Myth of the Week #2

This week’s myth is a response to something that PlainJane said last week. She asked if I’d seen Atlantis. Being something of a sand and sandals type of guy, yes, I did watch it. I also watched the second episode. Now, I have no problem with people changing history but when they decide to fiddle with mythology...well, I get angry and just stop watching.

Jason did not kill the Minotaur. It was this chap, Theseus, Athenian hero and all round good guy. And the Minotaur wasn’t some enchanted guy, like some evil witch victim from a fairy tale. He was actually a man with a bull’s head and his creation is far more interesting than a stupid spell.

Minos was given a bull by Poseidon. He was supposed to sacrifice it but Minos liked the bull, so he kept it then sacrificed another one. He figured Poseidon wouldn’t care. What a dickhead! As if a god’s not going to care. They exist to play fast and loose with us mortals. I can see Poseidon rubbing his hands with glee.

So, as punishment, Poseidon decided to make Minos’ wife, Pasiphaë fall in love with the bull. She, naturally, came over a might frisky and ordered the craftsman, Daedalus to make her a hollow cow into which she would crawl and entice the lovely bull to mate with her. How could he resist? He didn’t, she got pregnant and the Minotaur was the result.

The bit about sending a few sacrifices to the Minotaur was correct and Theseus volunteered to go with the others and try and kill the Minotaur...which he did.

I decided not to watch any more Atlantis when the tough woman turned out to be Medusa. I mean, really? She was a Gorgon not another person with a spell cast over them. Is that all scriptwriters can do these days? Is it all about magic spells? So easy. Pathetic. The Greeks did it so much better...though they didn't really understand how inter-species sex works...or not.