Academic literature on the topic 'Charon (Mythology)'

This article deals with the paradoxical situation associated with the use of the term “Charon’s obol” in modern archaeological discourse. The term “Charon’s obol” turned into an unspoken normative historiographical rule and an “indisputable” explanatory model. At the same time, the term itself is essentially “empty”, and does not need to be argued, being the evidence arising from the “natural” logic of archaeological research. Archaeological discourse turns the discovery of “Charon’s obol” into a “natural” inevitability. Almost any coin (of any material and value) of ancient and early Middle Ages found in Europe, Scandinavia, the Far East, or Central Asia, is usually declared “Charon’s obol” by researchers. Surprisingly, the further the region is located from the ancient Greek poleis, the more coins dedicated to Charon archaeologists find. Moreover, in historiography, Charon has become an unambiguous symbol not only of ancient Greek book mythology, but also of the entire ancient Greek culture. The paradox of the situation is that Charon, the ideas of the researchers about whom constitute the content of the term, did not need coins, and the “ancient Greek funeral rite” which the authors appeal to as a model of “payment to Charon” did not imply any payments to Charon. The term is a result of uncritical reading of ancient classical literature. The term “Charon’s obol” cannot be filled with content, but is an artificial ideological construction related to the research tradition based on the ideas of European Romanticism (concepts of I. I. Winkelman and I. V. Goethe).

About the Thought-Image in Grundtvig’s Last PoemBy William MichelsenThe article is a contribution to the on-going debate about the interpretation of a hardly legible line in Grundtvig’s last poem, .Old Enough I Now Have Grown. (Grundtvig Studier, 1994, p. 107).In last year’s Grundtvig Studier, FI. Lundgreen Nielsen argues in favour of the reading .Soul-Ferry-Prow., understanding the phrase as determined by .a reversed Charon myth, the antique ferryman having been replaced by the Spirit of God, and his barge pole by the compass of God’s word. (Grundtvig Studier, 1994, p. 116).Thus, with some support in Bent Noack’s interpretation (Vartovbogen, 1993), FI. Lundgreen-Nielsen can read the poem as pervaded by maritime images. William Michelsen agrees on this point, but objects to the understanding of Grundtvig’s last poem as a reversed Charon myth. Instead William Michelsen reads the poem as an example of Grundtvig’s use of the symbol world of Nordic mythology in his personal Christian poetry. Grundtvig expresses his thoughts in poetry, and thus a thought image arises. The decisive feature of the thought image in this poem is precisely that it contradicts the Charon image, i.e. the notion that man’s death is a journey to the land of the dead. To Grundtvig, the sea is usually not an image of death, but an image of history, of human life. In Grundtvig’s view, death does not mean that life comes to an end, but death means a dangerous journey, since it takes man either towards the land of the dead or the heavenly harbour. In accordance with the old world picture, the firmament is close to the earth, encircling the horizon. In Nordic mythology, the inhabited land was surrounded by the ocean, separating the earth from the land of the dead, Hel or Valhalla. Thus William Michelsen defines the poem not just as a »song of farewell«, but as a poem expressing a view of life, applicable to every Christian. Instead of »Soul-Ferry-Prow«, Grundtvig’s son Svend Grundtvig reads the difficult line as »Soul-Eye-Prow«, which would make the poem into an exclusively personal poem. William Michelsen does not reject this personal interpretation, but sees the ship as the nave, the »church ship«, the Christian church, where the Spirit of God is the master mariner, and where many people, the whole of Christendom, together with Grundtvig, are on board. Usually Grundtvig sees the church in terms of a house, and not until now, during the composition of this poem, does he see the church as a ship, steered by the Spirit of God to ensure that the church reaches the »Heavenly Harbour« - this being emphasized by the masculine ending of the last stanza but one. The poem is an expression of Grundtvig’s Christian interpretation of the existential situation of man facing death.

