Mythologies, Pantheons and Whatnot

PattiTheWicked · Jun 13, 2005

I'm wondering how many of my fellow writers have found themselves working up ideas based on the mythologies/legends/whatevers of their spiritual path. I'm presently playing around with some Scottish folktales, which I am trying to retell in a kid-friendly way, while still staying true to the original premise of the story -- no small feat, that, believe me. I think one of the reasons I'm drawn to this is because of my Scottish ancestry, but another big part of it is because my spiritual path is eclectic with some Celtic influence.

I'm also interested in the eddas of Norse mythology, and am completely fascinated with the way writers like Tolkien managed to weave the epic poems into contemporary works. Right now I'm reading the saga of the Volsungs, and as I read it I can point to certain sections and say, "Hey! That part's in The Return of the King!"

Sarita · Jun 14, 2005

Patti- I'm working on a novel based in the Inca Empire around the 1500's. There are so many legends surrounding the fall of Huascaran, the rightful heir to the Incan throne and I've been playing with those to use in my story. Fascinating stuff.

Have you read American Gods by Neil Gaiman? I found myself delving into encyclopedias after finishing practically every chapter. He packed so many gods and legends into one book. I'd love to see his research file on that one!

PattiTheWicked · Jun 14, 2005

Saritams8 said:
Patti- I'm working on a novel based in the Inca Empire around the 1500's. There are so many legends surrounding the fall of Huascaran, the rightful heir to the Incan throne and I've been playing with those to use in my story. Fascinating stuff.

You know, I'm not sure I've ever read a novel based on the Incan Empire. That sounds amazing and complex -- it must be a real challenge. Go you!!

Saritams8 said:
Have you read American Gods by Neil Gaiman? I found myself delving into encyclopedias after finishing practically every chapter. He packed so many gods and legends into one book. I'd love to see his research file on that one!

Haven't read it yet, but someone else I know recommended it as well. Might just have to hunt that one down at the library -- or at least add it to my Read This Someday list.

brokenfingers · Jun 14, 2005

I'm writing a far-future sci-fi/fantasy type deal book thingie.

One thing I've been doing is creating myths etc from some major events in modern human history and also ancient history. Trying to give them a parable type feel that myths and fables often have.

I find it fascinating how there is often a kernel of truth in many fables, myths, folktales, legends etc. My feeling is that they were obviously events that touched a broad spectrum of peoples and made them tell stories about it until through time and distortion they became the tales we know today.

The great flood and Noah's ark. Troy. Robin Hood. the Great White God the Aztecs mistook Cortez or Pizarro or whichever Spanish conqueror for. Jack and the beanstalk. Etc.

Recently I've been trying to devise a myth based on good ol' Mikey Jacksons story. It may not make it in the book - but it's fun!

Sarita · Jun 14, 2005

Bill, I really liked the legend feel you had going in that poem Into the Desert. Were you using something in particular as inspiration for that? I really like the aspects of the stories that make it to us, how they traveled through time and what elements have changed throughout their telling. Very cool.

MJ, huh? That could be interesting. The rise and fall.

Patti- The research was tedious, but now that it's done, it should be smooth sailing... if only I had time to write the thing. My BIC time has been severely lacking lately. Must work on that! The history is deep and tangled. Even though it was difficult to research, it was enlightening to learn about the spirituality of the Incan people. Very interesting!

brokenfingers · Jun 14, 2005

Into the desert? Yeah - my personal life hahahaha!

As for MJ, I was going along the lines of trying to become something you're not and how it can destroy you in the end - no matter how high you've climbed.

Or maybe not. I find it interesting to think what people will say of our day and age 100, 500, 1000 years from now. Or if they'll even be aware of our day to day lifestyle.

Sarita · Jun 14, 2005

brokenfingers said:
I find it interesting to think what people will say of our day and age 100, 500, 1000 years from now. Or if they'll even be aware of our day to day lifestyle.

Me too. I'm sure they'll know all about us, since everything is so well documented these days. Although, in the history books, the WMD's might show up....

