Alyssa Lobatch, Period 1, 3/1/24

Alyssa Lobatch

Period 1

20 February 2024

Modern Mythology 2024

Research Paper

The Preservation of Beowulf

Throughout my time taking this course, I have consistently found interest in the way primary sources in mythology are preserved and can change based on the word choices in translations. I’ve mentioned this curiosity in class and in a blog before, but I decided to do more research on it to get a more concrete idea of what preservation of sources looks like. The history of the manuscript of Beowulf is a great example of why we should properly care for historical artifacts.

As discussed in class, Beowulf was written by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet (or poets), captured in a manuscript that dates back to the year 1000. The original manuscript may have belonged to a monastery, which was likely dissolved (along with many other religious houses) by King Henry VIII in the mid-1500s. In around 1563, it was owned by a cartographer named Laurence Nowell, who was actually the author of the first Old English dictionary (“The Good Luck of the Beowulf Manuscript”). From there, it fell into the possession of Sir Robert Cotton, a collector with an expansive library of manuscripts. The Cotton library is known for containing the only original copies of certain works, such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and, of course, Beowulf (Harrison). The manuscripts were held in a room filled with busts of historical figures, so they were labeled based on which bust they were kept near. For instance, Beowulf was marked “Vitellius A. xv”: it was the fifteenth volume on the first shelf above the bust of Vitellius.

Though the manuscripts that belonged to Cotton are still referred to as part of his library, they were taken out of his physical library in 1700, when the British state claimed them. Believing that the building they were kept in was fire-prone, officials moved them to Ashburnham house. Ironically, in 1731, a fire ravaged the collection. Thirteen artifacts were completely destroyed, and essentially all of them were at least damaged. Beowulf, luckily, survived, but it was burned along its edges.

From there, the manuscripts were relocated to the British Museum in 1753, where they have been stored to this day. Unfortunately, no efforts were made to preserve Beowulf until 1845, when each leaf was framed and the manuscript was rebound. Over the hundred years between the fire and the first efforts for preservation, Beowulf had begun to disintegrate, so much so that large chunks of the epic were indiscernible and lost to time. Had it not been for Icelandic scholar G. J. Thorkelin, the poem as we know it and all the discussion and adaptation that came with it would not exist today. Thorkelin, searching for sources about Denmark, found Beowulf in 1786, wrote two direct transcripts of it, and published the first ever translation of it in 1815. The first modern English translation was published in 1833 (Grout).

The history of the manuscript is certainly tumultuous, and, if anything, is a grave reminder of the absolute necessity of caring for artifacts. Beowulf is often considered one of the most significant English texts ever written. Studying it allows us to learn about the development of the English language and characteristics of Anglo-Saxon culture. It is, like all historical artifacts, a window into a time long before our own. Without Thorkelin, John Gardner’s Grendel would not even exist, nor would this blog or the unit on it in Mrs. Fusaro’s Modern Mythology course. Without the efforts of those who tried to preserve Beowulf’s manuscript in 1845, we probably would not be able to look at it today and understand how real and tangible the writings were. Therefore, it is extremely fortunate that a greater emphasis is now placed on keeping artifacts intact and accessible on the Internet, so that no other stories have to suffer the horrible threat of being forgotten.

Works Cited

The Good Luck of the Beowulf Manuscript, Old Engli.sh, old-engli.sh/trivia.php?ID=BeowulfMs. Accessed 20 Feb. 2024.

Grout, James. “Beowulf Manuscript.” Sir Robert Cotton and the Beowulf Manuscript, University of Chicago, penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/britannia/anglo-saxon/beowulf/vitellius.html#:~:text=Finally%2C%20in%201845%2C%20the%20British,obscured%20some%20of%20the%20letters. Accessed 20 Feb. 2024.

Harrison, Julian. “Fire, Fire! The Tragic Burning of the Cotton Library.” British Library, British Library, 23 Oct. 2016, blogs.bl.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2016/10/fire-fire-the-tragic-burning-of-the-cotton-library.html. 

