Saturday 22 June 2013

Greek tale








It was pouring outside, the cliffs were just visible through the curtain of water coming down from a forbidding sky, the clear light of the lighthouse was drown into this landscape, and only the forlorn foghorn could be heard over the din made by the storm.

In minutes I was affected for the general atmosphere and a heavy coat of grief descended on my mind.

I fought against this deep sorrow and decided to look for Elf to help me out of the soft ache that threaten to impinge my spirit.

The hall to my mind was very bright, a soft chilling music drifted above me; I thought Elf was aware of my predicament and filled the place with brilliance and relax. When I reached the conference room, one of the many places the hall led to, there was Elf mounting a slide projector and aiming it to a large screen on the stage.
Elf

"Hey pal", he said, "come and sat anywhere, I have a story to tell you"

There it was, he knew my condition and prepared everything to recompose my feelings.

The first slide showed a pretty sunrise and Elf started his tale, projecting different slides according to the progress of the story:


The sun rose softly into heaven, the clear sky witnessed the Olympian gods creating new creatures, but these creatures were deprived of all traits.

Zeus filled a big bag full of different gifts and calling Prometheus and his brother Epimetheus gave it to them telling: "Distribute these talents to the new created creatures so they will become complete"

Epimeteus (Greek word that means "afterthink", in the sense that he was prone to act before thinking about his deeds) asked his brother Prometheus (which means "foresight", that is, act after considering all angles involved) to let him do the job, and Prometheus consented.

Epimetheus started his work delighted to give a different gift to each one of the creatures, he was so intent in the task that he did not realize the bag was being depleted, When he reached the
Epimetheus
representative of Humankind, there were no more gifts in the bag, and so human beings were incompleted.

Prometheus was very upset when he discovered this omission, it was only a few days before Zeus comes to visit their work and put all creatures on Earth. He sat on a rock of the mountain and thought deeply.

After a long meditation he reaches a solution: That night he went to the workshop of Hefesto and Pallas Athena where they developed their craft and stole "the Fire" from Hefesto's forge, and "The Secrets of the Arts" from Athena's bureau.

Soon after this offense, Prometheus presented humankind with these two divine gifts, and human beings were completed.

But it was not the end of the story, Humankind started to develop all the knowledge that the "Secret of the Arts" suggested to their minds and with the help of the energy from "The Fire" created new things, as speech, cult to the gods, houses, learned to work the soil, and produced food.

Pandora & her box
When Hefesto y Athena discovered the robbery, they asked Zeus to punish the culprit. Zeus advised Hefesto to create a woman in his forge, so beautiful and charming that no man could resist her. Hefesto did as told and Zeus offered Prometheus this woman as good will. She brought a wooden box as her dowry.

Hefesto had made a small mistake, following Zeus orders he made his woman irresistible for men, but Prometheus was not a man, he was a Titan, a demigod, so he could reject Zeus gift. Also, he warned Epimetheus not to accept it.

Prometheus & the eagle
Zeus angry because his trick failed ordered to chain Prometheus on the Caucasus Mountains and brought an eagle to eat his liver each day, and the organ reappeared during the night. Prometheus was in this dire situation until Heracles decided to help him, killed the eagle and freed the Titan.

Meanwhile, Epimetheus, following his thoughtless behaviour, was captivated by the charms of the woman made by Hefesto, asked her name and was told she was called Pandora, name that means "full of beauty", despite Prometheus warnings he accepted the woman and her box.

Zeus had warned Pandora not to open the box, but Epimetheus was very curious to know what the dowry was, and spurred Pandora's own interest, so together they opened the box that the devious Zeus had filled with all the evils, letting them befall over humankind, although they tried to close the box it was late and only rest in it Hope, as the last expectation of humankind.

After evils were loose on Earth, humankind was deteriorated by slothfulness, and depravation, it was so big the pride and senseless deeds of humankind that Zeus decided to send a deluge to kill everybody on Earth.

Warned by Prometheus, his son Decaulion, and his wife Pyrrah, daughter of Epimetheus,  built a wooden chest, or box, and in it they floated in the waters until nine days later their chest was left on the slope of a mountain.

