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Myth: Its Meaning and Functions in Ancient and Other Cultures (Sather Classical Lectures #40)
by G. S. KirkThis book attempts to come to grips with a set of widely ranging but connected problems concerning myths: their relation to folktales on the one hand, to rituals on the other; the validity and scope of the structuralist theory of myth; the range of possible mythical functions; the effects of developed social institutions and literacy; the character and meaning of ancient Near-Eastern myths and their influence on Greece; the special forms taken by Greek myths and their involvement with rational modes of thought; the status of myths as expressions of the unconscious, as allied with dreams, as universal symbols, or as accidents of primarily narrative aims. Almost none of these problems has been convincingly handled, even in a provisional way, up to the present, and this failure has vitiated not only such few general discussions as exist of the nature, meanings and functions of myths but also, in many cases, the detailed assessment of individual myths of different cultures. The need for a coherent treatment of these and related problems, and one that is not concerned simply to propagate a particular universalistic theory, seems undeniable. How far the present book will satisfactorily fill such a need remains to be seen. At least it makes a beginning, even if in doing so it risks the criticism of being neither fish nor fowl. Sociologists and folklorists may find it, from their specialized viewpoints, a little simplistic in places; and a few classical colleagues will not forgive me for straying far beyond Greek myths, even though these can hardly be understood in isolation or solely in the light of studies in cult and ritual. Others may find it less easy than anthropologists, sociologists, historians of thought or students of French and English literature to accept the relevance of Levi-Strauss to some of these matters; but his theory contains the one important new idea in this field since Freud, it is complicated and largely untested, and it demands careful attention from anyone attempting a broad understanding of the subject. The beliefs of Freud and Jung, on the other hand, are a more familiar element in the situation and have given rise to an enormous secondary literature, much of it arbitrary and some of it absurd. The author has tried to isolate the crucial ideas and subject them to a pointed, if too brief, critique; so too with those of Ernst Cassirer.
Mythen multimedial: Modernste Antike in der Gegenwartskultur (Abhandlungen zur Medien- und Kulturwissenschaft)
by Markus Janka Raimund Fichtel Berkan SariaydinEtwa seit der Jahrtausendwende ist ein internationaler und nach wie vor anhaltender Boom von Adaptionen der griechisch-römischen Mythologie und Historie zu verzeichnen. Dieser ist durch eine bemerkenswerte mediale Vielfalt und Vernetzungsfreude gekennzeichnet. Folglich erstreckt sich die „modernste Antike“ unserer Zeit nicht nur auf hochliterarische Texte oder Neuinszenierungen antiker Dramen auf dem Theater, sondern entfaltet auch in gegenwärtigen Massenmedien vom Historienroman, dem Comic bis hin zum Hypermedium Themenpark und zum Alltagsmedium Internet seinen Wandlungsreichtum. Mithin scheint die Zeit der postmodernen Renaissance der Antike angebrochen zu sein. Die vielschichtigen Phänomene, die sich der altertumswissenschaftlichen Antikenrezeptionsforschung als Gegenstände bieten, sind mit dem Philosophen Hans Blumenberg (1920–1996) zu verstehen als Erscheinungsformen einer modernen Arbeit am Mythos. Als solche eröffnen sie Anschlussmöglichkeiten für neue Geschichten und Verfahrensmöglichkeiten zur ästhetischen und ethischen Auseinandersetzung mit den eigenen Grundfragen menschlichen Daseins im Spannungsfeld von Veralltäglichung und Entalltäglichung. Diese Forschungsaufgabe ist bislang in zahlreichen, teilweise weit verstreuten Einzeluntersuchungen angegangen worden. Oft handelt es sich um Fallstudien oder Ansätze zur Bündelung des reichen Materials. Dies hat zu einer erheblichen fachlichen und methodischen Heterogenität der Zugänge geführt. Dabei werden die sprach-, kulturraumspezifischen und medialen Unterschiede und Zusammenhänge in den Adaptionsstrategien allerdings oft nicht hinreichend reflektiert. Diese Lücke will dieser Band mit seiner synthetisierenden Anlage schließen. Er setzt sich zum Ziel, im Dialog der Fächer die als aussichtsreich erkannten Forschungsfelder vorzustellen. Innerhalb dieser Themenbereiche werden Untersuchungsdesigns für eine betont interdisziplinäre und intermediale Methodik erprobt. Diese streben eine systematische Zwischenbilanz der bisherigen Forschungserträge an und haben das Ziel, die bisherigen Ansätze synergetisch zu verweben. Der Band schafft eine Grundlage, um im Zusammenwirken der Disziplinen die Präsenz und die Bedeutung von Mythos und Historie der griechisch-römischen Antike in den europäischen Sprach- und Kulturräumen der Gegenwart punktgenau untersuchen und einordnen zu können.
