[[beings]] [[life-and-death-mortality]] --- This page is for the IE concept of human beings, both in the real world and in narrative. ## Biblio - [[Buck]]:2.1 "Human Being" - [ie-connection: leode](https://www.indo-european-connection.com/words/leode) ## Defining a Human In the IE conception, humans are (among other things): - (1) Location/Home: Terrestrial/Earth - Called "[[earthlings]]" - (2) Constitution: Endowed with life and subject to [[death]] - Endowed with a [[body]] - Subject to [[health-medic-sick-ill-pain-disease]]. - Subject to [[age]] - Compelled to [eat food](food-eating.md) - Have a finite amount of [[time]] to life our life, to use our lifeforce - Called `*n̥k̑u̯o-` or `*mr̥to-` (< `*mer- "die" [109]`) "mortals, dying-ones" These two characteristics (our location and constitution) define us and **binarily separate us from** the gods. See the page [[humans-vs-gods]] for more on this point. ## Other Characteristics we have [[personal-names]] we reveare our dead [[ancestors-the-dead]] we make [[images-statues-reliefs-figurines]] ## Types [[wandering-devotees]] [[king-ruler-chief-leader-lord]] [[hero]] ### Heroes, Warriors, Kings, Princes, etc On the one hand you can follow [Dumézil](dumezil.md) and make a clear functional distinction: Kings & Princes (1st) vs Warriors (2nd). But in scholarhship the word "hero" is used vaguely.