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This blog will accompany a module called Ancient Greek
Religion which I’m studying in my third year at the University of Roehampton
and I will use it to reflect on what I have learned throughout the module.
In the introductory lecture Susan suggested that for our
blogs we should choose a figure or an aspect of religion which we can use as a
vehicle to think further on the subjects we will discuss each week. I want to
choose a figure but no one currently springs to mind though I can rule many
out. As I’m in my third year I don’t really want to take an easy option of
looking at a deity I have studied before. So Heracles is out, and Aphrodite who
I’m looking at sort of in my dissertation in her role of Venus in 18th
century statuary. And yes it’s a little different to what this course is all
about but we can have too much of Aphrodite sometimes and she is one of the
most prolific ones. So she’s out and Athena by the same token. And Zeus, who
wants to use the king of the gods! How predictable and boring! Well, you know
what I mean. Dionysus I have touched on briefly in first year Greek Literature
and Second year Gender and Sexuality (I think, maybe) so he’s gone. Artemis has
always been quite interesting to me too but I think I would like to look at
someone away from the big 12 Olympians that everyone knows. So hmmmm… who to
pick off the top of my head right now (I might have to do a little research but
I’m not running off to Google yet). Thinking, thinking.
Well in class we did discuss Hecate who I came across at the
beginning of the week in my dissertation research – the willow tree was sacred
to her and so if found in gardens it could mean the garden was dedicated to her
(McIntosh 2005:3). I’m largely unaware of her but a goddess of darkness and
witchcraft always sounds like a cool person to look at, right? The other sort
of figure I would like to look at in more in depth would be a personification.
I have looked a little at Peitho before who has popped up in various times
while I was researching Aphrodite. Or maybe … Ok, nothing else is coming to me.
To Google!
Well after a little search through www.theoi.com,
a wonderful little website that has currently saturated my brain somewhat with
lots of information on the vast subject of Greek mythology, I have discovered
the goddess Nyx (night). She is the mother of quite a few deities including
Thanatos (non-violent death), Hypnos (sleep), Eris (strife) and Nemesis (retribution) but actually I haven’t really heard or thought about her
before so she is a new and interesting character for me to look at. We’ll see
what happens next week and how I’m going to structure this blog but I think I would
like to use Nyx. Or maybe I’ll just run away to an easy life and use one of the
big 12. I hope not.
Bibliography
- · McIntosh, C. (2005) Gardens of the Gods: Myth, Magic and Meaning. I.B. Tauris & Co Ltd. London.
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