Cross Currents in Religion and Culture

Ziolkowski, E.

Evil Children in Religion, Literature and Art explores the genesis, development, and religious significance of a literary and iconographic motif, involving a gang of urchins, usually male, who mock or assault a holy or eccentric person, typically an adult. Originating in the biblical tale of Elisha's mockery (2 Kings 2.23-24), this motif recurs in literature, hagiography, and art, from antiquity up to our own time, strikingly defying the conventional Judeo-Christian and Romantic image of the child as a symbol of innocence.

Details

Published by: Palgrave Macmillan

Publication Date: 2001-05-21

Format: Hardcover

ISBN-13: 9780333918951

DOI: 10.1057/9780230599758

Dimensions: 229cm x152cm

Pages: 253