Aidonian's blog

throughout the years we have in movies and tv shows retellings done of Greek myths. Clash of the Titans, Hercules: the legendary Journeys, Kaos, Troy, the Oddysey and many others. The quality varies from good to bad. Even books tend to do that. Whether they inspired or direcly try to retell the myths does not really matter. The myths tell a story, but also have a religious meaning that seems to have be lost on the new media. Whether they focus on Perseus, Hercules or Jason or in some cases even Theseus, the result stay the same. They put modern concepts on what define a hero into these myths. They don’t work well together because the current view on what constitute a hero is different from what ancient Greeks thought it was. All heroes did things back than that arent considered decent or good. The character Hercules in the tv show was the personification of good. Did nothing wrong what is considered wrong now. While he was driven insane by Hera and killed his children and payed penance for it by doing the labours. The labours purified him from the miasma he commited by killing his children. The spiritual or religious side of the myths aren’t mentioned at all. Hercules in the tv was against the worship of the Gods because they are deemed corrupt, evil and tyrannical. The remake of Clash of the Titans and its sequel did the same thing.

The mini series Jason and the Argonauts in early 200’s did it differently and stayed more true to the source material, but its was the exception and not the rule. Its more than that. Its also the monotheistic mindview that creeps in that says that the Gods are evil, tyrannical and not worthy of worship. Xena the warrior princess did away with the Gods when the God of love supplanted them by having Xena kill them all except for a view. The remake of Clash of the Titans along with Kaos did add something that the Gods need the worship to sustain them or need the souls of the people like in Kaos. This shows a disdain for what the Gods are. Percy Jackson tv show do not seem to make that change to the Gods. I haven’t read the books, so i can’t tell if that is so or not.

Its clear that most approach the myths with a lack of respect for the religion that they were once part of. Hollywood doesn’t care about respect for other cultures or religions. It only cares about making money and since villyfying pagan Gods is easy and most Americans won’t mind. If they did a movie of tv show that showcased pagan religion in a positive light, most Americans would lose their mind. That was clear with the 2024 opening cermony for the Olympic Games where they thought it was a blasphemy against the last supper while it was about something else. Granted, the organisers assumed most people would know that it wasn’t,and that France has a long history of mocking religions, still conservatives lost their minds at it. Since they tend to be the loudest voices, they will be heard regardless of their complaints were valid or not. Portraying Dionysos as a blue smurf is not something i was fond of, but i ignore it. If this was France’s way to mock the religion, i’m ok with it. The intent was different as it was done out of artistic sense and not just pure mocking for the sake of mocking other religions as most extremist Christians seem to do. Artistically speaking, it can drive the plot of having the Gods being cruel and/or evil. If its an interesting story, i can get behind it. I don’t agree with it, but i can tolerate it.

Personally i don’t mind that non polytheistic writers or screenwriters retel Greek myths for modern audiences. I don’t mind it at all. It exposes new people to the stories, if they take the time and bother to immerse themselves in the source material of course. Which in most cases won’t happen. I would happy if the worship of the Gods was done in fiction with respect for the people worshipping the Gods and the Gods themselves. As i write this, i know that this is an illusion. It won’t happen anytime soon.