• About A. L. Butcher – Fantasy Author, Poet, Author Promotion
  • Alexa Lynsey
  • Author Interviews
  • Book Awards
  • BUNDLES! GLORIOUS BUNDLES!
    • Blood and Shadows Bundle
    • Here Be Dragons Bundle
    • Here Be Fairies Bundle
    • Here Be Ghosts Bundle
      • Here Be Monsters Bundle
        • Here Be Merfolk Bundle
    • Here Be Magic Bundle
    • Here Be Merfolk Bundle
    • Here Be Unicorns Bundle
    • Heroic Tales Bundle
    • Nightly Bites Vol 2 – Anthology
    • The Immortals Bundle
  • Editor Interviews
  • Erana Promotional Services and Contact Info
  • Friends of Erana
  • Giveaways, Promos and Events
  • Mailing List – Forthcoming events and publications
  • Publications – The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles – and other works.
    • Legacy of the Mask Tales
    • My Interviews and feature posts.
    • Perseid Press Contributions
    • Short Stories, Anthologies, Poetry
    • Tales of Erana Series
      • Wyrd Worlds – a fantasy and science fiction anthology.
    • The Secret of Blossom Rise – A Ghost Story
  • Reader Interviews.
  • Reading Challenge 2019
  • Resources
  • Reviewer Interviews
  • Words!

Library of Erana

~ A haven of magic, myth and mayhem! Blog stops, books, reviews, interviews and more. The site of fantasy author, poet and blogger A. L. Butcher.

Library of Erana

Tag Archives: Odyssey

Monsters and Myth – part 1 – Cyclopes

23 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by eranamage in Adult fantasy, Ancient Greeks, ancient history, Articles, Articles, links and advice, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, fantasy character, Fantasy Creatures, fantasy world, Heroic Fantasy, Historical, Monsters and Myth, mythology, Research, World building

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

cyclops, Fantasy Creatures, Greek Myth, monsters, mythology, Odyssey

Fantastical creatures have featured in mythology and storytelling since people first sat around the fire and told of great beasts and wicked monsters. They are at the core of our cultures, from great dragons, to hydra, to sea monsters, mermaids, fairies and pretty much everything you can think of and some you wish you hadn’t.  Many  were humanoid, some carrying more arms, legs or eyes and some less. Some weren’t – lizards,  half birds, half lions, creatures which look they they are made up of left over bits of other animals. The unnatural zoology was vast.

Of course many still feature in modern fantasy – dragons, fairies/feyfolk, unicorns, shapechangers and more.  Paranormal fiction is extremely popular – with the vampires/werecreatures etc as the heroes. But what of the lesser known creatures? The nightmare of our ancestors?

The ancient Greek heroes fought and slayed everything from Medusa, the snake-haired woman whose gaze was petrifying, to one eyed Cyclopes – the offspring of mighty Poseidon and the sea nymph Thoosa, (Homeric tradition) or second generation gods – the spawn of Gaea and Uranus (Hesiod). They were giants, builders and liked to snack on mortals (and demi-gods) who strayed into their path. Some were famed for working for the lame god Hephaestus, and some such as Polyphemus were shepherds. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphemus).  Today I am going to focus on these creatures.

The Greek deities were a paranoid lot (with good reason for the most part) and the Cyclopes were imprisoned by Uranus who was afraid of their power. To be released again by the Titans and Chronos in order to defeat Uranus they were later imprisoned again as their power increased, only to be released by Zeus so they could help him overthrow the Titans. (Yes intrigue and double crossing was the staple diet of the Greek immortals.)

One eye had been traded in order that they may see into the future – but as such bargains often turn out – the small print was overlooked and all they could foresee was the day of their death.

Odysseus blinded and tricked Polyphemus, who had it must be admitted eaten several of the trickster’s friends – who in turn were trying to steal some of the giant’s provisions and had found their way into the cyclop’s den.

Getting the cyclops tipsy Odysseus thrust a burning, sharpened stake into the monster’s eye – then cried out his name was ‘No one’ or ‘Nobody’ (depending on the translation) so when the cyclops staggered outside crying ‘Nobody’ blinded him the other giants thought him mad.

