Mythological Allusions Why We Read Myths Allusions An

Mythological Allusions Why We Read Myths

Allusions An Allusion is a reference to a statement, person, place, event, or thing that is known from literature, history, religion, myth, politics, sports, science, or the arts. For example, the title of the novel The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner is an allusion to a line from Shakespeare’s play Mac. Beth: “Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. ” (Act V, Scene 5)

Mythological Allusions are references made to well-known myths. For example, if you try to defy your parents by staying out after curfew, someone might say, “Be careful, don’t fly too close to the sun!” Here are some other myths and mythological characters commonly alluded to…

Achilles’ Heel Background: According to myth, when Achilles was a baby, his mother dipped him in the River Styx because the waters from this river gave immortality to humans. His mother held him by his heel, so that was the only place on his body not touched by water. From then on, Achilles’ heel was his one area of vulnerability. Eventually, Achilles was killed during the Trojan War when a poisoned arrow struck his heel. Today, the term has come to refer to a person’s area of particular vulnerability. Ex; Her inability to resist rich desserts was her Achilles' heel, keeping her from losing the ten pounds she wanted to lose.

Hercules Background: Hercules was a hero born with super-human strength who was required to complete a series of seemingly impossible tasks. Today: For this reason, a job or task that is very big and seems impossible could be called “herculean. ” Example: “I can’t believe my boss assigned me the herculean task of reorganizing all the file cabinets in the entire office in only one week!”

Tantalus Background: Tantalus was a king who offended the gods and was condemned to suffer eternal hunger and thirst in Hades. He stood in water up to his chin, but when he bent to drink, the waters receded. Beautiful, ripe fruit hung overhead, but each time he reached for a piece, the wind blew the boughs out of his reach. Today: To be “tantalized” or to be like Tantalus, is to be offered something desirable which is then withheld. Example: The poor peasants were tantalized by the aromas drifting down the street from the palace banquet.

The Muses Background: In Greek Mythology, the Muses were nine goddesses who presided over the arts. They gave inspiration to mortals. Typically, an epic begins with an invocation to the Muse, in which the poet asks the Muses to inspire him as he writes or sings his story. Today, a “Muse” is someone’s source of inspiration, especially in artistic, creative endeavors. (museum) Examples: It is common for fashion designers to select a particular woman as a Muse, keeping her in mind as he or she designs a new line of clothing.

Sirens Background: Sirens were sea creates who lured sailors to their deaths on the rocky shores by singing a beautiful, irresistible song. They are usually depicted as women, or as half-woman, half bird. Today: In modern usage, “sirens” can refer to anything that tempts a person away from safety and toward a destructive path. A “siren song” is the temptation used to lure a person. Example: I had intended to stay home and study for finals, but the siren song of my friends describing all the fun we could have at the lake was too much for me to resist.

Gordian Knot Background: According to legend, Gordius was a Greek king. He tied an extremely complex knot, and an oracle prophesied that whoever untied it would rule all of Asia. Alexander the Great “untied” the knot simply by cutting through it with his sword. Today: A “Gordian knot” is any extremely complex problem, and “cutting the Gordian knot” refers to solving such a problem in a quick, decisive manner. Example: Each year, school counselors face the Gordian knot of scheduling classes so that teachers will have reasonable class sizes and students will have the opportunity to take the classes they need.

Nemesis Background: Nemesis was the Greek goddess of vengeance and retribution. She punished the people for wrongdoing, especially for excessive pride. Today: A person’s “nemesis” is that which causes his or her downfall, or the term can refer to the downfall itself. Example: The cyclist considered the particular stretch of mountain to be his nemesis, costing him a racing victory year after year.

Phoenix/Rising from the Ashes Background: The phoenix was a mythological bird that was one of a kind. The bird lived for five or six hundred years, after which it would burn itself to death and then rise from its own ashes as a youthful bird ready to live another life span. Today: The phoenix has come to symbolize rebirth or resurrection and “rising from one’s own ashes” can describe surmounting great obstacles. Example: After successfully, battling cancer, Lance Armstrong came back, phoenix-like, to win the Tour de France five consecutive times.

