Ross did his presentation on Socrates and his immortal presence. His goal was to gain greater knowledge and virtue, and he proved that there is more than one way to gain immortality. And, there is a bit of Socrates present in the psyche of every modern person.
Ross's Recipe for Socrates:
1 c. Plato
1 T. ARistotle
1 t. Xenophon
a pinch of Aristophanes
and everything taken with a grain of salt
Sarah talked about women being carried away, which included Persephone, Europa, Psyche, Agave, and herself.
Doug's presentation was on Pythagoras. The transformation that occurs is with the reader. Pythagoras' section is the capstone of what the Metamorposes is all about and what man could hope to be. Doug doesn't consider himself a religious guy, but the idea of reincarnation has made him think a little. Now he won't be able to eat his chickens. And, PETA is kind of a modern Pythagoras - both have the same higher goal.
Katey related her life to "All that is past possesses the present." She is able to connect to more with the more stories she hears and people she meets. She is an advocate of love and peace; she's a daddy's girl like Athena; she deals with skeptics like Bacchus; her mom is Demeter, she is Persephone, and Montana is Hell (her mom doesn't get to see her much); she'll be a storyteller when she's a teacher; and she'll inspire people with her work when she is a journalist, and furthermore become immortal.
Tyler's paper is entitled "Love Will Tear Us Apart." He talked about two becoming one through love and how it destroys boundaries, as in Lysistrata. Egoism destroys love, and rape turns love upside down. There is love that is noble (true love) and love that is ugly (desire - treating someone as a possession). Lucius sow us how to properly love, which is a homecoming for humans. And through love, we become part of something bigger.
Carly presented on the collective unconscious - that which exists prior to experience. She was relieved to find out that there is an explanation for why it seems like whatever she is reading or listening to at the time coincides with what is happening in her life. We all share a common history and experience. "All things change but never die." - Ovid
synchronicity - Jung's term
Dustin also connected his own experiences last Saturday to "All that is past..." He wrote a story about everything he did and how it related to stories that we've read, which included Lysistrata - his roommate and his girlfriend, Dionysus, imbibing and becoming the Golden Ass - doing things in front of people he normally wouldn't do, and the Symposium where he had a deep, drunken conversation about love with his friend.
Cassie talked about the many rapes of Zeus. Just to name a few: Alcimene, Danae, Europa, Io, Leta, Leto, Maia, Ganymede, and Calisto. Supposedly there are 150 total escapades.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
The Doors and Classical Literature
Jim Morrison was a well-read guy, which was why he suggested the name The Doors to his fellow band members when they were just forming. The band's name is derived from Aldous Huxley’s book The Doors of Perception, which Huxley titled after a line from William Blake’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: “If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is: infinite.” (This reminded me of Ovid and Pythagoras' statement that “no thing ever dies” (523).) Manzarek, Krieger, and Densmore agreed with Morrison that "The Doors" conveyed that which they stood for: open-mindedness, debauchery, and experiencing life fully and uninhibitedly.
Huxley's The Doors of Perception is about his mescaline experience, which he volunteered for in order that he might obtain a different perception of the world while on the drug. He says, “How can the sane get to know what it actually feels like to be mad? Or, short of being born again as a visionary, a medium, or a musical genius, how can we ever visit the worlds which to Blake, to Swedenborg, to Johann Sebastian Bach, were home?” I thought that this was quite Dionysian. The Doors suggest that through their music, like a door, one can enter in and take part in the experience, too. Their music is a gateway to an alternative perception of the world. Huxley says in The Doors of Perception, “The man who comes back through the Door in the Wall will never be quite the same as the man who went out.” And, of course there is the drug connection. By using alcohol and drugs, people experience the world in different ways than those who do not, and Morrison definitely indulged in both.
In fact, Morrison himself was nicknamed Dionysus by those who knew him because of his love of wine, poetry, and song that he shared with the god. Also like Dionysus, he created a sort of frenzy with his “followers,” especially the girls. But, this was all short lived. In the summer of 1971, Jim Morrison died of a heart attack in Paris. By dying young and wasting so much talent and potential, he became a tragic character. However, it cannnot be said that Morrison did not get a chance to experience life before he died. In fact, this was his demise.
And, in The Doors’ song entitled “The End,” there is a spoken part in the middle where he says, “Father/ Yes son?/ I want to kill you/ Mother, I want to...fuck you” (http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/the_doors/the_end.html), which is of course a slightly modified rendition of Sophocles’ drama Oedipus the King. He explains that “‘kill the father’ means destroying everything hierarchical, controlling, and restrictive in one's psyche, while ‘fuck the mother’ means embracing everything that is expansive, flowing, and alive in the psyche” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End). In this way, Morrison is like Dionysus Liber, because he was dedicated to and espoused the idea of freedom.
Like Ovid and others with immortal offspring, Morrison and The Doors also “shall have life” (Ovid 549). Their music has only continued to grow in popularity since Morrison’s death and shortly after when they disbanded. And, they prove that the way to becoming a classic is to invoke the classics that came first. Indeed, classical literature has influenced everything that has been written subsequently, and it is certainly true that “all that is past possesses our present.”
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Individual Presentations
Luke's presentation was on Lysistrata, men, and sex. Women need men for security, which they usually deny (and men usually deny that they need women.) He works as a bank teller, because he likes people. "I will have life." He was once told a story/given advice by a man older than he, and he hopes that he will be able to pass stories on to someone someday, too.
Ashley read the book The Homeric Hymn to Demeter and presented on it. The Eleusinian Mysteries are women's initiation. Death marks the female quest; but, both male and female quests are lacking in today's culture. Individuation is different for girls, because their relationship with their mothers is more fluid. And, she read her poem "Tiger Lily."
Melissa gave her presentation on scapegoats and gave the five ways to escape being a scapegoat. The book The Scapegoat by Rene Girard is the authority on the subject.
Brian also presented on the scapegoat, focusing on the Bacchae and Pentheus and Jesus' crucifixion. He pointed out that the scapegoat doesn't necessarily have to be a bad person either.
Alex connected the five conflicts of Antigone to the five of the American Film Institute's Top 100 movies, which were One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest ( individual v. society), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (old v. young), Raiders of the Lost Ark (men v. gods), My Fair Lady (men v. women), and Frankenstein (living v. dead).
Danielle talked about the Triple Goddess - the maiden, the mother, and the crone (which she compared to herself, mother, and grandmother). She also mentioned Robert Graves' book called White Goddess.
John made connections between science fiction and mythology. The only real difference is that sci fi deals with the future. He talked especially about Dune, and said that if one knows the future, he locks himself into it, which is not a good thing. But, sci fi extends the dialogue of mythology.
And I presented on The Doors and their connections to classical literature, which I will discuss in another blog.
Ashley read the book The Homeric Hymn to Demeter and presented on it. The Eleusinian Mysteries are women's initiation. Death marks the female quest; but, both male and female quests are lacking in today's culture. Individuation is different for girls, because their relationship with their mothers is more fluid. And, she read her poem "Tiger Lily."
Melissa gave her presentation on scapegoats and gave the five ways to escape being a scapegoat. The book The Scapegoat by Rene Girard is the authority on the subject.
Brian also presented on the scapegoat, focusing on the Bacchae and Pentheus and Jesus' crucifixion. He pointed out that the scapegoat doesn't necessarily have to be a bad person either.
