultural heritage
The ancient Europeans and their Pelasgian descendants
Stage 2: The subsequent cultures ('daughters') of Old Europe (Minoan, Cycladic, Pelasgian)
Stage 3: The emergence of Greek culture 2 Pre-Greek goddesses versus Indo-European gods: Confrontation, crisis and solution of crisis
Proliferation of the concept of divine femininity: From the One-ness to multiplicity ..
Processes of cultural fusion of two contradicting worldviews
The goddess Gaia and her intervention in the power struggle among the gods
Demeter and Persephone: Overcoming male humiliation
3 The protagonist on stage: The pre-Hellenic supergoddess Athena
From the mistress of the Acropolis to the icon divinity of the Athenian state
Athena's main attribute, the owl, and its significance Athena and her gift of the olive tree
Athena and her gift of weaving
The political impact of myth: Athena and Erechtheus in the foundation myth of the Athenian state
4 The emergence of the cult of heroes among pastoralists in the Eurasian steppe-Manifestations ..
Roots of a warrior caste among steppe pastoralists
Early affiliations of the warrior caste with divine patronage
Visual manifestation of the cult of heroes
The Indo-European elite in action: Taking control over the trade center at Varna 5 The advent of heroes and their image in poetry-From oral performance to the epic genre
An archaic variety of epic poetry in the Indo-European homeland
The encounter with Athena-Heroes under the patronage of goddesses
Heroes in epic poetry of the archaic era
Interactional patterns of gods and heroes in Greek theater
6 Odysseus, the deviant figure in epic literature-Searching for "heroes" in the world of Old Euro
Features of deviant epic poetry, the Odyssey, and of its protagonist, Odysseus
(i) Debating Homer's authorship of the Odyssey (Ii) The pre-Greek source for the name of Odysseus
(iii) The maritime environment
(iv) The pre-Greek sources for the musical instruments of the bards
(v) The pre-Greek sources for the "Greek" hexameter
(vi) The skills of an adventurer vis-à-vis the vicissitudes of life
Odysseus and his patron Athena: An intimate companionship
Seafaring and shipbuilding: On the longevity of pre-Greek traditions
Old European soundings-The hexameter and its pre-Greek origins
7 Heroes and their role in historiography-Herodotus and his mytho-historical world

The hero cult : A spectacle of world history that changed civilization

by: Haarmann, H. LaBGC

• ISBN-13: 9783447116091 / 978-3-447-11609-1
• ISBN-03: 3447116099 / 3-447-11609-9
• Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden, 2021

Price: 50,88 EURO

(in stock)