Myths, Mortals, Gods and the Mysterious

No matter how far back we go in researching the ancient texts of humanity we will find many amazing stories about mortals and gods that can relate to the way we live our lives. As we explore ancient Greek classics in this essay, we may begin to discover how their mythology influences our life on earth today. Indeed many fine scholars have declared many of the stories in the bible originated from ancient myths. The great Persian, Egyptian and Greek dynasties bred educated scholars with vivid dualistic imaginations. They all had their gods and goddesses but it is the Greeks who were perhaps influenced by the Persian and Egyptians deities, that produced philosophies and mythologies that impact our lives today.

Great thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Archimedes resided in the cradle of modern civilization. As time progressed it may be reasoned that other sages who did not have the advantage of the Greek education may have used Greek myths and philosophies to enhance the stories of their era.

Certainly science would be at a loss without mathematical formulas that unfolded in ancient Greece. The embroidery in many religions may have been sewn with mythological threads. Or was it the other way around? Did religion come first and myths second. Well, since all the records point to myths first, religion second, maybe we need to look a little closer at the myths and the mysterious.

The Hebrews changed the system of multiple gods into one of a monolithic God, but still with the same temperament as the gods and goddesses. The Greek cardinal virtues of prudence, temperance, courage, justice were adopted by early Christian sages. It was expanded as time progressed to faith, hope, charity, fortitude, justice, temperance, prudence. Love was added by St. Paul as the nature of God. Certainly, myths have played a major roll in literature and poetry and I doubt if Shakespeare could have written his great works without the help of the Roman poet Ovid, who in turn, used the Greek myths as his foundation for his prose. In fact, the Roman empire was built on the backs of renamed Greek gods. So, let's see what we can derive from the ancient Greek Classics to make our life on earth more meaningful and perhaps locate the source of all belief systems within humanity.

Here are a few examples, from a multitude of Greek stories, that all have a moral and conceivably metaphysical, spiritual meaning behind them....... Phaethon. Phaethon, a mortal who was said to be the son of the Sun, borrowed the chariot of the Sun for a day. His father begged him not to take the chariot for it was even difficult for him to drive it. But as many sons do Phaethon ignored the advice and disobeyed the instructions on how to drive it. He drove far too near the earth and set it alight. He lost control of the Suns chariot and the only way to stop his wild ride was for Zeus to strike him dead with a thunderbolt. He fell into a river, where his sisters mourned for him till they were both turned into poplar trees, their tears being changed into drops of amber which seeped from the trees.

How many children have burnt their hands in the fire to see if it was hot, even when their parents said not to do it? Honor thy mother and father would be a fitting moral to this story. But maybe there is a lot more to this story.... The modern media sends messages all around the world scorching the earth with negativity, sensationalism and unsavory news. It digs deep to find all the dregs of humanity and then fires off its opinions to all who have been brainwashed into being addicted to negative news and unsavory programs on TV. Yes, the media is like a naughty child chasing around the globe setting fire to peace and contentment, serenity and tranquility. Is there a thunder bolt of intelligence ready to strike at their close-minded attitude to authentic meaning? Can the pollution that is belching out around the world from ignorant corporations be stopped by gods of deep-felt love of mother earth? Will the depletion of fish from our over fished oceans stop? Will the depletion of trees in the rain forest stop? Will humanities unconstrained ride of insane wars, scorching earth with bombs, come to an end any time soon? Will crime and poverty be extinguished from our city streets. Will our civilization take notice of universal intelligence that controls nature?

Well, even if we cannot stop humanities wild ride of ignorance, at the end of the story tears of sorrow turned to amber which is now worn as jewelry. This can signify the fact that although a person dies in physical form, some part of them remains on earth in many differing guises. A type of reincarnation perhaps turning sorrow into a bright, colorful substance that gives joy to folks?

Demeter was the sister of Zeus and the mother of beautiful Persephone. One day Persephone was gathering wild flowers in the meadow when a huge crack opened up in the earth. Hades god of the dead, emerged from the underworld. He seized Persephone and carried her off in his carriage, back down to the underworld. Hades forced her to marry him and he made her queen of the underworld. Demeter, who was goddess of agriculture, wandered the length and the breath of earth in search of her daughter. Whilst her attention was taken away from her job of protecting the crops. They withered up and died of the cold weather.

Many events happen to us in our lifetime. We are all given a mission of creativity to perform on earth. They say life is what happens to us whilst we make plans. Many times our focus and true intent is overcome by events we have no control over. If we allow our lives to be ruled by devastations and uncertainty we will become wandering nomads that can find no authentic meaning of life. Our lives on earth are limited in a short time framework. Nobody knows what tomorrow may bring, so with this in mind perhaps we should always make the most of all the good and bad that befalls our three dimensional existence. If we get dislodged from our source, our true intent may become tainted with the illusions of concepts, perceptions and misguided thoughts.

