RADKA SOTÁKOVÁ: CIENCIA Y MITOLOGÍA EN LOS CUENTOS DE LEOPOLDO LUGONES (Science and mythology in the short stories by Leopoldo Lugones) ABSTRACT The fantasy short stories by Argentinian Leopoldo Lugones are traditionally divided in two mutually exclusive and opposite groups: the mythological and the science based ones. In this paper, we analyze the short stories from the author's collection Las fuerzas extrañas and the critical papers on fantasy literature and Leopoldo Lugones to study the possible division. We base our study on three aspects: the distribution of characters throughout the book; the description of the forces that create the supernatural element; and finally on the references that appear abundantly in the collection. We observe the correlation of the three aspects with the traditionally delimited types and try to establish whether this division can be considered suitable and exact enough to capture the spirit of the short stories.

This thesis focuses primarily on the iconographic analysis of ten medals made by Antonio Abondio, a court medallist at the court of Emperor Maximilian II and his son Rudolf II. The introductory part of the thesis dedicated to the biography of Antonio Abondio is followed by a short outline of the development of art medals production in Italy and in Central Europe and of the factors which had an impact on Abondio's work. The core of my study is an actual analysis of some selected pieces made on commission for prominent individuals of the said period. A particular emphasis is put on the images found on the reverse side of the medals and on theirs paradigm detecting.

This diploma thesis examines the relationship between the Old Testament Saviour Samson and the ancient Greek hero Heracles. Their connection is firstly analysed from a literary point of view. The story of each hero is explored separately and, subsequently, common themes are compared. Furthermore, thesis addresses the historical context of the stories and deals with the history of their possible interaction. The aim of this thesis is to ascertain whether there is a connection between Samson and Heracles, and if so, what this connection is and to what extent we can observe it and trace it down.

This paper aims to draft a typology of antiheroes in contemporary fantasy literature. Antiheroes are reflected upon concerning their origins, development, and recognition by the implied reader. Mythical trickster is also considered an antihero. The first half presents a theoretical base for the subsequent analysis.

In this work, I will analyze several ancient myths, which are bonded by theme of chthonic symbolism. Vegetation cycle, dead and rebirth are topics, which we think were important for ancient cultures and analyzed myths should be a way, how those civilizations interpreted and understood to various aspects of rebirth and periodicity of life. In my effort to better comprehension of various attempts to cycles of vegetation and life, I will analyze several chthonic myths of ancient societies, which I will compare afterwards. Methodology of my analysis is inspired by narrative analysis and studies of folktales made by Vladimir Propp. I am using my own method based on his analysis of characters and their function. I am mostly focusing on characteristic of persons in myth, their role and function and on presence of chthonic symbols. This analysis is used for comparison of specific aspect of researched myths. Outputs of this research are some similarities founded in structure of myths, mostly in characteristic and roles of specific characters. On the other hand, some deities, which were commonly equated for instance by J.G. Frazer, are looking much more different, in their roles in researched myths. Analysis of methodology leads me to belief, that bigger attention to specific myths could be more useful, than...

In this work, I will make content analysis of several ancient myths, which are bonded by theme of chthonic symbolism. Vegetation cycle, dead and rebirth are topics, which we think were important for ancient cultures and analyzed myths should be a way, how those civilizations interpreted and understood to various aspects of vegetation rebirth and periodicity of life. In my effort to better comprehension of various attempts to understand and clarify cycles of vegetation and life, I will analyze several chthonic myths of ancient societies. For that I will use content analysis, where I am coding content of analyzed myths to several categories and subcategories. Afterwards, I am trying to find chthonic motive in coded content. This motive is explaining, how myth understand the cycles of life and death or vegetation. At the end, I am looking for this motives, in social institutions of those ancient societies. Founded motives are different in every myth, but they are still bonded with question of chthonicity. They also have a counterpart in various social institutions.

This diploma thesis deals with semiotics (the study of signs) in audiovisual commercials. In its theoretical part it is engaged in the field of semiotics. At this point it investigates mainly the problems of a sign, the key element of semiotics. Furthermore it follows the development of the knowledge acquired through semiotics to other areas of research which help to detect the meanings of communication. Those areas are the levels of signification, thus denotation, connotation and myth. This chapter especially draws on Roland Barthes and his publication Mythology, which inspired this diploma thesis. The theoretical part continues by explanation of the main problems of commercial. It gives out the definition of a commercial, explains commercial as a communication process, but also depicts the strategies used in a commercial. Furthermore it tells about conceptualization of a commercial by Jean Baudrillard. Since the thesis analyses audiovisual commercials, it also deals with the sound and picture of a commercial. In its practical part the thesis continues with the analysis of seven audiovisual cosmetic products' commercials itself. Semiotic analysis is done according to Barthes' model. The thesis describes each commercial's story, scene, and sounds, and then analyses those elements as well as the...

This work deals with characteristics of Greek mythology and tries to define a myth and to describe the differences between myths and fairy tales. It focuses on an origin and a history of myths, on gods and on heroes. My work also examines a concept of collective unconscious and archetypes, that appears in antique mythology (especially the archetype of a hero). Based on these findings, this work forms characteristic features of heroes, that are applied on the Greek heroes Odysseus and Achilles. Their life stories prove they deserve to be considered as archetypes of heroes. A survey, that deals with a concept of heroism according to contemporary young people, is also part of the work. It reflects not just the teenagers' image of a hero, but it examines their knowledge of Greek mythology, too.

The thesis examines the classical motifs in the works of Titian. The author focuses on a closed set of works inspired by classical motifs (i.e. motifs of classical mythology), which were created for the Spanish king Philippe II. The thesis deals with the question of possible literary or material sources which could have been at the painter's disposal or could have served as his inspiration. The set of works is defined by themes chosen from Ovid's Metamorphoses. The question is whether Titian based his compositions on their classical version or on a Renaissance adapted or commented translation, or whether he even inspired himself by other classical authors.

The aim of this thesis is to describe origins, history, activity and influence of a Latvian religious movement called Dievturība, established in Latvia in the interwar period, interruption of their activities as a consequence of the Soviet occupation in 1940 and its renewal in exile, especially in the United States, where the followers of Dievturība built an important Latvian cultural centre, as well as its rebirth in the independent Latvia after 1990. With the help of the American Dievturi Latvian followers try to gain more attention through organizing cultural events and raise public awareness of Dievturība. Furthermore the thesis surveys origins of the movement's doctrine, contacts of Dievturība with folklore groups, attitude of its followers, Dievturi, towards politics and media and especially the significance of Dievturība for forming the modern Latvian society. Special attention is paid to Ernests Brastiņš, a founder of the movement, to his life, thoughts, ideas and plans connected with his effort to revive Latvian national cultural consciousness. There are also important the views of critics of Dievturība's doctrine and its understanding of pre-Christian Latvian religion, to which Dievturība relates. In my work I also try to outline the pre-Christian Latvian religion and to find differences...