Myth Matters

Mythic Animals: wonder and shadow in the Other

Catherine Svehla Season 2 Episode 16

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"Our identity is shaped not only by our differences from the Others but in the alchemy by which assimilating them informs the genesis of self. They are both the reciprocal and the constituents of our consciousness."  --Paul Shepard, "The Others, How Animals Made Us Human"

Dragons, griffins, chimeras, unicorns, talking horses, and helpful toads-- images of fantastic creatures like these typically come to mind when we think of "mythic animals" and yet animals, the first companions and teachers of early homo sapiens, have always been an essential part of human myth-making and the evolution of human consciousness and culture.

This podcast is a mini-exploration of connections between mythology, science, animals, and the fantastic, with some storytelling about the unicorn, one of my favorite "mythic animals."

"Wonder Is Not Precisely Knowing." ---Emily Dickinson

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