ABSTRACT
Demonized “others” in modern times are not clearly defined and pronounced as such. They belong to the fuzzy area of stereotyped perceptions, fraught with tangled emotion, surrounded by an aura which transcends the mere words and acts that go into their making. These effusive dimensions derive from the inherently compelling power of narrative, in which stereotyped “others” are the protagonists. Myths and fables, invented and related, are larger than reality and tend to have a suggestive power which transcends commonsense thinking. Storytellers know it, and so do nations, both nascent and old, who develop myths and hang on to them.
