The Exposed Infant
In an earlier work I tried to show that Oedipus is one of those malefic newborn children whom ancient communities did away with because their deformity was a proof of divine wrath.¹ I did not sufficiently insist there on the fact that the exposed infants were emissary (or surrogate) victims. Their s...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2020
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| In: |
The Oedipus casebook
Year: 2020, Pages: 167-190 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | In an earlier work I tried to show that Oedipus is one of those malefic newborn children whom ancient communities did away with because their deformity was a proof of divine wrath.¹ I did not sufficiently insist there on the fact that the exposed infants were emissary (or surrogate) victims. Their sacralization, in the event they were rescued, had the effect of bringing about a reversal of values, so that what had been seen as evil was now considered to be good. Similarly, a divine judgment, involving a trial from which the child emerges alive, ended not in an acquittal... |
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| ISBN: | 9781628953787 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The Oedipus casebook
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.14321/j.ctvw1d58n.8 |