The “Sacred Cedar Grove” burial ground of the 4th -7th centuries “Sacred Cedar Grove” is located in the north of Western Siberia. In 2016, two Persian silver drachmas minted under Shahinshah Khosrow II Parviz were found among the sacrificial offerings. On the first coin, a flying bird is scratched on the obverse, and a man with “supernatural” abilities is depicted on the reverse. The second drachma depicts sacred animals: birds (obverse) and snakes with one and two heads (reverse). The plots on the coins find direct analogies in the modern mythology of the Ob Ugrians. The drachmas were found next to the burial of the priest (?), at the same depth with him. The coins were buried in the same way as people on the burial ground - wrapped in fur and birch bark.

The literary genre of dystopia remains popular in the English-speaking world, particularly in young adult fi ction. The word “dystopia” is a nineteenth century English neologism formed upon the logic of Thomas More’s utopia. Dystopia denotes a physical “bad place”, and a metaphysical “negative space”. In Malone Dies the novel’s fi nal scene is happening on an island or “islet”, as Beckett wrote. What unfolds is a scene of horror, a slaughter committed by guardian Lemuel. The islet thus becomes Böcklin’s “Isle of the Dead” (bad place), and Lemuel the boatman Charon who ferried souls to the underworld in Greek mythology. Endgame is set in a post-apocalyptic world, and everything is happening in a kind of bunker-shelter. Outside there is, probably, nothing. Or, maybe, only Death, as Hamm says. Are they situated on an island or not? Are Hamm, Clov, Nagg and Nell the last survivors of an atomic war? A kind of Robinsons, lost on an island in the middle of a desert planet, like the lost boys in Golding’s Lord of the Flies? Beckett wrote some other works that can be considered dystopian, but in my paper I will focus on the two mentioned above, and try to analyze characters in those hostile landscapes, and their useless efforts to avoid the inevitable – the end.

La thèse entend proposer un commentaire de la Chanson de Roland, fondé sur l'analyse minutieuse de toutes les variantes qui nous soient parvenues. Cette prise en considération de l'ensemble des versions françaises, rompant avec le dogme de la précellence du manuscrit d'Oxford, s'explique logiquement par la nature mouvante des œuvres médiévales, mais s'enracine aussi dans la conviction d'une texture mythique du poème de Roncevaux. Aussi le recours à la mythologie comparée constitue-t-il une ligne de force majeure du présent travail : s'inscrivant dans la tradition des études indo-européennes telles que Georges Dumézil a contribué à les fonder, la thèse propose une comparaison morphologique entre les mythes de Baldr et de Roland. Cet essai de mythologie comparée forme un premier temps dans l'analyse de la texture mythique du poème et peut être considéré comme autonome. Il s'articule cependant avec le travail de comparaison typologique qui lui succède. La thèse se propose en effet d'étudier la Chanson de Roland à la lumière de l'hypothèse victimaire élaborée par René Girard, qui permet de penser sous un jour nouveau l'esthétique et l'idéologie de la chanson de geste. De fait, la poétique de la répétition et l'art de la symétrie sont justiciables de la théorie du désir mimétique, tout comme la crise épique entretient des analogies étroites avec le modèle de la crise sacrificielle. C'est autour de la question anthropologique de la violence et de l'ambiguïté de la figure du guerrier mythique que ce travail réconcilie deux méthodes réputées incompatibles et pourtant complémentaires dans l'analyse qu'elles proposent de l'ambivalence des héros épiques
This doctoral thesis intends to propose a commentary of the Chanson de Roland, based on a meticulous analysis of all the variants which have reached posterity. By paying close attention to the whole of French versions and by refusing to comment the sole manuscript of Oxford, as most of scholars do, we comply with the unsettled nature of medieval poetry and furthermore support the idea that the Chanson de Roland should be considered as a myth. The comparative mythology thus constitutes a main thrust of this work : in the tradition on Indo-european studies as founded by Georges Dumézil, we compare the myth of Roland to the myth of Balder, on a morphological level. The essay of comparative mythology is the first part of our commentary and could be regarded as self-reliant. However, it forms a single entity with the essay of typological comparison which follows. The thesis actually intends to interpret the poem in the light of the theory developed by René Girard, which allows to analyze the aesthetics and the ideology of the chanson de geste in a new light. The poetic of repetition and the art of symmetry are closely linked to the hypothesis of mimetic desire, just like the epic crisis is closely linked to the model of the sacrificial crisis. By studying the anthropological question of violence and the ambiguous figure of mythical warrior, this work combines two approaches, deemed to be irreconcilable and nevertheless complementary, in the sense that they interpret in the same way the ambivalence of epic heroes

