William S Sax
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195335866
- eISBN:
- 9780199868919
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195335866.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This book deals with ritual healing in the Central Himalayas of north India. It focuses on the cult of Bhairav, a local deity who is associated with the lowest castes, the so-called Dalits, who are ...
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This book deals with ritual healing in the Central Himalayas of north India. It focuses on the cult of Bhairav, a local deity who is associated with the lowest castes, the so-called Dalits, who are frequently victims of social injustice. When powerless people are exploited or abused and have nowhere else to go, they often turn to Bhairav for justice, and he afflicts their oppressors with disease and misfortune. In order to end their suffering, they must make amends with their former victims and worship Bhairav with bloody sacrifices. Many acts of perceived injustice occur within the family, so that much of the book focuses on the tension between the high moral value placed on family unity on the one hand, and the inevitable conflicts within it on the other. Such conflicts can lead to ghost possession, cursing, and other forms of black magic, all of which are vividly described. The book includes a personal account of the author's own experiences in the field as well as descriptions of blood sacrifice, possession, exorcism, and cursing. The book begins with a straightforward description of the author' s fieldwork and goes on to describe the god Bhairav and his relationship to the weak and powerless. Subsequent chapters deal with the lives of local oracles and healers; the main rituals of the cult and the dramatic Himalayan landscape in which they are embedded; the moral, ritual, and therapeutic centrality of the family; the importance of ghosts and exorcism; and practices of cursing and counter-cursing. The final chapter examines the problematic relationship between ritual healing and modernity.Less
This book deals with ritual healing in the Central Himalayas of north India. It focuses on the cult of Bhairav, a local deity who is associated with the lowest castes, the so-called Dalits, who are frequently victims of social injustice. When powerless people are exploited or abused and have nowhere else to go, they often turn to Bhairav for justice, and he afflicts their oppressors with disease and misfortune. In order to end their suffering, they must make amends with their former victims and worship Bhairav with bloody sacrifices. Many acts of perceived injustice occur within the family, so that much of the book focuses on the tension between the high moral value placed on family unity on the one hand, and the inevitable conflicts within it on the other. Such conflicts can lead to ghost possession, cursing, and other forms of black magic, all of which are vividly described. The book includes a personal account of the author's own experiences in the field as well as descriptions of blood sacrifice, possession, exorcism, and cursing. The book begins with a straightforward description of the author' s fieldwork and goes on to describe the god Bhairav and his relationship to the weak and powerless. Subsequent chapters deal with the lives of local oracles and healers; the main rituals of the cult and the dramatic Himalayan landscape in which they are embedded; the moral, ritual, and therapeutic centrality of the family; the importance of ghosts and exorcism; and practices of cursing and counter-cursing. The final chapter examines the problematic relationship between ritual healing and modernity.
N. J. Sewell-Rutter
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199227334
- eISBN:
- 9780191711152
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199227334.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Plays and Playwrights: Classical, Early, and Medieval
Blighted and accursed families are an inescapable feature of Greek tragedy, and many scholars have treated the questions of inherited guilt, curses, and divine causation. This book gives these ...
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Blighted and accursed families are an inescapable feature of Greek tragedy, and many scholars have treated the questions of inherited guilt, curses, and divine causation. This book gives these familiar issues a fresh appraisal, arguing that tragedy is a medium that fuses the conceptual with the provoking and exciting of emotion, neither of which can be ignored if the texts are to be fully understood. It pays particular attention to Aeschylus' Seven against Thebes and the Phoenician Women of Euripides, both of which dramatize the sorrows of the later generations of the House of Oedipus, but in very different, and perhaps complementary, ways. All Greek quotations are translated.Less
Blighted and accursed families are an inescapable feature of Greek tragedy, and many scholars have treated the questions of inherited guilt, curses, and divine causation. This book gives these familiar issues a fresh appraisal, arguing that tragedy is a medium that fuses the conceptual with the provoking and exciting of emotion, neither of which can be ignored if the texts are to be fully understood. It pays particular attention to Aeschylus' Seven against Thebes and the Phoenician Women of Euripides, both of which dramatize the sorrows of the later generations of the House of Oedipus, but in very different, and perhaps complementary, ways. All Greek quotations are translated.
