Musings on Muses

Hey guys, RJ here. Decided to write a post myself, seeing as Megan's been doing all the talking around here. While Meg has been telling stories about heroes and gods, I'm probably going to be sticking to monsters and deities. Is that a little more difficult? Yes. Is it still going to be fun? Yes. So here it is: An Intro to the Muses.

The Muses were nine women who were said to literally be inspiration. Not the goddesses of inspiration, but inspiration itself. The Muses were not only the source of human knowledge, but the lifeblood of art. Each Muse had a specific art form attributed to them. For example, Polyhymnia was the inspiration for choral songs (the word hymn derives from her name), Thalia the Muse of comedy (I find it ironic that Rick Riordan named a punk, cold daughter of Zeus after the goddess of comedy), and Terpsichore (love that name) had domain over dance.

The word 'muse' in the English language means to meditate upon or to think about reflectively. Alternately, it can be to comment on something thoughtfully, something you see a lot on blog descriptions (musings on [topic] like ours). The most obvious example of the Muses' influence on our lingo is in 'music' one of the Greeks' favorite art forms. In fact, it's fitting that my all-time favorite band is the English
alternative rock band Muse.

The Muses are that little idea that you get while brainstorming, the spark of inspiration that could lead to anything from a novel to a scientific discovery. This itself says a lot about Greek culture. As Meg so eloquently put it, it shows the Greeks considered art so special and incredible that it could only be divinely inspired. The thing that really sets the Greeks apart from the Romans is the fact that they looked at culture in a much richer fashion, as a meeting ground between humanity and divinity. The Romans simply liked power, which I can respect, but what the Greeks valued is what makes me like them so much.

The Muses' power was not limited to the fine arts. Clio was the goddess of history, inspiring the great myth writers and historians to record events in the past and present. Urania was the goddess of astronomy. A little specific? Yes. But with her symbols a globe and compass, I'm going to hazard a guess that she had a hand in cartography, the art of making maps. She is always depicted looking toward the heavens, her name literally meaning 'heavens' and she can predict the future by the alignment of the stars. Yes, even horoscope writers have a Muse.

The Muses also represent human knowledge. In a way they are one of the most prominent bridges between the gods and the Earth, aside from demigods. They leak knowledge from the divine to the human, and kindle in them a passion to share it with the world. They are a bit like Prometheus bringing fire to the human race, but a little more... legal. Being divine themselves, they understand how much the human race can and can't handle.

For reference, here are short summaries of each of the nine Muses' functions and symbols.

Calliope
Occupation: Muse of epic poetry
Emblem: Writing tablet
Bio: Calliope, meaning "beautiful voice," was the daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Being the Muse of epic poetry, and was said to be Homer's Muse, inspiring the Iliad and the Odyssey. Her sons were Linus, the inventor of melody and rythmn, and Orpheus, the great musician, and one of the few heroes ever to escape the Underworld. Calliope is considered to be the wisest of the Muses.

Clio
Occupation: Muse of history
Emblem: Scrolls
Bio: Clio, meaning "recount" or "make famous," is the inspiration of historians. Like historians, Clio was not famous herself, but was rather the one making others famous.

Erato
Occupation: Muse of love poetry
Emblem: Cithara (similar to a lyre)
Bio: Erato, meaning "desired" or "lovely," was the muse of love poetry and, as the name suggests, erotic poetry. According to one legend, her supposed tomb on the island of Samos was a pilgrimage site for star-crossed lovers.

Euterpe
Occupation: Muse of song
Emblem: Aulos (similar to a flute)
Bio: Euterpe, meaning "rejoicing" or "bringer of delight," was given the role of the Muse of Music. She was also accredited to lyric poetry in Classical times, making her one of the biggest outlets of creative energy today.

Melpomene
Occupation: Muse of tragedy
Emblem: Tragic mask (the frowny one in the theatre symbol)
Bio: Melpomene, meaning "melodious," is known best to be the Muse of tragic theatre, though was originally the Muse of singing, hence the name. Her realm is the inspiration on the dark half of theatre, her counterpart being Thalia, Muse of comic theatre. It was customary to invoke her favor at the beginning of a tragic play.

