Resurgence comes from the Latin word resurgere, meaning to rise again, through the combination of re- (again or back)  and surgere (to rise or to lift).  It entered the English language in the late 1700s from the adjective resurgent combined with the noun suffix -ance.  

According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the noun resurgence was first used in English in 1798 meaning the act of rising again.  The word surge first appeared in English as a noun in 1490 in a text translated and printed by William Caxton, and as a verb in 1511 in the travel book Pylgrymage of Richarde Guylforde. 

The resurgence of resurgence in storytelling—the thematic return, renewal, and reclamation of suppressed voices, cultural identities, and traditional narrative arcs—matters because it drives cultural survival, personal healing, and systemic power shifts.  

Cultural and Community Healing:  
Reclaiming identity: Allows marginalized groups, especially Indigenous and oppressed communities, to practice narrative sovereignty by telling their own truths rather than living under colonial or outsider myths.  
Intergenerational repair: Uses traditional stories, oral histories, and mythic frameworks to process and heal from collective or historical trauma.  
Restoring connection: Reconnects modern audiences and divided communities to the land, ancient wisdom, and nature-based values.  

Shifting Power Dynamics:  
Beyond reconciliation: Moves past institutional "reconciliation" efforts that often prioritize the comfort of dominant groups, signaling a true shift in cultural prominence and power toward local and native voices.   
Challenging status quo: Forces dominant cultural structures to question long-held assumptions by reintroducing forgotten histories and alternative ways of living.

Just the facts:

RESURGENCE Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

RESURGENCE Synonyms: 23 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus

RESURGENCY Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

RESURGENCY Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

44 minutes ago, drpaladin said:

Tides and seasons are examples of resurgence.

The phrase "they come and they go" (or "come and go") means that people, things, or situations appear for a short time, leave, and do not stay permanent. It describes a continuous cycle of arriving and departing, or things that start and stop repeatedly.

44 minutes ago, sandrewn said:

The phrase "they come and they go" (or "come and go") means that people, things, or situations appear for a short time, leave, and do not stay permanent. It describes a continuous cycle of arriving and departing, or things that start and stop repeatedly.

That sounds like my train!

8 minutes ago, drpaladin said:

For some it could describe their job placement.

I've worked in places where people appear for a short time, do not stay permanent and leave. Often in management!