Evil Children in Religion, Literature, and Art
Description
Evil Children in Religion, Literature and Art explores the genesis, development, and religious significance of a literary and iconographic motif, involving a gang of urchins, usually male, who mock or assault a holy or eccentric person, typically an adult. Originating in the biblical tale of Elisha's mockery (2 Kings 2.23-24), this motif recurs in literature, hagiography, and art, from antiquity up to our own time, strikingly defying the conventional Judeo-Christian and Romantic image of the child as a symbol of innocence.
Keywords
FictionSocial ScienceSociologyReligionArtCriticism & TheoryHistoryBiblical StudiesAnthropologyCultural & SocialTechniques
2001Book
Author(s)Eric Ziolkowski
PublisherPalgrave Macmillan UK
ISBN9780333918951
LanguageEnglish
