Chasing Mythical Beasts ... (Conference Booklet) (original) (raw)
Α Kaleidoscope of Mythical Beasts, Beyond Time and Space: Keys to Understanding Oneself and Culture
Dzieciństwo. Literatura i Kultura, 2021
The paper aspires to provide a critical presentation of the content of the Chasing Mythical Beasts: The Reception of Ancient Monsters in Children’s and Young Adults’ Culture collective volume, edited by Katarzyna Marciniak (2020), and an interpretative framing for the recurrent emergence of mythical beasts in literature and other media for children and young people. Famous mythical monsters – the Minotaur, Medusa, Pegasus, centaurs, and sirens – reappear either in their original form or in other versions in a wide range of stories, becoming a vehicle for critical reflections over a variety of subjects, like the encounter with the Other, the coming of age, the female power, totalitarianism, ethical dilemmas, or human relationships, to mention some of them. Monsters’ diffusion in almost all cultural fields highlights their universality, recognisability, popularity, and flexibility to adjust to requirements and priorities of all times and spaces. Their inexhaustible potential remains t...
Mark of the Beast: Reflections of Predators Past in Modern Mythology
The aim of this thesis is to examine whether an evolutionary perspective can be used to explain the appeal of supernatural monsters to people’s imaginations. The way that mythical beasts often bear resemblances to large carnivores leads to the supposition that these entities may reflect the effects of large carnivores on ancestral human populations. Thus three research questions, pertaining to this supposition will be examined. First, is there evidence for predation as a significant factor in human evolution? Second, can evolved adaptations persist despite relaxed selection? Third, how are these adaptations reflected in different cultures? These questions require a multidisciplinary approach, examining human evolutionary history, animal behaviour studies, the physiology and psychology of human fear and the cultural representations of mythical beasts. The evidence from the fossil record for predation on hominins is limited in its validity. However, the evidence for sympatry with large carnivores is sufficient to argue that predation was a selective agent in human evolution. Consequently humans exhibit behaviours that bear similarities to typical anti-predator behaviours in other species. These behaviours are part of an adapted fear mechanism that has been shown to operate at a pre-cognitive level and which expects predators in the environment. The relevance of the evolved fear mechanism is discussed in relation to mythical beasts across cultures. The hypothesis posits that, in societies where large carnivores are present, mythical beasts should be absent. However, this study reveals that in some such societies mythical beasts are around and even hijack large carnivores to terrorise people. Thus, an alternative hypothesis is proposed which holds that mythical beasts are a reflection of our ancestral past as a prey species that conflicts with our perceptions of ourselves as the most dangerous of animals.
Chasing Mythical Beasts. The Reception of Ancient Monsters in Children's and Young Adults' Culture, ed. by Katarzyna Marciniak, 2020
Chasing Mythical Beasts katarzyna marciniak (Ed.) lassical Antiquity is strongly present in youth culture globally. It accompanies children during their initiation into adulthood and thereby deepens their knowledge of the cultural code based on the Greek and Roman heritage. It enables intergenerational communication, with the reception of the Classics being able to serve as a marker of transformations underway in societies the world over. The team of contributors from Europe, North America, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand focuses on the reception of mythical creatures as the key to these transformations, including the changes in human mentality. The volume gathers the results of a stage of the programme Our Mythical Childhood, supported by an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Alumni Award for Innovative Networking Initiatives and an ERC Consolidator Grant. Thanks to the multidisciplinary character of its research (Classics, Modern Philologies, Animal Studies) and to the universal importance of the theme of childhood, the volume offers stimulating reading for scholars, students, and educators, as well as for a wider audience.
