Travels To The Otherworld And Other Fantastic Realms

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Travels to the Otherworld and Other Fantastic Realms

Author : Claude Lecouteux
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1620559439
Total Pages : 338 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (25 download)

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Book Synopsis Travels to the Otherworld and Other Fantastic Realms by : Claude Lecouteux

Download or read book Travels to the Otherworld and Other Fantastic Realms written by Claude Lecouteux and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2020-08-04 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of tales from the Middle Ages that reveal voyages to Heaven and Hell, the realm of the Faery, mystical lands, and encounters with mythic beasts • Shares travelers’ accounts of voyages into the afterlife, alarming creatures of unparalleled strangeness, encounters with doppelgangers and angels, chivalric romantic misadventures, and legends of heroes • Explains how travelers’ tales from the Middle Ages drew on geographies, encyclopedias, travel accounts, bestiaries, and herbals for material to capture the imagination of their audiences • Includes rare illustrations from incunabula and medieval manuscripts Heading off to discover unknown lands was always a risky undertaking during the Middle Ages due to the countless dangers lying in wait for the traveler--if we can believe what the written accounts tell us. In the medieval age of intercontinental exploration, tales of sea monsters, strange hybrid beasts, trickster faeries, accidental trips to the afterlife, and peoples as fantastic and dangerous as the lands they inhabited abounded. In this curated collection of medieval travelers’ tales, editors Claude and Corinne Lecouteux explain how the Middle Ages were a melting pot of narrative traditions from the four corners of the then-known world. Tales from this period often drew on geographies, encyclopedias, travel accounts, bestiaries, and herbals for material to capture the imagination of their audiences, who were fascinated by the wonders being discovered by explorers of the time. Accompanied by rare illustrations from incunabula and medieval manuscripts, the stories in this collection include voyages into the afterlife, with guided tours of Hell and glimpses of Heaven, as well as journeys into other fantastic realms, such as the pagan land of the Faery. It also includes accounts from travelers such as Alexander the Great of alarming creatures of unparalleled strangeness, encounters with doppelgangers and angels, legends of heroes, and tales of chivalric romantic misadventures, with protagonists swept to exotic new places by fate or by quest. In each story, the marvelous is omnipresent, and each portrays the reactions of the protagonist when faced with the unknown. Offering an introduction to the medieval imaginings of a wondrous universe, these tales reflect the dreams and beliefs of the Middle Ages’ era of discovery and allow readers to survey mythic geography, meet people from the far ends of the earth, and experience the supernatural.

Tales of Witchcraft and Wonder

Author : Claude Lecouteux
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1644111713
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (441 download)

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Book Synopsis Tales of Witchcraft and Wonder by : Claude Lecouteux

Download or read book Tales of Witchcraft and Wonder written by Claude Lecouteux and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2021-09-28 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: • Offers commentary for each story, revealing its historical context, cultural and esoteric associations, and hidden pagan beliefs • Explores how the tales transformed over the ages and their origins in Classical Antiquity, the Middle East, and India • Includes stories never-before-translated from their original Latin and many purposely left in obscurity due to scandalous depictions of popes and other notables The Middle Ages witnessed the blossoming of oral traditions whose echoes can still be found in many legends, fables, and tales today. In this collection of medieval tales of witchcraft, wonder, and the supernatural, Claude and Corinne Lecouteux explain how many of these stories arose in Classical Antiquity while some made their way into Dark Ages Europe from the Middle East and India. Offering commentary for each tale, the authors place them in historical context and analyze their cultural and esoteric associations. They include stories never- before-translated from their original Latin or demotic versions and show how, unlike the well-known fairy tales made popular by the Brothers Grimm, many stories were purposely left in obscurity because they presented scandalous depictions of popes and other notables. Additionally, for many of the tales, the authors scrupulously peel back the Christian veneer to show how the stories were instrumental in assuring the survival of age-old pagan beliefs across the centuries. These beliefs are explored through tales of animals with magical powers and the ability to converse with humans, including the tale of the Grateful Lion made famous through Aesop’s fables; stories of individuals with supernatural or otherworldly powers, like the Venomous Maiden who poisons all men who have relations with her; legends of miracles and wondrous things that violate the laws of nature, such as people returning from the dead to help a descendant; and stories of witchcraft, magic, and demonic apparitions, including the pope who was a disguised demon. The authors also explore tales of supernatural spouses and illicit love affairs, wisdom teachings and parables of fools, and heroic legends.