Polyhymnia
Occupation: Muse of hymns
Emblem: Veil
Bio: Polyhymnia, meaning "many hymns," was is a pensive Muse whose mysterious power was of sacred literature and hymn. Polyhymnia is a character sometimes used in popular culture. A fun fact is that Madeline L'Engle named her fictional character Polly O'Keefe loosely after the Muse Polyhymnia.

Terpsichore
Occupation: Muse of Dance
Emblem: Lyre
Bio: Terpsichore, meaning "delight in dancing," is the Muse of dance and dramatic chorus. She is depicted playing background music with a lyre for a chorus, and is the mother of the Sirens in some myths.

Thalia
Occupation: Muse of comic theatre
Emblem: Comic mask (the smiley one)
Bio: Thalia, meaning "to flourish," is the Muse of comedy. A common Muse nowadays, Thalia is portrayed wearing a crown of ivy and holding an actor's trumpet, which was used to amplify actors' voices.

Urania
Occupation: Muse of Astronomy
Emblem: Globe and Compass
Bio: (see above section on Urania)



As you can see, the Greeks emphasized art in the fullest, with many songs and poems asking for the help of the Muses in their lyrics or their verse. If the gods really have moved with the West, nowadays' Muses are in movies, art, architecture, and music (though I don't think Justin Beiber got the proper intercession. Poor guy.)

See ya guys later, hope you liked my first attempt at describing myths to you. Have good summers,
RJ

The Odyssey: Part 1--Calypso's Island

Greetings, fellow mythology lovers! We are about to embark on an epic quest--a journey through the story of Odysseus, a mortal beloved by Athena, and his long travel home from Troy. We will encounter vicious monsters, magic spells, the wrath of gods, and the temptation of beautiful women. Will Odysseus ever make it home to his dear Penelope in one piece? There's only one way to find out: let's dive into Homer's The Odyssey!

Because this is such a long and convoluted story, I'm going to tell it in parts--and the tale itself is structured kind of episodically anyway--and it'll be more of an abridged version. The epic poem is attributed to a blind wandering poet named Homer (all Greek myths began as oral traditions, which is why there are varying accounts of them), who also wrote The Iliad--The Odyssey is, in fact, the sequel to The Iliad, which recounts the tale of the Trojan War.

I hope you enjoy our retelling of this tale--peppered with romance, adventure, and daring heroism--though of course, I am no Homer, and I do recommend reading at least parts of the real Odyssey yourself (most translations are easier to read than Shakespeare or Beowulf, while still preserving some pretty poetic language).

Our story begins on a peaceful island in the Mediterranean called Ogygia (oh-JEE-jee-uh). The pristine beach was of white sand; the sparkling sea was empty as far as the eye could see. A beautiful Nereid named Calypso, who had soft eyes and a kind face, was singing softly and tending to her garden beside the cave she lived in. Suddenly, looking up, she saw something flying across the horizon, skimming the clear water, towards her little island. Was it a bird? No. Shading her eyes, she realized it was the god Hermes, come to visit her.

She smiled and welcomed him to her home, offering him ambrosia and nectar after his long journey from Olympus, happy to see a friendly face. Calypso, being a Titan's daughter, was banished to this island, and--idyllic and peaceful as it was--she was lonely.

Hermes, however, was not there for a social call, but had a message for her from Zeus.

"Zeus knows that you keep Odysseus here, Calypso, and he sent me to tell you that you must let him go."

Calypso, flushing, insisted that she had never prevented Odysseus from leaving if he wanted to, that he was not a prisoner. Hermes sympathized with her loneliness--Calypso had such a softness to her that it was difficult not to feel sorry for her--but reiterated that Odysseus had a journey to complete, and a family to return to, a family that believed him to be dead.

Calypso thought back to the day that a handsome but battered-looking man had washed up on the shore of her island. His ship was destroyed, and his crew lost at sea, and she had nursed him back to health. He was remarkably clever, and a fearless soldier who had clearly endured many trials--things he did not speak of, and she dared not ask him about. She had not expected, however, to fall in love with him. Though it was true that she had never forced Odysseus to stay with her, she feared the day that he would gather enough resolve to leave her. Every night, he would succumb to her charms and lie with her--and every morning, weep with remorse and regret. This had gone on for seven years.