Tim Liu, Period 7, 2/14/24

Tim Liu Period 7, 2/14/2024 

Modern Mythology 2024

 Research Paper: Grendel 

After reading the poem Beowulf, I realized that Grendel and the other monsters were depicted as murderous, evil, and outcasts of god. Beowulf, the protagonist and the hero of god would eventually kill Grendel. When reading the story, there was something that caught my attention. According to the passage it states, "After fifty winters pass, Beowulf, now an old man, faces his final task: He must fight a dragon who, angry because a thief had stolen a jeweled cup from its hoard of gold". After reading this, I had a lot of questions. Shouldn't the thief be punished for stealing? Why bother looking for the dragon? Does Beowulf care if his men die? Is pride, glory, and rewards his ultimate goal? Is Grendel and the other monsters really that bad? As I thought about this, I remembered another story we covered in class where in Stone Blind, Perseus shares similarities to Beowulf. Since this is a research paper, I decided to read the first half of the story Grendel by John Gardner and look through his perspective. What I found about Grendel was that he never encountered a human before until he reached the human world after he swam through a pool of firesnakes. Later as he arrives at a world unknown to him, he is rescued by his mother after getting attacked by a bull and a group of men. Afterward, he observes the human from a tree out of curiosity, witnessing human’s true nature, watching two opposing sides where leaders threaten each other about their father, bloodline and revenge. He also found out that humans were wasteful as they fought, killed animals, and left it rot. In addition, he saw betrayal between allies, stealing, and adultery/rape being committed. These made him incredibly disgusted by what he saw and couldn't comprehend why the way humans act. Since humans could be blessed while his kind couldn't, he felt ashamed of himself and his beast-like characteristics. Later on in the story, he asks the dragon for advice, who then tells him to ignore human philosophy and morals. As he adopts his belief, his hate against humans grows. Therefore, I believe that he ended up waging a 12-year war with the humans out of jealousy and thought it was unfair that he couldn't be blessed because of what his ancestor had done.

Lea Tsvayg, Period 6, 2-28-24

Lea Tsvayg, Period 6, 2-28-24

Modern Mythology 2024

Research Paper

Nine worlds. Nine days. Nine steps. The number nine is a recurring motif throughout Norse mythology. But what makes this number so special to the Norse? Does it have the same significance in other cultures too?

In Norse mythology, there are nine interconnected worlds, with Yggdrasil serving as a cosmic link between them. Odin, who is considered the chief of the Aesir, hung himself for nine days and nine nights in order to gain knowledge and wisdom. At Ragnarok, Thor managed to walk nine steps before his demise. This number clearly holds a deep meaning to the Norse. Although it is unknown why this number specifically held so much significance, it is speculated that there could be a relation to the “lunar calendar’s 27 days being a multiple of nine” (Conley).

The significance of this number extends beyond Norse mythology too, which is seen in its heavy presence in many cultures. In Greek mythology there are nine muses who serve as inspiration for the arts. In Egyptian mythology, there are nine Ennead gods, which are the most noble deities. In the bible, this number bears spiritual significance, as there are nine fruits of the holy spirit. In Hinduism there are nine forms of the goddess Durga, who is associated with strength and protection. In the Mayan calendar, there are “nine creation cycles, which represent nine levels of consciousness” (Calleman).  In China, this number represents longevity and eternality.  Even now, the sayings that cats have nine lives and that someone is on cloud nine are very common. Across cultures, this number emerges as a symbol of spiritual growth and cycles. 

However, upon further investigation, some cultures consider this number to be unlucky. For example, in Japan it is considered bad luck “because it sounds similar to the Japanese word for torture or suffering” (Skurie). This contrasting view on the number just goes to show the complexity of its symbolism and interpretation. 

Beyond the number nine, a plethora of numbers carry special meaning across cultures, whether positive or negative. Our perception of these numbers can influence our behavior.  For example, in gambling type games, people gravitate towards what they consider to be lucky numbers while avoiding those they deem unlucky. Similarly, athletes may avoid certain jersey numbers, fearing a negative impact on their performance. Superstitious beliefs also exist around days, such as Friday the 13th evoking unease among certain people. Many of these modern superstitions and aversions have roots in ancient beliefs and cultural lore, with their impact continuing through generations while the understanding of their origins fade. Reading ancient folklore can help us learn what numbers hold significance to certain cultures, and conversely, knowing the history behind these numbers can help us, as readers, better relate to and acknowledge the deeper cultural meaning of folklore stories. 

In conclusion, the number nine holds a unique significance, with rich symbolism and recurring themes. Across diverse cultures, it plays a notable role and maintains a constant presence in folklore, hinting at  deeper meanings and connections.

Works Cited:

Calleman, Carl Johan. “The Mayan Calendar and the Transformation of Consciousness.” Book by Carl Johan Calleman | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster, www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Mayan-Calendar-and-the-Transformation-of-Consciousness/Carl-Johan-Calleman/9781591430285. Accessed 6 Mar. 2024. 

Conley, Nicholas. “The Reason the Number 9 Is so Important in Norse Mythology.” Grunge, Grunge, 9 Mar. 2023, www.grunge.com/181906/the-reason-the-number-9-is-so-important-in-norse-mythology/. 

Skurie, Jaclyn. “Superstitious Numbers around the World.” Culture, National Geographic, 3 May 2021, www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/130913-friday-luck-lucky-superstition-13.

Kelly Mei, Period 1, 2/28/2024

Kelly Mei

Period 1

2/28/24

Modern Mythology 2024

Literature Circle - Modern Myths 

Title: Tragic Love

I’ve heard of The Song of Achilles from my peers. I saw one of my classmates bring the book with them to school and my teacher commenting on how good of a book that is. I see on my social media unintentionally about how tragically well-done The Song of Achilles, that it broke many people’s hearts from reading it. So, I thought to myself, what’s so good about this book? Well, I never really read many tragic romance novels, despite reading many romance webcomics, so I was in a new experience. I asked my friend who had just finished reading The Song of Achilles and she said that, like many people, it was great and provided me with the resources. All in all, this story was as what people said and I truly recommend it. Its romantic moments are sweet and loving and the development between the two leads wasn’t too fast and provides the reader with the content they need before crushing their feelings into a tragedy of a read. I will now be giving my reaction to reading this novel from chapters (1-16).