Mysteries of the Werewolf

Author : Claude Lecouteux
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1644110792
Total Pages : 285 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (441 download)

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Book Synopsis Mysteries of the Werewolf by : Claude Lecouteux

Download or read book Mysteries of the Werewolf written by Claude Lecouteux and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2021-07-27 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: • Examines werewolf tales and stories from early Greece, Scandinavia, France, Germany, Eastern Europe, China, and Japan, as well as legends of other shapeshifting creatures such as were-tigers, were-jackals, and were-caribou • Looks at the various ways people become werewolves, including pacts with the devil, magic, and spells, and explores ways to identify, escape, and do away with werewolves • Includes the trial records from medieval Europe for individuals who were tried on suspicion of being werewolves and the personal records of people whose spouses could shapeshift into wolves An animal both mythical and real, a terrifying predator and the villain in many a fairytale, the wolf has haunted the human imagination since prehistoric times. Even more disturbing is the possibility that some individuals can change into wolves. These werewolves, or lycanthropes, are able to divest themselves of their human nature and transform into enemies that are all the more dangerous as no one knows who they are. Means of protecting oneself from this beast have been a concern for people since Classical Antiquity, and werewolf legends offer both fascinating tales of horror as well as advice for thwarting these creatures or breaking the werewolf curse. In this exploration of werewolf folktales, legends, and historical accounts, Claude Lecouteux examines werewolf beliefs and stories from early Greece to the post-medieval age, including the beliefs of the Norse and tales from France, Germany, Eastern Europe, China, and Japan. The author includes the trial records from medieval Europe for individuals who were tried on suspicion of being werewolves and the personal records of people whose spouses could shapeshift into wolves. He investigates the nature of the werewolf, how it can act as the double or lead to out-of-body experiences, and its counterparts in other parts of the world such as were-tigers, were-jackals, and even were-caribou in the Inuit regions of North America. Lecouteux also looks at the various ways people become werewolves, including pacts with the devil and spells, and explores ways to identify, escape, and do away with werewolves. Sharing werewolf mysteries from around the world, Lecouteux shows that by studying the legends of the werewolf we also gain insight into the psyche and ancient imagination of humanity.

The Pagan Book of the Dead

Author : Claude Lecouteux
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1644110482
Total Pages : 305 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (441 download)

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Book Synopsis The Pagan Book of the Dead by : Claude Lecouteux

