19 December 2022 – Heroes in Greek Mythology

In the session we continued our topic of heroes from Greek mythology.

1/.  We completed the story of Jason and Medea.   Including Jason and Medea’s ruling of Corinth.

He had a close association with the gods with Hera, Atheni and Aphrodite who intervened in his life.

We again looked at where Jason shared characteristics in common with the heroes from Celtic, Germanic and Scandinavian myths and legends and where he seemed weak.  His partnership with Medea continued to be important.  They used deception and magic.

We also looked at the consequences of Jason’s decision to divorce Medea and take a new wife, breaking the oath he had made to the gods to keep faith with Medea.  This had an impact on the rest of his life.  The trust and protection of the gods was vital.  Even though a number of Medea’s actions are quite brutal she maintained a good relationship with the gods and ended her life immortal in the Elysian Fields whilst Jason’s breaking of his solemn oath to the gods meant they withdrew their favours and he spent his last years wandering, hated by all.  In old age he sat in the shadow of the Argo and was killed when it toppled over on top of him.

2/. We started the story of Theseus.

The early myths started in the bronze age and there were originally three characters called Theseus from different areas.  These became amalgamated into a single person; this was done deliberately when the Lapith clan became the senior clan of Athens around 6th C BC. What people wanted at that time was a hero and it was used for political purposes and promulgated by poets and storytellers.

We looked at the early years with Theseus’s father Aegeus going to Delphi to see the Oracle for advice on how to get a son, travelling to Corinth and meeting Medea and then travelling further with Theseus eventually being born to Aethra and raised by her father philosopher Pittheus.  We looked at the symbols and prophecies involved, he had sandals and sword from his father.  These were symbols of royalty and kingship and were part of the real rituals at the time.

Theseus was precocious, strong, intelligent and cultured.  When his mother judged the time was right for him to go to Athens, Theseus insisted on going down the notoriously dangerous coast road.    He wanted to prove himself and have adventures.  He would only react if provoked and any punishment he meted out would fit the crime.  The tale covers an astonishing list of feats and encounters some of which are very similar to those of Heracles.  We looked at the qualities of heroes to see where he matched up.

Meanwhile in Athens Aegeus had married Medea and she had given him a son whom she wanted to be king, so when Theseus arrived in Athens she plotted against him.   Her plot failed as Aegeus recognised Theseus as his son due to the sword he was carrying.  Medea and her son were given safe conduct form the city.

21 November 2022 – Heroes in Greek Mythology

In the session we continued our topic of heroes from Greek mythology with Diomedes (also known as Jason- which means healer).

He had a close association with the goddesses Hera, Atheni and Aphrodite who intervened in his life.

We looked at his origins, and why he was brought up by Cheiron a centaur; he grew up to be handsome, strong, and accomplished.  We included why he was tasked with bringing back the Golden Fleece from Colchis; explored in detail his voyage and adventures in the Argo and the setting up of the Argo and crewing it with an elite crew which included Heracles.

We covered the part Medea played in Jason bringing back the Golden Fleece.  Medea was the daughter of Aeetes the ruler of Colchis and was a powerful priestess, brought into the story by Aphrodite who had Eros shoot Medea with an arrow so she would love Jason.

We looked at where Jason shared characteristics in common with the heroes from Celtic, Germanic and Scandinavian myths and legends and where he seemed weak, in these his partnership with Medea was important.

In the next session we shall complete the story of Jason and Medea as they return to his homeland and start the story of Theseus and the minotaur and labyrinth.

17 October 2022 – Heroes in Greek Mythology

In the session we began our discussion of the heroes from Greek mythology with Perseus and his role in killing the Gorgon Medusa and in rescuing Andromeda from a sea monster.

We noted that Perseus shared many characteristics in common with the heroes from Celtic, Germanic and Scandinavian myths and legends – strength, courage, a skilled warrior but also learned in the arts of poetry and music and philosophy, and a close association with the gods.

In one version of Perseus’ adventures he is also portrayed as an honourable man who followed the warrior code of conduct to the letter, lived an exemplary life and died in old age.

However, in a second version of his story, Perseus is less than honourable and is eventually murdered by his cousin whose kingdom Perseus unjustly usurped. We suggested some possible reasons why the Ancient Greeks might have been attracted to the idea of the “flawed” hero.

19 September 2022 – No session held

No meeting held, next sub topic will be Perseus and Andromeda.

15 August 2022 – No session held

No meeting held, next sub topic will be Perseus and Andromeda.

18 July 2022 – No session held

20 June 2022 – Greek Mythology

In this session, we carried on from the last session to say more about the sky god Zeus.

He was a the strong, powerful, dangerous guardian of the universe and leader of the gods.  We reinforced the view that Zeus was not portrayed as a remote god, mysterious and unknowable.  On the contrary he was given a very definite character, with weaknesses as well as strengths, and some quite ‘human’ failings.  He was proud, vengeful, vindictive, lustful and he enjoyed meddling in the affairs of both the gods and men.  On the one hand, he needed to be able to interfere as part of his role as a guardian of the universe, but he also seemed to have enjoyed it as well.

Zeus hurried along the start of the Trojan Wars because he wanted to see the numbers of people on the Earth reduced by a long and bloody conflict.

He gave his daughter Tyche the ability to bring both good and bad fortune to mortals in a totally random way and was entertained by the trouble that she caused.

He fathered numerous offspring with both goddesses and mortal women, the latter with the aim of producing heroes who could help to safeguard the earth.

We also included Aphrodite in the session and discussed the argument that she may have begun her career as a manifestation of the Great Goddess.  When she became established in Greece, she was given a different character, but elements of the Great Goddess mythology are still evident in the Greek Myths.

16 May 2022 – Greek Mythology

In this session, we started Greek Mythology by returning to creation mythology.

This involved Zeus and the Olympian gods’ take over of the universe from the Titans.

We made the point that the Greeks portrayed their gods and goddesses as powerful figures but also with ‘human’ failings such as jealousy, vindictiveness, lustfulness etc.

We looked at two contrasting aspects of Zeus’ character as the powerful protector and guardian of the universe and social order but also an unbelievable ‘womaniser’, vindictive and cruel and sometimes petty minded with regard to anyone who offended him.

18 April 2022 – No session held

21 March 2022 – The Devil in British Folklore completed

The session completed the topic of the Devil in British Folklore by finishing the sub-topic of the Devil making pacts with humans.

In return for worldly gain, the Devil could claim the souls of his victims.  We covered the ways in which the Devil could be outwitted and the human prey escape his clutches.  He was foiled by an assortment of parsons, school teachers and “ordinary” working people.

21 February 2022 – The Devil in British Folklore contd

In this session, we started with the legend of Faust and then traced the same theme of the Devil capturing human souls into British folklore.

There is a common theme of the Devil capturing human souls by exploiting human weaknesses and sins:

• Being disrespectful of the Sabbath;
• A love of gambling;
• Greed;
• An obsession with hunting and other pleasures.

Disgruntled clergymen feature prominently in the Devil’s prey.

It was also possible to fall foul of the Devil through no fault of one’s own e.g., the Devil objecting to the intended plans for building projects.

We also considered folktales in which the Devil was cheated of his prey by clergymen and others who were too clever for him.

Two aspects of the Devil’s character are evident in these tales:

• a powerful, dangerous figure
• a figure of fun who can be relatively easily outwitted.

The first aspect may derive from older mythology concerning the Devil as a pagan god.  The second aspect may derive from later Christian anti-pagan “propaganda”.