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SlntCobra1

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Post Thu Jun 17, 2010 4:35 pm

Mythology Club

Hey, why the hell not right? Surely throughout the entire EGB, I'm not the only one who enjoys Norse, Greek, and Roman mythology. If anyone else likes mythology, feel free to post here or just talk about some of your favorite myths.

Also, no Mythbusting in here. I'll make another thread for that.
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ByteSlinger

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Post Thu Jun 17, 2010 10:08 pm

Re: Mythology Club

While I do enjoy the different mythos, especially since many, many moons ago I was heavily involved in D&D (old school, manual dice, paper and pen - no computer. It was the only way to spend time with my boyfriend who was also a dungeon master).

But I do see a common thread to all Mythos and religions: at what point in human history did mankind suddenly decide that they were not in control (and therefore, not fully accountable) of their actions, and that this control was in the hands of one or more higher-powered deities? Based on the concept of evolution, there were no beings on earth above the human race. Sure, the forces of lightning, ocean waves, volcanoes and tidal waves can be very scary - but when did they become "gods"? When did humanity decide that the forces of nature needed to become anthropomorphic, and take on personas of human nature? When did humanity need to create a religion to control the lives of people, telling them to behave or face the wrath of their deity?

I have yet to get an acceptable answer to my questions...if they can be answered at all.

*Salutes*
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SlntCobra1

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Post Thu Jun 17, 2010 10:19 pm

Re: Mythology Club

:shock: :shock: :shock: :o :o :o

I just wanted a thread to chat about Mythology and you come in here and get all philosophical! Then again, knowing you, I really don't think I should be all that surprised.
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Ismael92

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Post Fri Jun 18, 2010 10:24 pm

Re: Mythology Club

ByteSlinger wrote:I have yet to get an acceptable answer to my questions...if they can be answered at all.


Everyone knows this already, but I'll say it anyway. In the past, a lot of things which couldn't be explained using science so the only apparent way to explain why things happened was to create some superior beings (gods, etc) that controlled things such as the forces of nature. However, I also think that it's weird that in different mythologies, we humans aren't in complete control of our fates, and someone else controls our lives (i.e. the Moirae in Greek mythology).
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SlntCobra1

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Post Fri Jun 18, 2010 11:26 pm

Re: Mythology Club

Well you know what they say, "Don't tempt fate." among other things. "You were destined to do XYZ." so it only made sense for the ancient Greeks to create Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. Clotho who spins the threads of fate, Lachesis is the one who decides how long someone's life is, and Atropos is the one who cuts that person's thread, thus ending their life.
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ByteSlinger

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Post Sat Jun 19, 2010 1:11 am

Re: Mythology Club

I appreciate the answers, but I still am not sure if we figured out the "when" and "why" part. Prior to religion, there were "superstitions" (which some argue are actually one in the same). A superstition is believing in something you don't understand, like if you break a mirror, you get 7 years bad luck, or if you spill salt, you need to throw a pinch over your shoulder. In essence, there are actions that you need to do to offset potential undesirable results, and these results are generally caused by unseen forces that take out their anger on humanity.

Think about this experiment: You had a group of 30 children raised in average homes in an average neighborhood. Everything about life in this neighbor is "normal" except for one very important aspect: these children are NOT exposed to any external source of religion or superstition as they grow up. They are taught, up to age 18, that everything is explainable by facts, and not to fear the unknown. They are taught about the rules and laws of the land, and of consequences of their own actions in a society. They couldn't even be called "atheists", since an atheist has heard about the concept of one or more deities, but chooses to believe there are none. Maybe they could be called "realists", or "naturalists", as they see reality through only the eyes of science and of the moral obligations of living in a society to do the right things.

But there would be no fear of God; no concern about the afterlife; no superstitions to create skewed beliefs.

Until they reach 18 - and then are told that other people do believe in these deities, and there are countless groups performing countless rituals daily in order to gain favor from their God(s). What would they do? How would they assimilate this concept into 18 years of science?

I doubt if they would suddenly start to believe in a God, unless they felt it would give them a chance to live beyond death, even if in another form. That would infer that they fear death, but as stated before, these kids don't have irrational fears.

Many centuries - hell, millennium - ago, there were many tribes of cultures that did not have deities. They lived off the land, and took everything for face value. Everyone was responsible for themselves. Going further back, there had to be a time in the civilization of ALL proto-mankind that NONE of these cultures had superstitions. True, they knew to be fearful of avalanches and deep water and icy, snowy mountains, as these things represented hazardous areas that could cost you your life. But they did not attach a being or a force to these situations, or try to perform rituals to please the spirits.

Somewhere in the course of history, in some specific country at some specific place, one civilization made the first jump into superstition and religion by first proclaiming that the life force inside us is actually an energy that can live outside the body - ie, a soul. Then later, jumping to the other conclusion that since there where so many things they couldn't possibly understand, that it all must have been done at a higher level. That there were forces above them and around them that controlled aspects of reality, and these forces needed to be placated for fear of negative consequences.

But why would these people jump to this conclusion, if prior to this they all lived in harmony with nature, realizing the natural order of birth and death, to eat and to be eaten, and to fear dangers that could hurt you. What benefit would adding a governing deity and the concept of life after death, and punishment to all those that misbehave, be to that civilization?

When did the first caveman look up in the sky and think "That is God's work"?