Download or read book The Pagan Book of the Dead written by Claude Lecouteux and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2020-09-01 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An extensive look at the cartography and folklore of the afterlife worlds as seen by our ancestors • Examines how ancient European cultures viewed the beyond, including the Blessed Isles of early Greek and Celtic faith, the Hebrew Sheol, Hades from Homer’s Odyssey, Hel and Valhalla of the Norse, and the Aralu of Babylon • Shows how medieval accounts of journeys into the Other World represent the first recorded near-death experiences • Connects medieval afterlife beliefs and NDE narratives with shamanism, looking in particular at psychopomps, power animals, the double, the fetch, and what people bring back from their journeys to the spirit realms Charting the evolution of afterlife beliefs in both pagan and medieval Christian times, Claude Lecouteux offers an extensive look at the cartography and folklore of the afterlife worlds as seen by our ancestors. Exploring the locations and topographies of the various forms taken by Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven, he examines how ancient European cultures viewed the beyond, including the Blessed Isles of early Greek and Celtic faith, the Hebrew Sheol, the pale world of Hades from Homer’s Odyssey, Hel and Valhalla of the Norse, and the Aralu of Babylon, the land where nothing can be seen. The author also explores beliefs in Other Worlds, lands different from our own that are not the afterlife but places where time flows differently and which are inhabited by fantastic or supernatural beings such as fairies or dwarfs. Sharing medieval tales of journeys into the beyond, Lecouteux shows how these accounts represent the first recorded near-death experiences (NDEs) and examines how they compare with modern NDE narratives as well as the work of NDE researchers like Raymond Moody. In addition, he also explores tales of out-of-body experiences, dream journeys, and travels made by a double or fetch and connects these narratives with shamanism, looking in particular at psychopomps, power animals, and what people bring back from their journeys to the spirit realms. Analyzing the afterlife beliefs of the Middle Ages as a whole, Lecouteux concludes with a collection of medieval afterlife-related traditions, such as placing polished stones in the coffin so the departed soul can find its way back to friends and family at those times of the year when the veil between the worlds grows thin.

King Solomon the Magus

Author : Claude Lecouteux
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1644112442
Total Pages : 390 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (441 download)

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Book Synopsis King Solomon the Magus by : Claude Lecouteux

Download or read book King Solomon the Magus written by Claude Lecouteux and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-09-27 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: • Explores the schools of Solomonic magic around the world and works such as The Greater and Lesser Keys of Solomon the King and The Hygromancy of Solomon • Examines Solomon’s magical possessions, including his famous ring that gave him command over animals, weather, demons, genies, and djinns, as well as his amulets, remedies, exorcisms, and charms • Looks at the extensive presence of Solomon in folklore around the world, including in Armenia, Malaysia, Russia, Bulgaria, Morocco, India, and Egypt Looking at the Solomonic magical tradition and Solomon’s profound influence on esoteric traditions around the world, Claude Lecouteux reveals King Solomon not only as one of the great kings of prehistory but also as the ancient world’s foremost magician and magus. Examining the primary sources on Solomon, such as the Bible, the Koran, and the writings of Flavius Josephus, the author explores Solomon’s judgments, his explorations, his literary and scientific works (including an herbal), and his constructions beyond the eponymous temple, such as the copper city in Andalus built by the djinns and the baths of Sulayman. He also looks at Solomon’s magical possessions, such as his famous ring and the Philosopher’s Stone. The author examines the supernatural powers granted to Solomon by his ring, which he received from the angel Gabriel, including command over animals, weather, and demons, and explores in detail Solomon’s power over genies and djinns. Following the esoteric threads hidden within the primary sources on Solomon, Lecouteux reveals the work of Solomon the Magician, exploring his amulets, remedies, exorcisms, charms, and his influence on Arab and Western magic. Providing illustrations of sigils, talismans, and other magic symbols related to Solomon, the author examines the schools of Solomonic Folkloremagic and works such as The Greater and Lesser Keys of Solomon the King and The Hygromancy of Solomon. He then looks at the extensive presence of Solomon in folklore worldwide, including in Armenia, Israel, Malaysia, Eastern Europe, Russia, Morocco, India, Mongolia, and among the Abyssinians of Ethiopia and the Copts in Egypt. He also looks at Solomon’s role within the Bulgarian tradition from which the Cathars derived. Painting an in-depth portrait of Solomon the Magician-King, Lecouteux reveals how this legendary magus left a deep impression upon the occult, magical traditions, and philosophies of the ancient world that can still be felt to this day.