Mythic Voices: Reflections in Mythology
by Celia Barker Lottridge Alison DickieMyths have been remembered and retold because they express things that are important to people. This book is a selective compilation of such myths from various parts of the world.
Mythic Worlds, Modern Worlds: On the Art of James Joyce
by Joseph CampbellMythic Worlds, Modern Words provides a representation of Campbell’s published writing, lectures on Joyce, and exchanges with his audiences, from his obituary notice on Joyce in 1941 to lectures delivered a few years before Campbell’s death.
Mythmaking: Self-Discovery and the Timeless Art of Memoir
by Maureen MurdockBest-selling Heroine&’s Journey author Maureen Murdock invites readers to explore their personal story within the rich tapestry of human experience by examining the craft of memoir alongside fresh writing advice and prompts.Maureen Murdock looks at thematic connections between ancient myths and contemporary memoirs to probe questions like: What is my journey? Where is home? Her background as a Jungian psychotherapist enriches her teaching—urging us to dig deep to identify our own universal archetypes.Writers who feel stuck or unworthy of writing about themselves will find thought-provoking inspiration and validation in this book, while those simply looking to use writing as a tool for self-exploration will examine their patterns and stories to reveal their true inner selves. And all will be left with a deeper understanding of the rich scope of the memoir genre by exploring contemporary favorites—like Terry Tempest Williams&’s Refuge, Joan Didion&’s The Year of Magical Thinking, and David Carr&’s The Night of the Gun—from a mythological perspective.Like myth, memoir reveals a unity to human experience that ultimately we all share similar hopes, dreams, and desires as well as fears, losses, and heartbreaks. Memoir helps writers understand the trajectory of their lives and helps readers better grasp our own place within the human experience.
Mythocracy: How Stories Shape Our Worlds
by Yves CittonHarnessing the power of storytelling for political progressMythocracy examines the narrative mechanisms that script our lives through the stories we tell one another. Digging beneath common anxieties about fake news, Yves Citton looks at the attention economy, which organises our political perceptions around affective attractors. These are much more powerful than the truth value of any given narrative. The time has come for the left to reclaim the power of myth from reactionary populism.
Mythological Constructs of Mexican Femininity
by Pilar MeleroLa Virgen de Guadalupe, la Malinche, la Llorona, and la Chingada reflect different myths of motherhood in Mexican culture. Mythological Constructs of Mexican Femininity explores the texts of Nellie Campobello, Juana Belen Gutierrez de Mendoza, Sara Estela Ramirez, and Andrea Villarreal Gonzalez to examine their use of motherhood as a political discursive position. Grounded on a postcolonial theoretical framework, and on the writings about womanhood and motherhood by Gabriela Mistral, Antonieta Rivas Mercado, Victoria Ocampo, and Rosario Castellanos, this book seeks to create a basis for the examination of non-canonical texts by Mexican women, but will also be useful in the examination of other marginal voices about femininity in Latin America and in Chicanx/Latinx studie. It also recognizes the value of analyzing writing through the ideas of Latin American female intellectuals who have theorized motherhood and womanhood and who know and understand the mythological constructs of (Latin American) feminisms. "
Mythologie für Dummies (Für Dummies)
by Christopher W. Blackwell Amy Hackney BlackwellAlles von Aphrodite bis Zarathustra Mythologie ist spannender als jeder Krimi, grausamer als jeder Horrorfilm und leidenschaftlicher als jeder Liebesroman. Aber wie hieß noch gleich der Meeresgott der Griechen? Was geschah bei der Götterdämmerung? Und wer gehörte zu König Artus‘ Tafelrunde? Antworten auf diese und viele weitere Fragen finden Sie in diesem Buch, das zum Schmökern einlädt und wunderbar als Nachschlagewerk dient. Neben der griechischen und römischen Mythologie erfahren Sie alles Wissenswerte zu den nordischen Sagen wie den Nibelungen und Beowulf, zu Mythen aus Ägypten und Asien sowie zu den Erzählungen der Inka, Maya und Azteken.
