xalonelydreamerx

[xalonelydreamerx]

Stop Treating Greek Mythology Like Just Another Fictional Franchise

I am honestly tired of seeing people lump Greek mythology into the same category as DC Comics, anime, or any other modern fictional universe. There’s this frustrating trend where people discuss figures like Odysseus or Achilles in the same breath as Batman or Goku, as if they’re just characters in a long-running franchise rather than deeply rooted cultural and literary icons from one of the most influential civilizations in history.

Yes, myths contain fantastical elements—gods turning into animals, heroes slaying monsters, mortals being punished or rewarded in ways that defy logic. But that does not mean Greek mythology is the same as a modern fantasy novel. These myths were part of an entire civilization’s identity. The ancient Greeks didn’t just tell these stories for entertainment; they used them to explain the world, explore human nature, justify traditions, and even shape their religious practices. The Odyssey isn’t just an adventurous tale about a guy struggling to get home—it’s a reflection of Greek values, an exploration of heroism, fate, and the gods' role in human life. When people treat it as nothing more than “fiction,” they erase the cultural weight it carried for the people who created it.

Greek mythology functioned in antiquity—these were their sacred stories, their way of making sense of the universe. And yet, people will still argue that the Odyssey is no different from a DC Elseworlds story, as if it was just an early attempt at serialized storytelling rather than a cornerstone of Western literature.

Part of the problem comes from how myths have been adapted in modern media. Hollywood and pop culture have turned Greek mythology into a shallow aesthetic, cherry-picking elements for the sake of spectacle while stripping away any historical or cultural depth. Movies like Clash of the Titans or games like God of War reimagine the myths in ways that make them feel like superhero stories—cool battles, flashy gods, exaggerated personalities. And while those adaptations can be fun, they’ve also contributed to this weird idea that Greek myths are just another IP (intellectual property) that anyone can rewrite however they want, without considering their original context.

This becomes especially frustrating when people defend radical reinterpretations of Greek mythology under the “it’s just fiction” excuse. No, Greek mythology is not just fiction! It’s cultural heritage. It’s part of history. It’s literature. It’s philosophy. If someone drastically rewrote a Shakespearean play and justified it by saying, “Well, it’s just an old story,” people would push back. If someone did the same to the Mahabharata or The Tale of Genji , there would be outrage. But when it happens to Greek myths? Suddenly, it’s “just fiction,” and any criticism is dismissed as overreacting.

I am not saying mythology should be untouchable. Reinterpretation and adaptation have always been a part of how these stories survive—Euripides retold myths differently from Homer, and Ovid gave his own spin on Greek legends in his Metamorphoses. The difference is that those ancient reinterpretations still respected the source material as cultural history, rather than treating it as some creative sandbox where anything goes. When people defend blatant inaccuracies in modern adaptations by saying, “It’s just a story, why does it matter?” they are ignoring the fact that these myths are a major link to an ancient civilization that shaped so much of what we call Western culture today.

Ultimately, Greek mythology deserves the same level of respect as any major historical and literary tradition. It’s not a superhero franchise. It’s not a random fantasy series. It’s the legacy of a civilization that continues to influence philosophy, literature, art, and even modern storytelling itself. So let’s stop treating it like disposable entertainment and start appreciating it for the depth, complexity, and significance it truly holds.

[xalonelydreamerx]

super late for this but i finally watched this movie, book is up next! lmk if i should read it??

[xalonelydreamerx]

🏺🧥✅

greek amphora cardi

[xalonelydreamerx]

i hope my obsession with daniel and armand isn't too obvious

[xalonelydreamerx]

[...]he smiles so slightly at me, as if looking upon some unimaginable wonder. My lost half, sink beneath my skin. Be part of me and make me god. "You're the one, aren't you," he says quietly. "You're god."

