My icon- Dan Simmons' Ilium

While I'm not sure if it has aroused any curiosity, I felt the need to explain the picture in the upper right corner of my blog. It is the cover of a novel called Ilium by Dan Simmons, one of my favorite science fiction authors. Simmons' appeal lies in his intertextuality; in this book for example he transforms and integrates the works of Homer, Shakespeare, Nabokov and Proust into a dramatic recreation of the Iliad.

Pride and Prejudice

This novel is the final reading for my Restoration of 18th century British Literature class, and one sentence in particular stuck out in its similarity to a story we discussed in class.

On page thirty of the novel, Mrs. Bennet remarks "but you must own she is very plain. Lady Lucas herself has often said so, and envied me Jane's beauty. I do not like to boast of my own child, but to be sure, Jane-- one does not often see anybody better looking. It is what everybody says. I do not trust my own partiality."

This scene of a mother boasting of her child's superiority reminded me of the story of Niobe, and the moral that it teaches. Luckily for Mrs. Bennet, Apollo and Artemis do not feel the need to give her five daughters a hailstorm of arrows, one could say they dodged the bullet *ducks to avoid flying objects from that pun*.

Note on Presentations

Unfortunately the blog has to be finished for our dear senex to read and review, so I will be unable to note all the presentations, however I still plan to post the remaining presentations as they are given.

On a final note, my apologies to those whose presentations are not mentioned. My notes are a bit lacking in detail and I abstained from posting if I felt my information was insufficient to create an informative post.

Presentations- Sereta Heser

"There are things known and things unknown and in between them are the doors" Jim Morrison

Sereta's presentation examined Jim Morrison of the The Doors and his connections to myth. Morrison's connection to Dionysus is seen in his use of mescaline to induce a frenzy of Dionytic manner and in the naming of his group. Morrison also references Oedipus in the song The End.

This is the end

Beautiful friend

This is the end

My only friend, the end

Of our elaborate plans, the end

Of everything that stands, the end

No safety or surprise, the end

I'll never look into your eyes...again

Can you picture what will be

So limitless and free

Desperately in need...of some...stranger's hand

In a...desperate land

Lost in a Roman...wilderness of pain

And all the children are insane

All the children are insane

Waiting for the summer rain, yeah

There's danger on the edge of town

Ride the King's highway, baby

Weird scenes inside the gold mine

Ride the highway west, baby

Ride the snake, ride the snake

To the lake, the ancient lake, baby

The snake is long, seven miles

Ride the snake...he's old, and his skin is cold

The west is the best

The west is the best

Get here, and we'll do the rest

The blue bus is callin' us

The blue bus is callin' us

Driver, where you taken' us

The killer awoke before dawn, he put his boots on

He took a face from the ancient gallery

And he walked on down the hall

He went into the room where his sister lived, and...then he

Paid a visit to his brother, and then he

He walked on down the hall, and

And he came to a door...and he looked inside

Father, yes son, I want to kill you

Mother...I want to...fuck you

C'mon baby, take a chance with us

C'mon baby, take a chance with us

C'mon baby, take a chance with us

And meet me at the back of the blue bus

Doin' a blue rock

On a blue bus

Doin' a blue rock

C'mon, yeah

Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill

This is the end

Beautiful friend

This is the end

My only friend, the end

It hurts to set you free

But you'll never follow me

The end of laughter and soft lies

The end of nights we tried to die

This is the end

Presentations- John Horner

John's presentation connected the realm of myth to that of science fiction. First he mentioned Frank Herbert's Dune series, with Paul Atreides becoming a Tiresias character due to his prescient vision. Next he mentioned the character Superman, who functions as a greek mythic hero of near godlike stature and renown. Surprisingly, Superman's true name Kal-el translates into 'vessel of god' in Aramaic.

Presentations- Danielle Heinle

Danielle's presentation focused on the theme of the Triple Goddess. Danielle mentioned that as an only child, her relationship with her mother and grandmother was strengthened by the lack of siblings in her family, creating a very personal understanding of the triple goddess.

Alluding to the similarities between Greek mythology and Christianity, Danielle mentioned that the triple goddess can be seen as both figurative and literal trinities, as three distinct individuals or as three different aspects that together make up the stages of life.

The maiden stands for birth, fertility and curiosity.
The mother stands for stability, life and love.
The crone stands for compassion and death.

Presentations- Alex Johnson

Alex's presentation focused primarily on the five conflicts of Antigone, but rather than looking for a single work which displayed all of the conflicts, he turned to the AFI's (American Film Institute) top 100 American movies.