Witches, Werewolves, and Fairies

Author : Claude Lecouteux
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1594776822
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (947 download)

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Book Synopsis Witches, Werewolves, and Fairies by : Claude Lecouteux

Download or read book Witches, Werewolves, and Fairies written by Claude Lecouteux and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2003-07-23 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reveals the true nature of medieval belief in the Double of the Soul • Demonstrates the survival of a pagan belief that each individual owns three souls, including a double that can journey outside the physical body • Explains the nature of death and the Other World hidden beneath the monsters and superstitions in stories from the Middle Ages Monsters, werewolves, witches, and fairies remain a strong presence in our stories and dreams. But as Claude Lecouteux shows, their roots go far deeper than their appearance in medieval folklore; they are survivors of a much older belief system that predates Christianity and was widespread over Western Europe. Through his extensive analysis of Germano-Scandinavian legends, as well as those from other areas of Europe, Lecouteux has uncovered an almost forgotten religious concept: that every individual owns three souls and that one of these souls, the Double, can—in animal or human form—leave the physical body while in sleep or a trance, journey where it chooses, then reenter its physical body. While there were many who experienced this phenomenon involuntarily, there were others—those who attracted the unwelcome persecution of the Church—who were able to provoke it at will: witches. In a thorough excavation of the medieval soul, Claude Lecouteux reveals the origin and significance of this belief in the Double, and follows its transforming features through the ages. He shows that far from being fantasy or vague superstition, fairies, witches, and werewolves all testify to a consistent ancient vision of our world and the world beyond.

Disturbing Nature in Narrative Literature

Author : Philip Armstrong
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
ISBN 13 : 1040222498
Total Pages : 212 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (42 download)

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Book Synopsis Disturbing Nature in Narrative Literature by : Philip Armstrong

Download or read book Disturbing Nature in Narrative Literature written by Philip Armstrong and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2024-11-06 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Disturbing Nature in Narrative Literature identifies and analyses encounters with unexpected, disconcerting, and unsettling aspects of the natural world, as these have been represented across a wide range of literary texts. It includes in‐depth discussion of both familiar and less familiar works from the British, American, and European literary traditions, and from the Classical period to today. The motifs discussed include earthquakes, forests, storms, animals, and oceanic depth, and the writers include Virgil, Ovid, Dante, Shakespeare, Aphra Behn, Voltaire, Heinrich von Kleist, Herman Melville, H.G. Wells, J.R.R. Tolkien, Gabriel García Márquez, José Saramago, Margaret Atwood, and Annie Proulx. Rich in both close textual analysis and contextual discussion, Disturbing Nature in Narrative Literature offers a vivid introduction to several topical approaches to literary‐critical analysis, including ecocriticism, new materialism, affect theory, and human‐animal studies, thereby demonstrating how literature shapes and is shaped by our response to the pressing questions of our time.

Tales and Legends of the Devil

Author : Claude Lecouteux
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1644116863
Total Pages : 283 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (441 download)

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Book Synopsis Tales and Legends of the Devil by : Claude Lecouteux

Download or read book Tales and Legends of the Devil written by Claude Lecouteux and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2023-08-29 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores the many forms and abilities of the devil in stories from around the world • Draws on folk traditions from all over Europe, including Transylvanian Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Switzerland, Italy, France, Scandinavia, and the Baltic countries • Traces the devil’s shapeshifting powers back to their Vedic origins in ancient India and looks at his connections with witches and storm magic • Reveals how many of the qualities and magical powers attributed to the devil were once those belonging to pagan gods The devil has many more guises than the cliché red boogeyman named Lucifer or Satan who haunts Christianity. In some traditions the devil is sinister and cunning, while others portray him as an oaf who can easily be conned and evaded by anyone with an ounce of cleverness. In other tales and legends, he is the primal shapeshifter, and the Roma, also known as the gypsies, claimed his talents of metamorphosis were so strong he could even assume the appearance of a priest. Drawing on folk traditions from all over Europe, including Transylvanian Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Switzerland, Italy, France, Scandinavia, Moravia, Bohemia, Lapland, and the Baltic countries, Claude and Corinne Lecouteux explore the many forms and abilities of the devil in stories, tales, and legends throughout the ages. They trace the devil’s shapeshifting powers back to their Vedic origins in ancient India and look at his connections with witches, storm magic, and other magical events. They examine the symbolic implications of the appearance of the devil in these tales, such as how he is often either limping or disfigured with the legs or feet of a goat or other animal traditionally linked to the lower powers or passions. They explain how the devil’s limp or his goat-like feet reflect the prevalence in world mythology of the sacred nature of crippling injuries. Peeling back the Christian veneer embedded in many tales and legends about the so-called Evil One, the authors ultimately reveal how many of the qualities and magical powers attributed to the devil were once those belonging to pagan gods, like the Lithuanian thunder god Perkūnas or the Titan Chronos, as well as to playful woodland spirits and the sometimes helpful, sometimes fearful fauns and satyrs of Greco-Roman mythology.