[xalonelydreamerx]

[xalonelydreamerx]

[xalonelydreamerx]

seeing straight men be disgusted by booktok smut recommenders has actually radicalized me to the side of booktok smut recommenders. girls your taste may be atrocious but i will never disparage you for exposing mainstream discourse to the concept of soaking through your underwear. spent my whole life listening to men talk about penises it’s about time they get jumpscared by women talking about pussy in crude detail on social media. go forth and goon my warriors

[xalonelydreamerx]

pre-relationship sylus and mc

[xalonelydreamerx]

Stop Treating Greek Mythology Like Just Another Fictional Franchise

I am honestly tired of seeing people lump Greek mythology into the same category as DC Comics, anime, or any other modern fictional universe. There’s this frustrating trend where people discuss figures like Odysseus or Achilles in the same breath as Batman or Goku, as if they’re just characters in a long-running franchise rather than deeply rooted cultural and literary icons from one of the most influential civilizations in history.

Yes, myths contain fantastical elements—gods turning into animals, heroes slaying monsters, mortals being punished or rewarded in ways that defy logic. But that does not mean Greek mythology is the same as a modern fantasy novel. These myths were part of an entire civilization’s identity. The ancient Greeks didn’t just tell these stories for entertainment; they used them to explain the world, explore human nature, justify traditions, and even shape their religious practices. The Odyssey isn’t just an adventurous tale about a guy struggling to get home—it’s a reflection of Greek values, an exploration of heroism, fate, and the gods' role in human life. When people treat it as nothing more than “fiction,” they erase the cultural weight it carried for the people who created it.

Greek mythology functioned in antiquity—these were their sacred stories, their way of making sense of the universe. And yet, people will still argue that the Odyssey is no different from a DC Elseworlds story, as if it was just an early attempt at serialized storytelling rather than a cornerstone of Western literature.

Part of the problem comes from how myths have been adapted in modern media. Hollywood and pop culture have turned Greek mythology into a shallow aesthetic, cherry-picking elements for the sake of spectacle while stripping away any historical or cultural depth. Movies like Clash of the Titans or games like God of War reimagine the myths in ways that make them feel like superhero stories—cool battles, flashy gods, exaggerated personalities. And while those adaptations can be fun, they’ve also contributed to this weird idea that Greek myths are just another IP (intellectual property) that anyone can rewrite however they want, without considering their original context.

This becomes especially frustrating when people defend radical reinterpretations of Greek mythology under the “it’s just fiction” excuse. No, Greek mythology is not just fiction! It’s cultural heritage. It’s part of history. It’s literature. It’s philosophy. If someone drastically rewrote a Shakespearean play and justified it by saying, “Well, it’s just an old story,” people would push back. If someone did the same to the Mahabharata or The Tale of Genji , there would be outrage. But when it happens to Greek myths? Suddenly, it’s “just fiction,” and any criticism is dismissed as overreacting.

I am not saying mythology should be untouchable. Reinterpretation and adaptation have always been a part of how these stories survive—Euripides retold myths differently from Homer, and Ovid gave his own spin on Greek legends in his Metamorphoses. The difference is that those ancient reinterpretations still respected the source material as cultural history, rather than treating it as some creative sandbox where anything goes. When people defend blatant inaccuracies in modern adaptations by saying, “It’s just a story, why does it matter?” they are ignoring the fact that these myths are a major link to an ancient civilization that shaped so much of what we call Western culture today.

Ultimately, Greek mythology deserves the same level of respect as any major historical and literary tradition. It’s not a superhero franchise. It’s not a random fantasy series. It’s the legacy of a civilization that continues to influence philosophy, literature, art, and even modern storytelling itself. So let’s stop treating it like disposable entertainment and start appreciating it for the depth, complexity, and significance it truly holds.

[xalonelydreamerx]

Pasiphae. Semele. Medusa. Now a hundred grieving mothers. The price we paid for the resentment, the lust, and the greed of arrogant men was our pain, shining and bright like the blad of a newly honed knife. Dionysus had once seemed to me the best of them all, but I saw him now for waht he was, no different from the mightiest of the gods. Or the basest men.

From Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

[xalonelydreamerx]

FUCCKKKK!!! I am drowning so much, burnout is shit…. God I wanna close my eyes and never wake up aging… but here I am drawing another KanamexZero fanart… I think I’m not going to make it 😋😊 however I hope everyone’s doing okay, making sure that your health are priority and your well being (don’t be like me) with all my love livlaughzerokiryuu

[xalonelydreamerx]

Any tasty Tsiknopempti lore you could share with us? :P

This came after Tsiknopempti was over so it caught me off guard!

Tbh not much I can say but I can tell you why this day exists, which even some Greeks might not know. In fact I will make a Greek Carnival meaning post:

Απόκριες (apókries, Greek Carnival)

Tsiknopempti (Grilled Meat Smoke Thursday) was the Thursday that just passed.

It is the most famous day of the second week of Carnival.

Carnival celebrations in Greece last three weeks. The Greek word for Carnival is Αποκριά (Apokriá) or Απόκριες (Apókries) which means “(abstaining) from meat”. In fact, the English word has a similar Latin etymology (carne-vale). The Carnival celebrations herald the last weeks of allowed “debauchery” before the Great Lent, the most important and strict Greek Orthdox fast.

So, each week of the Apokries symbolises a different thing.

The first week is called Προφωνή (Prophoní) which more or less means “the Herald”. It is the introductory week to the carnival celebrations and in the past they used to send heralds to announce the opening of the carnival celebrations so families could organise their supplies for the festivities. In Byzantine times, the heralds would urge everyone to participate in the festivities even beyond their means “I herald to you, poor man, sell your coat, and partake in the celebration”. In Naxos island, in more recent times, the Byzantine heralding turned even more hardcore “I herald to you, poor man, and if you cannot buy, then steal!”. On this first week, it was also believed that the souls of the dead were released on the world of the living.

The second week is the Κρεατινή (Kreatiní) which means the “Meat Week” or Κρεοφάγος (kreophághos), “Meat Eating Week”. This is the week you are free to eat so much meat in order to make up for all the next weeks that you supposedly won’t due to the Great Lent. This is also the only week of the year that you can eat meat even on a Wednesday and a Friday (nowadays only applies to very pious Christians). The most famous day of the week is the Tsiknopempti (Grilled meat smoke Thursday) when it is tradition to eat grilled meats. The reason this Thursday is special is because it is the eleventh day of Carnival and Carnival lasts 22 days so it is exactly in the middle of the festivities. Therefore the meat eating is at its peak.

The Sunday of the Kreatiní week is called Κυριακή της Απόκρεω (Kyriakí tis Apókreo) which means “Carnival Sunday” but as we saw it technically means “Abstaining from Meat Sunday”. That’s because it is the last day of meat eating.

The third and last week of Carnival is called Τυρινή (tyriní) meaning “Cheese Week” or Τυροφάγος (tyrophághos) meaning “Cheese eating Week). It is nowadays the peak weak of carnival celebrations although traditionally it was supposed to be a mediator between the previous Carnival “debauchery” and the Great Lent, serving as a gradual preparation for the long fast. So during the Tyrophagos traditionally you can still eat animal based products like dairy and seafood but you can not eat red and white meat anymore. During this week people also eat pasta. The last day of the weak Κυριακή της Τυροφάγου (Kyriakí tis Tyrophághu), Sunday of the Cheese Eater, is the last and peak day of Carnival.

The next day is Καθαρά Δευτέρα (Kathará Ðeftéra), the Clean Monday or Ash Monday as it is known in other cultures, the purifying first day of the Great Lent.

I only recently learned what each of these days / weeks stood for so I thought it would be interesting to write about it!

[xalonelydreamerx]

Credits artist @aa_yiwen

[xalonelydreamerx]

🍎🤭💍

Credit: @yunonoai_ on IG

[xalonelydreamerx]

[xalonelydreamerx]

Thinking about Romeo killing himself through poison (more passive, "woman's weapon) Vs Juliet having to kill herself with a knife (more active, images of falling on your sword, typically masculine concepts)