Man vs Woman- My Fair Lady. This 1964 movie features a retelling of the Pygmalion story with Henry Higgins attempt to reform Eliza Doolittle into his ideal vision of a woman. This romantic comedy features many confrontations between the two genders, as well as the old vs young conflict between Eliza and Henry and their parents.

Old vs Young- Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Disney's first animated film, the queen's maniacal desire to be the fairest in the land despite her age and the inescapable diminishing of her beauty cause her to attempt to kill Snow White to avoid the cycle of youth replacing the old.

Individual vs Society- One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. McMurphy's charismatic presence and defiance of authority threatens the order of the mental institution and clashes with the commanding and tyrannical Nurse Ratched.

Living vs Dead- Frankenstein. This conflict is shown in the nature of the monster itself. As a reanimated corpse, its very existence makes it an abomination.

Men vs Gods- Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indiana's race against the Nazis to recover the Ark of the Covenant symbolizes humanity's desire to understand the nature of the divine, which is transcendent and therefore unattainable.

Presentations- Melissa Kelsey

It has often been said that great minds think alike. To prove this, Melissa's presentation concerned the theme of scapegoats. Apparently the subject makes for a very entertaining/engaging read, as Melissa stated that a search on the term revealed 39,000 books on Amazon.com and over 3.4 million sites on Google. And to further show how deeply the scapegoat has permeated our society, she handed out several comics and cartoons showing several poor bumpkins getting the tar scapegoated out of them. These visual aids also included the famous painting by William Holmon Hunt.

As a final note, Dr. Sexson also mentioned the French historian Rene Girard and his writings on the scapegoat mechanism.

Presentations- Ashley Kirchoff

Ashley's presentation focused on the Homeric Hymn to Demeter and the Eleusinian Mysteries. She mentioned that there are many examples of the relationship between father and child, such as in Hamlet and King Leer, but there are few examples of mother/daughter. One author mentioned was Adrienne Rich, the author of Woman Born, which deals with motherhood, issues of marriage and fertility, and the female rite of passage. Ashley also read a poem she wrote, entitled Tiger Lily, which concerned many things including Rage against the machine, Will-o'-the-wisp, Wonderland, and New Hampshire.

One facet of Ashley's presentation I particularly enjoyed was the mention of the religious rituals in which participators covered their eyes and mouth, which reminded me of The Dream and the Underworld, where Hillman mentions that vase paintings of Hades may show him with his face averted. "All this 'negative' evidence does coalesce to form a definite image of a void, an interiority or depth that is unknown but nameable, there and felt if not seen."
This seems very much like the Eleusinian Mysteries, where the mysteries are known but still hidden.

Presentations- Mick Leslie

Mick's presentation began with the announcement that his book was the wrong book, but that serendipity saw fit to make this wrong book the right book. The book was Walkabout, by James Vance Marshall. During the presentation and discussion, the main issue discussed was the origin and contemporary equivalent to the walkabout itself. The original walkabout was an aboriginal rite of passage in which thirteen year olds were to wander the wilderness for six months, retracing the routes taken by their ancestors. This event, as well as Mick's forced pedestrianism as a result of automobile complications, reminded me of the transcendentalist notion of returning to nature.

As for the book itself, the synopsis I discovered created a very depressing scene. Two children, lost in the wilderness are assisted by an aborigine on his walkabout. I'd rather not spoil the events of the book, but it seemed very similar to the rape of persephone, where an outside force intrudes upon the simplicity and peace of a natural existence and eventually causes its downfall.

Presentations- John Nay

John's presentation also dealt with the five conflicts of Antigone. The work in which these conflicts are described is J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, a book which I regretfully admit I have not yet read. The conflicts center around the life of Holden Caulfield, who uses cynicism in an attempt to avoid the pain of growing up and entering the adult world. His anger against the phoniness and superficiality of the world represents the individual vs society, although Holden often wonders if he himself is guilty of the phoniness he so despises. His close relationship and traumatic loss of his brother signifies the living vs dead, with Allie's death also being seen as the loss of innocence for Holden. The conflict of Man vs Woman is most noticable in Holden's doomed relationship with Sally Hayes, but could also be found with his younger sister Phoebe, whose maturity and role as his personal "catcher" also provide the Old vs Young conflict. The final conflict of Man vs Gods could refer to Holden's loss of faith after Allie's death, but without reading the book I'm not sure of Holden's religious convictions before his brother's death.

