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Japanese Mythology and the Indo-European Trifunctional System

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2024

Atsuhiko Yoshida
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As I have pointed out in a series of papers, which appeared about fifteen years ago in the Revue de l'histoire des religions, there are numerous resemblances between the ancient myths of the Indo-Europeans, on the one hand, and those of Japan, on the other. These resemblances, relating both to the fundamental structures of the two mythological systems and to a number of curious details, constitute an assemblage which seems too conspicuous to be regarded as either accidental or the result of a similitude of human mentalities, manifesting itself, so it seems, through the creation of a great many similar myths and legends throughout the length and breadth of the surface of our planet.

Type
Research Article
Information
Diogenes , Volume 25 , Issue 98 , September 1977 , pp. 93 - 116
Copyright
Copyright © 1977 Fédération Internationale des Sociétés de Philosophie / International Federation of Philosophical Societies (FISP)

References

1 "La mythologie japonaise: essai d'interprétation structurale," Revue de l'histoire des religions, 160, 1961, p. 47-66; 161, 1962, p. 25-44; 163, 1963, p. 225-240.

2 See especially Dumézil, L'idéologie tripartie des Indo-Européens, Brussels, 1958.

3 E.g., Girisha Shinwa to Nihon Shinwa ("Greek Myths and Japanese Myths"), Tokyo, 1974; Nihon Shinwa to In-ô Shinwa ("Japanese Myths and Indo-European Myths"), Tokyo, 1974; Nihon Shinwa no Genryû ("Origins of Japanese My thology"), Tokyo, 1976; Chiisako to Hainuwele ("Small Child and Hainuwele"), Tokyo, 1976.

4 See especially T. Obayashi, Nihon Shinwa no Kôzô ("Structure of Japanese Mythology"), Tokyo, 1974.

5 Cf. e.g., Dumézil, op. cit., p. 25 and Tarpeia, Paris, 1947, pp. 207-246.

6 "Traditions indo-iraniennes sur les classes sociales," Journal Asiatique, 230, 1938, p. 529-549.

7 Obayashi, op. cit., p. 41-71.

8 Cf. e.g., Dumézil, Mitra-Varuna, Paris, 1948, pp. 75-85.

9 Cf. Dumézil, Le troisième souverain, Paris, 1949.

10 Ibid., p. 84-87.

11 Ibid., p. 141-149.

12 Cf. Dumézil, Les dieux des Indo-Européens, Paris, 1952, p. 51-54.

13 Vayu I, Uppsala, 1941 and "Pândava-sagan och Mahâbhâratas mytiska förutsättningar," Religion och Bibel, 6, 1947, pp. 27-39.

14 See Dumézil, Jupiter Mars Quirinus IV, Paris, 1948, pp. 62-73 and Mythe et Epopée I, Paris 1968, pp. 51-65.

15 "Nakula et Sahadeva," Orientalia Suecana, 6, 1957, pp. 66-96. Cf. Dumézil, Mythe et Epopée I, pp. 76-86.

16 See especially Dumézil, op. cit., p. 261-575.

17 "Some Parallel Motifs between Greek and Japanese Myths," Bulletin of the Faculty of Humanities, Seikei University, 9, 1973, pp. 1-14.

18 See especially Obayashi, "Kodai Nihon-Chosen no Saisho no San O no Kôzô" ("Structure of the three first kings in ancient Korea and Japan"), in: A. Yoshida (ed.), Hikaku-Shinwagaku no Genzai, ("The Present of Comparative Mythology"), Tokyo, 1975, pp. 46-89.