Shapeshifters in Greek Poetry
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Changing Shapes and Fluid Forms: Shapeshifters in Greek Poetry A thesis submitted to the University of Manchester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities 2020 Katharine E. Mawford School of Arts, Languages and Cultures Contents List of Abbreviations ....................................................................................................................... 4 Abstract ............................................................................................................................................... 5 Declaration ......................................................................................................................................... 6 Copyright Statement ....................................................................................................................... 6 Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... 7 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 8 i. Definitions ................................................................................................................................. 10 ii. Research context ................................................................................................................... 19 iii. Methodology .......................................................................................................................... 22 iv. Outline of approach and chapters ................................................................................. 30 Chapter 1: Transformations ...................................................................................................... 33 1.1 Survey of transformations ................................................................................................... 34 i. Transforming vs transformed ........................................................................................... 34 ii. Gender and agency ............................................................................................................... 45 1.2 Transformation episodes ..................................................................................................... 52 i. Close readings .......................................................................................................................... 52 ii. Animals ...................................................................................................................................... 57 iii. Elements .................................................................................................................................. 69 1.3 Transferred metamorphosis............................................................................................... 87 i. Dionysus ..................................................................................................................................... 87 ii. Proteus....................................................................................................................................... 98 iii. Conclusion............................................................................................................................ 101 Chapter 2: Characterisation and Narrative Role ............................................................... 103 2.1 Shapeshifters and international (folk)tales .............................................................. 104 i. Protean resemblances ....................................................................................................... 107 ii. Transformation motifs ..................................................................................................... 109 iii. Shapeshifters beyond Greece ....................................................................................... 110 iv. Swan Maidens ..................................................................................................................... 111 v. Magical gifts: the divine helper ..................................................................................... 114 vi. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 115 2.2 Elements of characterisation ........................................................................................... 117 i. Relationship/proximity to water .................................................................................. 117 2 ii. Shapeshifters as Tricksters ............................................................................................ 127 iii. Weaknesses of ambiguous form ................................................................................. 136 2.3 Shapeshifting and monstrosity ....................................................................................... 144 i. Introduction: what makes a monster? ........................................................................ 144 ii. Narrative function .............................................................................................................. 156 iii. Shapechanging as a monstrous attribute ................................................................ 161 iv. Primordial nature.............................................................................................................. 165 v. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 168 Chapter 3: Synoptic Readings ................................................................................................. 171 3.1 Proteus in the Odyssey and beyond: the significance of Odyssey 4................. 172 i. Proteus beyond the Odyssey ........................................................................................... 173 ii. A shapeshifting prophet .................................................................................................. 177 iii. Parallel with Nestor ......................................................................................................... 178 iv. Trickery in the Odyssean context ............................................................................... 180 v. Sea as opponent .................................................................................................................. 186 vi. Narratological parallels .................................................................................................. 188 vii. Proteus and Polyphemus .............................................................................................. 189 viii. Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 191 3.2 Thetis’ inverted motherhood .......................................................................................... 192 i. Thetis and Achilles .............................................................................................................. 193 ii. Thetis, Dionysus and Hephaestus ................................................................................ 200 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 210 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................. 214 Appendix ........................................................................................................................................ 226 Word count: 79,874 3 List of Abbreviations AT Aarne, A., and S. Thompson (1981, rev. 1961) The Types of the Folktale: A Classification and Bibliography (4th edn.) FFC 184. Helsinki Beekes Beekes, R. (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Greek. (2 vols). Leiden. FGrH Die Fragmente Der Griechischen Historiker Part I-III. Jacoby, F. (ed.), Brill’s New Jacoby, Brill Reference Online: https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/browse/die-fragmente-der- griechischen-historiker-i-iii Grimm Individual tales cited as numbered and translated in Zipes, J. (ed.) (2003) Brothers Grimm. The Complete Fairy Tales. London. Lewis & Short Lewis, C.T. and C. Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary. Oxford. LIMC Lexicon iconographicum mythologiae classicae (1981-), Ackermann, H.C., and J.-R. Gisler (eds.) 8 volumes. LSJ Liddel, H.G., R. Scott, H.S. Jones, and R. McKenzie (eds.) (1968), A Greek-English Lexicon (9th edn.) Oxford. ML Christiansen, R. (1958) The Migratory Legends: a proposed list of types with a systematic catalogue of the Norwegian variants. FFC 175. Helsinki. M-W Solmsen, F., R. Merkelbach, and M.L. West (eds.) (1990) Hesiodi Theogonia; Opera et Dies; Scutum. (3rd edn.) Oxford. Radt Radt, S. (ed.) (1977; 1985) Tragicorum Graecorum Fragmenta (TrGF) Vol. 3 Aeschylus; Vol. 4. Sophocles. Gottingen. Smyth Smyth, H.W., rev. G.M. Messing (1966) Greek Grammar. Cambridge. ST Thompson, S. (1955-8) A Motif-index of Folk-Literature. Bloomington. TLG Thesaurus Linguae Graecae: a Digital Library of Greek Literature, (2001-) University of California, Irvine. Available at: http://stephanus.tlg.uci.edu/tlg.php Greek texts are referred to by the abbreviations given in the LSJ, though I have retained simply Od and Il for the Odyssey and Iliad respectively; for Latin texts I have used the abbreviations found in Hornblower, S., A. Spawforth,