Presentations- Jonathan Orsi

Jonathan's presentation dealt with the character of Perseus in the Metamorphoses of Ovid, especially how Perseus changed between the two stories. He begins as a somewhat violent youth, who has no compunctions against giving the titan a face full of Gorgon. Later however, he meets Andromeda and falls in love. This pacifies Perseus, causing him to bury the head of Medusa and adapt to a more peaceful lifestyle.

This is very much like Lysistrata, where the love between men and women is able to calm the warlike tendencies of humanity and turn their endeavors to more constructive ends. I also enjoyed Jonathan's presentation because it mentioned the power of love as calming Perseus. During the discussion of Lysistrata and several of the presentations I was a bit frustrated by the sheer amount of attention that was given to the power of women over men through their sexual prowess. While I'm sure there are countless members of both sexes who are so centered on the needs of their Id, it seems a bit insulting that men are so callously indentified by a desperate need for intercourse. This presentation's focus on love made the story of Perseus seem more complete and balanced, rather than yet another example of a woman "using what she has to get what she wants."

Presentations- Porter

Much to my shame and embarrasment, I was unable to remember the first name of this presenter. Hopefully I can be forgiven for this transgression, but I could not omit this presentation, as it revolves around one of the greatest characters in literary history: Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes. Turning from a headstrong young woman to a headstrong and even younger boy, the five conflicts of Antigone were described in Calvin's world, showing that even a comic strip can provide a deeper insight into humanity.

The five conflicts are seen many times in the series, however the most prevalent is that of Man vs Woman- The conflict between Calvin and Susie is a stereotypical conflict, the dramatized traits of men and women (Men being headstrong, arrogant and forceful, Women being earnest, serious and contemplative) being let loose to ricochet off eachother. But with a closer look, this relationship also brings in the conflict of Old vs Young. Susie, as a hard-working and focused student, possesses a mature personality, giving her an aura of age and authority that Calvin finds threatening. Given his agonistic relationships with other female authority figures (His mother, Rosalyn, Miss Wormwood), Susie represents both the mystery and threat of feminism, the rigid authority of age, and the suffocating mandates of society.

Presentations- Emily Lewis

Emily's presentation focused on her love of dance. But, as we all know, humans are never responsible for any achievement in the arts. Therefore, Emily gave just credit to the muse Terpsichore, the muse ruling over the art of dancing. In a vivid slide show, Emily showed how her life and many others were enriched by Terpsichore.

Presentations- Jann Spizziri

Jann's presentation was probably the most controversial one of the semester, in which she drew a parallel between The Bacchae of Euripides and the Virginia Tech massacre of Seung-Hui Cho.
Although Cho's motives were much more obscured and nonsensical than those of Dionysus, both individuals were responsible for death and misery, and both left their victims with a last cutting monologue.

These speeches are quite alike in content, possibly because Cho had read The Bacchae during his english studies. Both speeches further condemn the victims by stating that there were numerous ways to have averted the disaster, and that they ignored the truth and their opportunities and so brought the calamity upon themselves.

Presentations- Chase Wright

Chase's presentation on the similarities of Dionysus and Jesus was striking. The parentage to a mortal mother and immortal father was the most relevant. As children of humans and gods, the two provide a connection between the living world and the immortal realm. They are like us, yet more than us, and their return from the dead seems to assert that all humans have the potential to transcend their earthly limitations.

The other main point of the essay was the theme of homophagia. While the myth of Dionysus has its fair share of cannibalism, it does not seem alike to the Christian eucharist's self-sacrifice.

Presentations- Alison Zobel

During Alison's "Nether Regions 101", the name I remembered most was Leonard Shlain and his writings in Sex, Time and Power. The book details mankind's discovery and understanding of time due to an evolutionary flux, in which women began to understand the relationship between sex and pregnancy due to lunar cycles. This allowed them to refuse sex to men during ovulation, forcing men to confront women on equal terms.

While these writings offer new viewpoints to traditional views of sexuality, I can't help but feel slightly skeptical about them. Perhaps it's some psychological defense mechanism where my masculine and chauvinistic ego can't stomach the idea of my sex being this tyrannical entity, or maybe my limited understanding of genetics and evolution makes me wonder how this evolutionary flux could cause the earliest humans to equate menstrual patterns with the concept of months. Regardless, I can't quite take a side for or against Shlain, though his writings do share an equal concept with Lysistrata.