Of course Odysseus being Odysseus couldn’t resist letting Polyphemus know who it really was once he was safely back at sea. Telling him it was ‘Odysseus, son of Laertes of Ithica who has blinded you’. This was not among Odysseus smarter plans as this particular cyclops was the son of Poseidon who was rather annoyed and send the great hero’s boat in a rather roundabout way home…

The story reappears in later myths – Virgil tells the story from the perspective of a seaman of Odysseus’ crew left behind (Aeneid) and Aeneas and his crew see the blinded giant and his companions and beat a hasty retreat.

Later mythological writers, including Ovid, speak of the love affair between Polyphemus and the sea-nymph Galataea – with a greater or lesser tragic ending (she loved another).  And Wilhem Grimm collected tales and retelling of one-eyed giants from Serbia, German, Finnish, Romanian and Russian mythology.

In the Renaissance composers brought the tales to opera. Giovanni Bononcini, Jean-Baptiste Lully, Joseph Haydn  and George Frideric Handel composed works around the story of Polyphemus, Galataea and Acis, her lover (whom Polyphemus kills). Artists and sculptors too have used the cyclops and his tale as a basis for their work. Interestingly too the Scottish Rite Freemasons have Polyphemus as a symbol for civilisation that harms itself using ill-directed blind force.

Origins – Othenio Abel in 1914 argues the origins maybe from prehistorical dwarf elephant skulls – with a big central hole for the trunk, which of course would be gone by the time the fossil was found.

Cyclopia – is an uncommon but real condition is a ‘rare form of holoprosencephaly and is a congenital disorder (birth defect) characterized by the failure of the embryonic prosencephalon to properly divide the orbits of the eye into two cavities’. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclopia

Often the nose is missing or is non-functioning and appears ABOVE the single eye-socket. The foetuses usually abort or are still-born, however some living cyclopic animals have been recorded, although they rarely survive for long. Causes can include toxins such as cornlily or false hellebore Veratrum californicum – which resembles Hellebore, which is given as a natural remedy for vomiting, cramps and poor circulation. White Hellebore, which was cited by Hippocrates, also contains teratogens  which can cause the deformity. Genetics too can cause the condition – the Sonic the Hedgehog gene regulator (yes really) can suppress a particular protein needed in eye development in early embryos and cause the mutation.

So misunderstood fossils or deformities could have created a myth, which in turn became the story of one-eyed giants.

Sources:

http://www.theoi.com/Gigante/GigantePolyphemos.html

http://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Creatures/Cyclopes/cyclopes.html

http://www.greek-gods.info/greek-heroes/odysseus/myths/odysseus-polyphemus/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclopia

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphemus)

Mutants: On the form, varieties and errors of the human body. (c) Armand Marie Leroi 2003

The Odyssey of Homer (various translations)

 

 

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Pocket

Like this:

Like Loading...

Greek and Roman Mythology – Course – Review

11 Saturday Jul 2015

Posted by eranamage in Ancient Greeks, ancient history, Articles, coursera, Courses, Heroes, Heroic Fantasy, heroic fiction, history, mythology, online learning, Romans

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Coursera, courses, Fantasy, Heroes, Heroic fantasy, Heroic Fiction, Homer, mythic, mythology, Odyssey, Online Learning

Greek and Roman Mythology – Coursera

Greek and Roman mythology is fascinating, in many ways it is at the core of many Western traditional stories.  Even today we are enchanted by such tales of heroes, monsters, errant gods, and the goings on of those far removed and yet ever close. Hercules, Odysseus, the Trojan horse, Oedipus, and much more. The terms have fallen into modern usages – An odyssey denoting an epic journey, a Herculean task, a Trojan horse for a gift which is not all it seems.  Such tales spawned others – and in many ways influence modern heroic fiction.

I’ve studied Classics in the past – although it was more for the historical perspective and so this course really appealed.  I’ve also studied with Coursera – an online organisation which offers courses from a variety of sources, including the University of Pennsylvania who provide this particular course.

