Biography
Mircea Eliad is a prominent representative of the Romanian and World Humanitarian Thought of the 20th century. The scientist left the works on mythology, religion and philosophy, which became new in the word, and then the classic of science. The man became famous as a researcher, teacher, writer and diplomat and finished a long fruitful life in the status of Professor Chicago University.Childhood and youth
Mircea was born on March 9, 1907 in the capital of Romania - Bucharest. He was brought up in the family of John Arvirs and George Eliad, confessing Orthodoxy. People were simple and not particularly educated by people: the parents of the mother contained a restaurant, and the ancestors of the father traditionally were engaged in peasant labor. George wore the title of captain of the Romanian army and on debt of the service often changed the place of residence. Following the head of the family, the rest of the family was moved, where, in addition to the future scientist, two more children were brought up.
Already as a child, Mircea showed a special craving for knowledge. From 10 years he studied at school, and then switched to the Lyceum Spear of the Hareth, where he received an education until 1925. During these years, he was deeply interested in languages and mastered French, German, Italian, English and Latin. Junoys moved goals to read the treasures of world philosophical and cultural thought in the originals.
Eliad does not produce books from the hands, but at the same time finds the time to state the received and recycled knowledge in the form of an essay and articles that publishes in scientific journals. In 1921, the young writer wins the contest of stories among the student of the lyceum. He collaborates with a local newspaper of national knowledge, which places notes from hiking in Romania, literary experiments and fruits of scientific reflections.
Mirchu is interested in a wide range of topics, but the philosophers of the Ancient East and the history of religions cause special inspiration. Philosophy and philology chooses Elyad, in 1925 in the University of Bucharest. Here he becomes more active from students, engaged in languages, stitching treatises and monographs, publishing articles and editing a university magazine. Three years later, the young man ends the university, defending a diploma in the Italian philosophy of the Renaissance.
In the youth, the inquisitive mind of Eliad as if he tried to argue immense: In 1928, winning the scholarship, Mircea went to India, where Sanskrit was taught and eastern philosophy on the basis of Calcutt University. Life breathaning the heritage of ancient civilizations was dragged for 3 years, during which the guy managed to live in Indian villages and Himalayan monasteries. There he penetrated with local life and religion, he studied the practice of yoga and acquainted with the most prominent personalities, from Rabindanat Tagore to Swami Shivananda.
Returning home, the young scientist gave military duty to his homeland in the aircraft troops, and then began to restore the position in his native university. On Radio Mircea, lecture on India, who brought his popularity, and then formed the basis of the book.
Personal life
In 1934, a significant event was held in the personal life of Eliad - he married Nina Maresh. After 10 years, the writer had to go through the tragedy: the wife died, the cause of death became cancer. The crisis has occurred for loss, to overcome which only deep care of work helped. After 6 years after the tragedy, Mircha again decided to enter into marriage. The second wife became Cristineel Kotest.Books and activities
In the early 1930s, Mircha began to teach at the University of Bucharest, consolidated at the department of logic and metaphysics. He lectured on the history of religions, touching both Christianity and Buddhism. In 1933, the scientist defended the dissertation "Yoga. Essays about the origins of Indian mysticism, "but teaching and scientific work did not provide material well-being.
To restore the balance, Eliad began to intensively write fiction, and in the 1930s, the books "Maitrei", "Hooligans", "Furious Light", "Return from Paradise", "Maiden Christina". The last novel, published in 1936, became a source of scandal. The writer, carried away by an analysis of eroticism and death, accused of pornography and removed from work at the university.
Having gained popularity as a writer, Mircea began to prove his consistency as a scientist. He wrote works on cosmology and alchemy, and also engaged in research by myths. In 1938, Elyad was arrested for articles in support of the "Iron Guard" - a protashist Romanian organization. After spending 4 months in prison, the writer was released, while imprisoned health problems with suspicion of tuberculosis.
During World War II, a man worked in the Romanian embassy, where he held the position of attache for culture. At first, a man lived in London, then moved to Lisbon. At the end of the hostilities, Mircha moved to France, where he read lectures in Sorbonne and other universities. In 1950, an iconic event occurred in the biography of Eliad - an acquaintance with Carl Gustav Jung. The joint photos of buddies have been preserved, which they associated scientific interests and friendships.
During this period, significant works are published, which turn the Eliad in a peaceful scientist: "Shamanism and archaic techniques of ecstasics", "MIF about eternal return", "Treatise on the history of religions". The latter in the summary later received the name "Aspects of myth".
In the late 1950s, Mircea moved to the United States. There he settled in Chicago University, heads the department of history of religions in the status of professor. There's a famous Essay "Sacred and Milsk", journals on the history of religion were founded, and work on memoirs was carried out. Here in the 1970s, he began the monumental labor "History of Faith and Religious Ideas", which continued almost to death.
A three-volume study begins with the era of Neolithic and covers the religious consciousness of different eras and continents, from the ancient Chinese thinkers to Paul - the "Apostle of Gentiles". In an extensive bibliography, Eliad, this three-volume meter has become the final work that generalizes his perennial labor.
Death
The scientist did not grow on April 22, 1986. 79-year-old Eliad died in Chicago, where he taught the university until last days, edited encyclopedia, wrote scientific work. A man reached the fruits of work in the form of professional recognition and gratitude to the scientific community, which awarded him the title of Doctor Honoris Causa Washington University and awarded the Order of the Honorary Legion (France).Memory
- The name of the professor was named Department of Chicago University, where he worked for the past decades of life.
- The scientist is devoted to the book "Mircha Eliad and Italy", published in 1987.
- A number of the author's novels have an emission, among them the films "Maiden Christina", "Night of Bengal", "youth without youth."
Bibliography
- 1928 - "Italian philosophy from Martilio Ficino to Jordano Bruno"
- 1933 - "Maitrey"
- 1935 - "Hooligans"
- 1936 - "Maiden Christina"
- 1949 - "Myth of Eternal Return"
- 1951 - "Shamanism and archaic techniques of ecstasy"
- 1952 - "Images and symbols"
- 1957 - "Myths, Dreams and Mysteries"
- 1963 - "Aspects of myth"
- 1976-1983 - "History of religious ideas"