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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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Evolutionary rationale of manifestation of personality traits to vocal expression
Kozák, Jan ; Pivoňková, Věra (advisor) ; Havlíček, Jan (referee)
Previous research in the field of vocal expression in relation to personality variables slightly uncovered some acoustic parameters that correlate with personality characteristics in different models of personality. However, just few studies have examined antisocial personality characteristics including also Dark triad traits. The Dark triad itself is a relatively new concept that has not been studied in relation to the acoustic parameters. This explorative study examines the correlation between acoustic parameters of the voice spectrum and personality traits of Dark Triad, NEO-FFI and Self-deception. For this research were selected voice samples in the form of prolonged phonation vocals / a /, / e /, / i /, / o /, / u /, reading of text, and neutral spontaneous description. Research was attended by 66 participants who completed personality questionnaires SD3, NEO-FFI and SDQ. From an acoustic perspective were measured 21 parameters describing voice quality in software PRAAT. Data analysis revealed significant correlations between personality traits and some acoustic parameters. As an important parameters have showed HNR, jitter and shimmer. The results confirm that certain personality traits are manifested through the human voice. The actual mechanism of influences on voice in this work was only...
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Possibilities for in-vitro testing of controlled-release parenterals.
Kožák, Jan ; Řehula, Milan (advisor) ; Rabišková, Miloslava (referee)
The objective of this study was to start with the development of a gel-based medium simulating intramuscular environment for in-vitro drug release testing as an alternative to currently used water-based media. A pork meat was selected as a model of the muscle tissue. At the first part of the study, diffusion rate was proposed as the most determining factor of drug release in gel-based medium. Consequently, the diffusion rate of sodium fluorescein in pork meat was compared with the diffusion rate in various gels, namely gelatine, calcium alginate and different grades of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC). The measurments were performed at 37řC with respect to recomendations for drug dissolution testing and in- vivo temperature. Gelatine however underwent a gel-sol transition at 37řC regardless to polymer concentration and showed to be unsuitable for measurement by selected method. The diffusion rate of fluorescein in all used gels was higher than the diffusion rate in the meat. Only 25% HPMC (Methocel E4M grade) showed acceptable similarity to meat, in terms of the diffusion rate, and was consequently selected for the second part of the study. In the second part of the study, the release of ibuprofen from ethylcellulose implants (ethylcelulose : ibuprofen weight ratio 9:1) in pork meat and 25%...
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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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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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Þorr's voyage to Geirrøðr
Kozák, Jan ; Antalík, Dalibor (referee) ; Starý, Jiří (advisor)
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"...
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Divination Practices of Christmas Ritual Cycle in the Czech Lands
Rovenská, Kateřina ; Janeček, Petr (advisor) ; Kozák, Jan (referee)
My work presents a typological index of divination practices performed during an interval between the beginning of Advent and Epiphany (Three Kings' Day). This list is made of folk practices known in the Czech lands since advent of Christianity until now. Particular types of divination practices are sorted by goals achieved by divination, not chronologically. Framework of this work is made by general interpretation of the divination itself as cultural practice with introduction to the context of Christian Christmas celebration and also to the problematics of koexistence of Slavic pre-Christian culture with Christian culture in early Middle Ages. Main data use in my work are ethnographic data drawn from books of Č. Zíbrt, J. I. Hanuš and other Czech ethnographers. Theoretical parts are based on works of scholars of religion, folklorists and anthropologists such as M. Eliade, K. J. Erben or K. Richter. KEY WORDS: divination, future, Advent, Christmas, New year, new year, pre-Christian culture, Christian culture, Czech lands
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Coal-fired power plants: cheap electricity vs. clean environment
Krydl, Ondřej ; Loužek, Marek (advisor) ; Kozák, Jan (referee)
The aim of this thesis is to analyze the importance of coal-fired power plants on the market of electric energy, with emphasis on aspects that fundamentally affect their production. Coal-fired power plants belongs nowadays among socially unpopular source of electricity. In recent decades intensively growing interest groups that support state intervention and regulation of the energy sector. This is essentially a massive promotion of renewable energy sources at the expense of fossil fuel plants. Analysis of individual power sources shows that despite the current restrictive measures imposed on power plants burning fossil fuels, and especially coal-fired power plants, electricity produced from coal resources is still competitive, despite some drawbacks has many positive qualities. Coal-fired power plants produce higher amounts of greenhouse gases and other pollutants than other types of power plants. On the other hand, they are able to provide a stable supply of electricity to transmission network, and thus partially offset the high volatility of electricity supply from renewable energy sources. The price of electricity from coal-fired power plants could be considered as relatively low in comparison with other energy sources. The analysis shows that in terms of practical economic policy is not economically justified to reduce the proportion of coal-fired power plants in the total production of electricity.
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