WOMEN & WEASELS. Mythologies of Birth in Ancient Greece and Rome.

Aus der Bibliothek von Prof. Wolfgang Haase, langj�igem Herausgeber der ANRW und des International Journal of the Classical Tradition (IJCT) / From the library of Prof. Wolfgang Haase, long-time editor of ANRW and the International Journal of the Classical Tradition (IJCT). - sehr guter Zustand / very good condition - Women share an ancient and long-lived history with that clever and �feminine� animal, the weasel, one that dates back centuries to the Greek myth of a midwife who tricked the gods to ease Heracles�s birth�and was turned into a weasel by a furious Hera as punishment. Following this story as it is retold over centuries in literature and art, Women and Weasels takes us on a journey through mythology and ancient belief, revising our understanding of myth, heroism, and the status of women and animals in Western culture. -- Maurizio Bettini recounts and analyzes a variety of key literary and visual moments that highlight the weasel�s many attributes, from third-century BCE Pompeian frescoes and early modern paintings to Spartan sculptures, medieval illuminations, and Victorian engravings. Through these moments, he uncovers the weasel�s legendary sexual and childbearing habits and symbolic association with witchcraft and midwifery, its role as a domestic pet favored by women, and its ability to slip in and out of tight spaces. The weasel, Bettini reveals, is present at many unexpected moments in human history, assisting women in labor and thwarting enemies who might plot their ruin. With a parade of symbolic associations between weasels and women� witches, prostitutes, midwives, sisters-in-law, brides, mothers, and heroes�Bettini brings to life one of the most venerable and enduring myths of Western culture. ISBN 9780226044743