Being the only humans on Earth, they decided to consult an oracle in Themis how to repopulate the world. The oracle said: "Cover your head and throw the bones of your mother behind your shoulder". They understood that the oracle refers to Gaia, the mother Earth, and covering their head started to throw rocks over their shoulders, thinking those rocks to be the bones of Gaia.

If there is life, there is hope.
From the stones tossed by Pyrrah came forth women, and from the ones hurled by Deucalion came forth men.

So the Earth was inhabited again by human beings who learned to live with the evils that fled from Pandora box, helped by the last that was still in it: Hope.




Elf put out the projector and lighting the room asked: "Feeling better?"

Yes! I was feeling better, all that Greek mumbo jumbo had the virtue to make me forget my depression. I felt happy and thankful to Elf, and so I told him.

He strutted a little telling me that I can always rely on him for my wellbeing, and asked if I wanted to hear another story.

I hurried to tell him not, it was enough with all he had done up to this moment and that I appreciate his good will.

He was very happy and promised me to get some of his cousin for the next time to tell me a story about the life of fairies in the non-existent fairyland. Go figure!

I thanked him again and went back to my room looking for a book, I closed the heavy curtains over the bay window and started to read...

I want to make public "A Big Thank You, Elf!!"



 The music is "Zorba's Dance" a Greek folkloric song by Mikis Theodorakis

© 2013 Od Liam.




8 comments:

  1. Oh! How nice! You've got reasons to be thankful because Elf was doing you a good deed. I wish I have one who could help me clear my clogged mind.

    You know, Od, it's through your tales I get to know more of Greek gods. Unfamiliar names but I'm learning! It's undeniable, actually, you have the talents weaving the tale into such an interesting read that keeps me engrossed reading it.

    Life has equal shares of good and evil, without these, then it isn't life! As always the case is, doing forbidden things bring destructions because evils are unleashed from them. Anyway, there's "Hope" which could help to recover from any difficult situation. Bear with me, I'm ranting!

    You deserve a big thank you, too, for this interesting tale. :)

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    1. Yes, BB! You are right! Sometimes I do not know how qualify Elf. He can be very nasty, but some other times he is a gem! I can tell you I am very confused in this issue. So much so, I won't advise you to get a fairy of yours. You can do the same with your strong mind, without any help, I am sure! :))

      Thank you, my dear, you are always so helpful, you know, I was very doubtful to publish this tale, I thought it so boring, most of all because these myths vary a lot according the source you use to learn them, but Elf insisted to go ahead. I didn't want to disappoint him, so here you are.

      You are not ranting, but if you do, here is place to do it! :))

      Thank you again, thanks a lot!

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  2. Wow ! you are thankful to Elf, That is very good, wonderful tale with hopeful ending ,beautiful writing , colorful images :):):):)

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    1. You see, Auntie, I am pretty confused with this issue.

      I should be having a spat as usual with Elf, but this time he went wide out of himself to help my gloomy self!

      I was agreeable surprised! Now I do believe he is trying to help! :)

      Thank you! I am happy you like this tale, I was a bit doubtful about it was worth to publish it!

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  3. I remember having to mug these greek myths for my exams in school.. but of all the stories, I could remember Pandora and her box better!

    And I see you add your bit to make the stories so refreshing!

    well done, Od!

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    1. Greek myths are cool, all deities are more human than gods, or goddesses!

      I loved those tales, maybe because I didn't have to mug them!

      Pandora is a counterpart of many other feminine characters as Eve, you see, they are wrongly blamed for all the the disasters over Earth.

      Even if it were true, I love one and all women on our planets, they are so cute and beautiful, I would not change a mite in history! :)

      Thank you, Nina!

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  4. You know I love greek myths, and I knew part of this story, but not exactly this version... I admit I never stopped to think about the names and their meanings, and how that description was so accurate with the personality of the characters. It was nice to read about Prometheus and Pandora. Tell Elf about my gratitud, and give him a kiss in the forehead from my part, please. :)

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    1. Thank you, Pris!

      I am elated to know you enjoyed even the known parts of the story!

      Elf is very happy for your gratitude and kiss. He do not stop yet to letting me know that even if there are some dudes like me who cannot appreciate his value, he can rest assured that most of people with great hearts like you really understand the effort an Elf must do to keep a human being in the right lane! OKEY!!!!

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