Date of Birth: March 9, 1907
Zodiac Sign: Pisces
Date of Death: April 22, 1986
Biography
Mircea Eliade was a Romanian historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago. Born in Bucharest, Romania, he is widely regarded for his work in the study of the history of religions. Eliade’s scholarly work revolved around the concept of the sacred and the profane and examined the role of myths, symbols, and rituals in various religious traditions. His most famous works include “The Sacred and The Profane,” “Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy,” and “The Myth of the Eternal Return.” Eliade’s academic journey began at the University of Bucharest, where he earned a degree in philosophy. He later went on to study in India, where he immersed himself in Hinduism and yoga, experiences that significantly influenced his later work. After returning to Europe, Eliade taught and wrote extensively, eventually moving to the United States, where he became a professor at the University of Chicago. Eliade’s contributions to the field of religious studies have been profound, and his interdisciplinary approach has influenced various fields, including anthropology, philosophy, and literature. His work has garnered both praise and criticism, particularly his early political affiliations and his later interpretations of religious phenomena.
5 Interesting Facts about Mircea Eliade
1. Mircea Eliade studied under the famous Indian philosopher Surendranath Dasgupta during his time in India.
2. He was known for his vast linguistic abilities, being fluent in Romanian, French, German, Italian, and English, among other languages.
3. Eliade’s novel “Maitreyi” (Bengali: “Na Hanyate”) is based on his real-life romantic relationship with the Indian writer Maitreyi Devi.
4. He was a prominent member of the Romanian academic and literary circles before World War II.
5. Eliade’s interdisciplinary approach combined elements of philosophy, sociology, psychology, and literary criticism.
5 Most Interesting Quotes from Mircea Eliade
1. “The sacred is the power, the being, the real, at the very source of the world.”
2. “Myth is not fiction; it is the most traditional form of knowledge.”
3. “Man becomes aware of the sacred because it manifests itself, shows itself, as something wholly different from the profane.”
4. “The great virtue of the sacred is that it can be experienced and lived.”
5. “Every human experience has its own structure and its own modalities of being.”
Highest Net Worth Achieved
Mircea Eliade’s highest achieved net worth was not documented, as his primary contributions were academic and literary rather than financial.
Children
Mircea Eliade did not have any biological children. However, he did have a stepdaughter, Giza, from his marriage to Christinel Eliade.
Relevant Links
1. [Mircea Eliade – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mircea_Eliade
2. [Encyclopedia Britannica on Mircea Eliade](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mircea-Eliade
3. [The University of Chicago Divinity School](https://divinity.uchicago.edu/mircea-eliade
