Myths started to explain the natural world to our ancestors. The fickle natures of the Gods and Goddesses reflect the fickleness of nature. Fantastic stories were told. Whether or not you believe the deities to be real, the stories are epic. Throughout history, mythology has appeared in literature, art, architecture, and other places. In modern days, it has shown up in our fandoms.
Personally, I am a mythology nerd, and I read it for fun. The stories stir me. Not surprisingly, I enjoy all kinds of media that use it. I also love media about magick, witches, and other mythical beings and animals, so since it is so closely tied to mythology, I get a healthy dose of it in that too. I am pretty lucky. Entertainment is still chock full of it.
We can find mythology in games like Magic the Gathering. Some sets have elements pulled directly from world mythologies. Sets like Kaldenheim for the Norse, Amnkhet for Egyptian, and Theros for the Greek, are just examples. Other sets have those and other inspirations within them. There are scenes in the art that are straight out of Egypt and other lands, and the Gods and Goddesses are there too. Speaking of games, video games are full of mythology. Two games that pop into my head are Assassin’s Creed and Smite. Assassin’s Creed specifically has games that deal with different pantheons. They have Valhalla most recently for the Norse, Origins for the Egyptians, and Odyssey for the Greeks. They take the stories of the lands and mold the game around them. Smite deals with gods and heroes from across the world. In the game, you can find deities such as the Morrigan, Tiamat, Ganesha, and more.
If we think games are loaded with goddesses, gods, and heroes, books are even more so. These books encompass all levels of reading from baby all the way up. Worlds have been rebuilt in the ages or areas of the Gods of all pantheons. P.C. Cast does a wonderful job of this in her Goddess Summoning series. Specifically in her Goddess Of Spring book. Lina switches places with Persephone and goes to the Underworld, and it is brought to life for me. Rick Riordan has three pantheons he writes/has written in. Maybe more, he writes for a younger audience than myself. He has the Percy Jackson series, The Kane Chronicles, and Magnus Chase. One of my favorite book series by Laurell K. Hamilton is the Merry Gentry series. The Celtic goddess Danu and other parts of Celtic mythology are wound into the story. Meeting the Tuatha De Dannan is way too cool and different from what I pictured. It’s great, and I love it. Another series by P.C. Cast, along with her daughter Kristen is the House of Night series. The Greek goddess Nyx is featured a lot.
More reading and into TV and movies are comics and anime. Both deal with mythology in good measure. Both Marvel and DC have gods and goddesses. Marvel most notably has the Norse gods Thor, Odin, Loki, and Frigg, as well as the Valkyries. DC has the Amazons, with Wonder Woman being the daughter of Ares. All of that is Greek. For DC from Egypt are Hawkman and Hawkgirl. There are more, these are just examples. The MCU spans the gold and silver screens, as does DC. There are movies such as Clash of the Titans or Gods of Egypt that are about the gods. I love the take that Gods of Egypt where the gods are concerned with being giant and golden blood and more. Shows like Vikings are not about the gods, but they are still woven into the fabric of the show. Anime is a whole other beast of its own. Two that deal with mythology off the top of my daughter’s head (I don’t read anime, but she does) are Kamigami No Asobi and Record of Ragnarok, and both deal with more than one pantheon. The way the deities are depicted is interesting. I don’t know if I like it or not. Kamigami No Asobi made it to the small screen, as did Record of Ragnarok.
As you can see, we still keep the Old Gods alive in our stories. They may no longer walk among us (maybe they still do). However, they continue to inspire us. It might be the Muses’ working with humanity still. Either way, these stories have helped writers from all mediums write rich worlds through inspiration or a better understanding of how to build a world.
What do you think of mythology in our fandoms? You know I am here for it. Do you like something with mythology in it? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, have fun storming the castle!
