The Eye of Re

So many of you are probably thinking, "Oh the next myth is about Horus because he dropped the image of the Egyptian eye." Well you got totally duped! The next myth I'm about to cover is actually about the eye of Re or Ra. This myth centers around the creation of Egypt and several other different themes that we've already talked about.

To read the story before continuing you can checkout this link to read.

The Story of Re

Or to watch a quick video try this!

So there are many interesting details about this myth and it's chalk full of information about Egyptian culture as well as these reoccurring ideas that we keep seeing. The first theme I want to mention is how Ra made himself the first Pharaoh. Does this concept remind you of anything, possibly something with the last post? Well Re being the first Pharaoh is similar to how Amaterasu's descendants are the emperors of Japan. Because of these myths we can determine that these cultures used myths as a way to make their rulers seem god-like or divine. The reason behind this is because it allows rulers to have more control over their people. For instance if your god or gods were to appear before you would you disobey them? No, you probably wouldn't, but back then these people firmly believe in these deities and were devoted to them. 

Next we see the reoccurring theme that I have talked about in every post so far. The idea that disobeying the gods will lead to punishment. In Ancient Egyptians case it's even a little more brutal than the other cultures. Instead of a single person disowning Re, a whole large portion of the population ignores him. This leads to the creation of Sekhmet who plans to destroy all humans. Sekhmet is Re rage in physical form which even terrifies the other gods. When you think about from our perspective it isn't that scary but imagine the thought of a giant cat/lioness goddess that is killing everyone you know. 

Another cool thing about Re is that he is the sun god, but what's cool about him is that he explains the different time periods of the sun. For instance, at dawn he is Khepera , at noon he is Re and at night he is Atum. In order to explain the different cycles of the sun, Egyptians said that it was Re changing state between Khepera, Re and Atum. This unique because in other cultures such as Greek mythology the sun is simply a chariot that the sun god, Apollo, rides across the sky. Ancient Egyptians also explain that Re is the creator of everything on earth and of all the other gods. This is similar to the Greek Mythology, and Christianity where one god creates everything. Since we are also relating this to Christianity it's important to point out that Egyptian thought that the universe was a sea of nothing and then Re appeared who created everything which sounds awfully familiar to how god created the world in 7 days. Its also important to point out that the Jews were slaves in Egypt for a time and may have adapted this story of creation for their own god.

At the end of the myth Re retires his mortal being and became ruler of the heavens to allows Osiris to rule over Egypt. This part of the myth introduces the popular idea of the afterlife that most people associate with Egypt. Re job above is to guide the spirits to the afterlife which shows how important death is to this culture since after dying, one gets to be in Re's presence. Also by giving the throne to Osiris, Re also sets up the tradition of passing the throne to the male son.

Leave any suggestions or thoughts below in the comments. This is my first time creating a blog and I view this as a learning experience, so I don't mind any criticism. Also if you found anything wrong with what I wrote let me know and I correct it. Thanks for viewing my blog!

Guess what myth is next!!!

Momotaro

Many of you probably haven't heard of Momotaro when you talk about myths and legends. The first things that probably pop into your head are Zeus, Hercules, Ra, and gods that share similar ideas to western culture. Momotaro is a myth with a simple plot that also shares similar cultural ideas and moral standards but is unknown to most since it comes from Asia more specifically Japan. Momotaro is bursting with symbolism, culture and ideas we already know but haven't made the connection to yet.

To read the story before continuing you can checkout this link to read.

LINK TO MOMOTARO

Also here is another fabulous video!

Watch this to the end because the narrator makes a great observation about Momotaro and how it became popular.

Isn't it great! So now you've probably realized some common themes that have already been mention in my first post just by reading the text. In the last post, I mention how in mythology a lot of the same ideas are rehashed in order to portray a similar message. Momotaro follows this same idea. It brings up common themes that Icarus and Daedalus experienced in their myths as well. To start off Momotaro represents a son who respects his parents and shows the benefits of following their teachings. This story shows the same message as Icarus expect that Momotaro does listen to his parents and shows the benefits of respecting them. In Japanese culture honoring your elders was a very important part of their culture especially since households usually consisted of extended families.

Now the big theme I talked about last post was the aspect that God will smite you down if you don't obey his word. Momotaro reflects this theme exactly, but some knowledge of Japanese history is required. So in the story Momotaro sets of to stop the demons who have been robbing and terrorizing villagers and disobeying the emperors orders and laws. The emperor part here is important because the emperor was considered descendants of the gods more specifically Amaterasu, the sun goddess. Now Amaterasu was the not only the sun goddess but ruler of the sun and heaven and also considered god of the universe. Now you've probably already made the connection but basically Emperor = god and Momotaro is the one how is punishing those who breaks gods laws or the Oni or Demons.

