ravenofsilver

[ravenofsilver]

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[ravenofsilver]

Oh. I like to think about this fairly often.

I am a lover of All Types of mythology, although I’ve a specially place in my heart for Greek mythology. And I’ve whole bookshelves dedicated to modern retellings and what I often find myself asking is “What makes for a good retelling of a myth?”

Because op is correct. These stories started out as plays and orations retold over and over and likely changed a bit with each retelling. Even the sources we have aren’t necessarily the “originals” but simply what survived.

So how should one approach modern retellings?

Personally, I’ve been trying to break it down into categories. Some are just the same general categories I would apply when determining if I would consider any other work of fiction to be “good.” How was the grammar? Did the writing style make sense? Was POV easy to understand? Did the author allow me to connect emotionally with the characters? Did the pacing work?

The other category of questions is more specific to the genre. Did this feel like a subject the author researched or did it feel a bit more like someone’s fan fiction? (Not a burn on fan fic btw, some stuff on AO3’s mythology tags deserves their own books tbh.) How drastic were the changes to the myth? Is there a reason the author seems to have made these changes and do they contribute to the story as a whole? If someone were to stumble upon this as their introduction to this mythology, how would it impact their view of the whole of mythology (would it encourage them to look into things more)?

Also. There’s always just “Did I enjoy reading this? Did it make me wiggle my feet and chuckle or maybe toss the book and howl for the heroine in rage and heartbreak?” Because even if the retelling isn’t all that “good” you can still enjoy it. Please still enjoy it.

(The rage and heartbreak one was Excellent by all accounts btw and I’ll never be able to shut up about it.)

(Also, I’ve never written one of these retellings myself, although I’ve very seriously considered trying my hand at it as I’ve an obnoxious amount of research poured in to Perseus and Hyacinthus. And the conclusion I’ve come to in regards to writing the little bits and bobs that come to mind is this: along with trying to follow the above questions and other similar, when it come to picking “which source” there is no right answer. Try to be true to Homer and Hesiod and Pseudo-Apollodorous when possible of course, but you’re also allowed to draw from modern archaeological research into the cults of the region and please do your cultural backgrounds if you’re keeping your retelling in Ancient Greece. Genuinely, the intent of the author goes a long way in the writing—when an author is writing to try to suite the myths feels very different than when an author is trying to force the myths to support the story.)

A thought I've been having and debating with myself:

As someone who is a lover and avid reader of all things Greek mythology and in a world where that is becoming more prominent in the book industry. I've been coming around to the idea that Greek myths are rewritten so many times by so many different people even from the times we would consider the original source materials, that reading a retelling and not agreeing with it, I just move on as who am I to say what is the "right" and "wrong." Especially as an American white person, how am I more of an "authority" to criticize with blind hate to other American (mostly white) authors on their interpretations?

Course on the flip side as someone who would love to write books one day about my fav Greek myths, I'm also in the mindset of feeling overwhelmed by the amount of info and what path do I choose? Because to include every version is impossible because they can contradict each other so much, and you can get lost in "accuracy" that you forget what is the actual ideas you're trying to convey in your story. Am I making the same mistakes still though?

I would be interested in hearing other people's opinions on these ideas (respectfully towards one another).

Have a great day all! 💞

[ravenofsilver]

I need to draw men being obnoxious to their partners and getting In The Way right now immediately.

[ravenofsilver]

How much longer will you last like this? How many more minutes of your life are you willing to forfeit staring into the sharp red glow of a stranger's tail lights?

[ravenofsilver]

my guy hungover

[ravenofsilver]

I hate how acknowledging unfairness in the world is seen as "childish". Maybe children are right. I don't think you should be proud of the fact that you've become complacent with the state of your miserable existence and took on this loser "it is what it is" mentality. Things can be better.

[ravenofsilver]

A question I get asked a lot while working at a public library is "how do you deal with homeless people?"

And the answer is, we don't.

The unhoused people who come here seeking refuge 99% of the time understand that they will be kicked out if they misbehave.

The people you have to watch out for are Jessica, who only came because the kid she didn't want had to visit for a homework assignment and she just *needs* to yell at her child for asking to borrow two books or stay an extra five minutes, or Michael, who came in to look at porn on our computers for whatever fucking reason, or Karen who just wanted to come by to throw a fit that the particular book she wanted was checked out and harrass our staff about our collection being too limited.

99% of the time, the people we need to ban are middle to upper-middle class white people while the homeless and mentally ill/disabled people mind their own damn business and are honestly some of the best patrons we have.

