This is a past event
Speaker: Dr Sara Kuehn
Affiliation: University of Vienna
Title: “Animal-Human Hybrids in Visual and Textual Representation”
Abstract: Conceptions of hybrid creatures continue to intrigue, and to challenge our understanding of representations of the divine. Where depicted or described, they are often morphologically anomalous and specifically composite, comprising a combination of human and/or various animal-shaped parts resulting in a new composite entity. Their complex species-defying anatomies are generally expressed either in mixed animal-human or mixed animal anatomical form.
This talk will revolve around mythical constructs of semi-divine creatures that are characterised by an admixture of various attributes and elements, human, animal and/or occasionally vegetal or symbolic. The focus will be on composite animal-human anatomical forms of serpent type, richly multivalent conceptualisations characterised by a coalescence of harmful and helpful qualities. The topos of boundary-crossing transformation and metamorphosis will thereby be investigated. It will specifically look at a significant mythic formula preserved in Herodotus’ descriptions in connection with Scythian beliefs and the myth of origin of the Scythian rulers near the Black Sea.
- Venue
- New King's 07