Myths of the Underworld in Contemporary Culture

Myths of the Underworld in Contemporary Culture

Author: Judith Fletcher

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2019-04-25

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 0191079804

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Myths of the Underworld in Contemporary Culture: The Backward Gaze examines a series of twentieth and twenty-first century fictional works that adapt Greco-Roman myths of the catabasis, the heroic journey to the underworld. Covering a range of genres - including novels, comics, and children's culture, by authors such as Elena Ferrante, Salman Rushdie, Neil Gaiman, A. S. Byatt, Toni Morrison, and Anne Patchett - it reveals how an enduring fascination with life after death, and fantasies of accessing the world of the dead while we are still alive, manifest themselves in myriad and varied re-imaginings of the ancient descent myth. The volume begins with a detailed overview of the use of the myth by ancient authors such as Homer, Aristophanes, Vergil, and Ovid, before exploring the ways in which the narrative of a return trip to Hades by Odysseus, Aeneas, Orpheus, and Persephone can be manipulated by contemporary storytellers to fit themes of social marginality and alterity, postmodern rebellion, the position of female authors in the literary canon, and the dislocation endured by refugees, exiles, and diasporic populations. It also argues that citations of classical underworld stories can disrupt and challenge the literary canon by using media - such as comic books, children's culture, or rock music - not conventionally associated with high culture.


Book Synopsis Myths of the Underworld in Contemporary Culture by : Judith Fletcher

Download or read book Myths of the Underworld in Contemporary Culture written by Judith Fletcher and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2019-04-25 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Myths of the Underworld in Contemporary Culture: The Backward Gaze examines a series of twentieth and twenty-first century fictional works that adapt Greco-Roman myths of the catabasis, the heroic journey to the underworld. Covering a range of genres - including novels, comics, and children's culture, by authors such as Elena Ferrante, Salman Rushdie, Neil Gaiman, A. S. Byatt, Toni Morrison, and Anne Patchett - it reveals how an enduring fascination with life after death, and fantasies of accessing the world of the dead while we are still alive, manifest themselves in myriad and varied re-imaginings of the ancient descent myth. The volume begins with a detailed overview of the use of the myth by ancient authors such as Homer, Aristophanes, Vergil, and Ovid, before exploring the ways in which the narrative of a return trip to Hades by Odysseus, Aeneas, Orpheus, and Persephone can be manipulated by contemporary storytellers to fit themes of social marginality and alterity, postmodern rebellion, the position of female authors in the literary canon, and the dislocation endured by refugees, exiles, and diasporic populations. It also argues that citations of classical underworld stories can disrupt and challenge the literary canon by using media - such as comic books, children's culture, or rock music - not conventionally associated with high culture.

Myths of the Underworld in Contemporary Culture

Myths of the Underworld in Contemporary Culture

Author: Judith Fletcher

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2019-04-11

Total Pages: 237

ISBN-13: 0192524224

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Myths of the Underworld in Contemporary Culture: The Backward Gaze examines a series of twentieth and twenty-first century fictional works that adapt Greco-Roman myths of the catabasis, the heroic journey to the underworld. Covering a range of genres - including novels, comics, and children's culture, by authors such as Elena Ferrante, Salman Rushdie, Neil Gaiman, A. S. Byatt, Toni Morrison, and Anne Patchett - it reveals how an enduring fascination with life after death, and fantasies of accessing the world of the dead while we are still alive, manifest themselves in myriad and varied re-imaginings of the ancient descent myth. The volume begins with a detailed overview of the use of the myth by ancient authors such as Homer, Aristophanes, Vergil, and Ovid, before exploring the ways in which the narrative of a return trip to Hades by Odysseus, Aeneas, Orpheus, and Persephone can be manipulated by contemporary storytellers to fit themes of social marginality and alterity, postmodern rebellion, the position of female authors in the literary canon, and the dislocation endured by refugees, exiles, and diasporic populations. It also argues that citations of classical underworld stories can disrupt and challenge the literary canon by using media - such as comic books, children's culture, or rock music - not conventionally associated with high culture.


