Immortal Gods Essay, Research Paper

By Joshua Vukelich. In the immoral world of Ovid’s The Metamorphoses the gods

stand out like the characters of a western dime novel. A hero, usually is

dressed with their purple robes held together with golden straps, that

classifies them as the royal or hierarchical gods. On the other hand, you have

the villain, who dresses in dark colored clothing. Also, the villain can appear

dressed in white with purple clothing which exemplifies the royalty of their

underworld. The gods meet each other on a day to day basis discussing the future

of someone other than themselves in their muggy saloon of Olympus. Olympus to

the gods is the pulse and heart beat of their world. At this saloon in Olympus

the usual takes place, the gambling of moral souls, while speculating the

beautiful female that they will posses that evening, and so on. Also, you have

the local disputes between the commonly known of the gods over disputes of

pride, or of land an possessions, which usually ends up in a speculative

fighting event of curses and destruction. Some analogies may be disputed as to

how and where they derived? I will try to place them as best as possible into

the spotlight of the western period. Before I begin I like to bring out a

formula that will disrupt my defense, which by the end I would like to modify

and re-state is as an "what if the gods lived in the western period with

their mythological power?" The Western formula, which tends to portray the

frontier as the "meeting point between civilization and savagery,"

because the clash of civilization ("law and order") with savagery,

whether represented by Indians or lawless outlaws, generates dramatic excitement

and striking antithesis without raising basic questions about society or about

life in general. In the perspective of moral and immoral beings that Ovid

presents in a mythological poetic voice translates well in an analytical western

perspective. The image that comes to mind when placing the immoral gods of

Olympus in a western setting is as difficult but humorous. First, is the gods,

that is where do you place them, and in what category? We need to distinguish

from the hero to the villain, while justifying the accurate setting for their

events. Second, we need to identify how we are going to place the gods the

western setting. Since they all appear to constantly meet and challenge each

other the proper placement would be a dirty saloon in a the famous city of

Olympus. This saloon will represent Olympus, where the travelers and locals will

converse, gamble with the lives of the mortals, and speculate the dancing show

girls of immortal goddess. However, in the immortal saloon of gods the education

and strategies of fighting will differ from that of the western formula. The

gods are no uneducated savages nor villains of low IQ. No, our gods are like top

level executives or politicians running our country to their best. The gods will

fight out their battle with superior levels of sophisticated planning. Through

their battles instead of the help of dragons, curses, swords, shield, and other

earth related objects that will assist them in battle, a six-piece shooter can

be supplemented. The doors of the saloon stand as a symbol, a gateway between

the immortal and mortal world. This door is the fuel of conflicts where the

furies and quarrels will meet on a daily basis. What would be the purpose of the

west or the gods if they lived one day without some form of destruction or

curse? Through the same doors the servants will bring them their daily

sacrifices and festive meals that fuel their next move. Mortals feared the gods

so therefore, sacrifices where necessary in pleasing the mighty and strong.

