My Life as a Mythic Detective

You could say that I am a fairly simple human. The things I enjoy most in life are those that do not require much speaking or thinking. I like my evidence neat and I find it hard to believe things unless they are structured. My brain was not quite prepped for Literature 285. As I would find out, Ovid is not at all cut and dry. It requires thought and sympathy to understand.  My strenuous regimen of Netflix and bowling prior to taking this class did not quite prepare me for the role of mythic detective.

            Going into this class, I was under the impression that all myths were just fictitious ancient stories. After learning that myths are the precedent behind every action, I still was not quite convinced. How could antiquated tales of gods possibly foretell the future? It was not until I began to read Ovid that I shed my skepticism and realized the stories in The Metamorphosis are not about the gods at all, they are about humans. There are over two hundred stories in Ovid that paint how tragic, and how beautiful it is to live a human life. It can be hard to look past the “magic” in The Metamorphosis. Especially for a systems one thinker like myself. How can humans change into animals? And how can sculptures come to life? At face value, for me the answer is simple; they cannot. But as Ovid progressed I came to understand that certain stories are not about being changed into an animal, they are about feeling human emotions like helplessness, love and truly knowing struggle. Those are feelings that all people can relate to.

            Upon beginning Ovid, the parallels I drew between The Metamorphosis and my life were subtle. A band name here and a movie plot there. I did not think much of it. But when I really got deep into the meat of The Metamorphosis I found it difficult to dismiss the mounting evidence that everything is mythological. At around book seven I reluctantly surrendered to three facts; 1. It is impossible to have and ordinary day, 2. Coincidences are hardly coincidences at all, and 3. Ovid knows more about my life than I do.

            As a mythic detective, it is easy to get caught up in breathing. A seemingly ordinary day can mask how truly ancient our actions are. However once I realized that both Calisto and I could solve most of our problems through more efficient means of communication, and that Phaethon and I should probably begin to listen to our parents, it makes even boring days ancient and mythical. Some of the most mythical things to cross my mind are dreams. In my dreams I can lose my speech, create beautiful works of art, fall in love, and have my heart broken. How is it that a human living in 2013 can have dreams that reflect the themes and stories of a book written over two thousand years ago? The answer is myth. And that is hardly ordinary at all.

            Merriam Webster tells us that a coincidence is a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection. I used to believe that coincidences were rare happenings, however once I began to notice them it became apparent to me that coincidences happen often and always. I’m reading the story of Perseus’s Battles and who calls me out of the blue? My younger sister. What is she claiming? I stole her sweater. Now she didn’t wait until my wedding day to make the accusation and I didn’t remedy the problem by showing her Medusa’s head, but what are the chances that my sister would call me as I was reading one of the great sibling rivalries in The Metamorphosis.

            Another student once said that in order to be truly original one must go back to the origins. I do not claim to be original or creative whatsoever, but I do believe I am a product of mythic origins. The stories Ovid sows throughout The Metamorphosis can take me from laughing to crying in a matter of pages. It is truly baffling how an ancient text can seem so dialed in on my emotions. Did Ovid know that in 2000 years I would be reading The Metamorphosis? Ovid may have not known me specifically, but he did know a thing or two about humans. Two thousand years later and we are still disgusted and entertained with the same subject matter. To me, that is truly mythological.

            The challenge now is to discover how to employ this new found detective background. Is it simply enough to recognize the mythological world around us? Or did Ovid have other intentions? We’ll probably never know, however I’m willing to bet the answer is somewhere written in The Metamorphosis. Perhaps it will become apparent next time we hug a tree or whisper our secrets into the sand. 

