. Campbell takes on the daunting task of explaining the Western individual's cultural and spiritual heritage, beginning with the dawn of human consciousness, and discussing the major Eastern and Western civilizations whose stories make up our heritage. He also attempts to answer the question "How do I connect with the magic of the universe?" for those who come from Judeo-Christian traditions, and provides an explanation of Oriental philosophy and spirituality to the Westerner, including how these traditions influenced our own.The final three chapters are a special treat for fantasy fans like me. Campbell delves deep into the tradition of the troubadours, and unearths the dawn of such legends as King Arthur, The Search for the Holy Grail, and Tristan and Isolde.
I had read several accounts of historical leaders named Arthur who may or may not have been the source of the Arthur stories. Campbell suggests Arthur was "originally a Celtic god, and the place where we find him revered is in the Pyrenees." Campbell explains that the name Arthur is related to several ancient deities, including Artus (Roman) and Artemis (Greek). In all these cases, the deity is identified with the bear. Joseph Campbell fans will know that the bear is the "oldest worshiped deity in the world...going back to Neanderthal times." There's a really cool photograph accompanying this text, a tombstone from first century A.D. in St. Pé, France. The inscription reads, "Lexiia, the daughter of Odan, has gained merit through her vows to Artehe." Campbell finds it easy to make the leap from "Artehe" to "Arthur" (you will, too, if you speak both words out loud), and uses this monument as evidence that Arthur was still a deity in Roman times.
Campbell does an excellent job of connecting tales from distant lands and distant times to the swarm of stories we all have swimming deep inside our brains. His tone is conversational, and laced with humor, the weight of a lifetime of mythological study, and love for these stories.
No comments:
Post a Comment