Book Description
"Since the Bible left little room for speculation on prehistory - in fact, no room at all for the concept itself - this study concentrates on myth and legend outside of the biblical context and on those who conjured prehistory out of these sources. A subtle conflict between belief and skepticism emerges from these pages, as Ferguson reveals how some Renaissance writers struggled with the ancient explanations that flouted reason and experience, while others sidestepped such doubts by relating prehistory to man's social evolution. By isolating and analyzing such topics as euhemerism (the interpretation of myths as traditional accounts of historical events and persons), skepticism, rationalism, and poetic history, Ferguson clarifies Renaissance attempts to find in poetic expression a way of "mediating" between a version of the past preserved in myth and legend and one that might square with historical scholarship." "Written in an accessible and eloquent style, Utter Antiquity illuminates the development of historical consciousness in early modern England, and, in doing so, contributes significantly to an understanding of the Renaissance mind."--BOOK JACKET.