Chapter 1-8, Part I: 

In the beginning, it starts off before the narrator is born. Frankly, I was more interested in the story of the mother, like her reaction to being wed at the age of fourteen and her husband being uninterested in her. I noticed that there was no name that was given to the narrator nor the father, who was the king, which had confused me a bit but I eventually got used to it and even developed names of my own to help keep track of the characters. So, going off from the blurb provided for the book and with a bit of help from researching, I assumed the narrator’s name was Patroclus. What had caught my attention to this ‘Patroclus’ character was that he’s nothing special. He’s not special enough to garner attention from his father and from this, I believed that he developed an inferiority complex from this. This is further enforced when Patroclus and his father are seated at a game the father hosted. Then, there was another character we were introduced to: the son of King Peleus.

 I had a small smile when I read Patroclus’s thoughts on the son and how descriptive it was, showing how captivated he was when he watched him run. Then immediately that smile faded when I saw the parallels between the two: the son was embraced and loved by his father, Patroclus wasn’t given much. The son’s mother was rumored to be a goddess, his mother was seen as simple. Even Patroclus’s father had compared him to the son, degrading him in a way. I related to Patroclus in a way, comparing myself to others by seeing my misfortunes and seeing what they had, as well as relating to Patroclus’s relationship with his father as usually in an Asian home, comparisons to your peers are bound to happen, making you wish you were like them. So, in the first chapter, I’m curious if the son and Patroclus’s relationship will be branched out even more and if we see more characterization from the mother.

…

So, I was right about the narrator’s name being Patroclus! Anywhom, we open up to Patroclus’s potential marriage, with the daughter of King Tyndareus named Helen. Immediately, his father jumped at the opportunity, to gain glory to his name than to die with his untalented son bringing none to him. He wanted Patroclus to gain the King’s favor to allow him to marry Helen and I thought to myself, isn’t he too young for that? His age wasn’t specified in the chapter at this point but I assumed that he was still a child, even the king stated that he was still a man and thought that his father was coming to court Helen instead.  So, I found another parallel between Patroclus’s mother and him, how they were both put into marriage at a young age, only this time, Patroclus did not do enough to win Helen’s favor. 

Later in the story, Odysseus appears and he proposes that Helen should choose who she wants to marry rather than her father assessing who she’d marry. At that moment, I couldn’t help but bounce in joy at this little sentiment, she had a free choice! Because I knew in the past, girls would be forced into marriages from her father, not allowing her to decide how her future would be. So, I was happy that her father loved her enough for her to decide who she would want to marry and as we all could guess, it wasn’t Patroclus. I feel that the build up from that moment was obvious, we’re repeatedly pushed by the narrative from Patroclus’s father that he’s nothing special and because he isn’t special, his father had to speak for him in order to make him seem special enough. Even the rest of the suitors had seemed so much more glorious than he was and a soldier pitied him and his gift that they had to give him one! Though, there was a bit of suspense to Helen deciding (even though she immediately chose her suitor without hesitation) we knew that it wouldn’t be Patroclus, despite the glimmer of hope we had. 

This chapter reinforced what the relationship between Patroclus’s father and him is like, his father is disappointed in Patroclus’s potential and Patroclus just wished his father would give him some validation. Though speaking from experience, I hope it’s because Patroclus’s father genuinely loves him and wished that Patroclus would be better off in the future. I really hope that is the case. 

…

So, the chapter begins with poor Patroclus getting bullied by a noble’s son named Clysonymus. Clysonymus wanted to play with Patroclus’s dice, Patroclus didn’t let him and then Clysonymus insults him with his relationship as a disappointment to his father. I felt bad for Patroclus, it wasn’t like he was purposely untalented and that his father didn’t want anything to do with him unless he did something extraordinary. So, when Patroclus killed him, I felt like a proud parent, “yes, go stand up to him!” He was exiled for this action. So, what about Patroclus’s father genuinely wanting what’s best for his son? Dissipated. If he truly loved his son, he would have defended him and asked what had happened – he’s the king after all and should at least have some sort of authority. 

We’re welcomed to Phthia, the place that Patroclus will be fostered in during his exile. And, we meet the son of King Peleus: Achilles. An endearing moment was Patroclus admiring his growth from the past five years, then I remembered it was because he was traumatized from his father comparing him to Achilles, so it was why he remembered him after all those years. “That is what a prince should be,” ringing in his head. Anyways, the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus is quite tense because of this, Achilles wants to make friends with him but Patroclus couldn’t help but recount his father’s disappointment to him.

I hope that later on in the chapters, Patroclus would see Achilles as his own person, rather than his opposite according to his father. 

