RLB34 Prehistoric Religions in Europe

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2019
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
PhDr. Dalibor Papoušek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Jan Reichstäter, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Jana Valtrová, Ph.D.
Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Ivona Vrzalová
Supplier department: Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Fri 20. 12. 15:00–16:30 G32
  • Timetable of Seminar Groups:
RLB34/Kombi01: Fri 20. 9. 16:00–17:40 G32, Fri 18. 10. 16:00–17:40 G32, Fri 15. 11. 16:00–17:40 G32, D. Papoušek, J. Reichstäter
RLB34/Prez01: Thu 18:00–19:40 K21, D. Papoušek, J. Reichstäter
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 80 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/80, only registered: 0/80
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course provides basic information about religious cultures of Europe since the Stone age till the Iron age, which terminated in the most of the continent by a process of Christianization. The special attention is paid to the traditions in the northern parts of the continent, namely within the Indo-European and the Uralic language-areas. The aim of lectures is to point out the typical features of religiosity of particular historical periods, to demonstrate examples of both continuity and discontinuity in the development of pre-Christian religious cultures, and to inform students about basic archaeological and literary sources, as well as problems connected with their study.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, students will be able to:
  • to characterize particular (pre)historic periods in the development of the pre-Christian religions in Europe;
  • demonstrate the basic factual knowledge of the (pre)historic religions of Europe;
  • interpret key literary and archaeological sources connected with the topic;
  • reflect critically the possibilities and limits of the study of (pre)historic religions.
    • Syllabus
    • Introduction.
    • Religions of the Paleolithic Age – question of the cultural change in the Upper Paleolithic. Paleolithic art and its religious interpretations.
    • Religions of the Neolithic Age – Neolithic revolution and relation between Europe and Middle East. Sanctuaries and cult places. Interpretations of the figural depictions.
    • Religions between the Eneolithic and the Iron Age – question of the cultural change as a result of process of indoeuropeization of Europe. Religiosity of the Indo-Europeans from both historical and comparative perspectives.
    • Class discussion I
    • The Celts – traditions in the Continental Europe and the British Isles in a perspective of both literary and archaeological sources. Mythological literature (The Book of Invasions, The Cattle Raid of Cooley, The Mabinogion).
    • The Germans – traditions in the Continental Europe, Scandinavian Peninsula, England and Iceland from a perspective of both literary and archaeological sources. Mythological literature (Poetic and Prose Edda, Beowulf, Gesta Danorum, Song of the Nibelungs).
    • The Slavs – traditions in the Balkans, Central Europe and the Rus from a perspective of both literary and archaeological sources.
    • Class discussion II
    • The Balts – traditions in the south-eastern Baltic region from a perspective of both literary and archaeological sources.
    • The Sámi and the Baltic Finns – traditions in the north-eastern Baltic region and the Fennoscandia from a perspective of both literary and archaeological sources. Mythological literature (The Kalevala). Religiosity of the Uralic peoples from a comparative perspective.
    • The Mari and the Permians – contemporary polytheism in the Middle Volga region between Christianity and Islam.
    • Class discussion III
    • Final test.
    Literature
      recommended literature
    • 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
    • MAREK, Václav. Staré laponské náboženství. Červený Kostelec: Pavel Mervart, 2009, 285 pp. Uralica sv. 2. ISBN 978-80-87378-15-1. info
    • LEWIS-WILLIAMS, J. David. Mysl v jeskyni : vědomí a původ umění. Translated by Alena Faltýsková. Vydání 1. Praha: Academia, 2007, 402 stran. ISBN 9788020015181. info
    • LEWIS-WILLIAMS, J. David and D. G. PEARCE. Uvnitř neolitické mysli : vědomí, vesmír a říše bohů. Translated by Alena Faltýsková. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 2008, 398 s. ISBN 9788020016447. info
    Teaching methods
    Lectures; home readings; class discussions; final written test; colloquial written commentary on a chosen textual source.
    Assessment methods
    Requirements for the colloquium:
  • final written test in the basic knowledge of the prehistoric religions of Europe;
  • colloquial written commentary on a chosen textual source, including its defense.

    The final assessment includes: final test (100 points = 50%, limit 60 points); colloquial commentary (100 points = 50%, limit 60 points); participation in the classes (extra points added to the final test).
    • Language of instruction
    Czech
    Follow-Up Courses
    Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
    Study Materials
    The course is taught annually.
    Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
    Teacher's information
    The course is administrated in the ELF (e-learning environment of the Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University).
    The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2004, Spring 2005, Autumn 2006, Spring 2009, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2021.
    • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2019, recent)
    • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2019/RLB34