López Ramón and Michael A. Toman
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199298006
- eISBN:
- 9780191603877
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199298009.003.0005
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This chapter examines evidence on the four ways in which a nation’s political system and its natural resource use are linked. First, when property rights to resources are weak, competition to acquire ...
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This chapter examines evidence on the four ways in which a nation’s political system and its natural resource use are linked. First, when property rights to resources are weak, competition to acquire resources can be wasteful and characterized by rent-seeking and violent conflict. Weak ownership claims are most likely in countries where the rule of law is not well-established. Second, when a country’s political system is unstable or non-representative, the individual’s claim to a resource stock’s future return can be rendered insecure, reducing the payoff to natural resource conservation. Third, when a country’s natural resources are capable of generating significant rents but institutions of democratic governance and the rule of law are not well-established, corruption by government officials responsible for resource management can encourage rent-seeking, dissipating the benefits those resources would otherwise confer. Fourth, the mix of private vs. public good outputs produced by a nation’s natural resources (e.g., forests) can be affected by its political system. When a country’s government does not represent the interests of the entire population, the use of resource stocks to provide public good amenities, as opposed to salable products, may be under-emphasized.Less
This chapter examines evidence on the four ways in which a nation’s political system and its natural resource use are linked. First, when property rights to resources are weak, competition to acquire resources can be wasteful and characterized by rent-seeking and violent conflict. Weak ownership claims are most likely in countries where the rule of law is not well-established. Second, when a country’s political system is unstable or non-representative, the individual’s claim to a resource stock’s future return can be rendered insecure, reducing the payoff to natural resource conservation. Third, when a country’s natural resources are capable of generating significant rents but institutions of democratic governance and the rule of law are not well-established, corruption by government officials responsible for resource management can encourage rent-seeking, dissipating the benefits those resources would otherwise confer. Fourth, the mix of private vs. public good outputs produced by a nation’s natural resources (e.g., forests) can be affected by its political system. When a country’s government does not represent the interests of the entire population, the use of resource stocks to provide public good amenities, as opposed to salable products, may be under-emphasized.
Frank Graziano
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195171303
- eISBN:
- 9780199785193
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195171303.003.intro
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
This chapter establishes the cultural and thematic contexts for understanding folk saint devotions. It explores the nature of devotion, the means by which devotions are initiated and disseminated, ...
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This chapter establishes the cultural and thematic contexts for understanding folk saint devotions. It explores the nature of devotion, the means by which devotions are initiated and disseminated, and the relation of folk saints to canonized saints and to the Catholic Church.Less
This chapter establishes the cultural and thematic contexts for understanding folk saint devotions. It explores the nature of devotion, the means by which devotions are initiated and disseminated, and the relation of folk saints to canonized saints and to the Catholic Church.
Gerald SJ O'Collins
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199203130
- eISBN:
- 9780191707742
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199203130.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
In the aftermath of Anselm of Canterbury's version of redemption as ‘satisfaction’, notions crept in about Christ being literally burdened with all human sin, being punished by God in our place, and ...
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In the aftermath of Anselm of Canterbury's version of redemption as ‘satisfaction’, notions crept in about Christ being literally burdened with all human sin, being punished by God in our place, and so placating the divine anger. This chapter rejects such views and does so by examining the texts on which they commonly rely in the Old Testament and the New Testament.Less
In the aftermath of Anselm of Canterbury's version of redemption as ‘satisfaction’, notions crept in about Christ being literally burdened with all human sin, being punished by God in our place, and so placating the divine anger. This chapter rejects such views and does so by examining the texts on which they commonly rely in the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Adele Reinhartz
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195146967
- eISBN:
- 9780199785469
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195146967.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
Despite his relatively small role in the Gospels, Caiaphas is frequently portrayed in film as Jesus' main enemy and the one who bears moral, if not legal responsibility for Jesus condemnation and ...
