Myth as Cultural Bridge: Archetypes and Sacred Space in Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book
Myth as Cultural Bridge: Archetypes and Sacred Space in Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book

Summary/Abstract: This article explores how Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book (2008) reworks mythic archetypes and sacred spaces to foster intercultural understanding across diverse readerships. Through a close reading informed by archetypal theory, it analyses how the novel reshapes the figures of the Orphan, the Shadow, the Villain and the Guardian/Mentor to create a hybrid narrative that bridges a wide range of diverse cultural traditions. The graveyard setting emerges as both a liminal and an educational space, recalling ancient monastic and worldly institutions while maintaining a modern appeal. Gaiman’s reimagining of symbolic structures engages with the rich heritage of myth. Also, it broadens its accessibility, inviting readers to negotiate identity, morality, and the confrontation with darkness in culturally diverse ways. The study argues that its mythic hybridity enables the novel to function as a cultural bridge, fostering connections between local and global narrative traditions while offering young readers empowering frameworks for self-discovery.

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