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coloricioso · 6 years

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So, I’m one of those non-Greeks that pictures (some of) the Greek gods as POC... I wanted to examine that since that post raises good points. I think it feels as though they transcend humanity... which means they’d transcend race, I guess? The Greek pantheon is so widespread that I wonder if that’s why people feel that way about them rather than, say, Inuit mythology. With that said, it doesn’t sit right that they’re the only ones that this happens to (unless you count MCU Heimdall I guess)

Two questions, 1) are we speaking on religious way orjust artistic way?

2) Also, I’d like to genuinily ask what POC issupposed to mean. I know it’s “people of color” but I don’t get it (I speakSpanish and I live in Chile). I’m not sure if it’s a USA thing and I don’tunderstand it because it feels like there is… white people and everybody elsein the same bag? (cause I still don’t understand what “white people” meanseither, is all caucasians? just USA caucasians? ) I don’t understand nor like the term because it’s like… saying there is a white hierarchy and “the others”? I’ve been always confused about it so I’d be thankful for other views on that.

short answer: in any case, whether religion or art, I think the thing is about beingrespectful and not imposing wrong info into other people. For example, if youtell me “I see Persephone as POC but that’s me “ VS “you draw Persephone with light skin youare gross!!”

Long answer:

ONRELIGION: It’s true thatAncient Greek gods were superior immortal beings, but Ancient Greek societyconceived them, despite all their power, in a human shape. Protogonoi were thoughtas primeval forces, not linked to a human shape (so probably they can transcendeverything) but Ancient Greek gods had a human shape and they were tied to theAncient Greek culture. Ancient Greek Gods are not like the Christian God thathas no human shape. A similar example would be Jesus Christ. We know Jesus wasa man. So if someone comes in and says “yeah but I picture Jesus a woman”that’s wrong because he wasn’t a woman. So here it’s the same. Athena is agoddess. She could change her shape and disguise as a man, but it was conceivedas a disguise.

We could go into a huge theology debate on divinebeings nature and religion. For example, animal sacrifice was an importantelement of official Ancient Greek religion. But back then some Ancient Greekreligious branches were against animal sacrifice. What was “true ancientGreek religion” then? With or without sacrifice? Religion changed from polis topolis, despite the panhellenic elements…

We could also argue, that most of evidence remainingcomes from: high class Ancient Greeks, that were mostly men and lived inAthens. So again, probably there were farmers who saw Persephone differentlyfrom the high-class girls in town.

If someone wants to say “I will worship Greek Godslike Ancients did” what does it mean? What Ancient Greek? A dude from Sparta?From what year? A high class dude? A farmer?

We would need to study what elements were alwaysshared by all polis and through the whole Ancient Greek history. Like, probablywe could say Persephone was always seen as the Queen of the Underworld, but indifferent times and different cities she had additional functions like being aprotector of marriage or children.

But atthe end, I think that the ultimate limit is respect. If someone has a religiousexperience and sees Persephone in a different way from what Ancient Greek“canon” and they recognize it, that’s okay because it’s a private and personalexperience. But if the same person shames and bans someone else for sayingthey see goddess Kali as white, then… why? Because only Greek culture is recyclable?That would be disrespectful too.

The limit is respect because, itwouldn’t be okay, as A LOT of Tumblr people do, if they take Persephoneand startimposing things on others that are not supported by Ancient Greek evidence. Like, a lot of people forcesexuality on Greek Gods while totally ignoring how Ancient Greek viewed andlived sexuality.

For example, Hades and Persephone myth is constructedas a paradigm for straight marriage. Ancient Greek marriage was theheterosexual union to conceive children. Artemis had men companions (aka menwho went hunting with her), had men worshippers and had her protégés.

So if someone comes in and act as they are entitled tosay that “for Ancient Greeks” Hades is a lesbian transgender woman or thatArtemis hates men and she can’t be worshipped by them because “fuck whatAncient Greeks say because gods can be whatever!!”…… I’m sorry but I findthat disrespectful. Because they’re absolutely ignoring what Ancient Greekreligion and society was.

And for fiction is the same. I know a lot of artistswho seriously don’t give a fuck about Greece, nor ancient nor modern. And theyare like “nah I will make black Aphrodite with some African tribal makeupand Chinese traditional clothing because fuck Ancient Greeks their clothes areugly”.That is a disrespectful attitude.

A different issue is what I saidbefore… if they do a cultural mix because they want to appreciate differentperspectives, or the story plot justifies it, etc…

And, as my Greek friends point out… is just like… when people act like Greeks are “white and not POC and therefore deserve no respect” and Turkish are “POC “ and have to be protected when Turkish look as white as Greeks do? So, that’s my huge question about what does white mean in the first place. Is skin color or race or what? I don’t get it.

#writings on greek myth

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