EKM Teaduskirjastus

The 13th Annual International Conference on Comparative Mythology of the International Association for Comparative Mythology & The 8th Annual Conference of the Center of Excellence in Estonian Studies

Mythology of Metamorphoses: Comparative & Theoretical Perspectives

Creative development of mythologies has been part of the human culture since time immemorial. Myths explain the origin of humans and other beings, the Earth and the Sky, and the world as a whole. Mythological reality is fluid and is subject to metamorphosis. Mythological characters shift their shape; human and supernatural beings undergo all kinds of transitions; the world and myth are constantly changing. Through studying myth, we can trace metamorphoses in the oldest forms of religious thought and narrative.
The unprecedented accumulation of digital corpora allows us to follow the development of mythology on the basis of a much larger amount of material than ever before. New findings from different time periods change our perception of relationships and distribution of myths and motifs. New data calls for novel methods and comprehensive approaches in the study of mythology. The conference will answer the call by digging deeply into new and established methodologies, by giving fresh interpretations and perspectives of well-known and classical facts and theories, by bringing to light most recent studies about underresearched and underrepresented traditions, peoples, and cultures.
The conference focuses on:
1. Metamorphoses and transitions in myth, including:

• Metamorphosis, shapeshifting, and transformation in myth;
  
• Transition and passage in myth and ritual;
  
• Thresholds, borders, and boundaries: related myths, characters, and worldviews.

2. Theoretical Approaches to Comparative Mythology, i.e.:

• New theoretical and methodological approaches in the research of mythology;
  
• History of comparative mythology: old and novel approaches, changes in methodology;
  
• Mediascapes and digital mythology;
  
• New mythologies.

https://www.folklore.ee/rl/fo/konve/2019/mytholog/