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Despite his relatively small role in the Gospels, Caiaphas is frequently portrayed in film as Jesus' main enemy and the one who bears moral, if not legal responsibility for Jesus condemnation and death on the cross. It is Caiaphas who presides over Jesus' trial before the Sanhedrin, pronounces him guilty of blasphemy, and delivers him to Pilate. Like the Pharisees, Caiaphas challenges filmmakers to maintain the tension and conflict so essential to the biopic genre, and yet avoid antagonizing viewers who might be sensitive to the ways in which a Jewish leader, even a long dead one, is brought to life on the silver screen.Less
Despite his relatively small role in the Gospels, Caiaphas is frequently portrayed in film as Jesus' main enemy and the one who bears moral, if not legal responsibility for Jesus condemnation and death on the cross. It is Caiaphas who presides over Jesus' trial before the Sanhedrin, pronounces him guilty of blasphemy, and delivers him to Pilate. Like the Pharisees, Caiaphas challenges filmmakers to maintain the tension and conflict so essential to the biopic genre, and yet avoid antagonizing viewers who might be sensitive to the ways in which a Jewish leader, even a long dead one, is brought to life on the silver screen.
Robert E. Cole
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199297320
- eISBN:
- 9780191711237
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199297320.003.0006
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Innovation
This chapter examines another key ICT industry — packaged software — of which Japan is a huge net importer. In what goes to the heart of the modularization issue, it is shown that the large ...
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This chapter examines another key ICT industry — packaged software — of which Japan is a huge net importer. In what goes to the heart of the modularization issue, it is shown that the large electronics firms were reluctant to unbundle hardware and software, and insisted on maintaining proprietary systems; indeed, free software was (is) frequently used to boost hardware sales. Spinning out software divisions into group companies led to the maintenance of this orientation, rather than the creation of independent software firms focused on innovation. In a so-called ‘curse of genba shugi’, it is argued that the shopfloor focus of Japanese manufacturing firms, despite its many positive contributions to productivity and quality, creates enormous pressures for customization, which adds heavy costs and forecloses benefits of standardization and corporate wide optimization that would come from the use of packaged software.Less
This chapter examines another key ICT industry — packaged software — of which Japan is a huge net importer. In what goes to the heart of the modularization issue, it is shown that the large electronics firms were reluctant to unbundle hardware and software, and insisted on maintaining proprietary systems; indeed, free software was (is) frequently used to boost hardware sales. Spinning out software divisions into group companies led to the maintenance of this orientation, rather than the creation of independent software firms focused on innovation. In a so-called ‘curse of genba shugi’, it is argued that the shopfloor focus of Japanese manufacturing firms, despite its many positive contributions to productivity and quality, creates enormous pressures for customization, which adds heavy costs and forecloses benefits of standardization and corporate wide optimization that would come from the use of packaged software.
Stephen Spector
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195368024
- eISBN:
- 9780199867646
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195368024.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, Judaism
This chapter examines the charge that their inflexible stand against territorial concessions allies Christian Zionists with Jewish religious nationalists who embrace the concept of a Greater Israel. ...
