CALL FOR PAPERS

This Conference intends to address the connections between myth and women throughout the centuries; with significant focus on the present day, not only from a theoretical framework, but also a practical one. We aim to comprehend the key role of women inside the mythological universe, because without them it would not exist.

What do women represent in mythological stories? Seen as mythical incarnations, they are always associated with meanings related to the supernatural world. They can also represent a hidden sense, refer to deeply human concerns or enunciate an epiphany of the numinous. What’s the role of the feminine within cosmological and eschatological narratives? How are feminine myths generally manifested in creative productions, such as novels, plays, poems, films and artworks?

The different mythological traditions offer a wide range of female figures, whose ascribed meanings have been continuously reinterpreted. Women are present in the transcendental dimension (goddesses, fairies, witches, nymphs, succubi, and monsters) or come into contact with the sphere and the numinous in their human form.

Although often neglected in academic discussions, a number of female scholars from diverse fields — such as anthropology, psychoanalysis, philology, literary theory, history, and philosophy — have been central to the development of myth studies. What has been women’s approach when studying mythological narrations? Which contributions proposed by women to the study of mythology continue to be relevant today? And how do feminist studies influence myth studies? We hope to answer some of these questions by following in the footsteps of authors such as Jane Ellen Harrison, Jessie Weston, Olga Fröbe-Kapteyn, H. R. Ellis Davidson, Marija Gimbutas, Merlin Stone, Cathérine Clément, and Mercedes de la Garza, among others.

Aiming to help in the preparation of the papers, we propose the following research topics:

I. Foundation, creation and transgression

– Eve, Pandora, Danu, Ériu, Mokosh, Lada, Freya, Sarah, Rebecca, Pachamama, Coatlicue, Chalchiuhtlicue: female figures in origin myths.
– Lilith and Medusa: women as destabilizers of the patriarchal order.
– Demeter and Persephone: women as a symbol of the life cycle.
– Nótt, Hel and Ixchel: women as personifications of the night or governesses of the underworld.

II. Wisdom, mediation and revelation

– Cassandra, Frigg, Verdandi, Skuld, Urd: prophetesses or destiny’s weavers.
– Sibyls, Rusalki, Scáthach, Mama Quilla: epiphanies of hidden knowledge or the numinous dimension.
– Psyche, Eurydice, Morana and Valkyries: mediators between the human world and the afterlife.

III. Power, desire and violence

– Circe and Calypso: hypnotizing and hero-transforming women.
– Helen and Jocasta: women that trigger wars or tragedies.
– Clytemnestra, Electra and Medea: murderess figures.
– Judith: biblical heroines that act as saviors.

IV. Suffering, punishment and rendition

– Niobe and Echo: women punished because of their pride or their voice.
– Antigone: symbol of family loyalty in opossition to law.
– Iphigenia and Völva: enabler victims, sacrificial martyrs or priestesses.
– Leda and Europa: women who were deceived, abducted and raped.

V. Transformations, boundaries and hybridization

– Daphne and Arachne: metamorphosis as solution or punishment.
– Sphinx, Morrigan, Baba Yaga Itzpapalotl: hybrid creatures as incarnations of enigma and danger.
– Melusine and Angrboda: monstrous maternity.

Historical note: In previous International Conferences on Myth Criticism, more than 1,500 participants from thirty countries have addressed various problems around the adaptation and interpretation of myths in our contemporary society. Unless otherwise stated, every Conference has been held at Complutense University of Madrid.

– I International Conference on Myth Criticism: “Myth and Subversion in the Contemporary Novel” (9th -11th March 2011).

– II International Conference on Myth Criticism: “Myth and Interdisciplinarity” (29th – 30th October 2012).

– III International Conference on Myth Criticism: “Myths in Crisis. The Crisis of Myth” (21st – 24th October 2014).

– IV International Conference on Myth Criticism: “Myth and Emotions” (24th-28th October 2016).

