C2 · 50 words
Mythology in Spanish
Narrative forms, character types and motifs — the language myths are compared in.
El destino is fate here — el destino ineludible, what no hero escapes. It is also the place a journey ends: el tren con destino a Sevilla, un destino de vacaciones. And in an office or an army it is a posting, the place one is sent to work: le dieron destino en Zaragoza. English keeps « destiny », « destination » and « posting » apart, and the Spanish word does not blur them so much as show what they always had in common: somewhere you were being sent, whether or not you chose it.
The words
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Phrase (40)
la mitología comparadathe study that looks for what repeats across traditionsPhraseC2
La mitología comparada busca lo que se repite.Comparative mythology looks for what repeats.
la figura arquetípicathe character who plays the same part in unconnected culturesPhraseC2
La figura arquetípica aparece en culturas sin contacto.The archetypal figure appears in cultures with no contact.
el relato fundacionalthe story that explains where a city came fromPhraseC2
El relato fundacional explica el origen de una ciudad.The founding story explains the origin of a city.
el caos primordialthe state before anything had been separated from anythingPhraseC2
El caos primordial precede a toda separación.The primordial chaos precedes every separation.
la edad de orothe good time, which is always placed earlierPhraseC2
La edad de oro se sitúa siempre antes.The golden age is always placed earlier.
el diluvio míticothe flood that comes back in tradition after traditionPhraseC2
El diluvio mítico reaparece en muchas tradiciones.The mythical flood reappears in many traditions.
el héroe civilizadorthe figure who brings fire or writing to peoplePhraseC2
El héroe civilizador trae el fuego o la escritura.The culture hero brings fire or writing.
el viaje del héroethe shape of the story: a going out, a trial and a returnPhraseC2
El viaje del héroe pasa por una prueba y un regreso.The hero's journey goes through a trial and a return.
la llamada a la aventurathe summons, which is refused at firstPhraseC2
La llamada a la aventura se rechaza al principio.The call to adventure is refused at first.
el descenso a los infiernosthe going down below, which changes whoever comes backPhraseC2
El descenso a los infiernos cambia al que vuelve.The descent to the underworld changes whoever returns.
el barquero de las almasthe one who takes the dead across, and asks for the farePhraseC2
El barquero de las almas cobra el pasaje.The ferryman of souls charges for the passage.
el juicio de los muertosthe weighing of what a life was worthPhraseC2
El juicio de los muertos pesa el corazón.The judgement of the dead weighs the heart.
la prohibición míticathe ban that exists in order to be brokenPhraseC2
La prohibición mítica existe para ser quebrantada.The mythical prohibition exists in order to be broken.
el castigo ejemplarthe punishment that lasts for ever, as a lessonPhraseC2
El castigo ejemplar dura para siempre.The exemplary punishment lasts for ever.
la metamorfosis míticathe turning of a person into a tree or a birdPhraseC2
La metamorfosis mítica convierte a la persona en árbol.The mythical metamorphosis turns the person into a tree.
la profecía ineludiblethe prophecy that comes true through the attempt to avoid itPhraseC2
La profecía ineludible se cumple por evitarla.The inescapable prophecy comes true through being avoided.
el destino ineludiblethe fate that weighs more than the gods doPhraseC2
El destino ineludible pesa más que los dioses.Inescapable fate weighs more than the gods.
la criatura híbridathe being that joins a person and an animalPhraseC2
La criatura híbrida junta hombre y animal.The hybrid creature joins man and animal.
el monstruo guardiánthe creature that watches a thresholdPhraseC2
El monstruo guardián protege un umbral.The guardian monster protects a threshold.
el objeto mágicothe thing that works once and no morePhraseC2
El objeto mágico solo funciona una vez.The magical object works only once.
el don de los diosesthe gift from above, which always carries a conditionPhraseC2
El don de los dioses trae siempre una condición.The gift of the gods always brings a condition.
el sacrificio ritualthe offering that puts a balance backPhraseC2
El sacrificio ritual restablece un equilibrio.The ritual sacrifice restores a balance.
el chivo expiatoriothe one made to carry everybody's guiltPhraseC2
El chivo expiatorio carga con la culpa de todos.The scapegoat carries everybody's guilt.
el umbral iniciáticothe doorway between two stages of a lifePhraseC2
El umbral iniciático separa dos etapas de la vida.The initiatory threshold separates two stages of life.