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This chapter examines the charge that their inflexible stand against territorial concessions allies Christian Zionists with Jewish religious nationalists who embrace the concept of a Greater Israel. It notes Menachem Begin’s role in establishing Israel’s alliance with evangelicals and traces these ties prior to that time. It discusses Begin’s association with Jerry Falwell. The chapter examines the Christian Zionist belief that God will punish anyone who attempts to divide the Land of Israel and Pat Robertson’s claim that this accounted for Ariel Sharon’s disabling stroke. It goes on to consider Robertson’s relationship to the Jewish state. The chapter also discusses the pulsa denura, a kabbalistic curse on anyone who gives away part of the Land of Israel.Less
This chapter examines the charge that their inflexible stand against territorial concessions allies Christian Zionists with Jewish religious nationalists who embrace the concept of a Greater Israel. It notes Menachem Begin’s role in establishing Israel’s alliance with evangelicals and traces these ties prior to that time. It discusses Begin’s association with Jerry Falwell. The chapter examines the Christian Zionist belief that God will punish anyone who attempts to divide the Land of Israel and Pat Robertson’s claim that this accounted for Ariel Sharon’s disabling stroke. It goes on to consider Robertson’s relationship to the Jewish state. The chapter also discusses the pulsa denura, a kabbalistic curse on anyone who gives away part of the Land of Israel.
William S. Sax
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195335866
- eISBN:
- 9780199868919
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195335866.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This chapter focuses on rituals of aggression, that is, rituals intended to harm a rival or an enemy. Such rituals include cursing, sorcery, feeding someone “rubbish,” or summoning gods to attack ...
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This chapter focuses on rituals of aggression, that is, rituals intended to harm a rival or an enemy. Such rituals include cursing, sorcery, feeding someone “rubbish,” or summoning gods to attack him. To perform such rituals is to behave immorally, especially when the object of the curse is a family member. It is argued that there is a kind of ambivalence built into such rituals, and that this ambivalence is indeed a necessary part of them.Less
This chapter focuses on rituals of aggression, that is, rituals intended to harm a rival or an enemy. Such rituals include cursing, sorcery, feeding someone “rubbish,” or summoning gods to attack him. To perform such rituals is to behave immorally, especially when the object of the curse is a family member. It is argued that there is a kind of ambivalence built into such rituals, and that this ambivalence is indeed a necessary part of them.
Ken Binmore
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195300574
- eISBN:
- 9780199783748
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195300574.003.0021
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Microeconomics
The most successful area of game theory is auction design. This chapter offers a short review of the subject. Various traditional auctions are described. After showing that most of these generate the ...
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The most successful area of game theory is auction design. This chapter offers a short review of the subject. Various traditional auctions are described. After showing that most of these generate the same expected revenue to the seller under appropriate conditions, a version of the revenue equivalence theorem is proved. Reserve prices are briefly considered. An extended example of the use of the principles of mechanism design in constructing an optimal auction is offered, and the case of common-value auctions is reviewed. The chapter ends with a discussion of the important case of multiunit auctions, and concludes that treasury bonds could be sold on a more scientific basis than at present.Less
The most successful area of game theory is auction design. This chapter offers a short review of the subject. Various traditional auctions are described. After showing that most of these generate the same expected revenue to the seller under appropriate conditions, a version of the revenue equivalence theorem is proved. Reserve prices are briefly considered. An extended example of the use of the principles of mechanism design in constructing an optimal auction is offered, and the case of common-value auctions is reviewed. The chapter ends with a discussion of the important case of multiunit auctions, and concludes that treasury bonds could be sold on a more scientific basis than at present.
Andrea Rotnitzky
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198566540
- eISBN:
- 9780191718038
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198566540.003.0006
- Subject:
- Mathematics, Probability / Statistics
This chapter reviews some key elements of semiparametric theory and the contributions of semiparametric inference to the challenge posed by high-dimensional data, for which the specification of ...
