MYTHOLOGY

Evening Star, Issue 19774, 26 January 1928, Page 3

MYTHOLOGY

*— —■ GOBS OF OLYMPUS COMPARATIVE RELIGION THE NEW SCIENCE. Mythology has in comparatively recent times become an exact science; a study interesting not only from an historical, but from a scientific point of view. The significance of this fascinating study lies principally in its relation to the superstitions, the cults, the religious of the ancient worlds /states a writer in the Melbourne ‘ Argus ). Mythology might be said to represent ana to present the genesis of all aboriginal peoples; to personify and immortalise their beliefs, creed, and customs. In this regard mythology is none else but folklore. In its deeper significance we cun trace to Mythology the basis, the outcoming of all religion. Even in its universality the foundation or religion is to be traced in the parallels that exist between the myths that have come down to us from various ancient peoples Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Scandinavians, Britons, even the Incas and the Aztecs ot the ancient Americas. Writing of this aspect of mythology, Lewis Spence, M-A., has said; "It is now recognised that upon mythology and folklore rests the basis ot the new science of comparative religion, the evolution of religion from mythology has now been made plain. It is a law of ev ° lu ' tion that, though the parent types which precede certain forms arc doomed to perish, they yet bequeath to their descendants certain of their characteristics; and although mythology has perished (in the civilised world at least), it has left an indelible stamp not only upon modern religion, hut also upon local and national custom." This phase of mythology is vastly interesting, but its most, fascinating aspect is that ot the application and relation of mythology to pagan existence and pagan custom and deities, n was ns a literary exercise that the medieval peoples most regarded mythology. As late ns the eighteenth century the study ot mythology of the Greeks and the Romans was regarded as a necessary adjunct to a polite education, ami as a means to reachin" a better understanding ot classical poetry. And classical poetry—the works ot Hesiod, Ovid, Homer, Virgil—took its inspiration from the mythology of pagan peoples, ORIGIN OF MYTHS.

Most myths are symbols of some event, some exorcise of the pagan gods, some pursuit of the ancient deities on some service of the seasons or of the elements. Largely, too, myths appear to have had their origin in an actual event or personage. As an instance there is the myth of Remus and Romulus. They were (he sons of Mars, too Roman god, who typified the strife 01 battle, and Rhea Silvia, a vestal virgin, who, because sbe broke her virginal vows, was condemned fo die with her babies in the Tiber. The babes were carried to the waters edge in n cradle, and their cries heard by a she wolf, who nurtured them. In her lair they were discovered by Faust ulus, the Kings shepherd, ana roared by his wife, Acca Lanrentai, whose twelve sons are known as the Arval brethren. On reaching man's estate the two brothers set out to found a city, quarrelled as to the site and designation of the city, and, the matter being settled by augury in favor of Romulus, he established Rome, slaying Remus because he sneered at, the plan of the city. Romulus was lakenby his father. Mars, to heaven in a fiery chariot, and he joined the council of Hie gods, being deified by the Romans as Quirinus, as was also Mars, with whom mythologically he became identified. There arc many variants of the Romulus myth, and also parallels in (ho mythology of many peoples. The nurturing of the babes by a she wolt appeal's in many systems of mythology; oven in the Oriental. It is generally accepted that Romulus was an actual person, deified into n culture hero, and around whom many myths were collected before the era of the written lan-

gnage. , U is m its application to different phases of national ami communal life that mythology is of paramount importance—to love, war, agriculture., learning- The group (hat typifies love is of particular interest. It is significant of the universality of custom that (.his and other groups hearing on life have parallels in the myths of many pagan nations, showing that where man exists iimlcr somewhat similar conditions beliefs and customs also will he similar. Venus is one of the most famous of mythical goddes-e-.. As the mother of Aeneas she was regaV'Hed ns (ho founder of ho Roman race; Aeneas (who was the son of the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, with whom Venus is identified) having after (he Trojan Wav, in which fhe and licclor were the greatest Trojan gnerals, lived long in T.atinium, and being typified by Virgil in his Acncid as the first of the Romans. Venus was the daughter of Jupiter, the thunder god, pre-eminent among the Roman gods, as bis Grecian prototype, Zens, was supreme ruler of the gods and mankind, and Dione, the earliest queen of heaven. She was originally the goddess of horticulture, and as such deified ns the goddess of love, was the wife of Vulcan, (he Roman fire god, and the mother of Cupid. One of (ho most beautiful of myths surrounds Cupid (whose Greek prototype is Eros) and Psyche. Cupid was worshipped most in his divine aspect, the philosophical aspect of divine love, the love capable of bringing order out of chaos. It is as illustrating divine love (hat the myth of Cupid and Psyche was created, Psyche being deified as the soul. Venus, jealous of the beauty of Psyche, sent Cupid to wound her with one of his arrows so that she would conceive a passion for a low, unworthy person. Cupid himself fell in love with her, and visited her under cover of darkness. She was led to believe that her husband was a monster, and never allowed to sec him. She attempted this, and Cupid lied. She pursued him, and after passing through many trials was made immortal and joined io Cupid. The myth relates io the human soul pursued by love, and after going through the fire of affliction brought to perfect union with divine love. Around the Grecian prototype of Venus (Aphrodite) there are many legends and myths of her relations with mortal men and g'ods. Shu is personified as the goddess fo love, beauty, and wedded bliss. There are many parallels for this goddess. She is regarded as the Greek form of the Asiatic goddess Aslarte, who is said to have sprung from the sea foam, and of the Phoenician goddess Ashlovoth, and as Islav, the wife of Merodaoh, who was (ho Jupiter of the Babylonian pantheon. Istar typified tire planet Venus, and in the Babylonian signs of the Zodiac stood for the sign of the Virgin. She was also supposed Io control the sea. The most celebrated myth concerning Aphrodite is that telling of her love for Adonis. Accidentally wounded by one of Eros's arrows, she saw Adonis before it was healed, and fell in love with him. She took part with him in the hunt, and when he was slain by a wild boar sprinkled his blood with nectar. From this arose the flower anemone. It is generally accepted that this myth typifies the. death of Nature in winter and its rebirth in spring. THE WAR GROUP.

