About myths, stereotypes and their historical value as concentrates of a given
culture at a given time, I personnaly believe works by french historian Jean
Delumeau on fear and the notion of sin in Occident are still the references.  He
offers a solid interpretation model in which the imaginary is as significant as
facts and events.

Hervé Gagnon
Director-Curator
Colby-Curtis Museum
Stanstead (Québec)
Canada

Doug Lantry a écrit:

> Agreed! Myths and myth-making are in themselves history and clues to
> culture. We have a few ghosts in the Ohio Statehouse too, which (who?) are
> cultivated each year near the end of October. A skilled interpreter can
> talk about myths in appropriate contexts.
>
> -Doug
>
> ........................................
> Doug Lantry
> The Ohio Historical Society
> Statehouse Education and Visitors Center
> Columbus, Ohio
> [log in to unmask]
>
> On Thu, 27 Aug 1998, Robert T. Handy wrote:
>
> > I think mythology, if presented as such, has a perfectly legitimate place
> > in our world.  It provides considerable insight to the local culture.  We
> > have ghosts all over the place because a local librarian told ghost stories
> > to five generations of 3rd graders throughout the county.  She then put
> > them down in book form.  It is in its eighth printing and sells all over
> > the country.
> >
> > Local people now find (create) them whenever a good occasion arises.
> >
> >
> > ------
> > Robert Handy
> > Brazoria County Historical Museum
> > 100 East Cedar
> > Angleton, Texas  77515
> > (409) 864-1208
> > museum_bob
> > [log in to unmask]
> > http://www.bchm.org