Mitra-Varuna, perhaps the single most influential work by Georges Dumézil, has had a major impact on many disciplines. Now that it is available in English for the first time, American readers will discover here a seminal essay in the archaeology of social power. In his work at large, Dumézil has demonstrated how all the major Indo-European religions are articulated according to three hierarchical functions: sacred sovereignty, force, and fecundity. In Mitra-Varuna, he develops his general theory but concentrates on the most important of these functions: sovereignty. From India to Rome, from Iran to Scandinavia, sovereignty is conceived of as a dual category: on the one hand, the magician-king (raj, rex), and on the other, the jurist-priest (brahman, flamen).

A founding work of comparative mythology, Mitra-Varuna combines extraordinary scholarship and theoretical discovery.

“[Mitra-Varuna] has become a classic and an inspiration.... The great care with which Dumézil proceeds, the methodic way of presenting his results, the immense scholarship displayed, the language and style are exemplary.”
— Pacific Affairs