The war group is heavily represented in mythology. The most celebrated of (he war gods is Mars, who typified I he boisterous strife of battle as opposed (o ordered combat, which is typified by Athene. Mars's Greek prototype is Ares, the cult of which is thought to have originated in the northern parts of Greece. Ares is always depicted as being accompanied by Demos (fear), Phaloos (horror), iSnyo and Em (strife and discord), and the Keres, the dark fates of the battlefield. Athene was tho more deified of the Grecian gods of war. She was the patroness of all heroes who combated monsters, greatly assisted the gods in their wars with giants, in time of peace instructed man in tho useful crafts, and was the inventor of the loom and the spindle. She is always depicted as a maiden clad in the habilaments of war and attended by emblems of- wisdom, the owl and the serpent. She and Poseidon, tho Rom-an Neptune, contested the right to be called tho protector of Athens. It was agreed that whoever gave to tho city the best gift should have this right. Poseidon struck a rook with his trident, and a spring of water gushed forth; Athene brought an olive tree from the soil, and it was adjudged the beet gift. Many great wars are immortalised in mythology, and many warlike people. The most famous is the siege of Troy. Although because of the many allegories that have grown up about it, this siege can only be regarded as mythical; there is little doubt that it had foundation in fact. Troy was a city of the Homeric period in Asia Minor overlooking the Hellespont. Much research has been made into its actual location, but no agreement has been readied on any of the sites that have been advanced The date of the actual siege from which the great wealth of myth about it has sprang varies from 1335 to 1140 n.c. The siege was foretold by Calchas, the foremost Greek seer of his time, who advised the building of the wooden horse, and also foretold that Troy would not be taken without the aid of Achilles. Hearing this, Sietis,' the mother of Achilles, <&gniised him m a

girl. He was discovered by Odysseus (Ulysses), and at bis urging joined (be Greek hosts which were marching against Troy. In the tenth year of the war Achilles took offence, and shut himself in bis tent. The fortunes of the siege then went against the Greeks, who were so alarmed that Patroclus, his great friend bogged Achilles to be allowed to wear his golden armor and lead the Myrmidons against (he Trojans. Patroolus was slain by Hector, the Trojan prince, who also took the wondertul armor. Vowing vengeance Achilles again took part in tho° war, and slew Hector, after chasing him three times around the walls of the city Achilles is the contra! lignite of Homer’s ‘lliad,’ mid (be Homeric conception of his death is that he was killed by an arrow from the bow of Paris, which struck his only vulnerable spot—the heel. Paris, it is said, caused the Trojan War by eloping with Helen, the wife of Mercians, King of Sparta. He was n son of Priam, Kincr of Troy, and at his birth his mother dreamed that he was a firebrand that would consume Troy. Ho took a leading part in the siege and when Troy was captured was wounded by one of the poisoned arrows of Heracles, the greatest hero in Greek mythology. Ajax the great was one of the foremost of the Greek hosts in the war. He and Ulysses fought for the possession ot Achilles’s golden armor. It had been decreed that the armor would become the property of ho who did most damage in Troy, It was awarded to Ulysses, Ajax being defeated in live contest. This defeat brought on madness, in which state Ajax killed himself willi a sword presented to him by Hector. From his blood sprang the flower hyacinth. There are many other great figures identified with the siege of Troy—Agamemnon, who led the hosts opposed to the Trojan?; Helen, the greatest female figure in myths relating to warfare*, Athene, by whose wise counsel the city was at length taken by the Greeks; and Hercules (or Heracles), the grandest figure in mythology, the personification of strength, whose twelve great labors typify tho changes that are wrought by manual labor.