Alex connected the five conflicts of Antigone to the five of the American Film Institute's Top 100 movies, which were One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest ( individual v. society), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (old v. young), Raiders of the Lost Ark (men v. gods), My Fair Lady (men v. women), and Frankenstein (living v. dead).
Danielle talked about the Triple Goddess - the maiden, the mother, and the crone (which she compared to herself, mother, and grandmother). She also mentioned Robert Graves' book called White Goddess.
John made connections between science fiction and mythology. The only real difference is that sci fi deals with the future. He talked especially about Dune, and said that if one knows the future, he locks himself into it, which is not a good thing. But, sci fi extends the dialogue of mythology.
And I presented on The Doors and their connections to classical literature, which I will discuss in another blog.
Individual Presentations
Emily's presentation was on the muses, especially Terpsichore, the muse of dance. She was a dancer with the Dance Syndicate in Lewistown, and Janet Luciano is her Terpsichore. She showed slides of dancers (including my little sister!)
Dan's favorite mythological character is Daedalus, so he talked about him and Icarus. He compared the redemptive power of art to finding a twenty dollar bill in your pocket - more valuable when you rediscover it. He also made the connection between Daedalus and Icarus and the song "Carry on My Wayward Son" by Kansas, as well as between the labyrinth and war.
Jared used Calvin from the cartoon Calvin and Hobbes to illustrate and elaborate on the five conflicts in Antigone.
Jon talked about Perseus, Atlas, and Andromeda. His point was that love conquers war.
John used J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye to talk about the five main conflicts in Antigone. Individual (Holden) v. Society, Living v. Dead (Allie), Young v. Old (being the "catcher in the rye," protecting the kids and the adult world), Men v. Women (Sally), Men v. Gods (his loss of faith).
William is a storyteller, so he has a chance at immortality, because stories can make one immortal. Ponce de Leon searched for the fountain of youth in Florida (which is why old people go there). Actually, the story is what is immortal and the author rides on the coattails. But, people don't cease to exist, they just stop having new stories.
Mick's car broke down, and through a series of events, he ended up with the "wrong" book, which actually turned out to be the right one. The book was Walkabout by James Vance Marshall, and it is about the Aborigines' rite of passage in Australia. Apparently there are many references to classical literature in the book. Coincidence is Providence. And, walking gives one time to think, so you are more likely to have more epiphanies.
Interjection from Dr. Sexson: read Songlines by Bruce Chatwin, journalist in Australia. One doesn't have to wait for something to happen - the land has been demarcated. It is a musical score. So, we should not only walk around, but walk around singing.
Dan's favorite mythological character is Daedalus, so he talked about him and Icarus. He compared the redemptive power of art to finding a twenty dollar bill in your pocket - more valuable when you rediscover it. He also made the connection between Daedalus and Icarus and the song "Carry on My Wayward Son" by Kansas, as well as between the labyrinth and war.
Jared used Calvin from the cartoon Calvin and Hobbes to illustrate and elaborate on the five conflicts in Antigone.
Jon talked about Perseus, Atlas, and Andromeda. His point was that love conquers war.
John used J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye to talk about the five main conflicts in Antigone. Individual (Holden) v. Society, Living v. Dead (Allie), Young v. Old (being the "catcher in the rye," protecting the kids and the adult world), Men v. Women (Sally), Men v. Gods (his loss of faith).
William is a storyteller, so he has a chance at immortality, because stories can make one immortal. Ponce de Leon searched for the fountain of youth in Florida (which is why old people go there). Actually, the story is what is immortal and the author rides on the coattails. But, people don't cease to exist, they just stop having new stories.
Mick's car broke down, and through a series of events, he ended up with the "wrong" book, which actually turned out to be the right one. The book was Walkabout by James Vance Marshall, and it is about the Aborigines' rite of passage in Australia. Apparently there are many references to classical literature in the book. Coincidence is Providence. And, walking gives one time to think, so you are more likely to have more epiphanies.
Interjection from Dr. Sexson: read Songlines by Bruce Chatwin, journalist in Australia. One doesn't have to wait for something to happen - the land has been demarcated. It is a musical score. So, we should not only walk around, but walk around singing.
Individual Presentations
Alison talked about Lysistrata, and asked the question whether the situation of women withholding sex could be reversed. Back in the caveman days, essentially women needed iron, and they knew that that men provided it through hunting. So, they had sex with the men, which they came to associate with babies and then with death. She also talked about the modern day non-violent movement the Lysistrata Project.
Chase's presentation was on Dionysus and his similarities with Jesus. Both have mortal mothers and Gods for fathers. Their worships contain aspects of omophagia (but in Christianity, the Eucharist is more symbolic) and the idea of rebirth. The symbol of the phallus in Dionysian worship is not so much present in Christianity, but both Gods give life.
Hannah also talked about Lysistrata and gave examples of recent similar protests like the ones in Columbia and Turkey. And, she read a poem by Simonides - her favorite part is about the sea.
Brittany showed a picture of herself metamorphosed into Minnie Mouse at the age of four. Then she called her grandma to have her tell a story about when Brittany was little, which happened to be about her misbehaving - and Bob the rat. She pointed out that most of the stories we read were about people or gods misbehaving and how we have a fascination with them. But, they are immortalized this way.
Megan talked about how individuals react to love differently and gave examples from Antigone, Demeter and Persephone, and Lysistrata. But, she mainly focused on Cupid and Psyche, which is a great love story. Love is confusion as well as eternal.
Jesse gave a very interesting interpretation of his paper. What I got out of it was that moms can make everything better. I suppose this had to do with Cupid and Psyche...maybe Demeter, too?
Jann also discussed Dionysus, but she presented a different view of him. She compared him to Seung-Hui Cho, the shooter in the Virginia Tech massacre. There are very disturbing sentiments in both, and she pointed out that history repeats itself - sometimes not for the better.
Brittini compared women from classical literature to more contemporary ones, for example Lysistrata to Rosie the Riveter.
Barbara's story was about going to feed the ducks and chatting and reminiscing with an old woman. And, the one little boy told the other one not to eat the Rice Chex because they were duck food, which I thought was cute. But, she included and compared experiences in her life to many of the characters that we studied, including Europa, Demeter and Persephone, Niobe, Antigone, Dionysus, Lucius, and trees.
Chase's presentation was on Dionysus and his similarities with Jesus. Both have mortal mothers and Gods for fathers. Their worships contain aspects of omophagia (but in Christianity, the Eucharist is more symbolic) and the idea of rebirth. The symbol of the phallus in Dionysian worship is not so much present in Christianity, but both Gods give life.
Hannah also talked about Lysistrata and gave examples of recent similar protests like the ones in Columbia and Turkey. And, she read a poem by Simonides - her favorite part is about the sea.
Brittany showed a picture of herself metamorphosed into Minnie Mouse at the age of four. Then she called her grandma to have her tell a story about when Brittany was little, which happened to be about her misbehaving - and Bob the rat. She pointed out that most of the stories we read were about people or gods misbehaving and how we have a fascination with them. But, they are immortalized this way.
Megan talked about how individuals react to love differently and gave examples from Antigone, Demeter and Persephone, and Lysistrata. But, she mainly focused on Cupid and Psyche, which is a great love story. Love is confusion as well as eternal.
Jesse gave a very interesting interpretation of his paper. What I got out of it was that moms can make everything better. I suppose this had to do with Cupid and Psyche...maybe Demeter, too?
