解析魔法陣：閱讀英美怪談文學中的超自然元素

Abstract

在〈Supernatural Horror in Literature〉中，H. P. 洛夫克拉夫特建立了怪談文學的基礎概念：怪談文學中必須包含面對超自然、未知的恐懼。由於 Arthur Machen 和 Algernon Blackwood 兩位著名怪談小說作家皆受到維多利雅時期神秘學的影響，魔法對怪談文學來說並不是單單奇幻要素，更具有其發展時代及文化脈絡內涵。本研究旨在探究三位作者各自與神秘學符號和神秘學知識的關係，還原該時期神秘學文化之於怪談創作的影響。

With “Supernatural Horror in Literature,” Howard Phillips Lovecraft lays down the basic concepts for the weird tale; for a story to be considered a weird tale, it must feature a specific kind of fear instilled by the unknown. With two key figures of the weird tale, Arthur Machen and Algernon Blackwood, evidently inspired by Victorian occultism, magic in weird tales are likely more than simply fantasy-generating allusions, further inspection of its historical and cultural context is thus required. This project aims to contextualize weird tales composed by three aforementioned authors through their individual relationship with occult symbols and occult knowledge.