ABSTRACT
It is time now to delve into some of the myths which gain their shape from association with rituals. As I write there seems to be a growing acceptance that this approach to myth is delivering results. But the reader should be warned that the acceptance is not universal, despite the enthusiasm of the author (my Death and the Maiden (1989) is devoted above all to the area outlined in chapter 7.1 below). There are, I think, two objections. The first is that the method involves too much speculation and guesswork.1 The second is that, even if the method does deliver results, it tells us about the prehistoric significance of the myth and not what it meant to Greeks of classical times. Of course, I myself think it makes sense, reaches a sufficient level of proof and coherence and explains much, but readers will have to judge for themselves the plausibility and interest of this approach.
