Author Description

This volume is the third in a series presenting the papers of the annual international symposiums in the University of Tartu. The symposiums are dedicated to the comparative research of the cultures of the region in question, and during the last few years have focused mainly on ideology and politics, including the political function of sanctuaries in various cultures of the region. The emphasis has been placed not so much on the cultural contacts in the narrow sense as to the comparative discussion of the social, political and ideological development of the societies. Special attention has been paid to the political ideologies and the role of sanctuaries, and to the beliefs concerning the relations between human and divine on the level of both political power and everyday life. The book includes 11 articles in English and German which are followed by an index.