The Fu

During today's coffeehouse discussion, while we each described the first food we could ever remember tasting, an unknown player entered the stage. The Fu, described as being a wheat foodstuff similar to tofu, which none of us had ever before seen or heard tell of. Intrigued, I searched for the origins of the mysterious Fu.

Fu is actually part of a larger family of food, known as Wheat Gluten. This is made by washing the starch out of wheat dough and then processing the gluten in a number of ways, often unique depending on the culture. Fu is a type of Wheat Gluten developed in Japan, with both raw and baked forms, known as nama-fu and yaki-fu.

Nama-fu is mixed with rice flour and steamed, which are often colored and formed into shapes to enhance their attractiveness.

Yaki-fu is baked into long breadlike sticks and is most often added to soups to enrich their flavor.

And there you have it! The identity of that elusive Fu!

Coffeehouse Discussion- Memory

Finally made it to one of the coffeehouse discussions earlier today, where we discussed the Madeleine scene in Swann's Way and the notion of involuntary memory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Involuntary_Memory).

Each member of the group described the earliest memory they could recall. These included: being told of a close relative's death, a visit to the Smoky Mountains and hearing Dolly Parton music, watching crabs being cooked and actions taken while still inside the womb.

We then prepared to reenact the Madeleine scene of Proust by relating memory to that of the taste of foods. The foods included cheetos, apple sauce and juice, radishes, and Fu, which was largely unknown to the group.

After this discussion our group was assembled, our tea and Madeleines were ready, and we eagerly waited for the partaking of the ritual. After a quick reading of Proust's scene, we dipped our Madeleines into the tea and tasted them.

I can't say what everyone else felt, aside from the fact that they were delicious, but for me the Madeleine was similar to what Proust writes when saying that with each bite the amazing taste diminishes. My very first bite brought with it a strange, salty flavor, different from the tea and the taste that I experienced as I continued to finish the cake. With each bite it became sweeter and more like what I imagined it would taste like. I was equally puzzled when I ate a second and third Madeleine, there was no trace of that saltiness which had accompanied my first taste. In speaking with another member of the group, I was told that she had not noticed any such saltiness, making it seem that I merely imagined it. Or perhaps a few specks of salt had fallen into the mixture and gathered in the first Madeleine I had ever tasted; I like to think, however, that it was no coincidence or flight of fancy. I will instead choose to equate it with the mystery that defines all religious rituals and events, for it is that mystery that gives such experiences a sense of wonder which forever remains in our memories.

Thoughts before the presentation

Well, was busting my brain trying to think of a suitable topic for tonight's blog, and wasn't able to come up with too much. So I decided to do a bit of reflection on my presentation topic the day before zero hour. As far as props go, my little skit is very low-budget, a 97 cent toy car and three signs with Leave it to Beaver characters. Far as the actual skit, I clocked it as running about a minute and forty seconds, so hopefully it won't take too much time and cut down on the rest of the group's skits. Can't post on the story I'm doing, as that would ruin the surprise for all my faithful viewers, but it will involve drama, suspense and car crashes! Hopefully that won't give it away.

First Presentations

All I can say is, wow. Both groups set the bar pretty damn high, and I'm not sure if I'm thrilled about that. First group with their truckload of props, and the second with their excellent performance. The slight pangs of dread are beginning to creep down my spine, probably how Oedipus felt when he started to piece everything together.

As far as the presentations went, both groups did extremely well. The first group was slightly confusing however, especially that they disembowelled someone who dressed in drag to prance around their rock star. Hmm, perhaps they don't like transvestites, or saw him as a threat to their amorous quest. Regardless, they decided to take the Ozzy Osbourne approach and take the poor guy's head off. They're some hard-core groupies to be sure.

The second presentation clearly pointed out that this semester has been dedicated to men being ridiculed and outwitted by women. First the right honorable George W. Bush (Or his cheerful visage at least) argues with his daughters over the crime of joining criminals in crimes, or some nonsense. He then is dressed up pretty so the suddenly mutinious women can derail his war machine. Finally, he makes the grave error of spying on the democrats. But while Nixon was lucky enough to get off with attempted impeachment, Dubya gets off with successful impalement, courtesy of the stiletto high heels of the babes in blue.

Till we have faces

While searching for another visual image of Eros and Psyche, I stumbled onto a page for the C. S. Lewis novel Till we have faces, which retells the story from the perspective of Psyche's sister Orual.

