Gentry
Historical background of social stratification in the West
!This part of a 12th-century Swedish tapestry has been interpreted to show, from left to right, the one-eyed [Odin, the hammer-wielding Thor and Freyr. This triad) corresponds closely to the trifunctional division: Odin is the patron of priests and magicians, Thor of warriors, and Freyr of fertility and farming.](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/Threekingsorthreegods.jpg/250px-Threekingsorthreegods.jpg)
Historical background of social stratification in the West
The Proto-Indo-Europeans who settled Europe, Central and Western Asia and the Indian subcontinent conceived their societies to be ordered (not divided) in a tripartite fashion, the three parts being castes. Castes came to be further divided, perhaps as a result of greater specialisation.
Historical background of social stratification in the West
The "classic" formulation of the caste system as largely described by Georges Dumézil was that of a priestly or religiously occupied caste, a warrior caste, and a worker caste. Dumézil divided Proto-Indo-European society into three categories: sovereignty, military and productivity (see Trifunctional hypothesis). He further subdivided sovereignty into two distinct and complementary sub-parts. One part was formal, juridical, and priestly, but rooted in this world. The other was powerful, unpredictable and also priestly, but rooted in the "other", the supernatural and spiritual world. The second main division was connected with the use of force, the military and war. Finally, there was a third group, ruled by the other two, whose role was productivity: herding, farming and crafts.
Reading List
Report Issue