Reik, Theodor.

The Creation of Woman.

First Edition. New York, Geroge Brasiller, Inc., 1960. Octavo. 159 pages. Original Hardcover. Secondhand book in very good condition.

An intriguing work in “″archeological psycho-analysis”” wherein this world renowned psychoanalist and writer seeks to reconstruct the prehistory of Adam and Eve’s creation as it appears in Genesis. Making use of psychoanalytic theory, theological sources, and anthropological comparisons and analogies, Reik, in short loosely woven chapters, describes Eve’s creation saga as a distorted and displaced version of an original Semitic initiation ceremony, which itself was an essential part in the developing mythology of Adam. He considers Adam in the Creation story a much manipulated symbol of the primeval hero who originally represented the origin of Man, born from the Earth-mother. Thus he relates most of the aspects of the Genesis narrative: Adam’s deep sleep, the “″operation””, the rib, marriage to Eve, to primitive rites where rebirth, reversal of the sex roles, and loss of virginity are important parts of a puberty ritual. This volume is the last of a trilogy—Myth And Guilt (1957) and Mystery on the Mountain (1959)—in which the author attempts to uncover the origins of some of the stories in the Old Testament, and to resurrect the lost world of Semitic mythology. Providing insights into the religious and social life of the remote past, it is another probing outpost on the frontiers of archeological psychoanalysis. Not necessarily only for the specialist. Belongs wherever there is serious interest in psychology, mythology, and liberal theology. (Kirkus Reviews).

• Keywords: Mythology · Psychology · Woman
• Language: English
• Inventory Number: 400810AB

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