Full Text Available

Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.

Transmuting the mundane into transcendence : migrations of myth and its connection to contemporary comic books

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Opperman, Susan
Other Authors: Costandius, Elmarie
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch 2011
Subjects:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1867613969509777408
access_status_str Open Access
author Opperman, Susan
author2 Costandius, Elmarie
author_browse Costandius, Elmarie
Opperman, Susan
author_facet Costandius, Elmarie
Opperman, Susan
author_sort Opperman, Susan
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv University of Stellenbosch
description Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/6823
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:44:35.400Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2011
publishDateRange 2011
publishDateSort 2011
publisher Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
publisherStr Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
record_format dspace
source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/6823 Transmuting the mundane into transcendence : migrations of myth and its connection to contemporary comic books Opperman, Susan Costandius, Elmarie University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Visual Arts. Myths Fiction Comics Gaiman, Neil Botes, Conrad Dissertations -- Art Theses -- Art Dissertations -- Visual arts Theses -- Visual arts Opperman, Susan Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis investigates the human capacity of modifying established myth in the light of new circumstances. It focuses on the changing status of myth and mythical cosmologies in Western culture as advances in telematics and techno-culture has led to the abundant proliferation of mythic content in modern society. The rise of scientific, secular and rational tendencies in the Occident has resulted in the demystification and negation of some myths and the cultural realities they once supported. Mythical symbols, however, do exhibit a certain degree of independence from their original set ontologies, growing and transforming continuously within contemporary culture as they are communicated to all social spheres. A particular focus is placed on the demystification of myth and its ability to be appropriated within other discourses, most notably fiction. As such, myth tends to exhibit certain migratory and conservational qualities that this study investigates. This serves as background for this thesis that is primarily located within the broader theoretical argument of myth as a system of world-representation in society, the main point of discussion is the re-appropriation of myth within the narrower field of visual signification, specifically the comics medium, as exemplified in the works of Neil Gaiman and Conrad Botes, as well as in my own work. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die tesis ondersoek die menslike kapasiteit om gevestigde mites te wysig in die lig van nuwe omstandighede. Dit fokus op die veranderlike status van mites en mitiese kosmologieë in die Westerse kultuur, aangesien vooruitgang in die telematiek en tegnokultuur gelei het tot ’n ryk proliferasie van mitiese inhoud in die moderne samelewing. Die opkoms van wetenskaplike, sekulêre en rasionele tendense in die Weste het die demistifikasie en negasie van sommige mites en kulturele realiteite wat hulle eens ondersteun het, tot gevolg gehad. Mitiese simbole vertoon egter ’n sekere graad van onafhanklikheid van hul oorspronklike vasgestelde ontologieë en groei wild binne die kontemporêre kultuur, aangesien hulle deurlopend gekommunikeer word aan verskillende sosiale sfere. Daar word veral gefokus op die demistifikasie van die mite en sy vermoë om geapproprieer te word binne ander diskoerse, veral in fiksie. As sodanig is mites geneig tot migrasie en die vertoon van konserverende kwaliteite, soos ondersoek in hierdie studie. Alhoewel die tesis eerstens gelokaliseer is binne die breër teoretiese argumentasie rondom mite as ’n sisteem van wêreldrepresentasie in die samelewing, is die kern van diskussie die re-appropriasie van die mite binne die smaller veld van visuele betekenisgewing, spesifiek in strippe as medium, soos uitgelig in die werke van Neil Gaiman en Conrad Botes, asook in my eie werk. Masters 2011-03-01T13:11:37Z 2011-03-14T08:44:49Z 2011-03-01T13:11:37Z 2011-03-14T08:44:49Z 2011-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/6823 en_ZA University of Stellenbosch 187 p. : ill. application/pdf Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
spellingShingle Myths
Fiction
Comics
Gaiman, Neil
Botes, Conrad
Dissertations -- Art
Theses -- Art
Dissertations -- Visual arts
Theses -- Visual arts
Opperman, Susan
Opperman, Susan
Transmuting the mundane into transcendence : migrations of myth and its connection to contemporary comic books
title Transmuting the mundane into transcendence : migrations of myth and its connection to contemporary comic books
title_full Transmuting the mundane into transcendence : migrations of myth and its connection to contemporary comic books
title_fullStr Transmuting the mundane into transcendence : migrations of myth and its connection to contemporary comic books
title_full_unstemmed Transmuting the mundane into transcendence : migrations of myth and its connection to contemporary comic books
title_short Transmuting the mundane into transcendence : migrations of myth and its connection to contemporary comic books
title_sort transmuting the mundane into transcendence migrations of myth and its connection to contemporary comic books
topic Myths
Fiction
Comics
Gaiman, Neil
Botes, Conrad
Dissertations -- Art
Theses -- Art
Dissertations -- Visual arts
Theses -- Visual arts
Opperman, Susan
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/6823
work_keys_str_mv AT oppermansusan transmutingthemundaneintotranscendencemigrationsofmythanditsconnectiontocontemporarycomicbooks