Epilepsy and catalepsy in Anglo-American literature between romanticism and realism: Tennyson, Poe, Eliot and Collins

Epilepsy as a key feature in two works of fantastic literature by Alfred Kubin and Hermann Weyl: With a brief review of epilepsy in fantastic literature

Among the many literary works of all styles and types referring to epilepsy, fantastic literature forms a distinct and interesting subgroup. The article draws attention to two such works belonging to early 20th century German avant-garde where epilepsy is a key feature. Of the authors, Austrian Alfred Kubin (1877-1959) was a renowned artist and illustrator whose only published (and illustrated) novel "The Other Side" (1909) can be understood as the narrative of a complex epileptic experience, perhaps a dreamy state. Of the other author, Hermann Weyl (1893-1960), very little is known. He was a Jewish neuropsychiatrist who emigrated from Nazist Germany to Argentina in 1933. His only published literary work, the novella "The Epileptic" (1927), displays high literary ambitions. The topic epilepsy provided for him the desired access to the fantastic realm, and his professionality enabled him to address with great expertise aspects as diverse as postictal psychosis and social stigmatization. Both works are, thus, valuable contributions to the tradition of epilepsy in fantastic literature. A brief review of the latter includes Edgar Allan Poe, Victor Hugo, Charles Dickens, Gustav Meyrink, Mervin Peake, Russell Hoban, Eraldo Baldini, Haruki Murakami, Adam Fawer, and Christoph Ransmayr.

Epilepsy through the ages: An artistic point of view

The historical allure of epilepsy transcends academic circles and serves as fascinating critique of the state of the times-its values, judgments, mythos, and people. Immortalized and laid bare in artistic renderings of epilepsy are societal truths, at times both disparately grandiose and grotesque. During the middle ages and Renaissance, the European discourse on epilepsy assumed religious fervor. Epilepsy was considered a demonic machination and its cure an act of divine intercession. A similar theme is found in the artistic depiction of epilepsy from the Inca and Aztec civilizations of that time. After the 19th century drew to a close, the ascendency of empiricism coincided with waning creative interest in epilepsy, with few paintings or pieces to capture insightful perspectives on the illness. In this paper, we review the relationship between art and epilepsy and present two contemporary paintings that convey current western perceptions. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Epilepsy, Art, and Creativity".