Le roi indo-européen et la synthèse des trois fonctions

The Indo-European king and the synthesis of the three functions On the basis of his findings in Mythe et épopée, vol.2 and several earlier studies, Georges Dumézil concludes : "The indo-european king, by the very nature of his being, effected the synthesis of the three functions." The author of the present essay seeks to strengthen the evidence for this conclusion by offering new translations and commentaries : an Avestan text (Yast 23, str. 5 and 7), an Irish text (Dindsenchas 40, paras. 5-6), and several Sanskrit texts. Some concern the rajasuya ("the ancient Indian royal consecration") and the others are extracts from later sources (Ramayana I, 68, 1-5 and Markandeya Purana 20, 1-7). This testimony confirms that the indo-european conception of royalty was based on a coherent vision of the world and of society. If the king, through various procedures, accomplishes the synthesis of the three functions, it is because he reigns in a society whose structure and basic theology (as well as a part of its literature) were elaborated with the aid of this convenient conceptual framework.Dubuisson Daniel. Le roi indo-européen et la synthèse des trois fonctions. In: Annales. Economies, sociétés, civilisations. 33ᵉ année, N. 1, 1978. pp. 21-34