| Abstract: | Reviews the book, The Freedom of Man in Myth by Kees W. Bolle. Had myths never existed, man would be obliged to invent them. Far from being the product of "primitive" or "inferior" mentality, myths have appeared in all times and all places. They continue to be created and appreciated in contemporary society. Forever beset by the incongruities of the human situation and the necessity to face up to life's realities under the shadow of death, man spins out stories that will release him from his finitude. An important factor in myth is humor. Elaborating on four elements of humor originally propounded by Jean Paul and including the "dimming of opposites" and the use of the "grotesque," Dr. Bolle traces humor from the earliest oriental myths, to such writers as Shakespeare and Heine, and straight through to such modern authors as Gunter Grass. Within the mainstream of mythology appears a special kind of myth-maker--the mystic. Many a parallel between myth and mysticism is traced by Dr. Bolle, and he observes a current revival of interest in both. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