Instead of being the spiteful sister, Orual is portrayed as having deeply loved her sister, and resented the gods for stealing her away. Her advice for Psyche to murder her husband is given out of genuine fear that Eros is truly a monster. It is only after a series of dreams that she realizes her possessiveness of Psyche did amount to jealousy of Eros for having stolen her. Seeking to amend her story, she is found dead at her writing desk, with the final sentence ending halfway through.

I have not yet read this story, but I am greatly anticipating it. I have always been interested by stories that provide different perspectives to the accepted narration. Being allowed to see through the eyes of Orual gives us the ability to understand her thoughts and actions, and finally gives us the opportunity to see her as a redeemable person.

Fragmentation in Satyricon

The main cause of my confusion while watching Fellini's Satyricon is the fragmented nature of the movie. Encolpius embarks on a rapid series of episodic adventures, from attending Trimalchio's dinner party to being married on board a slave ship to kidnapping Hermaphrodite to being chased by a mintoaur impersonater to losing and regaining his manhood. The fact that the scenes switch rapidly, and often without warning, made me question how coherent Petronius' original novel could be.

I later researched the story and found that the original text of Satyricon survives only in pieces, and that rather than attempting to fill in the gaps, Fellini chose to present the movie in a disjointed fashion as a view on the nature of history. While it doesn't help make the movie any clearer, it does explain the unique style of production.

I also was able to find W. C. Firebaugh's translation of the Satyricon as an ebook, complete with illustrations for each chapter. The text can be found at http://www.gutenberg.org/files/5225/5225-h/5225-h.htm

Eros and Psyche

Though it's probably the most used picture, I decided to reference William-Adolphe Bouguereau's The Abduction of Psyche for my picture of the story.

I found the story itself to be very intriguing, mostly because I had heard it back in the second grade, but had not made the connection until now. I did remember enough parts, Psyche not being allowed to see her lover's face, spilling wax on his shoulder to wake him, the trials, to realize it was the same story. What I enjoy most are the trials Psyche must overcome, almost like a parallel to the labors of Heracles. The biggest difference is that Pscyhe is given aid for all of her tasks, though I suppose Heracles was helped by Athena to skin the Nemean lion and Iolaus to kill the Hydra. But since Psyche is a normal human the help she receives doesn't detract from the difficulty of her tasks.

Through a glass, darkly

The audio reading of Ovid today interested me in its talk of reincarnation as a form of metamorphoses. Most notably was the author once being a Trojan (I believe it was) soldier and then later seeing his own weapons and armour on display. It was while listening that I remembered a line from the movie Patton where George C. Scott is mentioned as believing in reincarnation, and having written a poem describing his many lives throughout history. Named from a bible passage in Corinthians, the poem is titled Through a glass, darkly.

Through the travail of the ages,

Midst the pomp and toil of war,

Have I fought and strove and perished

Countless times upon this star.

In the form of many people

In all panoplies of time

Have I seen the luring vision

Of the Victory Maid, sublime.

I have battled for fresh mammoth,

I have warred for pastures new,

I have listed to the whispers

When the race trek instinct grew.

I have known the call to battle

In each changeless changing shape

From the high souled voice of conscience

To the beastly lust for rape.

I have sinned and I have suffered,

Played the hero and the knave;

Fought for belly, shame, or country,

And for each have found a grave.

I cannot name my battles

For the visions are not clear,

Yet, I see the twisted faces

And I feel the rending spear.

Perhaps I stabbed our Savior

In His sacred helpless side.

Yet, I've called His name in blessing

When after times I died.

In the dimness of the shadows

Where we hairy heathens warred,

I can taste in thought the lifeblood;

We used teeth before the sword.

While in later clearer vision

I can sense the coppery sweat,

Feel the pikes grow wet and slippery

When our Phalanx, Cyrus met.

Hear the rattle of the harness

Where the Persian darts bounced clear,

See their chariots wheel in panic

From the Hoplite's leveled spear.

See the goal grow monthly longer,

Reaching for the walls of Tyre.

Hear the crash of tons of granite,

Smell the quenchless eastern fire.

Still more clearly as a Roman,

Can I see the Legion close,

As our third rank moved in forward

And the short sword found our foes.

Once again I feel the anguish

Of that blistering treeless plain

When the Parthian showered death bolts,

And our discipline was in vain.

I remember all the suffering

Of those arrows in my neck.

Yet, I stabbed a grinning savage

As I died upon my back.

Once again I smell the heat sparks

When my Flemish plate gave way

And the lance ripped through my entrails

As on Crecy's field I lay.

