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...
this pic actually kind of creeps me out. it's like a woman but she's just kinda hanging out. and she has this has this weird squidish/jellyfishish thing hanging down out of her butt. but maybe she's in the sky? maybe she's part of a constellation?
ReplyDeleteshe also needs to eat something. she's like, waaay skinny. like me or something. get this woman some french fries. i'll share.
well, i thought it was mysterious and fantastical, mythic and surreal. you just had to bring in squids and butts, didn't you? and french fries are not a healthy way to combat malnourishment. just so you know. :P
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