Between the Lyre and the Cauldron: Music and Magic in the Expedition of the Argonauts

Abstract

 From the study of the poetics of exile related to the myth of Medea, it seemed natural to the recurrent presence, but not coincidentally, the pair mythical Orpheus and Medea in the Argonautica of Apollonius of Rhodes. Both have magical powers: he, the art of music; her handling of the herbs. Both also participate in establishing or mysteries: her priestess of Hecate, he, the priest of Apollo. Are complementary opposites, fundamental to the success of the expedition of the Argonauts. Apart from reading mythical, we propose a reading and critical interpretive analysis from the work of Jacques Derrida, Plato's Pharmacy (2005), which treats the scripture and the word associated with it, notably ambiguous pharmakon. This comes from a myth, the myth Theuth treated in the dialogue Phaedrus, Plato. In addition to Derrida, the philosopher resume another author, basing our study: Alberto Bernabé with Plato and Orphism: dialogues between religion and philosophy. The exhibition should also have two methodological devices: the historiography and analytical psychology, especially the alchemical approach, from reading The secret gold flower: a book of Chinese life, from C. G. Jung and R. Wilhelm.