Les chansons populaires grecques sont imprégnées d’une profonde religiosité qui apparaît à la fois comme cadre et comme vecteur d’action. Le poète populaire entretient une relation multidimensionnelle avec le Dieu de la Bible et de l’Ancien Testament et fait des saints et des anges des personnages actifs et récurrents dans les textes ; ils évoluent parallèlement avec les héros et leurs destinées s’entrecroisent. Charos est une figure mythique qui joue un rôle fondamental dans l’ensemble des chansons. Personnage mythologiquement et symboliquement sophistiqué, Charos constitue le pilier des mirologues. Ses relations ambiguës avec la divinité déterminent celles qu’il entretient avec l’homme et fait de lui un être à part. A la fois incarnation du mal et agent de la mort, son riche parcours historique dévoile ses nombreuses facettes, ainsi que ses liens avec certaines figures héroïques ambigües telles que Digenis ou Tsamados. La nature et les animaux détiennent un rôle significatif, caractérisé d’une sacralité profonde, et ils accompagnent l’homme des chansons dans tous les aspects de sa vie personnelle et sociale. Leur capacité de métamorphose et leur rôle d’annonciateurs dans les ballades, placent les animaux sur le devant de la scène et leur accordent un rôle de première importance dans le déroulement de l’action. Le poète accorde une importance particulière à l’aspect social du sacré en explorant la notion de la trahison divine mais également celle de l’obéissance de l’homme à son dieu. La vie monacale et le clergé comme l’altérité religieuse, deviennent l’objet d’une critique d’ordre social et une source d’humour. Les chansons populaires véhiculent en les adaptant un nombre important de mythes qui ont une logue présence sur le territoire hellénique : le mythe de Tantale, de Calypso et d’Adonis en font partie. L’héritage antique de l’expression publique du deuil, du rachat du mort et du tombeau du héros vient former les bases de la philosophie populaire et fait de la mort un véritable croisement de cultures
Greek folk songs are infused with a profound religiosity that appears both as a framework and as a means of action. The folk poet has a multidimensional relationship with the God of the Bible and of the Old Testament and makes saints and angels active and recurrent personalities in his texts; they evolve in parallel with the heroes, and their destinies intertwine. Charos is a mythical figure that plays a fundamental role throughout the songs. A mythologically and symbolically sophisticated personality, Charos is the pillar of the lament songs. His ambiguous relationship with the divine determines his relationship with man, and makes him a separate being. Both incarnation of evil and agent of death, his rich historical journey reveals his many faces, as well as his links with some heroic and ambiguous figures such as Digenis or Tsamados. Nature and the animals hold a significant role, characterised by a profound sacredness, and they accompany man in all aspects of his personal and social life. Their ability to transform and their role as announcers in the ballads, place the animals on the front of the stage and grant them a major role in the unfolding of the action. The poet attaches particular importance to the social aspect of the sacred by exploring the notion of divine betrayal but also that of obedience of man to his god. Monastic life and the clergy, as well as religious diversity, become objects of social criticism, and a source of humour. Folk songs preserve an important number of myths by adapting them, that have a literary presence in the Hellenic territory: the myths of Tantalus, Calypso and Adonis belong to them. The ancient heritage of the public expression of grief, of the redemption of the dead and of the hero's tomb, forms the basis of folk philosophy and makes death a true crossroads of cultures

