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Gods and Demons: The Construction of the Slavic Paganism in the Medieval Textual Sources
Dynda, Jiří ; Kozák, Jan (advisor) ; Golema, Martin (referee) ; Zbíral, David (referee)
Jiří Dynda Gods and Demons: The Construction of the Slavic Paganism in the Medieval Textual Sources PhD Thesis, Faculty of Arts, Charles University Abstract The thesis focuses on the analysis of ways of discursive construction of Slavic paganism in medieval written sources. Three chapters attempt to answer the basic research question: how are the elements of Slavic paganism (and especially its concept of divinity) described before; shortly after; and long after Christianization. In other words, how paganism was portrayed as an active external enemy, as a defeated enemy, and as an internal enemy of medieval Christianity. The discourses analysis is applied to more than a dozen case studies of specific sources or their groups. These written sources are analysed also in comparison with other textual, archaeological and ethnographic sources. By thorough identification of several discursive strategies (idolatric, demonological, ortho-practical, euhemeristic and Graeco- Roman interpretation) in the sources the thesis is directed towards a detailed knowledge of the specifics of the Christian perspective (interpretatio Christiana) on the Slavic pagan religions. Thus, the thesis contributes to the possibilities of their understanding. In particular, the concept of divinity in functioning pagan societies in comparison...
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