In the windless, blinding stillness

Of the glittering tropic sea

I can see the bubbles rising

Where we set the captives free.

Midst the spume of half a tempest

I have heard the bulwarks go

When the crashing, point blank round shot

Sent destruction to our foe.

I have fought with gun and cutlass

On the red and slippery deck

With all Hell aflame within me

And a rope around my neck.

And still later as a General

Have I galloped with Murat

When we laughed at death and numbers

Trusting in the Emperor's Star.

Till at last our star faded,

And we shouted to our doom

Where the sunken road of Ohein

Closed us in it's quivering gloom.

So but now with Tanks a'clatter

Have I thundered on the foe

Belching death at twenty paces,

By the star shell's ghastly glow.

So as through a glass, and darkly

The age long strife I see

Where I fought in many guises,

Many names, but always me.

And I see not in my blindness

What the objects were I wrought,

But as God rules o'er our bickerings

It was through His will I fought.

So forever in the future,

Shall I battle as of yore,

Dying to be born a fighter,

But to die again, once more.

Another Pygmalion

While not exactly a story, I did find (of all things) a music video showing a side of Pygmalion's story. What is interesting about this is the ending. The story takes place in the video for the Aerosmith song Hole in my Soul.

The video shows an intelligent, but unpopular student being bullied at school by both sexes. Unknown to him, one girl seems to be interested in him. Using some machine, he is then able to create, and give life to, a woman of his own design. This meets with disaster when his perfect woman develops into another cruel tormentor, leaving him for one of his more popular classmates. Unswayed, he attempts his experiment again, only to have his second Galatea abandon him. The finale shows the student once again about to create a woman, only to be stopped by his secret admirer. He then realizes that 'the perfect woman' is an impossibility, and that what he desired was there all along.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1025353659278747776&q=%22hole+in+my+soul%22&hl=en

The modern Pygmalion

In the class discussion of Pygmalion, the 'darker side' of the story was briefly touched upon. It's been a few years since I've seen Vertigo so I can't really speak much on that, but I do have some experience with another depiction of Pygmalion's story. A Victorian artist named Dante Gabriel Rosetti. A poet and artist, his works obsessively focused on a woman he later married, Elizabeth Siddal. The majority of Rosetti's works show an inhumanely beautiful woman, modeled after Siddal, in some form of contemplative and ethereal state.

Rosetti's portrayal of Siddal is alike to Pygmalion's. He molds the image of a woman into one that he deems is perfect, objectifying her and creating an image of beauty and perfection impossible to be reached. His sister Christina describes his obsession in a poem title "In an Artist's Studio"

One face looks out from all his canvases,

One selfsame figure sits or walks or leans:

We found her hidden just behind those screens,

That mirror gave back all her loveliness.

A queen in opal or in ruby dress,

A nameless girl in freshest summer-greens,

A saint, an angel-- every canvas means

That same one meaning, neither more nor less.

He feeds upon her face by day and night,

And she with true kind eyes looks back on him,

Fair as the moon and joyful as the light:

Not wan with waiting, nor with sorrow dim;

Not as she is, but was when hope shone bright;

Not as she is, but as she fills his dream.

The mighty arms of Atlas hold the heavens from the earth

The five lines I chose from The Metamorphoses are from Book IV, Perseus and Atlas. Coming to the orchards of Atlas, Perseus asks the titan for permission to rest in his lands. Atlas, remembering a prophecy that he would lose his golden trees to such a visitor, tries to give Perseus the boot. Knowing he can't beat Atlas' strength, Perseus screams "Say hello to my little friend!" and gives Atlas a face-full of medusa. The lines I chose are those of Atlas' transformation into stone, which I believe is the most richly worded of Ovid's stories.

Great Atlas now became a mountain-mass

as huge as he had been; his beard, his hair

were changed to woods; his shoulders and his arms,

to ridges; what had been his head was now

a mountaintop; his bones were changed to stones.

While many of the transformations within the Metamorphoses are dramatic or stirring, none could match the awe I felt when visualizing this image. The thought of a giant, larger than any other being, instantly turning into a mountain range is too powerful a picture to be challenged.

Frames in Velazquez

One question I had intended to ask during today's class was concerning a painting I had seen during my high school spanish class. The painting was from the view of a couple having their portrait painted. In the painting, the artist is seen standing to the side, looking past his canvas toward the subjects. Lastly, in the mirror the couple's reflection can be seen.

