Time exploitation in Destroying Myths
Unlike the first part of Brutal Myths, Destroying Myths is much
shorter and lower in examples. In one case, Ladies' Mantle, there is not even a single
example to support the thesis : this plant relieves men's desire to return to the mantle of
woman's womb.
Every presentation of myths in Destroying Myths follows the same structure.
It can be divided in two parts :
The first part were examples are used to support the thesis of the plant's property. Except
for
Comfrey, use of the example of Don Juan (set in the 14th century), and Ladies' Mantle (no
example used), all the examples are contemporary examples, set just before 1996.
Chaste Tree which chastens men's fears of control of lust, illustrated by the story of Douglas
Krout, a child abuser (contemporary).
All Heal, which is said to heal all obsessions to prove manhood, is illustrated by the story of
Grant Butcher, a professional fighter whom, for refusing to stop fighting, ended up at 37 with
serious brain atrophy.
Heartsease which eases the heart's fear of Castration, has the example of John Wayne
Bobbitt, whose cut his penis after being raped by him (1993).
Motherwort which binds significance of fatherhood with motherhood, receives the example
of Susan Smith, who drowned her children, after suffering of abuses by her step-father, as a
child (1995).
Lovage which is said to support the certainty of paternity, gets as an example the case of
Larry Hillblom who died without specifying any children in his will. Several children from
Asian Pacific islands claimed to be illegitimate children, and sued in order to inherits
Hillblom's millions (1995).
Again, the shortness of the explanations can be easily understood by the simultaneity
between the events and the publishing of the hypertext.
The illustrations of the second part never change. They consist of a pagan figurine
(impossible to situate) an of a 13th century miniature. The miniature is actually extracted
from De Diversis Herbis, by Hippocrates. The caption says that it represents the
"Preparation of a medical potion derived from certain herbs". Hippocrates (460 BC ? 370 BC)
was a famous Greek physician and one of the most outstanding figure of the history of
medicine. Considered as the Father of Medicine, his oath is used by physicians when
graduating to swear that they will respect a certain number of rules when treating a patient.
His medicine was of course based on the use of plants.
By just showing us a picture and mentioning the name of Hippocrates, the writers
remember the reader that since the dawn of times, man used plants to heal wounds. Instead
of using plants of which we know their curative properties, the writers of the Malleus
Maleficarum based their thesis on plants of which everyone knows they are poisonous,
such as the Deadly Nightshade (the Belladonna). But as in every brainwash, people only
remember one part of the story, usually not the better one.
So as we can see Destroying Myths is divided in two parts. Firstly, a contemporary example of
the plant's property, and then a destruction of the myths by going back in the past, before
Christianity, when erudites did not "invented" properties to suit their beliefs, but really
practiced a
scientific-based medicine.
Introduction
Time exploitation in Brutal Myths' first
part (1)
Time exploitation in Brutal Myths' first
part (2)
Time exploitation in Brutal Myths'
Introductions
Conclusion
Return to Second Paper : Second Paper
Academic year 2008/2009
© a.r.e.a./Dr.Vicente Forés López
© Charlotte Fernandez
charfer@alumni.uv.es
Universitat de Valčncia Press