Mythologie für Dummies (Für Dummies)
by Christopher W. Blackwell Amy Hackney BlackwellMythologie ist spannender als jeder Krimi, grausamer als jeder Horrorfilm und leidenschaftlicher als jeder Liebesroman! Wie hieß er doch noch gleich, der Meeresgott bei den Griechen? Was waren bloß die zehn Aufgaben des Herkules? Antworten auf solch typische Fragen nach dem Motto "Wie war das nochmal?" finden Sie in diesem wunderbaren Nachschlagewerk, das zum Schmökern einlädt. Der Schwerpunkt des Buches liegt auf der griechischen und römischen Mythologie, aber auch nordeuropäische Gestalten wie König Artus und Beowulf, weniger bekannte Sagen aus Ägypten und Asien und die Mythen lateinamerikanischer Völker wie den Maya, Azteken und Inkas kommen nicht zu kurz.
Mythologies
by Roland Barthes Annette LayersThe following essays were written one each month for about two years, from 1954 to 1956, on topics suggested by current events. I was at the time trying to reflect regularly on some myths of French daily life. The media which prompted these reflections may well appear heterogeneous (a newspaper article, a photograph in a weekly, a film, a show, an exhibition), and their subject-matter very arbitrary: I was of course guided by my own current interests. The starting point of these reflections was usually a feeling of impatience at the sight of the 'naturalness' with which newspapers, art and common sense constantly dress up a reality which, even though it is the one we live in, is undoubtedly determined by history. In short, in the account given of our contemporary circumstances, I resented seeing Nature and History confused at every turn, and I wanted to track down, in the decorative display of what-goes-without-saying, the ideological abuse which, in my view, is hidden there.
Mythologies
by John GomezMythologies is a masterpiece of analysis and interpretation. At its heart, Barthes’s collection of essays about the “mythologies” of modern life treats everyday objects and ideas – from professional wrestling, to the Tour de France, to Greta Garbo’s face – as though they are silently putting forward arguments. Those arguments are for modernity itself, the way the world is, from its class structures, to its ideologies, to its customs. In Barthes’s view, the mythologies of the modern world all tend towards one aim: making us think that the way things are, the status quo, is how they should naturally be. For Barthes, this should not be taken for granted; instead, he suggests, it is a kind of mystification, preventing us from seeing things differently or believing they might be otherwise. His analyses do what all good analytical thinking does: he unpicks the features of the arguments silently presented by his subjects, reveals their (and our) implicit assumptions, and shows how they point us towards certain ideas and conclusions. Indeed, understanding Barthes’ methods of analysis means you might never see the world in the same way again. Six skills combine to make up our ability to think critically. Mythologies is an especially fine example of a work that uses the skills of analysis and creative thinking.
Mythologies of Internal Exile in Elizabethan Verse: Six Studies (Routledge Studies in Renaissance Literature and Culture)
by A.D. CousinsWriters of the English Renaissance, like their European contemporaries, frequently reflect on the phenomenon of exile—an experience that forces the individual to establish a new personal identity in an alien environment. Although there has been much commentary on this phenomenon as represented in English Renaissance literature, there has been nothing written at length about its counterpart, namely, internal exile: marginalization, or estrangement, within the homeland. This volume considers internal exile as a simultaneously twofold experience. It studies estrangement from one’s society and, correlatively, from one’s normative sense of self. In doing so, it focuses initially on the sonnet sequences by Sidney, Spenser, and Shakespeare (which is to say, the problematics of romance); then it examines the verse satires of Donne, Hall, and Marston (likewise, the problematics of anti-romance). This book argues that the authors of these major texts create mythologies—via the myths of (and accumulated mythographies about) Cupid, satyrs, and Proteus—through which to reflect on the doubleness of exile within one’s own community. These mythologies, at times accompanied by theologies, of alienation suggest that internal exile is a fluid and complex experience demanding multifarious reinterpretation of the incongruously expatriate self. The monograph thus establishes a new framework for understanding texts at once diverse yet central to the Elizabethan literary achievement.