LONDON - W.H. Allen & Co., Waterloo Place. S. W., 1886
This ultra rare book delves into the fascinating realm of ancient mythologies and their roots in pre-historic human civilization. The work explores whether the recorded history of man, spanning a few thousand years, truly encapsulates the entirety of human existence or if ancient mythological eras, chronicled in the traditions of Chaldea and China, hold fragmented memories of civilizations long lost, akin to Plato's Atlantis. Gould questions the brief time span—six to eight thousand years—traditionally assigned to human civilization by Biblical interpreters, suggesting that this period scarcely accommodates the complexity and development of early human societies. The book meticulously examines how myths and legends of divine progenitors, demigods, and monstrous creatures were disseminated globally, shaped by the diverse environmental and cultural contexts of different peoples. **Detailed Overview:** **1. Human Civilization Beyond Recorded History:** Gould begins by challenging the conventional timeline of human history. He proposes that the brief span of written history might only be a fragment of man's intelligent existence. By referencing the extensive mythical eras of Chaldea and China, Gould hints at the possibility of pre-historic civilizations that have perished due to catastrophic events, leaving behind only shadowy mementos preserved through tradition. **2. Questioning the Biblical Timeline:** Gould critically examines the six to eight thousand years commonly accepted by Biblical interpreters for the creation of the world and human civilization. He argues that this limited timeframe barely suffices to account for the documented evidence of ancient civilizations' development, the divergence of human stocks, and the obliteration of connecting branches. **3. Universal Spread of Mythologies:** The author observes that myths of divine progenitors, heroes, and monstrous creatures permeate all corners of the world. These stories, carried with the fidelity akin to the sacred Ark of the Israelites, adapt according to the local genius, superstitions, and environmental conditions. Gould highlights how different settings, from open plains to dense forests, mold these myths, reflecting the inhabitants' lifestyles and fears. **4. Influence of Environment on Mythology:** Gould explores how environmental conditions shape cultural and mythological expressions. For instance, the inhabitants of semi-tropical plains, enjoying a genial sun and open spaces, develop a buoyant and open temperament, influencing their mythologies to be more graceful. In contrast, those living in dense, gloomy forests filled with lurking dangers foster myths filled with dread and vigilance. **5. Divergence of Aryan Descendants:** Focusing on the descendants of Aryan ancestors—the Greeks, Celts, and Vikings—Gould illustrates how environmental and social conditions led to distinct cultural developments. The Greeks, with their favorable climate and geography, cultivated a mythology rich in benign gods and heroic demigods. The Celts, influenced by their forested habitats, developed a more gloomy and sanguinary Druidic religion. The Vikings, shaped by their harsh seaboard environment, created a mythology reflecting their maritime prowess and rugged lifestyle, with deities embodying the tempestuous elements of their world. **6. Climatic Influences on Civilization:** Gould further discusses how climatic conditions influence the advancement of civilizations. He posits that the Chaldeans, living in a pastoral country and descending from nomadic ancestors in Central Asia, advanced in astronomy and climatology due to their prolonged exposure to the vast open steppes and highlands. Their precise understanding of climatic patterns may have surpassed even modern knowledge. **Conclusion:** Charles Gould's "Mythical Monsters" is a comprehensive exploration of the intersections between ancient mythologies, pre-historic civilizations, and the environmental influences shaping human culture. By questioning traditional timelines and examining the global spread and adaptation of myths, Gould provides a scholarly insight into the deep-rooted connections between human history, environment, and mythological beliefs. This overview encapsulates the core themes and arguments of Gould's work, providing a scholarly perspective suitable for an academic profile. The detailed exploration highlights Gould's critical approach to traditional historical timelines, his examination of the universal spread of myths, and his insights into the environmental influences on cultural and mythological development. 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Mythical animals: a reference pathfinder
Collection Building, 1996
Provides direction for researchers and collection developers to locate sources of information on mythical, fantastical and symbolic creatures of world folklore and legends and their documentation in primary and secondary texts. Focusing on mythological animals, gives prominence to the unicorn and the dragon as the two most universal and symbolically important creatures, and to sources which concentrate on their status in folklore and legend rather than to literary works.
Signs of Exclusion? Monsters from Classical Mythology in Children’s and Young Adult Culture
2022
This book explores how mythical monsters, present in children’s and young adult culture, become perceived as symbols for various groups that communities tend to exclude because of their lack of conformity. It also questions whether the excluded characters, once symbolically re-created as monsters, are more likely to emancipate and gain a voice or feel condemned to isolation, aware that a society, where ‘normality’ in its broadest sense is highly valued, would deny them a true integration. A thorough analysis of constructs of exclusion in children’s and young adults’ culture (literature, films, and TV-series) presented in the consecutive chapters of the book demonstrate how classical mythology and its ‘monsters’ emphasize and clarify the phenomenon of exclusion and its related concepts.