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This chapter reviews some key elements of semiparametric theory and the contributions of semiparametric inference to the challenge posed by high-dimensional data, for which the specification of realistic parametric models for the mechanism generating the data may be difficult, if not impossible. The usefulness of semiparametric modeling is illustrated by a number of examples. A non-technical account of the formulation of the semiparametric variance bound and ways of calculating it are described. Consequences are set out for estimations that result from the curse of dimensionality. The possibilities for approaching inference are discussed when estimation of irregular parameters is inevitable; some unresolved questions are raised.Less
This chapter reviews some key elements of semiparametric theory and the contributions of semiparametric inference to the challenge posed by high-dimensional data, for which the specification of realistic parametric models for the mechanism generating the data may be difficult, if not impossible. The usefulness of semiparametric modeling is illustrated by a number of examples. A non-technical account of the formulation of the semiparametric variance bound and ways of calculating it are described. Consequences are set out for estimations that result from the curse of dimensionality. The possibilities for approaching inference are discussed when estimation of irregular parameters is inevitable; some unresolved questions are raised.
Edwin L. Battistella
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195172485
- eISBN:
- 9780199788187
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195172485.001.0001
- Subject:
- Linguistics, English Language
Are pronunciations such as cawfee and chawklit bad English? Is slang improper? Is it incorrect to mix English and Spanish, as in Yo quiero Taco Bell? Can you write “Who do you trust?” rather than ...
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Are pronunciations such as cawfee and chawklit bad English? Is slang improper? Is it incorrect to mix English and Spanish, as in Yo quiero Taco Bell? Can you write “Who do you trust?” rather than “Whom do you trust?” This book looks at traditional notions of bad language and argues that they are often based in sterile conventionality. Examining grammar and style, cursing, slang, political correctness, regional dialects, ethnic dialects, foreign accents, and language mixing, this book discusses the strong feelings evoked by language variation, from objections to pronunciation, to complaints about bilingual education. It explains the natural desire for uniformity in writing and speaking, and traces the association of mainstream norms to ideas about refinement, intelligence, education, character, national unity, and political values. The book argues that none of these qualities is inherently connected to language. It is tempting but wrong to think of slang, dialects, and nonstandard grammar as simply breaking the rules of good English. Instead, we should view language as made up of alternative forms of orderliness adopted by speakers depending on their purpose. Thus, we can study the structure and context of nonstandard language in order to illuminate and enrich traditional forms of language, and make policy decisions based on an informed engagement.Less
Are pronunciations such as cawfee and chawklit bad English? Is slang improper? Is it incorrect to mix English and Spanish, as in Yo quiero Taco Bell? Can you write “Who do you trust?” rather than “Whom do you trust?” This book looks at traditional notions of bad language and argues that they are often based in sterile conventionality. Examining grammar and style, cursing, slang, political correctness, regional dialects, ethnic dialects, foreign accents, and language mixing, this book discusses the strong feelings evoked by language variation, from objections to pronunciation, to complaints about bilingual education. It explains the natural desire for uniformity in writing and speaking, and traces the association of mainstream norms to ideas about refinement, intelligence, education, character, national unity, and political values. The book argues that none of these qualities is inherently connected to language. It is tempting but wrong to think of slang, dialects, and nonstandard grammar as simply breaking the rules of good English. Instead, we should view language as made up of alternative forms of orderliness adopted by speakers depending on their purpose. Thus, we can study the structure and context of nonstandard language in order to illuminate and enrich traditional forms of language, and make policy decisions based on an informed engagement.
Alain Bresson
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780197265062
- eISBN:
- 9780191754173
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265062.003.0010
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
After initial comments on the role of Greek inscriptions as ‘archives’, this chapter reviews the drastic changes that have occurred since Finley's book of 1973 in the picture of the ancient economy, ...
