Magical Elements Research Articles

Balinese Calonarang in Performance

Balinese <i>Calonarang</i> in Performance

Preservation of Native American Culture: An Analysis of Louise Erdrich’s Tracks

This paper examines Louise Erdrich’s practice of promoting the oral tradition and magical realism as a way of preserving Native American culture in Tracks. She writes stories in the novel to assimilate Native American culture in modern times and this ultimately helps the Native traditions to find their way to modern readers. She represents magical elements in a realistic manner totally opposed to western concepts of magical realism. This study argues that Erdrich uses stories and magical realism as a tool to not only promote Native American culture but also preserve it. It is qualitative research and Gerald Vizenor’s Theory of Resistance and Survivance has been used to analyze the text. The textual analysis reveals that oral tradition and magical realism have deep roots in Native American culture and Erdrich uses them to promote as well as preserve this culture.

Elements of ontological magical realism in Ibi Zoboy's American Street

The article explores the novel American Street by contemporary US writer of Haitian origin Ibi Zoboy from the perspective of using the technique of magical realism. The novel embraces magic, faith in spirits, otherworldly forces as well as strategies of realism. The narrative mode of magic realism dominates in postcolonial writings as well as in fictional works that describe migration experience. The development of magical realism in different national traditions caused its variety and diverse forms of expression. Therefore, in this paper, the term magic realism or marvelous realism is considered from different theoretical perspectives. The term and the phenomenon it denotes started its history from the Weimar Republic modernist movement when German art critic Franz Roh coined the term. Then, in 1955 the narrative mode of magic realism became popular in Latin America. Alejo Carpentier, Angel Flores underlined that it is different from its European counterpart as its main task is to express the unique and extraordinary reality of Latin America. They argued that magic and magical elements are derived from the 'supernatural' elements of 'local' or 'indigenous' myths, religions and cultures. Moreover, magical realism relies upon the presentation of the imagined or magical as if they were real.The article focuses on how these different definitions are related and discussed by various theoreticians. It is concluded that the most relevant is Echevarría’s typology. He differentiated two kinds of magical realism: the ontological and the epistemological. Ontological magical realism has as its material beliefs or practices from the cultural context in which the text is set.The author considers the notion of ontological magical realism to analyse Ibi Zoboy’s novel American Street, in which magical beliefs and rituals help the main character survive in a difficult situation. It is emphasized that the religious component is an important part of migration fictional discourse.

Функции авторских легенд и преданий в романе А. В. Иванова «Золото бунта»

The novels of Alexei Ivanov are a noticeable phenomenon in modern Russian literary life and attract the attention of literary critics. An important role in the artistic structure of the novel “The Rebellion’s Gold” is played by folklore-mythological elements, which are the original author’s system of pseudo-folklore texts created according to the model of traditional oral folk art. The focus of our attention is the functional significance of legends and traditions, manifold on the pages of the novel by A. Ivanov. It was revealed that the author’s legends and traditions in “The Rebellion’s Gold” are distinguished by polyfunctionality. On the one hand, they are used as a means of assessing and characterizing the characters, playing the role of “folk truth,” a moral landmark with which the actions of the characters of the novel are measured. On the other hand, they are used in the process of plot formation, ensuring the dynamics of events. The most important function of the author’s “folklore” in the novel is the world-modeling. With the help of folklore texts, the novel chronotope is saturated with magical elements that are relevant in modern neorealist works. At the same time, the author’s mythology goes beyond the limits of the artistic text and transfers its world-modeling properties to the real geographical space of the Urals, which undergoes remifologization. Thus, the author’s pseudo-folklore text turns into a way of reconstructing ancient meanings and creating a new national identity in a modern cultural situation.

Magical Aspects in Chandra Shyam Dangol's Stone Sculptures

Chandra Shyam Dangol's stone sculptures are magical and mystical suggesting supernatural and spiritual aspects related to wisdom and enlightenment. Unusual images and symbols have been put together. On the surface level, the combination appears strange and contrary but as we go through the myths related to the artworks, we find the underlined logic and coherent composition. The recurrent icons, images and symbols are the figures of deities, lotus, mudras (gestures) and asanas (postures) of meditating characters that are combined in an unusual manner. They provide a sense of miraculous and thrilling spiritual experience. Breaking the monotony of mundane material existence, the works renew our perception. The aesthetic experience leads toward the awareness of the self and the universe and inspires for the harmonious existence of the individual in the world. Because of the mythical and spiritual contents, the sculptures appear to be mystical. The research area covers the stone sculptures of Chandra Shyam Dangol. About a dozen sculptures have been observed for the research but only four works have been interpreted in this paper. The paper attempts to trace the magical elements in his compositions and throw light on their significance. The study follows the qualitative research method to support the thesis statement since the interpretation of artworks may be multiple depending on viewers, time and place.

