Monday 18 June 2012

Mythos - part 1.

The recent publication of Shani Oates' The people of Goda gives an unprecedented insight into the mythos of the Clan of Tubal Cain. This led me to consider just what the mythos of 1734 and especially of The Clan of the Entangled Thicket is, and should be. This has been a fairly constant theme of exploration over the last 14 years, and one that develops and transforms with each twist and turn of Fate and with each piece of additional knowledge.

It is inevitable that our mythos should relate to that of the Clan of Tubal Cain and it is also inevitable that it should differ in some ways. This is not only ok, but necessary as we are not dealing here with a monolithic and static received notion of truth, but a dynamic search for truth and for that elusive victory over Fate.

It is the last point that is the core of the mythos after all, the journey of the hero (gender-neutral, hero or heroine) to a place where they achieve freedom from the shackles of Fate. The rest of the mythos is the spelling out of this. There are many cycles of myth and each has many levels. Simple agricultural cycles reveal glimpses of mystical insight, stories from different cultres throw light on each other and thus illuminated return us, to the central myth.

Almost inevitably, the hero at some time succumbs to hubris or to simple stupidity, and suffers at the hands of Fate, but this may be only in order to become purified and to return to their quest with new strength. The real transformation comes, not when the hero claims control of his or her fate, that would indeed be hubris, but when they claim responsibility for it, and thus turn their back on mechanical living and choose instead to develop their awareness. This is the real beginning of the adventure.

1 comment:

  1. Yes indeed!

    I look forward to the follow-ups to this first part on the Mythos.

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