Subproject B05

Underworlding. Metaphorical Aspects of Mythological Otherworlds

Subproject B05 investigates mythological underworlds and otherworldly realms in religious traditions from South Asia, the Ancient Near East, and beyond. The project explores how these worlds are imagined through metaphors and how they relate to concepts of the human self, the body, and life beyond the visible world.

Building on the first funding phase, which examined ideas of the self leaving the body, B05 now focuses on the mythical realms that such a self is believed to enter after leaving the body. These worlds are often described in surprisingly concrete terms, featuring rivers, mountains, caves, or hidden domains inhabited by serpents and other supernatural beings. The project asks how such images function as metaphors and what they reveal about conceptions of death, transformation, morality, and the relationship between body and self.

Combining metaphor analysis with narratological and iconological approaches, B05 studies mythological narratives and visual representations from Sanskrit, Sumerian, and Akkadian sources. Particular attention is paid to recurring motifs such as serpents, descent into the underworld, hidden treasures, and the contrast between darkness and light. By investigating how imagined worlds become meaningful religious realities, the project contributes to a deeper understanding of metaphor, embodiment, and religious imagination.