Sacrifices of animals kept the gods content, as like it did for the local real

estate tycoon, collecting royalties for being who he was, and the fear he

instilled into the ranchers souls of losing their possessions and dignity. It is

almost as if the mythology and western scenes portrayed themselves in a similar

fashion of settings, except with and upgrade. You could describe the difference

as in a traveler who needed a room, and two hotels where in the same vicinity

and at the same price. However, one was the Hilton and the other was a Motel

Six, they are both hotels, except one is of a finer upgraded class and quality

of service, which means that the level of living would be different. Jove

wouldn’t be caught in a Motel Six, when he is the god of gods, for he is a

Hilton god, and needs to have the best service. Now that our gods are placed

into the scene, next we need to identify our characters and place them into the

western environment. Jove, who is the son of Saturn and Rhea; highest of the

gods, could be portrayed as both a hero and a villain. The villain would come

out of him in certain events such as possessing any woman he feels like and

cheating on his wife. In the west the hero is usually a Christian man with moral

and rational values; our god is the creator of his own values. However, as a

hero he can save or destroy the mortals. He sits in the corner with travelers,

and other gods gambling in the reserved section for the immortals. Jove, if

disturbed or upset in a foul or undesired way, he will simply destroy you and

whoever he wants. In a general and logical perspective Jove is almost like the

town mayor, state governor, and real estate tycoon. Jove, is the character with

brains, power and money, that is what "Jove wants, Jove gets." Perseus,

son of Danae and Jove; who is one of the greatest of Ovid’s heroes, sits next to

Jove in this table of card players of immortal gods. Perseus is like a John

Wayne of the west, that is he comes across saving the day by defeating the

villain, and then running off falling in love with the most charming and

attractive woman of the town. Lets take an example of a hero defeating a villain

in the western scene, but using gods as our characters. Medusa, one of the

Gorgons, seduced by Neptune, who’s head represented the polar extremes of beauty

and horror. She was the one of the villains of the western scene, except, in

this scenario she is dressed in different costume that you would normally see in

a John Wayne film. When Perseus and Medusa meet like all common plot and end of

a heroic movies or scenes our Perseus slashes off her head, to which he will

eventually use to destroy the sea monster. Ovid describes this scene; The as the

beast rolled its soft belly open, Or bared its neck, his crowded sword struck

in: At back grown tough with sea-wet barnacles, At flanks, or at the thin and

fishlike tail. The beast began to vomit purple spew, And Perseus, wings, damp

with salt spray, grew heavy; He saw a rock that pierced the shifting waters As

they stilled, now curtained by the riding Of the waves, and leaped to safety on

it. He struck his sword three times and then again into the dragons bowels.

Perseus, with his heroic talented gifts defeats the dragon and saves the chained

girl and walks away triumphantly in the eyes of the spectators, which Ovid

states: Even the highest balconies of heave, From which the gods looked down on

Perseus, Rang with great cheers; Chepheus and his wife, Cassiope, called to

their hero as a gallant Bridegroom who saved the glory of their house. And now

the girl, chains dropped away stepped forward, The cause for which he fought and

his reward. Similarly, the western scenario is the same you have your hero and

villain about to defend and fight each other for the prize of survival and self

dignity. In some context you could say that Charles Darwin’s notion that due to

the social disapproval of asocial behavior is a cause for these individuals to

perform in such manner. Usually, after battle you will find that only one will

survive, leaving either the hero or the villain to praise in the arena of

violence. These two scenes presented by Ovid lead us to similar comparisons of

that of the West. For example, after our hero wins the fight, he then walks back

into the saloon, there the spectators and the heroes drink from the bar-or now

it would be wine and feast on the fruitful sacrifices or food prepared-and

discus future events. As we enter the inner soul of the saloon more characters

come into the scene. Another possibility is that our gods was ridding his winged

horse through town when he happened to see a poor innocent beautiful woman,

whose beauty struck him with courageous valor. He dashes to her rescue where she

is tied up to twenty barrels of dynamite in the center of the tracks, and a

three-hundred ton passenger train narrowing the time of doom. Another scenario

that can describe our god is the common version. The local villain abducts local

beautiful girl, and what a coincidence. Guess who happens to be near by on his

flying horse? Perseus, from the distance sees this awful conditions the villain

is inflicting onto his soon to be bride or love. He dashes down wipes out the

villain and walks triumphantly with his dignity and new woman through the crowd

of spectators advertising his hubris world. The last is the scenario is where

you have the local town fight. A fight which bursts out into the streets with

intensity from the saloon, and spectators gathered outside to see the showdown.

