Call for Papers

 

Special Issue Theme:

“Timeless Tales, Living Forms: Indian Myths in Art, Word, and Ritual”

 

Deadline for Submissions: 31st August 2025
 

Guest Associate Editor:

Sneha Biswas,

Assistant Professor of English at Amity University, Patna

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Erothanatos invites scholarly contributions for a special issue focused on “Timeless Tales, Living Forms: Indian Myths in Art, Word, and Ritual”. This issue seeks to explore the richness and plurality of Indian mythic traditions as they manifest and reimagine themselves across visual, literary, and performative arts.

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From the cosmic narratives of the Vedas and the epics of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana to the localized stories embedded in tribal lore, oral ballads, vernacular performances, and modern and contemporary literature, Indian myth continues to shape and reshape India’s creative and cultural consciousness. This issue aims to investigate how these myths are interpreted, contested, or reinvented in contemporary and classical contexts.

 

Suggested Sub-Themes (but not limited to):

• Re-readings and Re-telling of Indian epics and Puranic myths in modern literature

• Re-presentation and Re-interpretation of Myth in Literature, Art, and Folk Traditions

• (Re-)Contextualising Myth in the Contemporary World

• Patriarchal Discourse in the Re-presentation of Myth

• Myth as resistance in Dalit, Adivasi, or feminist writings

• Marginalisation and Dalit perspectives on Indian mythology

• Feminist reinterpretations of mythological characters

• Objectification or Empowerment of Women

• Queer Studies of Myth

• Regional retellings and oral traditions: myths in Advaita, Bhakti, Sufi, Baul, or tribal traditions

• Myth and visual culture: reinterpretations in painting, sculpture, film, and digital media

• Intersections of myth and regional traditions

• Myth in Popular Culture

• Folk theatre and ritual performance (e.g., Yakshagana, Therukoothu, Chhau) as mythic storytelling

• Comparative mythology: cross-cultural parallels and divergences

• Ecological and cosmological dimensions of Indian myths

• Mythological symbolism in sacred texts and their literary influence

• Treatments of gods, avatars, and sages in Literature, art, and folk tradition

• Nation-building and the Mythic Imagination

• The politics of myth-making: nationalism, identity, and historical revision

• Rewriting mythology in speculative fiction or graphic novels

• Caste, gender, and sexuality in mythic narratives

• Myth as a tool of cultural identity

• Folk tales and tribal myths in Indian literature

• Myth in regional epics like Silappatikaram, Chandi Mangala, Manasamangal, etc.

• Deconstruction of Myth in Hypertexts

• Folklore to Myth and Myth to Folklore

• Mytheme: Patterns of Interpretive/Structural Factors

• Ecocritical and Ecofeminist Ideas in Myth

• Problematising Mythic/Traditional Status Quo

• Overlapping Myths

• Mythic Characters as Pattens and Symbols

• Social Discrimination/Hierarchy in Myth

 

Submission Guidelines:

• Submissions should be original, unpublished research papers between 3,000–6,000 words, including references.

• All citations should follow the MLA 9th.

• Submissions must be sent in .doc/.docx format with a short bio (100 words) and abstract (200 words).

Email your paper to editor.erothanatos@gmail.com with the subject line: “Timeless Tales, Living Forms: Indian Myths in Art, Word, and Ritual” – [Author’s Name].

 

Each submission should be accompanied by the author’s declaration that the submission has not been sent elsewhere nor has it been considered for publication in other journals or by other publishing agencies. The author must also give consent to Erothanatos for online publication and The Alternative for publishing in Book form.

 

Copyright and Licensing:

For this special issue, Erothanatos/The Alternative shall retain copyright ownership of all published contents. Notwithstanding, should any content not be republished in any other form within a period of one (1) year from the date of the issue’s publication, copyright in said content shall automatically revert to the respective author without the need for further action or notification

Editorial Review and Publication:

All submissions will undergo double-blind peer review and Plagiarism Checker (Turnitin). Selected papers will be published in the special issue of Erothanatos, Volume 9 Issue 3 with CrossRef DOI.

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Publication Fees:

500INR or 6USD

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Publication fees include a DOI charge, Plagiarism Checking, and Article Processing Fee.

Fees are only to be paid after preliminary selection and the submissions may be rejected if they are found to be plagiarized. However, Erothanatos will give scope to edit/rephrase/change the submission.

 

For further queries or clarifications, please contact the editorial board at editor.erothanatos@gmail.com

We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions and to furthering the discourse on myth and its enduring influence on Indian cultural traditions.