el axis mundithe line that joins the sky and the ground belowPhraseC2
El axis mundi une el cielo y el subsuelo.The axis of the world joins the sky and the ground below.
el árbol cósmicothe tree that holds the three levels upPhraseC2
El árbol cósmico sostiene los tres niveles.The cosmic tree holds up the three levels.
el tiempo cíclicothe time that always comes back round to its beginningPhraseC2
El tiempo cíclico vuelve siempre al principio.Cyclical time always returns to the beginning.
el tiempo primordialthe time before counting, not measured in yearsPhraseC2
El tiempo primordial no se cuenta en años.Primordial time is not counted in years.
el mito etiológicothe story told to explain why a thing is as it isPhraseC2
El mito etiológico explica por qué algo es como es.The aetiological myth explains why something is as it is.
la leyenda localthe story fixed to a place one can still go and seePhraseC2
La leyenda local se ancla en un lugar visible.The local legend is anchored to a visible place.
el cuento popularthe tale that circulates in many versionsPhraseC2
El cuento popular circula en muchas versiones.The folk tale circulates in many versions.
la variante narrativathe version that changes the ending and keeps the motifPhraseC2
La variante narrativa cambia el final y conserva el motivo.The narrative variant changes the ending and keeps the motif.
el motivo recurrentethe element that turns up on three continentsPhraseC2
El motivo recurrente aparece en tres continentes.The recurring motif appears on three continents.
la función del personajethe part a character plays, which matters more than the namePhraseC2
La función del personaje importa más que su nombre.The function of the character matters more than the name.
el donante mágicothe figure who hands over what is needed for the trialPhraseC2
El donante mágico entrega el medio para la prueba.The magical donor hands over the means for the trial.
el falso héroethe one who claims a deed that was not hisPhraseC2
El falso héroe reclama un mérito ajeno.The false hero claims somebody else's merit.
la interpretación evemeristathe reading that sees real people behind the godsPhraseC2
La interpretación evemerista ve personas reales tras los dioses.The euhemerist interpretation sees real people behind the gods.
la lectura estructural del mitothe reading that looks for pairs of oppositesPhraseC2
La lectura estructural del mito busca oposiciones binarias.The structural reading of the myth looks for binary oppositions.
la pervivencia del mitothe survival of a myth, as far as an advertisementPhraseC2
La pervivencia del mito llega hasta la publicidad.The survival of the myth reaches as far as advertising.
la reescritura modernathe retelling that turns the victim's part aroundPhraseC2
La reescritura moderna invierte el papel de la víctima.The modern retelling inverts the role of the victim.
Noun (m) (4)
el mitemathe smallest unit that comes back: the twin, the forbidden doorNoun (m)C2
El mitema es la unidad mínima que se repite.The mytheme is the smallest unit that comes back.
el embaucadorthe figure who breaks the rules and shifts the orderNoun (m)C2
El embaucador rompe las reglas y cambia el orden.The trickster breaks the rules and shifts the order.
el inframundothe world below, with a border one crosses onceNoun (m)C2
El inframundo tiene una frontera que se cruza una vez.The underworld has a border one crosses once.
el oráculothe answer given in words that face both waysNoun (m)C2
El oráculo responde de forma ambigua.The oracle answers ambiguously.
Noun (f) (6)
la cosmogoníathe account of how the world beganNoun (f)C2
La cosmogonía narra cómo empezó el mundo.The cosmogony tells how the world began.
la teogoníathe account of where the gods came from, generation by generationNoun (f)C2
La teogonía ordena a los dioses por generaciones.The theogony orders the gods by generation.
la transgresiónthe breaking of it, which sets the story goingNoun (f)C2
La transgresión pone en marcha el relato.The transgression sets the story in motion.
la desmesurathe overreaching that always comes before the fallNoun (f)C2
La desmesura precede siempre a la caída.Hubris always precedes the fall.
la ninfathe spirit who belongs to one particular placeNoun (f)C2
La ninfa pertenece a un lugar concreto.The nymph belongs to one particular place.
la iniciaciónthe passing through it, which needs a separation firstNoun (f)C2
La iniciación exige una separación previa.Initiation requires a prior separation.
This list belongs to Art and culture — 29 lists and 1450 words that can also be practised as a whole.
Practise this list
From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.