However, the hero outnumbered by 10 to 1 gets help from Athena, and the head of

the serpent woman Medusa. Within minutes our hero triumphantly devours everyone

and walks back into the saloon where he will take his seat next to Jove at the

card table of the gods. Meanwhile, the spectators pick up the remains of the

deceased or mourn for their loved ones. Common sense and responsibility of any

common moral western citizen is written in stone; Don not mess with the best,

for if you do, you die like the rest. Inside the saloon we have Media, daughter

of Aeetes, King of Colchis; seduced by Jason, reminds me of a head mistress of

the saloon. Ovid presents her as an enchantress and a worshipper of Hecate, the

goddess of night. In my perspective this character is deadly in her own domain,

as if she was the black widow and the saloon was her web. To the men who

disrespect and deceive her ways or rules end up dead. Amongst the gods she would

be feared by some or wanted by others in the saloon. Then you have Europe, who

was one of the daughters of Tyrians girls. Europa, stands out as a mortal who

Jove desired, and like a pimp seduced her and put her on the payroll-after

taking her into his possession, that is sex-of the immortal woman’s rooster.

Women in the Mythological era and Western were treated unfairly and viewed as

unequal in value, and purposes. In the west your common woman was viewed in

several aspects. First, the woman could appear as a loving Christian mother who

tends the home by: cooking, cleaning, knitting, and finally becoming the baby

factory. This type of character was rarely seen through Ovid in such context as

the Western setting and character. However, the male gods did have their wives

at home, but at times the bed was not always shared by that one man. Sometimes

the child was born from different fathers and mothers than that of the actual

marriage. The second type of woman was dirty, savage looking and wore her

holsters, chewing on her tobacco herding cows, on a strong sturdy horse. More or

less, she was your local woman with brass balls, or a "Tom boy." This

character would best describe Athena. Even though she is seen as a beautiful

figure who takes the breath and sight of many, she appears in a different

perspective. Athena, if provoked can turn into you local Tom Boy, by kicking the

living crap out of you, your family, and any one else who cares to avenge the

villain. Athena’s behavior is due to the gods who raised her, for she was born

from the male gods and acted as the male gods if needed. Third, you had your

party girl, or the loose type of woman that could be seduced with power, or

money. In a perspective way Medea, Europa , Io, and any other woman our gods

desired, fit into this category of woman. These woman our the lust and hubris

prizes of the saloon that gods feast their eyes onto, and when desired posses

them at their will. Of these girls Medea stands out as the head mistress, who

keeps the male gods in line. If any god crosses it they might be cutting off

their own head. The gods, like in the west, lived their day to day life based on

the actions and events that others created. After the events were in motion the

gods simply added flavor or spice to the event. For example, when Perseus during

his wedding finds himself in a quarrel with his brother, which eventually

through the help of Athena, and the head of Medusa, that he defeated earlier,

devours his opponents and those left standing with vengeance in their eyes he

turned to stone. The help from the gods reminds me of the local marshal or

sheriff, who when are in need of help to track down villains or outmatched in a

shoot-out, finds assistance from other local heroes which help him to save the

day. However, this can turn bad for the hero when faced with the same scenario

with no assistance. For example, lets say when the gods all agree on an planned

event that is due to occur and one disagrees, he or she has no choice but to

agree with one side or the other. Subsequently, then a problem arises when the

god or goddess goes against the others, depending who they betrayed will suffer

the consequences by either side. So the reality is that in the west you never

double cross anyone, or cross anyone who is stronger and powerful than you. In

the same context we can place the gods and goddess of the Ovid period, that is

who they shouldn’t to cross. For in the Mythological saloon messing with the

strong will only wind you up either cursed, banned or dismissed from the social

circle of the strong elite immortal gods table of triumph and hubris attitudes.

