Topic: Global Warming
High up above, a warrior stood atop the cliff hoping to conquer the unknown fear that was climate change. A mystery to all of course. Some labeled it as a façade, others labeled it as the demise of all. The warrior took no heed and headed onwards, head held high. This was Zesus’ realm. He was the one to blame for rising sea levels and melting ice caps. The brothers were in it together. That’s for sure. Undeterred, the warrior vowed to be humanity's saviour and to undo the seemingly irreversible effects on Earth as well as to change their inevitable extinction at the hands of the Gods.
“My people have lasted thus far and we shall no longer serve as objects of amusement and play for the Gods to tamper with as they please”, the lady muttered.
“It is time that we took charge of our own destiny and our own affairs”. Fishing a drachma out of her pocket, the woman tossed it into the air while calling upon the appropriate Goddess, Iris who delivered messages.
“Zeus, answer me!”, she bellowed.
Unsurprisingly there was no response however this only fueled the half-blood’s anger.
“Father-”
Hot heavy rain pelted down as a figure appeared in the mist before her, cobalt eyes boring into her.
“Another petty complaint I suppose? When will you learn that I will not answer at your beck and call you insolent child”
The woman rolled her eyes, not falling for her father’s ploy to incite a reaction out of her. Instead, she maintained her focus and began speaking.
“You’re at it again aren’t you? The reports are saying we have less than a century before we’re doomed, if even that much. Can you for once leave us alone and not mess with our climate? No matter how hard I try, my powers aren’t able to undo ANYTHING, and you know that!”
raged the warrior. Zeus took a long hard look at her, his own features reflected back at him as well as a fiery passion. She was His alright. Oh well, not the first one and certainly not the last.
“And what if I told you this isn’t my doing? Would you truly believe me or be blinded by your dislike for me?” The girl snorted, tapping her foot impatiently.
“Humour me. But I have told you this countless times, I’d rather we cause our own demise than have you and your kind use us for your entertainment” Zeus was nearing his tolerance.
“Oh my child. You humans are always looking to pass the blame, to point fingers at anyone other than your own foolish selves. You want the truth? The humanity you are so desperately trying to save are the culprits, the emitters, the polluters, the destroyers of anything and everything, all to satisfy their endless greed. You’d rather cause your own downfall you say? You already have and we had no part in this. Our true entertainment is to watch you mortals wreck each other, no need for our involvement. Mankind is its own worst enemy.” Zeus stated with finality.
He expected to feel pride or silent glee delivering the revelation however he found only fatigue as humans, half-blood or not, were always the same. And with that he left, knowing the girl would still be in denial despite the proof being bared and stark out in the open. She could no longer hide behind the façade of a saviour, rather she was a fool.
Part 2
The myth that I have written revolves around climate change and how it is very much a man-made problem, one that we ourselves have caused. It highlights the defensive nature of humans and how we often immediately will attempt to shift the blame on to others, sometimes even knowing that we are the guilty ones. The main character in this myth is an unnamed demigod, the daughter of the most powerful God at that as well. The daughter of Zeus, who desperately wants to aid mankind in their losing fight against the warming climate. It is a race against time now as she is well aware that if action is not taken, they will all be doomed, a fate that no one wishes to suffer. She confronts her father, hoping to get a response out of Him and to have further reasons to dislike Him, other than Him not being a good father that is as most Godly parents tend to not be...the best.
She uses a drachma, an ancient Greek coin to call upon Iris, who is the personification of the rainbow (in Homer’s Iliad) and serves as a messenger for the Gods. The drachma is her fee and after being paid, she is able to connect the daughter with her father. She faces him at last and unloads her complaints. He retaliates by stating that mortals are and always have been greedy and selfish, and are ones who deflect responsibility and blame. While it is true that in many myths, humans are often seen to be either pawns of the Gods or as simple play things that cause them amusement as seen in the story of Hercules for example, Zeus states that is not the case for this situation. That it is humans who are their own worst enemy and that the Gods had no interference with the current climate predicament the earth is in.
In one of the earlier sections of the myth, the warrior discusses the topic of fate and destiny and how it is time that humans were in charge instead of being controlled by the Gods. The oracle of delphi is one such instance where prophecies are told and human-demigods specifically, are tasked with completing them. This reliance on the Gods is one that can be beneficial for humans sometimes however we they are often exploited, so the warrior believes. And so she wishes to take a stand for her people, not laying claim to her Godly side and instead siding with the humans. However, she soon finds out that it is these very humans who she is so valiantly defending, who caused the demise of the state of the Earth.