L’engouement du Moyen-Âge pour le mythe troyen se traduit tout particulièrement à travers sa figure centrale, Hector. Benoît de Sainte-Maure, qui s’appuie sur la tradition homérique telle que l’a transmise la littérature latine tardive (Ilias latina, Éphéméride de la guerre de Troie de Dictys de Crète, Histoire de la destruction de Troie de Darès le Phrygien), fait du fils de Priam le héros incontesté de son œuvre, le Roman de Troie, et glorifie les exploits de ce guerrier à la prouesse exemplaire. Ce texte constitue le jalon majeur de la construction du mythe d’Hector à l’époque médiévale, dont témoignent les réécritures en prose ou en vers, même si, parallèlement, l’histoire de Troie continue d’être transmise par le texte latin de Darès ou sa traduction. À ces deux traditions s’ajoute celle qui naît de l’œuvre de l’Italien Guido delle Colonne, l’Historia destructionis Troiae, réécriture latine du roman de Benoît au XIIIe siècle. Cependant la notoriété de la figure d’Hector s’exprime aussi dans des œuvres où le personnage tend à se dissocier du destin de sa cité et apparaît seul ou associé à d’autres héros, troyens ou non, pour servir de référence en terme de bravoure, ce qui lui vaut de figurer parmi les Neuf Preux. C’est pourquoi le personnage va continuer d’évoluer indépendamment du roman de Benoît et de ses réécritures directes, ce qui se perçoit aussi bien dans la chanson de geste que dans les récits arthuriens. Les valeurs qu’il incarne intéressent aussi bien l’auteur de l’Ovide moralisé que Christine de Pizan. Figure exemplaire, presque archétypale, Hector est aussi un personnage protéiforme dont l’histoire ne cesse d’être réécrite par la tradition médiévale
In the Middle Ages, the interest in the Trojan myth focuses particularly on its main character, Hector.Using the Homeric tradition inherited from the late Latin literature ( Ilias latina, Ephemeridos belli troiani by Dictys of Crete, De Excidio Troiae historia by Dares the Phrygian) as a basis to his work, Benoît de Sainte Maure makes Priam’s son the uncontested hero of his novel, The Roman de Troie, in which he praises the feats of this exceptional warrior.This text greatly contributes to the construction of Hector’s myth during the Middle Ages, as shown by its rewritings in prose or verse, although the story of Troy was also transmitted via Dares’ Latin text or its translation.In addition to these two traditions, another one appeared in the 13th century with the Italian Guido delle Colonne whose Historia Destructionis Troiae is a Latin rewriting of Benoît’s novel.However, Hector’s fame also asserts itself in other works in which the character tends to dissociate himself from his city’s destiny and appears alone or associated to other heroes, Trojan or not, to serve as a reference in terms of bravery, which earned him his place among the Nine Worthies.That is why this character continues to evolve independently from Benoit’s novel and its rewritings, as can be seen through epic poetry and Arthurian tales.Both Christine de Pizan and the author of Ovide moralisé take an interest in the values he embodies.Hector is a model, almost an archetypal figure as well as a character whose story never ceased being rewritten by Medieval tradition