Finally you come to the overall picture of the West Vs the Gods of Myth and how

they coincide with osmosis into a similar pattern of lifestyle, except with

limitations. Those limitations vary from the sophisticated level of IQ, the

grammar and form of communication use-and finally instead of the normal

six-piece shooter and your normal villain-you have the Cyclops, dragons, magic,

swords, shields, flying horses and help from other gods, with Jove the one with

the final say. Place all the gods and goddess in a sophisticated social saloon,

and follow their actions as from those of the west; the results would be close

to identical except in the world of immortality the only way you die is through

by the death of another deed. Where as in the West death is brought onto the

morals, however, our gods and goddess exemplify their western look through deed

and action that Ovid so poetically portrays them. I believe that our gods would

of made great bandits, bank robbers and local heroic marshals. No mater how, or

who they may have been, I see a convincing comparison between the two. If you

were to strip away Jove’s power and authority, and replace it with a six-piece

shooter, money, and a political office; you would make him a hero, or feared

tycoon with power. Take away Media’s clothes and power, place her in the cage of

her saloon and dress her in the skimpy clothing, that bears a little more than

needed, and then give her the title of the head mistress. Take Perseus, give him

a six-piece shooter, a badge, and a hat; you have a Wyatt Erp or John Wayne. The

gods and the Western times of literature were different from each other, but

only in time and the mentality. If you were to switch them however, the

consequences could differ, unless you substitute them properly with the right

mix of necessities. Thus you create the perfect Western saloon of Olympus for

the immortal gods and goddess of Ovid’s The Metamorphoses. The Western Analogy;

The Western Saloon for the Immortal gods. By Joshua Vukelich In the immoral

world of Ovid’s The Metamorphoses the gods stand out like the characters of a

western dime novel. A hero, usually is dressed with their purple robes held

together with golden straps, that classifies them as the royal or hierarchical

gods. On the other hand, you have the villain, who dresses in dark colored

clothing. Also, the villain can appear dressed in white with purple clothing

which exemplifies the royalty of their underworld. The gods meet each other on a

day to day basis discussing the future of someone other than themselves in their

muggy saloon of Olympus. Olympus to the gods is the pulse and heart beat of

their world. At this saloon in Olympus the usual takes place, the gambling of

moral souls, while speculating the beautiful female that they will posses that

evening, and so on. Also, you have the local disputes between the commonly known

of the gods over disputes of pride, or of land an possessions, which usually

ends up in a speculative fighting event of curses and destruction. Some

analogies may be disputed as to how and where they derived? I will try to place

them as best as possible into the spotlight of the western period. Before I

begin I like to bring out a formula that will disrupt my defense, which by the

end I would like to modify and re-state is as an "what if the gods lived in

the western period with their mythological power?" The Western formula,

which tends to portray the frontier as the "meeting point between

civilization and savagery," because the clash of civilization ("law

and order") with savagery, whether represented by Indians or lawless

outlaws, generates dramatic excitement and striking antithesis without raising

basic questions about society or about life in general. In the perspective of

moral and immoral beings that Ovid presents in a mythological poetic voice

translates well in an analytical western perspective. The image that comes to

mind when placing the immoral gods of Olympus in a western setting is as

difficult but humorous. First, is the gods, that is where do you place them, and

in what category? We need to distinguish from the hero to the villain, while

justifying the accurate setting for their events. Second, we need to identify

how we are going to place the gods the western setting. Since they all appear to

constantly meet and challenge each other the proper placement would be a dirty

saloon in a the famous city of Olympus. This saloon will represent Olympus,

where the travelers and locals will converse, gamble with the lives of the

mortals, and speculate the dancing show girls of immortal goddess. However, in

the immortal saloon of gods the education and strategies of fighting will differ

from that of the western formula. The gods are no uneducated savages nor

villains of low IQ. No, our gods are like top level executives or politicians

running our country to their best. The gods will fight out their battle with

superior levels of sophisticated planning. Through their battles instead of the

help of dragons, curses, swords, shield, and other earth related objects that

will assist them in battle, a six-piece shooter can be supplemented. The doors

of the saloon stand as a symbol, a gateway between the immortal and mortal

world. This door is the fuel of conflicts where the furies and quarrels will

meet on a daily basis. What would be the purpose of the west or the gods if they

lived one day without some form of destruction or curse? Through the same doors

the servants will bring them their daily sacrifices and festive meals that fuel

their next move. Mortals feared the gods so therefore, sacrifices where

necessary in pleasing the mighty and strong. Sacrifices of animals kept the gods

content, as like it did for the local real estate tycoon, collecting royalties

for being who he was, and the fear he instilled into the ranchers souls of

losing their possessions and dignity. It is almost as if the mythology and

western scenes portrayed themselves in a similar fashion of settings, except

with and upgrade. You could describe the difference as in a traveler who needed

a room, and two hotels where in the same vicinity and at the same price.