She knew, however, that no matter how attracted to her Odysseus might be, he pined for his home and his family more. Every so often, he would seem to look right past her and see her instead: Penelope, his wife. Calpyso sighed. She knew it was Penelope that Odysseus truly loved and belonged to.

Hermes seemed to understand the conclusion she had come to. "If you truly love him, Calypso," he said, "you will let him go. It is not his destiny to be with you forever."

Reluctantly, with tears in her eyes, she agreed. With her magic, she created a raft that would see Odysseus safely to dry land. She knew that once he left this island, he could never find it again--but that was as it should be. Assured that Calpyso was resolved on following Zeus's command, Hermes left.

Odysseus left Ogygia with a conflicted heart, sailing towards the vast horizon not knowing when or where he might alight. But, though Calpyso watched him go from the shore, he did not look back.

Where will Odysseus land? How did he come to be so far from home, with no ship or crew? Tune in next time for the second installment of...THE ODYSSEY.

Under the Sea...

Whew, it's been a long time! Sorry, guys, I did not mean to neglect the mythological world for so long, but work has been crazy.

But it's finally truly summer, and last weekend the family went to the beach for the first time of the season. (Blessed as we are to live in West Michigan, where the summers are hot and humid, and a myriad of lovely beaches are just an hour away, our family has always been part fish.) The night before that, Finding Nemo was on TV, and the song "Beyond the Sea" came on my Frank Sinatra Pandora channel. (Love that song. So classy.) At last, I had to conclude: Poseidon is stalking me.

Actually, I'm surprised (and fortunate) that a rip tide did not swallow me in Lake Michigan for practically skipping over this very-important Olympian--I mean, I gabbed on and on about Zeus and Hades, but Poseidon scarcely got a word in edgewise there. Granted, Lake Michigan is fresh water, so maybe it was outside the sea-god's jurisdiction, but...

Allow me to rectify this.

Poseidon is the middle child of Kronos and Rhea, brother of Zeus and Hades. The three of them being the most powerful of the gods, they are generally referred to as a trio since their powers represent the three aspects of the world besides the terrestrial earth itself (air, sea, and underground). When the three were divvying up the world after the Titan War, Poseidon was fairly satisfied with his lot, because he feels perfectly at home in the sea and gets a certain degree of autonomy from Zeus. The sea was very important to the Greeks, given that the country is composed mainly of coast and hundreds of tiny islands, so Poseidon was widely revered, and there are many statues and temples dedicated to him. (The Romans, on the other hand, were afraid of the sea and had a comparatively pitiful navy, so Neptune was generally avoided rather than invoked.)

The God of the Sea--sometimes called "Earthshaker" and "Stormbringer" because he is responsible for earthquakes and hurricanes--lives in a spectacular underwater palace decorated with shells, sunken treasure, and countless pearls. He usually appears as a bearded man holding a Trident, his three-pronged spear and symbol of power.
He is married to a mermaid named Amphitrite, but much like his younger brother he is not what you'd call husband of the year. Some famous heroes, such as Theseus (slayer of the Minotaur), Orion (the hunter), and more recently the plucky young Percy Jackson, are his children. Strangely enough, the Cyclopes, the one-eyed giants who work in Poseidon's underwater forges, are his children too--sometimes children of gods and nature spirits turn out a little...messed up.

This explains Poseidon's less-than-favorable involvement in The Odyssey. He is famous for his attempts to thwart the hero Odysseus in his journey through the Mediterranean, enraged that the mortal blinded his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus. Zeus, however, approved of Odysseus' action and protected him, because Polyphemus had broken the strict code of hospitality by betraying his own guest. This only added to the friction between Zeus and Poseidon.

Poseidon and Zeus, like many brothers who are close in age, are known for their rivalry. It's always a competition with them--who can have the most spectacular disasters, who can sleep with the most ladies... Both are known for their fiery tempers and obstinacy, but Poseidon I imagine to be a little less stern than his brother, a little more friendly. Poseidon, much like the sea itself, is a complicated and ever-changing god, sometimes cruel and vengeful, an unstoppable force, and sometimes benevolent and helpful.