– V International Conference on Myth Criticism: “Myth and Audiovisual Creation” 15th -26th October 2018, University of Alcalá, Autonomous University of Madrid, Francisco de Vitoria University and Complutense University of Madrid).

– VI International Conference on Myth Criticism: “Myth and Science Fiction” (27th – 30th October 2020).

– VII International Conference on Myth Criticism “Myth: Theories of a Controversial Concept” (25th – 28th October 2022).

– VIII International Conference on Myth Criticism. I International Colloquium of the Latin American Network of Myth Criticism Pachamama (29th– 31st October 2024, University of Puerto Rico at Bayamón).

Keynote Speakers

Luis Alberto Pérez-Amezcua is a tenured professor and researcher in the Department of Arts and Humanities at the Centro Universitario del Sur of the University of Guadalajara (Mexico).

With a PhD in Literary Theory from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana and a dissertation on mythocriticism, Pérez-Amezcua has spread the importance of the discipline through courses and lectures in international forums and venues (Slovakia, Brazil, Turkey, Portugal, Spain, United States), as well as through the publication of articles in specialized journals and books.

He is also the author of Hermes en la encrucijada: análisis mitocrítico de las novelas líricas de los Contemporáneos (2019). His research focuses on the study of myth in popular culture and Mexican literature. He is a founding member of the Red Latinoamericana de Mitocrítica “Pachamana” (Latin American Network of Mythocriticism “Pachamama”) and an associate researcher of Andrómeda: “Mito y representación: actividades teórico-prácticas de innovación en mitocrítica cultural”, an R&D project led by José Manuel Losada.

Provisional Programme*

The current programme is PROVISIONAL and subject to changes from the Organisation Comitee. If you need a change in the time frame asigned to you, please contact us through the email address mythcriticism@gmail.com and we will attend your request in september.

If you have not received a response concerning your proposal, we suggest that you check your spam or junk email folder.

ORGANISATION

Collaborating Institutions

Community of Madrid

Vice-Rector for Research and Transfer

Institute of Religious Studies (UCM)

Department of Romance, French, Italian and Translation Studies

Literary, Cultural and Gender Studies Research Group (UCM)

Pachamama. Latin American Network of Myth Criticism

Research Line Myth, Knowledge and Action (Panamerican University, Mexico)

Centre for Myth Studies (University of Essex)

Mythographies: Themes and Variations (University of Aveiro)

Great and Small Mythologies (University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne)

Organizing Committee

Academic Secretary: Dr. Carolina López Fic

Dr. José Manuel Correoso Rodenas

Mtr. Julia Rey-Conde Jiménez

Mtr. Laura Castillo Bel

Dr. Mercedes Pérez Agustín

Dr. Natalia González de la Llana

Mtr. Paula Sánchez Romero

Dr. Roxana Beatriz Martínez Nieto

Dr. Xiana Sotelo

Dr. José Manuel Correoso Rodenas

Mtr. Julia Rey-Conde Jiménez

Mtr. Laura Castillo Bel

Dr. Mercedes Pérez Agustín

Dr. Natalia González de la Llana

Mtr. Paula Sánchez Romero

Dr. Roxana Beatriz Martínez Nieto

Dr. Xiana Sotelo

Scientific Committee

Dr. Mercedes Jiménez de la Fuente
Complutense University of Madrid

Prof.ª Metka Zupančič
University of Alabama

Prof. Pablo López Raso
Francisco de Vitoria University

Prof.ª Paloma Ortiz de Urbina
University of Alcalá

Prof. Pierre Brunel
Sorbonne University

Prof. Richard Buxton
University of Bristol

Prof. Roderick Main
University of Essex

Dra. Rosario López Gregoris
Autonomous University of Madrid

Dra. Roxana Beatriz Martínez Nieto
International University of La Rioja

Prof. Vicente Cristóbal
Complutense University of Madrid

PRE-REGISTRATION

Conference Presentations

The Conference will be held on-site and online. Each presentation will last 15 minutes and can be held in Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Catalan.

