Glossary of Katabatic Terms
Allegory
Best described as a metaphor run amok, or an extended symbolic
comparison. Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" in Republic 7 is probably
the most famous: human perception of reality is compared to viewing
shadows created by others holding objects between a bright fire and the
cave wall. Dante's Inferno is an excellent example of a religious
allegory.
Alter ego
Latin for "another I." Term for a character who is a near equivalent of
another character, usually the protagonist. For example, Enkidu is
expressly created as an alter ego for Gilgamesh. The Nose may be an
alter ego for Major Kovalyov; alternatively, it may not be. Dwayne
Hoover and Kilgore Trout are alter egos in Breakfast of Champions;
Vonnegut becomes their alter ego when he enters into the text.
Anabasis
Greek for an "upward journey." A term for a return from a katabasis.
Archetype
A universally recognized symbol or term or pattern of behavior, a
prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated. For
purposes of this class, it refers primarily to personality types such as the Mother Figure, the Bartender, and the Dead Dude.
Bartender
Dispenser of drinks and good (usually unheeded, though) advice to
katabatic heroes passing through. Often connected with a liminal
experience.
Epic Poetry
Originally a term for poetry composed by non-literate poets for
non-literate audiences on a serious topic: often a great mythological
or historical (or both) event. Epic poetry is by nature repetitive
because neither the epic poet nor the audience have access to writing.
The repetitions are literally the poetic building blocks of the entire
story. Originally, epic poetry was "made from scratch" every time the
epic poet began singing: despite the poetic building blocks, human
nature (e.g. memory failure, inspiration) invariably caused variations.
Gilgamesh, the Iliad, and the Odyssey are examples of true epic poetry: they existed in oral form before they were written down. The Aeneid and the Inferno, however, were conceived and constructed as written epic poetry.
Liminal Experience
From the Latin limen, meaning "threshold." Usually a "point of no
return" crossed by the katabatic hero on route to his or her
destination. May or may not be a physical feature.
Mesopotamians
The common name for a number of ancient civilizations which arose in
"Mesopotamia" (the land between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates in
modern day Iraq). Also a really cool song by They Might Be Giants.
Metaphor
A metaphor uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a
less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea. The best and
probably best example is "Life is a road."
Monomyth
Joseph Campbell's term for the hero's quest.
Parable
A short, concise story which explains a concept via an analogy. The
parable of the Good Shepherd (Matthew 18:12–14 and Luke 15:3–7) does
not state that God is employed as a shepherd, but describes God's love
in terms of a shepherd searching for a stray sheep in a storm.
Utnapishtim's story of the Great Flood is in effect a parable, which
Gilgamesh pretty much misses entirely.
Psychopomp
Conductor of souls to the world of the dead; Hermes is a good example
from Greek mythology. The term can also be used of a guide, which is
the role Vergil plays for Dante in the Inferno.
Psychopomp
explicit