…

We’re opened to Patroclus observing Achilles during meal time, saying meal time is the only time he gets to relax, saying how beautiful he is. He couldn’t help but be angry about how much better Achilles’s life is compared to himself. Later, we see Patroclus watching Achilles juggle some figs and Patroclus catching one of them. Then a line that I really liked was “I had loved fig, once.” It was a very sweet line after Patroclus being captivated by Achilles’ performance, being nostalgic of his own home and being put into that child-like wonder once again in his new home. We eventually meet King Peleus himself and he reminds Patroclus of why he is in Phthia – because he killed a boy. But, he welcomed him and I found this as a contrast to Patroclus’s father. His father was not very warm and was demanding of Patroclus with his high expectation as the son of a king. King Peleus reminds him of his purpose in a way of a father who’s patient in telling their child on what they had done wrong, treating him like his own person rather than just an heir who has to uphold expectations. He even comforts him, which I found endearing. 

Eventually, everyone started to hear about why Patroclus was now being fostered in Phthia: he killed a boy, gossiping about it. Patroclus started to skip out on his lessons and one day, Achilles went to find him. I also found this part sweet because it was like a storm for Patroclus, trying to fit into his new home and now having to deal with children talking behind his back and fearing him. Achilles approached him first on his own without any malicious intentions. To avoid getting in trouble for skipping his lessons, Achilles invites him to his lyre lesson. There, Patroclus is yet again, enchanted by his musical abilities. I also really liked “Your father is not here,” from Achilles, showing how much of an influence Patroclus’s father has on his own life. It shows that Achilles is trying to reach a hand, trying to break Patroclus free from his father’s expectations of him. 

I believe it’s safe to say that Patroclus is starting to grow an attachment and admiration towards Achilles rather than having a one sided discontent towards him. 

…

Now, Patroclus and Achilles are seeing King Peleus. Achilles tries to help Patroclus evade punishment by saying that he wanted him to be his Therapon. This is one of the turning points in the story as it solidifies the two’s bond together. The king even says that he tried to get many boys to be his companion and wondered why Achilles picked him too –  Patroclus wondering the same as his inferiority complex told him that he wasn’t anyone special, why him? 

There were many times in the story when Achilles and Patroclus had made eye contact, Patroclus looked away with a flushed face. It got me raising an eyebrow of how Patroclus actually felt about Achilles, maybe he was blushing because of how Achilles was treating him during his stay or his kindness, or maybe he’s just embarrassed to be caught staring at him? Later on, Achilles says that Patroclus will be sleeping in his room together and then Achilles teaches Patroclus how to juggle. We get another scene of Patroclus admiring how beautiful he is, which made me raise even more eyebrows, wondering the same question again. 

Then it may be me reading too much into the lines but Patroclus and Achilles go to his fighting drills together. It’s important for me to note that Achilles always did his drills alone because of the prophecy and since Patroclus is now accompanying him, it’s the first step to overcome the anxieties of the prophecy. We get another moment of Patroclus finding Achilles beautiful with his swordsmanship, even going to fight Achilles himself. Patroclus admits that Achilles is special and it caught me off guard, like I felt happy for the two of them and their development. He no longer feels extremely envious of him!

…

The chapter opens with Patroclus developing this indescribable feeling whenever he was spending time with Achilles, a feeling of fear yet also a feeling of freedom. Here, I realized that Achilles represents Patroclus’s true and raw nature, symbolizing his freedom from his father’s grasp despite him being punished to exile under his name. Achilles is someone Patroclus can talk to without a feeling of inferiority looming over him, not causing him to shy away and lock himself from the extended hand. Such as whenever they ran, Patroclus would always lose but he doesn’t let that negatively affect his view on Achilles, compared to their first interaction in Chapter 1 when Achilles won, he felt a surge of envy. Their friendship blooms because Achilles help him break free from the expectations of Patroclus’s father and that is a moment important to me because I too had a friend who I can confide in despite the pressure put on me as a first generation Asian American – I could feel like I can be myself rather than a student working their best to get the fullest mark. I had a friend who I didn’t feel the urge to compare my grades and status to, much like how Achilles and Patroclus’s friendship was like. 

The friendship developed to the point where Patroclus could admit why he was being fostered in Phthia. I thought that because of the gossiping from the other children in Chapter 4, Achilles would’ve known about it and confronted Patroclus about the truth. But, I interpreted that Achilles had wanted to hear it from Patroclus’s own mouth, putting his trust in him for telling the truth eventually because that is what a true friendship is: a relationship where you can communicate freely without feeling uncomfortable or the need to mask yourself. And, instead of fearing Patroclus like the other children, he stays and validates him and his feelings. I’d like to emphasize how healthy their friendship is. Patroclus felt like if Achilles became a god like his mother intended for him to, the distance between the two would enlarge as Patroclus is just a mortal who would die and Achilles would be undefeatable. He doesn’t want to lose their friendship that they had built up. The two laugh it off near the end, happy. I couldn’t help but feel that this is a sense of foreshadowing on how their fates will be, the two wouldn’t end up together in the end. I felt a sense of doom because of this. (Perhaps it’s because I’m being a pessimist about this.)