Jann also discussed Dionysus, but she presented a different view of him. She compared him to Seung-Hui Cho, the shooter in the Virginia Tech massacre. There are very disturbing sentiments in both, and she pointed out that history repeats itself - sometimes not for the better.
Brittini compared women from classical literature to more contemporary ones, for example Lysistrata to Rosie the Riveter.
Barbara's story was about going to feed the ducks and chatting and reminiscing with an old woman. And, the one little boy told the other one not to eat the Rice Chex because they were duck food, which I thought was cute. But, she included and compared experiences in her life to many of the characters that we studied, including Europa, Demeter and Persephone, Niobe, Antigone, Dionysus, Lucius, and trees.
Group Four's Presentation
The stichomythias performed by Group Four included:
the Rape of Europa
Iphis and Ianthe
Acis and Galatea
Daedalus and Icarus
and Phaethon
the Rape of Europa
Iphis and Ianthe
Acis and Galatea
Daedalus and Icarus
and Phaethon
Group Three's Presentation
Some important highlights from Group Three's presentation include:
Antigone's secret of her soul is joy.
The truth can't be told; it has to be shown, which was symbolized by the sign.
And, Tiresias is a symbol of timeless wisdom.
Antigone's secret of her soul is joy.
The truth can't be told; it has to be shown, which was symbolized by the sign.
And, Tiresias is a symbol of timeless wisdom.
Friday, April 13, 2007
The Hours
In the story of Cupid and Psyche are a couple references to the Hours, and I was curious who they were. So, I wikied them, and they're pretty much what they sound like, tutelary goddesses of the time of day. They are
Auge - first light
Anatole - sunrise
Mousika - the morning hour of music an study
Gymnastika - the morning hour of gymnastics/exercise
Nymphe - the morning hour of ablutions or bathing
Mesembria - noon
Sponde - libations poured after lunch
Elete - prayer, the first of the afternoon work hours
Akte - eating and pleasure, the second of the afternoon work hours
Hesperis - evening (is this where we get vespers maybe?)
Dysis - sunset
Arktos - last light
At the end of Cupid and Psyche, they decorate "the palace with red roses and other bridal flowers" (142). I'm not sure that there's a connection between decorating and being goddesses of certain times of day, but apparently they're helpers.
There were other "generations" of Horae, the first of which were goddesses of the seasons and the second of social stability. So, there you have it, in case you were wondering who the Hours were, too.
Auge - first light
Anatole - sunrise
Mousika - the morning hour of music an study
Gymnastika - the morning hour of gymnastics/exercise
Nymphe - the morning hour of ablutions or bathing
Mesembria - noon
Sponde - libations poured after lunch
Elete - prayer, the first of the afternoon work hours
Akte - eating and pleasure, the second of the afternoon work hours
Hesperis - evening (is this where we get vespers maybe?)
Dysis - sunset
Arktos - last light
At the end of Cupid and Psyche, they decorate "the palace with red roses and other bridal flowers" (142). I'm not sure that there's a connection between decorating and being goddesses of certain times of day, but apparently they're helpers.
There were other "generations" of Horae, the first of which were goddesses of the seasons and the second of social stability. So, there you have it, in case you were wondering who the Hours were, too.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Cupid and Psyche
I found a site with a bunch of images of Cupid and Psyche, and there were a lot of good ones. (http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~mjoseph/CP/ICP.html#post1800) This painting is entitled "The Wedding of Psyche" by Sir Edward Burne-Jones which was done in 1895. Instead of a wedding procession, it looks more like a somber funeral procession, which all weddings are. It is 
a death on numerous levels: of our "single inviolability" (D.H. Lawrence), of childhood or a chapter of our lives - a definite break from our families to start our own.
This is of "The Labours of Psyche" by John Roddamn Spencer Stanhope and was painted in 1873. Of course, Psyche didn't actually have to perform any of these labors herself. She was helped by the ants, the reed, the eagle, and the tower.
I really like this picture of Psyche in the underworld. It was done by Paul Alfred de Curzon sometime between 1840 and 1859. That is of course Cerberus in the background, but I think that it's a beautiful depiction of Psyche.
This painting of Cupid and Psyche is by Adolph William Bourgereau, and it was done in 1889. It looks like this is after Cupid rescues Psyche when she opens the box from Proserpine and is overcome by the Stygian sleep.
And I really love this sculpture by Denys Pierre Puech called Amor and Psyche (1880-1895). The artwork of Cupid and Psyche that was done in the 19th Century is some of the best, I think (or apparently that's what I'm drawn to). It really is a great story. In one version I've read, Cupid says to Psyche after she spills the hot oil on him, "Love cannot live where there is no trust," then he flies away. I completely agree - a lot can be learned from poor Psyche.
a death on numerous levels: of our "single inviolability" (D.H. Lawrence), of childhood or a chapter of our lives - a definite break from our families to start our own.
This is of "The Labours of Psyche" by John Roddamn Spencer Stanhope and was painted in 1873. Of course, Psyche didn't actually have to perform any of these labors herself. She was helped by the ants, the reed, the eagle, and the tower.
I really like this picture of Psyche in the underworld. It was done by Paul Alfred de Curzon sometime between 1840 and 1859. That is of course Cerberus in the background, but I think that it's a beautiful depiction of Psyche.
This painting of Cupid and Psyche is by Adolph William Bourgereau, and it was done in 1889. It looks like this is after Cupid rescues Psyche when she opens the box from Proserpine and is overcome by the Stygian sleep.
And I really love this sculpture by Denys Pierre Puech called Amor and Psyche (1880-1895). The artwork of Cupid and Psyche that was done in the 19th Century is some of the best, I think (or apparently that's what I'm drawn to). It really is a great story. In one version I've read, Cupid says to Psyche after she spills the hot oil on him, "Love cannot live where there is no trust," then he flies away. I completely agree - a lot can be learned from poor Psyche.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
"Beauty is truth, truth beauty"
I was thinking about the discussion in class about art and the connection between mythology and John Keat's "Ode on a Grecian Urn, specifically the lines "Beauty is truth, truth beauty," and I was reminded of a quote by W.D. Howells in Novel-Writing and Novel-Reading:
Howells is actually talking about modern fiction and realism, but the idea of truth and beauty is not a new one and obviously quite important. (Remember, "all that is past possesses our present.") Keat's appreciated the relationship between truth and beauty in his reflections on the urn, and recognized that that which is true and closest to representing life as it is, is the best.
The story that comes to mind from Ovid's Metamorphoses is Arachne's. The tapestry that she weaves in the competition with Minerva is far more beautiful than the goddess', which of course makes her really mad. But, the point of this story is that art depicting truth, like Arachne's portrayal of the gods as they honestly behave, is superior to anything that is false (Minerva's). Nevertheless, things still end up badly for Arachne. Minerva turns her into a spider, but such is life, right? It makes for great art, whether in the form of a story or a painting or song or dance or even an urn.
The last part of Howells' quote reminds me of the Oscar Wilde quote that was brought up in class, as well. "There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written." Basically, there is good art and bad art; it does not matter how disgusting or disturbing it may be, as long as it is done well. (Who decides this? Why, Dr. Sexson of course!) And, Ovid was definitely not worried about being moral. He just told the myths like they were, beautiful, indecent at times, and for this reason they influence and enrich our lives.
"By beauty of course I mean truth, for the one involves the other; it
is only the false in art which is ugly, and it is only the false which is
immoral. The truth may be indecent, but it cannot be vicious, it can
never corrupt or deprave..."
