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...
[Image: The unforgettable final glimpse of a U.S. government warehouse from Raiders of the Lost Ark].
way interesting... kind of sad and strange, too. why must EVERYTHING be saved? can't we just get rid of a few of the unwanted books? what if the entire world looked like my garage?
ReplyDeleteI know. The world should look like my house instead. Spare and echoey.
ReplyDeleteand cozy in a post-college-student making do sort of way...
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