Even more famous than his rivalry with Zeus, however, is his bitter enmity with Athena, the goddess of wisdom. The two of them are polar opposites, so their competition is truly a battle of philosophies: reason versus emotion, logic versus passion. Athena never allows her emotional reactions to get in the way of what needs to be done, and can make any sacrifice necessary to win, but Poseidon's strength and weakness lies in his capacity to feel. This epic, allegorical struggle between head and heart is evident in The Odyssey: Odysseus, being very clever, is taken under Athena's wing, while Poseidon constantly tries to delay his journey home.

But how did such a bitter rivalry begin, you ask? Well, how did the Capulets become so angry with the Montagues? Actually, the competition began when a great city in Greece was trying to decide on a godly patron, Poseidon or Athena. The two gods gave the city gifts--Poseidon, an intricate salt water fountain; Athena, the olive tree. Seeing how useful the olive tree would be (in fact, olive oil is what made Ancient Greece the richest civilzation of its time), the citizens triumphantly chose Athena as their protector, and named their city--Athens--after her.

This did not sit well with Poseidon, obviously. Later, in retaliation, he and his girlfriend Medusa snuck into Athena's temple as though it were a Lover's Lane. When Athena caught them, because she couldn't do anything directly to Poseidon, she cursed Medusa and her sisters by turning them into hideous beings, the Gorgons. Medusa became so ugly that all who looked on her would turn to stone.

Despite their differences, Poseidon and Athena did collaborate peacefully on one occasion, to make something truly spectacular: the chariot. Poseidon created horses out of the sea foam (and is therefore referred to as the Father of Horses), and Athena, always the inventor, created the chariot. A perfect combination!

To conclude, I've always liked Poseidon. Like the sea, he's sometimes a little hard to read, sometimes dangerous, sometimes friendly, essentially benevolent, and more deserving of respect than fear. I actually think the Greeks were on the right track with this view of the ocean--it is so vast and so powerful, and when humans fail to respect nature as they should and admit that it is more powerful than themselves, it can really bite them in the butt. So, go enjoy your summer, and remember to give the water some proper respect, or else Poseidon might send a rip tide after you for your impudence. Happy swimming!

Enjoy your week,
~Meg

In Defense of Hera

After talking about Zeus last post, it seems only fair to next move on to his second-in-command, his partner, wife, and sister--Hera, Queen of the gods. As with Zeus, she is not a simple character, and your opinion of her somewhat depends on who you are.

She is the patroness and protector of marriage and family. No Greek wedding was complete without sacrifices and prayers to Hera. Naturally, women in Ancient Greece tended to be drawn to worshiping her, because she understood their woes.

Zeus was the poster child for infidelity. Hardly a Greek myth begins any other way besides, "So Zeus had a kid with this one mortal lady..." (generally in more poetic wording). Now, as I mentioned last week, he and Hera loved each other once, and it's hard to speculate the chicken-or-egg question: Did Hera become a nagging jealous wife because of her husband's behavior, or did Zeus start to cheat because his wife was nagging and suspicious? I guess either way the behavior of both parties perpetuated the cycle. Because Zeus cheated, Hera became angry. Because of Hera's anger, Zeus felt pushed away and turned to other women. Thus, it never ends.

That being said, Hera was legendary for her revenge plots. The problem is, she took out all her anger on the mortal women and demigod children instead of on her faithless husband--partially because he's the king of the gods and you don't want to mess with that, even when you're his wife. For instance, like I mentioned weeks ago, she tricked Semele into causing her own demise, and very nearly killed her unborn child, Dionysus. In some versions of the story, she later gave baby Dionysus some toys to play with that were actually magic artifacts that summoned the wrath of the titans--the infant wine god barely escaped with his life, thanks to his father.

Perhaps her most famous quest for vengeance, however, was against the hero Heracles (who for some reason is better known by his Roman name, Hercules. I guess it sounds cooler). She put a myriad of deadly obstacles in his path, both in his childhood and his adulthood, but he conquered them all.

It wasn't just demigod children that she punished. When Zeus commissioned a young nymph, Echo, to distract Hera (by incessant talking) from his latest exploit, Hera eventually saw through the plot and became enraged (surprise, surprise). She punished Echo by making her unable to speak, except to repeat other people's words. Sometimes, even to this day, you can hear Echo repeating you!

