Myth-Novel" by G. Swift: Genesis and reception of fenland mythology

Abstract

The aim of the proposed research is to identify the reasons for the emergence of Fenland mythology, which defines the cognitive thinking and life cycle of characters in the novel "Waterland" by G. Swift. The article raises the question of the subjective perception of Fenland myth, which may vary depending on the individual. The author offers the following typology of myth recipients for consideration: the first type of people turns stories into gossip, the second transforms the "magical land" for practical purposes, and the third secularizes the religious beliefs of the Fens. The reason why the main character, the teacher Tom Crick, rejects mythological thinking in his youth but later explains to his students the peculiarities and unwritten rules of Fenian mythology, is explained. The scientific novelty lies in the author's identification, based on the work "Waterland," of the patterns of the relationship between Fenian mythology and the "grand history" of the world; the nuances of the influence of mythology on history and vice versa are explained; the historical root causes of the emergence of tales and gossip are revealed. The results of the study show that, firstly, legends arise in the consciousness of Fens during contemplation of the emptiness of the "flat Fens"; secondly, subjective perception of the myth depends on a person's connection to historical reality; thirdly, teacher Crick mentally returns to the beginning of his life (to the myths) to try to rid his students of the horror of the "end of history."