Book Synopsis Myths of the Underworld in Contemporary Culture by : Judith Fletcher

Download or read book Myths of the Underworld in Contemporary Culture written by Judith Fletcher and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2019-04-11 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Myths of the Underworld in Contemporary Culture: The Backward Gaze examines a series of twentieth and twenty-first century fictional works that adapt Greco-Roman myths of the catabasis, the heroic journey to the underworld. Covering a range of genres - including novels, comics, and children's culture, by authors such as Elena Ferrante, Salman Rushdie, Neil Gaiman, A. S. Byatt, Toni Morrison, and Anne Patchett - it reveals how an enduring fascination with life after death, and fantasies of accessing the world of the dead while we are still alive, manifest themselves in myriad and varied re-imaginings of the ancient descent myth. The volume begins with a detailed overview of the use of the myth by ancient authors such as Homer, Aristophanes, Vergil, and Ovid, before exploring the ways in which the narrative of a return trip to Hades by Odysseus, Aeneas, Orpheus, and Persephone can be manipulated by contemporary storytellers to fit themes of social marginality and alterity, postmodern rebellion, the position of female authors in the literary canon, and the dislocation endured by refugees, exiles, and diasporic populations. It also argues that citations of classical underworld stories can disrupt and challenge the literary canon by using media - such as comic books, children's culture, or rock music - not conventionally associated with high culture.

Thomas Pynchon and the Postmodern Mythology of the Underworld

Thomas Pynchon and the Postmodern Mythology of the Underworld

Author: Evans Lansing Smith

Publisher: Modern American Literature

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781433120275

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Thomas Pynchon and the Postmodern Mythology of the Underworld is devoted to the work of one of the most highly acclaimed writers of the post-World War II period of American literature, Thomas Pynchon. Through close readings and broad amplification, this book illustrates that the descent to the underworld is the single most important myth in Pynchon's work, conferring shape and significance upon each of his novels. This book also offers a unique perspective on postmodernism, which is characterized by ludic syncretism - the playful synthesis of myths from a variety of cultures. In addition, Thomas Pynchon and the Postmodern Mythology of the Underworld is a major contribution to the study of myth and literature as a whole, through the definition of what Evans Lansing Smith calls necrotypes - archetypal images catalyzed by the mythology of the underworld. This book employs an interdisciplinary methodology that will be of critical interest to scholars of comparative literature, mythology, and religion; to theorists and critics of modernism and postmodernism; to depth psychologists in the traditions of Jung, Freud, and James Hillman; as well as to the broad base of Pynchon enthusiasts and exponents of popular culture.


Book Synopsis Thomas Pynchon and the Postmodern Mythology of the Underworld by : Evans Lansing Smith

Download or read book Thomas Pynchon and the Postmodern Mythology of the Underworld written by Evans Lansing Smith and published by Modern American Literature. This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thomas Pynchon and the Postmodern Mythology of the Underworld is devoted to the work of one of the most highly acclaimed writers of the post-World War II period of American literature, Thomas Pynchon. Through close readings and broad amplification, this book illustrates that the descent to the underworld is the single most important myth in Pynchon's work, conferring shape and significance upon each of his novels. This book also offers a unique perspective on postmodernism, which is characterized by ludic syncretism - the playful synthesis of myths from a variety of cultures. In addition, Thomas Pynchon and the Postmodern Mythology of the Underworld is a major contribution to the study of myth and literature as a whole, through the definition of what Evans Lansing Smith calls necrotypes - archetypal images catalyzed by the mythology of the underworld. This book employs an interdisciplinary methodology that will be of critical interest to scholars of comparative literature, mythology, and religion; to theorists and critics of modernism and postmodernism; to depth psychologists in the traditions of Jung, Freud, and James Hillman; as well as to the broad base of Pynchon enthusiasts and exponents of popular culture.

Myths of the Underworld Journey

Myths of the Underworld Journey

Author: Radcliffe G. Edmonds, III

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2004-09-20

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13: 9781139456005

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This book was first published in 2004. Plato, Aristophanes and the creators of the 'Orphic' gold tablets employ the traditional tale of a journey to the realm of the dead to redefine, within the mythic narrative, the boundaries of their societies. Rather than being the relics of a faded ritual tradition or the products of Orphic influence, these myths can only reveal their meanings through a close analysis of the specific ways in which each author makes use of the tradition. For these authors, myth is an agonistic discourse, neither a kind of sacred dogma nor a mere literary diversion, but rather a flexible tool that serves the wide variety of uses to which it is put. The traditional tale of the journey to the Underworld in Greek mythology is neither simple nor single, but each telling reveals a perspective on the cosmos, a reflection of the order of this world through the image of the other.


