Disciplines
Archaeological Anthropology | Folklore | Social and Cultural Anthropology | Sociology of Religion
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Numerous religious faiths have pervaded the world for much of known human history, but these belief systems often have significant variation in their core tenets, especially with those that have no contact. Religions which are in close proximity to one another tend to have some degree of syncretism, such as having comparable deities, due to having some transmission of their cultures. One group of similar base beliefs is the Indo-Europeans, with its members having been studied for parallels before. To contend with these previous studies, this project will look at the beliefs of the Norse, Greek, and Celtic cultures, all of which are in the Indo-European group, in conjunction with the Maya culture, who is an outlier in Central America. Various facets, including the cosmology and pantheon of each of the religions, will be looked at to find any form of universality between the beliefs of these four groups, with a moderate degree of similarity being expected.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - Geography & Anthropology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Terry Powis
Included in
Archaeological Anthropology Commons, Folklore Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons, Sociology of Religion Commons
Many Faiths, One Beginning: Universality in Norse, Maya, Greek and Celtic Faiths
Numerous religious faiths have pervaded the world for much of known human history, but these belief systems often have significant variation in their core tenets, especially with those that have no contact. Religions which are in close proximity to one another tend to have some degree of syncretism, such as having comparable deities, due to having some transmission of their cultures. One group of similar base beliefs is the Indo-Europeans, with its members having been studied for parallels before. To contend with these previous studies, this project will look at the beliefs of the Norse, Greek, and Celtic cultures, all of which are in the Indo-European group, in conjunction with the Maya culture, who is an outlier in Central America. Various facets, including the cosmology and pantheon of each of the religions, will be looked at to find any form of universality between the beliefs of these four groups, with a moderate degree of similarity being expected.