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After initial comments on the role of Greek inscriptions as ‘archives’, this chapter reviews the drastic changes that have occurred since Finley's book of 1973 in the picture of the ancient economy, both by acknowledging development and growth, and by adopting new concepts, not least New Institutional Economics with its emphasis on transaction costs. The methodological impact of such new approaches is sketched in four fields, each of which is illustrated with epigraphic documentation: (1) production and growth, instancing technological advance, land exploitation and textile production; (2) finance, taxes, trade and prices, with emphasis on the need and opportunities for quantification; (3) money and coinage; and (4) the transformation of uncertainty into an assessment of risk, illustrated in respect of farming practices and recourse to consultation of oracles and curse-tablets.Less
After initial comments on the role of Greek inscriptions as ‘archives’, this chapter reviews the drastic changes that have occurred since Finley's book of 1973 in the picture of the ancient economy, both by acknowledging development and growth, and by adopting new concepts, not least New Institutional Economics with its emphasis on transaction costs. The methodological impact of such new approaches is sketched in four fields, each of which is illustrated with epigraphic documentation: (1) production and growth, instancing technological advance, land exploitation and textile production; (2) finance, taxes, trade and prices, with emphasis on the need and opportunities for quantification; (3) money and coinage; and (4) the transformation of uncertainty into an assessment of risk, illustrated in respect of farming practices and recourse to consultation of oracles and curse-tablets.
N. J. Sewell‐Rutter
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199227334
- eISBN:
- 9780191711152
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199227334.003.0004
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Plays and Playwrights: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter investigates the highly charged and emotive utterance that is the tragic curse, and considers its status as a causal factor in those plays in which it is important. It starts by ...
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This chapter investigates the highly charged and emotive utterance that is the tragic curse, and considers its status as a causal factor in those plays in which it is important. It starts by distinguishing the concept of a curse from that of inherited guilt. It then identifies the essence of the tragic curse by means of a thought-experiment involving the substitution of defixiones (the so-called ‘curse-tablets’ or ‘binding spells’) in some tragic passages where in fact we find curses. It argues that the consideration of tragic curses raises a crucial issue concerning the hierarchy of interpretative priorities that we bring to our engagement with these texts. The investigation of curses thus strikes at the heart of the interpretation of tragedy.Less
This chapter investigates the highly charged and emotive utterance that is the tragic curse, and considers its status as a causal factor in those plays in which it is important. It starts by distinguishing the concept of a curse from that of inherited guilt. It then identifies the essence of the tragic curse by means of a thought-experiment involving the substitution of defixiones (the so-called ‘curse-tablets’ or ‘binding spells’) in some tragic passages where in fact we find curses. It argues that the consideration of tragic curses raises a crucial issue concerning the hierarchy of interpretative priorities that we bring to our engagement with these texts. The investigation of curses thus strikes at the heart of the interpretation of tragedy.
N. J. Sewell‐Rutter
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199227334
- eISBN:
- 9780191711152
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199227334.003.0005
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Plays and Playwrights: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter examines those endlessly polymorphous entities, the Erinyes, sometimes the enforcers or even the embodiments of curses and the rectifiers of familial transgression. It first looks at ...
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This chapter examines those endlessly polymorphous entities, the Erinyes, sometimes the enforcers or even the embodiments of curses and the rectifiers of familial transgression. It first looks at their history and nature in life and in genres other than tragedy to learn about their range and prerogatives. Analysis of their appearances in a number of plays where they are crucial shows that in all these texts, they share certain features that set them apart from curses and inherited guilt. Their central place in Aeschylus' Eumenides is then considered, which is often taken, more or less consciously, for a locus classicus. It is shown that the one extant play in which Erinyes almost literally hold centre stage is an exception to the rule in more ways than one. Aeschylus' play helps define the province and limitations of tragic Erinyes.Less
This chapter examines those endlessly polymorphous entities, the Erinyes, sometimes the enforcers or even the embodiments of curses and the rectifiers of familial transgression. It first looks at their history and nature in life and in genres other than tragedy to learn about their range and prerogatives. Analysis of their appearances in a number of plays where they are crucial shows that in all these texts, they share certain features that set them apart from curses and inherited guilt. Their central place in Aeschylus' Eumenides is then considered, which is often taken, more or less consciously, for a locus classicus. It is shown that the one extant play in which Erinyes almost literally hold centre stage is an exception to the rule in more ways than one. Aeschylus' play helps define the province and limitations of tragic Erinyes.
