This product is usually dispatched within 2-4 weeks
- Delivery and returns info
-
Flat rate of $10.00 for shipping anywhere in Australia
Description
Evil, an undeniable yet inexplicable force in human existence, is often defined as that which ought not to be, yet is - so it must be destroyed, or contained, or lived with. Myths of evil function to universalize the human condition, to show the tension between the ideal and the real, to reveal but not allegorize that condition, and to go some way to assist humanity in understanding, combating, and coping with evil within its societies.
Tales of Darkness explores the causes of evil in myth, encompassing themes such as defilement, the figure of the trickster, evil people both within and outside the society, and traumatic initiations. Robert Ellwood then looks at "cures" for evil: laughter, sacrifice, the flood, the hero's quest, initiation, the savior, divine wisdom and the end of days. This is a fascinating examination of how people have dealt with evil, not philosophically but in terms of the myths, ancient and modern, which present stories convergent with our own, from creation myths to Star Wars.
Table of Contents
Part I. Evil Is Abroad
1. Defilement
2. Evil People
3. Space Invaders
4. The Way Things Are
5. Couldn't It Have Happened Differently?
6. Trickster's Gameplan
7. Traumatic Initiations
8. The Hero's Dragon
9. Evil Under Analysis
Part II. The Road Back: Curing Evil
10. Laughter and Wisdom
11. Through Death to Life
12. The Hero Victorious
13. The Meaning of War
14. The End of Days
15. Summing Up
Bibliography
Notes
Index
Product details
| Published | 10 Dec 2009 |
|---|---|
| Format | Hardback |
| Edition | 1st |
| Extent | 176 |
| ISBN | 9780826437143 |
| Imprint | Continuum |
| Illustrations | 30 |
| Dimensions | 216 x 138 mm |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
Reviews
Related Titles
