A myth is a lie that conveys a truth. – C.S. Lewis

 

If you’ve read my fantasy books, or followed my newsletter for a while, you know that I’m rather fond of the ancient Greeks and their myths. As a child, I had a huge, beautiful book (I’ve forgotten the title…) filled with the classical Greek tales, written and illustrated for children.

Arachne and Athena.

Narcissus.

Persephone and Demeter.

Niobe.

Daedalus and Icarus.

Medusa.

Theseus and the Minotaur.

Pandora.

Orpheus and Eurydice…

The list of stories, as enchanting as they are tragic, as enlightening as they dark, and as relatable as they are distant, shrouded in the mists and mysteries of eons past, goes on and on. Even as a young girl, they gripped me by the wrists and pulled me into their pages, where I followed my imagination into fantastic realms of monsters, heroes, gods and goddesses, and the deadly sins and chthonic shadows with which each of us wrestles today.

My father, an avid comic book collector his whole life, was, unsurprisingly, a fan of the Greek myths as well. Thanks to him, my collection of mythology books continued to grow, as did my love of storytelling and creating myths (much tamer and more innocent than those of the Greeks!) of my own.

While I wasn’t especially interested in comic books, I did love the films they inspired. As a kid, I repeatedly watched Batman Returns, Batman Forever (Val Kilmer, anyone!?) all of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movies, and X-Men (the original!).

Then came the films of the Marvel Comic Universe and the record-breaking Avengers. To me, they were spectacular homages to the Hellenistic heroes and the trials they endured. The Avengers’ sagas may differ significantly from those penned by Homer and Hesiod, but their main characters bear striking similarities to the myths’ legendary figures.

Here are a few Avengers and the mythological characters I believe they mirror:

Iron Man = Hephaestus, god of blacksmiths, metalworking, carpenters, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metallurgy

Captain America = Prometheus, the Titan who selflessly sought to serve mortals and brought them fire, symbolic of knowledge, to mankind

Thor = Zeus, god of sky and thunder and chief god of the pantheon

Loki = Hermes, trickster and shapeshifter
Interestingly, two of the Eternals, Kronos and Uranos, have names that are virtually identical to those of their ancient Greek counterparts.

Okay, Diana, so what? you may be saying to whichever device you’re reading this on. I get that you like myths – who doesn’t? – but what’s your point?

Well, I say, in response to an imagined question, until 2019, the year I saw Avengers: Endgame, I viewed the Marvel stories as pure entertainment, just as I had once viewed the Greek myths as larger-than-life, complex, creative metaphors that powerfully reveal deep truths regarding human psychology, brutality, depravity, and humanity’s timeless pursuit of meaning and an understanding of the divine.

But what if… What if the myths aren’t solely metaphors, but whispers of actual cosmic history?

And what if the Marvel movies, along with countless other Hollywood-produced films and TV shows, aren’t purely entertainment, but carefully crafted pieces of programming meant to ensnare and deceive?

“Myth is much more important and true than history. History is just journalism and you know how reliable that is.” – Joseph Campbell

I’ll be delving into the above questions next month, but until then, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject. Shoot me an email at diana.tyler86@gmail.com. I love hearing from you!