Mythologies of the Prophet Muhammad in Early Modern English Culture
by Matthew DimmockThe figure of 'Mahomet' was widely known in early modern England. A grotesque version of the Prophet Muhammad, Mahomet was a product of vilification, caricature and misinformation placed at the centre of Christian conceptions of Islam. In Mythologies of the Prophet Muhammad in Early Modern English Culture Matthew Dimmock draws on an eclectic range of early modern sources – literary, historical, visual – to explore the nature and use of Mahomet in a period bounded by the beginnings of print and the early Enlightenment. This fabricated figure and his spurious biography were endlessly recycled, but also challenged and vindicated, and the tales the English told about him offer new perspectives on their sense of the world – its geographies and religions, near and far – and their place within it. This book explores the role played by Mahomet in the making of Englishness, and reflects on what this might reveal about England's present circumstances.
Mythologizing Performance (Myth and Poetics II)
by Richard P. MartinBuilding on numerous original close readings of works by Homer, Hesiod, and other ancient Greek poets, Richard P. Martin articulates a broad and precise poetics of archaic Greek verse. The ancient Greek hexameter poetry of such works as the Iliad and the Odyssey differ from most modern verbal art because it was composed for live, face-to-face performance, often in a competitive setting, before an audience well versed in mythological and ritual lore. The essays collected here span Martin's acclaimed career and explore ways of reading this poetic heritage using principles and evidence from the comparative study of oral traditions, literary and speech-act theories, and the ethnographic record.Among topics analyzed in depth are the narrative structures of Homer's epics, the Hesiodic Works and Days, and the Homeric Hymn to Apollo; the characterization of poetic and musical performers within the poems; the social context for verses ascribed to the legendary singer Orpheus; the significance of various rituals as stylized by poetic performances; and the interrelations, at the level of diction and theme, among the major genres of epic and hymn, as well as "genres of speaking" such as lament, praise, advice, and proverbial wisdom.
Mythology For Dummies
by Christopher W. Blackwell Amy Hackney BlackwellDiscover (or rediscover!) history’s greatest myths and legends From Grendel and Beowulf to Poseidon, Medusa, and Hercules, the gods, monsters, and heroes of mythology are endlessly weird and fascinating. And if you’re looking for a helpful companion to this wild collection of creatures, humans, and deities, you’ve found it! Mythology For Dummies delivers the straight goods on history’s most popular myths, helping you make sense of even the most complicated ancient stories. You’ll learn about the origins of your favorite myths, their cultural impact, and more. Discover: The coolest mythological characters, including intrepid Odysseus, the volatile gods of Mount Olympus, and Thor and Loki How ancient mythology intersects with our daily lives in pop culture, high culture, and everything in between Mythological destinations, like Atlantis, and famous sites from Greek, Roman, and Norse mythologyAn engrossing guide to some of the most enduring and interesting tales from throughout history, Mythology For Dummies serves up the inside scoop on almost every myth or legend you’d care to learn more about.
Mythopoeic Narrative in The Legend of Zelda (Routledge Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Literature)
by Anthony G. Cirilla Vincent E. RoneThe Legend of Zelda series is one of the most popular and recognizable examples in videogames of what Tolkien referred to as mythopoeia, or myth-making. In his essay On Fairy Stories and a short poem entitled Mythopoeia, Tolkien makes the case that the fairy tale aesthetic is simply a more intimate version of the same principle underlying the great myths: the human desire to make meaning out of the world. By using mythopoeia as a touchstone concept, the essays in this volume explore how The Legend of Zelda series turns the avatar, through which the player interacts with the in-game world, into a player-character symbiote wherein the individual both enacts and observes the process of integrating worldbuilding with storytelling. Twelve essays explore Zelda’s mythmaking from the standpoints of literary criticism, videogame theory, musicology, ecocriticism, pedagogy, and more.