Friendship is also a common theme in Japanese culture that is referenced. Throughout the story we see Momotaro stopping quarrels and fights between his companions. We can also understand how Momotaro feels about the union because of his speech and the talks they have on the boat. The theme of unity is important here because their unity is need to overcome terrible odds. This theme relates most to Japanese culture during WWII. Momotaro origin dates back to around 1753, but became very popular as propaganda for WWII. Momotaro was represented as the Japanese government and his animal companions were the citizens. The story has the citizens and the government work in unity to fight the oni or in this case America. Even though this story has a simple plot, it does show some reoccurring themes and teachings.

Leave any suggestions or thoughts below in the comments. This is my first time creating a blog and I view this as a learning experience, so I don't mind any criticism. Also if you found anything wrong with what I wrote let me know and I correct it. Thanks for viewing my blog!

Guess what myth is next!!!

Daedalus and Icarus

The story of Icarus is popular and well known myth today often referenced in video games and pop culture.  The premise of this myth is that if you fly to close to the sun you are bound to fall meaning to remember your limitations. To talk fully about this myth we also need to include the myth about Daedalus, Icarus's father.

To read the story before continuing you can checkout this link to read. Its page 9 of the site and is the first and second stories

Daedalus and Icarus

If you don't want to read it here are some . . . Recommended Videos!

This video is very informative of the myth and shares a good deal of insight to the story.

On the other hand, this video has a very funny commentary.

Throughout this myth, the Greeks include reasoning behind how certain aspects of their culture came about. Carpentry is believed to have come from the hands of Daedalus while in all likelihood it was probably around long before his time. This myth also tells us of the creation of the mast and sail. For a long time the method of transportation used by the Greeks were boats with oars that were usually operated by slaves. This myth allows us to pinpoint when the sail and mast began to be apart of Greek culture. They accredit  him with these inventions in order to portray him as someone who was close to the gods. This makes Greece seem stronger than it is by creating the illusion that they were the first to create carpentry, they make it seem like they are better than other civilizations and kingdoms. This allows citizens to take pride in themselves. 

By making Daedalus seem like a god among st men the story is able to force the biggest message that every myth portrays in one way or another. The belief that the gods are above all and that trying to be like the gods is wrong. This was a common message in order to keep people united and controlled. When people are told that they would get punished for acting like gods they tend to avoid circumstances that could lead to such punishment. Since times of drought or lack of harvest are believed to come from the gods the people become fearful when nature becomes destructive. They begin to believe that destructive forces of nature are actually caused by the gods and not because its natural. Now in Icarus's story he is killed by gods but nature. This story shows us that these misconceptions are true because we don't see Icarus struck down by the gods.

This also teaches children to respect their fathers. Because Icarus disobeys his fathers teachings, he ends up meeting a terrible fate. Myths are a prime way for elders to teach their children important life lessons. This theme also reoccurs often in Greek Mythology, often a hero is assigned a task by a god and fails to follow the gods warnings and ends up dead. This plays into how Daedalus was godlike having warned his son, but his son still meets a tragic end. Since Daedalus was human he still experiences the emotional turmoil of his sons death showing readers that they can never overcome being a human and will always suffer from pain and sorrow.

Leave any suggestions or thoughts below in the comments. This is my first time creating a blog and I view this as a learning experience, so I don't mind any criticism. Also if you found anything wrong with what I wrote let me know and I correct it. Thanks for viewing my blog!

Guess what myth is next!!!

WELCOME TO MYTHS, MYTHOS AND MORE!!!!

Myths and legends are some of the coolest stories that have ever been told! This blog is a site where I talk about myths and how they relate to history, why they where told, and what messages and information do they tell us about their culture.

Mythology tell us stories of heroism and often teach a moral lesson to their readers. These ancient stories were meant to teach it's people the power of the gods and results of disobedience. Other stories relate to how certain things come to pass in nature and explain why things happen in our world. Back during the time of these myths, the people didn't have evidence for a lot of natural phenomenon. They choose to create these stories in order to justify their actions. Each myth often makes a connection with a moral principle, a natural phenomenon, or reasoning behind creation and events.

This blog is goal is to share different myths from different cultures and explain why these stories were created and their connection to their culture. I hope to cover a series of different cultures such as the Greeks, the Romans, the Japanese, the Chinese, and Egyptians. I can't wait to learn more about this topic and hopefully you all will enjoy the journey.