Myths intrigue me, I read a lot of mythic fiction, and write it too in my Tales of Erana series.

https://www.coursera.org/course/mythology

This is what the Coursera site says about the course ‘Myths are traditional stories that have endured over a long time. Some of them have to do with events of great importance, such as the founding of a nation. Others tell the stories of great heroes and heroines and their exploits and courage in the face of adversity. Still others are simple tales about otherwise unremarkable people who get into trouble or do some great deed. What are we to make of all these tales, and why do people seem to like to hear them? This course will focus on the myths of ancient Greece and Rome, as a way of exploring the nature of myth and the function it plays for individuals, societies, and nations. We will also pay some attention to the way the Greeks and Romans themselves understood their own myths. Are myths subtle codes that contain some universal truth? Are they a window on the deep recesses of a particular culture? Are they a set of blinders that all of us wear, though we do not realize it? Or are they just entertaining stories that people like to tell over and over? This course will investigate these questions through a variety of topics, including the creation of the universe, the relationship between gods and mortals, human nature, religion, the family, sex, love, madness, and death.’ (Coursera Website)

Does the course deliver? Yes it does. The tutor Peter Stuck is engaging, obviously knows his subject and is enthusiastic. The course is presented through a combination of videos, reading materials, quizzes, two essays and some discussion forums. The course recommends 10 hours a week of study – in truth it’s probably slightly more as some of the reading is quite long.

The subjects covered range from how the myths were perceived, the notion of pietas (duty, honour, loyalty) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pietas to religion, to food, to concept of the hero, what it meant to be a man in that society, the notion of how to treat one’s guests (or not) and familial ties. The reading includes The Odyssey – possibly THE epic adventure of antiquity and one of my first introductions to ancient Greek literature during my Diploma in Classics – so this was a very welcome re-read; The Aeneid – the tale of Aeneas and the struggle of the survivors of Troy and their quest for a new homeland – which lead (apparently) to the founding of Rome. Julius Caesar and Augustus traced their ancestry back to Aeneas and through him back to his immortal mother Venus; to the Oresteia (the tragic tale of Agamemnon after he returns from Troy); Oedipus the King (the tragic play so famous in which fate and prophecy play such a terrible role). Plus several more.

The video lectures made me think about some of the books in a new way, by focusing on aspects I may not have initially seen, and seeing the greater whole of the stories. Homer was incredibly influential and the later works often copy (or attempt to) his style and incredible narrative versatility. The books cover a period far removed from ideals and ideas of today, yet still something resonates – the challenge, the struggle and the emotions of the characters, the fight to be something more, and in some cases to survive. Of course much is different – Hesiod’s Theogony is not favourable to women, there are of course slaves in these societies, the gods are many and walk with humans, often begetting offspring in one form or another, and playing with the lives of mortals, ritual is important and there is violence – a lot of it. Actually that’s not so different from today and for much the same reasons – greed, honour, territory, religion etc.

These are not books for the faint hearted, or for those who are shocked by violence, sex, double crossing, murder, betrayal and such like. Themes in fact which tend to pervade our media – watch any soap opera and these themes are there in abundance. The influence of these authors and their work is monumental and this course helps to show why. Why this works need to be preserved and celebrated and why these cultures are so important to our own. These books are real heroic fiction, they are at the core of heroes and monsters, and of fantasy as we know it.

So, you ask, is it expensive? No it’s free. You can pay a small fee and get a certificate of completion (assuming you’ve done all the quizzes to an acceptable standard and one of the assignments) but it can be completed simply for the pleasure of it.

Is there anything I didn’t like? I did find the workload quite heavy – with work, writing, and family life commitments can be difficult to find the time and energy to put it but others may find that easier. I also didn’t use the forums much, although that was personal choice.

The course does not require any prior experience in the subject (but it helps) and assumes a level of literacy and intelligence in order to discuss and appreciate the themes and topics.

Would I recommend this? Yes, without a doubt to anyone interested in mythology, Greek and Roman literature or religion, fans of heroic fiction, and historians of the period.

#Mythology #Coursera #HeroicFiction #Fantasy #GreekandRoman

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Pocket

Like this:

Like Loading...