Howells is actually talking about modern fiction and realism, but the idea of truth and beauty is not a new one and obviously quite important. (Remember, "all that is past possesses our present.") Keat's appreciated the relationship between truth and beauty in his reflections on the urn, and recognized that that which is true and closest to representing life as it is, is the best.
The story that comes to mind from Ovid's Metamorphoses is Arachne's. The tapestry that she weaves in the competition with Minerva is far more beautiful than the goddess', which of course makes her really mad. But, the point of this story is that art depicting truth, like Arachne's portrayal of the gods as they honestly behave, is superior to anything that is false (Minerva's). Nevertheless, things still end up badly for Arachne. Minerva turns her into a spider, but such is life, right? It makes for great art, whether in the form of a story or a painting or song or dance or even an urn.
The last part of Howells' quote reminds me of the Oscar Wilde quote that was brought up in class, as well. "There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written." Basically, there is good art and bad art; it does not matter how disgusting or disturbing it may be, as long as it is done well. (Who decides this? Why, Dr. Sexson of course!) And, Ovid was definitely not worried about being moral. He just told the myths like they were, beautiful, indecent at times, and for this reason they influence and enrich our lives.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Favorite Lines
It was really tough for me to choose my favorite lines. I've read so much now that I can't remember what struck me or where it was in the book. But, Orpheus and Hyacinth were a little fresher in my mind, so I actually chose two, which may not even be my favorites. But they're good.
After Hyacinth gets hit by the discus that Phoebus throws, Phoebus says
"You've lost the flower of your youth...
It's my right hand that has inscribed
your end: I am the author of your death.
And yet, what crime is mine? Can play, can sport
be blamed? Can having loved be called a fault?"
Poor Phoebus - he's accidentally just killed the boy he loves. It really is quite tragic, as are the deaths of all young people. They were just out having some fun together on a beautiful spring day, but then it had to end so badly.
The other quote I like is from the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. It's describing after Orpheus sings his song when he is trying to get his wife back from the underworld.
"Tantalus no longer tried to catch the fleeing waves;
Ixion's wheel stood still - entranced, amazed;
the vulture did not prey on Tityus' liver;
the Danaids left their urns; and Sisyphus,
you sat upon your stone."
His song is so moving that all activity ceases - activities that these "shades" have been sentenced to perpetually carry out for eternity. Pretty incredible. And, the ruler of the underworld actually gives him a chance to take Eurydice back with him, and he fails miserably. Orpheus turns around to look at her too soon, and he loses her a second time. Can you imagine how mad at yourself you would be? Also a pretty sad story, but I like it.
After Hyacinth gets hit by the discus that Phoebus throws, Phoebus says
"You've lost the flower of your youth...
It's my right hand that has inscribed
your end: I am the author of your death.
And yet, what crime is mine? Can play, can sport
be blamed? Can having loved be called a fault?"
Poor Phoebus - he's accidentally just killed the boy he loves. It really is quite tragic, as are the deaths of all young people. They were just out having some fun together on a beautiful spring day, but then it had to end so badly.
The other quote I like is from the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. It's describing after Orpheus sings his song when he is trying to get his wife back from the underworld.
"Tantalus no longer tried to catch the fleeing waves;
Ixion's wheel stood still - entranced, amazed;
the vulture did not prey on Tityus' liver;
the Danaids left their urns; and Sisyphus,
you sat upon your stone."
His song is so moving that all activity ceases - activities that these "shades" have been sentenced to perpetually carry out for eternity. Pretty incredible. And, the ruler of the underworld actually gives him a chance to take Eurydice back with him, and he fails miserably. Orpheus turns around to look at her too soon, and he loses her a second time. Can you imagine how mad at yourself you would be? Also a pretty sad story, but I like it.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
The Flower Stories
Besides the story of Pygmalion and Galatea, I also love the flower stories, which include Narcissus and Echo, Hyacinthus, and Pyramus and Thisbe (actually a berry story) . They are such beautiful and tragic stories. And, I like that they explain how the Narcissus, Hyacinth, and mulberry came to be.
In this painting, done by John William Waterhouse, is Echo and Narcissus. I think this is a very lovely depiction of them.
In this painting, done by John William Waterhouse, is Echo and Narcissus. I think this is a very lovely depiction of them.
This is Méry-Joseph Blondel's painting of "The Death of Hyacinthus."
This painting by Hans Baldung is of Pyramus and Thisbe, which I'm not crazy about. In my mind they should look younger - more youthful.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Pygmalion and Galatea
I love the story of Pygmalion and Galatea - it's so romantic and beautiful, even if Pygmalion is a little pathetic. And, it's one of only a few myths that end happily. This painting is by Boris Vallejo.
There are a few problems with this story, the more I think about it. For example, he is a man and the only woman good enough for him is the one that he creates. Maybe the women of Cyprus were truly reprehensible, but it sounds like he just gave up on them or was too hard to please.
However, his devotion to Galatea as a statue does make one feel a little sorry for him. Apparently Venus was impressed by this unique love and therefore brought the stunning, flawless Galatea to life, so they could live happily ever after.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Maenads, Bassarids, Bacchae, or Bacchantes (take your pick)
In class on Monday we were talking about the women worshipers of Dionysus. And, like everyone else in mythology, they are called by a variety of names. The title of Euripides' play is of course the Bacchae, but sometimes they are known as Bacchantes, Bassarids, or Maenads which literally means "raving ones." A bassaris is a fox skin, which the Roman god Bacchus was wont to wear. Even though he is sexually ambiguous, Dionysus (or Bacchus) drives the ladies crazy. It just can't be helped, kind of like Elvis.
I googled the Maenads, and I found some art of them doing exactly the kinds of things of which Pentheus was afraid. They drink copious amounts of wine and indulge in frenetic dancing and sexual acts. But who can blame them for going wild on their only day off from their daily toils? Personally, I'm ready for a good time at the end of each week. However, I can't say that I usually have to the urge to go to the mountains and tear apart living animals, or humans for that matter. It sounds like things get pretty out of control at celebrations for Dionysus, but that's how he likes them. Apparently, he isn't interested in smart girls, rather the ones who know how to do well what comes naturally.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Dionysus
The Bacchae by Euripides is an interesting play, and I think that Dionysus is a fascinating god. He is, of course, the god of wine, agriculture, and theatre. And although he often inflicts madness on people to teach them a lesson or to get revenge, he is also associated with civilization and peace. His antithetical nature makes him quite frightening even while he is credited for bringing joy to Greece. Dionysus is definitely a god whose good side you want to be sure to stay on. In the introduction, I believe Woodruff talks about the smiling masks that the actor who played Dionysus would have worn. The fact that his smile can be benign or dangerous seems almost creepy to me. But, the question of madness and sanity in the play is an interesting one. It seems like they are almost switched, or sometimes Dionysus sounds crazy and Pentheus just stubborn. I think that this play is complex and that there is a lot that can be gotten from it. I will have more to say on the Bacchae in subsequent blogs.
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Old Comedy
In classic comedy, there is old, middle, and new. As we have already discovered, old comedy is replete with scatalogical and sexual humor, or anything lewd and crude. Unlike tragedy, old comedy is not based on myth, but rather on contemporary themes or whatever the comic playwright chooses. In Lysistrata, Aristophanes has a purpose when satirizes the political and social institutions of his day. He is criticizing the Athenians and their ways, in which he apparently can see room for improvement. And, he also sometimes mimics the high style and language of tragedies to produce comic effect.
