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What's your favorite myth or mythological figure?
Posted by Greekgeek • 3/10/08 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: folklore, myth, mythology
I'm interested in mythology and psychology in general, so I find it fascinating to see what myths, heroes, gods or goddesses people think of as "their" myth, or identify with in some way.
It often has to do with names -- I knew a Kassandra who felt like no one ever listened to her -- but sometimes it's just a story you heard when you were young, like Robin Hood or King Arthur, that still has meaning for you.
So what've we got out there? Odysseus? Do I hear an Isis-is-cool? How about Brer Rabbit? Or maybe you feel like Rip Van Winkle sometimes, or Ali Baba?
User Comments
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The US president-
apolgies for making light of your post, the first mythical character that came to my head was the prez.
All the others you mentioned are real for me, apart from rip van winkle.
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My favorite myth would be the greek tragedy "Seven against Thebes"
Fav character would be Achilles. -
Jason and the Argonauts, I used to love that old fifties film of it.-
Ah yes, I loved that movie!
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I've always been partial to the love goddesses myself, especially how they relate back to the pre-settlement matriarchal societies of ancient Europe and the Middle East. There is something about their power that appeals to me, and not sexually, simply in the sense of bringing people together. -
I was always intrigued by the Arthurian myth's character Morgan LeFay. Depending on the historical context of the times, and the text itself, she was portrayed as everything from a duplicitous relative, an evil sorceress and a benevolent Lady of the Lake type.-
I always preferred the lady of the lake portrayal. And I've thought of another myth I'm fascinated in, Sheba, upon which H Ryder Hagard loosely based his Alain Quatermain stories.
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Prometheus stealing fire from Zeus and giving it to mortals. -
favourite people: fionn mac cumhaill, theseus and daedalus, coyote (southwestern american indian - pueblos, diné), robin hood, brian boru (aka brian bóruma or brian boraime or brian mac cennétig), amergin mac míled, cúchulainn.
as for stories, well, pretty much the ones associated with the people i named!
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wait - Brian Boru was a myth? I thought he was a real guy?
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heh ... most of the irish i named are real, just as arthur was based on a real man ... but many of the stories have made boru more of a myth than a man, like with arthur.
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I am looking at my cuchulainn book right now!!!!!!
It was my favourite ever book as a kid with my Irish Grandad reading it -
RED BRANCH!!!!
heh -
Have you also read Culaan and the Leprechauns?
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oooo, no i don't think i have.
[edit] amazon doesn't have it here ... apparently out of print in the states. -
Its about the son of Cuchulainn, Culann Beag, its cool.
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heh, i figured it was about jr.
i'll find it eventually, i'm sure! -
I just realized you mentioned the "coyote" American Indian myths. Love those. My favorite of course being "coyote's strawberry."
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we are theatre students and dionysus, half man and half horse has been a constant name that pops up during the study of ancient greek drama/theatre.
smart ass figure. cos he is a handsome man with a big ass erm, appendage.-
tell me about it.
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I knew you would comment on that!
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Arjuna is without doubt my favorite mythological figure. I'd go into it, but I'm at work so my posts must stay short.
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Arjuna's great. I love a hero with a bow, which is silly, but more to the point, he's an interesting character.
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Wow, talk about being offensive... -
That was a compliment. -
That's one impressive mythological character.
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Oh my gosh, was up all night researching Achilles, how ironic. Achilles is one, King Arthur and I have always been fascinated with Artemis.
Recent research indicates some of these figures lived right, but the mysticism came later right??
All time fav though is Count Dracula, does he count? -
The God of war came down one day
One a handsome little filly
I'm THOR he cried
And the horse replied
YOU FORGOT YOUR THADDLE, THILLY! -
cerberus and Hades -
Odin, the Norse god is my favourite mythological character.
Some of my favourite myths are Odin's exploits. -
The Cyclops. The tale about him and his sheep was very interesting to me.
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who you calling cyclops?
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Sigh. morgantj, you definitely know how to attack Christians' beliefs. Your above "compliment" is not appreciated.
Not that I expect you to believe it, but things like that 'cyclops' mutation occurs because of what we call 'sin.' That's not "Intelligent Design" but man's sin messing everything up. Sin isn't just an act - sin has consequences - it permeates, and alters our genetic code. Check out how Adam lived 'til he was 800-900 years old. His genes were perfect until he bit that fruit - sin itself ultimately killed him.
