Язык и мифологические ментальные структуры
Language and mythological mental structures

Summary/Abstract: The author tries to prove that the ancient mental structures which arose on the basis of myths and rituals, exist in modern mentality as superstitions, traditions, customs, or prohibitions. They are also entrenched in language.Analyzing a group of words with the meaning of ‘anger’ in Czech, Polish and Russian, the author notes that many of them (such as Czech zuřivost, Polish wściekłość, szał, Russian бешенство, безумие, ошалеть, буйный) have both positive and negative connotations. An etymological analysis of these words shows that many of them in old times denoted a “sacred madness”. This kind of behaviour (or anti-behaviour) characterized the so-called trickster, a figure which transformed into cheats and jesters in world literature.

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