Pagan Revenants in Arthur Machen’s Supernatural Tales of the Nineties

In his Geography of Victorian Gothic Fiction (1999), Robert Mighall presents ‘anachronistic conflict’ as the defining feature of the mode. The resurgence of pagan gods and the discovery of a fossil race are the two main triggers of such a conflict in Arthur Machen’s supernatural tales of the Ninetie...

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Main Author: Sophie Mantrant
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Presses Universitaires de la Méditerranée 2014-09-01
Series:Cahiers Victoriens et Edouardiens
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/cve/1466
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author Sophie Mantrant
author_facet Sophie Mantrant
author_sort Sophie Mantrant
collection DOAJ
description In his Geography of Victorian Gothic Fiction (1999), Robert Mighall presents ‘anachronistic conflict’ as the defining feature of the mode. The resurgence of pagan gods and the discovery of a fossil race are the two main triggers of such a conflict in Arthur Machen’s supernatural tales of the Nineties. The aim of this paper is to explore how the horrifying returns articulate with the Anglo-Catholic writer’s sacramental worldview, focusing in particular on the use of the wine symbol in his texts. The Dionysian theme reverberates throughout Machen’s fiction, where the double-natured god may induce either debasement or elevation. In both cases, sacramental wine enables man to partake in the reality that lies beyond the veil of appearances.
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publisher Presses Universitaires de la Méditerranée
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series Cahiers Victoriens et Edouardiens
spelling doaj-art-261e5f10d3fc4cc8b5908dde7e6729ff2025-01-30T10:21:30ZengPresses Universitaires de la MéditerranéeCahiers Victoriens et Edouardiens0220-56102271-61492014-09-018010.4000/cve.1466Pagan Revenants in Arthur Machen’s Supernatural Tales of the NinetiesSophie MantrantIn his Geography of Victorian Gothic Fiction (1999), Robert Mighall presents ‘anachronistic conflict’ as the defining feature of the mode. The resurgence of pagan gods and the discovery of a fossil race are the two main triggers of such a conflict in Arthur Machen’s supernatural tales of the Nineties. The aim of this paper is to explore how the horrifying returns articulate with the Anglo-Catholic writer’s sacramental worldview, focusing in particular on the use of the wine symbol in his texts. The Dionysian theme reverberates throughout Machen’s fiction, where the double-natured god may induce either debasement or elevation. In both cases, sacramental wine enables man to partake in the reality that lies beyond the veil of appearances.https://journals.openedition.org/cve/1466anachronismCeltic mythologyDionysusecstasyEucharistGrail
spellingShingle Sophie Mantrant
Pagan Revenants in Arthur Machen’s Supernatural Tales of the Nineties
Cahiers Victoriens et Edouardiens
anachronism
Celtic mythology
Dionysus
ecstasy
Eucharist
Grail
title Pagan Revenants in Arthur Machen’s Supernatural Tales of the Nineties
title_full Pagan Revenants in Arthur Machen’s Supernatural Tales of the Nineties
title_fullStr Pagan Revenants in Arthur Machen’s Supernatural Tales of the Nineties
title_full_unstemmed Pagan Revenants in Arthur Machen’s Supernatural Tales of the Nineties
title_short Pagan Revenants in Arthur Machen’s Supernatural Tales of the Nineties
title_sort pagan revenants in arthur machen s supernatural tales of the nineties
topic anachronism
Celtic mythology
Dionysus
ecstasy
Eucharist
Grail
url https://journals.openedition.org/cve/1466
work_keys_str_mv AT sophiemantrant paganrevenantsinarthurmachenssupernaturaltalesofthenineties