The flood and its universality, a transcultural approach
André BUENO; José Maria Gomes de Souza NETO
Original title: O dilúvio e sua universalidade, uma abordagem transcultural
Published in The Kingdom of the Spirit
Keywords: China, Deluge, India, Mythography, Mythology, Near East, Universal Flood.
A transcultural analysis of mythography’s about universal floods in ancient civilizations reveals important narrative splits, which make explicit the problem of trying to unify them. In our text, we will seek to present and discuss some issues related to flood/deluge myths in civilizations from the Levant, passing through India and reaching China, an important counterpoint to Western narratives. This comparison allows us to understand the different epistemes from which these myths have been worked and disseminated, and the challenges for a heterotopic claim of narrative fusion.
Women as a source of aesthetic pleasure in late medieval India
Sara FERNÁNDEZ JUBÍN
Original title: La mujer como fuente de placer estético en la India tardomedieval
Published in
Keywords: India, Keśavdās, Orchā, Pravīṇ Rāy, Pātura, Woman.
The aim of this article is to spread the role played by those women belonging to the courtly and artistic sphere of late medieval India. Specifically, we will focus on the figure of the pātura, trying to claim a new definition and conception for this term, given its importance in the transmission of Indian dance and musical forms. Although we will start by mentioning a well-known case, further on we will focus our study on a particular pātura, Pravīṇ Rāy, an artist associated to the court of Orchā, the capital city of the ancient Bundelkhaṇḍ – nowadays in Madhya Pradeś. We will begin by outlining some of the legends for which it is popular in the region. Then we will turn to the facts provided by a primary source that is directly related with our protagonist – one of the works of the great poet Keśavdās –, which will allow us to conclude reaffirming the significance of the pāturas and revaluing the role of these artists.