[ravenofsilver]

like there comes a point where you think something is fundamentally wrong with you. and then it turns out it’s just Friday and you haven’t washed your hair in three days and maybe you’re also just a little lonely and the combination of all three of those things is whittling a hole into your chest every time you breathe. but also the sun’s up. and you’ve survived everything so far, so you’ll survive this too, even if it hurts, even if you have to survive it many times.

[ravenofsilver]

I literally don't learn from my mistakes.

[ravenofsilver]

Blessing of the knitter/crocheter: may your hands never have cuts, bruising, sores, hangnails, or any other nuisance that would make your craft painful. May your hands and wrists never ache 🪷💛

[ravenofsilver]

ouuugh. if you hate him you will die and go to hell

[ravenofsilver]

directly taken from my dad being feral. But considering hunter god and excellent dexterity & hand-eye coordination as well as maybe a little bit of future sight, what if. Austin Lake: DANGIT there’s a fly here! Apollo: don’t worry, dear! (He waits. Poised.) (The fly moves and Apollo catches it in his cupped hands.) Austin: Apollo: Austin: Apollo: would you like to hear it? Austin: Apollo: (holds his hands up to Austin’s ears.) Austin: it’s buzzing. Apollo: sure is, kiddo.

[ravenofsilver]

in middle school during my Intense Greek Mythology Phase, Artemis was, as you can likely guess, my best girl. Iphigenia was my OTHER best girl. Yes at the same time.

The story of Iphigenia always gets to me when it's not presented as a story of Artemis being capricious and having arbitrary rules about where you can and can't hunt, but instead, making a point about war.

Artemis was, among other things--patron of hunting, wild places, the moon, singlehood--the protector of young girls. That's a really important aspect she was worshipped as: she protected girls and young women. But she was the one who demanded Agamemnon sacrifice his daughter in order for his fleet to be able to sail on for Troy.

There's no contradiction, though, when it's framed as, Artemis making Agamemnon face what he’s doing to the women and children of Troy. His children are not in danger. His son will not be thrown off the ramparts, his daughters will not be taken captive as sex slaves and dragged off to foreign lands, his wife will not have to watch her husband and brothers and children killed. Yet this is what he’s sailing off to Troy to inevitably do. That’s what happens in war. He’s going to go kill other people’s daughters; can he stand to do that to his own? As long as the answer is no—he can kill other people’s children, but not his own—he can’t sail off to war.

Which casts Artemis is a fascinating light, compared to the other gods of the Trojan War. The Trojan War is really a squabble of pride and insults within the Olympian family; Eris decided to cause problems on purpose, leaving Aphrodite smug and Hera and Athena snubbed, and all of this was kinda Zeus’s fault in the first place for not being able to keep it in his pants. And out of this fight mortal men were their game pieces and mortal cities their prizes in restoring their pride. And if hundreds of people die and hundred more lives are ruined, well, that’s what happens when gods fight. Mortals pay the price for gods’ whims and the gods move on in time and the mortals don’t and that’s how it is.

And women especially—Zeus wanted Leda, so he took her. Paris wanted Helen, so he took her. There’s a reason “the Trojan women” even since ancient times were the emblems of victims of a war they never wanted, never asked for, and never had a say in choosing, but was brought down on their heads anyway.

Artemis, in the way of gods, is still acting through human proxies. But it seems notable to me to cast her as the one god to look at the destruction the war is about to wreak on people, and challenge Agamemnon: are you ready to kill innocents? Kill children? Destroy families, leave grieving wives and mothers? Are you? Prove it.

It reminds me of that idea about nuclear codes, the concept of implanting the key in the heart of one of the Oval Office staffers who holds the briefcase, so the president would have to stab a man with a knife to get the key to launch the nukes. “That’s horrible!,” it’s said the response was. “If he had to do that, he might never press the button!” And it’s interesting to see Artemis offering Agamemnon the same choice. You want to burn Troy? Kill your own daughter first. Show me you understand what it means that you’re about to do.

[ravenofsilver]

important question. do you think the minotaur had a soft wet nose. do you think he mooed when he snored. do you think when theseus turned a sword on him he looked up at his executioner with the same dark, beautiful eyes that earned hera the epithet Βοῶπις

[ravenofsilver]

Sons Of The Labyrinth or The Things Our Fathers Do To Us

[ravenofsilver]

HEY YOU! So, you saw the newest Percy Jackson trailer, right? The one that came out on November 17th, 2023? Yeah, that one.

Anyway, you caught Blackjack in the background, yeah? I did too. I was thinking about how Percy can understand Blackjack, and how that might mean he'd get a voice actor in the show.

And then, my friend, you won't believe the amazing idea that suddenly struck me. I have discovered the person perfect for this role.

Jack Black.