The image of Venetian mirror in the magic storylines of P. P. Muratov and A. V. Chayanov

This article examines the role of the image of Venetian mirror in the novella &amp;ldquo;The Venetian Mirror&amp;rdquo; by P. Muratov and &amp;ldquo;The Venetian Mirror, or Remarkable Adventures of the Glass Man&amp;rdquo; by A. Chayanov, as well as their connotation with the literary tradition of the mirror image. Representation of the mirror as a bearer of supernatural power takes its roots in folklore. Image of the mirror and principle of mirroring hold an important place in the poetics of romanticists and symbolists, and gain popularity in literature of the 1920s. Analysis of the image of Venetian mirror in the works of Muratov and Chayanov demonstrates that both texts fall under the tradition of Venetian text of the Russian literature, as well as reveal similar motifs that indicate their typology for small magical prose. However, the author also determines the individual interpretations of the role of magical item in the life of the protagonists: if in A. Chayanov&amp;rsquo;s novella, the Venetian mirror changes the usual order of things, then in Muratov's novella it sets the tone of narration. The scientific novelty lies in functional comparison of the texts with magical storylines, in the center of which is the image of Venetian mirror. The author comes to the conclusion that the extensive use of magical elements in the romantic context by A. Chayanov is antipodal to &amp;nbsp;neutral intonations of P. Muratov. It is noted that Chayanov creates a neo-mythological story of the pursuit and cognition of &amp;ldquo;Self&amp;rdquo;, personal becoming; while Muratov in his novella realizes the myth of lost harmony.

The prayers of evocatio and devotio: Between religious ritual and Roman law

Abstract This paper, which is a work in progress and a continuation of previous articles that were published on the Roman concepts of evocatio and devotio, will explore a new approach: the juridical context and implications of these religious and magical rituals. After reminding briefly the traditional interpretation (religious prayers pronounced only in a context of war) and the results of our previous articles 1 (evocatio was not limited to military context, and evocatio and devotio included magical elements very similar to formulas of execration (defixiones), we will ask questions that seem to be innovative: on the one hand, “can we compare these prayers with juridical contracts?”, and on the other hand, “had these rituals juridical and political consequences?”, such as the loss of status of a person (in this case, the devotio of enemies) and the loss of status of a place/city (in the case of evocatio). Were these religious rituals a way of making possible the symbolical destruction of a territory and the transfer of a divinity's statue to Rome, and consequently a way of making possible the real destruction of this territory and justifying its conquest? To carry out this study, we will analyze different texts that mention evocatio and devotio, and we will contrast them with texts that refer to juridical concepts (such as consecratio capitis et bonorum, exsecratio, bellum iustum, and damnatio memoriae). We will also analyze the case of cities (Veii, Praeneste, Falerii Veteres, and Carthago) that probably lost their juridical and political status after a war and after religious rituals such as evocatio and devotio. It would not be the first time that religion was used for political reasons, to justify Roman imperialism.

Faith, Identity and Magical Realism in Leila Aboulela’s Bird Summons

This article adopts a literary analytical approach to illuminate the use of magical realism in the contemporary Anglophone Arab narrative of Leila Aboulela’s Bird Summons (2019). The study follows a methodology which combines two critical approaches to magical realism: first, a textual approach, and then a contextual one. Accordingly, the study uses key magical realist elements in Bird Summons to delineate the poetics of magical realism within the narrative, before determining the context in which magical realism functions in the narrative. Simultaneously, the study benefits from Christopher Warnes’s two strands of magical realism, ‘faith-based magical realism’ and ‘irreverent magical realism’ in providing a coherent basis for the use of magical realism in the text. This study aims at examining the significance of the magical realist narrative in articulating Arab British identity in Bird Summons. The analysis will interpret the role of magical realism in conveying and undermining the dominant ethnic and racial discourses which shape Arab British identities in Britain. The study’s findings demonstrate how the use of magical realism in the examined Anglophone Arab novel reinforces the fictional purposes of Aboulela as a hyphenated Arab, as it allows her to undermine dominant discourses on hyphenated Arab identities. At the same time, the use of magical realism allows Aboulela to (re)construct Arab British identities within her novel, apart from essentialist views of identity.

