Author Biography

Filippo Carlà is Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History at the University of Exeter, UK.Irene Berti is Research Fellow at the Ruprecht Karls Universität, Heidelberg, Germany, and a member of the Collaborative Research Centre 'Material Text Cultures, Materiality and Presence of Writing in Non-Typographic Societies'.

Table of Contents

1. Magic and the Supernatural: an Introduction, I. Berti and F. Carlà (Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Germany, University of Exeter, UK)2. Gods and Demons in Texts: Figures and Symbols of the Defixion Inscriptions of the Nymphaeum of Anna Perenna at Rome, J. Blänsdorf (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Germany)3. Imaging Magic, Imaging Thinking: The Transmission of Greek Drama from Sophocles to Crimp, L. Hardwick (The Open University, UK)4. Celtic Magic and Rituals in The War Lord (F. Schaffner, 1965), D. Campanile (Università degli Studi di Pisa, Italy)5. Witch, Sorceress, Enchantress: Magic and Women from the Ancient World to the Present Time, G. Rocca and M. Treu (IULM Milano, Italy)6. Circe diva. The Reception of Circe in the Baroque Opera (17th Century), M. J. Castillo Pascual (Universidad de La Rioja, Spain)7. Medea, a Greek Sorceress in Modern Opera and Ballet: from Barber to Reimann, M. Reig and J. Carruesco (Universitat de Barcelona, Spain, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain)8. Colchian Pharmaka: The Colours of Medea in 19th Century Painting in France and England, A. Grand-Clément and C. Ribeyrol (Université de Toulouse II – Le Mirail, France, Université Paris IV – Sorbonne, France)9. Canidia and Erichtho, C. Walde (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Germany)10. Project(ion) Wonder Woman – Metamorphoses of a Superheroine, M. Gindhart and A. Gietzen (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Germany)11. Ancient Horrors – Cinematic Antiquity and the Undead, M. Lindner (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany)12. The Phoenix, the Werewolf and the Centaur. The Reception of Mythical Beasts in the Harry Potter Novels and Their Film Adaptions, D. Hofmann (Universität zu Köln, Germany)13. Theoi becoming Kami. Classical Mythology in the Anime World, M. G. Castello and C. Scilabra (Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy)14. Every Pony Has a Story: Revisions of Greco-Roman Mythology in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Priscilla Hobbs (Pacifica Graduate Institute, USA)15. The Depraved Devotion of Elagabalus. Images of the Priest-Emperor in the Visual and Performing Arts, M. Icks (Queen's University Belfast, UK)16. Women and Religion in the Epic Films: The Fifties' Advocate for Conversion and Today's Pillar of Paganism?, A. Wieber (Westfalen-Kolleg Dortmund, Germany)List of ContributorsBibliographyIndex

Review

For anyone interested in the reception history of the ancient supernatural, this is both a satisfying selection of papers and a springboard for deeper analysis. -- Cath Milnes * Classics for All Reviews *
This extraordinary collection marks a major development in the field of reception studies, as it uncovers the persistent ambiguity of classical antiquity in the modern imagination as not only the glittering paradigm of Western rational thought but also the dark wellspring of enigmatic and dangerous forces. -- Monica S. Cyrino, Professor of Classics, University of New Mexico, USA
This rich and diverse collection is a powerful reminder that the legacy of antiquity resides not just in a set of comfortable ideals, but that it lurks in some of the darkest and most irrational parts of our imagination. When we dream of the fabulous, the wicked, the monstrous, and the heroic, we are inevitably drawn to figures and motifs drawn from the classical world. As this book shows, we cannot resist these ancient enchantments. -- Alastair J.L. Blanshard, Paul Eliadis Professor of Classics and Ancient History, The University of Queensland, Australia

Promotional

A volume exploring modern receptions of ancient magic, religion and supernatural powers, heroes and deities in the visual and performing arts.

Long Description

Ancient Magic and the Supernatural in the Modern Visual and Performing Arts examines the impact of ancient religious, mythological and magical models on modern mentalities and ideologies as expressed in the visual and performing arts..To what extent did mythological figures such as Circe and Medea influence the representation of the powerful oriental enchantress in modern Western art? What role did the ancient gods and heroes play in the construction of the imaginary worlds of the modern fantasy genre? What is the role of undead creatures like zombies and vampires in mythological films? The heroes, gods and demons of the ancient world always played a prominent role in the postclassical imagination..Similarly, the great adventures and the love affairs between gods and mortals have always influenced the reception of Classical culture and still features prominently in modern constructions of antiquity. .Examples such the use of magic in Medea's myth as a symbol of cultural and political strangeness, the transformation of Circe in a femme fatale, the reshaping of the oriental cults of the Roman Empire as a menace to new-born Christianity and the revival and adaptation of ancient myths and religion in the arts provide an important backdrop for the exploration of contemporary fears, hopes and ideals across centuries. The volume further aims to deconstruct certain scholarly traditions by proposing original interdisciplinary approaches and collaborations and to show to what extent the visual and performing arts of different periods interlink and shape cultural and social identities..This book offers an original approach to different media - from comics to film, from painting to opera - by authors from different fields and countries..The volume provides the reader with a clear insight into mechanisms of re-elaboration and reception which can be steadily seen at work in artistic and commercial productions. It also supplies new approaches to the most debated questions of the relationship between magic, religion and superstition in the ancient and in the modern worlds. It shows and discusses the shifting and biased interpretations of these concepts in modern visual culture..

Review Quote

This extraordinary collection marks a major development in the field of reception studies, as it uncovers the persistent ambiguity of classical antiquity in the modern imagination as not only the glittering paradigm of Western rational thought but also the dark wellspring of enigmatic and dangerous forces.

Promotional "Headline"

A volume exploring modern receptions of ancient magic, religion and supernatural powers, heroes and deities in the visual and performing arts.

Feature

Reception studies is currently the single biggest growth area in Classics

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