Book Synopsis Myths of the Underworld Journey by : Radcliffe G. Edmonds, III

Download or read book Myths of the Underworld Journey written by Radcliffe G. Edmonds, III and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2004-09-20 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book was first published in 2004. Plato, Aristophanes and the creators of the 'Orphic' gold tablets employ the traditional tale of a journey to the realm of the dead to redefine, within the mythic narrative, the boundaries of their societies. Rather than being the relics of a faded ritual tradition or the products of Orphic influence, these myths can only reveal their meanings through a close analysis of the specific ways in which each author makes use of the tradition. For these authors, myth is an agonistic discourse, neither a kind of sacred dogma nor a mere literary diversion, but rather a flexible tool that serves the wide variety of uses to which it is put. The traditional tale of the journey to the Underworld in Greek mythology is neither simple nor single, but each telling reveals a perspective on the cosmos, a reflection of the order of this world through the image of the other.

AEneid

AEneid

Author: Virgil

Publisher:

Published: 1909

Total Pages: 454

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis AEneid by : Virgil

Download or read book AEneid written by Virgil and published by . This book was released on 1909 with total page 454 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Homer and the Poetics of Hades

Homer and the Poetics of Hades

Author: George Alexander Gazis

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 266

ISBN-13: 019878726X

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This book examines Homer's use of Hades as a poetic resource. By portraying Hades as a realm where vision is not possible, Homer creates a unique poetic environment where social constraints and divine prohibitions are not applicable. The resulting narrative emulates that of the Muses but is markedly distinct from it, as in Hades experimentation with and alteration of epic forms and values can be pursued, giving rise to a 'poetics of Hades'. In the Iliad, Homer shows how this alternative poetics works through the visit of Patroclus' shade in Achilles' dream. The recollection offered by the shade reveals an approach to its past in which regret, self-pity, and a lingering memory of intimate and emotional moments displace an objective tone and a traditional exposition of heroic values. The potential of Hades for providing alternative means of commemorating the past is more fully explored in the 'Nekyia' of Odyssey 11; there, Odysseus' extraordinary ability to see (idein) the dead in Hades allows him to meet and interview the shades of heroines and heroes of the epic past. The absolute confinement of Hades allows the shades to recount their stories from their own viewpoint. The poetic implications of this are important since by visiting Hades and hearing the shades' stories, Odysseus-and Homer--gains access to a tradition in which epic values associated with gender roles and even divine law are suspended in favour of a more immediate and personally inflected approach to the epic past. -- Prové de l'editorial.


Book Synopsis Homer and the Poetics of Hades by : George Alexander Gazis

Download or read book Homer and the Poetics of Hades written by George Alexander Gazis and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines Homer's use of Hades as a poetic resource. By portraying Hades as a realm where vision is not possible, Homer creates a unique poetic environment where social constraints and divine prohibitions are not applicable. The resulting narrative emulates that of the Muses but is markedly distinct from it, as in Hades experimentation with and alteration of epic forms and values can be pursued, giving rise to a 'poetics of Hades'. In the Iliad, Homer shows how this alternative poetics works through the visit of Patroclus' shade in Achilles' dream. The recollection offered by the shade reveals an approach to its past in which regret, self-pity, and a lingering memory of intimate and emotional moments displace an objective tone and a traditional exposition of heroic values. The potential of Hades for providing alternative means of commemorating the past is more fully explored in the 'Nekyia' of Odyssey 11; there, Odysseus' extraordinary ability to see (idein) the dead in Hades allows him to meet and interview the shades of heroines and heroes of the epic past. The absolute confinement of Hades allows the shades to recount their stories from their own viewpoint. The poetic implications of this are important since by visiting Hades and hearing the shades' stories, Odysseus-and Homer--gains access to a tradition in which epic values associated with gender roles and even divine law are suspended in favour of a more immediate and personally inflected approach to the epic past. -- Prové de l'editorial.

