W numerze:
Henryk Zimoń SVD, Geneza śmierci w tradycji mitycznej ludów afrykańskich.
Natalia Zawiejska, Krokodyl płynie między niebem a ziemią. Dualizm w mitach wyspy Timor.
Kazimiera Mikoś, Prapoczątek w micie kreacyjnym Majów Quiché.
Kazimiera Mikoś, Huixtocíhuatl – aztecki mit o bogini wygnanej.
Kazimierz Banek, Warkocz Bereniki, czyli o mitach tworzonych „na zamówienie”.
Anna Radziwiłł, Tak zwany pelazgijski mit kreacyjny – szczególny przypadek rekonstrukcji.
Kazimiera Mikoś, Mit a początki filozofii w starożytnej Grecji.
Andrzej Bronk, Stanisław Grodź, Historia religii Kazimierza Banka.
Jacek Sieradzan, Tako rzecze Girard. Początki kultury według René Girarda.
Radosław S. Czarnecki, Związki religii i polityki.
Przemysław Skrzyński, Dalaj Lama w Polsce.
Leonard J. Pełka, Zenon Radziwolski (1925–2008).
SUMMARIES:
Natalia Zawiejska
CROCODILE SWIMS BETWEEN EARTH AND SKY
DUALISM IN MYTHS ON TIMOR ISLAND
Timor Island, beside Javaian, Portuguese and Dutch influences, shares cultural patterns of East Indonesian archipelago (i.e., Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, Flores, Roti, Wetar, Savu, Timor, Solor). The region’s main distinguishing mark is found in similar beliefs and types of social organization. In addition there is a dualism characterized by „paring”, and takes place on three plains: myth, ritual and social organization.
Such pairs occurring in myths of various ethno-linguistic groups of the Timor people are marked either by sheer bipolarity or more often by asymmetric complementarity. This difference is exemplified in two discussed groups: Mambai and Bunaq. Pairs Mother/Earth and Father/Sky, or opposites black/white, cold/hot, life/death, dry/wet divide real and mythical world of each ethno-linguistic group into two parts, and are present in ritual (black/white) and social organization (House of Mother Earth, House of Father Sky).
A proper interpretation of a mutual relationship between myth and reality of ritual and society are extremely difficult and require an analysis of separate cases from mythology of a specific ethnic group. Any generalization on this level of discussion cannot be conclusive.
Kazimiera Mikoś
PRIMORDIAL WORLD IN THE CREATION MYTH OF THE QUICHÉ MAYA PEOPLE
Creation myths of Mesoamerican Indians were best preserved in the versions of the Aztecs, but none has a description of the primordial state of the world comparable with the one left by the Quiché Maya in Guatemalan highlands. This description of the primordial state of the world is found in a famous text from the middle of the 16th Century and is known as Popol Wuj (Popol Vuh), now survived only in a single copy from the beginning of 18th Century. That text is numbered among the most important written sources pertaining to the great cultures of pre-Columbian America.
Numerous editions of Popol Vuh in the original language as well as in its translations into contemporary languages differ from each other considerably. This also applies to two Polish translations, neither of which, is a direct translation from the original Quiché language. The authoress of the paper takes from the two Polish translations, a passage describing the primordial state of the world and juxtaposes it with other well known non-Polish translations (Recinos and Tedlock) and with the original language text. She also takes into consideration the oldest (Ximénez) and the most recent (Christenson) translations respectively, as well as, writings of the earlier mentioned Maya scholars justifying their rendering. Most attention is given to Tedlock’s commentaries, as he interprets the description of the primordial state of the world differently from the majority of translators. Basically the authoress shares Tedlock’s point of view, though on some detailed issues she differs in her opinion. Consequently, the authoress’ rendition is significantly different from the two already existing Polish translations mentioned above. The most controversial points relating to the primordial state of the world itself in Popol Wuj are: a) understanding of silence, which according to Tedlock has a distinct sound aspect know as „white noises”, and b) a question of vertical axis. Tedlock assumes its existence in the primordial world already, but such a view, according to the authoress of the paper (and most translators), does not have sufficient support in the original text.
Kazimiera Mikoś
HUIXTOCÍHUATL; THE AZTEC’S MYTH OF AN EXILED GODDESS
The paper analyzes a short myth of the exiled goddess Huixtocíhuatl, who belongs to a group of supernatural beings not very often mentioned in the source literature, even though it is known that she was an important deity with her own cult. The analysis of the myth plays a key role in reconstruction of a whole picture of her, and offers a sort of link between two functions of Huixtocíhuatl: one as a lady of salt and salt water, and the other as one from among the three main female feeders of people.
