Michael Buonanno

Meaning of Myth in World Cultures

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

Mythology--circulated in sacred stories (myths) and their reenactments (rituals)--is the basis of any society's religion, and religion is an essential key to identity. Mythology's meaning depends on the elaboration of identity in cultural metaphors that are at the same time ecological (arising from a society's environmental exploitation), sociological (based on indigenous social relations) and ideological (couched in terms of a society's worldview). But tellingly, these metaphors are embodied in anthropomorphic spirits, fostering a deep sense of identification with those spirits as well as with individuals who share in one's spiritual devotions. This study examines mythology from a global perspective, citing case studies in cultural traditions from Africa, Europe, Oceania, Native America and elsewhere.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: McFarland and Company, Inc.
• Seitenzahl: 324
• Erscheinungstermin: 1. Januar 2019
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 229mm x 152mm x 19mm
• Gewicht: 528g
• ISBN-13: 9780786497126
• ISBN-10: 0786497122
• Artikelnr.: 52963314

Autorenporträt

Michael Buonanno is a professor of English and anthropology at the State College of Florida: Manatee/Sarasota. His previous publications have appeared in The Journal of American Folklore and New York Folklore. He lives in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Inhaltsangabe

Table of Contents Preface Introduction: A Story Is Medicine 1.
Origins: The Dance and the Dream 2.
The Physical Environment and Ecological Metaphors 3.
The Social Environment and Sociological Metaphors 4.
Religion as Indigenous Philosophy 5.
Anthropomorphic Metaphors and Identification 6.
Ritual Enactment and Affiliation 7.
Mythic Rhetoric: Allegories, Ancestors and Apocalypses 8.
Identity: Myth, Memory and Affirmation Conclusion: The Legitimacy of Myth Chapter Notes References Index