Rachel Hajar's Blog: My Life in Doha - Posts Tagged "prometheus"
Hope and new Year
Hope and New Year
Hope is the underlying sentiment of the New Year. There is a Greek mythology on hope that centers on Pandora, the first woman on earth according to Greek legend. In Greek myth, Pandora was created from clay and water and the gods endowed her with beauty and many talents. Her name Pandora means “All-gifted.” Zeus had ordered the gods to create her so he could take vengeance on Prometheus who had stolen Fire from Heaven to give to man. Zeus presented Pandora to Prometheus’ brother, Epimentheus, who fell in love with Pandora and married her. Zeus gave Pandora a wedding gift – a beautiful box – on one condition: NEVER OPEN THE BOX.
But curiosity got the better of Pandora and she opened the box releasing evil, misfortunes, and calamities. In the legend, they came out as hundreds of tiny creatures looking like insects, stinging Pandora all over her body and then flew out of the room to scatter over the earth. Shutting the box quickly, Pandora heard a knocking coming from inside the box. She was afraid to open the box again but a tiny voice from inside pleaded: “Let me out. Maybe I can help you.” She opened the box and out came a tiny fairy: “I am Hope”, said the fairy, healing Pandora’s wounds. “Pandora, due to your curiosity you have let out all possible troubles for mankind. From this day forth there will be no peace of mind for humans; there will be greed, jealousy, hatred, disease, famine, pestilence, wars . . . the world will know great sorrow . . .”
Pandora started to cry and the hope fairy consoled her. “Do not cry. You have also let me out. I will always be there to bring HOPE to humans whenever they’re in trouble. I AM HOPE.” And the hope fairy fluttered away, light as a feather, to settle in the hearts of man.
There are many details of the hope legend that are fascinating such as hope lying at the bottom of a box of misfortunes, calamities, and miseries. It points out that lying within any tragedy, adversity, or catastrophe is hope. Hope gives meaning to life.
I like very much the mythology of many cultures. Frequently I encounter cross cultural themes that are intriguing. For example, the detail about Pandora being the first woman and fashioned from clay and water is interesting because creation stories from Babylonian mythology, Judeo-Christian, and Islamic religions all mention that man was made from clay, woman from the rib of a man. Obviously, some Greek myths are of Babylonian origin, with some details omitted or re-created in keeping with cultural traditions. There are many Greek myths that are reminiscent of Babylonian myths.
To many people, myths are just entertaining stories but I think myths are more than simple tales from a primitive past. The stories have multilayered meanings, such as the Greek hope myth. They speak to our subconscious and reflect in symbols the deepest concerns of our minds. Myths have endured to this day because they belong to the realm of the sacred.
The mythology of hope is one of my favorite stories. As the poet Wordsworth wrote: “Hope rules a land for ever green . . .”
Hope is the underlying sentiment of the New Year. There is a Greek mythology on hope that centers on Pandora, the first woman on earth according to Greek legend. In Greek myth, Pandora was created from clay and water and the gods endowed her with beauty and many talents. Her name Pandora means “All-gifted.” Zeus had ordered the gods to create her so he could take vengeance on Prometheus who had stolen Fire from Heaven to give to man. Zeus presented Pandora to Prometheus’ brother, Epimentheus, who fell in love with Pandora and married her. Zeus gave Pandora a wedding gift – a beautiful box – on one condition: NEVER OPEN THE BOX.
But curiosity got the better of Pandora and she opened the box releasing evil, misfortunes, and calamities. In the legend, they came out as hundreds of tiny creatures looking like insects, stinging Pandora all over her body and then flew out of the room to scatter over the earth. Shutting the box quickly, Pandora heard a knocking coming from inside the box. She was afraid to open the box again but a tiny voice from inside pleaded: “Let me out. Maybe I can help you.” She opened the box and out came a tiny fairy: “I am Hope”, said the fairy, healing Pandora’s wounds. “Pandora, due to your curiosity you have let out all possible troubles for mankind. From this day forth there will be no peace of mind for humans; there will be greed, jealousy, hatred, disease, famine, pestilence, wars . . . the world will know great sorrow . . .”
Pandora started to cry and the hope fairy consoled her. “Do not cry. You have also let me out. I will always be there to bring HOPE to humans whenever they’re in trouble. I AM HOPE.” And the hope fairy fluttered away, light as a feather, to settle in the hearts of man.
There are many details of the hope legend that are fascinating such as hope lying at the bottom of a box of misfortunes, calamities, and miseries. It points out that lying within any tragedy, adversity, or catastrophe is hope. Hope gives meaning to life.
I like very much the mythology of many cultures. Frequently I encounter cross cultural themes that are intriguing. For example, the detail about Pandora being the first woman and fashioned from clay and water is interesting because creation stories from Babylonian mythology, Judeo-Christian, and Islamic religions all mention that man was made from clay, woman from the rib of a man. Obviously, some Greek myths are of Babylonian origin, with some details omitted or re-created in keeping with cultural traditions. There are many Greek myths that are reminiscent of Babylonian myths.
To many people, myths are just entertaining stories but I think myths are more than simple tales from a primitive past. The stories have multilayered meanings, such as the Greek hope myth. They speak to our subconscious and reflect in symbols the deepest concerns of our minds. Myths have endured to this day because they belong to the realm of the sacred.
The mythology of hope is one of my favorite stories. As the poet Wordsworth wrote: “Hope rules a land for ever green . . .”
