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

[vanto]

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

[halfblaked]

Yes, of course. It's... myths aren't real, for the most part. They are... reflections of what happened in fantastical form.

But I try not to judge them, when I read them. It means I lose my academic credibility.

[vanto]

For the most part? Have you seen where we live? I'm sure someone, somewhere has ... [ Yikes, he does not want this mental image.]

You can't just look at these without any moral sort of judgement. That would be — that would be impossible.

[halfblaked]

You think so?

When we wrote these, we were trying to make sense of events in the world that we had no way of comprehending them, compounded with the gods, and their actions in our world each century -- and the mutable nature of humankind's memory, it's unsurprising that they are outlandish. They're merely a part of what makes us who we are, just as some tales are of hope and perseverance, we must also have those of us at our lowest, to teach us to learn from them.

[vanto]

I think you're trying to read too much into things that are probably not that deep.

[halfblaked]

I don't know if I would say they aren't that deep -- they can be exceptionally so, particularly with the socio-economic factors that combine into each culture's myths, but...

That is my line of work. It's hardly unexpected.

[vanto]

You'd get along great with my ex-boss. If he ever shows up here you could trade insights about uh, art and whatever you study.

I still... don't think it is that deep beyond trying to teach you a set of morals.

[halfblaked]

Oh? He sounds like an intelligent person.

[ Well... That might have been back-handed. ]

Perhaps that is your perception, but art, culture, and myth are deeply intertwined to our identities. In my world, each era is defined by the myths that shape them, and each saeculum is different because of these factors. Pretending that it serves one purpose is reducing such things to only one of their many functions.

[vanto]

He is.

[Look, senpai is awesome.] I'm sure they are, it just seems a little bit pointless to focus on it academically and just that. I mean if you're going to go deep with this, use it, right?

[halfblaked]

[ Oh Eli. David has to focus very hard, to keep his smile from splitting his face. ]

And what would you suggest I do with it, beyond sharing knowledge. I'm an educator at heart, it seems...appropriate.

[vanto]

[Sorry, senpai, he likes Woden so much more. This is either good or bad, who knows.]

Depends if your sharing the knowledge yields results. No point in sharing if you can't inspire others to take actions you can't.

[halfblaked]

I like to think it has. I kept the fandom alive, after all, in the time between the recurrence and now.

And now I have the opportunity to study alongside them, and eventually share my knowledge.

So yes, I'd say I will do that.

[vanto]

Well. [Eli isn't sure what to say, sorry David he thinks you're... stuffy and too academic.]

That's... good, I guess.

I should go, time to work. But you keep working at it.

[It's not intended to come out as condescending but it does, Eli isn't malicious but clearly his opinion hasn't changed.]

[halfblaked]

[ Just for that?

Woden might have to ignore his next call. JUST BECAUSE.

Mostly because David is malicious. ]

[vanto]

[David you dick.]