Jakub's blog

Mythology (in this case Greek), being a collection of stories and tales, teaches people life lessons. Even the modern society can relate to stories written thousands of years ago. In this blog I will mention just a few out of a big pool. 1.    A worthy thing to learn is to listen to elders and people with experience in life. This is shown in the story of Daedalus (father) and Icarus (son). This myth passes the idea that not listening to elders might result in harm, even death (in this case flying too close to the sun and drowning). 2.    Another lesson to learn is that everyone has a weakness. This is show in the story of Achilles. Even the unstoppable hero like warrior is vulnerable and can perish. His weakness was his ankles where he was later shot which resulted in his death. 3.    The myth of Jocasta and Oedipus shows us how we can’t escape our fate. There was a prophecy saying that Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother and Jocasta di...

There are a lot of fictional creatures described in mythology that are known in almost every culture. In today’s times they are used as evil villains in video games and movies. This is another example of mythology having an effect on our culture. Kraken : It is said that the kraken originates from the Norse Mythology. It comes from the giant fish called Hafgufa. It is described as an enormous octopus/squid that uses its tentacles to drag ships under water. It can also cause a deadly whirlpool by submerging itself under water. We can’t confirm its existence but there are many theories and extinct animals that match the description. This mythological beast can be seen in today’s pop-culture like video games and movies, for example “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Cyclopes : Cyclopes were giants with only one eye located at the center of their forehead. Even though, they were physically powerful, they were weak in the mind (dumb). They were described in Greek mythology and were said to...

Based on Norse mythology, dying in battle was the most honorable way to advance into the afterlife. The people of Scandinavia called it Valhalla, a hall of slain warriors drinking and feasting by the side of Odin himself and brawling each other for eternity (off course until Ragnarök, when they would march out the palace to fight under the command of Odin). They also believed that when they fought, gods were on their side and helped them in battle. For example, Modi helped warriors get their mind straight before battle. When praying to Modi, it was believed that a person could enter a trance state in which they were able to conquer and defeat enemies with ease. Also, they would often pray to Freya, a goddess that took care of families when a warrior was away fighting. Vikings were persuaded into thinking that they had the power of gods on their side. This allowed them to charge into battle without any hesitations nor fear (their fate was already set). Even if they were to die, Valhal...