Demystifying the Magic in Diamond Shumsher’s Seto Bagh: History Reconsidered

Diamond Shumsher’s masterpiece, Seto Bagh, is a significant historical novel in Nepali literature. The novel made a vibrant debut in depicting historicity in fictional prose in the Nepali context. In particular, the reconsideration of the portrayal of history from a new perspective is relevant. Traditionally, this is considered a historical realist novel. Nevertheless, magical elements are profusely used in the novel. In this study, this niche opens up avenues to re-evaluate the historicity vis-à-vis magical elements. I have adopted Maggie Ann Bowers’ and Wendy B. Faris’s notions and perspectives on the theoretical lens of magical realism to demystify the magic and history in the text. Further, I have adapted the content analysis method to analyze the textual evidences from the selected novel. The main finding exhibits that the novelist has amalgamated historical facts with magical elements like supernatural beings and happenings. Thus, the novel is an example of historical magical realism. This implies that only established beliefs and theories are not sufficient to judge the literary works rightly. Therefore, new lenses should be explored to enter into the world of fictional prose works as such.

TRUYỆN NGẮN HUYỀN ẢO CỦA HARUKI MURAKAMI

Murakami is one of the masters of Magical literature. In his writing, the magical world appeared in a variety of colors. As a writer who follows Poe, Kafka, Marquez, etc., Murakami has both inherited and developed magicalism to a new level. The spirit world is an important fulcrum for him to exploit the magical and fanciful elements. He has a knack for turning both the unconscious with its hidden memories and also the guilt and regret from it into magical signs. Murakami's magicality weaves both mystery and comedy. Thereby, the writer illuminates the hidden corners of the soul that in a busy life, people often forget.

Kesenian Kuda Lumping Ditinjau Dari Perspektif Aqidah Islam Di Desa Pematang Ganjang Kecamatan Sei Rampah Kabupaten Serdang Bedagai

&lt;p&gt;This research is entitled Kuda Lumping Art from the Perspective of Islamic Aqeedah in Pematang Ganjang Village, Sei Rampah District, Serdang Bedagai Regency, because this Kuda Lumping art has deviated greatly from the purpose for which it was created. This Kuda Lumping art scene displays the attraction of trance, immunity, and magical powers or eating glass so that it can endanger the health of the player and for others. This can affect one's understanding of one's aqidah because the area of aqidah includes believing in the existence of the supernatural dimension. The hallmark of the magical element in this attraction is carrying out rituals using Islamic prayers and offerings to summon spirits to other than Allah which is a major sin. The people of Pematang Ganjang village still carry out Islamic law and still believe in magic. In essence, the art of Kuda Lumping in general has been attached and integrated into the community. It is a habit that has been passed down from one generation to the next. The methodology used in this research is through field research (Field Research) with a qualitative approach, data collection techniques are processed from direct observations by looking at village community activities, field interviews with only a few informants and documentation. The results of the study in Pematang Ganjang Village which focused on the art of Kuda Lumping in terms of the perspective of Islamic aqidah that 70% supported the existence of Kuda Lumping on the grounds of wanting to hold a harvest celebration event, on August 17 and more often found in weddings and circumcision as entertainment media. Every Muslim must have the correct aqidah and it is very important for players not to enter into the element of shirk if it is not fortified with a strong religion.&lt;/p&gt;

Magical Realism: Portrayal of Human Suffering in The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

Magical realism is a genre of literature where fantasy and magic are normalized in reality, and the real world has an undercurrent of magical elements going on. The research is based on the qualitative method within the framework of the theory of Magical Realism presented by Wendy B. Faris (2004). The study at hand explores different aspects of magical realism in the selected novel by analyzing major themes according to Faris's theory of Magical Realism. The research aims to show how the typical presences of people in the novel have been super naturalized through heavenly magical realist segments. Moreover, the significance of this study lies in the fact that it explored seemingly opposite phenomena of 'magic' and 'realism' and established a connection between them. The study seeks to find how each character of the novel The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake is enduring in their own particular manner, representing the suffering of individuals in the real world considering the situation after World Wars. This research will open the ways for future researchers to work in the direction of magical realism and enhance its scope in general.