All the Flowers Kneeling

All the Flowers Kneeling

Author: Paul Tran

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2022-02-15

Total Pages: 112

ISBN-13: 0525508341

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“Paul Tran’s debut collection of poems is indelible, this remarkable voice transforming itself as you read, eventually transforming you.” —Alexander Chee, author of How to Write an Autobiographical Novel “This powerful debut marshals narrative lyrics and stark beauty to address personal and political violence.” —New York Times Book Review A profound meditation on physical, emotional, and psychological transformation in the aftermath of imperial violence and interpersonal abuse, from a poet both “tender and unflinching” (Khadijah Queen) Visceral and astonishing, Paul Tran's debut poetry collection All the Flowers Kneeling investigates intergenerational trauma, sexual violence, and U.S. imperialism in order to radically alter our understanding of freedom, power, and control. In poems of desire, gender, bodies, legacies, and imagined futures, Tran’s poems elucidate the complex and harrowing processes of reckoning and recovery, enhanced by innovative poetic forms that mirror the nonlinear emotional and psychological experiences of trauma survivors. At once grand and intimate, commanding and deeply vulnerable, All the Flowers Kneeling revels in rediscovering and reconfiguring the self, and ultimately becomes an essential testament to the human capacity for resilience, endurance, and love.


Book Synopsis All the Flowers Kneeling by : Paul Tran

Download or read book All the Flowers Kneeling written by Paul Tran and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2022-02-15 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Paul Tran’s debut collection of poems is indelible, this remarkable voice transforming itself as you read, eventually transforming you.” —Alexander Chee, author of How to Write an Autobiographical Novel “This powerful debut marshals narrative lyrics and stark beauty to address personal and political violence.” —New York Times Book Review A profound meditation on physical, emotional, and psychological transformation in the aftermath of imperial violence and interpersonal abuse, from a poet both “tender and unflinching” (Khadijah Queen) Visceral and astonishing, Paul Tran's debut poetry collection All the Flowers Kneeling investigates intergenerational trauma, sexual violence, and U.S. imperialism in order to radically alter our understanding of freedom, power, and control. In poems of desire, gender, bodies, legacies, and imagined futures, Tran’s poems elucidate the complex and harrowing processes of reckoning and recovery, enhanced by innovative poetic forms that mirror the nonlinear emotional and psychological experiences of trauma survivors. At once grand and intimate, commanding and deeply vulnerable, All the Flowers Kneeling revels in rediscovering and reconfiguring the self, and ultimately becomes an essential testament to the human capacity for resilience, endurance, and love.

Myths of the Underworld

Myths of the Underworld

Author: Lindsay Christinee

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2023-12-12

Total Pages: 168

ISBN-13: 1646045742

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Immerse yourself in stories of gods and goddesses of the underworld and explore how themes of death, love, and revenge are depicted in folklore and mythology by different cultures around the world. Myths of the Underworld is a vibrant collection of ten retellings of forbidden love, acts of vengeance, and naive attractions. Modernized for today’s reader, these diverse stories span time and space. But while the cultures and traditions are varied, the themes woven throughout these tales reveal how the struggle to understand and accept death and all that comes with it is one that is quintessentially human. The ten different stories include: Hades and Persephone, the classic myth from Ancient Greece Kali, the Indian goddess (and wife of Shiva), known for her fierceness on the battlefield Anubis, the ancient Egyptian god of the underworld Mictlantecuhtli and Mictecacíhuatl, the lovers who ruled the Aztec underworld The Shinigami, Japanese spirits of the underworld Maman Brigitte, the Haitian intermediary of death Gamab, the Namibian god of fate who gifted rain to mankind Hel, the Norse overseer of the underworld Sedna, the Inuit goddess of the sea and the underworld The Sand Hills, the home of the dead for the Blackfeet Nation The tales in Myths of the Underworld are sure to captivate and enchant readers. Perfect for fans of mythology, romance, and fairy tales.