Myths and Heroes in Creative Writing: Re-Reading and Remaking
by Adrian MayMyths and Heroes in Creative Writing: Re-Reading and Remaking offers a comprehensive overview of myth throughout history. Exploring a variety of forms, Adrian May provides a framework for the practice and process of writing myths.This accessible guide discusses a rich and diverse range of literary examples across myth, theatre, poetry and criticism to make a clear and compelling case for a reimagining of the epic and heroic. It celebrates the depth and subtlety of myth and its ability to overcome clichés, while offering essential advice on plotting, editing and retelling classical myths. It features practical advice and exercises for a complete writing experience.Inspiring creativity and advancing comprehension, this book is for anyone interested in the creative use of myth. This includes writers, artists and all who seek to see beyond the surface of things and gain new insights into mythology.
Myths and Memories of the Black Death
by Ben DoddsThis book explores modern representations of the Black Death, a medieval pandemic. The concept of cultural memory is used to examine the ways in which journalists, writers of fiction, scholars and others referred to, described and explained the Black Death from around 1800 onwards. The distant medieval past was often used to make sense of aspects of the present, from the cholera pandemics of the nineteenth-century to the climate crisis of the early twenty-first century. A series of overlapping myths related to the Black Death emerged based only in part on historical evidence. Cultural memory circulates in a variety of media from the scholarly article to the video game and online video clip, and the connections and differences between mediated representations of the Black Death are considered. The Black Death is one of the most well-known aspects of the medieval world, and this study of its associated memories and myths reveals the depth and complexity of interactions between the distant and recent past.
Myths and Symbols in Indian Art and Civilization (Princeton Classics #111)
by Heinrich Robert ZimmerA landmark work that demystifies the rich tradition of Indian art, Myths and Symbols in Indian Art and Civilization analyzes key motifs found in legend, myth, and folklore taken directly from the Sanskrit. It provides a comprehensive introduction to visual thinking and picture reading in Indian art and thought. Ultimately, the book shows that profound Hindu and Buddhist intuitions on the riddles of life and death are universally recognizable.
Myths in Education, Learning and Teaching
by Marcus K. Harmes Patrick Alan Danaher Henk HuijserA myth empowers by providing a foundation story of a society, culture or civilization, bringing coherence and meaning to identity and underpinning custom. But 'myth' also carries darker meaning, suggesting ideas or practices that are fallacious or accepted uncritically. This book engages with these possible understandings of myths and uses them to interrogate educational practice and theory in three main areas: online teaching; language teaching; and specific tertiary or university based issues. The focus is on exploring and defining myths across a wide range of contexts and educational sectors. It brings together a broad range of senior researchers and middle-career and early-career scholars from the United Kingdom, North America, Europe, the Middle East and Australasia.
Myths in Minutes (IN MINUTES)
by Neil PhilipThe world's great fables, sagas and legends dramatically retold.Myths are the greatest stories ever told. Passed down over millennia, they are the templates for all our stories, with their eternal themes of creation and destruction, fate and cunning, heroism and cruelty, sensuality and war. Retold here are nearly 200 myths - from Prometheus defying Zeus to create man to the destruction of Troy; and from valiant battles against Frost Giants and Cyclopes to the heroic quests for the Golden Fleece and Holy Grail - including a commentary on their origins, common themes and meanings. Compellingly written, concise and with each myth illustrated with an iconic image, Myths in Minutes is the perfect way to understand and enjoy the world's major fables. Includes the great Ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian legends: The Labours of Heracles; The Gods of Olympus; Zeus defeats the Titans; Hades and the Underworld; Theseus and the Minotaur; The Gorgons; Perseus and Andromeda; Oedipus and the Sphinx; The Judgment of Paris; The Trojan Horse; The Odyssey; Jason and The Golden Fleece; Romulus, Remus and the Founding of Rome; Mars, the God of War; The Eye of Ra; The Murder and Resurrection of Osiris; and more.The best of Celtic, Norse, Eastern, American, Oceanic and African myths: Gilgamesh and the Great Flood; Odin's Great Sacrifice; Thor's Adventures in the Land of the Giants; The Treachery of Loki; Ragnarok - The Last Battle; The Eight Immortals; The War Between the Sun and the Stars; Quetzalcoatl, The Plumed Serpent; Ganesh, the Elephant-headed; Ananse and the Sky God; King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table; the age-old stories of the Aboriginal Dreaming; and many; many more.
