International Conference on Myths, Archetypes and Symbols: “Models and Alternatives” (International Online Conference)
London/online
Organization: London Centre for Interdisciplinary Research
Event: International Online Conference
Humankind has always sought to explain its origins and the mysteries of life to map personal and collective boundaries, and to secure its sense of identity through the power of everyday events and occurrences. Exemplary accounts of imaginary happenings and supernatural creatures from a time beyond history and memory explain the genesis of the universe, the making of a living thing, the formation of an attitude or the inception of an institution. The essence of these traditional narratives reflects a certain system of values and code of self-conduct of a group of individuals bound together by social and cultural ties, and the cardinal virtues and vices of human nature captured in a conventional configuration.
Even though the time and place of performance and reception generate numerous variants and a multitude of interpretations, myths encode a universal sensibility and specificity, and propose generic yet unique models of humanity. They reveal a culture’s deepest understanding of its own beginnings, awareness of purpose and destiny, its position in the world, and meaning of existence and experience. A particular culture creates particular characters to embody its spirit and significant traits of personality, and particular images to convey its most representative attributes and attitudes.
The conference aims to explore the mode of organisation, the fundamental patterns and the paradigms of human memory that lie at the root of quintessential stories, tales and beings. It will also focus on the constants and variables of some particular components and their relationship with other fields of study, such as anthropology, arts, cultural history, literature, literary criticism, philosophy, psychology, pedagogy, sociology, theology, etc.
The main objective of the event is to bring together all those interested in examining the intersections between their professions and/or interests and some distinct local, regional, national, or global aspects related to myths and mythology, archetypal characters, situations and symbols, providing an integrative approach to their perception and relevance in the 21st century.
Topics include but are not limited to several core issues:
from The Age of Fable to The Golden Bough and beyond
the functions and cultural impact of myths, archetypes and symbols
the locality and universality of myths, archetypes and symbols
monotheism, polytheism, pantheism
gods, demigods and heroes
myth, ritual and the sacred
holy books and early writings
myth-revision from antiquity to the 21st century
mythology and language
mythology and science
mythology and religion
mythology and visual arts
mythology and music
mass-media and myth creation
mythography and mythopesis
euhemerism – history and imagination
patterns, prototypes, stereotypes
ethos and eidos
Jungian archetypes
archetypal characters in literature and film
archetypal symbolism
archetypal psychology
archetypal pedagogy
symbols – context and meaning
major themes, motifs and symbols
the meaning and symbolism of colours
the meaning and symbolism of numbers
signs, emblems and icons
semiotics and symbolism
Paper proposals up to 250 words and a brief biographical note should be sent by 10 July 2021 to: myths@lcir.co.uk.
Please download paper proposal form.
Registration fee – 90 GBP
LCIR