|
|
Baltic Chthonic Beings in Comparative Perspective
Vaverová, Naďa ; Lemeškin, Ilja (advisor) ; Štoll, Pavel (referee)
This thesis compares selected beings of Baltic folklore within a nearer Balto-Slavic areal after analysing them. It defines the term "chthonic" in accord with the current traditions and supplements it with additional traits, which it verifies afterwards. Using these traits the thesis consequently determines the chthonic properties of the beings. The comparations begin with velnias/velns, a being with assumed chthonic character, which is confirmed. The core of the thesis is dedicated to aivataras, whose mythopersonyma and appearance are examined first, followed by its functionality i.e. the plots it figures in. According to the plots aitvaras and its Baltic variants are compared with East- and West Slavic beings with focus at the plots of Czech demonologic fables. This establishes aitvaras and its equivalents posses strong serpentine traits and a relation to the revered spirits of dead ancestors. The results of this comparison are compared to previous research and some differing conclusions are presented, among them a proposal of a possible etymology of the mythopersonymum "aitvaras". No significant difference on the functional level has been discovered between the terms "aitvaras" and "kaukas". The last chapter concerns itself with the being called "laumė" and to her similar female deities and...
|
|
|
Russian Minority in Latvia and its Culture
Černá, Barbora ; Štoll, Pavel (advisor) ; Tumis, Stanislav (referee)
(in English): The theme of the bachelor thesis "Russian minority in Latvia and its culture" is the process of shaping traditional Russian minority on Latvian territory. The main part is devoted to the two periods, which marked the blooming of Russian culture - 1) the late 19th century and early 20th century, 2) the period of the independent Republic of Latvia (1918-1940). The aim of the work is to introduce important aspects of social and cultural life of the Russian minority in context of multinational Latvian society until 1940.
|
|
|
Dievturība - the Latvian religious movement
Vacíková, Michala ; Štoll, Pavel (advisor) ; Lemeškin, Ilja (referee)
The aim of this thesis is to describe origins, history, activity and influence of a Latvian religious movement called Dievturība, established in Latvia in the interwar period, interruption of their activities as a consequence of the Soviet occupation in 1940 and its renewal in exile, especially in the United States, where the followers of Dievturība built an important Latvian cultural centre, as well as its rebirth in the independent Latvia after 1990. With the help of the American Dievturi Latvian followers try to gain more attention through organizing cultural events and raise public awareness of Dievturība. Furthermore the thesis surveys origins of the movement's doctrine, contacts of Dievturība with folklore groups, attitude of its followers, Dievturi, towards politics and media and especially the significance of Dievturība for forming the modern Latvian society. Special attention is paid to Ernests Brastiņš, a founder of the movement, to his life, thoughts, ideas and plans connected with his effort to revive Latvian national cultural consciousness. There are also important the views of critics of Dievturība's doctrine and its understanding of pre-Christian Latvian religion, to which Dievturība relates. In my work I also try to outline the pre-Christian Latvian religion and to find differences...
|
|
|
A Conceptual Novel by Alberts Bels
Císařová, Svatava ; Lemeškin, Ilja (advisor) ; Štoll, Pavel (referee)
This dissertation presents an analysis of the genre of conceptual novel created by the Latvian novelist Alberts Bels. Specifically, it deals with four novels that have been translated into the Czech language: The Investigator (1967), The Cage (1972), The Voice of a Herald (1973) and Insomnia (1987); however, the author focuses predominantly on People in Boats (1987), a novel that is yet to be translated and is regarded to be one of Bels's most accomplished novels. The selected extracts, translated by the author of this dissertation, are representative of the nature of Bels's work as well as of his artistic and personal contribution to the Latvian literature and culture in general. The dissertation focuses on literary interpretations of the selected works and treats them with regard to the period of their conception, because themes such as 'individual' and 'nation', 'time' and 'stream of history', human and ethical values and, above all, moral decline of an individual and of the entire society on the background of political and cultural development in Latvia become central in Bels's conceptual novels. Their conceptuality lies mainly in their highly compact form, through which Bels voices his philosophical ideas, implicit in the overtones of his novels.
|
|
|
Female deities in the Latvian mythology and folklore
Obuszáková, Markéta ; Štoll, Pavel (advisor) ; Lemeškin, Ilja (referee)
The thesis is focused on analysis of the depiction of female deitites in Latvian folklore and mythology. The main attention is given to the central goddess of Fate, Laima, and two other goddesses connected with human fate, Dēkla and Kārta. The thesis further investigates special goddesses frequently appearing in Latvian folklore - the so-called Mothers (Mātes). The deities are considered mainly from the functional point of view, based on both folklore material (Latvian folk songs called dainas, national fairy tales, legends and superstitions) and the previous Latvian research in folklore and mythology.