Recent Posts

  • Blog Tour – The Gentlemen’s Club – Contemporary Romance
  • A Day in the Life of Jo Elizabeth Pinto #Uniqueauthors #Meetanauthor
  • Warrior Woman of the Samurai – Blog Tour #Historical Fiction
  • For Remembrance Sunday 2019
  • How To Backup Your WordPress Blog To Prevent Losing All Its Contents
  • A Day in the Life of… Johann Conrad Dippel #Meetacharacter #Bundles #Frankenstein
  • New Release – Might Have Been – Tales and Retales Bundle #Fantasy #Fairytales #adultfairytales #bundles
  • Dark Tales and Twisted Verses – New Release #Darkfantasy #Horror #Poetry
  • Dirty Dozen Author Interview – L L Thomsen #Meetanauthor #Fantasy
  • Snuggle Up With These Books – November #Books #Prizes #Indiepromo

Book Images

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Dark Fantasy- Beyond the Storm

Dark Fantasy- Beyond the Storm

Erana Interviews and Features

Erana Interviews and Features

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets
Follow Library of Erana on WordPress.com

Proud supporter of Senior Salon

Copyright notice

(c) A.L. Butcher and Library of Erana Blog, 2012-2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to  A. L Butcher and https://libraryoferana.wordpress.com/ with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. The interviewed authors and characters retain any excerpt, image rights and character copyright.

All gallery photos are the property of A. L. Butcher, or the correct licenses have been purchased.

Amazon Associate

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned

Goodreads

My pictures

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 4,149 other followers

  • Text speak and the evolution of language?
  • Audiobook Narrator Interview Number Four - Dean Robertson
  • Blog Tour - The Gentlemen's Club - Contemporary Romance
  • The Irish Giant -Patrick Cotter
  • Back into Hell - Hell Week 2015 - Dr Neill Cream
  • Character Interview Number Twenty- Five - Marcus Brutus
  • About A. L. Butcher - Fantasy Author, Poet, Author Promotion
  • Review - Judy: A Dog in a Million - Damien Lewis - Military History, WWII, Animals
  • Character Interview Number Twenty-Four - Alan McDonald - Fantasy/Military
  • Book Spotlight - Anthem of the Sea - M/M Romance

Category Cloud

Adult fantasy Articles, links and advice Author interviews Author Spotlight Book Spotlight British Fantasy British writer Character Interviews Chat and Introductions Dark Fantasy Fantasy Fantasy author fantasy character Fantasy Creatures fantasy world female writers Fiction Heroic Fantasy Historical Historical Fiction indie authors Indie Promotion My books Paranormal Promotion Romance Spec Fic Support an Indie! The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles Writers' Corner

Blog Stats

  • 61,717 hits

Pages

  • About A. L. Butcher – Fantasy Author, Poet, Author Promotion
  • Alexa Lynsey
  • Author Interviews
  • Book Awards
  • BUNDLES! GLORIOUS BUNDLES!
    • Blood and Shadows Bundle
    • Here Be Dragons Bundle
    • Here Be Fairies Bundle
    • Here Be Ghosts Bundle
      • Here Be Monsters Bundle
        • Here Be Merfolk Bundle
    • Here Be Magic Bundle
    • Here Be Merfolk Bundle
    • Here Be Unicorns Bundle
    • Heroic Tales Bundle
    • Nightly Bites Vol 2 – Anthology
    • The Immortals Bundle
  • Editor Interviews
  • Erana Promotional Services and Contact Info
  • Friends of Erana
  • Giveaways, Promos and Events
  • Mailing List – Forthcoming events and publications
  • Publications – The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles – and other works.
    • Legacy of the Mask Tales
    • My Interviews and feature posts.
    • Perseid Press Contributions
    • Short Stories, Anthologies, Poetry
    • Tales of Erana Series
      • Wyrd Worlds – a fantasy and science fiction anthology.
    • The Secret of Blossom Rise – A Ghost Story
  • Reader Interviews.
  • Reading Challenge 2019
  • Resources
  • Reviewer Interviews
  • Words!

