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Where does mythology fit in?
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From: Doris Orgel <dorisorgel>
Date: Sun, 7 Apr 2002 12:57:00 -0700 (PDT)
I hope it?s not too late to raise a question related to the topic of non-fiction: What about mythology? I?ve been writing books inspired by ancient Greek beliefs: a novella based on the Ariadne-and-Theseus myth; a novel based on the Cupid-and-Psyche story; a book in which Athena, Aphrodite and Hera tell their autobiographies; another (to be published in fall) in which the mother?ughter goddesses Leto, Artemis, Demeter, and Persephone are the narrators. These books are classified as mythology. But mythology is classified as non-fiction; and non-fiction, everyone agrees, is factual -- all of which would lead to the notion, decidedly non?ctual, that Hera, Zeus, etc. really lived -- no, live, because, remember, they?re immortal -- on top of Mount Olympus, and that they really did the deeds that Hesiod, Homer and other sources tell about. And by the way, often the sources give different versions -- for instance, that Helen never set foot in Troy but spent the Trojan war years in Egypt! This leads to readers wondering (and kids have asked me), how do you know which source is true?
I would love to hear opinions on whether mythology should perhaps be considered a classification of its own. Could it sometime be a topic for CCBC discussion? I also want to say that even though I've only "lurked," I value and enjoy the lively, spirited exchanges on this netlink.
Received on Sun 07 Apr 2002 02:57:00 PM CDT
Date: Sun, 7 Apr 2002 12:57:00 -0700 (PDT)
I hope it?s not too late to raise a question related to the topic of non-fiction: What about mythology? I?ve been writing books inspired by ancient Greek beliefs: a novella based on the Ariadne-and-Theseus myth; a novel based on the Cupid-and-Psyche story; a book in which Athena, Aphrodite and Hera tell their autobiographies; another (to be published in fall) in which the mother?ughter goddesses Leto, Artemis, Demeter, and Persephone are the narrators. These books are classified as mythology. But mythology is classified as non-fiction; and non-fiction, everyone agrees, is factual -- all of which would lead to the notion, decidedly non?ctual, that Hera, Zeus, etc. really lived -- no, live, because, remember, they?re immortal -- on top of Mount Olympus, and that they really did the deeds that Hesiod, Homer and other sources tell about. And by the way, often the sources give different versions -- for instance, that Helen never set foot in Troy but spent the Trojan war years in Egypt! This leads to readers wondering (and kids have asked me), how do you know which source is true?
I would love to hear opinions on whether mythology should perhaps be considered a classification of its own. Could it sometime be a topic for CCBC discussion? I also want to say that even though I've only "lurked," I value and enjoy the lively, spirited exchanges on this netlink.
Received on Sun 07 Apr 2002 02:57:00 PM CDT