On-site presentations will take place in «Salón de Grados», «Sala de Juntas», «Paraninfo», «Aula Histórica» and «Aula José Ortega y Gasset (Seminario 217)» of Building A and «Salón de Actos Emilia Pardo Bazán» of Building D of the Faculty of Philology (Facultad de Filología) of Complutense University of Madrid.

All activities will be open access and free. Pre-registration is required to obtain any certificate.

Registration Rights

On-site Speakers:

• Access to all activities of the Conference: plenary lectures and presentations.
• Digital programme.
• Digital catalogue with the abstracts of all presentations and short CV of the speakers.
• Digital diploma with the title of their presentation.
• Conference’s fabric bag with:
  • Notebook and pen.
  • ID Badge.
  • Conference’s T-shirt.
  • Stainless steel reusable water bottle.
  • Courtesy gift provided by Asteria.
  • Local gourmet product provided by Asteria.
  • Vouchers for daily coffee and tea.
  • Voucher for the social gathering featuring a performance by a women’s tuna, a traditional Spanish student music group.
  • Voucher for the Spanish wine.

Online Speakers:

• Access to plenary lectures and presentations that are streamed.
• Digital catalogue with the abstracts of all presentations, a summary of the discussed topics and short biographies of the speakers.
• Digital diploma with the title of their presentation.

On-Site Attendees and Students without Presentation that wish to receive the Conference bag with gifts:

• Same rights as on-site speakers. They will receive a digital certificate of attendance, the bag og gifts and acess to all cultural and social activities. The due date to ask for the bag with gifts will be the 7th of September of 2026.

On-Site Attendees and Students without Presentation that DO NOT wish to receive the Conference bag with gifts:

• They will receive a digital certificate of attendance and acess to all cultural and social activities, including the social gathering and the closing ceremony with Spanish wine and appetizers. The due date to register will be the 19th of October of 2026.

Online Attendees and Students without Presentation:

• They will receive a digital certificate of attendance. Only the Opening and Closing ceremonies, Keynotes lectures and online sessions will be transmitted.

Deadlines

The deadline for submission of registration forms is the 15th of May 2026.

The Organizing Committee will communicate to the participants their acceptance or rejection by the 16th of June.

The accepted participants will confirm their registration by paying the registration fee between the 16th and the 30th of June. *The deadline for payment of the applicable registration fee has been extended until 7 July (inclusive).*

For attendees and students that wish to receive the Conference’s bag of gifts, the option to ask for it will be available in the Application form until the 7th of September. After that we can not guarantee that you will be receive the gifts due to logistic reasons.

The attendees and students that do not want to receive the gifts will be able to registrate through the form until the 19th of October.

PAYMENT OF REGISTRATION FEES

Registration fees may be paid by bank transfer or PayPal.

Participants must cover all bank charges, fees, and currency conversion costs. The Conference must receive the full registration fee, with no deductions.

The Conference will offer 10 fee waivers for students and researchers who are unemployed, covering the full amount of participation or attendance, as applicable. Applications must be accompanied by proof of enrolment or documentation certifying unemployment status.

* The registration fee is non-refundable (except for certified force majeure).

METHOD OF PAYMENT

Before payment, make sure to register through the application forms.

*The deadline for payment of the applicable registration fee has been extended until 7 July (inclusive).*

APPLICATION FORMS

Application form for Speakers – the limit of characters (with spaces) is 1000 for the abstract and 600 for the CV. We accept presentations by two speakers with double the time to present. Each speaker must fill out the form, adding the same abstract as their partner. Each one will pay the corresponding fee.

Application form for Book Presentations – Fill out this form if you have a book you want to present in the Conference.

Application form for Grants (if you wish to apply for student or unemployment grants) – application access will be open until the 15th May 2026.

Application form for Attendees – application access will be open until the 19th of October of 2026. Please, keep in mind the deadline to ask for the Conference’s bag of gifts. Afterwards, the access to enrollment (on-site or online) will be sent via e-mail.