FF:RLBcB034 Prehistoric Religions - Course Information

RLBcB034 Prehistoric Religions in Europe

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. Kateřina Sedlářová
Supplier department: Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts

Timetable

Fri 20. 12. 15:00–16:30 G32

• Timetable of Seminar Groups:

RLBcB034/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
RLBcB034/Prez01: Thu 18:00–19:40 K21, D. Papoušek, J. Reichstäter

Prerequisites (in Czech)

! RLB34 Prehistoric Religions

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 80 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/80, only registered: 0/80, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/80

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

there are 7 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display

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 to the course.
• Religions of the Paleolithic Age.
• Religions of the Neolithic Age.
• Religions between the Eneolithic and the Iron Age.
• Class discussion I
• The Celts – Pantheons, cults, mythologies (Continental Europe and the British Isles).
• The Germans – Pantheons, cults, mythologies (Continental Europe, Scandinavian Peninsula, England and Iceland).
• The Slavs – Pantheons, cults, mythologies (Balkans, Central Europe and the Rus).
• Class discussion II
• The Balts – Pantheons, cults, mythologies (south-eastern Baltic region).
• The Sámi and the Baltic Finns – Pantheons, cults, mythologies (north-eastern Baltic region and the Fennoscandia).
• The Mari and the Permians – Pantheons, cults, mythologies (Middle Volga region).
• Class discussion III
• Final written 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

• RLB530 Christianization of Europe

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

Study Materials
The course is taught annually.

• Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2019, recent)
  
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