Orpheus and Eurydice in Myth, History, and Analytical Psychology: Loss, Longing, and Self-Awareness

This fascinating study shows how the minor Greek story of Orpheus and Eurydice came to have a more persistent and varied impact on Western culture than any other Greek myth. In the last 2,000 years, it has captivated the imagination of successive ages. Writers and other artists have turned to it to explore unexpectedly diverse concerns, from classical philosophy, through Christian values, to challenges involving individual psychology and societal well-being.

Dawson’s study of the mythic imag...