Mythology and Blogging

: Image by mharrsch via Flickr

“The word mythology (from the Greek mythología, meaning “a story-telling, a legendary lore”) refers to a body of folklore/myths/legends that a particular culture finds meaningful in explaining the nature of reality or mysteries in life, often using supernatural or dream-like language.” ~ Wikipedia

Mythology and Blogging

Blogging as a medium is clearly about the now. The poet Charles Olson used to teach a class at Black Mountain College where he would just take the headlines from the day’s newspaper and explore which archetypes were at work. The same can be done with the aggregated headlines on Google Blog Search. And what do we see?

Tales of coronation, transfer of power, fallen leaders, enemy combatants, spying, violence, starlets heading into rehab, and spooky viruses…for crying out loud, it could be Homer!

So mythology and blogging…One of Jung’s great contributions was making myth relevant again. By identifying archetypal structures underlying our actions, he revealed that the value of myth is how each and every story reveals an aspect of the ‘now’. The archetypes are tied to our instincts in a polar relationship. The idea: the archetypal image provides a different perspective to the same energy that on its opposite pole gets revealed as instinctual behavior.

What seems clear to me is that avid blog readers come to blogs to tap into the electricity of the zeitgeist. It’s through contact with these short snackable posts that our readers anchor their days, open up some new lines of thought, get in touch with archetypal imagery, and sometimes find really delineated ‘to do’ lists. Is it really any different then gathering around the fire pit to listen deep into the night as the tales of the gods and heroes get exchanged?”

Each time I hear that actions are derived from what I’m doing here, I know I’m connecting on a level that’s as much myth as idea. This goes for all the business stuff in the blogosphere as well. It’s a lame distinction business folks try to draw when they say “well, this is business, you know, serious business.” All life is serious business, and that blogs convey life cannot be argued.

How does the unfolding of the story through blogs strike you?

Detlef Cordes

One of the differences between Homer and the blogosphere is: we are a fragmented culture of reason and of willpower. What willpower wants reason will execute. The myth associated with this culture is "frontier-spirit". I sensed it in President Obama's inauguration speech, I cherish it, I honour it - but it's not an end in itself.

The ancient world had a clear picture of man and his place in the universe. Since Renaissance we in the western world do no longer have this picture. We are glad to be free to choose our own goals. But this freedom goes with fragmentation. What we all have in common is what's going on in the media and the yellow press: not any Holy Scripture, nor Shakespeare, nor Updike, nor any other writer.

Is there room in the blogosphere for a common denominator? Is there room for a single story trying in earnest to define man's role in creation? Would that story even be a good thing?

<abbr>Detlef Cordes´s last blog post..ISP Not Providing Proper Service</abbr>

ccseed

Hey Detef,
Homer's singleness was for a fairly small band of people. I like the idea that you may have found in your fragmentation...or pluralism...the underlying theme...what I expect, is that, while not one, there will be categories of association, and as the data flood expands, how we engage it will be an underlying theme as well...

laura jane

I feel like we have a very real NEED for archetypal energies and relevant myths in our lives as humans -- like archetypes are part of the spiritual ecosystem we inhabit and being cut off from that form of expression/manifestation is unnatural. It is interesting how blogging seems to be giving these complexes new life -- I personally am extremely thirsty for it. I think that's another reason why people become so obsessed with pop cultural icons -- because Britney Spears is all we've got... but it's like a diet of junk food. We'll eat it if it's all that's available to us, but it doesn't exactly NOURISH. I wonder: What would an ideal, up-to-date, culturally relevant manifestation of these energies look like? I hope they would retain the visual majesty and iconic symbolism of their antiquated counterparts.

<abbr>laura jane´s last blog post..Enya Deserves Her Own Tarot Card</abbr>

ccseed

Laura Jean,
From the efforts you are making in this direction, I think it is possible. One thing I notice. Collectively the Unconscious tends to mirror back our respect, or lack of respect toward its existence and importance in our lives. It's the difference between the Furies and the Eumenides...the example you sight speaks for itself.

PBCliberal

My mind went right to Joseph Campbell, and his late-life assertions that modern society is handicapped by its lack of mythology. Maybe blogs--or at least a significant subset of them--are recording a 21st Century hero's journey.

<abbr>PBCliberal´s last blog post..The Parking Lot that Changed Las Vegas</abbr>