Overview

It's a familiar story: a beautiful woman is abducted and her husband journeys to recover her. This story's best-known incarnation is also a central Greek myth-the abduction of Helen that led to the Trojan War. Stealing Helen surveys a vast range of folktales and texts exhibiting the story pattern of the abducted beautiful wife and makes a detailed comparison with the Helen of Troy myth. Lowell Edmunds shows that certain Sanskrit, Welsh, and Old Irish texts suggest there was an Indo-European story of the abducted wife before the Helen myth of the Iliad became known.Investigating Helen's status in ancient Greek sources, Edmunds argues that if Helen was just one trope of the abducted wife, the quest for Helen's origin in Spartan cult can be abandoned, as can the quest for an Indo-European goddess who grew into the Helen myth. He explains that Helen was not a divine essence but a narrative figure that could replicate itself as needed, at various times or places in ancient Greece. Edmunds recovers some of these narrative Helens, such as those of the Pythagoreans and of Simon Magus, which then inspired the Helens of the Faust legend and Goethe.Stealing Helen offers a detailed critique of prevailing views behind the ""real"" Helen and presents an eye-opening exploration of the many sources for this international mythical and literary icon.

Full Product Details

9780691202334

Table of Contents

Reviews

Ultimately, the book's greatest merit may lie . . . in his [Edmunds'] broad horizons--in his delight at discovering similarities between classical literature and the tales and experiences of people across the globe. ---Barbara Graziosi, Times Higher Education A weighty contribution to the study of Helen as well as the study of folklore in ancient Greece. ---Ryan Platte, Journal of Hellenic Studies An excellent, important book in both its methodology and data. . . . Edmunds has brought about a leap of quality in understanding the myth of Helen. ---Ephraim Nissan, Fabula Edmunds brings to this rich, sophisticated book an innovative approach to the Helen story: he looks at it with a comparative eye. * Choice *

Edmunds brings to this rich, sophisticated book an innovative approach to the Helen story: he looks at it with a comparative eye. * Choice * An excellent, important book in both its methodology and data. . . . Edmunds has brought about a leap of quality in understanding the myth of Helen. ---Ephraim Nissan, Fabula A weighty contribution to the study of Helen as well as the study of folklore in ancient Greece. ---Ryan Platte, Journal of Hellenic Studies Ultimately, the book's greatest merit may lie . . . in his [Edmunds'] broad horizons--in his delight at discovering similarities between classical literature and the tales and experiences of people across the globe. ---Barbara Graziosi, Times Higher Education

Author Information

Lowell Edmunds is professor emeritus of classics at Rutgers University. He is the author of Oedipus: The Ancient Legend and Its Later Analogues and the editor of Approaches to Greek Myth.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available