Graves etc.

Roy C. Lackey · 19 Jan 2008, 06:12 · from 2008-January.txt.gz

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From: rclackey at stic.net (Roy C. Lackey)
Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:12:05 -0600
Subject: (urth) Graves etc.
Message-ID: <000c01c85a62$3a706b40$d2cb5a42 at rclackey.stic.net>

Matthew Groves quoted and wrote:
>> I know it upsets many long-held and cherished
>> theories of Wolfe interpretation, which is probably why it has been
widely
>> forgotten, but it bears repeating.
>>
>> -Roy
>>
>>  "I read enough of THE WHITE GODDESS (which is still around here
somewhere) to conclude that Graves, with all his talent, was a crackpot."
>
>"Upsets" nothing!  Wolfe fans rejoice; you don't have to read The
>White Goddess!

I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading TWG -- I've read it several times
myself, decades ago. It has a certain appeal, even fascination, for young
males of a certain poetic bent; but Lupine it ain't.

> Philosophically, TWG is pretty much diametrically
>opposed to Wolfe anyway, TWG being in part a sort of lamenting of the
>great apostasy that is the shift from worship of the Goddess to
>Judeo-Christian worship.

Right. Which is why I was decrying it as a source for interpreting Wolfe
long before I knew that Wolfe hadn't even finished reading it. But if you
look through the archives you will be amazed at how often someone cites TWG
as justification for some theory or other about understanding Wolfe. It's
been done with KING JESUS, too. And people become strident in defense of the
indefensible. (Rant stifled.)

>I do recommend Graves's book on the Greek myths -- very handy for the
>etymology of names.

Alice K. Turner once posted her comments on that book and some on TWG that
might be of interest.

http://www.urth.net/urth/archives/v0304/3337.txt.shtml

-Roy

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