Manifestations of the mythical symbol in Ibrahim Al-Koni’s novels “The Gold” and “The Bleeding of the Stone” as an example

Abstract

Myth is one of the oldest forms of human thought, used by primitive man to explain mysterious phenomena such as good and evil, life and death, existence and nothingness. Myths reflect man's religious and social concerns and fears, and embody the struggle between the forces of good and evil that influence his life and destiny. Myths are an essential part of shaping the consciousness of primitive societies, reflecting their values, aspirations and existential questions. In addition to its explanatory role in nature, it has become a cultural and artistic element that enriches literature with philosophical symbolism. In modern Arabic literature, myth has been used in a distinctive way with the intellectual and political transformations of the twentieth century. Many writers used it to reimagine reality from new angles, combining the past with the future. It added a creative touch to the Arabic fiction text and gave the novel a poetic depth that expresses issues such as identity and the eternal struggle between good and evil. This paper sheds light on the concept of myth and its artistic and aesthetic dimensions in Arabic novels, based on the works of Ibrahim Al-Koni