Midas was a king who wanted it all. In his greed for power he wished for everything he touched to be turned to gold, not knowing that food and drink would also be turned into the precious metal. Dionysus was the god of wine and merry making. It was he who granted Midas the power to turn whatever he touched into gold, then was benevolent enough to take the power back when it proved unsatisfactory.

There are uncountable tales of woe from people who turn to materialism for their power and comfort. Almost every day we hear of company directors who steal money from clients and investors. The need for greed is never ending for people who live solely by egoistical thinking. Some get put into prison for their misdeeds, but many more seeming get away with their greedy crime, or do they? When a person has too much of anything they could become gluttonous and over tax their bodies immune systems. Disease and discomfort may produce a shortened life span. Also, if they have done villainy they may not get a sound nights sleep wondering if a knock will come on their door and expose their selfish notoriousness. To some, all that glitters has to be gold, but to the wise, all that glitters comes from a gleaming, loving heart and a sparkling joy filled mind.

Heracles was the son of Zeus and Hera. He was the Greeks biggest hero performing twelve labors after killing his own children because his mother drove him mad. (any lessons to be learnt here). Many of the labors involved killing monsters and saving earth from dangers. One of the labors required Heracles to hold up one of the pillars which held up the heavens. He did this for a while and then gave the task back to Atlas. In most of his quests ingenuity and inventiveness was more essential then his great strength He ended up as a God in the heavens for his good deeds on earth. Sampson's feats of strength fade into cloudiness when compared to those of Heracles, however both were heroes of their society.

When we follow the path universal intelligence has laid out for us then we succeed in all our endeavors because we used our inherent wisdom and intuitive ingenuity to overcome and solve any adversity that came our way. Many times it is not brute strength that solves our problems, but an awareness of danger and the common sense to deal with it. When force is required it is used with good intent to protect and defend the innocent.

Jason was another great hero. An unlawful king would have killed Jason at birth but for his mother hiding him in a cave (Moses was hidden in bulrushes) When he was a youth he performed a good deed helping an old woman across a raging river. The old withered lady was none other than Hera wife of Zeus. He now was well protected for giving his unconditional help. His task of obtaining the golden Fleece is one that is filled with adventures and the killing of dragons and monsters. He not only used his strength, but more than that, used wisdom and skill in overcoming many adversities sent to test his mental. His first encounter was with a band of beautiful women and it was here he had his first sexual experience.

He later listened to advice in fighting his foes from an enchantress, who fell in love with him, which showed his ability to take advice from others. All his tasks were a true test of Greek manhood and like Heracles his brain was mightier that his brawn.

In today's world the Jewish religion only requires the youth to recite a portion of the torah to become a man. It is a tradition that has been enacted over the past eight hundred years so it is relatively new in religious terms. In the legend of King Arthur brave knights would go on quests to show their honor and manliness

The San-greal or as most know it, the Holy Greal...(Old English for Grail, thought to be the cup of Jesus at the last supper) was a quest in search of a symbol of Christianity. This then clearly connects legend and religion. Many other myths can be associated with stories in the bible. The Greeks had a great flood that destroyed all the wicked people except for an old man and his wife who went up the mountain for protection. Noah built an ark. In another myth somebody was turned to stone for looking back, disobeying instructions, just as Lots wife did. The foundation of many biblical tales are found in many Greek myths. Which begs the question where do myths and legends stop and real facts project authenticity? I guess the answer is blowing in the wind so perhaps we should ask the wind god?

Theseus. was one of the Greek heroes whose father was a king. He retrieved a magical sword from under a heavy rock using strength skill and leverage (Did any English knight of the round table do a similar act a few thousand years later) He traveled great distances fighting many scoundrels and killed them in the same manner they were tormenting and killing other folks. (Karma) One of his main encounters was with the feared Minotaur (half bull and half man) who lived in a maze called the labyrinth that imprisoned him. Theseus was helped by a lady who fell in love with him and she gave him some thread that he attached to the opening of the maze so that he could find his way out. He killed the Minotaur with his sword and went back to Athens where he become the king. He was the guy who took Helen from Troy. He ruled in a fair manner and was renounded for his justice, wisdom and kindness.

Some say this story is historical rather than mythical. Perhaps Theseus was the Greeks version of tale of Solomon? A wise, strong king who loved a non- hebrew named Sheba..... Many of these tales show the importance of wisdom. How many schools and universities focus their attention on teaching wisdom to their students today? More to the point, how many teacher have the wisdom to teach others?

Inner wisdom is the greatest gift all mortals possess. Many seek their wisdom all their lives and the search becomes a fools errand..... For all the time they were seeking, it was buries deep inside them and that was the only place they did not look. Just like the ripples in a pond, whatever we think about and perform...... we will make waves that may have dire consequences if inner wisdom was ignored and our ego was our only guide.

Echo was a beautiful nymph, But Echo had one failing, she was too fond of talking and would always have the last word. She upset the goddess Hera and thus forfeited the use of her tongue except for the fact she could have the last word, but no power to speak first.

