Bachelor thesis | Griekse en Latijnse taal en cultuur (BA)
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This thesis consists of an interpretation of Ovid's catalogue of trees in his Metamorphoses (10.86-105). This interpretation builds upon three notions apparent in the catalogue of trees: Orpheus'...Show moreThis thesis consists of an interpretation of Ovid's catalogue of trees in his Metamorphoses (10.86-105). This interpretation builds upon three notions apparent in the catalogue of trees: Orpheus' key role, the intratextual allusions in the trees, and the catalogue aspect. I have intended to show how these tree notions contribute to a reading of the catalogue of trees as a mise en abyme, and how this mise en abyme proffers a less common understanding of the words with which Ovid himself describes his Metamorphoses: carmen perpetuum (1.4).Show less
In 1994 Haber wrote in his A Comparative Study of the Beowulf and the Aeneid that it was likely to assume that Beowulf, as the first Old English epic poem, had been influenced by The Aeneid, Virgil...Show moreIn 1994 Haber wrote in his A Comparative Study of the Beowulf and the Aeneid that it was likely to assume that Beowulf, as the first Old English epic poem, had been influenced by The Aeneid, Virgil’s Latin epic poem. This research attempts to analyse this assumption in terms of divinity, examining the different aspects of divinity. First of all, I establish a generalized definition of divinity. Then, this definition is compared to the content of both epic poems and I conclude that this form of divinity existed in both poems. With this data, I confront the results of my research with Haber’s assumption. Discussing the origin of the divinity found in both epic poems, there seems to be an absence of similarities. The origin of The Aeneid is found in the polytheistic Roman religion, whereas in Beowulf it is the monotheistic Christianity that dominates. However, both heroes consider faithfulness to be of great importance and they meet the requirements of being a religious hero. Aeneas is blessed with a divine mother, but Beowulf is more like an instrument of God rather than a son. Also, in comparing three main fighting scenes in terms of influence of the divinity, I have found that there are both differences and similarities. The difference is found in the reasoning behind the fight, whereas the similarities are found in the receiving of armour and the end result of the battle. The overall influence, however, is completely different in Beowulf from The Aeneid. The influence in The Aeneid comes from multiple Roman gods and goddesses from the Roman religion, whose influence is both positive and negative. The end result of the poem is a peaceful settlement for Aeneas, ready to start the foundation of Rome. In contrast, the influence in Beowulf comes from a single Christian God, which is only positive. When this influence is absent Beowulf is killed by a wound inflicted by the dragon at the end of the poem. Therefore, my final conclusion is that it is untenable to say that The Aeneid has influenced Beowulf in terms of the portrayal and usage of divinity.Show less
In recent years, there has been a resurgence of attention towards the Tibetan oral epic Gesar in the People’s Republic of China (P.R.C.). On the surface, it appears that Gesar re-enters the sight...Show moreIn recent years, there has been a resurgence of attention towards the Tibetan oral epic Gesar in the People’s Republic of China (P.R.C.). On the surface, it appears that Gesar re-enters the sight of the general public in China after the Chinese application to UNESCO was successful in 2009, by which the Gesar epic tradition is accepted and inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Immediately following the recognition from UNESCO, the Chinese publication of, on, and about Gesar exponentially thrived. All these celebrations of Gesar sounded so merry and joyous that it almost seemed a natural gesture by UNESCO, without taking into account the role of the Chinese State Apparatuses. Therefore, it is necessary to contextualize this event within the long and winding six decades of history of Gesar study in China, which has always been impossible to separate from political intentions. Constituted and powered by a gigantic and complex socio-cultural and political mechanism, which has been in motion behind the scenes long before 2009, many of these seemingly natural and spontaneous progressions of the modern image or representation of Gesar as a collective whole have always been carefully crafted. The main goal of the thesis is to identify the national ideology governing Gesar, and to show how the three main active sectors, which consist of the government, academia, and the publishing world, interact, function as, and formulate themselves into what Althusser describes as Ideological State Apparatuses, in order to reterritorialize Tibet and Tibetan culture through representing Gesar. Lastly, the final chapter is dedicated to efforts made, no matter how feeble, scattered, or spontaneous, struggling to deterritorialize the Chinese representation supported and endorsed by the hegemonic Ideological State Apparatuses.Show less