I could not recall the name of the artist, only that his use of frames was similar to the description of Spinners by Velazquez. Searching for the work, I was amazed to see the picture titled Las Meninas above it. Both of these paintings depict stories within stories, worlds inside of worlds.

The Rain Man

After today's class, I came back to my room and began pondering what to write for my blog. Low on inspiration, I turned on my Doors cd, and was struck by the lyrics to the song L'America. It tells a condensed version of the Bacchae almost exactly.

C'mon people, don't ya look so down
You know the rain man's comin' ta town
Change the weather, change your luck
And then he'll teach ya how ta...find yourself

Now from the first lines of Bacchae, I recognized the Rain Man as Dionysus, come to Thebes to make a little mischief.

Friendly strangers came to town
All the people put them down
But, the women loved their ways
Come again some other day

This final section strikes me as the chorus and the Maenads, who are mocked and punished by Pentheus. And while his aunts and mother might be mad as hatters, their only option is to love the bacchic revelry.

Tom Cruise in the movie Rain Man. Sort of resembles that troublemaker look that Elvis wears. The Bacchic lip curl?

Confusion about Perseus

Before taking this class I had read several renditions of the life of Perseus, ranging from serious to complete parody (With Zeus mistaking Danae for a different woman, leaving, then a guard finishing the work while Danae obliviously shouts "Oh Zeus"). While each of the stories is unique, the tale of Perseus and Atlas is the only one depicting the titan being turned into a mountain. What confused me about the story, however, was the opening paragraph of the story.

Acrisius, the son of Abas, born of the same stock as Cadmus still warred upon the new god, still denied Bacchus was a son of Jove--divine. Within Acrisius' city, his walled Argos, the new god was not welcome-even as Acrisius held that Persues, born of Danae, Acrisius' daughter, was no son of Jove, conceived within a godly shower of gold. But soon enough-such is the force of truth--the king reversed himself, accepting Bacchus as deity, and Perseus' claim as just.

What does the denial of Bacchus have to do with Perseus' divine parentage? Does Acrisius simply have a stick lodged up "the one place a dildo fits", or did he just feel like insulting as many gods as he could? I suppose he might've just shared a few genes with Pentheus, but it's still a risky business thumbing your nose at two gods at the same time.

Earlier Narcsissus

While reading the story of Narcissus and Echo, a friend remarked that she had heard a much different version, one without a nymph, and where Narcissus' reflection is a punishment from the gods. Intrigued, I wikipedia'd the story of Narcissus.

According to Wikipedia. the original story was a moral lesson for young boys to be kind to their lovers and suitors (Flashback to Symposium?). In the story, Narcissus is approached by a young man named Ameinias, but refuses him, giving him a sword instead. Distraught, Ameinias prays to Nemesis that Narcissus would feel the same pain, then kills himself with the sword. Later, Narcissus finds his reflection and unsuccessfully attempts to seduce it, unaware of its nature. Completing the curse, he then kills himself with the same sword he presented to Ameinias.

The Death of Achilles

The story I chose for my blog was the Death of Achilles from Book XII. While the armies battle, Apollo comes to Paris and directs his arrow to kill Achilles. What I found interesting is that the majority of paintings veer away from Ovid and Homer by depicting this scene with Paris stabbing Achilles from behind while he is visiting Polyxena, the daughter of Priam. Though differing in their methods, however, both scenes show Paris killing Achilles in a cowardly manner, ensuring that he is still undefeated despite his death.

Comedy and religion

In today's class I thought about the differences between old and new comedy, and how the new comedy's rise to dominance was influenced by religion, especially the condemnation of bawdy humor. In modern religion, mainly Islam and Christianity, God is portrayed as the pinnacle of morality. Humanity is instructed to shape and live their lives in accordance with this impossible standard.
This is sharply contrasted in Greek mythology. The gods, while wise and powerful, display a wide range of human emotions and tendencies. They feel jealousy, lust, and humor. They are even patrons to such things as trickery and debauchery (I don't think there's a patron saint of drunken revelry). A similar pantheon would be the Aesir of Norse legend. Though great in deed and fame, they are capable of being tricked, feeling fear and doubt, even of death.
Some attribute this human fallacy to the religion's eventual downfall. A deity who shares the same weakness as man cannot be expected to sustain the weight of an entire civilizations belief. I believe, however, that such a nature is necessary, for the followers of that religion to feel a connection with their gods.
This may well be the reason for Jesus to be born in the New Testament. But while Jesus was capable of doubt and fear, his virtue was still far above that of many of his followers. He may have turned water into wine, but he didn't stick a lampshade on his head and streak through the alleyways. I believe it is because of these religious standards that old comedy was fully stamped out. Such 'toilet-humor' would be viewed as immoral, or even sacrilegious.