Though, because this novel is shown in Patroclus’s perspective, we don’t get to see much of Achilles’s thoughts and his perception of their friendship. Hopefully, deeper into the book, we get to see that. 

…

We’re met with Patroclus noticing the growth of the two as they reach the age of thirteen. Then, the two noticed that the boys in the palace were spending time with girls. I noticed myself how uninterested in girls Patroclus, such as his attitude from Chapter 2. Achilles’s father suggested for Achilles to sleep with a girl but he too was uninterested in her. The next few moments in the chapter are also very memorable to, as a person who solemnly reads romance novels. Patroclus asks about the girl and Achilles pushes him. Patroclus becomes flushed at this incident. It’s the little moments with Patroclus and Achilles sharing a physical closeness that gives me this warm feeling inside me.

At the beach, Achilles and Patroclus share a kiss. Achilles’s mother sees this and becomes angry, hastily getting Achilles to leave the palace so he could be mentored by Chiron. When the kiss happened, at first I didn’t register it but after rereading the chapter, it got me sitting at the edge of my chair, wanting to know more, wanting to know how Achilles felt but he left before I could interpret his reaction. I believed that this kiss was not an ordinary platonic kiss, but a kiss that showcased their bond to each other. If it were platonic, Achilles wouldn’t have run away and Patroclus wouldn’t have this sense of hurt for ‘ruining’ the relationship. 

When Achilles left, Patroclus ran to chase after him. He finally reunited with Achilles and met Chiron. Chiron was sent a message by Achilles’s mother to not let Patroclus see Achilles, but he allows them to be together. Here, we see Patroclus’s inferiority complex show but it hasn’t affected him too deeply, as he was asked a question of whether or not he was worth staying with Achilles and he, determined, wishes to stay regardless of his worth. I believe that this is a step towards his character development as well. 

Chapter 9-16, Part II: 

For the most of chapter 9, it was about Patroclus and Achilles’s journey through Chiron’s mentorship. How they learned was through opportunities, allowing the two to have hands-on experiences and learn from it. I found this to be different to what I’m used to in the ‘learning montage,’ as in books, they would usually information-dump to both the characters and the readers, leaving us to wonder what would the character actually take from this. One moment to note is when Thetis, Achilles’s mother, finally came to visit him and Chiron because of Patroclus’s intrusion. I was wondering why Patroclus didn’t want Chiron to find out about what had happened at the beach with the two kissing. I thought: wouldn’t it strengthen Patroclus’s reason to stay with Achilles even more because their bond is so strong?

That question is answered in the next chapter as it stated that a fear would be that Chiron would tell Achilles’s mother and father, especially what they have done in the cave. A moment I found absolutely adorable was when Achilles asked Patroclus to name a hero who had lived happily and Patroclus couldn’t name one. Then Achilles says that he’ll be the first because Patroclus was with him and I just found that moment to be very comforting because it solidifies how the two felt about each other and that it was mutual love. Then, Achilles is called back to his home.

The chapter starts off with Achilles and Patroclus back at King Peleus’s palace and what had both Patroclus and I confused was Thetis and King Peleus being in the same room because usually, as stated before in the book, Thetis doesn’t really show herself that often in front of people. It gave us both a sense of tension and suspense because we’re both wondering “what happened at Phthia that has both of them been present?” Once again, the question was answered with Helen, who we met at chapter 2, was abducted. Thetis wants Achilles to go on this journey, to which I assume was for glory. Since Thetis wants Achilles to become a god, or god-like, having fame and power like one in a hero’s journey was a start. Patroclus doesn’t want to go and I liked the part when Achilles says that he’ll go if Patroclus goes, just to show you how far they’ve come as a bond. I also do not have a very good feeling about how this is going to go, something tragic might happen that will separate the two apart. 

… 

Chapter 12 was a whole rollercoaster to me. Everytime I felt happy it was immediately crushed with disappointment. So, I was happy that Achilles would follow Patroclus at the end of Chapter 11 and then devastated when he was gone. I knew that Thetis was involved with the disappearance of Achilles since she never approved of Patroclus and his relationship, wanting the two to separate as she tried to when she had Chiron take Achilles under his wing. Then I felt relieved when Peleus finally admitted to where Achilles was and allowed Patroclus to go to him. There was a funny moment when Patroclus tells Princess Deidameia that he was looking for a ‘friend,’ making me raise an eyebrow thinking “just a friend?”

Later, Achilles comes in and says that Patroclus was his ‘husband’ and at first I was feeling smug as she was devastated that Achilles was unwilling to marry him. Then, I felt guilty because this was also part of Thetis’s doing, deceiving the princess to the two to bed each other. Immediately after announcing the pregnancy, I let out a groan, not because it was Achilles’s fault but because of Thetis’s action. At this point on, I realized that the antagonist in this story was his mother, trying to get between them and watching Achilles like a helicopter parent. Despite him being ‘free’ to do what he liked, he was never freed from his mother’s expectations, much like Patroclus struggled to break free from his father. Though with healthy communication like how strong their bond was, it was resolved. 