Otherworlds

Author : Aisling Nora Byrne
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0198746008
Total Pages : 225 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (987 download)

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Book Synopsis Otherworlds by : Aisling Nora Byrne

Download or read book Otherworlds written by Aisling Nora Byrne and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers a new perspective on the "otherworlds" of medieval literature. These fantastical realms are among the most memorable places in medieval writing, by turns beautiful and monstrous, alluring and terrifying. Passing over a river or sea, or entering into a hollow hill, heroes come upon strange and magical realms. These places are often very beautiful, filled with sweet music, and adorned with precious stones and rich materials. There is often no darkness, time may pass at a different pace, and the people who dwell there are usually supernatural. Sometimes such a place is exactly what it appears to be--the land of heart's desire--but, the otherworld can also have a sinister side, trapping humans and keeping them there against their will. Otherworlds: Fantasy and History in Medieval Literature takes a fresh look at how medieval writers understood these places and why they found them so compelling. It focuses on texts from England, but places this material in the broader context of literary production in medieval Britain and Ireland. The narratives examined in this book tell a rather surprising story about medieval notions of these fantastical places. Otherworlds are actually a lot less "other" than they might initially seem. Authors often use the idea of the otherworld to comment on very serious topics. It is not unusual for otherworld depictions to address political issues in the historical world. Most intriguing of all are those texts where locations in the real world are re-imagined as otherworlds. The regions on which this book focuses, Britain, Ireland, and the surrounding islands, prove particularly susceptible to this characterization.

E. T. A. Hoffmann's Other World

Author : Kenneth Negus
Publisher : University of Pennsylvania Press
ISBN 13 : 1512804800
Total Pages : 188 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (128 download)

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Book Synopsis E. T. A. Hoffmann's Other World by : Kenneth Negus

Download or read book E. T. A. Hoffmann's Other World written by Kenneth Negus and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 2016-11-11 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this study of the imaginary universe of Germany's most famous author of fantasy, Kenneth Negus attempts to establish the coherency and fathom the depth of the "other world" manifested in Hoffmann's many tales. Proceeding mainly from Der Goldene Topf, Hoffmann's most fully developed mystical work, Negus shows how the figures, themes, and motifs Hoffmann established permeate his tales, forming a basic overall structure that embodies creation, destruction, and the interaction of the two extremes in a mythology that is a fantastic distillation of the real world with which it is often in conflict. This close and careful scrutiny of the work of E. T. A. Hoffmann should be of major interest to all teachers and students of German and Comparative Literature.

Fantastic Bead of the World's Original Qi

Author : Mo WangJunLing
Publisher : Funstory
ISBN 13 : 1648978444
Total Pages : 778 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (489 download)

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Book Synopsis Fantastic Bead of the World's Original Qi by : Mo WangJunLing

Download or read book Fantastic Bead of the World's Original Qi written by Mo WangJunLing and published by Funstory. This book was released on 2020-05-04 with total page 778 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A powerhouse that had been subjected to the unwritten rules, a fate that was not under his control, and he who had intertwined with the fate of the spirit pearl, could he break through the shackles of fate and reach the realm where the heavens and earth could be carefree and unfettered? If you want to know more, just look at the Primordius Soul-Pearl ...