Prometheus/Promethean Background: Prometheus went to Mount Olympus and stole some fire, which he gave to man. Zeus punished him by chaining him to a rock; each day an eagle came and ate out his liver, which grew back each night. Today: Prometheus represents valiant resistance to authority or rebellion against the established order of the universe. The adjective “promethean” refers to an act of such resistance. Example: The subtitle of Frankenstein is “The Modern Prometheus” because Victor Frankenstein dares to overstep The bounds of nature and create life.

Scylla and Charybdis Background: Scylla was a many-headed sea monster, living in a cave on one side of a narrow strait. Charybdis was a whirlpool on the opposite side of the strait. Sailors, including Odysseus, had to steer their ships very carefully between the two in order to avoid being victim of one or the other. Today: “Between Scylla and Charybdis” means to be caught between two equal dangers in which avoiding one means getting closer to the other. The phrase has the same meaning as “between a rock and a hard place” Example: Caught between the Scylla of raising taxes and angering voters and the Charybdis of cutting vital city services, the council knew their decision was not going to be an easy one to make.

Cassandra Background: Cassandra, the daughter of a Trojan king, was loved by Apollo, who gave her the gift of prophecy. When Cassandra later angered Apollo, he altered the gift so that her prophecies, while true, would not be believed. Today: A “Cassandra” refers to someone who predicts disasters or negative results, especially to someone whose predictions are disregarded. Example: He was a modern-day Cassandra, warning the city council that the proposed development would have dire environmental consequences. Only years later did people realize he had been absolutely correct.

Sisyphus/Sisyphean Background: Sisyphus was a king who offended Zeus. His punishment was to spend eternity in Hades, rolling a giant boulder up a hill. Each time the boulder neared the top, it would roll back down to the bottom, and Sisyphus had to start his task over. Today: A seemingly endless, perhaps futile task can be referred to as a “labor of Sisyphus” or as “Sisyphean. ” Example: Painting the Golden Gate bridge is a Sisyphean task. Once the bridge is completely painted, it is time to begin painting it again at the beginning, so the painting never ends.

Janus Background: Janus was the Roman god of gates and doorways. Thus, he was associated with entrances and beginnings. Our month of January is named for Janus. He was usually depicted with two faces, one looking forward into the future, and one looking backward at the past. Today: Calling someone a “Janus” can be either a positive or a negative statement. It can refer to the wisdom and knowledge of a person who sees everything, or to the two-faced, hypocritical nature of a person. Example: Appropriately, Shakespeare’s villainous, hypocritical character Iago swears by the god Janus. Iago pretends to be Othello’s friend but he is determined to bring about Othello’s ruin.

Pan Background: Pan was a minor god. Even though he was halfman, half-goat, he still considered himself a ladies’ man. Whenever he came around, the nymphs would all run away in a frenzy to avoid him. Today: This is where we get the word “panic. ” Example: The family ran around in a panic when they realized the fire was getting closer to their home.

Icarus/Fly too Close to the Sun Background: In Greek mythology, Icarus and his father, Daedalus, escaped from the island of Crete, by means of wings constructed by Daedalus. The wings were held on by means of wax, and although Daedalus had warned Icarus not to fly too close to the sun, Icarus did not heed warning; the wax melted, and he fell to his death in Aegean Sea. Today: To be “an Icarus” or to “fly too close to the sun” is to fail or be destroyed because of lack of cation or excessive ambition. Example: In Ray Bradbury’s novel Farenheit 451, the protagonist, Montag, is finally turned in to the authorities for daring to keep books in his house. Beatty, the antagonist, comments: “Well, ’ said Beatty, ‘now you did it. Old Montag wanted to fly near the sun and now that he’s burnt his damn wings, he wonders why? ’”

MEDUSA Background: The most famous of the gorgons, three sisters in Greek mythology who had snakes for hair and who turned anyone who looked at them to stone. Today: Medusa refers to a repulsive or terrifying woman. The term is also applied to extraordinarily wild, unruly hair. Examples: After being caught in the rainstorm, I looked in the mirror and was horrified to see Medusa staring back at me

Mythology Everywhere Remember to look around you. Mythology is everywhere!