The Busy Pagan

I don't know if this would be a shocking thing for a Pagan to say, but I don't really know that many myths.  I mean, I have studied about a few different Pantheons ranging from the Egyptians to the Greeks and now to the Celts.  But maybe I don't necessarily look at those stories as being myths.  Even if they're like "The Iliad" where it could basically be bits of legend coupled with truth of actual events, I still see them as having at least some truth to them.  And if they don't, they're still wonderful, exciting stories.

I mean, come on, hearing about Zeus giving birth to Athena from his head?  That sounds pretty fantastical but also, to me, kinda funny.  If I recall correctly, Zeus felt threatened by what Athena was meant to do, so as soon as she was birthed from her mother, Zeus ate her.  But soon after consuming his daughter, he got such a headache that he called upon Hephaestus, the Olympian gods' smithcraft, to split open Zeus' head and out popped Athena -- fully-formed into adulthood and already clothed for battle.  One story in particular that I got a kick out of was how one of the gods played a prank on Zeus and basically made it to where Zeus copulated with a goat, which he doesn't realize until later.  Of course, the prank had rather disastrous results. The prank was spawned because Ol' Thunderbutt is a bit of a hardass anyway -- but the prankster, having already known that, should have realized that the humorless king of the Olympians would not have found it funny and, instead, would have sought vengeance for his humiliation.  If I'm not mistaken, that was how the Oneroi came to be, but don't quote me.  I just remember that it was an Oneroi who was involved.

However, before I really ever started to learn of these stories of the gods, there is one story from folklore that I have always rather cherished even as it is a really sad story.  As it stands, I saw the movie first and, currently, I am FINALLY able to read the book (LOVING it, btw; Since last night and much of my time today I have already read over 200 pages out of the 900 that are listed).

Some stories portray Morgan Le Fay as an evil woman, a sorceress probably about the same ilk as Lilith is portrayed.  But historians of men are rarely kind to strong women, especially when those chauvinists have the power of the early Christian cloth to make their false words into something for all fearful people to be obeyed and accepted blindly as truth.

The book and movie that I am speaking of, of course, would be "The Mists of Avalon" by Marion Zimmer Bradley.  And, naturally, I love the decidedly Pagan theme of the book.  I appreciated the amount of research that Marion did in creating this story and I was thrilled to see how many Pagans she consulted so as to have as correct a perspective on the Pagan rites back in those days. People like Isaac Bonewits, Morning-Glory Zell, and even Starhawk's book "The Spiral Dance" were mentioned.  Perhaps it's silly that seeing them mentioned should make me so giddy, but knowing how much she researched Paganism for this book made me appreciate it even more.  It's almost like reading a truly Pagan novel.

Anyway, getting back to the point.  Stories like this are what I like to hear in regards to Morgaine Le Fay.  Even the few things I was able to find about her on the internet seem to reflect that she was actually a kind woman seeking to do the work of the Goddess, not some evil sorceress out to bring about the downfall of King Arthur and Camelot or Merlin.

I think my favorite part of the book and the movie is when it talks about how she was raised.  I particularly appreciated this part of the movie as it shows Morgaine growing up in training to be a priestess, learning magick, herb lore (I especially loved that brief glimpse of the kitchen area that showed all the herbs being hung for drying), and, of course, passing the test to part the mists.

As much as I love this story, it's also quite saddening to see how wrong all their lives went.  As much as I love this story, to me it shows an example of what happens when one manipulates others as Viviane, the Lady of the Lake, had done.  Oh, I know it was to try to ensure a good future for Avalon and Britain, but I think all her meddling (like how Igraine came to be with Uther, causing Morgaine to unwittingly lie with her little brother for the Great Rite of Beltane, etc) caused a great deal of harm even despite her best intentions.  As it is said,  "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

Still, through it all, I can see how Viviane tried her best, loved the Goddess and loved her family.  Both she and Morgaine were the biggest reasons that I love this story.  Their lives aren't easy, but they learn and try to make the best out of their situations.

That's what I take from it anyway.