About the project
“Language Myths” is an international research project that explores the role of ancient languages in modern political mythmaking.
Through cross-cultural perspectives, we investigate how languages such as Sanskrit, Ancient Greek, Latin, and Classical Arabic have been employed to establish vital links between contemporary political moments and imagined Golden Ages in the distant past.
The project aims to answer three key questions:
- How can we develop a common cross-cultural model to understand the politicization of ancient languages and cultures?
- What are the functions of ancient languages and cultures in political mythmaking and political messaging across cultures?
- What does their use reveal about the implication of the humanities in political mythmaking?
Objectives
Through a series of workshops, this research initiative aims to achieve the following goals:
- Start developing a theoretical framework to study the politicization of ancient languages and cultures from a cross-cultural perspective.
- Enhance the understanding of how ancient languages play a significant, yet often overlooked, role in political mythmaking.
- Encourage a cross-disciplinary dialogue among scholars working in different fields about the politicization of their respective areas of study.
Events
Dangerous Documents: Approaches to Making Fascist Materials Available. University of Oslo. June 21, 2024.
Language Myths: A workshop on the political uses of historical languages. University of Copenhagen. January 16, 2025.
Language Myths: Paper Development Workshop. Centre Universitaire de Norvège à Paris. June 26 – June 27, 2025.