OtherEarth

Author : Jason Segel
Publisher : Ember
ISBN 13 : 1101939397
Total Pages : 338 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (19 download)

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Book Synopsis OtherEarth by : Jason Segel

Download or read book OtherEarth written by Jason Segel and published by Ember. This book was released on 2019-10-01 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Return to the series BuzzFeed compared to Ready Player One! The second book in the fast-paced trilogy from New York Times bestselling authors Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller is perfect for fans of HBO's Westworld. Simon would have done anything to save his best friend after a mysterious accident almost killed her--including follow her into a virtual world. And what he and Kat discovered there was more terrifying than anything they could have ever imagined. The world's largest tech corporation, the Company, is using unwitting hospital patients to test a device that lets VR be experienced with all five senses. The technology is so advanced that it's deadly. Now the Company is hunting Simon and Kat while war rages in Otherworld, the virtual world it created. Determined to destroy the coporation, Simon and Kat must join forces with a hacker, a gangster, and a digital entity. But as they battle to save two worlds, they uncover an all-new threat to our world: the Company's latest creation, an augmented-reality game called OtherEarth. Not only does OtherEarth kill, it has the power to erase the line between what's real and what's fantasy. Praise for the Last Reality series: A New York Times bestseller "A potent commentary on how much we're willing to give up to the lure of technology." --EW.com "Full of high stakes, thrillers, and fantastic twists and turns, fans of Ready Player One are sure to love this addictive read." --BuzzFeed "An engaging VR cautionary tale." --The A.V. Club "A fantastic journey from start to finish." --Hypable

Fantasy

Author : Dr Rosemary Jackson
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1134974019
Total Pages : 145 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (349 download)

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Book Synopsis Fantasy by : Dr Rosemary Jackson

Download or read book Fantasy written by Dr Rosemary Jackson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2008-03-07 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study argues against vague interpretations of fantasy as mere escapism and seeks to define it as a distinct kind of narrative. A general theoretical section introduces recent work on fantasy, notably Tzventan Todorov's The Fantastic: A Structural Approach to a Literary Genre (1973). Dr Jackson, however, extends Todorov's ideas to include aspects of psychoanalytical theory. Seeing fantasy as primarily an expression of unconscious drives, she stresses the importance of the writings of Freud and subsequent theorists when analysing recurrent themes, such as doubling or multiplying selves, mirror images, metamorphosis and bodily disintegration.^l Gothic fiction, classic Victorian fantasies, the 'fantastic realism' of Dickens and Dostoevsky, tales by Mary Shelley, James Hogg, E.T.A. Hoffmann, George Eliot, Henry James, Joseph Conrad, R.L. Stevenson, Franz Kafka, Mervyn Peake and Thomas Pynchon are among the texts covered. Through a reading of these frequently disquieting works, Dr Jackson moves towards a definition of fantasy expressing cultural unease. These issues are discussed in relation to a wide range of fantasies with varying images of desire and disenchantment.

Fantasy

Author : Rosemary Jackson
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1136493190
Total Pages : 170 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (364 download)

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Book Synopsis Fantasy by : Rosemary Jackson

Download or read book Fantasy written by Rosemary Jackson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-10-08 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First Published in 2002. It is easy to see that we are living in a time of rapid and radical social change. It is much less easy to grasp the fact that such change will inevitably affect the nature of those disciplines that both reflect our society and help to shape it. Yet this is nowhere more apparent than in the central field of what may, in general terms, be called literary studies. ‘New Accents’ is intended as a positive response to the initiative offered by such a situation. Each volume in the series will seek to encourage rather than resist the process of change. To stretch rather than reinforce the boundaries that currently define literature and its academic study.

