New Directions in Mythological Studies School of Modern Languages Research Seminar

First came Neith, Gaia, Tellus, Anat, Shiva, Isis, Minarope, the Spider grandmother, divine feminine figures who created the world, in origin stories ranging from Egypt to the Pacific Islands, from Benin to the Americas. Then came the masculine: he seized power, took control, took credit, creating gods in his image and shaping the world for his benefit. Forced underground, her voice silenced, and her practices proscribed, the feminine now inhabits the liminal space of pariahs, mystics, and witches. But today, the world is seeing a rise of the feminine through a rediscovery of the myths, a retelling of the stories and a questioning of the male as a default perspective. Join us as we explore those recent changes through talks by Dr Nicola Tannion (Independent Scholar), Dr Carmen Sanchis Sinisterra (U. of Mississippi), and Dr Julie Hugonny (U. of St Andrews).