Peran Musik Tradisi Kelintang Tungkal Sebagai Prosesi Malam Beinai Masyarakat Kampung Nelayan Kabupaten Tanjung Jabung Timur

This study aims to know the role of the Kelintang Tungkal music tradition as a musical tradition that lives and develops in the Kampung Nelayan Sub-District as a form of social integration and a developing musical structure. The structure is seen from the perspective of anthropologogical music, that Kelintang Tungkal was originally used by the community as accompaniment music in medical ceremonies but at this time the ceremony was no longer played because the myth of the local community that rolled the Kelintang Tungkal community had a strong magical element, so that these types of blows may not be made or played anywhere. Then the local community changed the function of the Kelintang Tungkal as an entertainment activity for the local community at wedding parties, welcoming traditional guests and as dance accompaniment music. Most of the data collected in this study were obtained from research on places and performances, interviews, and references related to writing about tungkal latitude, and were analyzed with qualitative approach. This study concludes that there has been a change in the Kelintang Tungkal performance that was originally used for medical ceremonies, because the functional factor of the Kelintang Tungkal performance turned into entertainment.

Teaching Material on Writing Fantasy Story Incorporating the Local Culture

Fantasy stories are imaginative texts with magical characters and backgrounds. A fantasy story about a primitive topic constantly needs some innovation to remain relevant. One of the ways to do that is by integrating local culture into the story. Local culture embodies the ideas and/or values, local views that are wise, full of wisdom, and that are embedded and followed by every member of the community. Writing a fantasy story based on local culture does not mean it loses its imaginative and magical elements. Local culture as a story idea or theme has various benefits for students, including: (1) preserving culture, (2) promoting moral values, (3) representative experience, (4) fostering empathy, (5) generating imagination and inspiration, and (6) the pleasure of reading. To include local culture content in students’ writing, a context approach can be used. The context approach assumes that while writing, the writer is actually oriented towards the purpose of writing and the reader is the target thereof. With this innovation, students can better understand, inspire, and preserve culture through learning. The novelty of this study is an analysis of local culture that can be collaborated into story ideas or themes for writing fantasy storyboards.&#x0D; Keywords: teaching material, writing, fantasy story, local culture

NARRATIVE OF MAGIC REALISM IN THE JOHN BELLAIRS’ NOVEL: THE HOUSE WITH THE CLOCK IN ITS WALLS

This research aims to analyze the relationship between the novel written by John Bellairs entitled The House With A Clock In Its Walls and the magical elements of realism. By using Wendy B. Faris magic realism theory which focuses on the five characters of magic realism, namely, irreducible, phenomenal world, unsettling doubt, merging of nature, and the disturbance of time, space and identity. This research also uses a descriptive qualitative approach. Through this approach, this research can find the results that the five elements or characters of magical realism can be found in the novel.

«Muchos días son passados...». Magia y concepción del tiempo en &lt;i&gt;La Celestina&lt;/i&gt;

En este artículo se analizan las referencias textuales de La Celestina que evidencian tanto la existencia del elemento mágico en la obra como su importancia estructural. Para ello, se ofrecen nuevos datos en favor de la hipótesis del enamoramiento de Melibea como consecuencia del conjuro celestinesco y se realiza un análisis comparativo entre los dos amantes y la retórica del amor cortés para descartar la hipótesis del tiempo implícito y aportar una nueva interpretación del amor entre Calisto y Melibea.

The modern role of boron as a 'magic element' in biomedical science: chemistry perspective.

Boron was misconstrued as a toxic element for animals, which retarded the growth of boron-containing drug discovery in the last century. Nevertheless, modern applications of boronic acid derivatives are attractive in biomedical applications after the declaration that boron is a 'probable essential element' for humans by the WHO. Additionally, the approval of five boronic acid-containing drugs by the FDA has vastly impacted the use of boron in medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, drug delivery, biomaterial exploration, pharmacological improvements, and nutrition. This review article focuses on the chemistries attributed to boronic acids at physiological pH, enticing chemists to multidisciplinary applications. Prospective uses of boronic acid in pharma and chemical biology, along with prospects and challenges, are also part of the deliberation. Understanding these fundamental chemistries and interactions of boronic acid in biological systems will enable solving future challenges in drug discovery and executing space-age applications.

