36th Annual Student Research Conference
Examining Depictions of Witches in Horace and Lucan Using Julia Kristeva's Theory of Abjection
Elana K. Sanders-Braxton
Dr. Bridget Thomas, Faculty Mentor
Canidia and Erichtho are prominent ‘witch’ characters featured in Roman literature. Canidia exists in Horace’s comedic Epodes (30 BCE) and Satires (35 BCE), Erichtho in Lucan’s Pharsalia (61 CE). Though they were useful plot devices, this paper explores how they might have affected Roman society using Julia Kristeva’s theory of abjection. Abjection, as defined in her essay Powers of Horror, is the reaction elicited by something that does not fit one’s concept of normalcy or order, and anything that causes abjection is considered abject. Using this definition, I explain how the two witches are considered abject and draw connections between how witches were represented in literature and their real-life counterparts: the actual women who practiced magic. Ultimately, I illustrate how Horace and Lucan, both male Roman authors, use Canidia and Erichtho to perpetuate the stigma that surrounded Roman women who practiced magic and, more broadly, demonize the practice.
Keywords: magic, women, abjection, literature, witches
Topic(s):Classics
Latin
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Session: 106-2
Location: SUB 3202
Time: 8:45