| Abstract: | The doctoral thesis titled Sacrum and Mythos in Polish Fantastic Literature has the
purpose in demonstration, that scientific methods, reserved for theology and cultural
anthropology until now, in combination with classical research workshop of literary, are
unusually valuable in research in fantastic literature – fantasy, science fiction and horror.
The thesis consists of two parts: chapters which are theoretical groundwork and chapters
presenting interpretations of individual literary works. The theoretical part consists of
three chapters and a chapter which ends the content of thesis, whereas practical part
consists of seven chapters, every devoted to particular author, novel or short story.
The variety of subjective material ruled out the application of a uniform research
methodology, which may have been expected in a thesis devoted to specific author or
specific literary work. Instead, every of presented interpretation consists of different
seeing on sacrum and mythology. Particular chapters, being the pieces of analysis and
intepretation of literary works, are devoted to polish texts without exception, although
continuos appeals to english and american classics make the necessary background for
presented issues and motives.
The whole thesis is ended by a chapter titled Instead of the end, which presents
an argument, being also a conclusion: polish fantastic literature has grown up from
completely different background and tradition than her equivalent in England or
America, and at the beginning of this dissimilarity there is our own experience of
sacrum and the lack of fully codified and consciously experienced pre-christian
tradition. |