|
| |
|
|
Hel. The Old Norse underworld and its mistress
Ratajová, Kateřina ; Starý, Jiří (advisor) ; Antalík, Dalibor (referee)
The Old Norse realm of the dead and its mistress are both called Hel. This paper attempts to reconstruct the conception of Hel current in the period of recording the extant texts, because a search for the original form of it necessarily reduces the sources on the basis of the speculation about Christian influence. The method here used is an analysis of texts and occurences of the word hel with respect to genre and context. The scaldic and Eddic poems are considered the most valuable thanks to the conservation caused by metric rules. The chapters deal with terms, location of the underworld, conceptions connected to the voyage to Hel and the sojourn there, which are aspects of the Old Norse Hel - both as a locality and a person.
|
|
|
Death and afterlife in religious notions and praxis of inhabitans of ancient Etruria
Farkačová, Zuzana ; Antalík, Dalibor (advisor) ; Chlup, Radek (referee)
Cílem práce je na základě analýzy pramenů písemného i ikonografického charakteru popsat eschatologické představy Etrusků a s nimi související kultickou praxi. Práce postupně popisuje rituály v pořadí, ve kterém následovaly bezprostředně po úmrtí člověka. S tím souvisí také možné představení posvátného dramatu na počest zesnulého. Dále je zde věnována pozornost rituálům, které byly údajně zaznamenány v posvátných knihách, a které umožňovaly zbožštění duší zesnulých. V této souvislosti se u Etrusků potvrzuje konání lidské oběti. V druhé části se pak práce věnuje etruským představám o cestě do zásvětí a zásvětí jako takovému. Probrána je zde také etruská démonologie popisující celou řadu postav, včetně podsvětních vládců.
|
|
|
Þorr's voyage to Geirrøðr
Kozák, Jan ; Starý, Jiří (advisor) ; Antalík, Dalibor (referee)
The thesis analyzes eight versions of a narrative of thórr's journey to the dwelling place of thurs (giant) Geirrodr. These variant versions are preserved in several distinct genres and come down from different ages - the oldest is a scaldic poem from the time before the christianization of Scandinavia (10th century) whereas the other versions are written down by Christian Icelander Snorri Sturluson and Danish chronicler Saxo Grammaticus (both 13th c.). The youngest version is a fairy-tale short story from 15th c. The fact of diachronic and genre variation is used to track and analyze the changes of an originally religious narrative after the christianization, i.e. after the dissolution of the original pagan symbolic universe into the medieval (or even post-medieval) one. Although the basic pattern of the story and the names of the protagonists are preserved quite well (in respect to the time span and indirect transmission), the meaning and genre setting of the story is significantly altered: in the case of Saxo Grammaticus into euhemerized pseudohistory and in the case of 15th century short story into fairy-tale loosely connected to historical king Ólafr Tryggvason. This observation illustrate and confirm the process of demythization of pagan myths and show two genres where those myths are to be "stored"...
|
|
|
The Notion of Body and Illness in the Healing Rituals of the 1st Millennium BCE Mesopotamia: The Case of Fever
Loulová, Petra ; Koubková, Evelyne (advisor) ; Antalík, Dalibor (referee)
Body is a biological system, but also a medium, through which an individual as well as their culture are actualized in the world. Both the individual and culture conceptualize the body in notions that, together with physical perceptions, constitute bodily experience. In studying ancient cultures, such as Mesopotamia, the actual bodily experience is lost for us, but the cultural notions can be reconstructed. The present thesis focuses on the notions of body and disease in Mesopotamian healing practice recorded in professional medical literature that was being canonized and copied since the late second millennium BCE. The collections of prescriptions called "therapeutic texts" are of main interest, since they present the healing procedure itself. In these texts, I analyzed the verbal descriptions of disease and healing as well as the physical treatment of the body with regard to general context and with focus on cases of fever. The thesis concludes, that the texts present the interaction between the body and the disease as spatial and physical, in their metaphors as well as in the prescribed treatment of the body and of surrounding space. Fever entered from outer space, attached itself to the body, it "seized" or "took hold" of the person, and needed to be removed. Its independent agency, the way...
|
|
|
Structural Analysis of the Book of Jonah
Havelka, Jan ; Pehal, Martin (advisor) ; Antalík, Dalibor (referee)
In this bachelor thesis I try to analyse the Book of Jonah by means of two methods of structural analysis - version of structural analysis developed by Terence Turner and Mary Douglas' model of ring composition. I proceed from characterization of the Book of Jonah, its text, and its characters. Then I summarize frames of research and some attempts for structural analysis. In the end I offer my own analyses and interpretations. The main thesis of my text is the assertion that the Book of Jonah on many levels connects otherwise discontinuous categories and that by doing so it opens new ways of handling them. Turnerian method helps us recognize several oppositions that the narrative deals with (e.g., relations between Jews and non- Jews, God as JHVH and as Elohim or man and animal). Model of ring composition reveals a central position of a theme of sacrifice. Further I offer some suggestions in what direction the interpretation might be led on. I summarize almost forgotten text of J. Lindon, which interestingly coincides with my own conclusions. By adding the material aspects, I suggest that it would be possible to connect otherwise discontinuous readings. I also use some theory of sacrifice and I try to demonstrate that it is precisely the notion of sacrifice as a mechanism for discerning human and non-human...
