Landscape mythology and anthropology of landscape (''Landschaftsmythologie'', ''Landschaftsethnologie'') are terms for a field of study advocated since about 1990 by Kurt Derungs (born 1962 in
St. Gallen,
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
). Derungs describes the field as an interdisciplinary approach to
landscape
A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...
combining
archaeology
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
,
ethnology and
mythology
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...
.
Derungs interprets landscape features in terms of "
totemism,
shamanism
Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a Spirit world (Spiritualism), spirit world through Altered state of consciousness, altered states of consciousness, such as tranc ...
and
matriarchal
Matriarchy is a social system in which women hold the primary power positions in roles of authority. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege and control of property.
While those definitions apply in general E ...
mythology", claiming that his approach qualifies as neither
esotericism nor as
positivism
Positivism is an empiricist philosophical theory that holds that all genuine knowledge is either true by definition or positive—meaning ''a posteriori'' facts derived by reason and logic from sensory experience.John J. Macionis, Linda M. G ...
but as a "sound alternative" to both. His interpretations are strongly influenced by the hypothesis of a
matriarchal
Matriarchy is a social system in which women hold the primary power positions in roles of authority. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege and control of property.
While those definitions apply in general E ...
structure of society and a cult of the
Great Goddess Great Goddess is the concept of an almighty goddess or mother goddess, or a matriarchal religion. Apart from various specific figures called this from various cultures, the Great Goddess hypothesis, is a postulated fertility goddess supposed to h ...
in
Neolithic Europe
The European Neolithic is the period when Neolithic (New Stone Age) technology was present in Europe, roughly between 7000 BCE (the approximate time of the first farming societies in Greece) and c.2000–1700 BCE (the beginning of the Bronze Age ...
, and he associates
megalithic
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea.
The ...
monuments and elements of traditional
fairy tale
A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...
s with these ideas.
Since 1994, Derungs manages the ''edition amalia'' publishing house, where his books appear besides publications on related topics (matriarchy, Great Goddess) by other authors. Derungs is popular in
German Neopagan circles, but has received little attention in academic literature.
[Derungs (1996) is mentioned favourably as forwarding a feminist critique of ]C. G. Jung
Carl Gustav Jung ( ; ; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. Jung's work has been influential in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, phi ...
's depiction of femininity in Kocku von Stuckrad, ''Constructing Femininity—the Lilith Case'', LAUD paper Universität Essen, Linguistic Agency: Series A; 474.
Bibliography
* ''AMALIA oder Der Vogel der Wahrheit. Mythen und Märchen aus Rätien im Kulturvergleich.'' Bündner Monatsblatt Verlag Desertina, 1994,
* ''Geheimnisvolles Basel. Sakrale Stätten im Dreiland.'' Edition Amalia, 2004 (1st ed. 1999),
* ''Geheimnisvolles Zürich. Sakrale Stätten am Zürichsee.'' Edition Amalia, 2004,
* ''Keltische Frauen und Göttinnen. Matriarchale Spuren bei Kelten, Pikten und Schotten.'' Edition Amalia, 1995
* ''Kultplatz Zuoz/ Engadin. Die Seele einer alpinen Landschaft. Geheimnisvolles Graubünden.'' Edition Amalia, 2001,
* ''Landschaften der Göttin. Avebury, Silbury, Lenzburg, Sion. Kultplätze der Grossen Göttin in Europa.'' Edition Amalia, 2000,
* ''Magisch Reisen Bern. Sagenhaftes Wandern zu Kultsteinen vom Jura bis zum Berner Oberland.'' Edition Amalia, 2003,
* ''Matriarchate als herrschaftsfreie Gesellschaften.'' Edition Amalia, 1997,
* ''Mythen und Kultplätze im Drei-Seen-Land.'' Edition Amalia, 2002,
* ''Mythologische Landschaft Deutschland.'' Edition Amalia, 1999
* ''Mythologische Landschaft Schweiz.'' Edition Amalia, 1997,
* ''Der psychologische Mythos. Frauen, Märchen und Sexismus. Manipulation und Indokrination durch populärpsychologische Märcheninterpretation: Freud, Jung & Co.'' Edition Amalia, 1996,
* ''Quellen Kulte Zauberberge. Landschaftsmythologie der Ostschweiz und Vorarlbergs.'' Edition Amalia, 2005,
* ''Schwarze Madonna im Märchen. Mythen und Märchen von der Schwarzen Frau.'' Edition Amalia, 1998,
* ''Struktur des Zaubermärchens. Eine fundierte Darstellung der historischen Märchenforschung und Mythologie. Band I und II.'' Paul Haupt, Bern
* ''Die ursprünglichen Märchen der Brüder Grimm.'' Edition Amalia, 1999,
* ''Magische Stätten der Heilkraft.Marienorte mythologisch neu entdeckt. Quellen, Steine, Bäume und Pflanzen.'' Edition Amalia, 2006,
See also
*
Landscape archaeology
*
Landscape history
Landscape history is the study of the way in which humanity has changed the physical appearance of the environment – both present and past. It is sometimes referred to as landscape archaeology. It was first recognised as a separate area of study ...
*
Modern Matriarchal Studies
Modern may refer to:
History
*Modern history
** Early Modern period
** Late Modern period
*** 18th century
*** 19th century
*** 20th century
** Contemporary history
* Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century
Philosoph ...
*
Marija Gimbutas
Marija Gimbutas ( lt, Marija Gimbutienė, ; January 23, 1921 – February 2, 1994) was a Lithuanian archaeologist and anthropologist known for her research into the Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures of " Old Europe" and for her Kurgan hypothesis, ...
*
John Michell (writer)
John Frederick Carden Michell (9 February 1933 – 24 April 2009) was an English author and esotericist who was a prominent figure in the development of the Earth mysteries movement. Over the course of his life he published over forty books ...
(an author discussing "landscape mythology" in the context of
pseudoscientific metrology
Some approaches in the branch of historic metrology are highly speculative and can be qualified as pseudoscience.
Origins
In 1637, John Greaves, professor of geometry at Gresham College, made his first of several studies in Egypt and Italy, makin ...
)
References
External links
*
* http://derungs.org
* http://amalia.ch/ - Edition Amalia
* http://maerchenlexikon.de
{{DEFAULTSORT:Landscape Mythology
Mythology
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...
Mythography
Matriarchy
Anthropology of religion
Feminist spirituality
Feminism and society