Neha Ankolekar
CLAA06
Jody Cundy
30/03/2021
Myth-Making on Global Warming
Myth:
Zeus, the god of the skies, is associated with lightning, thunder, storms, rain, and clouds. He rules most of the weather when it comes to the element of air. Moreover, the Anemoi are a group of Greek Gods analogous to the wind. Aeolus, the leader of the Anemoi and the only one who could control the four directions. Boreas controls the north winds and is the bringer of winter, Zephyrus controls the west winds and is the bringer of spring winds, Notus controls the south winds and bringer of storms during the late summer and fall who was also known to destroy crops, and lastly, Eurus controls the east wind.
As the Greeks believed that each generation of gods would take over and seize the positions and powers in a hierarchy. Therefore, as Zeus wanted to reign the entire element, he had a conflict with the Anemoi as they controlled the wind, a part of the element air. The heated arguments cause harsher winds, storms, louder and more frequent thunder, and lightning affecting the Earth and its people negatively. Another aetiology is the conflict between Zeus, Demeter, Hades, and Persephone. After Persephone was forcefully taken to the underworld, being sick and tired of feeling lonely in the underworld, she would want to spend more time in Mount Olympus with her mother, Demeter. This causes Hades to come out of the underworld; a place where souls go after death. It is filled with lifeless souls, ashes, darkness, and fire as its only source of light. This itself causes an imbalance in the Earth’s atmosphere as things are now out of their place; an imbalance in power. As Hades persuades Persephone to return to the underworld, conflict arises between the Gods primarily affecting the fertility during the season as Demeter and Persephone as most in misery. An increase in temperature, forest fires, droughts, floods, glaciers melting. This has a negative impact on harvesting and crops for mortals, especially for farmers.
Analysis:
Global warming is a phenomenon happening and increasing every day, caused by the heating of the Earth’s surface and atmosphere. This leads to many unfortunate events such as glaciers melting, forest fires, and rising sea levels. This additionally causes extreme weather events to take place such as droughts, floods, and storms. This aetiology helps us as mortals better understand that global warming and its effect is a conflict between the Gods themselves as well as conflicts between Gods and humans.
According to the Phaedrus by Plato, Zeus has a good relationship with the Anemoi. The gods of wind have the ability to transform into horses which in the book, drives the carriage driven by Zeus (Plato, 246). I chose to create a conflict between them in my myth as I thought that it would better explain the side effects of global warming that have to do with wind and the sky such as storms, thunder, and lightning. The Anemoi are all powerful gods, most of them known to cause havoc with winds where the sea faces consequences. Bruising sailors and destroying ships (Hesiod, Theogony, 869). However, the Anemoi were also given offerings to provide mortals with warmth and fire which explains the rising in temperature and increase the warmth that leads to global warming (Homer, Iliad, 23.194). Zeus being the father of all immortals makes him one of the most powerful Gods to exist and the Anemoi having their powers in the same element as Zeus could create conflict for power. After the Anemoi, Zeus would be the next deserving immortal to potentially possess their powers as they are similar to his own in comparison with other immortals.
On the other hand, with the second aetiology, I used the foundation of the story of the abduction of Persephone by Hades. Persephone is the goddess of vegetation and springtime. Alongside her mother, Demeter, the goddess of fertility and harvest. Henceforth, by looking at the powers and significance of Persephone and Hades, there is juxtaposition. Hades rules the underworld which signifies death, the opposite of growth that Persephone symbolizes. This creates a natural conflict. Originally, Persephone would spend six months in the underworld and the other six months in Mount Olympus, due to her eating pomegranate seeds (Hesiod, 289). Nonetheless, as she was taken against her will, I included in my myth that she would want to spend most of her time with her mother. Therefore, Hades would have to often return to Mount Olympus to bring Persephone back, this would significantly increase the temperature for mortals, leading to forest fires, glaciers melting. Moreover, his return would cause Demeter to grow bitter knowing that she would be separated from her daughter again and cause her to lash out. This would cause droughts and a decrease in fertility in soil (Hesiod, 302). This would majorly impact the mortals negatively, especially the farmers. Crops would not grow and there would be no harvest.
Bibliography:
Hesiod, Theogony – 869 ff
Homer, Iliad 23.194 ff
Plato, Phaedrus. and Fowler, H., 1990. Plato with an English translation. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, p.246.
“To Demeter.” Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, and Homerica, translated by Hugh G. Evelyn-White, William Heinemann, 1920, pp. 289–325.
“The Sorrowing Demeter Withdraws Fertility from the Earth.” Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, and Homerica, translated by Hugh G. Evelyn-White, William Heinemann, 1920, pp. 302 - 333.
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