Religion and Mythology

Where it surfaces

• Italian Pictures

  References to the Dryad, the china virgin, and the magic tree blend Christian and pagan imagery, while the father's bewitchment invokes folk magic.

• Costa Magic

  The ritual at the magic tree and the belief in bewitchment invoke folk magic and supernatural causation.

• VIII

  The mention of 'God's eyes' introduces a theological or mythological dimension, questioning what lies beyond divine perception.

• IX

  The 'cosmos' and 'Moon' imagery suggest mythological or religious overtones in the depiction of love.

• Lunar Baedeker

  Allusions to Lucifer, Lethe, Pharaoh, and Eros weave a tapestry of mythological and religious symbols, subverting traditional narratives within a modern, decadent context.

• The Starry Sky of Wyndham Lewis

  Allusions to Job, Jehovah, and celestial conservatories evoke biblical and mythological frameworks.

• English Rose

  The rose is compared to religions 'enwrapping itself in esoteric and exoteric dimensions,' and Exodus's reading of 'Proverbs' invokes biblical morality, while Jehovah appears as a punitive figure.

• Christ's Regrettable Reticence

  The chapter explores Ova's personal mythology of Jesus as a shy savior, blending religious narrative with childish fantasy.

• Illumination

  The chapter depicts a saint-like mystical experience, with language of bliss, light, and transcendence.

• Ova Accepts the Popular Estimate of Humanity

  Ova's acceptance of Christ as a sacrificial prototype highlights the imposition of Christian mythology as a tool of spiritual control and personal resignation.

• Religious Instruction

  The chapter deconstructs religious instruction as a tool of coercion and hypocrisy, contrasting Jehovah's violent Old Testament with Christ's consoling but illusory promise, and critiques the imposition of abstract ideals on children.