Mythes et symboles de la mort initiatique dans le conte de fées :quelques aspects à découvrir
Myths and Symbols of Esoteric Death in Folktales

Summary/Abstract: The symbolism of esoteric death in archaic societies implies the access of man to spirituality. Mircea Eliade identifies a connection between mythical cosmogony and the secret ceremonies of initiation in post-existence. Using specific rituals, archaic man reenacted the exemplary models revealed to him by gods in illo tempore. In the Romanian folktales, the symbolism of the esoteric death falls under this general pattern. The protagonists prepare to reach the otherworld, following a rite of passage from one ontological level to another; they are confronted with a series of trials; they fight with death-demons; and sometimes they die and are miraculously reborn.

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