Book Synopsis Myths of the Underworld by : Lindsay Christinee

Download or read book Myths of the Underworld written by Lindsay Christinee and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2023-12-12 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Immerse yourself in stories of gods and goddesses of the underworld and explore how themes of death, love, and revenge are depicted in folklore and mythology by different cultures around the world. Myths of the Underworld is a vibrant collection of ten retellings of forbidden love, acts of vengeance, and naive attractions. Modernized for today’s reader, these diverse stories span time and space. But while the cultures and traditions are varied, the themes woven throughout these tales reveal how the struggle to understand and accept death and all that comes with it is one that is quintessentially human. The ten different stories include: Hades and Persephone, the classic myth from Ancient Greece Kali, the Indian goddess (and wife of Shiva), known for her fierceness on the battlefield Anubis, the ancient Egyptian god of the underworld Mictlantecuhtli and Mictecacíhuatl, the lovers who ruled the Aztec underworld The Shinigami, Japanese spirits of the underworld Maman Brigitte, the Haitian intermediary of death Gamab, the Namibian god of fate who gifted rain to mankind Hel, the Norse overseer of the underworld Sedna, the Inuit goddess of the sea and the underworld The Sand Hills, the home of the dead for the Blackfeet Nation The tales in Myths of the Underworld are sure to captivate and enchant readers. Perfect for fans of mythology, romance, and fairy tales.

The Cambridge Companion to Greek Mythology

The Cambridge Companion to Greek Mythology

Author: Roger D. Woodard

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2007-11-12

Total Pages: 516

ISBN-13: 1107495113

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Professor Roger Woodard brings together a group of the world's most authoritative scholars of classical myth to present a thorough treatment of all aspects of Greek mythology. Sixteen original articles guide the reader through all aspects of the ancient mythic tradition and its influence around the world and in later years. The articles examine the forms and uses of myth in Greek oral and written literature, from the epic poetry of 8th century BC to the mythographic catalogues of the early centuries AD. They examine the relationship between myth, art, religion and politics among the ancient Greeks and its reception and influence on later society from the Middle Ages to present day literature, feminism and cinema. This Companion volume's comprehensive coverage makes it ideal reading for students of Greek mythology and for anyone interested in the myths of the ancient Greeks and their impact on western tradition.


Book Synopsis The Cambridge Companion to Greek Mythology by : Roger D. Woodard

Download or read book The Cambridge Companion to Greek Mythology written by Roger D. Woodard and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2007-11-12 with total page 516 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Professor Roger Woodard brings together a group of the world's most authoritative scholars of classical myth to present a thorough treatment of all aspects of Greek mythology. Sixteen original articles guide the reader through all aspects of the ancient mythic tradition and its influence around the world and in later years. The articles examine the forms and uses of myth in Greek oral and written literature, from the epic poetry of 8th century BC to the mythographic catalogues of the early centuries AD. They examine the relationship between myth, art, religion and politics among the ancient Greeks and its reception and influence on later society from the Middle Ages to present day literature, feminism and cinema. This Companion volume's comprehensive coverage makes it ideal reading for students of Greek mythology and for anyone interested in the myths of the ancient Greeks and their impact on western tradition.

Myth

Myth

Author: Robert Alan Segal

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 161

ISBN-13: 0198724705

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Where do myths come from? What is their function and what do they mean? In this Very Short Introduction Robert Segal introduces the array of approaches used to understand the study of myth. These approaches hail from disciplines as varied as anthropology, sociology, psychology, literary criticism, philosophy, science, and religious studies. Including ideas from theorists as varied as Sigmund Freud, Claude Levi-Strauss, Albert Camus, and Roland Barthes, Segal uses the famous ancient myth of Adonis to analyse their individual approaches and theories. In this new edition, he not only considers the future study of myth, but also considers the interactions of myth theory with cognitive science, the implications of the myth of Gaia, and the differences between story-telling and myth. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.


Book Synopsis Myth by : Robert Alan Segal

Download or read book Myth written by Robert Alan Segal and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2015 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Where do myths come from? What is their function and what do they mean? In this Very Short Introduction Robert Segal introduces the array of approaches used to understand the study of myth. These approaches hail from disciplines as varied as anthropology, sociology, psychology, literary criticism, philosophy, science, and religious studies. Including ideas from theorists as varied as Sigmund Freud, Claude Levi-Strauss, Albert Camus, and Roland Barthes, Segal uses the famous ancient myth of Adonis to analyse their individual approaches and theories. In this new edition, he not only considers the future study of myth, but also considers the interactions of myth theory with cognitive science, the implications of the myth of Gaia, and the differences between story-telling and myth. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.