About This Course
The course will show how the pre-Christian Croats saw the world, by pointing to the elements of their worldview which are passed down within Croatian and other Slavic communities. In addition, we will investigate how those worldviews are connected with other Indo-European cultural transmissions by linguistic, textual and folklore analyses. We will also outline the results of the recent research, which will help in the reconstruction of the ancient Croatian (and Slavic) culture.
The course enables the participants to gain the basic knowledge of the ancient Croatia and its mythical worldview, whose traces are present in everyday life, even today, in the 21st century. Thereby, we will correct all the data which possibly appear in the media about this topic. Since it is the historical fact that Croats belong to the Slavic language group, the analysis will be made within the Slavic and also Indo-European context. Initially, the basic anthropological terms will be explained: myth, ritual, shamanism, all of which represent the basis of the ancient religiosity. The course questions the main knowledge of the Indo-European organization of society by the analysis of cultural peculiarities, such as language and so on. Concrete research is the basis for the critical review: the analysis of the old Croatian and Slavic religion, which is manifested in language and common cultural practices, and the analysis of Croatian mythical space.
Course goal
The aim of the course is to give insight into the possible reconstruction of the ancient Croats’ spiritual culture. Thereby, the relevance of the comparative approach is emphasized as the main method of the historical and cultural research.
Course-level learning objectives
At the end of this class you will be able to:
- identify and explain the basic terms of the anthropology of ritual
- identify and explain the Indo-European threefold sacral structure
- list, evaluate and explain the resources for the reconstruction of the Slavic mythology
- explain the fundamental Slavic myth
- analyse and discuss ritual texts within the mythical context
- analyse and discuss the organization of space within the mythical context
Assignment Overview
Course assignments and activities:
Video lectures: Most of the course content is delivered through video lectures.
Discussion forums: Abillity to express your own views as well as learn from your
fellow students.
