The meat of the story of the Ramayana is Rama's quest to rescue Sita from the rakshasa Ravana, but this begins when Rama and Lakshmana mock and then maim a rakshasi named Shurpanakha. (Glossary of terms and names at the bottom.) Shurpanakha turns out to be Ravana's brother, and he vows revenge. He and his … Continue reading Ramayana 3: Latent and Not So Latent
Ramayana 2: Feminist Horseshoe-Politics
Horseshoe-politics is a theory that suggests that the further one moves toward a political extreme, the more one resembles those at the opposite end of the spectrum. Thus the political spectrum bends into a horseshoe shape. No doubt the theory has its limitations, but it is perceptive. During the presidential campaign, both Bernie Sanders and … Continue reading Ramayana 2: Feminist Horseshoe-Politics
The Ramayana: The Story of Bali
The Ramayana tells the story of Rama, the human avatar of Vishnu who must rescue his wife from the demon Ravana. Ascribed to the semi-legendary Valmiki, the poem was written in Sanskrit at some point between 500 and 100 BC. Along with the Mahabharata, the Ramayana is one of the two great Hindu epics and … Continue reading The Ramayana: The Story of Bali
“How Mosquitoes Came to Be” Thoughts on a Tlingit Myth
I don't know how universal the myth of the dragonslayer is. I'm skeptical of analyses of myths that become so general as to be meaningless (Joseph Campbell)—I'm neither alone nor original in feeling this way. The dragonslayer is certainly popular, of course, and that is why stories that break its rigidity in clever ways are … Continue reading “How Mosquitoes Came to Be” Thoughts on a Tlingit Myth
Pathon, A Passionate Man
It's been a while since anyone asked me what I'm “passionate about,” but I've been thinking about the concept a lot. Why is everyone expected to have a passion? For your consideration, the myth of Pathon, maker of sandwiches. Pathon the Sandwicheur was in his workshop, which was strewn every which way with … Continue reading Pathon, A Passionate Man
Two Chapters from Daphnis and Chloe
I have been meaning to write about why I created this blog. Some thoughts on a section from the c. 2nd century AD novel Daphnis and Chloe might explain my love for myths. The scene takes place after a group of angry city slickers attempt to capture Chloe, lover of Daphnis and his co-protagonist. The … Continue reading Two Chapters from Daphnis and Chloe
The Adventures of Igneous Johnson in Ancient Greece: Igneous at Salamis
With a PhD from Gerard Butler University, where resides a respectably white supremacist Department of Greek, Igneous Johnson had had only the best of classical education. So it came as no surprise that Zeus, in all his infinite wisdom, told me that out of all the Americans, Igneous would be the one to enjoy the … Continue reading The Adventures of Igneous Johnson in Ancient Greece: Igneous at Salamis