… 

I don’t have much to comment on for chapter 13 or 14, it was mostly about Patroclus and Deidameia and Deidameia wanting to know why Achilles had preferred Patroclus instead of her because he was so ‘normal.’ I noticed that Patroclus’s inferiority complex doesn’t show up here, especially when it comes to Achilles, mostly Deidameia mentioning to him how inferior he is compared to her which I thought was another step up to his characterization. I realized a bit too late that this would be the beginning of the Trojan War, as the Trojan War started when Helen was taken from Menelaus. So, it finally made sense to me when Odyesseus asked Patroclus if he wanted to join the army against Troy. 

…

The prophecy about Achilles being the greatest hero comes to bite him back again and it's in a war that he’s hesitant to go in. If I was Achilles I would be uncomfortable from someone telling me what my fate is exactly, like how Odysseus is saying that the prophecy could possibly be about fighting in the Trojan War. Though in Greek Myth, he does end up being a hero, I would still, regardless, be uncomfortable. I found the moment to be precious when Achilles finally says yes to fighting in the Trojan War, he asks Patroclus and Patroclus immediately says yes. Patroclus and Achilles had always been through a journey together, from their journey with Chiron and their journey at Scyros. They would follow each other through death, especially when Achilles’s death in the war is certain. 

I hope that the two will share their final thoughts to each other, confess everything before Achilles’s death. I also hope that Patroclus follows him. 

…

This next chapter is about Achilles and Patroclus preparing for the Trojan War. It made me smile when Achilles’s last wishes to his mother was for her to protect Patroclus because the two never got along – Thetis always believed that Patroclus was not worth being Achilles’s, her son, the son of a goddess, companion. And I realized it was out of love. I tried to see this in Patroclus’s father, his toughness possibly equating to love but being wrong in the end, but Thetis loves Achilles. Thetis wants what is best for her son, she wants him to be god-like, so she has a centaur train him. She wants him to be happy, so she lets him be free with what he had wanted to do like lyre lessons. She wants him to succeed as a hero, why she wanted him to participate in the war but realized that he was too young so she hid him. All of what she was doing wasn’t to discriminate against Patroclus, but out of love. Yes, she was controlling who was ‘worthy’ to interact with him, but what she did was because of the love for her own child – even to go to respect his wishes when he died. This is contrasting to Patroclus’s father which I compared again and again, Patroclus’s father didn’t defend him when he killed a boy for bullying him (though murder is inexcusable, he had still punished him without hearing him out) and he always belittled him for being so ‘ordinary.’ Patroclus’s father hates normal, he wants pride and glory and he can’t get that from normal. Thetis doesn’t want normal from Achilles and doesn’t compare him to other children. 

As the story progresses, we still see Achilles’s thoughts and perspective on the whole ordeal, but I can develop a character from him. Achilles is very trusting to the point of fault, such as trusting his mother to tell Patroclus where he was at Scyros if he slept with Deidameia. He is also honest, various times in the novel when presented with a problem, Achilles would always say to tell the truth and try to resolve the situation without any lying involved. He is also kind as he was the first to welcome Patroclus and try to help him integrate into Phthia. I believe that as he goes into the war, however, his personality will change as being kind hearted will not help him survive. Patroclus himself goes through his own character arc, as he goes from a quiet child who feels inferior to everyone and everyone treats him smaller than them to a kind yet strong headed character who does what he believes in. He’s stubborn and will follow wherever Achilles goes.

All in all, I hope we get to see more of Achilles’s character in the future and that Thetis’s feelings for Patroclus changes so that she would approve them together despite their ending being fated to be tragic. 

Sam Li, Period 7, 2/29/24

Thomas Li  

Period 7

12/08/23                              

  Modern Mythology 2024

Literature Circle
Circe

    For my third and final blog, I have decided to read one half of “Circe” by Madeline Miller. After looking through the blurbs of all the choices for readings, I chose Circe due to having a previous interest in the title character when I read the Odyssey. She had a unique antagonistic role in the story, so seeing more perspectives on her sounded interesting. This is an analysis and my attempt at understanding the book. This blog may not cover the entire half, as it is very dense and may result in a low-quality analysis over time.

    Starting with chapters one and two, I noticed an underlying theme/idea that the text had indicated. Many reminders in the text that women were not treated fairly or equally. Chapter One gave us an example. Circe’s father, Helios, was said to have many relationships/children with other women. Circe’s mother, Perse, had tried to gain power over him by forcing him into marriage and her control through the promise of sex.

    “It is marriage,” she said to him, “or nothing. And if it is marriage,
be sure: you may have what girls you like in the field, but you will bring
none home, for only I will hold sway in your halls.” (Miller, 2018, p. 8)

    By then they had learned what the four of us were. You may have other
children, they told her, only not with him. But other husbands did not give
amber beads. It was the only time I ever saw her weep. (Miller, 2018, p. 8)

    This quote illustrates her attempt to get Helios through marriage. But soon after,  Perse is reminded of her submission by the gods, who had barred her from producing any more children with Helios. Despite all her efforts, Perse had no say in the end.

