02 | Video

[halfblaked]

As a professor, whenever a holiday comes, it's always an opportunity for learning, and today happens to not be an exception, despite the personal nature of the holiday.

I suspect there are not many who celebrate such things, but perhaps it is a nice time to speak of them, considering it's father's day. I'm reflecting on fathers of myth, of course, not real ones -- but, ah, if you need someone to listen, I am, of course, here to listen.

There are, unfortunately, not a terribly high amount of good fathers in mythology, at least from my world. Sometimes, if you think of yourself as a poor parent, you can at least remember that you are no Zeus, or Hiranyakashipu. One was merely...devoted to sowing his progeny around Greece, as we all know, but Hiranyakashipu attempted multiple times to murder his son, because he worshipped a god he hated. [ A soft chuckle, and a shake of his head. ] I worried about moving too much, with mine! I suppose things could be worse. Then again, there is also Cronus, the god who ate his sons, [ he starts ticking on his fingers, ] Tantalus, Izanagi, Abraham...

Well, we're not short on those, are we? [ A soft chuckle, and a shake of his head. ]

I suppose there's something to be said, when we consider ourselves bad parents, yes? Not that we should ever excuse ourselves. [ A beat. ] I suppose I'm just...thoughtful, today. Moreso than I thought I would be. [ Another pause. ]

Are there others out there, who are thinking of things like this today?

Comments

permavid.

[mortalweapon]

[ Of course the big blue machine with the father issues would arrive in time for Father's Day — and the Father's Day Network posts. ]

I often consider what the most fitting punishment for a bad father would be.

[halfblaked]

Ah... Have you come up with any options?

Mythology aside -- some of them don't get their due diligence, but I suspect most poor fathers eventually suffer -- but perhaps not nearly enough.

[mortalweapon]

I reached a conclusion once.
It was murder.
As it turned out, there were a few logistical problems with that option.

Do you consider yourself a bad parent?

[vanto]

Ate his kids? What the hell?

[halfblaked]

It's an interesting myth.

Cronus was told that his sons would overthrow him, so he ate each of them. Eventually, this tactic stopped working, of course.

[vanto]

That's not interesting, it's horrific and wrong.

( text )

[fettering]

yahweh wasn't exactly a great dad either

text

[halfblaked]

Was he not? The way some speak of it, he was so great, everyone wants to be his.

[fettering]

his first children were never meant to have choice, and when one tried to ask why, tried to understand why he loved his mortal children better, he created a place of eternal torment to punish him with
he then went on to allow his mortal child to be tortured to death
i'm not a big fan

audio

[devoutish]

I'm not sure that anyone thinks about mythology as much as you do, mate.

[... He says it sort of fondly, at least?]

audio

[halfblaked]

Ah...perhaps not. [ A soft scoff. ]

I certainly can't help it, I've written a lot of books on the subject, after all. Besides, what else do I have a complete and total knowledge of that I can talk about?

[ That's his power, you see. ]

audio

[devoutish]

Surely you also talk about things that you don't have a complete and total knowledge about?

video

[mostlyprofessional]

[As Chloe speaks, she's twirling a small golden Ganesh figure in her hand.]

Hell, even in Hinduism alone, it's not just Hiranyakashipu who's a crap dad: Shiva beheaded his son for guarding his mum's bath - though in Shiva's defense, Parvati left it a little late to tell him Ganesh was their boy.

[Despite her otherwise Australian accent, she pronounces the Indian names like a native speaker of Hindi.]

Video

[halfblaked]

Oh of course! I enjoyed the story more, honestly. [ A beat. ] If I named every bad father in mythology, we'd be here all day.

Are you...a practitioner?

Re: Video

[mostlyprofessional]

[Shaking her head, she stops twirling the figure to hold it in her fist.]

Not really, no. Got some in the family, but me, I just work in antiquities collection, so mythology's something of a flow-on area of expertise.

[A sentence largely full of understatements.]

Bad Fathers of Mythology wouldn't be a bad way to mark the occasion.

video

[granddevil]

And the good old Bible God, whatever you want to call him. [ satan waves his hand ]

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[halfblaked]

So another has said, yes. There are many beyond those listed, but if I did every one, could you imagine how long that would take me?

Was it personal, for you?

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[granddevil]

He is literally my father, [ not like the usual human idea that gods is the "father", no satan was literally born of god's hands directly ] I don't think it get more personal than that.

video » id reads "lester papadopoulos"

[lesterzeppelin]

Well, yeah. The bar is pretty low if you're gonna compare yourself to Zeus.

[ All of this conversation about gods is fine, well, and interesting, but given that today is Father's Day, and this guy looks kind of like Percy's stepdad's age.... ]

Do you have any kids, professor?

video

[halfblaked]

[ A laugh. ] Yes, well, I suppose he learned from his own father. Generational trauma, and all of that.

[ A wave of his hand, before he nodded. ]

Yes, I have a son. His name is Jon, he's... far and away from here.

[lesterzeppelin]

A vicious cycle?

[ Lester's expression softens, full of understanding - ] I'm sure he misses you too, wherever he is. I know I'd miss my - [ "kids" ] relatives.

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[am_i_a_monster]

[Abigail frowns deeply.]

There was a god who ate his sons? Did he eat others too? People who looked like his sons? Did he call it love?

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[halfblaked]

Mm, I don't think Cronus called it love, and nor did Tantalus call it love when he cooked his own son to present him to the gods.

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[fehus]

[what the fuck is a dad? he just doesn't know]

Do mothers have a better track record?

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[halfblaked]

[ don't ask david... ]

In some cases, yes. Think of Demeter, and Persephone. Perhaps ineffective, but she raged, and raged until her daughter was returned to her. I would say that's truly the love of a mother, yes?