Another facet of old comedy is the role of the chorus. The chorus was an important and integral part of the production, which was very musical with a lot of singing and dancing. Unfortunately when we simply read these plays, we get only a glimpse of what it should be. It's hard to even imagine what Lysistrata would have been like back in the day as we are so far removed fourth century Greek culture. At least Sarah Ruden translated the play so that we can get the jokes and can be entertained (or repulsed) by it.
But, aspects and the spirit of old comedy remain in our culture today in political cartoons, stand-up comedy, and satirical skits on late night tv shows.
Another facet of old comedy is the role of the chorus. The chorus was an important and integral part of the production, which was very musical with a lot of singing and dancing. Unfortunately when we simply read these plays, we get only a glimpse of what it should be. It's hard to even imagine what Lysistrata would have been like back in the day as we are so far removed fourth century Greek culture. At least Sarah Ruden translated the play so that we can get the jokes and can be entertained (or repulsed) by it.
But, aspects and the spirit of old comedy remain in our culture today in political cartoons, stand-up comedy, and satirical skits on late night tv shows.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Aristophanes - Calling for the complement
I really enjoyed Aristophanes's speech. I liked it because it accounts for so many things, like people's sexuality, attraction to certain people, and even for the bellybutton. (Not that I truly believe it...) But, Aristophanes's is a fascinating theory, that each of us was once a pair, but then we were split as punishment for misbehaving and attempting an attack on the gods. Zeus had Apollo cut us in half, and where our navels are is where he drew the skin together to close the wound. Since we were made into halves, we spend our lives searching for our "matching half."
"This, then, is the source of our desire to love each other. Love is born into every human being; it calls back the halves of our original nature together, it tries to make one out of two and heal the wound of human nature" (27). And, supposedly, we will know when we have found our other half.
This idea made me think of the poem "Tortoise Shout" by D.H. Lawrence. It's quite long, but I didn't want to put just pieces of it on here, so here's the whole poem. The end is especially relevant to Aristophanes's speech.
TORTOISE SHOUT
I thought he was dumb,
I said he was dumb,
Yet I've heard him cry.
First faint scream,
Out of life's unfathomable dawn,
Far off, so far, like a madness, under the horizon's dawning rim,
Far, far off, far scream.
Tortoise in extremis.
Why were we crucified into sex?
Why were we not left rounded off, and finished in ourselves,
As we began,
As he certainly began, so perfectly alone?
A far, was-it-audible scream,
Or did it sound on the plasm direct?
Worse than the cry of the new-born,
A scream,
A yell,
A shout,
A pæan,
A death-agony,
A birth-cry,
A submission,
All tiny, tiny, far away, reptile under the first dawn.
War-cry, triumph, acute-delight, death-scream reptilian,
Why was the veil torn?
The silken shriek of the soul's torn membrane?
The male soul's membrane
Torn with a shriek half music, half horror.
Crucifixion.
Male tortoise, cleaving behind the hovel-wall of that dense female,
Mounted and tense, spread-eagle, out-reaching out of the shell
In tortoise-nakedness,
Long neck, and long vulnerable limbs extruded, spread-eagle over her house-roof,
And the deep, secret, all-penetrating tail curved beneath her walls,
Reaching and gripping tense, more reaching anguish in uttermost tension
Till suddenly, in the spasm of coition, tupping like a jerking leap, and oh!
Opening its clenched face from his outstretched neck
And giving that fragile yell, that scream,
Super-audible,
From his pink, cleft, old-man's mouth,
Giving up the ghost,
Or screaming in Pentecost, receiving the ghost.
His scream, and his moment's subsidence,
The moment of eternal silence,
Yet unreleased, and after the moment, the sudden, startling jerk of coition, and at once
The inexpressible faint yell
And so on, till the last plasm of my body was melted back
To the primeval rudiments of life, and the secret.
So he tups, and screams
Time after time that frail, torn scream
After each jerk, the longish interval,
The tortoise eternity,
Agelong, reptilian persistence,
Heart-throb, slow heart-throb, persistent for the next spasm.
I remember, when I was a boy,
I heard the scream of a frog, which was caught with his foot in the mouth of an up-starting snake;
I remember when I first heard bull-frogs break into sound in the spring;
I remember hearing a wild goose out of the throat of night
Cry loudly, beyond the lake of waters;
I remember the first time, out of a bush in the darkness, a nightingale's piercing cries and gurgles startled the depths of my soul;
I remember the scream of a rabbit as I went through a wood at midnight;
I remember the heifer in her heat, blorting and blorting through the hours, persistent and irrepressible;
I remember my first terror hearing the howl of weird, amorous cats;
I remember the scream of a terrified, injured horse, the sheet-lightning
And running away from the sound of a woman in labor, something like an owl whooing,
And listening inwardly to the first bleat of a lamb,
The first wail of an infant,
And my mother singing to herself,
And the first tenor singing of the passionate throat of a young collier, who has long since drunk himself to death,
The first elements of foreign speech
On wild dark lips.
And more than all these,
And less than all these,
This last,
Strange, faint coition yell
Of the male tortoise at extremity,
Tiny from under the very edge of the farthest far-off horizon of life.
The cross,
The wheel on which our silence first is broken,
Sex, which breaks up our integrity, our single inviolability, our deep silence
Tearing a cry from us.
Sex, which breaks us into voice, sets us calling across the deeps, calling, calling for the complement,
Singing, and calling, and singing again, being answered, having found.
Torn, to become whole again, after long seeking for what is lost,
The same cry from the tortoise as from Christ, the Osiris-cry of abandonment,
That which is whole, torn asunder,
That which is in part, finding its whole again throughout the universe.
D.H. Lawrence
"This, then, is the source of our desire to love each other. Love is born into every human being; it calls back the halves of our original nature together, it tries to make one out of two and heal the wound of human nature" (27). And, supposedly, we will know when we have found our other half.
This idea made me think of the poem "Tortoise Shout" by D.H. Lawrence. It's quite long, but I didn't want to put just pieces of it on here, so here's the whole poem. The end is especially relevant to Aristophanes's speech.
TORTOISE SHOUT
I thought he was dumb,
I said he was dumb,
Yet I've heard him cry.
First faint scream,
Out of life's unfathomable dawn,
Far off, so far, like a madness, under the horizon's dawning rim,
Far, far off, far scream.
Tortoise in extremis.
Why were we crucified into sex?
Why were we not left rounded off, and finished in ourselves,
As we began,
As he certainly began, so perfectly alone?
A far, was-it-audible scream,
Or did it sound on the plasm direct?
Worse than the cry of the new-born,
A scream,
A yell,
A shout,
A pæan,
A death-agony,
A birth-cry,
A submission,
All tiny, tiny, far away, reptile under the first dawn.
War-cry, triumph, acute-delight, death-scream reptilian,
Why was the veil torn?
The silken shriek of the soul's torn membrane?
The male soul's membrane
Torn with a shriek half music, half horror.
Crucifixion.
Male tortoise, cleaving behind the hovel-wall of that dense female,
Mounted and tense, spread-eagle, out-reaching out of the shell
In tortoise-nakedness,
Long neck, and long vulnerable limbs extruded, spread-eagle over her house-roof,
And the deep, secret, all-penetrating tail curved beneath her walls,
Reaching and gripping tense, more reaching anguish in uttermost tension
Till suddenly, in the spasm of coition, tupping like a jerking leap, and oh!
