Mythological Madness

So who likes mythology? Until recently I rather ignored it. But my professor's ebullent engagement of the irony and humor in mythology has drawn me into this genre. The interplay between god and man, monsters and culture, subterfuge and transformation is fascinating, as is the insight I now have into the story behind all those classical references we find in texts through time. I think I would be a better Christian if monotheism involved some of the divine interaction with humans we see in mythology!

Dante's Inferno would have had deeper resonance for me with a better mythological base. The site I linked to for The Inferno is an excellent source with some compelling graphics, check it out if you're a fan.

Classical Greek myth reminds me of hypertext in the sense that it is extremely interconnected and "incestuous." Additionally it has this sense of strange digression. Take, for instance, Achilles. One can conjure Achilles (think of marble statue or Brad Pitt, whatever floats your boat), and find a world of connections. The link I've added is a wonderful page fully conveying the digressions that can result from curiosity about Achilles. Note the excessive hyperlinking toward the bottom of this Achilles page, and also the vivid, passionate artistic representations. Is your Achilles a baby being dipped by his vulnerable heel, as Creti depicts in his painting, or is he a Hollywood movie adonis carefully cultivated to fulfill a consumer image. I tried to upload a picture directly into this post, but alas! it did not work.

At any rate, from Aphrodite to Dionysus to Odysseus to Poseidon, these gods are good fun. Feel free to share you favorite myth ...