SRE WHITE GODDESS mn s } e AAW ie . i ROBERT GRAVESlegend, religion and magic. — - Syl ogeyipap ene rigstnrs 4 a bewildering labyrinth of primitive myth which is fascinating reading for its own sake. But Frazer’s great work is somewhat paradoxically named: Frazer was a rationalist, and therefore comes to no conclusions except those which rationalism expects to find. Itis Mr Graves who is a true follower of Aeneas into the nether world, He pursues, certainly, an erratic path through this haunted jungle, and often turns aside to examine the supernatural fauna and flora on the way. But in the end he leads the reader to some startling conclusions. The ‘White Goddess’ is a terrifying and protean deity who has taauy names; she is Astarte or Luna; she has her place in every religion and every demonology. Perhaps she is that ‘queen of air and darknes:’ whom Housman addressed in the most mystify.: _ cf his poems: certainly she is especially necessary and fatal for poets, whom she inspires and destroys. ‘A ree ee through which scholarship and inspiration walk, for once, hand in hand.’ JAMES LAVER in The Sunday Times “Mr Robert Graves is one of the few really significant poets writing in English today. . . . His latest book is in the nature of a direct ex- position of certain ideas about primitive myth and rcligious origins. . . . A book of great interest and importance.’ New English Weekly ROBERT GRAVES a historical grammar myth THE WHITE GODDESS Scanned by GrouchieQ Q O o fy = =