FROM DESCENT TO CREATION – WOMEN DESCENDERS IN KATABASIS STORIES

Katabasis, the journey to the underworld and back, is a classic narrative in mythologies and modern literature around the world. However, the uniqueness of the women descenders and the connection between the underworld and femininity remain underexamined. This thesis examines the differences between men and women descenders in Katabasis narratives, including their different narrative structures, relationship with the underworld, and psychological needs in this journey. Using a comparative analysis of classical and modern katabasis narratives, this study employs a feminine perspective to examine the classic descent stories across different cultures and time periods. The student reveals the unexamined reasons why women descenders aren’t motivated to return home at the end of the story like their male counterparts. By highlighting the gendered dynamics of katabasis, this thesis challenges traditional readings and proposes a re-evaluation of women's descent narratives in myth and literature, offering new insights into creating future katabasis stories.