Матрилокальная, пространственная и религиозная символика в традиционной свадебной обрядности у тувинцев и бурят в конце XIX – начале XXI века

Purpose. The purpose of the paper is to reveal archaic matrilocal and the cult of fire, areal, shaman and late Buddhist symbols in wedding traditions of the Buryats and Tuvans. A comparative ethnographic method is applied in the research according to which the symbols are considered and compared in terms of synchronic and diachronic aspects. The paper is current due to representation of unity of nomadic family-tribal orientation based on the example of similarities in wedding traditions of Turk and Mongol peoples. High interest in wedding rituals in traditional society is connected with religious and magical elements that represent praying to local spirits for tribal development and safety. Results. As a result, the authors come to the following conclusions: firstly, similarity of many elements of wedding ceremonies is defined by nomadic traditions and ideals of a family tribal structure by northern Buryats to Turk peoples and southern Tuvans to Mongolia. Secondly, the late arrival of Buddhism to Barguzin valley and Tuva was a reason of preservation of archaic cults of shamanism. Conclusion. In summary, it is important to note that comparative analysis of wedding traditions among the Tuvans and the Buryats helps to reveal historical evolution and transformation not only in wedding traditions but in their traditional world view in general. Similarities in diachronic elements of the ritual show unity of many cults that point to tight interactions between the Tuvans and the Mongols, Buryats and the Turk neighborhood. For instance, archaic cults of mother and fire are similar among the Tuvans and the Buryats. Many Shaman and Buddhist cult symbols do not change in Tuvinian and Buryat culture because their philosophies have not been changed on their corresponding territories for a long time. To conclude, comparative research of wedding traditions of Turk and Mongol peoples offers rich material for future research of historical evolution of many cults because the wedding, as one of the most important stages in humans’ life, is always connected with religious rituals of initiation, safety and sanctification.

Women as The Victim of Stereotypes in Sintren

The role of women in dance in Indonesia can raise the local wisdom of an area such as a rural one. One of the pretty phenomenal arts is Sintren. The peculiarity of Sintren originating from the area in Pemalang appoint as a novel entitled Sintren by Dianing Widya Yudhistira. This paper aims to show that stereotypes of women are very influential in repressing their thoughts and actions so that they live in shackles and cannot determine the path of life they choose. Women from low backgrounds often stereotype being ugly, poor, unkempt, so they want to become a Sintren dancer who is very close to magical elements but can transform into beautiful women and have lots of money. This stereotype negates the existence of women who should be free from the shackles of the ideal woman stereotype: beautiful, rich, and adored by many men. This study uses a qualitative descriptive method using library data. The concepts of gender relations, patriarchal culture, and a feminist approach use as analysis tools. The author raises the story of Sintren in a literary work to show women who are often victims of stereotypes that colonize their bodies and minds. As a result, this novel reinforces the weak position of rural women and often becomes the victim of stereotypes and stigma that exist in society.

The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin

Reviewed by: The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin April Spisak Griffin, Rachel The Nature of Witches. Sourcebooks Fire, 2021 [384p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781728229423 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781728229430 $17.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 8-10 Clara is at odds with her own power: she knows that she is extraordinarily gifted as a witch, but those incredible abilities are almost impossible to control. It’s understandable that Clara does not want to explore her role as an Everwitch (a witch who can draw magic from all four seasons), given the fact that she has inadvertently killed nearly every person she has ever loved. It’s also understandable that she resists falling for kind, loyal, intelligent Sang, who has been paired with her to help her learn to use her magic successfully. Love grows where it will, however, and Clara’s dive into it actually provides insight into the ways that being an Everwitch can save the planet from devastating climate change. Clara isn’t the strongest character, but her self-doubts, guilt, and despondency about ever living a life like her peers are understandable. The book really excels, though, at its clever setting, sharp and carefully honed secondary characters, and cool weaving of magic elements into our known world, and readers will happily dive into Clara’s magical realm. Copyright © 2021 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois