21.Apr..2021 12:00 PM in Pacific Time
This talk will take us on a journey of the tradition of folk songs and poetry from antiquity to contemporary examples while also discussing the experience of a Greek classicist working on oral tradition. With a methodology of “excavating under the words” it argues that the women’s song and poetry tradition and also lived experienced shaped much of the ancient poetry. With examples from Homer, the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Sappho, and ballads and folk songs from contemporary Greece we will seek to uncover women’s voices and experiences. Special emphasis will be given to the theme of “NOSTOS,” leaving one’s homeland, constructions of desire for one’s former space, returning or not, and more.