However, one was the Hilton and the other was a Motel Six, they are both hotels,

except one is of a finer upgraded class and quality of service, which means that

the level of living would be different. Jove wouldn’t be caught in a Motel Six,

when he is the god of gods, for he is a Hilton god, and needs to have the best

service. Now that our gods are placed into the scene, next we need to identify

our characters and place them into the western environment. Jove, who is the son

of Saturn and Rhea; highest of the gods, could be portrayed as both a hero and a

villain. The villain would come out of him in certain events such as possessing

any woman he feels like and cheating on his wife. In the west the hero is

usually a Christian man with moral and rational values; our god is the creator

of his own values. However, as a hero he can save or destroy the mortals. He

sits in the corner with travelers, and other gods gambling in the reserved

section for the immortals. Jove, if disturbed or upset in a foul or undesired

way, he will simply destroy you and whoever he wants. In a general and logical

perspective Jove is almost like the town mayor, state governor, and real estate

tycoon. Jove, is the character with brains, power and money, that is what

"Jove wants, Jove gets." Perseus, son of Danae and Jove; who is one of

the greatest of Ovid’s heroes, sits next to Jove in this table of card players

of immortal gods. Perseus is like a John Wayne of the west, that is he comes

across saving the day by defeating the villain, and then running off falling in

love with the most charming and attractive woman of the town. Lets take an

example of a hero defeating a villain in the western scene, but using gods as

our characters. Medusa, one of the Gorgons, seduced by Neptune, who’s head

represented the polar extremes of beauty and horror. She was the one of the

villains of the western scene, except, in this scenario she is dressed in

different costume that you would normally see in a John Wayne film. When Perseus

and Medusa meet like all common plot and end of a heroic movies or scenes our

Perseus slashes off her head, to which he will eventually use to destroy the sea

monster. Ovid describes this scene; The as the beast rolled its soft belly open,

Or bared its neck, his crowded sword struck in: At back grown tough with sea-wet

barnacles, At flanks, or at the thin and fishlike tail. The beast began to vomit

purple spew, And Perseus, wings, damp with salt spray, grew heavy; He saw a rock

that pierced the shifting waters As they stilled, now curtained by the riding Of

the waves, and leaped to safety on it. He struck his sword three times and then

again into the dragons bowels. Perseus, with his heroic talented gifts defeats

the dragon and saves the chained girl and walks away triumphantly in the eyes of

the spectators, which Ovid states: Even the highest balconies of heave, From

which the gods looked down on Perseus, Rang with great cheers; Chepheus and his

wife, Cassiope, called to their hero as a gallant Bridegroom who saved the glory

of their house. And now the girl, chains dropped away stepped forward, The cause

for which he fought and his reward. Similarly, the western scenario is the same

you have your hero and villain about to defend and fight each other for the

prize of survival and self dignity. In some context you could say that Charles

Darwin’s notion that due to the social disapproval of asocial behavior is a

cause for these individuals to perform in such manner. Usually, after battle you

will find that only one will survive, leaving either the hero or the villain to

praise in the arena of violence. These two scenes presented by Ovid lead us to

similar comparisons of that of the West. For example, after our hero wins the

fight, he then walks back into the saloon, there the spectators and the heroes

drink from the bar-or now it would be wine and feast on the fruitful sacrifices

or food prepared-and discus future events. As we enter the inner soul of the

saloon more characters come into the scene. Another possibility is that our gods

was ridding his winged horse through town when he happened to see a poor

innocent beautiful woman, whose beauty struck him with courageous valor. He

dashes to her rescue where she is tied up to twenty barrels of dynamite in the

center of the tracks, and a three-hundred ton passenger train narrowing the time

of doom. Another scenario that can describe our god is the common version. The

local villain abducts local beautiful girl, and what a coincidence. Guess who

happens to be near by on his flying horse? Perseus, from the distance sees this