    This further continues with chapter two, which focuses on Circe herself. Her family had gone to watch the regular torture of Prometheus. Crice had noticed how compliant, yet tense the whole moment was. No one had done anything but watched as Prometheus was tortured. This painted an image of the gods being in power, and everyone else had done nothing out of fear.

    “Not every god need be the same,” he said (Miller, 2018, p. 22)

    Eventually, Circe defiantly fed Prometheus nectar and conversed with him, something that no one else dared to do. Circe had gained insight into herself, and how she did not have to be the same as the rest of her family. She’s on her path to independence.

    Chapters one and two can be looked at through a literary lens of Feminist criticism. The idea that women are not in power in a family household is a common idea across the world for many generations and is shown once more in chapter one. Perse had no power and even when she had leverage, lost it regardless. Like the roles of women in Ancient Greek society, Perse was treated as a joke and an object. In chapter two, Circe is the topic of focus, as it documents her realization and path toward independence. Being independent is a major topic of feminism. As previously mentioned earlier, women are considered objects and not the leaders in the family. They are usually seen as dependent on the husband. This is one of many social roles. In chapter two, we can see a common role of the family being bystanders to Prometheus and his suffering but Circe deviates from this pattern. This chapter can be seen as Circe fighting against societary roles. Circe helps Prometheus understand how she could be different from the people around her. This can be seen as a growth into independence, a major aspect of feminism.

    A pattern of mini-stories that are slightly interwoven seems to be the pattern here. Chapters three to five tell the story of Glaucos and the eventual creation of Scylla. I believe that this part of the story was more insight into the naivety and foolishness of Circe. Her actions of practically simping for Glaucos and lack of self-awareness built on that. She initially had to say that she wasn’t strong to make Glaucos not afraid, showing her weakness. She then toyed with magic that even her family and the gods were scared of, all to empower the man she loved. Although not being in a true relationship with him, she is blinded by the idea of being in one with him. Even after Glaucos had changed as a person, abusing his newfound powers to kill his father and showing evilness, Circe still loved him relentlessly. She had done rash actions just for his love and the possibility of being in a relationship with him, just for him to go to another girl. I believe this demonstrates weakness on Circe's end as a person.

    Overall, this book felt like almost a diary of sorts. It did not feel traditional in the way it told its story and I am not sure whether that is a positive or negative trait. There are many underlying themes in Circe as a person and her personality. I hope to possibly see more of this if I continue reading onwards, with more on her growth and understanding of her life. This way of analysis and understanding of Circe reminded me of how we analyze characters and their decisions in our learning and class. Seeing how im applying it in my own reading time excites me as it is giving such a drastic way of analyzing the story, something I don’t think I would have done if I had read this prior to mythology class.



Citations:

Miller, Madeline. Circe. Hachette Book Group, 2018.

Sofya Ochirova, Period 1, 2/13/2024

Sofya Ochirova, Pd 1, 2/13/24

Modern Mythology

Literature Circle


Before I started reading The Song of Achilles, I knew almost nothing about it; I only heard about how interesting it was on the Internet. But since I’m not a big fan of fiction, especially one that went viral on Tiktok, I just scrolled through it every time I came across it in my recommendations. And now, to unearth it a couple of years later was something like a pleasant surprise. So I took it from the school library and found an audiobook to accompany it and started reading.

To be honest, I didn't even bother to read the synopsis on the back before starting, either out of laziness or a desire for suspense and surprise from the storyline. Oh yes, be afraid of what you wish for, as they say.

At the beginning, for some reason, I assumed that the book was written from the point of view of Achilles, probably from the title, and was a little puzzled when the narrator said that he was a disappointment to his father. Then, I realized that after all it was not Achilles, but Patroclus, which also confused me even more, because now I didn’t understand what the book was all about. So for the early chapters I’ve been patiently waiting for Achilles to make an appearance, and mostly forgot what those chapters were about.

And in fact, the way the narrator writes about the early events in the book itself, by saying that it was very long ago and he himself forgot a lot of it, makes the reader myself not particularly immersed in these moments. Therefore, for me, the first few chapters - up to the chapter with the unfortunate murder - turned out to be somewhat blurred, which is most likely a deliberate device of the writer, so that we, like Patroclus, later in Chapter 14, would sharply remember his oath he had given in the forgotten childhood. This is what happened. But perhaps his early years are still not as interesting as his later years.

As I said, I left the plot as a maximum surprise for myself, so imagine my surprise when reading that very chapter with the first kiss of the main characters. At that time, I couldn’t even imagine such a development of events, well, of course, I suggested at some point, but quickly discarded it because it seemed to me that this book could not be romance. How wrong I was. This was probably the loudest “Wait what?” when reading a book. After that, I, like a distraught fan, began to terribly root for them to have a happy ending and finally began to understand all these cute hints and flirting from both of them. At the speed of light, I continued reading the chapters one after another. The next audible gasp was when Patroclus vowed to make Achilles the first happy great hero, which of course would serve as foreshadowing for a tragic end.

