Proto-Indo-European mythology

Proto-Indo-European mythology is the reconstructed body of myths and religious beliefs attributed to speakers of Proto-Indo-European, inferred by comparing descendant traditions and linguistic evidence.

Comparative mythology: The comparative study of myths across cultures to identify shared structures, themes, and historical relationships. It supplies the cross-cultural method used to infer inherited Indo-European myths.
Dyēus: The reconstructed Proto-Indo-European daylight-sky deity, reflected in several descendant divine names. His name and sky association are among the clearest proposed divine inheritances.
Proto-Indo-European religion: The reconstructed religious beliefs, rituals, and institutions of Proto-Indo-European-speaking communities. Mythology is one part of this broader reconstruction of ancestral religious life.
Vedic mythology: The myths and divine traditions preserved in the Vedas of ancient India. Its archaic hymns preserve names and motifs compared with other Indo-European traditions.
Kurgan hypothesis: A hypothesis linking the spread of Proto-Indo-European languages to steppe pastoralists north of the Black and Caspian seas. Its proposed homeland and social setting shape interpretations of reconstructed myths.
Comparative method: A historical-linguistic method that reconstructs ancestral languages by comparing systematic correspondences among related languages. Its sound correspondences help establish inherited divine names and religious vocabulary.
Sky father: A widespread divine figure associated with the sky and often conceived as a paternal god. The reconstructed *Dyēus ph₂tēr formula links Indo-European sky worship to a father figure.
Historical linguistics: The study of how languages change and how languages are historically related. It tests whether religious words and names descend from a common source.
Greek mythology: The myths and religious narratives of ancient Greek-speaking peoples. Greek divine names and poetic traditions provide a major comparative witness.
Archaeology of Indo-European migrations: The archaeological study of movements and cultural changes associated with the spread of Indo-European languages. Material evidence can contextualize—but rarely identify—the beliefs inferred from comparative traditions.

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Georges DumézilRelated: Dumézil sought traces of inherited mythic structures across later Indo-European cultures.