While you may or may not agree with this punishment, Echo suffered greatly for it. She tried desperately to win the love of Narcissus, a beatiful but outrageously arrogant young man, who rejected her very callously. Aphrodite was indignant at his cruelty and punished him by making him fall desperately in love with his own reflection (hence, from his name we get the English word "narcissistic," meaning utterly self-absorbed). Narcissus was so desperate to be with his own reflection that he dove into the river and drowned.

So obviously, Hera indirectly caused a great deal of grief. Besides being jealous and suspicious, quick-tempered like so many other members of her family, and very proud, she was in constant rivalry with Aphrodite and Athena. She, like Athena, was a chaste goddess (in her case, this meant being completely faithful to her undeserving husband, like a perfect Greek wife)--but she, like Aphrodite, was beautiful and alluring. One day, the three goddesses got into a heated argument about who was the most beautiful, and it ended up causing the Trojan War (more to come on that later).

But was she wholly bad? Of course not. I don't hate Hera, and I don't hate her husband, even though their actions sometimes frustrate or exasperate me. We cannot ignore that fact that she was compassionate and strong, that she looked after the mortals who pleased her. Yes, she held grudges pretty fiercely. Yes, she was proud--the peacock is her symbol because of this--but I believe that stemmed from deep-seated insecurity. After all, if she was so beautiful and so kind, why wasn't she enough for her husband? She had given him two (or three) children and stood by his side through all adversity. Why did he need anyone else? I think that probably hurt her a great deal.
I think Hera gets a bad reputation partially from the long tradition of unfaithful husbands in the ancient world, who resented Hera for cramping her husband's style. But seriously...is it unfair of her to expect him to change his ways now that he's married? If the wife were the unfaithful one, and the husband the jealous one, would we be reacting differently? Double. Standard.

And while you can argue about whether her reaction was proportional to the crime or not, I can't help but feel sorry for her. Anyone who has loved someone and felt alone in love knows the pain she suffers every day. Being in love and feeling like you're the only one is very lonely indeed. Also, I think it wounds her pride to have everyone in Olympus gossip about her philandering husband, and it's hard for her to hold her head up and keep her dignity when everybody knows the intimate details of her messy marriage.

Hera was a pretty strong character, too. There were times that she stood up to Zeus when it was important enough. For instance, when the gods, angry at Zeus's slump in leadership skills, decided to rebel and trap Zeus in his throne, Hera was the driving force behind the plot. She and Poseidon made their brother swear to be a more responsible leader before letting him out of the chair.

p.s. Did you know that the peacock has that curious pattern in its tail because Hera placed eyes in its feathers, to keep a lookout on Zeus? Also, Hera created Argus, a man literally covered in eyes, for the same purpose. (It is from this myth that J.K Rowling gets the name for Hogwarts' caretaker, Argus Filch!)

p.p.s. Hera still has plenty of influence in modern-day US, even among the non-Greek/pagan population. Her Roman name is Juno--remember that movie of the same name that came out a few years back with Ellen Page, about the teenage mom? Yeah, she's named after the patroness of motherhood for good reason. And it is still a tradition for weddings to happen in June, more than any other month--the month dedicated to Juno!

Zeus, My Apologies

Last night, almost exactly at midnight, I awoke to a massive thunderstorm. I'm usually not scared of storms--I love them--but last night was so loud, it was like cymbals clashing in my ears every five seconds. It was like the storms was right above my house. Even now, in the morning, there are iron-grey clouds overhead and great gusts of wind bending the trees. I haven't witnessed a thunderstorm like that in years, and I think I know the cause.

Alright, alright, Zeus, I get it! You're angry that I've talked about your relatives in great detail, but I've only discussed you when it pertained to someone else's story. Forgive me for my silly mortal foolishness. Obviously, the Lord of the Sky should be foremost in my thoughts and my blogging.

Gulp. So, um, here goes.


Zeus was the youngest child of Rhea and Kronos (also spelled Cronus, but I like the "K" spelling better), the King of the Titans. The titans ruled during the "Golden Age," so called because man was "innocent" and untainted by knowledge--much like Adam and Eve before they ate the forbidden fruit. But to call it a "golden" age is sheer propaganda, because humans lived like animals, hunting and gathering, scrounging for food, and Kronos kept them around to amuse himself. Tempests, hurricanes, earthquakes, and fires were uncontrollable and nearly constant. Basically, the world was a mess.

