Theories of Mythology

Description

'Theories of Mythology' provides students with both a history of theories of myth and a practical 'how-to' guide to interpreting myth, the most elementary form of narrative. Both a history of theories of myth and a practical ‘how-to’ guide to interpreting myth. Introduces the major theories of myth from the nineteenth century to the present day. Covers comparative approaches, psychoanalysis, ritual theories of myth, structuralism, and ideological analysis. Supplies readers with the theoretical tools for imitating each method. Features detailed exemplary readings of familiar myths. List of Figures ix Preface x 1. Introducing "Myth" 1 2. Comparative Approaches 10 2.1 The Rise of the Comparative Method 10 2.2 Max Muller and Solar Mythology 19 2.3 James Frazer 30 2.4 The World According to Frazer: Problems and Presuppositions 44 2.5 The Urmyth: A Study in and of Comparison 57 2.6 Comparison of the Greek and Hittite Myths of the Divine Succession 67 3. Psychology 80 3.1 Freud and the Discovery of the Unconscious 80 3.2 Psychoanalysis to Myth Analysis 91 3.3 Freud and Anthropology 110 3.4 Freud in his Social and Theoretical Context 121 4. Ritual Theories 132 4.1 Social Anthropology 132 4.2 Jane Harrison and Ritualism 145 4.3 Walter Burkert and Sociobiology 161 4.4 Burkert's Homo Necans 172 5. Structuralism 181 5.1 Saussure and Structural Linguistics 181 5.2 Syntagmatic Structuralism 189 5.3 A Critique of Syntagmatic Structuralism 201 5.4 Paradigmatic Structuralism 212 5.5 Mediation 226 5.6 Total Structure 234 5.7 Totalizing Structure 245 6. Ideology 262 6.1 Structure and Ideology 262 6.2 Poststructuralisms, Postmodernism, and Ideology 276 6.3 Decrypting Ideology 290 6.4 An Ideological Analysis of the Myth of Heracles 301 Epilogue 316 A Little Further Reading 318 Bibliography 323 Index 331