Mnemosyne and Athena : Mary Booth, Anzac, and the language of remembrance in the First World War and after

The enduring impact of the wars of the twentieth century has given rise to an ever-expanding scholarship on grief and memory. Such sensitive material often causes us to reach for a language that does justice to the subject matter. And so, in the history of war remembrance, the ancient Greek goddess of memory, Mnemosyne, is sometimes invoked. She is more fitting still when we consider that women"”as mothers, wives, sweethearts, and sisters"”are traditionally at the heart of war remembrance. According to Jay Winter, the vast majority of war memorials gained their impetus from the people personally affected by the conflict being commemorated.1 Their language has shaped the language of remembrance.