THE MYTH OF DEATH IN THE FAIRY TALE “YOUTH WITHOUT AGE AND LIFE WITHOUT DEATH” COLLECTED BY PETRE ISPIRESCU
THE MYTH OF DEATH IN THE FAIRY TALE “YOUTH WITHOUT AGE AND LIFE WITHOUT DEATH” COLLECTED BY PETRE ISPIRESCU
Author(s): Gabriela OlaruSubject(s): Language studies, Language and Literature Studies, Literary Texts, Foreign languages learning, Fiction, Studies of Literature, Novel, Short Story, Romanian Literature, Philology, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Literature
Published by: Editura Arhipelag XXI
Keywords: myth of death; temporalities; immortality; mythocriticism; narrative anthropology
Summary/Abstract: The paper explores how the fairy tale “Youth Without Age and Life Without Death” reflects mythological and anthropological ideas about mortality. It argues that the hero’s pursuit of immortality breaks the natural order and ultimately reveals that death is essential to human nature. Using mythocritical and hermeneutic approaches, the study shows that concepts like temporality, initiation, and dor restore meaning and balance. Modern readers interpret the tale as an allegory about human limits and the dangers of timeless existence, viewing the hero’s final return to mortality as a necessary reintegration into the human condition.
Journal: Journal of Romanian Literary Studies
- Issue Year: 2025
- Issue No: 43
- Page Range: 257-264
- Page Count: 8
- Language: Romanian