Prior to 1500 A.D. the Polynesians were the most widely spread people on earth, having settled an area of the Pacific, the Polynesian Triangle, twice the size of the United States. In this first reference guide to the mythology of these Vikings of the Pacific, Craig reviews Polynesian legends, stories, gods, goddesses, and heroes in hundreds of alphabetical entries that succinctly describe both characters and events. His wide-ranging and thorough introduction sets the subject in its geographic, historical, anthropological, and linguistic contexts, offering an illuminating overview of the origin of the Polynesians as a distinct people and tracing their voyages and settlements from Indonesia to Malaysia, Tonga, Samoa, the Marquesas, the various islands of eastern Polynesia, including Hawaii, Easter Island, and New Zealand. The introduction presents fascinating information on Polynesian navigational skills and the voyages themselves, as well as a chart that details the evolution of the thirty Polynesian languages and compares cognates from several of these languages. A simplified pronunciation guide and a selected list of Polynesian dictionaries and/or grammars are provided for those interested in pursuing the richness of the Polynesian languages. This introductory survey gives readers the necessary background to understand the origin, development, and dispersion of the myths throughout the Pacific basin. The Dictionary of Polynesian Mythology is the result of many years of research. The individual entries were gleaned from nearly 300 sources in English, German, French, and Polynesian languages with the majority extracted from a number of primary sources that date generally in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The printed source materials for this volume are fully described and listed by geographical group, including Maori, Cook Islands, Tahitian, Marquesan, Hawaiian, Samoan, and Tongan. General collections that retell the Polynesian stories are also surveyed. The entries are alphabetically arranged by major mythological figure; lesser characters can be located in the index. Short bibliographical citations--author, date, and page number--are included at the end of each main entry to direct readers to fuller information contained in the printed sources. An appendix provides valuable supplemental information on Polynesian gods and goddesses. This dictionary is sure to become a basic reference tool for libraries, students, and scholars of Pacific history and culture, as well as for courses in mythology, religion, and philosophy.

This chapter analyzes and discusses the performance of Chicago, which opened in 1975. Here were the key elements of Fosse’s art, the carnal act on one hand and, on the other, the indefinable American something that toys with our imaginations and infuriates the authorities. Sex and jazz worked as a set, like crime and show business in the early talkie. The chapter argues that in his faithful adaptation of Maurine Watkins’ play, Fosse brought out all the bawdy chaos that “Chicago” meant in American mythology. To close, the chapter discusses the reception of the musical as well as the inevitable changes in the cast after the first several hundred performances of Chicago’s initial run.

This book charts the history of drug and alcohol use in Major League Baseball (MLB). It aims to recover the story of baseball and drugs from the tyranny of baseball mythology by analyzing the perceived problem of drug use, with particular emphasis on illegal recreational and performance-enhancing drugs, in MLB. It examines how the drug testing movement, for two decades the persona non grata of professional baseball, surged to the forefront of Major League thought following the congressional hearings of 2005, culminating in the 2006 establishment of the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program between the league and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). The new testing protocols were buoyed by the findings of the Mitchell Report, which explicitly warned against retroactive punishment—the league could not slash and burn its way to integrity by torching past transgressions—and instead focused on the need for diligence in the future.

Chapter 2 examines political factors and social influences that contributed to the construction of the Legend of Living Buddhas, a benchmark for the institutional and artistic shift from Chinese Chan to Japanese Zen. It aims to answer the question of how the Zen monastic institution managed to gain a wide following of religious leaders and their disciples as well as lay followers, especially Song-dynasty literati, after struggling for centuries to grow in China beginning with the historical background of the Tang dynasty. Stressing the commercial network of maritime routes linking China and Japan, along with cultural as well as commercial connections that inspired monks to make the daring trip across the waters, the chapter shows how transnational relationships formed between creative priests from both countries, particularly in regard to the mythology of Living Buddhas.

The plurality of mythical thinking allows for a wide range of perspective approaches. We propose a direction related to the technologies evoked in the coordinates of the mythical universe, namely magical vehicles. We will focus on the most commonly used means of transportation, such as the flying chariot, the magic carpet, the Indian Vimana, etc., but also on the original technologies such as the caduceus, the golden ram or the flight shoes. In investigating the topic, we used texts from universal as well as from Romanian mythology. This research allows us to reconfirm the precious polysemous message of myths, in this case from the perspective of miraculous mythical vehicles.