Like I said, I don't expect you to believe in what the Bible says, but that's my 30-second attempt to reason out the Christian perspective with an atheist. I can definitely elaborate and better explain myself when I'm not at work, but seeing how you taunt Christians with threads like your 'cyclops' just made me want to speak out. -
so easily offended. sigh.
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Antigone (loyal sister, sweet heroine, strong willed, great tragedy), Clytemnestra (welcomed her husband home, led him across a crimson carpet, and ripped away his life in a gory bath), Medea (can't say I admire her, children are sacred, but Jason deserved the harshest of fates), I also like Kali and Morgan Le Fay. -
I've reported the Yahweh comment. It's one thing to subscribe to Campbell's "mythology is what we call other people's religion" credo; it's another thing to mock in a way that's guaranteed to offend.
Mewie: I understand why you felt you had to speak out, but I'm NOT gonna let this whole thread get deleted because two people turned it into a religious debate, mmkay?
Now, back to mythology.
One of the things I notice from this thread is that so many of us really do identify closely with Greek mythology -- I'm betting most of the respondent's aren't Greek!
I've studied classics all my life, but it still amazes me how much that one corner of the planet has touched not just me, but so many folks.
I see Arthurian and Irish mythos too, a few Native American figure (hooray for Coyote, even if one of his pups did eat my cat) -- and a certain amount of women reclaiming strong women, as LimeTequila does above.
Again, the myths we love say something about our psychology!
acousticguitarist: That goes for you too. Alas, he ain't mythical, any more than the last seven years have been. But you reminded me of an old Sandman issue by Neil Gaiman about a mythical "Prez" who was the idealized president we never get but always hope for... a myth of the ideal leader. It was a wonderful, bittersweet commentary on the American Dream.-
I love Greek mythology too but I couldn't pick one that I really identified with.
I have been Sherwood forest though -
i agree re: the yaweh comment ... nicely put "subscribe to Campbell's "mythology is what we call other people's religion" credo."
ooo, and i forgot about changing woman ... and spider ... and the hero twins ... and and and
heh
anyhow, so many of us studied greco-roman myths in school as well as arthur, that it's not surprising those come up the most frequently. i'm tickled on how many other myths are showing up.
and neil gaiman's myth stuff is just incredible reading.
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Would anyone be offended if I said Zeus was a pimp? I didn't think so.
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yes
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shurrup
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Why? We are talking about mythological characters after all. Myths, fiction. We can create stories about them however we like. And "pimp" is being used in a metaphorical sense, but I bet you knew that.
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because you're specifically picking language loaded to irritate. and i find that offensive no matter what the subject matter may be.
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Not me!
But if you start in about Technoviking I will have to kick your ass. -
that's what I thought, didn't understand the metaphor. *sigh*
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let's try didn't appreciate the metaphor
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Yup, If you didn't appreciate, then I know you didn't understand it.
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I don't even know what a metaphor is.
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you like to stir the pot -
"Yup, If you didn't appreciate, then I know you didn't understand it."
really? that's got to be one of the stupidest phrases i've ever heard. right up there with, "if you don't agree with me, then you don't understand."
nice way to be insulting without using insulting words. bravo. you've honed that to an art form. -
so tell me, what was the meaning of "pimp" of how I used it since you know the metaphorical meaning of how I used it.
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morgan, why should i bother? you love arguments and no matter what my answer, i'm quite sure your love for argumentation will outweigh anything else and you'll just keep popping away like the energizer bunny, thinking you're clever and "winning."
truth of the matter is, i don't mind calling you out for a comment or two to challenge you and let you know not everyone buys into your opinions - but i'm not even remotely stupid enough nor interested enough to attempt to have a real conversation with someone who is so incredibly sure he is right and any opposing "opinion" is wrong. -
I didn't start the argument! But I will defend myself! I'm tired of people always claiming to take offense at every possible little thing.
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Morgan, you are amusing. We've got your number.
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globalgirl, would you like to comment on the topic of the thread, or just poke your head in to threaten me? This is out of hand. What are you going to do call me? Come over my house and slaughter me and my family? Send some thugs to do it instead? Or is this another one of those "metaphors" that you and others who share the same beliefs are allowed to use but those that do not share your beliefs can not?
