REL 19.38 Mythology of Otherworldly Journeys
Mythical journeys to otherworldly places are common in Mediterranean cultures and represent important points of intersection between the ancient Near East and Classical worlds. A fundamental aspect of these mythical journeys is the natural division between the realm of the living and that of the dead. These mythical journeys served various objectives in their respective cultures, including describing heroic actions of central characters (divine or human), symbolizing the quest for secret knowledge, explaining the mysteries of the universe, life, and death, or endorsing a political or economic system through divine precedent. These mythologies also express mortal and post-mortem moralities in the exploration of the foundational nature of divine justice.
Instructor
Lanfer