In an attempt to reconstruct the evolution of Huixtocíhuatl, the authoress of the paper considers two possibilities: a) originally the goddess had a leading position among mountain and rain deities, but lost it in favor to Tlaloc or Chalchiuhtlicue; or b) she evolved from Chalchiuhtlicue or Iztaccíhuatl (as a hypostasis of one of them), and the name of an elder sister of tlaloques was attached to her ad post. Regardless of which of these two possibilities is correct, Huixtocíhuatl appears, in the light of rarely referenced sources, as exiled tlaloque, who did not forfeit her innate characteristics, even though they were reduced, due to her banishment. Focusing on Huixtocíhuatl, (perhaps the most mysterious figure in “Tlaloc’s family”), from the perspective of the myth of her exile, discloses in addition, that in Aztec mythical meteorology, one finds not one but two concepts of water circulation in nature, which go back to the Olmec time, at least to the first millennium B.C.
Kazimierz Banek
„BERENICES HAIR”
HOW MYTHS WERE „MADE TO ORDER ”
The leitmotiv of this paper is an attempt to show the mechanisms for how in ancient Greece myths were “made to order”. Historians and ancient poets left accounts about specific, often difficult and dangerous historical situations, where myths were created out of hand, so that they would play a significant role in society. Most often the myths were conceived and promulgated by priestly colleges functioning at famous temples. Here we would like to bring up the story about a lock of hair sacrificed in the temple by young queen Berenice II of Egypt, so that her husband would return safely from war. The lock of hair disappeared in unexplained circumstances, and the court astronomer Conon of Samos found it at once in the sky as a cluster of stars and named it Berenice’s Hair, now officially known as Coma Berenice.
Among other examples are: an introduction by Athena (in fact it was a woman Fye) to Acropolis a tyrant Peisistratus, and myths created during the time of wars between Greece and Persia (e.g. defense of Delphi by Apollon, departure from Athena’s temple of a big snake, an apparition of a woman before the Battle of Salamis, the promise to help the Athenians by Boreas, etc.).
From the above examples, one can infer that in ancient times myth, particularly that which referred to sacrum, played a similar role as mass media do today, to inform, interpret and convince the mass population.
Anna Radziwiłł
THE SO-CALLED PELASGIAN MYTH OF CREATION –
A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF RECONSTRUCTION
The article deals with the problem of the ancient sources which inspirited Robert Graves to reconstruct the Pelasgian myth of creation. First, the controversial issue of the origin of the people called Pelasgians is discussed. Further, the recent hypothesis presented by Ignacy Ryszard Danka is examined. According to him the Pelasgian language belongs to the Paleo-Balkan group of Indo-European languages and is closely connected with the Thracian language. Therefore the Pelasgians should be considered as Indo-Europeans dwelling in the territory of today’s Greece before the invasions of the Doric people. Not much is known about the religion and mythology of the Pelasgians. Graves made an effort to reconstruct their myth of creation, and in this way, we are able to know his methodology. However, a closer look at the sources on which he based his hypothesis, enable us to state that his reconstruction of the myth proves to be false. At the end, we contrasted the above mentioned myth with the reconstruction of the Phoenician myth by Martin L. West, an internationally recognized scholar in the Classics, who is much more cautious in constructing his hypothesis and drawing conclusions, and hence, is more reliable.
Kazimiera Mikoś
MYTH AND THE BEGINNING OF PHILOSOPHY IN ANCIENT GREECE
Relationships between myth and philosophy, at its onset, are perceived differently. Some scholars assert that philosophy evolved from myth, whereas, others claim that philosophy was not a rationalized continuation of myth, but functioned independently from it; and the rest took the middle ground. In the opinion of the authoress, philosophy basically came into being in opposition to myth. In addition, this ambiguous relation of philosophy to myth is based on the fact that the Greek word mythos had in antiquity a very broad meaning that until the late archaic period nearly totally matched with the range of meanings of the word logos. Therefore, even the staunchest critics of myth (and poetry) accepted some of its forms.
Refusing the cognitive proprieties of myths, the Greek philosophers still appreciated, for example, some of its therapeutic qualities, and also didactic usefulness. Besides they were aware of the sometimes formidable power of myth, its vitality and strength of influence; ability to make its recipients governable and prevent them from being able to think independently.
Aristotle attributed the disregard for the principles of logic to the mentality of myth creators and myth lovers. It was precisely this feature, which Lucien Lévy-Brühl identified in his La mentalité primitive (1922), when he defined “primitive” mentality. Trying to grasp the essential differences between myth and philosophical reasoning, which from Heraclitus was more often tied to the word logos, the Greek philosophy of the late archaic and classical period aimed at self-determination. Poetry, which was closely connected to myth, was used as a point of reference. Philosophers contrasted poetic and monological myth with the prose of philosophical reasoning and dialogue, with the last two being forms of expression most favoring the development of thinking (Plato). They created the first typology of myth and subjected it to literary analyses.
The theory of myth is rooted in antiquity, and indeed, many of its issues which are essential today were already reflected by its old Greek “fathers”. Thus, it is worthwhile giving more attention to the beginnings of the myth theory, in order to at least gain the necessary distance from contemporary achievements.
Translated by Stanisław A. Wargacki
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