A Loss of Words

I'm not sure if this happens to anyone else, but whenever I am asked my favorite book I instantly forget everything I have ever read. My roommate and I were chatting and the topic of books came up. She asked me what my favorite book of all time was. Instantly, I seized up; as preference questions so often make me do. I fell silent, but not for lack of trying. I wracked my brain but couldn't think of a single book I've read, let alone one I enjoyed. In that moment I felt like an Ovidian character who suffered from a loss of speech. I could sympathize with Callisto who could not pray to the gods, and Acteon who couldn't call out to his hunting dogs. I was a prisoner in my head. Ovid makes it very clear throughout the Metamorphosis that when characters can no longer express themselves, they no longer have a way of existing in the world. Unlike the characters in The Metamorphosis, I was luckily able to glance at my book shelf and break the bonds of silence. I can only hope that next time my mind goes blank I have my references close at hand to ensure my continued existence, if only for the moment. 

Displacement

I can in all honesty say this is the first story I have written since middle school. Thank the Washington public school system for this little gem.

It is said that regardless of how much planning and effort you put into it, without fail something will go wrong at your wedding. Mary had heard this warning, but accepted her flawless ceremony as a victory. All she had to do was get through the reception and she and her new husband, Alex, were in the clear. Dinner had been served and now it was time for the toasts. The maid of honor gave a lovely speech about life and love. The only hurdle left to jump through was the best man’s toast. It was known that Alex’s brother Noah was a bit of a drunk, but when his time came to speak he seemed coherent enough to say a few encouraging words to the Bride and Groom. Unfortunately for everyone; he wasn't.  Noah downed his glass of champagne and proclaimed his infatuation for the lovely Mary. He insisted that Alex had stolen her from him and wanted to reclaim what he had lost. Alex and Noah’s father tried his best to smooth over the situation and coerce Noah out of the reception hall but on his way out, Noah threw a punch at the groom. All hell broke loose and Alex and Noah were brawling. Luckily, security rolled in and escorted Noah out of the hall. As Noah left he begged for forgiveness, but his shaken brother didn't grant his pleas.

        A few weeks had passed since her fiasco of a wedding and Mary received the photos in the mail she thumbed through the pictures until she found an action shot of the altercation. She stared at it for a while and thought, this ones goin’ in the memory book. An eternal reminder of the single flaw in her almost flawless wedding. 

Mythic Detective: Lars and the Real Girl / Pygmalion

Over the weekend I watched an interesting Movie titled "Lars and the Real Girl". Not only does this film feature the oh so dapper Ryan Gosling, but it shares characteristics with the story of Pygmalion. Lars is strange fellow and has trouble connecting with people. To fill the romantic void in his life he orders a lifelike doll from an adult website. He soon falls in love with and introduces Bianca, the doll, to his coworkers and family. Although though Bianca never comes to like, like in Pygmalion, the idea of being in love with an inanimate object is the same.

Creation Myth

Boshongo creation myth reference: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:5Ip0jt7OO-UJ:www.athensacademy.net/=


Creation Myth Similarities:
Beginning with a void/ water
Creation from bodily fluids
Earth diver
Cosmic egg
Animals
Revision of creation
Two beings (man woman)
Children

Dream/Coincidence

Last night I drifted to sleep while trying to memorize the Boshongo creation myth in an effort to prepare for today's presentation. Public speaking is a source of anxiety for me, and that anxiety reared it's head in my dream. Coincidentally, I dreamed of the imminent presentation. 

 

I'm walking (rather crutching, because for some reason I have a cast on my leg) across campus to class, when all of the sudden the pathways start moving and I am forced to ditch the crutches and army crawl the rest of the way in order not to fall. I finally reach my destination and hobble into class. When it is my turn to present I make my way to the front of the class and try to start speaking. Unfortunately what comes out of my mouth isn't words, but planets and stars. (Like Bumba in the Boshongo myth). The class is horrified, I'm horrified, and there is a miniature universe spewing from my mouth and nostrils. I look up and realize that I am in fact in the wrong classroom (which make's for an unsympathetic audience). An impossibly muscualr professor then proceeds to physically throw me out of the classroom. In mid air I turn to liquid and wake up before splashing all over the ground. 

So if I seemed uneasy today, it was a combination of a dislike for public speaking, and fear that I may vomit into existence a new realm of being. 

Hug a Tree