Date of Award
4-3-2026
Document Type
Thesis
First Advisor
Kirk VanGilder
Second Advisor
Jannelle Legg
Abstract
Opium of the Masses performs in depth analysis of the Hussite Wars–a time period lasting from 1419 to 1436, Jan Hus, Hussite factionalism, and archeobotany. This analysis proposes that there are numerous possible contributing factors to the development of the radical Hussite teachings and ways of life. The instability of the Catholic hierarchy and the dissenting teachings of Jan Hus also likely were contributors to the development of the unique sociopolitical and spiritual practices of the radical Hussites. It is also possible that the Hussite factions residing in the Czech (then Bohemian) town of Tábor utilized opium as an entheogen to enhance their experience of spirituality.
Recommended Citation
Gladding, Sasha, "Opium of the Masses: An Analysis of Archeobotanical Research in the City of Tábor, Czechia and how it Potentially Influenced Forms of Radical Hussism" (2026). Undergraduate University Honors Capstones. 142.
https://ida.gallaudet.edu/honors_capstones/142