DTKelly · Jun 14, 2005

I'm not sure if this is what you mean, but I've been doing research recently into Celtic lore for a children's book idea I have. Not to retell the lore or modernize it, but looking for things that are 'fresh', or would be fresh in today's market. Mostly looking for things to 'color' my world, not be the story. Like mythical creatures.. I'm so tired of dragon stories, lets find other mythical creatures that aren't in Harry Potter or every other Fantasy book. Creatures that exist in lore, so if a child reads my book and thinks this creature sounds really cool (I would hope so!), with a little research they could find information and learn for themselves. I think that adds so much more than just having a big, overused dragon as the creature the hero must beat.

There, who wants the soapbox now?

I really shouldn't reply to threads when I'm exhausted...

Sarita · Jun 15, 2005

Towerkel said:
Mostly looking for things to 'color' my world, not be the story. Like mythical creatures..

Yes! How cool! I don't write fantasy but reading about a new creature would definitely make me look it up. Case in point.... The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde. I know I've mentioned Jasper about 1000 times on the board, but I love his humorous take on fantasy. He used a minotaur in this book. I knew it came from Greek mythology and that it was half man/half bull, but I really wondered more. Did a little googling and found some interesting sites and books to read.

I'd love to see some lesser used creatures in fiction and most of them have a very rich history.

PattiTheWicked · Jun 17, 2005

Saritams8 said:
I'd love to see some lesser used creatures in fiction and most of them have a very rich history.

One of the things I enjoy so much about Rowling's Potterverse is her seemingly endless use of beings, ideas, critters and objects from actual mythological sources.

NicoleJLeBoeuf · Jun 17, 2005

The Well Of Lost Plots is totally on my need-to-read list. I love a good metafiction.

The next novel draft I undertake will incorporate something along those lines--right now, it's a vague idea about a novelist whose main character goes missing, and turns up in The Real World; and beings who can travel on their own steam between layers of relative fiction, thus giving this character a route out of the book and into the novelist's reality; and the idea that this novelist becomes the "book detective" heroine of a series in which she solves mysteries concerning this crossing of boundaries between fiction and her own reality. (I'm already worried about turning it into an inadvertant Mary Sue tale, but that's a danger that's never far even when the main character isn't a writer.)

There will probably be an entire cosmology/mythology developed in which the boundary-crossing beings believe.

Speaking of Celtic mythology, has anyone mentioned Pat O'Shea's Hounds of the Morrigan yet? And has O'Shea other novels out there anyone would recommend? I loved Hounds. It made it onto our husband/wife bedtime read-aloud list.

Sarita · Jun 17, 2005

PattiTheWicked said:
One of the things I enjoy so much about Rowling's Potterverse is her seemingly endless use of beings, ideas, critters and objects from actual mythological sources.

I must admit, I have soft Potterspot in my heart as well. The complexity of the plot line is what does it to me.

DTKelly · Jun 19, 2005

TheWriteTaylor said:
I have a horrible confession to make. I have not read any of the Harry Potter books. I've watched the first two movies, however, and I loved them.

If you loved the movies, you will TOTALLY love the books. The movies just give you a taste of the world. In the books the world is completely alive.

Sarita · Jun 19, 2005

NicoleJLeBoeuf said:
The Well Of Lost Plots is totally on my need-to-read list. I love a good metafiction.

Nicole, The Well is the third book in the series. It starts with The Eyre Affair. Fforde totally writes for avid readers and writers. I'm sure after reading the Eyre Affair for the third time, I still haven't picked out all of the subtext and "inside" jokes he peppers through his stories. Good stuff.

PattiTheWicked · Jun 19, 2005

Towerkel said:
If you loved the movies, you will TOTALLY love the books. The movies just give you a taste of the world. In the books the world is completely alive.

Rowling isn't one of my favorite authors, because there's something about her style that just annoys me. However, the books are some of my favorite stories, because they are so complex, the plots are clever, and most of the characters are interesting.

Actually, my LEAST favorite character is Harry himself, because he's a bit wooden and boring, and tends to whine a lot. I think Rowling's baddies, like the Malfoys and Tom Riddle, are her best characterizations.

Okay, and admittedly I have a huge crush on Jason Isaacs, who plays Lucius Malfoy in Chamber of Secrets. Mmrrrooow.

But yeah, the movies are good, but the books are definitely worth reading because there's so much MORE there than what you get to see on film.

