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Dear
Jonathan:
It has been
many months since I’ve written you, and for good reason. My journeys have
brought me through the ancient ruins of Greece,
the vast lands of China,
and the mysterious soil of Zaire.
I have learned much about myself and those who have come before me. If you will
have it, I wish to share my revelations with you, in hopes that you too will be
enlightened.
My first
major stop saw me in the land of Greece
where the fame of the gods is world renowned. I had heard of them going in, but
I understood little of their temperament and childish nature. I had always
thought of gods as forgiving, rational beings that only worked in the best
interest of their people. The Greek gods, however, are quite the opposite of
this. They work primarily for their own gains, twisting the minds of their
humans for mundane purposes.
One such
tale I heard was of Demeter and
Persephone. A great goddess and her daughter are separated when Eros shoots
Hades with an arrow, causing him to fall madly in love with Persephone. After
she is taken into the underworld, her mother Demeter becomes furious and
withholds precious materials from humans (Frazer and Evelyn-White 94-97). The
following passage illustrates my point:
The
Great Goddess… has threatened to destroy all mortals by withholding their
source of food, thus removing from the gods their source of honor and
sacrificial offerings. She has hidden all seeds deep in the earth where they
cannot sprout, and not one of the Olympians has been able to soften the rage
and grief that fill her heart (97).
The arrow
that found Hades seemed to have been shot out of pure boredom and the
punishment that followed was on humans, not Eros who shot the arrow or
Aphrodite who commanded it. Not only that, but when the gods discover that the
human race is starving and dying, their only concern is that they will no
longer receive sacrifices. They never think once about the value in the life of
those who are suffering.
I shudder
to think of gods like this, and yet their stories have helped put our creation
in perspective. The myths here are largely different from those back home.
Likewise, they would be different if I was to travel to another continent and
culture. Over time we have seen many different ideas of how humans and the
Earth came to be, and yet are any of them right? Today we see these Greek gods
as fictional, but what is to stop future generations from saying the same of
our gods? It is worth pondering and brings into the light the validity of
deities as a whole.
My
contemplation of our creation led me next to Zaire,
where several new questions arose. Our creation is uncertain but what of our
death? What, indeed, is this cycle of life and to what purpose does it serve?
The tale
that stands out in my mind is the Origin
of Life and Fire. I have heard many fertility myths in these travels, but
what I found with the creator Bumba, was a love of life unlike any other. After
going through the painful birth of the world and raising his three sons, his
outlook is never stronger. My favorite passage lies below:
Men
and women, rejoice! Look at the sky above… Look at the land that lies at your
feet… Look at the waters that flow past your feet… Look at the birds in the
air… For I –Bumba- your creator and first ancestor, have created all the
wonders that please the eye and the ear. I have created all the wonders that
please the nose and the tongue. I have created all the wonders that please the
hand and the foot. And as if that were not enough, I have created all men and
women and all the animals that live in forest, field, and stream to live in
peace with one another… And so, men and women, rejoice! (Leach 517)
This god
asks for no sacrifices nor does he play childish games with his people. He asks
that those lucky enough to experience life enjoy it and revel in it. Death is
not even mentioned for it is not worth dwelling on. Life should be spent
living, because when you stop living, you are truly dead.
I ended my
journey in China
where the strangest lesson came to me. I have fancied myself heroic in many
areas of my life, but it wasn’t until the telling of this particular myth that
I really began to see what a hero was.
Many heroes
have inspired me, but none so much as Chi Li from the tale Chi Li Slays the Serpent. A giant snake had terrorized the kingdom
of Yueh for ten years before Chi Li, the youngest daughter of six volunteered
to be the year’s sacrifice (Pao 331-32). Not only did she commit the ultimate
self sacrifice to aid her poor family, but she chose to fight back as well.
When one is
thrown into a situation that will most assuredly lead to one’s own death, what
is there to lose from fighting back? It is just before her fateful trip that
she delivers the line I strive to live by: “At last, the time has come! And who
knows? The gods may look with favor upon those who do their best to help
themselves. If they do, I pray that I will have their blessing as I try to slay
this serpent!” (332)
As I have
stated above, my belief in the gods has been shaken and because of this, the
line makes a far greater impact. Even a little girl understands the importance
of forging your own destiny. She does not fall to her knees to pray, nor does
she sacrifice any animals or offer up food to her gods. Instead she devises a
plan, takes up the sword and slays the serpent (333). The result is far more
beneficial to everyone than if she had simply died and relieved her family of
the burden. It rings of determination and the importance of never giving up.
It is
ironic that the most influential lesson in heroism comes from a seemingly
insignificant little girl. Her courage and determination inspires me and gives
hope to the future. I have seen many heroes in other stories told throughout my
journey, but none have measured up to little Chi Li.
The
legends, fables, myths and stories that came to me on my journey are almost too
much to count. I cannot even begin to describe them all in this letter, but
know that there are many more that support my claims, and even more yet that
dash them to pieces. These tales are our history, even if they depict no true
events. They show us where we come from, what we dream and what we strive for.
They are to be cherished and revered.
I shall
bring the stories I’ve heard and written down. I shall tell them to those back
home so that they too might find value in them. For even after all I have told
you, the interpretation remains up to the receiver. While I have found value in
Chi Li, Bumba and Demeter, you may find equal value in Bakaridjan Kone, Zeus
and Wanadi. I do not presume to tell you which is right and which is wrong,
only that they are all worth your attention. I shall be returning home soon,
until then…
Your friend,
M. T. Dremer
Works Cited
Frazer and Evelyn-White, Demeter and Persephone.
WORLD MYTHOLOGY. 3rd ed. Rosenberg.
Lincolnwood: NTC Publishing Group, 1999. 93-99.
Leach, Maria, The Origin of Life and Fire. WORLD
MYTHOLOGY. 3rd ed. Rosenberg. Lincolnwood:
NTC Publishing Group, 1999. 515-17.
Pao, Kan,
Chi Li Slays the Serpent. WORLD MYTHOLOGY. 3rd ed. Rosenberg. Lincolnwood:
NTC Publishing Group, 1999. 330-34.
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