The Mythical Quest , an old exhibition at the British Library. 'Throughout the world, tales have always been told of
heroes and heroines embarking on perilous quests in
search of lost loved ones, the secret of immortality,
earthly paradise or simply great riches. Many of these
stories have elements in common, such as clashes with
monsters, battles with the elements, interventions by
the gods and tests of moral character, mental cunning
and physical strength. These tales have been expressed
in songs, literature, art and dance for thousands of
years, and are still being reinterpreted today in
books, comic strips, interactive games and adventure
films.'
More British Library exhibits
here, from
early Indian photography to
the secret life of maps.
Examples of mythical quests :-
Monkey:
Journey to the West (another version
here,
not to mention
the
TV series);
the
Ramayana
(and the
Ramakian,
the Thai version);
Cupid
and Psyche at
the
Classics Pages (subject of
a previous
thread);
the
Holy
Grail (more at
the
Catholic Enyclopaedia);
the journey of
Alexander
the Great;
Pilgrim's
Progress and
John Bunyan;
the
world of Dante and
a
map of
Hell.
posted by plep
on Jul 11, 2003 -
17 comments