Myths of Wilderness in Contemporary Narratives
by Kylie CraneThe concept of 'wilderness' as a foundational idea for environmentalist thought has become the subject of vigorous debates. Myths of Wilderness in Contemporary Narratives offers a taxonomy of the forms that wilderness writing has taken in Australian and Canadian literature, re-emphasizing both country's origins as colonies.
Myths of the Asanas: The Stories at the Heart of the Yoga Tradition
by Alanna Kaivalya Arjuna van der KooijThe ancient lore behind yoga poses: “Transports us to a world where gods and goddesses, saints, and enlightened animals serve as our teachers.” —MC YogiPractitioners around the world reap the physical benefits of yoga, assuming poses frequently called by their Sanskrit names. While many know that hanumanasana is named for the deity Hanuman, few know why. But behind each asana and its corresponding movements is an ancient story about a god, sage, or sacred animal, much like Aesop’s fables or European folktales. Myths of the Asanas is the first book to collect and retell these ancient stories. The myths behind yoga’s spiritual tradition have the power to help students of all levels realize their full potential. Meditating on the tolerance of trees while standing in tree pose can help one become more tolerant. Learning how the disfigured sage Astavakra came to be the teacher of a king can liberate us from anxieties about our external appearance and our self-imposed limitations. Marveling at Hanuman’s devotion to Ram can serve as a source of spiritual strength and determination. With more than sixty beautiful illustrations to frame the stories, Myths of the Asanas will add a new dimension to your practice and study of yoga.“Truly enhances our yogic lessons. Some of the nuances of ethics, posture, breath, and meditation can only be touched through metaphor and mythology and we thank them for taking us on this journey.” —Rodney Yee, author of Moving Toward Balance
Myths of the Creation of Chinese
by Zhaoyuan Tian Shuxian Ye Hang QianDrawing on the sun, moon, dragon, phoenix, Nuwa, Yandi, Huangdi and other widely circulated cultural elements as examples, this book addresses the development and evolution of the most representative Chinese creation myths regarding nature, totems, ancestors and saints. The book not only interprets key creation myths, but also elaborates on the connection between the myths and some of the core values and concepts in Chinese civilization. For example, the long and jade culture is rooted in the Yellow Emperor’s revered jade weapon. Further, the book reveals the kernels of truth in the myths by presenting new research findings and research methods.
Myths of the Golden Age in European Culture (Literary Criticism and Cultural Theory)
by Claudia Olk Stephen G. NicholsHesiod’s concept of a Golden Age, together with analogous myths – Babylonian, Egyptian, Hebrew, etc. – speak to the psychic appeal, perhaps even deep-rooted need, for humans to conceive alternate worlds free from the anguish, toil, and dangers of the one they inhabit. Classical poets and philosophers explored the myth; the Middle Ages imagined it as the land of Cockaigne; Early Modern dramatists incorporated it; Romantic poets and nineteenth-century writers imagined it in various guises. This volume explores the configuration presented by Hesiod and the history of its reception and transformation in European literature and culture. The chapters study how texts written in specific historical moments of European history reshape elements of the myth to explore contemporary issues of concern. The book addresses these issues of cultural hybridization, and, from a transhistorical perspective, provides new insights into the dynamics of epochal shifts. It also looks at similar configurations in non-Western civilizations (China), which complements the spectrum of contributions that covers periods from classical antiquity to the Age of Goethe.