Kronos was a tyrant. Ancient Greek writers call him "wily" and "crafty," for good reason. He had overthrown his own father, Ouranos (the sky), at the urging of his mother Gaia (the earth). But he did not feel safe in his power, because he had heard a prophecy that one of his own children would overthrow him in much that same way. So every time one of his children was born, and Rhea showed him the child, Kronos devoured them. Hestia, Hades, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter--all of them were swallowed by the Titan Lord, just for existing. Being immortal deities, of course, they were not affected by his stomach acid and just kind of chilled out in his insides for years, growing up and hating their father. Ew.

Finally, when her youngest son was born, Rhea had had enough. She decided to save baby Zeus by tricking her husband into eating a rock instead (it was shaped like a baby and wrapped in a blanket, so he was fooled). Meanwhile, she spirited her infant away to an island off of Crete, where he was raised in secret. When he grew to manhood, Zeus forced Kronos to vomit up his siblings, and the six of them defeated the titans. The Cyclopes helped by forging the three brothers powerful weapons: Zeus, the lightning bolt; Poseidon, the trident; and Hades, the helm of darkness. They cast the titans into Tartarus, and tore their own father into a million pieces with his own scythe (a curved sword).

Now, there's no doubt that humans fared much better under Zeus's reign than Kronos's. To some degree, this was merely incidental--Zeus established order in nature and tamed the globe, taking control of storms and making the earth more suitable for farming in one place. It took him some time to see any value in humanity--he was rather angry with Prometheus for giving us fire, if you recall--but eventually he realized how much humanity adored him for making their lives less hellish. And really, how could he resist that kind of gratitude? Also, he realized how much nicer it was to have worshipers that weren't completely stupid, and to have society progress.

After that, Zeus started taking an interest in human affairs. He instituted certain rules--for instance, Zeus's hospitality rule: treat your guests as if they were gods come to earth, because they just might be. (This rule is particularly important in The Odyssey, when Polyphemus the Cyclops violates this duty of a host, much to Zeus's ire.)

Zeus's womanizing is legendary. Once upon a time, he seduced his sister Hera (note that familial relationships are much different for gods than for humans, so this isn't actually gross), who in turn felt so guilty afterwards that he promised to marry her. The Greeks tell us that their honeymoon lasted three centuries, so obviously they really loved each other at one time. They had two (or three, depending on your source) children together--Hebe, Ares (and Hephaestus). But eventually, Zeus's eyes began to wander... He had Persephone with Demeter, Hermes with Maia, Dionysus with a mortal woman, Semele; Apollo and Artemis, the Muses, Helen of Troy, Hercules, Perseus, the Graces...need I go on? Many stories center around Zeus's philandering and Hera's jealousy and vengeance.

Zeus is the chieftain of the gods, the mighty leader,  the ruler of Olympus and the god of storms. He is the bringer of thunder and lightning, and the majestice eagle is his symbol. He is proud, quick-tempered, and unforgiving, yet he is not incapable of human emotions. Generally, he is depicted with a bushy grey beard and in long white robes, either seated on a throne or striding forward with a lightning bolt. The Greeks both adored and feared Zeus, and made many magnificent temples and shrines to him.

....Do you think that great long post will please him? Hopefully it's good enough that my house won't get struck by lightning...

Have a great week!
~Meg

GREECE IS STILL ALIVE (At least in America! Not so sure about the geographical Greece being very alive....)

I TOTALLY WANT THESE SHOES!

Hermes' Awesome Flying kicks on the Goodyear logo

Prometheus getting tortured for bringing fire to Rockefeller Center

Prometheus bringing fire to Rockefeller Center

Hermes watching over the medical field with his caduceus

Hermes Rocks. No exceptions.

Pegasus appears in the Mobil logo

Pegasus also appears on cracked clay pots!

America's symbol also happens to be the animal of Zeus

Zeus's Eagle was a sign of great power. I think America liked that ;)

The Capitol building has a lot of Greek architecture present

I really wish this wasn't crumbling.

Hey folks. Hoppy Easter!