Okay, so maybe I belabored that point. Now, fast forward a few centuries - depending on where you live on this rock, you'll find all different views on what deity or deities exist, and what books and traditions are used to keep the "faithful" in line. The Romans, The Greeks, The Eqyptians and the Mayans all had a very large milieu of a poly-theistic religion. They had major and minor Gods, and also an "ultimate" God - the one that all the others had to listen to. These beliefs lasted for centuries. Wars were fought over the different belief structures.

Then later, throw in the middle-east concept of a "single God" that has three forms (Father, Son and Spirit), and add to that the ideal that at one time God walked on Earth in the form of the Son. This religion started out with countless rules to live by (old Testament), which generated a lot of guilt if one of the faithful blew one of the almost 600 rules to live by in a traditional Jewish family. Later, the New testament brought that list down to 10 (10 commandments). But you still had to mind your P's and Q's with God, or you'd be punished for you insolence after a while.

As a final bid for control, first abandon your own Mythos for this new one - and then subjugate others and force them to change and accept your god - or kill them off as savages. (Ironic, since the killing of an innocent life is considered murder in the Judeo-Catholic religion, and that is usually a fast track to Hell.) Then, fast forward to now, where even with all of our technology, sciences and intelligence, we still wage war over a series of ad-hoc belief systems that self-empower us to act as vigilantes in the eyes of our creator.

I guess after all is said and done, it boils down to proving the answer to this one question: did God create Man, or did Man create God?

Just something to think about.

*Salutes*

:o
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SlntCobra1

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Post Sat Jun 19, 2010 1:27 am

Re: Mythology Club

ByteSlinger wrote:stuff



Damn! When you put it that way, it really puts things in perspective! It also makes one think about their religion as well. Also, the Middle East is pissed at us because we're evolving and prospering, yet over there, they're still stuck in clay, rock, and dirt houses and have little to no technology. Why? Because they've been too damn bust fighting with each other to do anything about improving their respective countries.
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ByteSlinger

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Post Sat Jun 19, 2010 2:48 am

Re: Mythology Club

SlntCobra1 wrote:
ByteSlinger wrote:stuff



Damn! When you put it that way, it really puts things in perspective! It also makes one think about their religion as well. Also, the Middle East is pissed at us because we're evolving and prospering, yet over there, they're still stuck in clay, rock, and dirt houses and have little to no technology. Why? Because they've been too damn busy fighting with each other to do anything about improving their respective countries. :\


You know what's odd? You come from the south, where there are plenty of farms and people living a simpler life. You may not have all the gadgets and gizmos and other things that someone living in a big city may have - but you have enough to be comfortable. We fought our civil war - and as far as I'm concerned, NO ONE WON. We had to learn to live in peace so we all could prosper, one way or another.

You're right - the majority of the people in the middle east spend so much time killing each other over religious differences that they can never build anything that lasts for more than a few months. You can't have decent schools, permanent jobs or a solid commerce backbone when everything gets blown to hell by the end of the month. Hell, even the Flintstones had better living conditions!

Do you think God just looks down on them all and just shakes his head in sadness? :?:
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SlntCobra1

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Post Sat Jun 19, 2010 3:01 am

Re: Mythology Club

That's actually a very good question. :o :?

Now that I think about it, He may very well shake his head in shame. :\
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ByteSlinger

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Post Sat Jun 19, 2010 3:38 am

Re: Mythology Club

SlntCobra1 wrote:That's actually a very good question. :o :?

Now that I think about it, He may very well shake his head in shame. :\


To quote John Lennon from his song Imagine:

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace


Seems simple when you think of it like this...
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PuddinN64

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Post Mon Jun 21, 2010 5:29 pm

Re: Mythology Club

Ha, this thread could prove to be quite useful to me in my upcoming school year. I'm taking World Mythology as my 7th Period Class. Should be fun!
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SlntCobra1

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Post Mon Jun 21, 2010 6:33 pm

Re: Mythology Club

Ooh cool! I took Mythology Spring Semester 2008 as a senior in high school. Damn was that class fun! I'm guessing you're going to start out with Greek Mythology then move into Roman and then maybe head to Norse and Anglo-Saxon?
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ByteSlinger

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Post Mon Jun 21, 2010 7:17 pm

Re: Mythology Club

SlntCobra1 wrote:Ooh cool! I took Mythology Spring Semester 2008 as a senior in high school. Damn was that class fun! I'm guessing you're going to start out with Greek Mythology then move into Roman and then maybe head to Norse and Anglo-Saxon?


He might also start with some of the older mythologies of India (Hindu) and Asia (Japanese Mythos), and maybe even the Earth-based ones of the North American (Eskimo / Native Americans) and South America (Mexican and Central American).

The best part about learning all of these different mythologies is discovering the common components across all of them, and seeing how two supposedly different systems can really relate to the same sets of deities and traditions.

Hope you enjoy it! :mrgreen:
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SlntCobra1

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Post Mon Jun 21, 2010 8:35 pm

Re: Mythology Club

Point taken Byte, I forgot that I'm also a fan of Japanese Mythology as well. Thanks for the subtle reminder. ^_^
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ByteSlinger

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Post Mon Jul 19, 2010 1:42 am

Re: Mythology Club

SlntCobra1 wrote:Point taken Byte, I forgot that I'm also a fan of Japanese Mythology as well. Thanks for the subtle reminder. ^_^


I enjoy the Japanese mythos as well, especially the rarely seen and destructive creatures like Godzilla, Rodann and Mothra. They really knew how to chew up Tokyo! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Last bumped by SlntCobra1 on Mon Jul 19, 2010 1:42 am.
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