N. J. Sewell‐Rutter
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199227334
- eISBN:
- 9780191711152
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199227334.003.0006
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Plays and Playwrights: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter considers some manifestations of inherited guilt, curses, and Erinyes in Sophocles, paying particular attention to his three Theban plays and his one Pelopid play, the Electra. Sophocles ...
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This chapter considers some manifestations of inherited guilt, curses, and Erinyes in Sophocles, paying particular attention to his three Theban plays and his one Pelopid play, the Electra. Sophocles is treated separately because he is a special case in the relevant respects. Aeschylus and Euripides, for all their differences, seem in interesting ways to stand rather closer to one another than either does to Sophocles. It is argued that Sophocles does not share the Aeschylean preoccupation with doubly motivated action and its bearing on mortal decisions. At the same time, he is no less concerned than his two counterparts with familial dysfunction and with supernatural causation. It is simply that his concern with these concepts is handled differentlyLess
This chapter considers some manifestations of inherited guilt, curses, and Erinyes in Sophocles, paying particular attention to his three Theban plays and his one Pelopid play, the Electra. Sophocles is treated separately because he is a special case in the relevant respects. Aeschylus and Euripides, for all their differences, seem in interesting ways to stand rather closer to one another than either does to Sophocles. It is argued that Sophocles does not share the Aeschylean preoccupation with doubly motivated action and its bearing on mortal decisions. At the same time, he is no less concerned than his two counterparts with familial dysfunction and with supernatural causation. It is simply that his concern with these concepts is handled differently
John Scheid
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780197265062
- eISBN:
- 9780191754173
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265062.003.0003
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
An abundance of Latin votive inscriptions adds much to the knowledge of religious belief in the Roman World. Several major cults of Roman (e.g. emperor worship) and foreign (e.g. Mithras) origin, and ...
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An abundance of Latin votive inscriptions adds much to the knowledge of religious belief in the Roman World. Several major cults of Roman (e.g. emperor worship) and foreign (e.g. Mithras) origin, and the identification of local deities with classical gods, would be little understood were it not for the survival of inscriptions. Similarly, inscriptions alone furnish many details of the ritual and ceremonial of sacrifice, most notably in the case of the archival dossier of the Arval Brethren near Rome, not mentioned in any literary source. The hopes and fears of ordinary folk are revealed in the inscribed prayers and curses addressed to the many oracular shrines in the Greco-Roman world.Less
An abundance of Latin votive inscriptions adds much to the knowledge of religious belief in the Roman World. Several major cults of Roman (e.g. emperor worship) and foreign (e.g. Mithras) origin, and the identification of local deities with classical gods, would be little understood were it not for the survival of inscriptions. Similarly, inscriptions alone furnish many details of the ritual and ceremonial of sacrifice, most notably in the case of the archival dossier of the Arval Brethren near Rome, not mentioned in any literary source. The hopes and fears of ordinary folk are revealed in the inscribed prayers and curses addressed to the many oracular shrines in the Greco-Roman world.
Edwin L. Battistella
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195172485
- eISBN:
- 9780199788187
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195172485.003.0004
- Subject:
- Linguistics, English Language
This chapter explores the relativity of vocabulary choice. Its main goals are both to examine how some words are bad, and to reinforce the view that effective usage is less a matter of permanent ...
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This chapter explores the relativity of vocabulary choice. Its main goals are both to examine how some words are bad, and to reinforce the view that effective usage is less a matter of permanent fixed traditions than it is a matter of flexible and contextual conventions. Topics discussed include cursing in the media and the arts, offensive language, bad words as social construction, slang as bad language, and political correctness.Less
This chapter explores the relativity of vocabulary choice. Its main goals are both to examine how some words are bad, and to reinforce the view that effective usage is less a matter of permanent fixed traditions than it is a matter of flexible and contextual conventions. Topics discussed include cursing in the media and the arts, offensive language, bad words as social construction, slang as bad language, and political correctness.
