LgV08 Comparative mythology

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
prof. RNDr. Václav Blažek, CSc. (lecturer)
Mgr. Ondřej Pivoda, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. RNDr. Václav Blažek, CSc.
Department of Linguistics and Baltic Languages – Faculty of Arts
Supplier department: Department of Linguistics and Baltic Languages – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites
Passive knowledge at least of two important European languages.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/30, only registered: 0/30, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/30
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 11 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The purpose of the course is to present the Indo-European mythological traditions, the comparison of motifs and etymological analysis of the mythological proper names, in agreement with the fundamental studies of J. Puhvel, G. Dumézil and M. Eliade. Students should be able to compare the Indo-European mythological traditions, applying the comparative method for parallel texts.
Learning outcomes
Students acquaint with the main motifs in Indo-European and non-Indo-European traditions and learn to apply the comparative method in mythology.
Syllabus
  • The basis of the course is a survey of mythological traditions in individual Indo-European branches: 1. Indo-Aryan; 2. Iranian; 3. Anatolian; 4. Greek; 5. Roman; 6. Celtic; 7. Germanic; 8. Baltic; 9. Slavic.
Literature
  • Niederle, Lubor. 1953: Rukověť slovanských starožitností. Praha: ČSAV.
  • Běťáková, Marta E. & Blažek, Václav. 2012. Encyklopedie baltské mytologie. Praha: Libri.
  • ELIADE, Mircea. Dějiny náboženského myšlení, I-IV. OIKYMENH
  • DUMÉZIL, Georges. Mýtus a epos. Translated by Kristina Simon. Vyd. 1. Praha: Oikoymenh, 2005, 471 s. ISBN 807298117X. info
  • DUMÉZIL, Georges. Mýty a bohové Indoevropanů. 1. vyd. Praha: Oikoymenh, 1997, 263 s. ISBN 80-86005-25-9. info
  • PUHVEL, Jaan. Srovnávací mythologie. Praha: Lidové noviny, 1997, 395 s. ISBN 80-7106-177-8. info
  • DUMÉZIL, Georges. Heur et Malheur du guerrier : aspects mythiques de la fonction guerriere chez les Indo-Européens. 2. éd., remaniée. Paris: Flammarion, 1985, 236 s. ISBN 2-08-211158-X. info
Teaching methods
Text analysis of basic texts of the most important Indo-European traditions.
Assessment methods
Written examination consisting of 5 questions focusing on the basic notions of the discipline.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught once in two years.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2025/LgV08