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.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/6823 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Opperman, Susan |
| Contributors | Constandius, Elmarie, University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Visual Arts. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 187 p. : ill. |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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