By the middle of the book, I felt this distance, together with Patroclus, from Achilles, which began in Achilles’ exile. And here I very much disagree with Patroclus. Achilles does not deserve to be forgiven so quickly for his betrayal. Yes, his mother deceived him, but still Achilles cheating on his lover in order to help this same lover seemed very illogical to me and I would accuse Achilles not only of naivety but also of absolute stupidity. But apparently a feeling of boredom for a loved one or a difference in views on betrayal did not allow Patroclus to be offended for a long time. And further reading about preparations for the war distanced me even more, as a reader, from Achilles, although it is worth giving him credit for his attempts to speak out and protect Patroclus as best he can and for his disregard to humiliations associated with their status.

Overall, having read about half of the book, I want to say that I like it, and that perhaps my reluctance to read the synopsis allows me to read this book with minimal expectations and absolute immersion in the plot. Having read some criticism about the boredom and flatness of the main characters, I can’t say that I completely agree with it. It seems to me that this is a book about feelings, falling in love, first love, the first broken heart (most likely, by the end of the book I will be sobbing) because most of the book is devoted to a love story, and not to the great Trojan War or the heroic deeds of Achilles. After reading this book we can understand the power of love, and that love conquers everything, and it is more important than fame and reputation. While I do feel like it’s Patroclus’ whole personality to be in love with Achilles, I think it proves the point even further: for Patroclus, nothing else matters, not even his own life, if he can’t be with his beloved.

I think this is easier to understand for those who have experienced something similar in life before. So, they will be able to transfer their experience to Patroclus and Achilles and find much in common with them. Perhaps this is the reason for the popularity of this book among teenagers, because first feelings and relationships are not uncommon for them, and such things are especially intensely felt by the immature, growing minds.

In general, this book turned out to be an interesting adaptation of an already known story for me, which at the same time has a lot of its own original meaning, and I can’t wait to start reading the remaining half of this work.

Winnie Wu, Period 6, 2/12/2024

Winnie Wu, Period 6, 2/12/2024
Modern Mythology 2024
Research Paper: Oral Tradition



In class, we learned about the origin of Beowulf, an Anglo-Saxon poem that had been passed down orally for generations before being penned down by a Christian monk. Then, we watch Benjamin Bagby’s rendition of the poem, traditionally sung to the song of a harp.

Although I learned about oral tradition and storytelling in AP World History, I always thought it’s similar to a lecture—one person narrating while others listened. However, watching Benjamin Bagdy’s performance shattered this perception, revealing to me that oral tradition is not a lecture but a form of art. Bagby remains sitting with little movement, yet his words capture the audience’s attention. With the use of music and gestures, he manages to bring the story to life. Captivated by the performance, I decided to take a deeper dive into the significance of oral traditions throughout history.

Oral tradition is the oral transmission of knowledge, ideas, and art that is passed down orally from generation to generation. Before the invention of writing, oral tradition served as the only way to preserve stories, culture, and history and bring communities together. In many cultures, oral tradition performers are highly respected, known by many different titles like poet, griot, and bard.

Oral tradition appears in diverse forms: poems, epics, legends, myths, nursery rhymes, songs, and more. Beowulf is only one example of the many famous works of literature that were borne from oral tradition. The ancient Greek epics, Iliad and Odyssey, were passed down orally for centuries before Homer wrote them down. Other works with roots in oral tradition are the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Bible.

Despite the proliferation of literacy, oral traditions continue to be widely practiced today, serving a variety of purposes. Native Hawaiians honor their culture through song (mele), chant (oli), and dance (hula), and the Jewish people celebrate Passover with a storytelling tradition called the sedar. In Aboriginal Australian tribes, a series of short songs, called songlines, is used to navigate the territory, while South African singers sing songs criticizing or praising public figures. In the US, hip-hop and rap artists incorporate story-telling events in their lyrics to share ideas and experiences, and slam poetry competitions reward competitors for both the content and delivery of their oral performances.

With the rise of urbanization and globalization, oral tradition is both negatively and positively impacted. Mass media, like books and television, replaces or distorts oral performances. Written adaptation shortens or alters original stories, as shown by the Christian influences in Beowulf. However, the media also play a role in preserving and revitalizing oral tradition by recording oral performances and broadcasting them to a wider audience.

Work Cited

UNESCO. “UNESCO - Oral Traditions and Expressions Including Language as a Vehicle of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.” Unesco.org, 2019, ich.unesco.org/en/oral-traditions-and-expressions-00053.

‌Foley, John Miles. “Oral Tradition | Communication.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019, www.britannica.com/topic/oral-tradition.

‌National Geographic. “Storytelling and Cultural Traditions | National Geographic Society.” Education.nationalgeographic.org, 2 Dec. 2022, education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/storytelling-and-cultural-traditions/.