Otherworld

Author : Jason Segel
Publisher : Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
ISBN 13 : 9781524770693
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (76 download)

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Book Synopsis Otherworld by : Jason Segel

Download or read book Otherworld written by Jason Segel and published by Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2017-11-07 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Death, Ecstasy, and Other Worldly Journeys

Author : John J. Collins
Publisher : State University of New York Press
ISBN 13 : 0791499545
Total Pages : 442 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (914 download)

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Book Synopsis Death, Ecstasy, and Other Worldly Journeys by : John J. Collins

Download or read book Death, Ecstasy, and Other Worldly Journeys written by John J. Collins and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 1995-03-09 with total page 442 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Belief in a spirit world, and a blissful or agonizing afterlife, is one of the most pervasive and deeply-rooted characteristics of religion. This volume offers a wide-ranging exploration of this basic religious theme. Most of the case studies are drawn from Jewish and Christian tradition, providing in-depth coverage of Judaism and Christianity from late Antiquity through the Medieval period. There are also examples from Islamic, Japanese, and Chinese traditions for a comparative perspective with Western traditions. Several chapters deal with the formative period of Jewish and Christian apocalypticism, which is concerned not only with the end of the physical world but also with the eternal heavenly world. These chapters are also important for illustrating the development of mysticism in Western traditions. The most distinctive aspect of this book is that it does not deal with antiquity alone, but juxtaposes the historical essays with a survey of modern day, near-death experiences. It raises issues of fundamental importance for the psychology of religion as well as for its history The most distinctive aspect of this book is that it does not deal with antiquity alone, but juxtaposes the historical essays with a survey of modern day, near-death experiences. It raises issues of fundamental importance for the psychology of religion as well as for its history.

The Hidden History of Elves and Dwarfs

Author : Claude Lecouteux
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1620557169
Total Pages : 324 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (25 download)

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Book Synopsis The Hidden History of Elves and Dwarfs by : Claude Lecouteux

Download or read book The Hidden History of Elves and Dwarfs written by Claude Lecouteux and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2018-10-23 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive examination of the intertwined mythology, folklore, and literary history of the little people • Explores the pagan roots of dwarfs and elves and their evolution in myth and literature • Reveals the role the church played in changing them from fearless, shape-shifting warriors with magical powers into cheerful helpmates and cute garden gnomes • Traces their history from ancient Celtic and Germanic lore through their emergence in the literature of the Middle Ages to their modern popularization by the Brothers Grimm and Walt Disney Most people are familiar with the popular image of elves as Santa’s helpers and dwarfs as little bearded men wearing red caps, who are mischievous and playful, helpful and sly, industrious and dexterous. But their roots go far deeper than their appearance in fairy tales and popular stories. Elves and dwarfs are survivors of a much older belief system that predates Christianity and was widespread throughout Western Europe. Sharing his extensive analysis of Germanic and Norse legends, as well as Roman, Celtic, and medieval literature, Claude Lecouteux explores the ancient, intertwined history of dwarfs and elves. He reveals how both were once peoples who lived in wild regions as keepers of the secrets of nature. They were able to change their size at will and had superhuman strength and healing powers. They were excellent smiths, crafting swords that nothing could dull as well as magical jewelry, and often entered into the service of lords or heroes. They were a part of the everyday life of our ancestors before they were transformed by fairy tales and church texts into the mythical creatures we know today. Lecouteux shows how, in earlier folklore, elves and dwarfs were interchangeable, gradually evolving over time to express very different kinds of beings. “Dwarf,” “giant,” and even “elf” did not necessarily connote size but referred to races with different skills. Elves were more ethereal, offering protection and kindness, while dwarfs reflected a more corporeal form of spirit, often appearing as messengers from the underworld. Yet dwarfs and elves could be bargained with, and our ancestors would leave a broken object outside the door at night with the hope that a dwarf or elf (or other local spirit) would repair it. Revealing the true roots of these helpful and powerful beings, including an in-depth exploration of one of the most famous dwarf/elf/fairy beings of the Middle Ages, Auberon or Oberon, also known as Alberich, Lecouteux shows how the magic of dwarfs and elves can be rekindled if we recognize their signs and invite them back into our world.