Occasionally, I like to see what my old professors are up to. One of my favorites was Cal Watkins, who taught a course in Indo-European, among other things. Who would have thought, at the time, how valuable it would be...even, and especially, in genealogical research.
Here is one of more recent endeavors, called How to Kill a Dragon: Aspects of Indo-European Poetics. Cannot wait to get a copy!
Here are some of the reader comments:
AWESOME & EXHAUSTIVE MASTERPIECE
This vast tome is a masterpiece of comparative Indo-European poetics. It investigates the nature, form and function of poetic expression and ancient literature among an impressive variety of Indio-European peoples. The author uses the traditional comparative method to identify the genetic intertextuality of particular themes and formulas common to all the daughter languages of ancient Indo-European. The work comprises seven sections and 59 chapters.
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This work is an opus magnum, and it took me months to read it. Even so, I cannot claim to have grasped all the complexities of the fascinating text in which more than 30 familiar and obscure languages are quoted. I strongly recommend this masterpiece to those interested in ancient history, language and its structure, and to literary critics.
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Your first impression will involve picking your jaw up off the floor.
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A stunning achievement...
I haven't read this book, not really.. How could I? The author cheerfully quotes about fifty of the major Indo-European languages over an historical span of some 5,000 years. The Greek is in Greek (which I can barely spell) and (if you are like me) your knowledge of Luvian, Old German, and Sanskrit is probably a little bit rusty.
Nevertheless, it is absolutely one of the most fascinating books I have ever had in my hands. It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "tour de force."
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If you have not read the works of Professor Watkins, and you have an interest in languages, poetry or genealogy...let me not hesitate in recommending him.
You may also find his works, used, here.
If you happen to have an American Heritage Dictionary sitting around...look in the back and front for articles by Professor Watkins on Indo-European languages, as well as a reduced Indo-European dictionary...which is in the back of many editions.
