Hylistics is a discipline concerned with the reconstruction, differentiation and interpretation of narrative sequences, their study and comparison, and with the analysis and interpretation of sequences of events in general.

A hyleme is the minimal state- or action-bearing unit of a narrative or of a sequence of events in general. The terms “hyleme” and “hylistics” are derived from the Ancient Greek word hӯlē (ὕλη), which means „timber, material, fabric“, so “hyleme” is a minimal ‘building block’ of a narrative sequence or of a sequence of events.

We are a growing community of scholars from around the world who are interested in studying narratives as transmedial phenomena, particularly myths, and sequences of events in general (e.g. rituals). The various participating scholars come from different disciplines such as Ancient History Studies, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Classics (Ancient Greek and Latin Studies), Digital Humanities, Egyptology, New Testament Studies, Old Testament Studies, Patristics and Russian Studies.

Various research networks have developed, expanded and refined the theory and methodology of hylistics since 2010, including the Collegium Mythologicum at Georg August University of Göttingen and the interdisciplinary DFG Research Unit 2064 STRATA – Stratification Analyses of Mythical Narratives and Texts in Antiquity (since 2016).

This is a complex question with a lot to say about it. You will find detailed answers in the menu ‘Hylistics and …’.

Contact us and ask about current events or workshops you can attend. Or submit a short paper in which you attempt to apply hylistic methods to your own material – we will then give you feedback as soon as we can.