because you were all wondering what I'm writing my dissertation on, here's a brief synopsis of my 'research context': When James Macpherson published his Fragments of Ancient Poetry in 1760, he went to great lengths to make the Fragments appear to be authentic remains of an ancient, heroic oral tradition. His reasons for this were largely political, and as such, influenced the content of the epics themselves. As an attempt to establish a particularly Scottish identity, the poems were quite effective. However, to do so required both a simplification and a manipulation of traditional mythology. Stripped of anagogical significance, the Ossian epics more or less represented an Enlightenment version of history, tradition, and mythic heritage. The stories themselves were changed by their very purpose and in turn changed the manner of representing myth in future narratives. Moreover, the emphasis on the Ossian epics as authentic tales from the past, as ‘fragments,’ served...
It's because the earth is turning on it's axis so the house keeps moving to new locations as we turn. Haha.
ReplyDeleteI don't know where you are, but I'm in this really cool scary dark place with lamp posts and mirrors.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I'm writing a speech on Charles Williams' views on spirituality and the Tarot.
Reminds me of good good times.
I think you might be right, Babs. I've often felt the earth slightly moving beneath my feet and thought it must be vertigo, earthquake, or nearby rumbly vacuum cleaner. But now all is clear.
ReplyDeleteAs for you, Wonderwoman: I. am. jealous. (almost) Though kind of happy not to have any papers to write, even though I'm still brainstorming PhD topics. (In my head, that was not 'p-h-d' but 'phud'. I'd like to maintain the distinction.
And now for a real blog post...