Scholar of Comparative Mythology. Currently interested in using a combination of structuralism and cognitive theory for the study of mythology and narrative
Supernatural entities are often described as ambiguous, but ambiguity is underdetermined and unde... more Supernatural entities are often described as ambiguous, but ambiguity is underdetermined and undefined. This article has a twofold goal: first of all, it constructs an ideal-type model for identifying and specifying ambiguity in supernatural beings; secondly, it examines the ambiguity of yakṣas in the Araṇya Parva of the Mahābhārata. This model for determining supernatural ambiguity utilizes five markers, which appear in either a positive or negative aspect: fulfilling or denying needs and desires; protecting or attacking humans; belonging to the same order as humansor rejecting this order; beautiful or hideous appearance; and living close by or far away from human communities. Four narratives are examined: the story of Nala and Damayantī, the First and Second War of the Yakṣas, and the story of the Drillling Woods. In all stories, each of the five markers are utilized to describe the yakṣas’ ambiguity. However, one should distinguish between ambiguity proper (when conflicting marke...
This paper examines nineteen Gnostic texts which recount Berezkin’s motif H43 One creates the bod... more This paper examines nineteen Gnostic texts which recount Berezkin’s motif H43 One creates the body, another the soul, in a structuralist and cognitive fashion. Eleven actor-functions are uncovered in the narratives: the highest God, the provider of the soul or spirit, the Demiurge, the parent of the Demiurge, the underlings of the Demiurge, the voice from above, the provider of the image, the creator(s) of the human body, the male human, the female human, and the helper(s) of humanity. Five syntagmatic moments were uncovered in the narratives: the setting, the reve-lation, the motivation, the recreation, and the animation, all of which include differ-ent paradigmatic choices. In terms of cognitive mechanisms, all texts rely on the container body image and the target is source metaphor. The basic metaphor active in all texts is the body is a container for the soul. Certain texts also rely on ratcheting, which supplants one of the terms in the basic metaphor. The container can be sup-planted by clothing, a prison, or the earth. The soul can be supplanted by a seed, which always implies that the body is conceived of as the earth.
This Research Master thesis answers the research question ‘how is the motif A153.1 Theft of ambro... more This Research Master thesis answers the research question ‘how is the motif A153.1 Theft of ambrosia: Food of the gods stolen instantiated and structurally related to one another in different contexts?’ This thesis wishes to re-evaluate the Indo-European theoretical frame by providing a negative control. For this, 66 texts from India, 24 from Greece, and 42 from China (the negative control) are structurally analysed, using an adapted form of structuralism as described by Frog. As a result, the ‘universal’ group is the strongest, meaning that most motifs are shared by Indian, Greek, and Chinese narratives. A little weaker in strength is the Indo-European group, followed by the India-China pair. The similarities between Greek and Chinese narratives are negligible if ignoring the ‘universal’ similarities. From this analysis, two conclusions are drawn: 1) Indo-European reconstruction is valid, as now tested by a negative control; and 2) to understand international folktale motifs which were only considered from its Indo-European data, it is fruitful to apply non-Indo-European data as well.
The present paper explores the motif of 'the ill-willed nursing woman who is harmed' in t... more The present paper explores the motif of 'the ill-willed nursing woman who is harmed' in the mythological accounts of Hēraklēs and Kṛṣṇa. Core versions are distilled from five Greek and seven Sanskrit texts. As to the former, Hēra is deceived or persuaded in nursing Hēraklēs and when she throws him off, her milk either gives Hēraklēs immortality or forms the Milky Way. As to the latter, Pūtanā poisoned her breast to kill Kṛṣṇa, but dies when Kṛṣṇa drains her life. By applying the method of 'reciprocal illumination' I uncover a general structure behind both texts and distinguish six basic elements: the identity of the nurse; the content of the breast; the deception; the harm done; the gift; and the aftermath. While I intend to show that both stories contain these same basic elements, they both use and develop them in different ways with different but related results. Comparing Hēraklēs and Kṛṣṇa is popular. We can find it nowadays in popular discourse, where it is ofte...
The present paper explores the motif of ‘the ill-willed nursing woman who is harmed’ in the mytho... more The present paper explores the motif of ‘the ill-willed nursing woman who is harmed’ in the mythological accounts of Hēraklēs and Kṛṣṇa. Core versions are distilled from five Greek and seven Sanskrit texts. As to the former, Hēra is deceived or persuaded in nursing Hēraklēs and when she throws him off, her milk either gives Hēraklēs immortality or forms the Milky Way. As to the latter, Pūtanā poisoned her breast to kill Kṛṣṇa, but dies when Kṛṣṇa drains her life. By applying the method of ‘reciprocal illumination’ I uncover a general structure behind both texts and distinguish six basic elements: the identity of the nurse; the content of the breast; the deception; the harm done; the gift; and the aftermath. While I intend to show that both stories contain these same basic elements, they both use and develop them in different ways with different but related results.
