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Washing the mouth of a kettledrum
Koubková, Evelyne ; Ahn, Gregor (advisor) ; Antalík, Dalibor (referee)
The purpose of the present thesis is to analyse a particular ritual treatment, the so-called mouth- washing, appearing in diverse rituals of ancient Mesopotamia and its implications for the status of the ritual object treated in this way. Instead of generalizing the function of this element as known from the eponymous Mouth washing ritual for induction of cult images, this thesis considers its employment in all its attested occurrences. The author assumes a strongly metaphorical character of mouth-washing and analyses the concept of purity underlying it. Its shifting significance in different rituals is observed and a typology of these is outlined. A following case study is devoted to the Ritual for covering a kettledrum. A close examination of the sources reveals a possible development of the tradition as well as the ritual's interconnectedness with the Mouth washing ritual. This relation is treated as a case of interrituality, a concept introduced by Burkhard Gladigow. The divine status of the kettledrum is achieved through the ritual for its covering which intentionally employs elements used in the ritual induction of cult images. A special emphasis laid on the kettledrum's status in Seleucid Uruk corresponds with wider socio-historical changes. Methodologically, the offered interpretation rests...
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The Wrath of the Water and Its Relationship with Geasa in the Celtic Mythology
Syrová, Kristýna ; Antalík, Dalibor (advisor) ; Kozák, Jan (referee)
TITLE: The Wrath of the Water and Its Relationship with Geasa in the Celtic Mythology AUTHOR: Kristýna Syrová DEPARTMENT: Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies SUPERVISOR: Doc. Dalibor Antalík, PhD. ABSTRACT: This thesis examines two similar medieval Irish narratives, 'Boann' and 'Sinann', from so called dindshenchas, interpreting the concept of the well of wisdom and the right to approach it, as well as looking for probable parallels of the story in other Celtic sources. Although it works towards encompassing the theories of other scholars, who used to be concerned mainly about parallels of this theme in other Indo-European cultures, the main aim here is different. The thesis is trying to explain the chosen narrative from the inside of the medieval Irish society, namely through a specific Irish ideology of a learned class of poets, the filid. It is also aiming to show how the relationship between physical boundaries, such as rivers, and social boundaries (which were connected to the institution of geasa, so called Irish taboos) could have had an influence on the narrative. Though we cannot deny pre-Christian mythological roots of the story, the author maintains that it was revised by the medieval filid to help them face a peculiar problem: an ambivalent position of a female poet within the...
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Byliny of bogatyr Svyatogor: Structural and Comparative Analysis of Narrative
Dynda, Jiří ; Lemeškin, Ilja (advisor) ; Antalík, Dalibor (referee)
Jiří Dynda Byliny of bogatyr Svyatogor: Structural and Comparative Analysis of Narrative (MA Thesis) Abstract This thesis is an analysis and interpretation of the thirty seven textual variants of the byliny of bogatyr Svyatogor. After the general introduction to the Russian folk epics and after the presentation of issues concerning the study of oral epic literature, author's own structural concept of myth and cultural representations is presented. In the central part the thesis attempts to apply these principles to the narrative of the byliny of Svyatogor and by means of a thorough analysis it indicates, which motives and their relations were fundamental for this narrative to make sense in the local context of bylinaic tradition. The thesis claims that these narratives primarily deal with the themes of the initiation of a young hero, the generation conflict and the transmission of a mentor's position to his apprentice (or, metaphorically, a father's position to his son). This hypothesis is subsequently tested via a two phased comparative analysis of the central motives and their clusters: Firstly, the comparison is made in the context of the bylinaic traditions per se and in the context of the ethnographic situation at the Russian North (internal comparison), and secondly, in the wider scope of the Eurasian...
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El's and Baal's aspects in the concept of the Old Testament's Yahweh
Rejlková, Sandra ; Antalík, Dalibor (advisor) ; Čech, Pavel (referee)
My thesis describes the aspects of Ugarit gods El and Baal and depicts their influence on the conception of The Old Testament's Yahweh. The Biblical monotheistic tradition was indelibly influenced by the polytheistic lore of Ugarit - shards of this process can be observed even from today's perspective, despite all the efforts of ancient Biblical contributors. I suggest brief analysis of shared features of these gods, mainly Yahweh and El, who had more in common than it may seem. My ambition is not only to bring up an enumeration of their divine attributes, but also to construe the incentives, that might have led the Biblical authors to project Ugaritic imagery into their one true God.
