The first article which caught my eye was about lurid Greek antecedents of the Cinderella story. I may return to it.
The second was about ghost hoaxing and supernaturalism in the late nineteenth century in western Australia. It seems that, much as in the England of the same period, there was great interest in ghosts, something to do with both the decline of established religion in the face of the rise of science and the decline of the old established order more generally. Not to say the absence of any established order in, say, the gold-rushes and gold-fields of Australia, in particular in and around the town of Ballarat, a name previously connected with 'The Last Enemy' episode of Morse of 1989. Not to mention the need for entertainment in such places.
Much fun was to be had from dressing up as a ghost and charging around town at night. This might just be a bit of fun or it might be cover for some criminal activity or other, but it seems that the otherwise sober citizens of the town liked to play along. They might deny believing in ghosts, but by playing along, they satisfied some underlying need, a Jungian flavoured need on this account. Perhaps in much the same way as we vicariously satisfy all kinds of unsavoury impulses from fiction generally - be it in the form of books, plays or films. While Huxley in 'Brave New World' suggests just getting an injection to achieve the same endocrinal purpose - less both the mayhem and the fun.
Along the way, I picked up a reference to a song about the drover's boy, what seems to be a rather soft focus version of the use of aboriginal women for comfort purposes by cattle drovers far from the comforts of home. Much the same, I suppose, as the use of aboriginal women in the Wild West by trappers and other marginals. As a result of which, I am now the owner of a children's book, once the property of Brighton & Hove library, called 'The Drover's Boy' by Messrs. Egan and Ingpen, a fiver or so from ebay, instead of the £30 or so that amazon seemed to want. With youtube giving the sung version for free.
And another reference to a short book about myths by Robert Segal in the 'very short introduction' series from Oxford, a series which I had not come across before. An upmarket version of the Observer's Books recently noticed at reference 2 - and two of which, as I recall, were my first two, self-selected secondary school prizes. They also worked as collectibles. But so far, this short book has not been not a particularly good read; more a catalogue of the various scholars who have attempted, over the years, to tie the business of myth down. Although, that said, I have been usefully reminded of the importance of the agricultural element in such matters - which should not have been necessary given my occasional forays into Frazer's 'Golden Bough'. Plus, while this small book is pretty enough from the outside, its page design and typeface on the inside are not, not up to the usual Oxford standard at all. Maybe it will get better as I go through the second half, another 75 small pages.
PS: facebook offers a Jacinta Morse from Ballarat, while google offers a Morse Engineering from the same town. Maybe Dexter knew his Australia - or maybe I should have regard to the note at the end of reference 1. The illustration of Jacinta Morse and friends seems to be more or less open access, so it is hopefully fair to reproduce it here. It seemed rather appropriate.
Reference 1: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/senior-recognition.html.
Reference 2: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/bragg-and-son.html.
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