NTT Journal for Theology and the Study of Religion
Reacting positively to Markus Davidsen’s call for a Dutch programme of systematic study of religi... more Reacting positively to Markus Davidsen’s call for a Dutch programme of systematic study of religion, this response highlights certain points of discussion that should be considered moving forward. First of all, we should consider letting students get familiar with theories about religion earlier in the curriculum. Secondly, philological competences should not be placed above other methodological competences. Thirdly, our comparative methods should be informed by postmodernist critiques. Fourthly, we should be careful when applying cognitive theory by understanding its limitations. Finally, it remains unclear why methodological naturalism is the only way to move forward.
Supernatural entities are often described as ambiguous, but ambiguity is underdetermined and unde... more Supernatural entities are often described as ambiguous, but ambiguity is underdetermined and undefined. This article has a twofold goal: first of all, it constructs an ideal-type model for identifying and specifying ambiguity in supernatural beings; secondly, it examines the ambiguity of yakṣas in the Araṇya Parva of the Mahābhārata. This model for determining supernatural ambiguity utilizes five markers, which appear in either a positive or negative aspect: fulfilling or denying needs and desires; protecting or attacking humans; belonging to the same order as humansor rejecting this order; beautiful or hideous appearance; and living close by or far away from human communities. Four narratives are examined: the story of Nala and Damayantī, the First and Second War of the Yakṣas, and the story of the Drillling Woods. In all stories, each of the five markers are utilized to describe the yakṣas’ ambiguity. However, one should distinguish between ambiguity proper (when conflicting marke...
This paper examines nineteen Gnostic texts which recount Berezkin’s motif H43 One creates the bod... more This paper examines nineteen Gnostic texts which recount Berezkin’s motif H43 One creates the body, another the soul, in a structuralist and cognitive fashion. Eleven actor-functions are uncovered in the narratives: the highest God, the provider of the soul or spirit, the Demiurge, the parent of the Demiurge, the underlings of the Demiurge, the voice from above, the provider of the image, the creator(s) of the human body, the male human, the female human, and the helper(s) of humanity. Five syntagmatic moments were uncovered in the narratives: the setting, the reve-lation, the motivation, the recreation, and the animation, all of which include differ-ent paradigmatic choices. In terms of cognitive mechanisms, all texts rely on the container body image and the target is source metaphor. The basic metaphor active in all texts is the body is a container for the soul. Certain texts also rely on ratcheting, which supplants one of the terms in the basic metaphor. The container can be sup-planted by clothing, a prison, or the earth. The soul can be supplanted by a seed, which always implies that the body is conceived of as the earth.
This Research Master thesis answers the research question ‘how is the motif A153.1 Theft of ambro... more This Research Master thesis answers the research question ‘how is the motif A153.1 Theft of ambrosia: Food of the gods stolen instantiated and structurally related to one another in different contexts?’ This thesis wishes to re-evaluate the Indo-European theoretical frame by providing a negative control. For this, 66 texts from India, 24 from Greece, and 42 from China (the negative control) are structurally analysed, using an adapted form of structuralism as described by Frog. As a result, the ‘universal’ group is the strongest, meaning that most motifs are shared by Indian, Greek, and Chinese narratives. A little weaker in strength is the Indo-European group, followed by the India-China pair. The similarities between Greek and Chinese narratives are negligible if ignoring the ‘universal’ similarities. From this analysis, two conclusions are drawn: 1) Indo-European reconstruction is valid, as now tested by a negative control; and 2) to understand international folktale motifs which were only considered from its Indo-European data, it is fruitful to apply non-Indo-European data as well.
The present paper explores the motif of 'the ill-willed nursing woman who is harmed' in t... more The present paper explores the motif of 'the ill-willed nursing woman who is harmed' in the mythological accounts of Hēraklēs and Kṛṣṇa. Core versions are distilled from five Greek and seven Sanskrit texts. As to the former, Hēra is deceived or persuaded in nursing Hēraklēs and when she throws him off, her milk either gives Hēraklēs immortality or forms the Milky Way. As to the latter, Pūtanā poisoned her breast to kill Kṛṣṇa, but dies when Kṛṣṇa drains her life. By applying the method of 'reciprocal illumination' I uncover a general structure behind both texts and distinguish six basic elements: the identity of the nurse; the content of the breast; the deception; the harm done; the gift; and the aftermath. While I intend to show that both stories contain these same basic elements, they both use and develop them in different ways with different but related results. Comparing Hēraklēs and Kṛṣṇa is popular. We can find it nowadays in popular discourse, where it is ofte...