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"We've got your number" means that we have you figured out. Have you not heard that saying before? Relax. Breathe. No threat at all.
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I didn't think we were allowed to use metaphors anymore. Look how easily people can take offense. And you don't have me figured out. The comment was pure to the topic, not meant to offend anyone. But somebody always has to be.
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Morgantj, metaphors are great. A metaphor gets ugly, however, when it is made in a derogatory fashion. You know this.
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And that is exactly what it wasn't! It was just the opposite, a compliment! It is IMPRESSIVE that Yahweh has so many people wrapped around it's mythological thumb. Anyone who understood that it was a metaphor and understood it correctly should know this. How can we not bring up one of the most famous mythological characters in a thread that ask for it? Oh, I know... someone is bound to throw out the "I'm offended" flag at anything that can possibly be misunderstood as derogatory towards Yahweh.
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hi! i'm not a greek, but i'm also into greek mythology, particularly the likes of artemis... amazons and strong women who do not feel the need for men to accomplish great things. not that i despise men. i am just fascinated by these women not only because of their strength but because they are free from the vanities of the world. in a way, i've also craved the independence that they enjoy, the privilege to do my own thing without having to explain to anyone.
the influence of greek myth can probably be traced to the fact that it was the myth that presented characters closest to people, not only in appearance but as well as in traits. the characters are not merely out-of-reach beings that are worshipped and praised. the gods in the greek myth are beings who feel with people and do things that people also do. -
Radio interviewer: A myth is a lie.
Joseph Campbell: No, it's a metaphor.
Interviewer: It's a lie.
Campbell: It's a metaphor.
[rinse and repeat]
Campbell: Hang on. What is a metaphor?
Interviewer: You tell me.
Campbell: No, now I'm going to ask a question. Give me an example of a metaphor.
Interviewer: Hem, haw, hem, haw... uh... let's call a schoolteacher... uh, okay. My friend John runs fast. John is like a deer.
Campbell: No, that's not a metaphor. The metaphor is: John is a deer.
Interviewer: But that's a lie!
Campbell: It's a metaphor.
[end of show]
--- paraphrased from intro to Campbell's Thou Art That
Metaphors... myths... and language... are very powerful things, and excite emotions in ways that dry, one-on-one descriptive language and labels do not.
That's why myths still hold meaning for us, even when they originate from a vastly different culture.
That's why saying something is only a metaphor doesn't get you off the hook for owning the impact of it.
Metaphor is making words mean more than they mean.
*kicks soapbox aside and sneaks off again*-
new rule BC, no metaphors or poetry allowed. Another to add to the list for those that are easily offended. Always the same people.
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I love Joseph Campbell's work on Mythology. He popularized the similarity between the virgin birth of Jesus and many other figures. They weren't born the "normal" way. Which, following from the separation between the sacred and the profane, flows from the divinity of the subject.
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I've always found Superman to be a fascinating superhero.
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yep, i agree with you. isn't he the only major hero for whom his secret identity is the mundane identity?
i've always been partial to batman and robin, particularly the tim drake robin. but as far as mythos goes, i think superman's probably got to take most interesting.
[edit] i suppose that's true of wonder woman to a certain extent, too. but i never found her all that interesting, to be honest. -
Superman is one of the few superheros that is already a superhero, but has to try to act like an everyday citizen. Most superheros are an everyday citizen first then become a superhero.
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umm, yeah. that's what i said.
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you mean that's what SHE said! -
he said, she said. who do we believe?
heh -
not you.
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My favorite mythological creature is Morgan.
I don't know where he hails from, but I imagine it is somewhere very lonely and desolate! -
The Holy Bible.
Greatest myth ever told. -
Boy did you luck out, I already have their attention.
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I'd sooner worship Zeus than the Judeo-Christian god.
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The Bible is tandem with the Quran, and the Torah, and Voodoo worship...are you suggesting they have NO historical value? Interesting.
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What?
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Voodoo, the Bible is the greatest news ever told :-)
I am fascinated with Egyptian mythology and ancient Mayan folklore.
Thanks to Morgantj for reminding me to answer the post! :-)-
You got my number.
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It was busy last time I called :-)
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Communism is the biggest MYTH to me. What a pipe dream.
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I agree. Pure communism and pure capitalism are mythological beasts that have not, do not, and never will exist in any society in this world. Welcome quasi-socialism.
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How is that so?