Symposium in Transition

Though Plato and Xenophon's dialogues have made the Symposium synonymous with eloquent debate and flowing speeches (Apparently the Greeks did not suffer from the usual impairment of mental abilities. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99CoPXYdFGo) The symposium was originally a drinking party, often to induct members into the aristocracy. It was also a forum for various types of debate.



Though the alcohol and courtesans have mostly departed, the symposium is still widely popular in the world today. But first, let's look through the colorful history of that marvelous merry-making that is male bonding.





















A party-goer drinking his tasty beverage and enjoying the music of a flute-girl.

Less drinking, less debauchery, but the Little Rascals kept true to the Symposium's design as they discussed their manly ideals far from the girls of the neighborhood.

Malicious in their designs, but often unsuccessful, Calvin and Hobbes created the G.R.O.S.S club with the intent of Getting Rid Of Slimy girlS and ensuring the sanctity of their masculine truths (Searching for strange bugs and riding wagons especially)

And now we come full-circle. Colleges across the nation are home to numerous symposiums, albeit in the form of the frat party. There's drunks, there's surely debauchery, but how much debate is there? Well....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRostNteE5A

To Socrates and his fellows might not find such an activity befitting the symposium, but as any patron of the grape or grain will tell you, the most trivial thing can be profound under the right circumstances.

For more art depicting the symposium, try this link. http://www.androphile.org/preview/Museum/Greece/TOC1.htm

Love endures the ages

Though discovered last week, archaeologists have just begun to excavate the fossilized remains of an ancient couple, still embraced after 5000 years of time. Such a find is extremely rare, as double burials are uncommon to begin with, let alone in such an emotive state.

The discovery occured just outside the city of Mantua, a mere 25 miles from Verona, the site of another immortal love.

The full story can be found here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17131336/

The origin of Valentine's Day

Ahh, Valentine's Day. A time of love and affection and candy hearts that taste like chalk. But where did this amorous holiday originate, and how do we relate to those beginnings 1511 years later?

With a bit of research, I found that St. Valentine's day began as a Roman ritual which preceded the founding of Rome itself.

The ceremony, known as Lupercalia, was held near the Lupercal cave and directed by the Luperci (Brothers of the wolf). The festival began with the sacrifice of two male goats and a dog. Then two young Luperci were led to the altar, and their foreheads anointed with sacrificial blood wiped from the knife by milk-soaked wool.

"The sacrificial feast followed, after which the Luperci cut thongs from the skins of the victims, which were called Februa, dressed themselves in the skins of the sacrificed goats, in imitation of Lupercus, and ran round the walls of the old Palatine city, the line of which was marked with stones, with the thongs in their hands in two bands, striking the people who crowded near. Girls and young women would line up on their route to receive lashes from these whips. This was supposed to ensure fertility, prevent sterility in women and ease the pains of childbirth."

The ritual survived until 496 AD. At this time, pagan rituals had been outlawed, and Pope Gelasius changed it to the Purification of the Virgin; The feast of Saint Valentine.

More information on the Lupercalia can be found here: http://www.sacred-texts.com/bos/bos607.htm

February 05, 2007

Hymn to Hermes:

The Mighty Argus-Killer

In this comedic hymn, Hermes establishes his identity as the god of trickery, among many other qualities. Born into the obscurity, Hermes sets out on the night of his birth to make a name for himself. In a single night, he creates music and fire, and later bests his brother Apollo in a battle of wits.

I noticed two root metaphors while reading this hymn. The first is the underdog story, where the hero overcomes a disadvantage to achieve their goals. Although Apollo is much stronger then Hermes, the younger sibling uses his wits to not only challenge Apollo, but to finally reach an agreement. Hermes uses his intellect in the same manner as his father when Zeus foiled his prophesized undoing. Apollo resorts to threats and violence, much like Cronus and Uranus against their children.

The second metaphor is revealed in Hermes departure from his home and the many things he accomplishes in his quest. By leaving the saftey of comfort of his mother, Hermes portrays the journey of all mortals from children to adults, albeit in a very rapid manner. Though his mother disapproves of his actions, and his choices create risks and dangers, he still manages to succeed and achieve renown.

Important Terms

Polytropic- Versatile
Sparogmos- Ritual death of a hero in tragedy or myth