Opening its clenched face from his outstretched neck
And giving that fragile yell, that scream,
Super-audible,
From his pink, cleft, old-man's mouth,
Giving up the ghost,
Or screaming in Pentecost, receiving the ghost.
His scream, and his moment's subsidence,
The moment of eternal silence,
Yet unreleased, and after the moment, the sudden, startling jerk of coition, and at once
The inexpressible faint yell
And so on, till the last plasm of my body was melted back
To the primeval rudiments of life, and the secret.
So he tups, and screams
Time after time that frail, torn scream
After each jerk, the longish interval,
The tortoise eternity,
Agelong, reptilian persistence,
Heart-throb, slow heart-throb, persistent for the next spasm.
I remember, when I was a boy,
I heard the scream of a frog, which was caught with his foot in the mouth of an up-starting snake;
I remember when I first heard bull-frogs break into sound in the spring;
I remember hearing a wild goose out of the throat of night
Cry loudly, beyond the lake of waters;
I remember the first time, out of a bush in the darkness, a nightingale's piercing cries and gurgles startled the depths of my soul;
I remember the scream of a rabbit as I went through a wood at midnight;
I remember the heifer in her heat, blorting and blorting through the hours, persistent and irrepressible;
I remember my first terror hearing the howl of weird, amorous cats;
I remember the scream of a terrified, injured horse, the sheet-lightning
And running away from the sound of a woman in labor, something like an owl whooing,
And listening inwardly to the first bleat of a lamb,
The first wail of an infant,
And my mother singing to herself,
And the first tenor singing of the passionate throat of a young collier, who has long since drunk himself to death,
The first elements of foreign speech
On wild dark lips.
And more than all these,
And less than all these,
This last,
Strange, faint coition yell
Of the male tortoise at extremity,
Tiny from under the very edge of the farthest far-off horizon of life.
The cross,
The wheel on which our silence first is broken,
Sex, which breaks up our integrity, our single inviolability, our deep silence
Tearing a cry from us.
Sex, which breaks us into voice, sets us calling across the deeps, calling, calling for the complement,
Singing, and calling, and singing again, being answered, having found.
Torn, to become whole again, after long seeking for what is lost,
The same cry from the tortoise as from Christ, the Osiris-cry of abandonment,
That which is whole, torn asunder,
That which is in part, finding its whole again throughout the universe.
D.H. Lawrence
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Eryximachus
I thought that Eryximachus made some interesting points in his speech in the Symposium. Since he is a doctor he compares the two different types of love to two conditions of the human body - healthy or diseased. Just like in medicine, everything that contributes to health must be encouraged in regard to love. He makes the comparison between overeating and debauchery to show that moderation is necessary when it comes to love, too. Otherwise it becomes unhealthy.
Eryximachus also draws parallels between music and love. Pleasing and enjoyable music has a balance and a certain tension. There is a duality to everything, and love is not excluded from this. Like music and seasons and weather (hot and cold, wet and dry), there must be harmony between heavenly, spiritual love and common, vulgar love. These opposites create a balance, which is ideal when it comes to love.
Eryximachus also draws parallels between music and love. Pleasing and enjoyable music has a balance and a certain tension. There is a duality to everything, and love is not excluded from this. Like music and seasons and weather (hot and cold, wet and dry), there must be harmony between heavenly, spiritual love and common, vulgar love. These opposites create a balance, which is ideal when it comes to love.
Monday, February 19, 2007
The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.
In the past few days I have watched two movies and read a novel that are directly related to class. Classical literature really does permeate everything we see and do.
To begin with, I just reread The Awakening by Kate Chopin. And there is part where Mademoiselle Reisz feels Edna's shoulder blades to see if her wings are strong. She says to Edna, "The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle to see the weaklings bruised,
exhausted, fluttering back to earth." Edna encounters beautiful things which initiates her growth and enlightenment. Her awakening necessitates her wings growing in; however, in the end she discovers that her wings are not strong enough to transcend her world, and she relinquishes herself to the sea.
As I was just typing the previous few lines, my train of thought led me to Jonathan Livingston Seagull. He is the seagull who is unwilling to conform to regular gull life, becomes an outcast, and is taken to a "higher plane of existence." It takes JLS a lot of hard work, but unlike Edna, he doesn't give up and is rewarded for it.
Anyhow, I watched one of my favorite movies, Moulin Rouge, this weekend, partly because of things we were talking about in class. When we were discussing courtesans, I thought of Nicole Kidman's character, Satine. She is a very striking yet very tragic woman, much like the other "kept women" that we discussed in class. Moulin Rouge is also a movie of Aphrodite and Eros, as it is all about love. And, it can also be a form of catharsis for me. Although I didn't cry this last time that I watched it, it often helps me purge my emotions. Somehow I feel better when it is over, even though it is so sad.
The other movie that I watched was An Unfinished Life. Today when I was reading the introduction to the Symposium, it made me think about Robert Redford's character who loses his son and can't move on for many years. Someone makes a comment in the movie that it is wrong to outlive one's child. And I figured out why this is, or one reason for this. According to Alexander Nehamas who wrote the introduction to the Symposium, "[the] desire to reproduce, which is also a desire for immortality, may involve physical offspring, glory, or good deeds in general - anything that springs from the individual but stays behind after the individual's death" (xix). I suppose that leaving a legacy when one dies is a motive for having children (perhaps subconsciously for most people), but I think that simply missing someone and knowing that he should be there is very hard as well.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Men and Women
I think that of the five categories in Antigone, the one I'm most interested in is men and women. I think. Although, the individual and society is also interesting.
In response to Dr. Sexson's question about having a miscommunication with someone of the opposite sex, I have to say that I have. I can't think of a specific example, but occasionally my now ex-boyfriend and I would not be able to convey to each other what we meant. Or at least I felt that I wasn't coming across like I wanted to. The argument or conversation usually started out about something really silly, too, but it quickly turned into a much bigger deal because we couldn't explain ourselves in ways that the other could understand. Very frustrating and maddening. But I suppose that's just the way it is every now and then with men and women.
In response to Dr. Sexson's question about having a miscommunication with someone of the opposite sex, I have to say that I have. I can't think of a specific example, but occasionally my now ex-boyfriend and I would not be able to convey to each other what we meant. Or at least I felt that I wasn't coming across like I wanted to. The argument or conversation usually started out about something really silly, too, but it quickly turned into a much bigger deal because we couldn't explain ourselves in ways that the other could understand. Very frustrating and maddening. But I suppose that's just the way it is every now and then with men and women.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Antigones
Bottom of page 250 through 251:
In this excerpt from Antigones, Steiner discusses the aspect of the play regarding the laws that govern humans. In lines 450-460, Antigone expresses her belief that the gods' "unfailing unwritten laws" that "live for all time" are paramount, not Creon's transient, earthly ones.
Steiner says that man was at home in timelessness; he was before or outside of history. Man was comfortable, and better off, when he didn't have to be of a certain time and when he followed rules that were applicable to any epoch in time. But the rational organization of time into historical events occurred and did considerable damage to the human condition. Antigone falls into the former category - Creon into the latter, which is the destructive one.