Thomas Waters
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780300221404
- eISBN:
- 9780300249453
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300221404.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History
This book unveils the enduring power of witchcraft, curses, and black magic in modern times. Few topics are so secretive or controversial. Yet, whether in the 1800s or the early 2000s, when disasters ...
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This book unveils the enduring power of witchcraft, curses, and black magic in modern times. Few topics are so secretive or controversial. Yet, whether in the 1800s or the early 2000s, when disasters struck or personal misfortunes mounted, many Britons found themselves believing in things they had previously dismissed — dark supernatural forces. The book explores the lives of cursed or bewitched people, along with the witches and witch-busters who helped and harmed them. It takes us on a fascinating journey from Scottish islands to the folklore-rich West Country, from the immense territories of the British Empire to metropolitan London. We learn why magic caters to deep-seated human needs but see how it can also be abused, and discover how witchcraft survives by evolving and changing. Along the way, the book examines an array of remarkable beliefs and rituals, from traditional folk magic to diverse spiritualities originating in Africa and Asia. This is a tale of cynical quacks and sincere magical healers, depressed people and furious vigilantes, innocent victims and rogues who claimed to possess evil abilities. Their spellbinding stories raise important questions about the state's role in regulating radical spiritualities, the fragility of secularism and the true nature of magic.Less
This book unveils the enduring power of witchcraft, curses, and black magic in modern times. Few topics are so secretive or controversial. Yet, whether in the 1800s or the early 2000s, when disasters struck or personal misfortunes mounted, many Britons found themselves believing in things they had previously dismissed — dark supernatural forces. The book explores the lives of cursed or bewitched people, along with the witches and witch-busters who helped and harmed them. It takes us on a fascinating journey from Scottish islands to the folklore-rich West Country, from the immense territories of the British Empire to metropolitan London. We learn why magic caters to deep-seated human needs but see how it can also be abused, and discover how witchcraft survives by evolving and changing. Along the way, the book examines an array of remarkable beliefs and rituals, from traditional folk magic to diverse spiritualities originating in Africa and Asia. This is a tale of cynical quacks and sincere magical healers, depressed people and furious vigilantes, innocent victims and rogues who claimed to possess evil abilities. Their spellbinding stories raise important questions about the state's role in regulating radical spiritualities, the fragility of secularism and the true nature of magic.
Alan H. Sommerstein
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199568314
- eISBN:
- 9780191723018
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199568314.003.0016
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter begins by emphasizing that, contrary to popular belief, the audience of a Greek tragedy often did not know, in important respects, how the action was going to develop, and examines what ...
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This chapter begins by emphasizing that, contrary to popular belief, the audience of a Greek tragedy often did not know, in important respects, how the action was going to develop, and examines what they do and do not know at various stages of Sophocles' Oedipus the King. It argues that until Iokaste comes on stage at line 631, the audience cannot be sure that she, Oedipus' mother, is still alive and still married to him; in some earlier and contemporary accounts she had committed suicide much earlier and Oedipus had married again. Two other things that the audience also do not know, even at the very end of the play, are whether Oedipus will go into exile (contrary to tradition) and whether he will curse his sons (according to tradition).Less
This chapter begins by emphasizing that, contrary to popular belief, the audience of a Greek tragedy often did not know, in important respects, how the action was going to develop, and examines what they do and do not know at various stages of Sophocles' Oedipus the King. It argues that until Iokaste comes on stage at line 631, the audience cannot be sure that she, Oedipus' mother, is still alive and still married to him; in some earlier and contemporary accounts she had committed suicide much earlier and Oedipus had married again. Two other things that the audience also do not know, even at the very end of the play, are whether Oedipus will go into exile (contrary to tradition) and whether he will curse his sons (according to tradition).
