In her new book, Tae-Yeoun Keum separates myths into “deep myths” and “literary myths.” Literary myths are the myths we’re more familiar with; they’re distinct forms of oral narrative that often incorporate fantastical or supernatural elements. On the other hand, deep myths are a framework of narratives that exist in the background of culture, colouring our worldviews. While they are separate, they are said to influence each other, as well as our philosophies and politics. Read full article here
Oddities
The Curious Case of the Ancient Brain
In 2008, archaeologists examining the University of York discovered something strange: the decapitated head of an Iron Age man and his very shrivelled but very much intact brain. How a centuries-old brain was preserved is still unknown, but research suggests that it could have been because of brain diseases like dementia. The Yorkshire man’s brain’s proteins were bunched up together, much like how dementia causes brain proteins to bunch up into plaques. This bunching up, or aggregation, could continue even after death, turning regions of the brain into hard masses. Read full article here
Merv
September 30, 2022
