Having been named for the Greek god of light (as well as plagues, healing, medicine, archery, poetry, prophecy, dance, reason, intellectualism and purification), Apollo, I suppose I was given a birthright of interest in myth and related fields. Anyone who’s known me long will attest I was facinated by all things mythic even before I was a young boy hearing of Glooscap (the trickster-creator, god and hero of the local Mi’kmaq first nations people). To this day, the draw of myth influences much of my life and thinking, joining music and writing (influencing the latter immensely) as a pillar of my personal dynamic.
Lately I’ve been a bit more active in seeking out sources of historical and mythic information I’ve overlooked in the past, with studies of such important areas as the building and earlier history of the Taj Mahal and its creator, South American myth patterns and theories of mythic archetypes. I’m sure most of you reading this imagine it to be stuffy material to spend my evenings on, but I assure you there’s much to be gained from an understanding of myth and that it’s exciting to discover new myths and mythic connections between cultures. Myths are still ever-present and ever-evolving even in our modern world, so an aware person will seek to understand them.
The South American myths I’ve been reading this week have been provided by John Bierhorst’s The Mythology of South America, a book nearly two decades old that explores the most overlooked continent’s myths. The myths collected here are well told and allow much insight into the aboriginal peoples of the continent to my south. Though surely not as complete as some newer books on the subject, it’s an enjoyable read for both those with a passing interest in myth and those of us with a more scholarly passion.
I’ve been working quite hard in my efforts to gain employment, but so far it’s been for naught. Is the effort and excruciating experience worth something without success? I don’t know, but the feeling I have would argue against that, and it’s quite an upsetting feeling. I will try as long as I am able, though. I’m admittedly stubborn when it comes to accepting failure (though not in admitting it), and I’ll work diligently at anything I believe has a chance of being a success. With time running out, I’m hoping to beat the odds.