Theodor Däubler’s Intercultural Mythopoetry

Abstract

Whereas the German-Austrian poet Theodor Däubler (1875-1934) is generally regarded as an expressionist, the paper is trying to go beyond this cliché by interpreting him as an outstanding modern representative of mythopoetry. Däubler is thereby discussed within the frame of alternative, uncanonized discourses upon myths and modern poetry in the first half of the 20th century, represented, for instance, by Rudolf Pannwitz, one of Däubler’s best pen friends and connoisseurs. The paper also discusses some of Däubler’s mythical poems as well as his essay on Delos, emphasizing his mediating role between modern German and ancient Mediterranean (Greek) cultural spaces. Finally, some of the major aspects of Däubler’s project on Greece, as revealed mainly on the grounds of his manuscripts, will be taken into consideration.