If we’ve said it once, we’ll say it again. Greek mythology is the king of pushing the moral ambiguity line. Because it’s within Greek mythology that you’re going to find a demigod who kills his wife and children, is sent on a series of impossible tasks by a god, and …
If we lived in a world where the Greek myths were true, then Disney’s Hercules would be seen as one of the greatest PR campaigns the world has ever seen. It took this ill-tempered and often brutish man and made him the hero of the story rather than the violent …
Stemming from Scandinavian folklore, trolls are typically divided into two categories. There are the mountain trolls – similar to what Harry, Ron, and Hermione faced down in the bathroom during their first year at Hogwarts. These are large, brutish, and generally unintelligent creatures with little distinction from giants as far …
Ares might very well be the personification of the worst human qualities – bloodlust, violence, manipulation, and greed. But like all of Greek mythology, good and bad are relatively ambiguous terms. Even the greatest Greek heroes committed horrendous atrocities. But that’s also part of what makes Greek mythology so fascinating, …
It is probably reasonable that Poseidon is given a little bit of a break. He was, afterall, swallowed in his infancy by his own father where he then spent years until Zeus came and freed him. But it wouldn’t be Greek mythology if it just ended there and he had …
Few deities in the Greek pantheon have as much claim to fame as Zeus. Even fewer hold such a role of heroism, leadership, and other qualities to idolism despite his general lack of demonstrated humanity and empathy. He seems to be a god that ruled by fear, not by love. …
Hades – the misunderstood brother of Zeus and Poseidon. He wasn’t casually cruel the way Poseidon was. He didn’t rule with an iron fist the way Zeus did. But if Zeus and Poseidon are the bar for whether or not someone is good or evil, the bar is very low. …
It’s always the woman, isn’t it? She’s either a villain or villainess or a victim, stripped of all autonomy, personality, and even personhood. She’s never the fullness of her being, never given her full person and all the complexity and nuance that goes into being a being. Hera, goddess of …
When it comes to fantasy villains, there are a couple of mythological beings you can often expect will play a negative role. These include vampires, zombies, banshees, and, frequently, goblins. But does that mean goblins are evil across the board? Goblins aren’t always evil, though they’re almost always mischievous. However, …
Have the Norse gods entertained you recently? They are popular in TV series, movies, novels, and comic books. What you’ve seen may have made you curious as to what Odin’s character is like—if he is good or evil—and how he fits into this mythical universe. Odin is neither thoroughly evil …