Archives

Buy links

  • Bellator – Amazon.com
  • Bellator – Smashwords
  • Heroika: Dragon Eaters – Universal Link
  • Nine Heroes: Tales of Heroic Fantasy – Amazon – Kindle
  • Nine Heroes: Tales of Heroic Fantasy – Amazon.com Paperback
  • Nine Heroes: Tales of Heroic Fantasy – Create Space
  • Perseid Press
  • Shining Citadel – Universal Link
  • Tales of Erana Audio Amazon UK
  • Tales of Erana Audio US
  • Tales of Erana – Audio Amazon US
  • Tales of Erana Universal Link
  • The Light Beyond the Storm Universal Link
  • The Stolen Tower – Universal Link
  • Wyrd Worlds – Amazon Kindle
  • Wyrd Worlds – Smashwords
  • Wyrd Worlds II – Amazon
  • Wyrd Worlds II – Smashwords

Blogs I Follow

  • Gastradamus
  • The Literary Gangster
  • Penstricken
  • Jewniquely Myself
  • melissabowersock
  • SCAN-a-BLOG
  • The Heart of Applebutter Hill
  • Maryqueenofscots1587's Blog
  • Phantasmagorium
  • The Library Lady Travels
  • Discount Coupons Now
  • अक़्स
  • Creativewordsflowchat
  • POETRY FESTIVAL. Submit to site for FREE. Submit for actor performance. Submit poem to be made into film.
  • Musings
  • Stephen Page
  • Writing Wrinkles
  • THE HISTORICAL DIARIES
  • KayCKay Book Reviews
  • Mugilan Raju

Pages

  • About A. L. Butcher – Fantasy Author, Poet, Author Promotion
  • Alexa Lynsey
  • Author Interviews
  • Book Awards
  • BUNDLES! GLORIOUS BUNDLES!
    • Blood and Shadows Bundle
    • Here Be Dragons Bundle
    • Here Be Fairies Bundle
    • Here Be Ghosts Bundle
      • Here Be Monsters Bundle
        • Here Be Merfolk Bundle
    • Here Be Magic Bundle
    • Here Be Merfolk Bundle
    • Here Be Unicorns Bundle
    • Heroic Tales Bundle
    • Nightly Bites Vol 2 – Anthology
    • The Immortals Bundle
  • Editor Interviews
  • Erana Promotional Services and Contact Info
  • Friends of Erana
  • Giveaways, Promos and Events
  • Mailing List – Forthcoming events and publications
  • Publications – The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles – and other works.
    • Legacy of the Mask Tales
    • My Interviews and feature posts.
    • Perseid Press Contributions
    • Short Stories, Anthologies, Poetry
    • Tales of Erana Series
      • Wyrd Worlds – a fantasy and science fiction anthology.
    • The Secret of Blossom Rise – A Ghost Story
  • Reader Interviews.
  • Reading Challenge 2019
  • Resources
  • Reviewer Interviews
  • Words!

Library of Erana (c)

Site copyright (C), works and layout belong to A.L. Butcher. Guests post (c) also belong to the author.  Photo images belong to A.L. Butcher, or have been purchased under appropriate license.

 

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Gastradamus

Gastradamus is my name, and Gassy Topics are my game!

The Literary Gangster

Dare To Write | Get Wise

Penstricken

Fiction in all its forms

Jewniquely Myself

melissabowersock

Eclectic writer of fiction and non-fiction

SCAN-a-BLOG

A Quiet Place of Inspiration. We love art and literature.

The Heart of Applebutter Hill

A Novel on a Mission

Maryqueenofscots1587's Blog

The stolen Lindisfarne Gospels in the British Library and the persecution of Mary Queen of Scots and Catholics

Phantasmagorium

Weird worlds and writing about writers.

The Library Lady Travels

If adventures do not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad - Jane Austin

Discount Coupons Now

Save Money With Printable Coupons and Deals

अक़्स

राज़ की बातें

Creativewordsflowchat

SHORT STORIES AND POEMS by E.E.R

POETRY FESTIVAL. Submit to site for FREE. Submit for actor performance. Submit poem to be made into film.

Musings

Short fiction, poetry, and information for writers.

Stephen Page

Author: The Timbre of Sand, Still Dandelions, A Ranch Bordering the Salty River. Alum: Palomar College, Columbia University, Bennington College. Follow on twitter @SmpageSteve on Instagram @smpagemoria on Facebook @steven.page.1481

Writing Wrinkles

Smoothing out the wrinkles in this wrinkly's writing

THE HISTORICAL DIARIES

LOOKING INTO THE PAST ....

KayCKay Book Reviews

No one ever reads the same book. We all react to the written word differently. The following are my opinions regarding the books I have read.

Mugilan Raju

Prime my subconscious, one hint at a time

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
Cancel
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
%d bloggers like this: