This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Basically, I agree with M. Eliade's use of the term “traditional” and his delimitation of its scope on the opening page of Cosmos and History. "The premodern or 'traditional' societies include both the world usually known as 'primitive' and the ancient cultures of Asia, Europe, and America" (p. 3). However, in order to avoid any misunderstanding, I should state that I do not wish to suggest that such societies are based upon long-held traditions which have remained unaltered throughout their history. Thus, I would not endorse any view which considered 'traditional' societies to be culturally retarded, unpragmatic, or, even worse, backwards. Finally, I do not understand the ‘traditional’ as a particularly 'primitive' cultural stage which is transcended as man moves into an age of rationality and scientific self-consciousness. Indeed, what should become clearer in the course of this essay is that the ‘traditional’ in man is never fully extinguished, not even in the most technologically advanced civilization.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Krolick, S.W. Gesture and myth: A phenomenological reflection on myth and traditional culture. Man and World 14, 201–221 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01248471
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01248471