|
|
|
You, Roman, be mindful, a land flowing with milk and honey: The comparision of ethnocentric superiority motifs in the Aeneis, Exodus and the myth of Aztlan
Pospíšil, Jan ; Pehal, Martin (advisor) ; Antalík, Dalibor (referee)
This paper aims to compare ethnocentric motifs from the three myths of different cultures. These are: 1) The Aeneid of the Romans, 2) A story of migration from Aztlan of the Mexica, and 3) Hexateuchal tale of the jewish exodus. Ethnocentic motifs are organized into four categories named by myself: 1) Divine presence and leadership, 2) Election of the people and promise of superiority, 3) Promise of the land, and 4) The fall of the unworthy. All myths are treated in their own historico-cultural context and ethnocentric motifs are judged according to the notion of etnicity in their respective myths. As a result of my comparison I present a theory that those motifs are similar on the surface because of their great and universal potential to shape ethnic identity. Yet more importantly I emphasize their differences, which appear during a careful and contextual analyzis. These differences correspond, in my opinion, well with the conception of ethnicity and one's own superiority of every ethnic group discussed. Key words: Aeneid, Aztlan, exodus, ethnicity, ethnocentrism, comparison of myths.
|
|
|
Zbruch Idol: History, Context, Interpretation and Myth
Doležal, Ondřej ; Dynda, Jiří (advisor) ; Antalík, Dalibor (referee)
First of all, the author introduces the problem to the reader by description of the idol and its history. Subsequently he reaches the first pillar of his thesis - summary of the history of research and academic debate about the origin and interpretation of the Zbruch idol since the moment of discovery up today. The author tries to present equally all the directions of interpretation present in discussion for 170 years and in the same time to reach the main specifics of individual periods and key questions of the debate. Even though the author attempts to give an account of equally all significant researchers, who contributed to the progression of the debate, he focuses more precisely on the period previous to Leńczyk comprehensive study from 1964, which he considers neglected. Yet he does not remain impartial in the summary and expresses his disapproving opinion about researchers, who deny the authenticity of the sculpture and declare it a forgery, as those, who deny the idols slavic origin. The author admits, that the Zbruch idol probably bears signs of influence from migrating turkic tribes, but he does not consider it their work. He comments this question in a partial way in the chapter about parallels, which serves him to prove that the Slavic territory probably carried enough of stone...
|
|
|
Board Games in Mythologies: Comparing Old Norse, Celtic and Indian cosmological motives
Grimmová, Jarmila ; Chlup, Radek (advisor) ; Antalík, Dalibor (referee)
This paper aims to compare the motif of board game or dice game in three Indo-European mythologies - Hinduism, Celtic and Old Norse - also dealing with heroic texts. The main sources for Hinduism are namely the dicing episode from Book 2 of Mahābhārata and the myth of dicing game of Śiva and Pārvatī and its consequences. In Celtic mythology it is game of Étaín from Tochmarc Étaíne and in Old Norse religion the Eddic poem Völuspá. In addition to these key myths, this paper will also use minor mentions in more texts from these religions, especially in more modest European material. The subject of this thesis is the inquiry into inner structure of myths, as a game is often placed in the center of the narrative. It will focus on the meaning of those spisodes and their position in the symbolic system of each culture and the relations of these symbols in particular myths. In the next step, I shall attempt to compare these meanings against each other to see whether some meaningful paralels can be found. This thesis will not be of archaeological or historical focus, nor will it deal with ritual or performative studies.
|
|
|
Foreign Influences in Religion of Ancient Syria
Válek, František ; Antalík, Dalibor (advisor) ; Čech, Pavel (referee)
This thesis aims to map non-Semitic influences in the religion and culture of the Late Bronze Age Syria. During the Late Bronze Age, Syria was divided into many local kingdoms which were most of the time subdued to the great empires of the ancient Near East (Mitanni and Ḫatti) and Egypt. Influences from these cultural areas are the most noticeable. Trade across the Mediterranean brought many cultural influences, too. These are mostly observable in art. The thesis is centred around case studies from Ugarit, Amurru, Byblos, Karkemiš, Alalaḫ, Ḫalāb, Emar, Tunip and Qaṭna. Each case study shows peculiarities of individual sites and different modes of cultural transfer. The data are set into a broader anthropological perspective and some general conclusions are made about the process of culture transfer and about conceptions of foreignnessin theculturesof theancientNearEastand Egypt.Abroadertheoryof cultureasa system of concepts is outlined and the material is interpreted in its light. Key words Foreigners, foreignness, culture transfer, religion, Late Bronze Age, ancient Syria, ancient Near East, Egypt, Ḫatti, Mitanni, Hittites, Hurrians, Egyptians, Ugarit, Amurru, Byblos, Karkemiš, Alalaḫ, Ḫalāb, Emar, Tunip, Qaṭna.
|
guest ::
RSS feed.