So I comprised here a couple of examples of where Greek influence bleeds into American culture. The gods claim to be "above those tiny mortals," but they can't help but keep nudging them to keep the old style alive. Greece certainly is not forgotten. It is still residing subliminally woven into modern civilization. The gods would never let themselves blend into the shadows. They're too vain.

My Apollo-gies for the weird formatting that happened to this post. I really don't understand why it's so stupid for me. Anywho, I hope you guys had a good Easter if you're Christian and a good... Passover... if you're Jewish. I feel kinda strange being so Pagan on Easter. Anyways, look for the gods inserting their symbols into our culture. Leave a comment if you found one of the many this that i missed :)

Actually, we are making a competition out of this little excercise! We want to see who can come up with the most examples of Greek influence in modern day! Not just in architecture and visible things, but modern literature and other such nonsense (no, you can't use Disney's Hercules, we've already used that one!). Be creative in your sources, links are appreciated!

So far we have only had one person post anything, so you better get cracking!

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Look at my face!

-adios,

Hades/RJ/luvthecheat/Ryan 

The Messed Up Story of the Wine Dude's Birth (aka Mardi Gras)

Hello! I hope everybody had a lovely Mardi Gras.

For those of you who don't celebrate it, Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday, depending on your preference) is a day of partying, immoderation, and merriment for Christians before Ash Wednesday, which starts the fasting season of Lent. What better day to talk about Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and the spirit of the party?

Mardi Gras embodies everything that the wine god represents—costumes, masquerade, music, dancing, singing, parades, extravagance, decadence, and essentially eating, drinking, and being merry. No Greek party was complete without a toast to Dionysus and invoking his presence. He is the patron of theater, too, so the Greek theater masks (you’ve probably seen them: one smiling, one frowning) are some of his symbols, besides grapevines and wine. He is the god of ecstasy—not the drug, the feeling—and euphoria, both of which were said to be invoking his spirit. He is also the patron of epiphany; that is, the rush of intuitive realization when things suddenly fall into place.

Satyrs, the human-goat hybrids, follow Dionysus’ command, since he is kind of a woodland nature god, with powers over all fruit-bearing plants, though grapes are his specialty. Leopards (and sometimes tigers) are his sacred animal, and they pull his chariot. The color purple is also sacred to him.

Dionysus was actually a demigod—his father was Zeus, the sleazy king of the gods, and his mother was Semele, a mortal woman. The story of his birth and ‘rebirth’ is pretty strange, and varies widely from source to source, but this is the simplest version: After Semele became pregnant, Zeus’s wife Hera went into a jealous rage (what else is new?) and formulated a plot of revenge. She disguised herself as a midwife so that she could gain Semele’s confidence, and then started to plant thoughts in her mind: If Zeus really loved her, if Semele really was special to him, then he would reveal his true divine form to her.

Eventually, Semele took the bait and demanded this from Zeus, to feed her ego. Zeus, having already sworn by the River Styx, an unbreakable vow, to give her whatever she asked for, had no choice but to grant her wish. He revealed his divine form, a sight which no mortal could behold without turning to ashes—but as Semele was dying, Zeus saved their unborn child by (this is the weird part) sewing him into the flesh of his thigh until it was time for him to be born. I guess I’m not going to wonder about the logistics of that.

Bacchus Consoling Ariadne, a sculpture I saw at the Chicago art museum that really moved me

And, lest you think that he’s just a shallow womanizing playboy, Dionysus was a married man—surprisingly happily married by Greek god standards. He made Ariadne, Princess of Crete, his immortal wife on Olympus, whisking her away after demigod Theseus broke her heart. Seeing her weeping wretchedly on the beach of Naxos, where the so-called hero abandoned her, Dionysus was moved with pity and comforted her—and fell in love with her. They ended up having eleven kids together. While I’m sure Dionysus has plenty of capacity for eros, I guess it’s directed completely or almost completely towards his wife—which, compared with his father Zeus, really speaks volumes about his affection for her.

On a similar note, Dionysus was not just about lighthearted fun and frolicking in the meadow. The Greeks recognized the dark side to drunkenness and excess. Dionysus is also the god of madness—at his will, he could literally make you raving mad for the rest of your life. Basically, don’t make him angry.

So, on that happy note, have a great week! See you next Wednesday.
--Meg