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Medusa. Defintely, Medusa. And that's strange considering I hate snakes!-
Yes! Medusa is fascinating!
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Ares
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Jesus-
Jesus was a real person. There's historical evidence for this. This post is actually about mythology - stories about characters, not real people. -
oh yea, that guy that rose up from the dead.
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pygmalion and galatea, great love story! -
I'm particularly fond of the first branch of the Mabinogi. My favorite character there is Rhiannon.-
Oh yes, I plain forgot about the Celtic branch.
Some great myths there too. -
Agreed.
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The Trojan war and Achilles.
Both interesting. -
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I have always liked the Jack Tales and other trickster tales like Anansi, Coyote, and Monkey.-
Me too. I have a book of the Jack tails. And I read of Coyote in school. My introduction to Monkey came from Chinese Hong Kong films. We also have Loki in that line. All good stuff.
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I was always amused by the legend of Bernardo Carpio, a mythical hero fighting against enslavement and oppression. He was said to have been trapped by his enemies in the mountains and whenever he tries to escape, because of his tremendous strength earthquakes occur. -
I like the Lorax - that little creature was saying it way before anyone else was. -
Zeus....Zeus
Greek mythology has had extensive influence on the culture all over the world,as well as the arts and the literature of Western civilization and remains part of Western heritage and language.-
He really was a lady's man. -
nobody is offended that Zeus was a "lady's man." GREAT! WOW! This is a step in the right direction.
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I identify with Sissyphus, forever pushing his big rock up the hill only to have it roll back down.-
How very existentialist of you.
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Medusa. Anyone who has to go through life coping with a perpetual bad-hair day, then gets their head chopped off just because they looked at someone the wrong way, gets my vote.-
Oops, this comment is supposed to be farther down.
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yup
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Not to mention he once demanded human sacrifice.
Not bad. -
morgantj, if your post was removed earlier, there was a reason why. You're obviously not doing your best to NOT offend half the American population.
Greekgeek, see how morgantj ruins your thread? I'm sorry, but I can't just shut up when someone offends personal beliefs. People actually do take Yahweh seriously and consider Him as their best friend - morgantj's comment is offensive - that's all. -
Oh, so Yahweh is not a myth? That's news to me. www.pantheon.org/articles/y/yahweh.html
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Actually, Yahweh is as much a mythological character from Jewish folklore as the Leviathan.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_mythology
Yahweh battled the Leviathan and ultimately defeated it. This battle is interpreted as a symbolic triumph over chaos.
There's no reason to be offended. -
Well, if you read it on the Internet, it must be true.
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If you read it in the bible, it must be true.
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"Mewie", your attitude is pathetic.
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morgantj, I don't even KNOW you and I knew you were going to write that. Snicker.
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maybe you are psychic! Snicker.
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thanks, daniel23. your opinion of my 'attitude' means so much to me.
Greekgeek, you have yet another great BC member contributing well to your thread. -
Its just part of the silly climate of "respect all opinions" which is, in fact, a diluted form of nihilism.
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Thor, Beowulf, Robin Hood
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Beowulf...good one. I like Medusa ... all that crazy snake hair. Freaky.
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I like Freya and Loki from Norse mythology. Artemis from Greek mythology. Cuchullain from Irish mythology. These characters were tough and smart.
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Cuchullain was cool. Loki was a bit of a berk.
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I like Kijimuna.
That should be simple and unknown enough for nobody to be offended. Yah! -
What's a berk? I think Loki was misunderstood and rejected, and it turned him rogue. I felt sorry for him.
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Hmmm... Somebody else want to take this one?
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That's OK Daniel. I looked it up for myself.
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Ah...
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Ah, Loki, god of mischief. I named one of my pets after Loki (and she's dead now).
I think Loki was important from a theological perspective; but in terms of his relationships, yes, we should feel sorry for him.
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Every time I see this thread I feel guilty. I'm hopeless at myths. Hopelessly stuck in the modern era. Maybe I should take up ancient myths for my next reading. But that's gonna be a while, because I'm dealing with Thomas Pynchon's Against the Day right now. Anyway, any accessible reading recommendations for the general reader?
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Read the Epic of Gilgamesh. It's the first myth we have on record.
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Right. My son had to read that in school, so it might be laying around here somewhere. Times are changing. I don't think that was on our list of options back in the 70s, when I was in school.
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Merlin
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