VoyForums
[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: [1]2 ]


[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 06:29:50 03/12/08 Wed
Author: Cara
Subject: Re: Culture, Tomb, SPHINX
In reply to: CS Holden 's message, "Culture, Tomb, SPHINX" on 14:36:32 03/11/08 Tue


The Sphinx seems to fit other characteristics of generative murder myths, as well. Her death in particular follows common patterns, whether she jumped from a cliff or devoured herself. In Things Hidden, Girard discusses the significance of cliffs, bodies of water, dense forests, and other geographical features as related to myths. Generally, whichever of these features a culture has near at hand is likely to play a role in the founding myth, as an instrument of the victim's death. It facilitates a "clean" murder, one that conducts evil away from the community, cannot be reciprocated, and does not contaminate any member of the community, because no particular person is guilty.

Also, if she devoured herself, her story is related even more closely to Oedipus'. Given the theory that Oedipus is actually the leader in his own persecution and exile, in a way he does murder himself. What would it mean if Oedipus and the sphinx are the same regarding their respective deaths?

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]


Replies:



Post a message:
This forum requires an account to post.
[ Create Account ]
[ Login ]
[ Contact Forum Admin ]


Forum timezone: GMT-8
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.