The timeless rules, or natural laws, of human relations are about "loving immediacy" and "unquestioning care," which Antigone understands. This is why she goes against her society's laws, knowing and disregarding the consequences, in order to take care of her brother's body. She doesn't care about ephemeral rulers and their silly laws; instead she feels compassion toward her fellow human beings, and especially toward her own flesh and blood. Her values are the antithesis of Creon's. He wishes to maintain order and carry out his edicts to save face, at the cost of what is natural to humans. Antigone tries to explain her motive to Creon, but he just doesn't get it. He's been too much affected by "the mutations, the transitory illusions, the divisive experiments, of a historical and political system" (251). Otherwise he would be more humane.
After Antigone's speech and condemnation of Creon, he doesn't have anything to say, to come back with. I love the following quote: "For time does not answer or, indeed, bandy words with eternity" (251). They're not on the same level whatsoever. Antigone and Creon cannot even communicate; she has transcended his world, or perhaps she never descended to it at all. Creon is bound to the timely, secular affairs of earth, and she won't acknowledge them. For this reason, her death sentence from Creon is meaningless to her. She had already learned that "only the full acceptance of death can yield a mortal lastingness."
Antigone's family and the fact that she will die without ever experiencing marriage or childbirth are of the highest import to her. But she knows she has power of her own, and she uses it to get the upper hand in this situation, by adhering to higher beliefs and in the end by taking her own life.
In this excerpt from Antigones, Steiner discusses the aspect of the play regarding the laws that govern humans. In lines 450-460, Antigone expresses her belief that the gods' "unfailing unwritten laws" that "live for all time" are paramount, not Creon's transient, earthly ones.
Steiner says that man was at home in timelessness; he was before or outside of history. Man was comfortable, and better off, when he didn't have to be of a certain time and when he followed rules that were applicable to any epoch in time. But the rational organization of time into historical events occurred and did considerable damage to the human condition. Antigone falls into the former category - Creon into the latter, which is the destructive one.
The timeless rules, or natural laws, of human relations are about "loving immediacy" and "unquestioning care," which Antigone understands. This is why she goes against her society's laws, knowing and disregarding the consequences, in order to take care of her brother's body. She doesn't care about ephemeral rulers and their silly laws; instead she feels compassion toward her fellow human beings, and especially toward her own flesh and blood. Her values are the antithesis of Creon's. He wishes to maintain order and carry out his edicts to save face, at the cost of what is natural to humans. Antigone tries to explain her motive to Creon, but he just doesn't get it. He's been too much affected by "the mutations, the transitory illusions, the divisive experiments, of a historical and political system" (251). Otherwise he would be more humane.
After Antigone's speech and condemnation of Creon, he doesn't have anything to say, to come back with. I love the following quote: "For time does not answer or, indeed, bandy words with eternity" (251). They're not on the same level whatsoever. Antigone and Creon cannot even communicate; she has transcended his world, or perhaps she never descended to it at all. Creon is bound to the timely, secular affairs of earth, and she won't acknowledge them. For this reason, her death sentence from Creon is meaningless to her. She had already learned that "only the full acceptance of death can yield a mortal lastingness."
Antigone's family and the fact that she will die without ever experiencing marriage or childbirth are of the highest import to her. But she knows she has power of her own, and she uses it to get the upper hand in this situation, by adhering to higher beliefs and in the end by taking her own life.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Love Triangles... Nothing New
As I was reflecting on the recent news story about the astronaut who was charged with attempted murder of a woman who she perceived as her "romantic rival," it occurred to me that I had already heard this story before - many times in fact. This woman, Lisa Nowak, became very jealous when she thought that another woman, Colleen Shipman, was involved with "her man," William Oefelein who is also an astronaut. So, Lisa drove more than 900 miles to accost and perhaps harm Colleen.
Her jealousy and the great lengths she goes to to threaten and punish this woman, who may or may not have been involved with the object of her obsession, remind me of Hera. She is forever infuriated by Zeus and his affairs with other women, but she takes it out on his lovers instead of him.
In the story of Io, Zeus of course falls in love with her, and in order to hide Io and himself from Hera, he first tries enveloping the earth in thick clouds. But, Hera is on to them, so when she comes down to earth, Zeus kindly turns poor Io into a white heifer. Hera insists on him giving the cow to her as a gift, which he cannot refuse; otherwise he will confirm her suspicions. Then Hera has Argus, the thing with a hundred eyes, watch Io. So, Zeus sends his son Hermes, the messenger of the gods, to the rescue. Hermes plays lovely songs on his reed pipe and tells stories to try to put Argus to sleep in order to abscond with Io. However, this is a very difficult task, because usually he sleeps with some of his eyes open. At long last Hermes is successful in getting him to shut all one hundred of his eyes, and then he kills Argus. (And, Hera put his eyes on the tail of the peacock, her favorite bird.) Hera is still very mad, so she sends a gad-fly to torment Io, which keeps her on the run for a very long time. When she finally reaches the Nile, Zeus restores her, and she lives happily ever after.
A jealous woman is never a good thing. And, I don't think that in the astronaut's case there will be a happy ending. Fortunately, or unfortunately (depending on one's perspective), Lisa Nowak was not a goddess. But, her antics have inflicted suffering on all those involved, including her own family. And as Io was plagued by Hera's wrath, certainly Colleen Shipman will be afraid that crazy Lisa might make another attempt on her life and be successful this time. (Although, Lisa Nowak is wearing a monitoring device.) If there is a lesson to be learned from this, perhaps it is that it is best to stay away from those who frequently hang out above the earth; they seem to be capable of wreaking a lot of havoc.
Her jealousy and the great lengths she goes to to threaten and punish this woman, who may or may not have been involved with the object of her obsession, remind me of Hera. She is forever infuriated by Zeus and his affairs with other women, but she takes it out on his lovers instead of him.
In the story of Io, Zeus of course falls in love with her, and in order to hide Io and himself from Hera, he first tries enveloping the earth in thick clouds. But, Hera is on to them, so when she comes down to earth, Zeus kindly turns poor Io into a white heifer. Hera insists on him giving the cow to her as a gift, which he cannot refuse; otherwise he will confirm her suspicions. Then Hera has Argus, the thing with a hundred eyes, watch Io. So, Zeus sends his son Hermes, the messenger of the gods, to the rescue. Hermes plays lovely songs on his reed pipe and tells stories to try to put Argus to sleep in order to abscond with Io. However, this is a very difficult task, because usually he sleeps with some of his eyes open. At long last Hermes is successful in getting him to shut all one hundred of his eyes, and then he kills Argus. (And, Hera put his eyes on the tail of the peacock, her favorite bird.) Hera is still very mad, so she sends a gad-fly to torment Io, which keeps her on the run for a very long time. When she finally reaches the Nile, Zeus restores her, and she lives happily ever after.
A jealous woman is never a good thing. And, I don't think that in the astronaut's case there will be a happy ending. Fortunately, or unfortunately (depending on one's perspective), Lisa Nowak was not a goddess. But, her antics have inflicted suffering on all those involved, including her own family. And as Io was plagued by Hera's wrath, certainly Colleen Shipman will be afraid that crazy Lisa might make another attempt on her life and be successful this time. (Although, Lisa Nowak is wearing a monitoring device.) If there is a lesson to be learned from this, perhaps it is that it is best to stay away from those who frequently hang out above the earth; they seem to be capable of wreaking a lot of havoc.
