Morgan Lee, Period 1, 11/27/2023

 Morgan Lee, Period 1, 11/16/2023, Modern Mythology 2024

Literacy & Learning

In this blog I would like to discuss the creation of mankind, as was told in Greek Mythology. As a recap, this is how the Greeks believed mankind was created: After the Gods overthrew the Titans and cleared the world of monsters, they delegated the task of inhabiting the world with creatures to Prometheus and his brother Epimetheus. Epimetheus (whose name means afterthought) impulsively gave all the best gifts, such as shells, wings, speed, strength to the animals, leaving nothing for man that could help them survive. Prometheus (whose name means forethought), made up for this by making humans walk upright, more similar to the gods, and used the sun to light a torch, and then brought fire down to the humans. This allowed mankind to thrive, using the fire as protection and also as a way to make crafts. At the time, called the “Golden Age,” there were no women. To further help humans, Prometheus tricked Zeus into picking the fatty part of the meat over the good, edible, parts of the animal. Thus leaving the humans with the best parts of an animal to consume, while only having to burn the fatty parts as offerings. It was because of Zeus’s rage that women were created, he used them as a way to punish mankind. He created Pandora and gave her a jar, and bid the other gods to put something harmful in it. Zeus forbade her to open it. Eventually, curiosity got the better of her and she opened it, releasing all the evil into the world.




While I have heard of this myth as a child, and have rediscovered it multiple times as I was growing up, it was only now, when I could look at it through a more analytical lens, as opposed to just reading mythology for entertainment, that I realized that this myth is still relevant in today’s day and age. Essentially, the story pits Pandora (and all women) as the sole reason why mankind has to suffer. If women didn’t come along, then man would still be thriving, living a life without hardships and sorrow, where they would never have to worry about having food or being attacked. While this exact belief would be rare to find in today’s day and age, other, similar beliefs are much more prevalent in society presently. Our society is a patriarchal one, where women have to struggle more compared to men, even though they are just trying to live. This struggle is so inherent and deep rooted in our society that inequalities are often overlooked due to them being so normalized. Even people who are actively trying to fight for women's rights, can sometimes act misogynistically without even realizing it, because of how it is ingrained in our upbringing. Myths such as the Pandora myth can help us become more self-aware.

Even though it is unfortunate, the fact that myths are still so relevant presently, despite being written/told centuries ago speaks to why the study of them is still important. When people think of mythology, typically they just think that they are childish stories, and they brush them off. However, the reason that these myths still survive to this day is because of the fact that they are so relatable and applicable to us. Reading, analyzing, and studying these myths can help reveal truths about ourselves and the world around us, especially ones that maybe we haven’t realized yet. The myth of Pandora is just one of the most obvious examples of this. These myths can allow us to better understand ourselves, personally and societally, and can help us make changes that can reduce the faults in our society. Myths are an especially powerful tool and I hope that more people can appreciate them, and apply what they learn from these myths into their everyday lives.