A diachronic approach to the study of myth and its representations. The case of an Ecuadorian Virgin in New Haven and her broken nose

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5433/2237-9126.2014v8n14p116

Keywords:

Myth, Holy image, History.

Abstract

With this essay I want to open a reflection on the necessity of a reincorporation, in the anthropological discourse, of a diachronic approach. In particular, my purpose is to reflect on the relationship between the stories narrated in the mythological traditions and the great and minor human histories. To do it, I will use a case, represented by an Ecuadorian Catholic myth - the myth of the Virgin of the Swan - and by its material representation. The analysis of this case led me to identify three central issues: the succession of events reported in a myth is closely related to human history; this correlation is not accidental, but it’s indicative of the symbolic function that the myth develops for the believer; within the framework of Catholic mythology, the creation, transmission and symbolic manipulation of the myth succeeds thanks to the key role of sacred images.

Author Biography

Franceso Romizi, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Universidade Estadual de Londrina.

Graduated in Scienze Politiche from Università degli Studi di Perugia, master's degree in Urban Anthropology from Universitat Rovira i Virgili and doctorate in Anthropology from Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Post doctoral student at the Department of Social Sciences at the Universidade Estadual de Londrina

References

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ROMIZI, Francesco. La dialéctica trascendentecontingente en la síntesis mítica de la realidad. Los casos de tres Vírgenes ecuatorianas ‘migrantes’. Arxiu d’etnografia de Catalunya. Tarragona: N. 12, pp. 131-150, 2012.

Published

2014-07-18

How to Cite

Romizi, F. (2014). A diachronic approach to the study of myth and its representations. The case of an Ecuadorian Virgin in New Haven and her broken nose. Domínios Da Imagem, 8(14), 116–128. https://doi.org/10.5433/2237-9126.2014v8n14p116