Craig I. HARDIMAN Mythological Abductions and Rapes: Women's Life-Rituals in Art
The mythologies
surrounding the rape and abduction of women have been frequently
interpreted as tales that reinforce the stereotyped attitudes toward
women and sex in the male centered society of Classical Greece,
supporting the notion that women were subservient to the whims and
desires of both gods and men; used as pawns to satisfy male sexual
needs. Perhaps the most
famous of these myths is that of Hades and Persephone. With its many possible
interpretations (literary, eschatological, socio-cultural), this myth
is in many ways a paradigm for the interpretation of other myths
involving rapes and abductions (especially chariot abductions) and
for illustrating the difficulties inherent in such interpretations.
Some scholars have viewed this myth within the limited
approach of a dualistic framework, suggesting either an actual act or
a metaphor, while others have seen them as narratives and cultural
signs (E. Keuls; M. Lefkowitz). In addition, scholars who
examine these depictions with broader cultural referencing have seen
reflections of ancient wedding ceremonies (J. Oakley), funerary rites
(C.A. Sowa) or indeed both (I. Jenkins).
As these images engaged several levels of interaction, from
the decorative to the narrative to the societal, a more multi-faceted
interpretation than has previously been offered is needed.
An examination of
the tale of Hades' abduction of Persephone through its two primary
surviving narrative sources, the Homeric Hymn to Demeter and
the Vergina Tomb Painting, demonstrates how this myth depicted many
stages of women's life-rituals, including both marriage and funerary
rites. A (broadly) social
constructionist analysis of these sources shows how one specific myth
can be used to examine issues of gender roles in society and how the
visual depiction can operate on many levels, referencing several
stages of a woman's life. Artistic depictions of other
abduction myths, such as the abduction of Helen by Theseus, the Rape
of the Leukippidae and the struggle and ensuing marriage of Peleus
and Thetis, illustrate how the interpretation of abductions can vary
visually and how this too mirrors the ancients' varied view of the
act. There are several
commonalties present, however, thus illustrating the overall benefit
in viewing this category of myths (chariot abductions) within a
broader cultural and gender related framework. In addition, by using
the Athenians' varied and contextual definitions of'rape' a better
understanding of the images depicting abductions can be gained (A.
Stewart). The interpretations of
previous scholars illustrate how a 'gendered' view can lead to
differing conclusions, perhaps suggesting varied meanings from the
start. Such a
multivalent approach helps to illuminate the manner in which these
myths reflected women's roles in society and how the artistic
depictions of these myths illustrated a woman's many life-rituals.
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