Beneath the Veil of Strange Verses by Jeremiah L. Alberg 2013 4F

In contrast, for mimesisconstrained, closure could never be achieved, because our ancestors talked in a fusion of icons, indexes and symbols. Language was both referential and symbolic.

Just as Dante pointed to a symbolic order that was beyond himself, our ancestors oriented to a world beyond themselves.  They had to be open to whatever was thrown at them.  The object was always the same, but never fixed, never petrifying.  The object was relational, personal, burning with fire yet never consumed.

As a result, there was no thing to be scandalized about.  There was no problem to be fixed.  Except of course, until civilization sent their envoys.