The present paper explores the motif of ‘the ill-willed nursing woman who is harmed’ in the mytho... more The present paper explores the motif of ‘the ill-willed nursing woman who is harmed’ in the mythological accounts of Hēraklēs and Kṛṣṇa. Core versions are distilled from five Greek and seven Sanskrit texts. As to the former, Hēra is deceived or persuaded in nursing Hēraklēs and when she throws him off, her milk either gives Hēraklēs immortality or forms the Milky Way. As to the latter, Pūtanā poisoned her breast to kill Kṛṣṇa, but dies when Kṛṣṇa drains her life. By applying the method of ‘reciprocal illumination’ I uncover a general structure behind both texts and distinguish six basic elements: the identity of the nurse; the content of the breast; the deception; the harm done; the gift; and the aftermath. While I intend to show that both stories contain these same basic elements, they both use and develop them in different ways with different but related results.
NTT Journal for Theology and the Study of Religion
Reacting positively to Markus Davidsen’s call for a Dutch programme of systematic study of religi... more Reacting positively to Markus Davidsen’s call for a Dutch programme of systematic study of religion, this response highlights certain points of discussion that should be considered moving forward. First of all, we should consider letting students get familiar with theories about religion earlier in the curriculum. Secondly, philological competences should not be placed above other methodological competences. Thirdly, our comparative methods should be informed by postmodernist critiques. Fourthly, we should be careful when applying cognitive theory by understanding its limitations. Finally, it remains unclear why methodological naturalism is the only way to move forward.
In this bachelor thesis the motif of ‘the nursing ill-willed woman who is harmed’ will be explore... more In this bachelor thesis the motif of ‘the nursing ill-willed woman who is harmed’ will be explored in the mythologies of Hēraklēs and Kṛṣṇa. Core versions are distilled from five Greek and seven Sanskrit texts. Hēra is deceived or persuaded in nursing Hēraklēs and throws him off, her milk giving Hēraklēs immortality or forming the Milky Way. Pūtanā poisoned her breast to kill Kṛṣṇa, but is killed when Kṛṣṇa drains her life instead. With the use of ‘reciprocal illumination’ a general structure is uncovered, in which both versions differ diametrically on five points: the content of the breast; the deception; the harm done; the gift given or received; and the aftermath.
This Research Master thesis answers the research question ‘how is the motif A153.1 Theft of ambro... more This Research Master thesis answers the research question ‘how is the motif A153.1 Theft of ambrosia: Food of the gods stolen instantiated and structurally related to one another in different contexts?’ This thesis wishes to re-evaluate the Indo-European theoretical frame by providing a negative control. For this, 66 texts from India, 24 from Greece, and 42 from China (the negative control) are structurally analysed, using an adapted form of structuralism as described by Frog. As a result, the ‘universal’ group is the strongest, meaning that most motifs are shared by Indian, Greek, and Chinese narratives. A little weaker in strength is the Indo-European group, followed by the India-China pair. The similarities between Greek and Chinese narratives are negligible if ignoring the ‘universal’ similarities. From this analysis, two conclusions are drawn: 1) Indo-European reconstruction is valid, as now tested by a negative control; and 2) to understand international folktale motifs which were only considered from its Indo-European data, it is fruitful to apply non-Indo-European data as well.
One of the core dimensions of religion is the mythic or narrative, but while textual studies abou... more One of the core dimensions of religion is the mythic or narrative, but while textual studies abound in the discipline of comparative religion, hardly any is informed by narratology or the study of narratives. This book is a rare exception. It consists of five articles that were previously published as a special issue of the journal Religion (46:4) in 2016 and reflect the result of the symposium “Narrative and Belief: International Symposium on the Persuasive Power of Religious Narratives and Supernatural Fiction” held at Leiden University in 2014. This volume is exempt from the disunion that can haunt other edited volumes, because the authors actually respond to each other and contribute to answering two shared research questions: first, can religious narratives and supernatural fictions be distinguished (p. 2), and second, which textual features of fictional narratives solicit religious usage (which Davidsen calls “religious affordance”) (p. 3)? What can be noted about these research questions is that they focus on the texts themselves, rather than on any individual or community interpreting these texts in a religious fashion. Neither the interpreters nor the authors of these texts are theorized, nor is that the goal of this volume. Rather, contrary to other scholarship on religious texts, the texts are taken not to be passive canvases for interpretive communities who can and will read their own ideas into them, but as active participants in the interpretive process by virtue of the religious affordance they possess.
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