Modern Life and the Gods
I believe that modernizing the Gods and granting them spheres of influence relevant to 21st-century Hellenic Polytheists is essential to reviving their worship. We do not live as we did two millennia ago. Who would preside over the computer programmer or graphic designer's job? Does the situation in Neil Gaiman's American Gods exist? Are the old gods declining, outclassed by their modern replacements? How could they be lasting if this is the case?
We do not know of all deities everywhere; this is why the Athenians had an altar to the Unknown Gods (note the plural here). However, I worship Hermes in the aspect of Guardian of the Internet (and the guardian of data transmission from my computer to my possessed printer). Hephaistos with his old automatons guides the skill of the robotic engineer and computer hardware specialist. Apollon's control over divination has progressed to (relatively modern) inventions such as the Tarot, and he presides over orchestral music in addition to the lyre-accompanied songs of antiquity.
Recently in the Yahoo! Groupverse, I brought up a conceptual metaphor to justify modernizing my conceptions of the Gods, and some seemed to like it. (I enjoy using scientific language to this effect almost as much as Milton enjoys using the epic simile to describe the Christian Paradise and Heaven.) After all, Reconstructionism is as much about translating ideas and actions into modern cultural representations as it is about maintaining proper cultus.
Many human genes are triggered by the environment, but not all. It's conceivable that a person --- let's call him Billy --- could go through his entire life without expressing some of them because the environmental conditions have not been satisfied. Similarly, I see the Gods as having many aspects. We know some, but some remain unknown to us. In the genetic example, the fact that Billy does not express these genes does not mean that they don't exist. Similarly, the Gods existed in a different “environment,” as it were, in Ancient Greece and Rome. That we see them from a different angle --- and, to some degree, interact with different aspects of them --- does not mean that drastic changes have occurred in their personalities or spheres of influence. Rather, we have begun to uncover what was heretofore unknown about them. Ancients had evolving ideas about each Theos, too, and we can ascribe that phenomenon to these same uncoverings.
So, now that I have hopefully justified myself in an appropriate manner, let me give you more detail on my modern concept of Hermes: a god with winged sandals and a cauduceas with headphones in his ears and an iHerm playing ZeusCAST. My translation of the Orphic Hymn to Hermes into 1337 makes much more sense now, doesn't it?
10 responses:
First of all, I have to say: I love your blog!
Having that said, I go for American Gods... I love this story... It is gripping... It is interesting... It gives food for though, much on the relationship we, politheists, stablish with our Gods and their cult. However, I do not see the storm comming, at least not for the Gods, because I do feel that they come into the news of time.
Roberto Calasso has a book on how literature helped keeping our Gods alive and kicking (lol) into the different centuries after the Ancient World.
And it is true: it is impossible not to see Hermes smiling as we blog, twitt or e-mail.
The book I mentioned is called: "Litterature and the Gods" by Roberto Calasso.
On Amazon:
First Sentence:
The gods are fugitive guests of literature.
*nods* I like the philosophy behind American Gods, too --- in fact, the idea that we take our gods with us wherever we go is one of the most lasting things I picked up from it.
Hey there Annyikha, this is a great post! I really like the ideas here and I think it is important for all Recons to really put a lot of thought into how their Gods have evolved through the fifteen-hundred years of so of neglect. We sure have a lot of catching up to do with them yes?!
RE your comment, thank you so much for the thoughts! I will have to research Julien, as I admit I haven't read much on him. I can see a Pagan Alliance. . .the Alliance of course would go over better with us Recons, but I was thinking of Orthodoxy for the wicca-sorts who can't seem to get their facts straight and spend more time bickering about their silly Rede than anything else, I think an Orthodoxy would give them the focus needed, because, let's face it, Recons need the eclectics, as there are more of them. . .they can do the grunt work ;-) j/k. . .love them despite their silly ideas :D
Frith,
Bjorn
Really like your genetic metaphor. Makes a lot of sense. May have to quote that one sometimes!
Bjorn » I think that Wiccans already have a form of “orthodoxy” in the Traditional Wiccas (Alexandrian and Gardnerian). Wiccans might not actually come to an agreement about their unspoken common ground (ritual practice, conception of the divine, etc.) because many see imposing structure as a concession to the ways of monotheistic faiths (and some have voiced concerns for what the faith will look like in two hundred years because they already see these concessions).
I think that the first part of making our gods catch up should be the dreaded LJ questionnaires. I mean, what if the Deathless Ones like Kraft macaroni better than ambrosia?!
I found your blog and this if one of the First post I read. I have to say,I have similar thoughts.Some Hellenists I find have a very static view of the Gods. we often forget these Gods re very real and breath in to are daily lives. Often When I see a Police officer or public servant I see Athena. In Her Glory She is the Protector of are society.
Very well thought out post!ada
@ Pietra:
The "Storm" is very much based from the very bleak outlook that Ragnarok offers, especially where Odin is concerned. Wednesday would of course be imbued with the same knowledge and foresight that Odin has, but as he was Wednesday (while Wednesday was not Odin) he naturally took the action he thought he needed to survive: Get more power. Going along with the whole Odin/Ragnarok thing, this is why he was able to convince the Others that the battle was inevitable and that they had better fight it sooner rather than later.
Note that the entirety of the Greek pantheon (was it all of them? It's been a while) stayed the hell out of it. They saw through Wednesday's BS.
Anyway, and this part of my post is for everyone, I couldn't feel stronger about American Gods (and Sandman for that matter). Neil Gaiman has DONE HIS HOMEWORK. American Gods is nothing short of the literary equivalent to this blog; not just this one but all others even remotely resembling it. It doesn't matter how you slice it or what your personal perspectives are - the man is telling the truth within the framework of his beautiful fictional narrative.
@Kaye: Where can I pick up my own iHerm and subscribe to ZeusCAST?
RE Annyikha>>
Lol. . .could be interesting. . .surveys for the divine. That would actually make a quite hillarious discordian "channeled" book. I can see it being gobbled up as fact. Could be a great Lokian prank, I know I would burst out in belly-busting laughs if I went into a circle and heard the High Priestess quoting such a tome whilst offering Kraft MacNCheese to the Goddess!
Yes, some concessions are made, but I think it is counter-productive immaturity to bemoan concessions regarding common praxis. Unity equals strength, and there can be unity without oppression. Instead of trying to be mirror opposites of xtianity (which in my mind is still validating their power over us) we should be looking to insular faith traditions such as Yoruban Ifa for cues on how to build our infrastructure. Ifa is a traditional tribal faith that has had little inculturation by Christianity. Their doctrines are safe and their tradition is thriving, especially in America. They are polytheistic *and* an organized religion with recognized hierarchy and elders. We as polytheists can be united under orthodoxy and still have freedom of personal gnosis.
Frith,
Bjorn
I guess I feel like there's not actually that much updating to do. Most modern life falls under technology, communication, or civilization, clearly in the provinces of Hephasteus, Hermes, and Athena.
The weather is powerful and always with us, and anyone who lives near or works in or around the sea can attest to the significance that it plays in our lives. Love, marriage, children, and the home may evolve, but the core doesn't really change all that much because of their deep roots in human biology. War is still with us, as is death. We still have agriculture, the changing seasons, etc.
I guess I'm just skeptical about the proposition that computers, while important and significant, have somehow eclipsed the essential building blocks of human existence.
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