awful conditions the villain is inflicting onto his soon to be bride or love. He

dashes down wipes out the villain and walks triumphantly with his dignity and

new woman through the crowd of spectators advertising his hubris world. The last

is the scenario is where you have the local town fight. A fight which bursts out

into the streets with intensity from the saloon, and spectators gathered outside

to see the showdown. However, the hero outnumbered by 10 to 1 gets help from

Athena, and the head of the serpent woman Medusa. Within minutes our hero

triumphantly devours everyone and walks back into the saloon where he will take

his seat next to Jove at the card table of the gods. Meanwhile, the spectators

pick up the remains of the deceased or mourn for their loved ones. Common sense

and responsibility of any common moral western citizen is written in stone; Don

not mess with the best, for if you do, you die like the rest. Inside the saloon

we have Media, daughter of Aeetes, King of Colchis; seduced by Jason, reminds me

of a head mistress of the saloon. Ovid presents her as an enchantress and a

worshipper of Hecate, the goddess of night. In my perspective this character is

deadly in her own domain, as if she was the black widow and the saloon was her

web. To the men who disrespect and deceive her ways or rules end up dead.

Amongst the gods she would be feared by some or wanted by others in the saloon.

Then you have Europe, who was one of the daughters of Tyrians girls. Europa,

stands out as a mortal who Jove desired, and like a pimp seduced her and put her

on the payroll-after taking her into his possession, that is sex-of the immortal

woman’s rooster. Women in the Mythological era and Western were treated unfairly

and viewed as unequal in value, and purposes. In the west your common woman was

viewed in several aspects. First, the woman could appear as a loving Christian

mother who tends the home by: cooking, cleaning, knitting, and finally becoming

the baby factory. This type of character was rarely seen through Ovid in such

context as the Western setting and character. However, the male gods did have

their wives at home, but at times the bed was not always shared by that one man.

Sometimes the child was born from different fathers and mothers than that of the

actual marriage. The second type of woman was dirty, savage looking and wore her

holsters, chewing on her tobacco herding cows, on a strong sturdy horse. More or

less, she was your local woman with brass balls, or a "Tom boy." This

character would best describe Athena. Even though she is seen as a beautiful

figure who takes the breath and sight of many, she appears in a different

perspective. Athena, if provoked can turn into you local Tom Boy, by kicking the

living crap out of you, your family, and any one else who cares to avenge the

villain. Athena’s behavior is due to the gods who raised her, for she was born

from the male gods and acted as the male gods if needed. Third, you had your

party girl, or the loose type of woman that could be seduced with power, or

money. In a perspective way Medea, Europa , Io, and any other woman our gods

desired, fit into this category of woman. These woman our the lust and hubris

prizes of the saloon that gods feast their eyes onto, and when desired posses

them at their will. Of these girls Medea stands out as the head mistress, who

keeps the male gods in line. If any god crosses it they might be cutting off

their own head. The gods, like in the west, lived their day to day life based on

the actions and events that others created. After the events were in motion the

gods simply added flavor or spice to the event. For example, when Perseus during

his wedding finds himself in a quarrel with his brother, which eventually

through the help of Athena, and the head of Medusa, that he defeated earlier,

devours his opponents and those left standing with vengeance in their eyes he

turned to stone. The help from the gods reminds me of the local marshal or

sheriff, who when are in need of help to track down villains or outmatched in a

shoot-out, finds assistance from other local heroes which help him to save the

day. However, this can turn bad for the hero when faced with the same scenario

with no assistance. For example, lets say when the gods all agree on an planned

event that is due to occur and one disagrees, he or she has no choice but to

agree with one side or the other. Subsequently, then a problem arises when the

god or goddess goes against the others, depending who they betrayed will suffer

the consequences by either side. So the reality is that in the west you never

double cross anyone, or cross anyone who is stronger and powerful than you.