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.

[vanto]

Ate his kids? What the hell?

( text )

[fettering]

yahweh wasn't exactly a great dad either

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?]

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[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.]

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[granddevil]

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

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?

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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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[fehus]

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

Do mothers have a better track record?