|
|
|
Psychological Prose by Regina Ezera
Říhová, Monika ; Lemeškin, Ilja (advisor) ; Štoll, Pavel (referee)
ABSTRACTS This thesis is concerned with the psychological prose by Regīna Ezera. The first chapter gives an insight into the writer's personality. The chapter also outlines the situation in Latvian literature in the period from the restoration of Soviet occupation at the end of World War II throughout the 1990s. The following two chapters are devoted to the analysis of specific Ezera's works, namely three works that were translated into the Czech language (The Well, Aka, 1972, Summer Lasted for Just One Day, Vasara bija tikai vienu dienu, 1974, A Man Needs a Dog, Cilvēkam vajag suni, 1975) and some works that have not yet been translated (Smouldering Fires, Zemdegas, 1977, A Dragon's Egg, Pūķa ola, 1995 and some short proses included in the book The Princess Phenomenon, Princeses Fenomens, 1985 especially so-called zoological novellas and so-called crazy stories). The fourth chapter contains a translation of the short story called August, Month of Apples, Augusts, ābolu mēness included in the book The Princess Phenomenon. The translation is the original work by the author of the thesis. In the final chapter the main features of analysed works are summarised.
|
|
|
The Latvian Movement of "Dievturība"
Vacíková, Michala ; Lemeškin, Ilja (advisor) ; Štoll, Pavel (referee)
The aim of this thesis is to describe origins, history, activity and influence of a Latvian religious movement called Dievturība, established in Latvia in the interwar period, interruption of their activities as a consequence of the Soviet occupation in 1940 and its renewal in exile, especially in the United States, where the followers of Dievturība built an important Latvian cultural centre, as well as its rebirth in the independent Latvia after 1990. With the help of the American Dievturi Latvian followers try to gain more attention through organizing cultural events and raise public awareness of Dievturība. Furthermore the thesis surveys origins of the movement's doctrine, contacts of Dievturība with folklore groups, attitude of its followers, Dievturi, towards politics and media and especially the significance of Dievturība for forming the modern Latvian society. Special attention is paid to Ernests Brastiņš, a founder of the movement, to his life, thoughts, ideas and plans connected with his effort to revive Latvian national cultural consciousness. There are also important the views of critics of Dievturība's doctrine and its understanding of pre-Christian Latvian religion, to which Dievturība relates. In my work I also try to outline the pre-Christian Latvian religion and to find differences...
|
|
|
Latvia between Germany and Russia in the novel by M. Zariņš Calendar of Bandmaster Kociņš
Chlupáčová, Edita ; Štoll, Pavel (advisor) ; Lemeškin, Ilja (referee)
The subject of the thesis is an analysis of the novel Calendar of bandmaster Kociņš by M. Zariņš, which is considered as a dynamic structure characterised by the fact that the process of signification is always in motion and by this very motion the meaning is constituted. The observed motion takes place on two axes, firstly on the axis novel - calendar, secondly on the axis author as writer - author as producent, and thus the distancing effect arises. As understood in the thesis, the concept of distancing effect is based on the theoretical writings of B. Brecht, further elaborated by W. Benjamin and R. Barthes. The distancing effect in semiotic interpretation enables to identify the grotesque nature of the novel as hypersignification, i. e. as meaning overload, and therefore to read the novel as an open text referring to how it is made. Moreover, the workings of the distancing effect give rise to political appeal of the text which consists in the transition from competition and individualism to sharing and collectivism.
|
|
|
Deportation to Siberia in Latvian Memoirs Literature
Kočnarová, Markéta ; Štoll, Pavel (advisor) ; Lemeškin, Ilja (referee)
The subject of the thesis "Deportation of Latvians to Siberia in Latvian Memoirs Literature" is to compare the description of historical experience in three latvian memoirs based on several criteria and to set this problematics into historical context. Chapter one introduces the most important events during the first Latvian republic period and phenomena of collectivization, Gulag and deportations into the territory of U.S.S.R. Chapter two introduces the Latvian memoirs literature problematics including authors' biography and their memoirs. Among the analysed books belong "With Dance Shoes in Siberian Snow" by Sandra Kalniete, "The Stolen Childhood" by Ilmārs Šalts and "The Dugout Children" by Andra Manfelde. These memoirs are compared in chapter three based on two topics: the description of the deportation day and the journey to Siberia and the role of a mother. Chapter four analyses the memoirs relation to documentary literature and imaginative literature.
|
|
|
The Character of Velns in Latvian Folklore
Vaverová, Naďa ; Štoll, Pavel (advisor) ; Lemeškin, Ilja (referee)
The thesis focuses on Velns as a character of the Latvian folklore not omitting the origin of Velns related to cognate mythological frameworks as well as providing an outline of Velns' active role in the literature. The plots where Velns appears are specified using the Aarne-Thompson's tale type index and, according to the place of its occurrence, the examined character is classified into types. After addition of other attributes, Velns is situated into Balto-Slavic context and the appropriate equivalents of each discussed environment are selected. On the basis of these equivalents, a complete image is created and possible similarities are examined within the Czech environment, where two potencial equivalents are found - the first one being the Czech čert (devil) and the second one, appearing less often, vodník (water goblin).
|
guest ::
