Journal #2
-Readings-
This week we were assigned to start reading from the book Classical Mythology in Context by Lisa Maurizio. This proved somewhat challenging at first because my book did not come in until the middle of the week so unfortunately I had to wait to read it. However when it did finally arrive I was able to read what Maurizio describes Classical Mythology as, myths originating from ancient Rome and Greece that are described as beautiful, meaningful, and a part of a profound body of texts from that time. The importance of studying mythology according to the author is because it gives us a new way of thinking and processing the meaning of life. In a way we can use the study of mythology to escape the harsh realities of modern day life and all the ways it is rapidly advancing. It gives way to imagination and freedom of the mind, to go into a world long ago and see how ancient societies viewed the world from their perspective. “Study classical myth to experience once and for all that the world is alive, if you are able to imagine it” (Maurizio,35).
I do agree with this idea because that is initially why I showed interest in Greek mythology because, it was new and such a different take on “religion” the Greeks had multiple gods while in western society there tends to be just one. Every Greek god has a purpose and a backstory to why their lives are the way they are and also how it effects humans. I enjoyed that they gave meaning and explanations to regular day occurrences in an exciting way, also in many tragedies you learned a lesson, though at times it was harsh and unreasonable, and many civilizations seemed to be humbled and attempted to steer away from the paths they thought the gods would deem unworthy. In a way these myths kept a level of order during those earlier times.
On Thursday we are supposed to have read Book 11 of the Odyssey. The Odyssey. Basically what happens is that Odysseus and his crew end up in the underworld and while they are there among the souls of past maidens, men and women, young and old, he saw his old friend Elpenor that died on the island of Circe, and his mother who he thought was still alive since the last time she saw him. He also has an encounter with Teiresias the Theban,the same soothsayer from Oedipus Tyrannus, i.e. my least favorite character. He drinks the blood and begins to tell him the way for him to get home and all the sacrifices that come along with his decision. He was told to not let his crew eat the cattle that belong to Helios, the Sun God, and that when he finally leaves that he leaves a sacrifice for Poseidon. Odysseus takes a break from telling the story to ask once again for King Alcinous and Queen Arete to assist him in helping him get back home but, they refuse to help until they hear more of his exciting journey. Odysseus also added on that he saw countless amount of heroes souls while in the underworld such as Hercules, Ajax,and Achilles. In the end Odysseus sails off into the ocean leaving the underworld.
At times reading old plays can be difficult or for me that is why I enjoy to watch breakdowns of the chapter on youtube, just so i can have a greater grasp on what I read. In one of the videos I watched it explained how him going to the underworld was a metaphor about having to go through hell and back to get what you want (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCQh1S2dbB0). I think that is an important lesson to learn because many people think just because the won a battle that the war is over. You will be put through many trials and tribulations before you reach your goals but, as you get through them you become a better person who can handle whatever life throws at you.
I believe that relates to what Maurizio was saying in the textbook, in this day since we move so quickly and we are used to gratification on an almost instant basis we rarely have to struggle for long periods of times. So reading a book like The Odyssey can show someone that sometimes a long journey to a “happy ending” is worth it in the end. When you do not have to try as hard to come to a resolution you tend not to learn anything, there is no doubt that Odysseus came back from his journey a changed man,
-In class discussion-
In class Tuesday we discussed:How do we experience/participate in stories & myths (beyond just reading/hearing/seeing them)?
We determined that we are mostly experiencing them out of context when we see reenactments such as plays, movies, and other forms of media. For example for Easter the usual traditions are a Sunday dinner that has a lot of thought and preparation put into it, bonding with loved ones and close friends, going to church to hear about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and what meaning it holds for the church, and in some settings there are also plays that are put on as a visual demonstration of what happened. And for the children there are also Easter Egg hunts
Other examples for popular media & holidays include people doing Cosplay for their favorite characters that require a lengthy amount of time and dedication,educational tools that advertise popular icons. Tattoos commemorating quotes, scenes, and other important figures, movie marathons, merchandise, and holiday themed parades.
One of the differences is that fans of pop culture know that it is just a work of fiction i.e the Star Wars franchise and that stops them from worshiping something that brings them joy however, people who celebrate Easter believe that the events happened because it is tied into their religion. Religious people believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for their sins and that he saved them.
In a way characters from media can hold a strong presence in a community
i.e, Princess Leia is now a political figure with the resistance because she’s seen as an icon as one of the first female action character that was strong and independent. She definitely challenged the current agenda at the time which is why so many people especially women look up to her.
Another example is Hercules was seen as an image for tyranny because he was so powerful and almost uncontrollable so he did whatever he want to little or no consequences.
We also spoke about the fictional Trojan war- “war to end all wars” which was 10 years long and Thetis and Peleus. Which told us that whatever offspring created from Thetis would be greater than their father. Of course this scared many man away because they did not to have a son that could possibly over shadow them. So her parents sent her away and she was married off to Peleus. Soon after they became the the parents of Achilles. Their wedding was a big deal however the goddess of discord Eris was left out of their wedding, because they did not want her around to stir up trouble. However, she heard about it anyway and she showed up with a golden apple with“To the fairest” was written on it. All gods experience jealousy because all gods want to be worshipped and they clearly experience jealousy.
3 Goddesses see the apple and claim it to be theirs: Hera, Athena & Aphrodite
So they could get a fair an honest answer they went to a shepherd Paris to see who he thought was the most fairest. However behind each others back they all bribed him with either (Athena- a hero in war)(Hera- make him a king)(Aphrodite- Give him a beautiful in the world, Helen of Sparta,) Success Sovereignty Beauty. Of course he picked Aphrodite because Helen of Sparta was one of the most noblest women of the time.
We also spoke about other key points that will soon come up in the course the Iliad which describes the wrath of the hero Achilles and the Fall of Troy which included one of the greatest devices of deception the Trojan Horse,Greeks experienced the trojan cycle in every media imaginable: plays, storytellers, reenactments. In a way seeing tragedies in real life or hearing about them made the people wary of the same mistakes. They called these journeys home for the heroes Nostos which means a homecoming story, which is where we get the word nostalgia from.
-Reflection-
It is also worth mentioning that these stories are all linked together tragedies that are embellishments of a much larger character or Slices from the banquet of Homer, heroes in these are often demigods (half mortal ,half god) and in the ancient times they were worshiped in their own cults instead of on a larger scale like Zeus, Poseidon, and Hera. Their followers even built heroons which were buildings erected to a hero. I feel as if people today show their respects in other forms such as the aforementioned cosplay, because you do not always have to show your admiration for something or someone by constructing a building, I believe that if you spend your time creating a costume, writing a play, coming together with the ones in your life that matter, or even preparing a dinner to honor what is important to you than that should be honorable in its own way.