One day Echo saw Narcissus, a beautiful youth. She fell in love with him and followed his footsteps wherever he went. She tried to attract his attention but failed. She pined away with her love for the one who only loved himself and it was in a cave where all her flesh shrank away into nothingness. Her bones were changed into rocks and there was nothing left of her but her voice. Even today an echo always has the last word.

Narcissus eluded all the other nymphs, as he had the pitiful Echo. One day he stooped down to drink at a pool, and saw his own image in the water; he thought it a beautiful sight to behold. He stood gazing with admiration at his own beauty and fell deeply in love with himself. Alas, he could not touch himself. Eventually, by pining so much for himself, he withered away and died. The nymphs could not find his body so they planted a purple flower surrounded with white leaves which preserved the memory of Narcissus.

How many people live a superficial, shallow life only interested in preserving their possessions and good looks at the expense of their inner serenity and tranquility. How many people die of disease caused by worry and anxiety, pining for things outside their reach. How many people live with regrets and woes, languishing in regret for things that slipped through their fingers. So close and yet so far away, just as the water slipped through the fingers of Narcissus.

The golden age
The silver age
The bronze age
The iron age.

All the gods enjoyed playing games of torment and reward with mere mortals. These guys were not to be scorned, for if any mortal had the audacity to disobey their masters they were cruelly punished and came to a sticky end. However if you had a strong god or goddesses on your side then you could perform great deeds of strength and might.

Can you think of any modern day conflict where mortals are enacting outrageous deeds of mayhem and they believe they are protected by their God and will find heavenly rewards? Indeed, if we go back in time, every religious war has the protection of a God who desires its mortal followers to rid the world of evil doers and nonbelievers.

The more we study the cunning and conniving of religious leaders throughout the centuries the more we can find the similarity to the actions of the Greek gods & goddesses, whose actions seem to stem them the same type of egotistical thinking of mere mortals. Could it be that humanity has molded its civilizations on faith based myths and that is why there can be no peace and harmony in our world? Because, just as soon as one conflict ends another lunatic comes up with another reason why his god demands the satisfaction of eliminating infidels of other belief systems. Yes, it seems the gods are still laughing at the erroneousness of human behavior.

If there is just one almighty God then he sure was hiding from many ancient dynasties to whom he never revealed himself. It took an idol maker named Abraham to find what thousands of scholars missed. Or, did they all contact the same God in different masks and guises? In the Hebrews bible the sages replaced the Greek gods and goddesses with angels. The story of Daniel in the lions den is one of many where an angel comes down from heaven to protect one of Gods favorite people. Is it all that different from the Greek gods influencing the outcome of dangerous situations? Millions of people believe the bible to be factual, at the same time they dismiss any notion that the tales could have originated from Greek sages.

Conceivably, the greatest Greek philosopher was Plato. One of the passages he wrote was about a man who was imprisoned with chains attached to his head. He could only look forward and when he heard voices coming from the side and rear he could only see the voices coming out of shadows. He lived most of his life believing that shadows could speak. Then one day, when he was old and grey, he was released from his shackles and could slowly turn around and see the reality of who was speaking. The illusions of the shadows speaking was for the first time revealed for what they were. Just shadows of the real thing. How many beliefs in today's world are just shadows speaking?

In all the stories, in all the religions there lives one ongoing theme and that is the immortal soul of humanity and since that is fed by a godly spirit there can be no denying the existence in the minds of all believers in the mysterious omnipresence of a supreme power that has control of all things bright and beautiful. Perhaps all the negative stuff comes from the free will of mortals who can turn paradise on earth into a hellish inferno of ignorance? Many religions preach hell and damnation if we do not follow their way of thinking. Since it was probably the Greeks who invented hell in an intellectual sense, I wonder why there is no reference to the ancient myths in any bible? Could humanity be ready for an authentic archeological dig?

Although most of the heroes of Greek mythology did great deeds most of them had egotistical weaknesses such as pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed and sloth, but so did their gods. Which begs the question, are all the ancient gods, man-made projections of the egotistical, dualistic system of human thinking? For sure, the modern religious God has many dualistic unfavorable qualities that emanate from man made negative emotions. Are we then trapped in an every spinning web of misinformation in the realms of creation/evolving from an omnipresent super power?

I guess if we can only view God in human terms we are doomed to live a life of dualistic good and evil. However if we can look beyond what our intellectual understanding wants us to envision and see things in a clearer way..... As a light in a universal lamp, then perhaps we can illuminate our existence on earth and shy away from the myths and legends in our religions. If we can leave out all the hell, damnation, revenge and anger that was born in classical tales of fantasy, we may be able to restructure world religions into the spiritual guidance it is meant to be. By omitting all the unnecessary dogmatic ingredient in religious soup, humanity will be able to focus on the mysterious wonderment of creation/evolving. A projection that allows all creatures large and small to live a life filled with love & joy with no requirement to question why universal intelligence controls the universe.