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Arabic triad: al-Lāt, Manāt,'Uzzā and its Reflection in Islam
Elkarne, Zdislava ; Antalík, Dalibor (advisor) ; Lyčka, Milan (referee)
The presented paper deals with al-Lāt, Manāt a ˁUzzā, the three goddesses of the ancient south-western Semitic tribes inhabiting the Arabian peninsula and some territories of today's Jordan, Iraq and Syria. In the first part it goes out from the Qur'anic verses regarding the goddesses and it pursues the further Islamic reaction. It analyses the Islamic works of different literary genres ant it attempts to show the dynamics of the changing general view of the goddesses, and the Pre-Islamic period either. In the second part it deals with the pre- Islamic sources particularly the epigraphic ones and the historical treatises of the Hellenistic and Early-Islamic authors aiming to characterise the nature of the goddesses as much precise as possible. It presents the etymological interpretation of goddesses' names, it reconstructs their possible qualification and characterizes their cult. The paper draws a conclusion about the importance of the goddesses which is shown on the extension of their cult, the Qur'anic mention and the presence in the Islamic literature. Key words: Al-Lāt, Manāt, ˁUzzā, ancient Arabia, satanic verses
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The Gates of the Otherworlds: The Border of the Otherworld in Celtic and Old Norse Myths
Hůlová, Silvie ; Kozák, Jan (advisor) ; Antalík, Dalibor (referee)
The Gates of the Otherworlds: The Border of the Otherworld in Celtic and Old Norse Myths Sylva Hůlová Abstract: My work presents a set of motifs (circumstances, barriers, creatures and other phenomena) that are connected with passage through the border of the Otherworld in the Celtic and Old Norse myths. It should be used as a basic guide for better orientation and understanding of stories describing the journey to the Otherworld and confrontation with Otherness in the chosen cultural areas. The common framework of these stories is the structure of initiation which is also frequently used for interpretation of the examined motifs. A general explanation of the concept of Otherness is based on the phenomenological approach (R. Otto, M. Eliade). Some conclusions are based also on the psychological approach (J. Campbell, S. Freud) and on the theory of narrative (V. J. Propp, N. Frye).
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The Flood Motive in the Literature of Ancient Mesopotamia
Koubková, Evelyne ; Čech, Pavel (advisor) ; Antalík, Dalibor (referee)
The presented paper deals with the flood motive in the literature of ancient Mesopotamia from the 2nd mil. BC until the 2nd cent. BC as it appears repeatedly in a variety of texts in this period. Apart from the varied versions of the mythical flood narrative I will examine the king lists, especially the Sumerian king list in which the flood appears, and sources about antediluvian kings. In a separate chapter I will focus on the tradition of the sages (apkallu) who are sometimes situated before the flood. The common feature of all the treated sources seems to be that the flood is a watershed. Its importance stems not from the dividing of qualitatively distinct periods of time but from the possibility to get over the boundary. According to the anthropological theory of antistructure I will try to explain that the flood is a breakthough of chaos which can strengthen the order. I will examine god Ea, too, as he is intrinsically bound to the flood and I will show his position in pantheon as analogical to the role of the flood.
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Initiation of the Germanic Hero in Fornaldarsõgur
Fryje, Jakub ; Starý, Jiří (advisor) ; Antalík, Dalibor (referee)
The main theme of this paper is the initiation of the heroes from two important fornaldarsõgur: The Saga of the Võlsungs and The Saga of the King Hrólf Kraki. These heroes are called Sigurð, Sigmund, Sinfjõtli and Hõtt. The tales of these four characters acting in the stories that are preserved in the sagas we divide into three phases, which can be designated like separation phase, liminal phase and a return. In this case we are inspired by the conception of Arnold van Gennep, who dividided the rites of passage in this manner. The liminal phase of the heroic story is most important for us. It is the core of the initiation process, which is experiencing the hero, and the core of the rite of passage as well. In our stories is significant for the liminal phase for example a monster killed by the hero, hero's encounter with a numinous beings, or hero's abidance in certain liminal state. The main objective of this thesis is using primary sources and secondary literature by scholars such as Otto Höfler, Victor Turner or Jens Peter Schjødt, to create consise analysis of the liminal phase of three stories about germanic heroes, which is possible to designate as the initiation texts. This analysis should clarify, how these initiation texts relate with the initiation rituals and - in certain cases - with the...
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Útgardaloki in the Context of Eddic Mythology
Miechová, Martina ; Kozák, Jan (advisor) ; Antalík, Dalibor (referee)
The submitted work concerns itself with the analysis and interpretation of the Utgarðaloki character on the basis of eddic mythology in which it appears. The introductory chapter focuses on primary sources and secondary literature, bringing together the results of the previous research which partly lend the structure to this work. The key primary text used is the myth about Ϸórr's journey to Utgarðaloki which is contained in the Younger Edda of Snorri Sturluson. Other versions of this narrative are also taken into account so that it may be possible to reconstruct the image of this character in its entirety and highlight its complementary aspects. This is the subject matter of the second chapter. Among these versions I have included Snorri's parallel myth about Þórr's journey to Geirrøðr, Saxo Grammaticus's narrative about Geruthus and Utgarthilocus from his work The History of the Danes, the Tale of Ϸorsteinn Bœjarmagn (belonging to the saga literature) and, used to a lesser extent, the skaldic poem Þórsdrápa. The third and fourth chapters compare Utgarðaloki to Oðinn and Loki - other mythological characters who share many common traits with him. Finally, in the concluding chapter I bring forward my own concept of Utgarðaloki as a mediating element between the two aforementioned deities, using the...
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Eschatology of Early Zoroastianism
Votroubeková, Tatiana ; Antalík, Dalibor (advisor) ; Ondračka, Lubomír (referee)
Tatiana Votroubeková - Eschatology of Zoroastrianism: From it's Origin to Middle Persian Era Supervisor: doc. Dalibor Antalík The thesis aims to map Zoroastrian thoughts about death, fate of the soul after death, the ultimate destination of mankind and beliefs about afterlife. The main goal is to show the most notable evolutional tendencies in literature, identify the key motives and follow them from a hypothetical beginning to the end of the development in the Middle Persian Period. The basic method is analysis of source texts and their synthesis in chronological order.
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