Sunday, February 4, 2007
The Eluesinian Trinity and Acid
I was searching for information on Demeter and the Eluesinian Mysteries, and I found this relief of Demeter, Triptolemus, and Kore, the Eluesinian Trinity, at Wikipedia.org. Triptolemus was another son of Celeus and therefore brother to Demophoon, who Demeter attempted to make immortal. In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Triptolemus is only mentioned in passing. But, according to this article, he was one of the original priests of the Eluesinian Mysteries and the one to which Demeter taught the art of agriculture. I expected this relief to be of the "Triple Goddess," Demeter, Persephone, and Hecate, that Dr. Sexson talked about in class. Apparently old Triptolemus was an important guy though. I also thought it was interesting that in such a female based religion a male priest would play such an important role in the ceremonies or rituals. For more information on Triptolemus, go to http://http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Triptolemus&oldid=100063165
The Kore is the young maiden, who is of course Persephone, and she is often portrayed in Greek art wearing a robe and holding a sheaf of grain. Persephone is usually referred to as "The Maiden" by the Greeks, because as the Queen of the Dead, her name is not safe to say aloud.
The religion related to the Eluesinian Mysteries was one of the greatest religions of all time, which was supposed to be kept secret. The ceremonies were held every five years, and the "initiation rites united the worshipper with god, and included promises of divine power and rewards in life after death."
It is thought by some that the special drink, which is called kykeon, that the iniates drank at the ceremonies caused the participants to trip out, which they interpreted as profound spiritual experiences. The barley in it acts as a psychadelic agent similar to LSD. The fungus ergot is the cause of this, which you may remember is also believed to have caused the physical symptoms that led to many accusations in the witch trials that took place in New England in the 17th Century. I thought that this was a very interesting detail of the Eluesinian Mysteries.
All of this info I found at www.wikipedia.org
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
I haven't thought of anything brilliant about which to blog today. But, while reading through the introduction of Homeric Hymns, I thought it was pretty great of whoever put them together to include the stories that all Greeks could relate to so that no one was made to feel insignificant. Instead of name-dropping and being exclusive, they used universal myths to bring Greeks from varying backgrounds together. Today we consider the literature that practically anyone can relate to to be the best.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Confusing My Myths
When I was in high school, one of my favorite and best English teachers, Miss Melanie Smith (whom some of you may know, as she is currently at MSU), taught an extensive unit on mythology, which I thoroughly enjoyed. But, apparently I need to brush up on some of the stories. When we first began talking about Antigone, I thought that I remembered a myth where she and Ismene turned into birds at the end in order to escape certain death. However, I was very wrong. That was Procne and Philomela. I had the wrong house; Antigone and Ismene were of course part of the royal house of Thebes, and Procne and Philomela were part of the royal house of Athens. It too is an interesting story. If you are interested, I found a version of this story at http://www.pelion.info/myths_procne.html
I also found it interesting when I visited this site that in the list of its contents was the heading "What's New," which of course I responded (to myself) with "What's Old?" How could there possibly be anything new on a mythologies site?! Well, it is actually a place where the creator of the site talks about personal matters and why some of the links don't work. Very misleading.
I also found it interesting when I visited this site that in the list of its contents was the heading "What's New," which of course I responded (to myself) with "What's Old?" How could there possibly be anything new on a mythologies site?! Well, it is actually a place where the creator of the site talks about personal matters and why some of the links don't work. Very misleading.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
25 January 2007
Well, I finally got a newspaper, and I was looking through it. But, so far nothing has jumped out at me that relates to Antigone or Demeter or Oedipus (if you can believe it).
However, there is an article about Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner, who recently spoke at MSU. And it occured to me that the Olympic games are a Greek tradition - not to mention, Mount Olympus is the home of the gods. Rulon Gardner was a wrestler, which was an orginal competition in the Olympics.
And here is an image of ancient wrestling.
For more artwork and info about the ancient Olympics, go to http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Olympics
Again, "all that is past possesses our present." The Olympics are a part of most nations' cultures today, and many people look forward to and watch them. Especially for the nation hosting them, there is almost an Olympic craze prior to and throughout, which could be said is possessing the present.
I noticed a few other things along these lines of the past relating to the present in the first few pages of Antigone.
On page 7 is a reference to the Goddess of Victory, whose name is Nike, which a very successful sporting goods/tennis shoe company adopted for its name. I have always thought that this was very clever, although I'm not sure how many people make the connection.
And on page 12, there are two places where modern cliches or phrases could possibly have originated. At the part where the Watchman tells Creon that Polyneices has been buried, the Watchman expects to be killed. This reminded me of the saying "Don't shoot the messenger." And at line 295, Creon says "money is the nastiest weed ever to sprout," which of course sounds like "money is the root of all evil." I suppose these are just common tropes, but we still say similar things today.
However, there is an article about Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner, who recently spoke at MSU. And it occured to me that the Olympic games are a Greek tradition - not to mention, Mount Olympus is the home of the gods. Rulon Gardner was a wrestler, which was an orginal competition in the Olympics.
And here is an image of ancient wrestling.
For more artwork and info about the ancient Olympics, go to http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Olympics
Again, "all that is past possesses our present." The Olympics are a part of most nations' cultures today, and many people look forward to and watch them. Especially for the nation hosting them, there is almost an Olympic craze prior to and throughout, which could be said is possessing the present.
I noticed a few other things along these lines of the past relating to the present in the first few pages of Antigone.
On page 7 is a reference to the Goddess of Victory, whose name is Nike, which a very successful sporting goods/tennis shoe company adopted for its name. I have always thought that this was very clever, although I'm not sure how many people make the connection.
And on page 12, there are two places where modern cliches or phrases could possibly have originated. At the part where the Watchman tells Creon that Polyneices has been buried, the Watchman expects to be killed. This reminded me of the saying "Don't shoot the messenger." And at line 295, Creon says "money is the nastiest weed ever to sprout," which of course sounds like "money is the root of all evil." I suppose these are just common tropes, but we still say similar things today.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Class - 22 January 2007
Notes and Thoughts:
agon - (Greek) a contest, a kind of battle between adversaries, an adversarial relationship
-root of agony
(Isn't lexicon fascinating?)
Conflicts in Antigone:
1. man v. woman
2. old v. young
3. individual v. society
4. living v. dead
5. humans v. god(s)
In Steiner's Antigones, on pages 114 and 121 are important, however elitist, quotes, including "The myth precipitates and purifies the agitated, opaque elements of the immediate situation. It enforces on them distance and the dignity of the insoluble..."(121). The myths are relevant to our lives, and our common experiences are so much more than common or agitated.
What's old?
And there is a "fistful of Greek myths which have shaped western consciousness," Antigone being the most important, according to Steiner. It is so necessary (and enriching) to be familiar with mythology when reading literature. It seems to pop up everywhere.
agon - (Greek) a contest, a kind of battle between adversaries, an adversarial relationship
-root of agony
(Isn't lexicon fascinating?)
Conflicts in Antigone:
1. man v. woman
2. old v. young
3. individual v. society
4. living v. dead
5. humans v. god(s)
In Steiner's Antigones, on pages 114 and 121 are important, however elitist, quotes, including "The myth precipitates and purifies the agitated, opaque elements of the immediate situation. It enforces on them distance and the dignity of the insoluble..."(121). The myths are relevant to our lives, and our common experiences are so much more than common or agitated.
What's old?
And there is a "fistful of Greek myths which have shaped western consciousness," Antigone being the most important, according to Steiner. It is so necessary (and enriching) to be familiar with mythology when reading literature. It seems to pop up everywhere.
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