Sarita · Jun 19, 2005

And the books help you understand so much more of the movies. They slip little things into them that you wouldn't "get" if you hadn't read the books.

Patti- I agree about Harry. He drives me crazy. But I love Sirius and I can't get enough of Snape. And that Delores Umbridge from Book 5? I just loved to hate her.

PattiTheWicked · Jun 19, 2005

Saritams8 said:
And that Delores Umbridge from Book 5? I just loved to hate her.

Heh. One of my favorite characters is Rita Skeeter. She's an absolute riot to read.

Rowling tends to make her secondary characters way more fun than her main characters.

I adore Sirius Black too. I'm reasonably certain he'll be *back* in Book 7.

Sarita · Jun 19, 2005

PattiTheWicked said:
One of my favorite characters is Rita Skeeter. She's an absolute riot to read. I adore Sirius Black too. I'm reasonably certain he'll be *back* in Book 7.

Oh man... we could really get going on this Potter speak. I love Rita, too. The imagery of the quick quill really gets me. Man, I'd love to have one of those! Now, this is on topic... I'm guessing she's bringing Sirius back, too. I'm wondering what kind of death mythology she's going to use to do it.

(hey, did you notice that this is a thread in the pagan forum that is actually thriving? It's hot. Let's keep it going guys! I love it!)

PattiTheWicked · Jun 20, 2005

I love thread drift, don't you?

Why look! It's the trailer for GOF!!! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0330373/trailers

Sarita · Jun 20, 2005

Of course I do, especially when it leads to things that make me hummmmm

"Something wicked this way COMES!!!!"

It must have been the combo of your name and the link. Which, by the way, was great. Thanks for sharing. I think the merpeople will be particularly interesting.

PattiTheWicked · Jun 20, 2005

Saritams8 said:
Of course I do, especially when it leads to things that make me hummmmm

"Something wicked this way COMES!!!!"

It must have been the combo of your name and the link. Which, by the way, was great. Thanks for sharing. I think the merpeople will be particularly interesting.

I am totally looking forward to the scenes with the Qudditch World Cup and the Hungarian Horntail.

And I'm embarrassed to admit that even though I'm old enough to be Cedric Diggory's mom, he just looks delicious.

Sarita · Jun 20, 2005

I was really hoping for a steamier Sirius. I'm glad Cedric is a dish. He should be. (and yes, he's a dish...) The World Cup I think could provide some of the most amazing scenes. The Leprechauns could be cool and Krum's flying will be amazing... Looking forward to seeing the Kronsky Feign for the first time. God, I'm such a dork!

Christine N. · Jun 21, 2005

LOL You guys. Less than one month to book Six! Woo hoo!
But, back tot he orignal post - yes, I am currently writing a MG series dealing with mythology. Well, let's say that book one is done, and book two is on the way. It's a mixture of magic and myth. There's a library, created by an archeaologist who got into magic, who is now dead. MC, who lives in his house, stumbles onto said library. She and her friends find enchanted books that are actually hiding places for made up magical artifacts, and they get sucked inside when they open them.

Book one is called the Crown of Zeus. Bet you can guess where the book is set?

PattiTheWicked · Jun 21, 2005

Saritams8 said:
I was really hoping for a steamier Sirius.

Gary Oldman was a bit hygienically challenged as Sirius, but I'd happily give him a sponge bath if he asked nicely.

Bram Stoker's Dracula. Sexiest Gary Oldman movie ever. Mmm.

Saritams8 said:
I'm glad Cedric is a dish. He should be. (and yes, he's a dish...) The World Cup I think could provide some of the most amazing scenes. The Leprechauns could be cool and Krum's flying will be amazing... Looking forward to seeing the Kronsky Feign for the first time. God, I'm such a dork!

"Hi, I'm Patti, and I'm a 36-year-old suburbanite, and I'm addicted to Harry Potter."

<group> Hi, Patti!

Sarita · Jun 23, 2005

Hi Patti! I have a welcome gift for being so forthright with the 12 step group:

New Images From GoP

Teehee, enjoy!

Mythologies, Pantheons and Whatnot

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Unleashing Hell.

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Walkin' That Road

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The Rememberer

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a work in progress

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The Rememberer

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haz a shiny new book cover

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