8 minute read
A New Route To Mount Olympus
The Power of Myths to Redefine Gender Norms
by Marie-Lys Roche
No matter how old we get, the captivating tales of the Gods and Heroes of Greek mythology never fail to make us dream. Our bedtime stories as little ones were the first to guide us to Mount Olympus, a trip that we would come to embark on countless of times, as we would beg and beg our parents to take us back to the enchanting land of the Gods and to recount to us again and again the stories of the Heroes who defied fate and carved their names into eternity. We longed to hear more about strong tempered Zeus who reigned supreme, the mighty Poseidon who controlled the seas and the courageous Hercules who could achieve any feat. As we grew older, our Gods and Heroes continued to accompany us. Greek Literature confronted us with the epic tales from Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, all contributing to building our understanding of heroism, fate and complex human nature. Many consider these vestiges of the past, as part of a shared identity in the Western world, as we all in some way have a special connection to them. These ancient stories have continued to captivate the human mind through time and space and have proven to play a central role in shaping our understanding of social norms and traditional roles, particularly when it comes to gender.
The gender boundaries and norms as we know them today were actively being shaped by the myths we were fed as children
Growing up with these stories meant we came to inevitably value the key concepts and beliefs they represented. This means that the gender boundaries and norms as we know them today were actively being shaped by the myths we were fed as children, with for example the idea that heroism is inherently a masculine trait. By internalising these stories we absorb this idea that strength, courage and heroic deeds are exclusively reserved to the domain of men. Greek mythology is a place where women’s narratives are often marginalised, whilst men’s actions seem to always be immortalised. This not only limits our idea of the potential of the female characters, but also distorts our perception of ourselves and gender roles in the real world. In the ancient texts, despite the initial appearance of power, even the few Goddesses are often relegated to the shadows, outshined by their male counterparts. Mostly, women are reduced to seducers to the male characters, merely objects of temptations and trickery, with for example the figures of Calypso or Circe.
These myths are instrumentalized to perpetuate the view that women’s innate trickery would be uncontrollable unless they were kept in order by men and thus, justify their alienated status
The cultural representation of women in Greek mythology comes to explain their treatment and prescribed role in society. Women are portrayed as manipulative, devious and as the source of the downfall of men. This is then used as an explanation to the oppressive treatment and forced seclusion they can be subject to. These act as two main pillars that uphold the ideals of a patriarchal society and contribute to feeding upon the idea that there is a necessity for male domination in society. Therefore, these myths are instrumentalized to perpetuate the view that women’s innate trickery would be uncontrollable unless they were kept in order by men and thus, justify their alienated status. It was Pandora, who was weak enough to succumb to her curiosity and open her box despite being warned against it. Her story exemplifies how men’s greatest affliction is women themselves. Through her story, children are taught about weaknesses and obedience, how a woman’s nature unleashed pain and suffering into the world, plaguing society with evil and darkness. Equally, Aphrodite, who used her enchanting beauty to manipulate both Gods and mortals, is often painted as having an untrustworthy and devious character. And so, if even an immortal Goddess could not respect the rules of society, then how could men trust a mortal woman. Therefore, this paves the way towards the idea that women should stay in the domestic field, away from power.
This has led to many artists and writers instrumentalizing these stories as their muses as a way to rebalance the perspective. These creators act as craftsmen whose main working tool is the past itself
In opposition, very specific and contrasting traits are associated with men. The very word for courage, “andreia,” stems from the Greek term “aner” and “andros,” meaning male adult and manliness. This tie reveals the extent to which bravery was intertwined with traditional notions of masculinity. These ancient ideals were not merely confined to the realms of myth but found their way into the fabric of society of the time. Even today, the heroic masculinity portrayed in timeless texts such as Homer’s Iliad continues to be idealised. As a result, traditional male virtues depicted in these mythological narratives have become deeply ingrained in our perceptions of gender, making it a difficult task to dismantle these enduring stereotypes. In the end, our constant exposure to these stories whilst growing up has led to these prescribed gender roles being normalised and playing a role during the formation of our identity. Thus, social norms end up intertwining within our rich common cultural heritage. This has led to many artists and writers instrumentalizing these stories as their muses as a way to rebalance the perspective. These creators act as craftsmen whose main working tool is the past itself. They carefully play around with the life of the actors of history to reveal the intricacies of our current social landscape as they dive into history’s depth to comprehend the challenges that shape the tapestry of today’s reality.
A recent phenomenon that has enabled to shed light on the female perspective of these stories is the growing number of books which put an emphasis on amplifying the voices of female characters such as Medusa by Charlotte Higgins. Through the prism of Medusa’s tale, she delves into a myriad of salient contemporary issue, touching upon themes such as sexual assault, gender stereotyping, societal beauty standards and female autonomy. Higgins invites to bridge ancient myth with our current reality, as Medusa’s story becomes an artefact of its own age. Other authors have also used literature as a platform to empower female narratives and diversify the voices that normally root from Greek mythology, such as the work of Madeleine Miller with her book Circe, a character who she portrays as a flawed human who we are able to relate and empathise towards, rather than alienate. In Gender Swapped Greek Myths by Karrie Fransman and Jonathan Plackett attempts to make us reflect on how gender defines everyone and everything. The authors swap the genders of the Gods and Heroes of the traditional story which razes to the ground our unconscious preconception and proves to us how the gendered bias that is ingrained in our outlook on society might be tackled and rewritten.
As storytellers, it is our responsibility to weave tales that expand the horizons of our children’s imaginations. Arguably, Greek myths offer a fantastic stepping stone to explore gender roles with a fresh eye
This new wave of modern authors that use their platform to break down the boundaries of gender has been crucial to start a conversation about the necessity to change our social constructs and outlook on the world. There is a clear need to now redefine what it means to be a “hero” but also delineate what the lines of femininity and masculinity are. This should come as little surprise that those engaged in questioning the toxic social constructs should first turn to Greek mythology to pursue their own quest instead of creating a whole new set of female heroic characters. This showcases the power contained by these narratives and their unique ability to shape the mind, acting once again as a cornerstone of humanity’s cultural foundation. As storytellers, it is our responsibility to weave tales that expand the horizons of our children’s imaginations. Arguably, Greek myths offer a fantastic stepping stone to explore gender roles with a fresh eye, though we should always be wary not to impose a modern conception to classic heritage. Those rewritten tales might even become sources of inspiration for a whole new generation of Olympians not limited by gender. We have the opportunity to nurture a generation that can break free from the confines of gender expectations. Something to consider next time we tuck our children into bed and embark on the journey up Mount Olympus.
