The Greeks had a story for everything. You've heard "Pandora's box" all your life as a term for opening up something you shouldn't because you don't know what's in there. The original story is a cautionary tale about curiosity and temptation. Pandora gets the blame for all the evils of the world, yet it was Zeus who set her up to take the fall. This TED-Ed lesson from Iseult Gillespie has the story. (via Laughing Squid)
Interesting. There were several stories told about Pandora. I heard a completely different one that I've seen on the web as also told by the Greeks.
I can't remember it in details (the names of the Gods, etc). But as I heard it, the Gods made man, and the men were very full of themselves, building big cities, inventing things, beginning to think they could challenge the Gods. To put a stop to this they came up with a plan. They wanted to give a box filled with horrible things to men, but weren't sure that the men would open it.
So they created a woman--someone that the men will like and accept. This woman, the very first woman, was Pandora. She was given a box and was told to give it to the men, as a gift from the Gods. The men liked Pandora and so accepted the gift. She opened the box and all the evil things came out. Pandora was no dummy, and immediately realized they had been had, and slammed the lid shut. But everything had gotten out, except for one thing.
That one thing? The ability to see the future. Being able to see the future is a curse because with it, you give up hope. By slamming the lid shut she allowed mankind to keep hope and to go on living.
I'd always heard that it was hope that remained in the box, and Pandora eventually released hope as well. Personally... and one day I will write it all down, I believe that "hope" is a horribly destructive thing as well. Why? Because it keeps you looking to the future instead of living in the present. You are cheating yourself of life right now, because you want more, better, change, different.
Interesting. There were several stories told about Pandora. I heard a completely different one that I've seen on the web as also told by the Greeks.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember it in details (the names of the Gods, etc). But as I heard it, the Gods made man, and the men were very full of themselves, building big cities, inventing things, beginning to think they could challenge the Gods. To put a stop to this they came up with a plan. They wanted to give a box filled with horrible things to men, but weren't sure that the men would open it.
So they created a woman--someone that the men will like and accept. This woman, the very first woman, was Pandora. She was given a box and was told to give it to the men, as a gift from the Gods. The men liked Pandora and so accepted the gift. She opened the box and all the evil things came out. Pandora was no dummy, and immediately realized they had been had, and slammed the lid shut. But everything had gotten out, except for one thing.
That one thing? The ability to see the future. Being able to see the future is a curse because with it, you give up hope. By slamming the lid shut she allowed mankind to keep hope and to go on living.
Hmm, all these stories were written by men, but it's women like Pandora and Eve that take the fall. Seems to be a pattern.
ReplyDeleteI'd always heard that it was hope that remained in the box, and Pandora eventually released hope as well. Personally... and one day I will write it all down, I believe that "hope" is a horribly destructive thing as well. Why? Because it keeps you looking to the future instead of living in the present. You are cheating yourself of life right now, because you want more, better, change, different.
ReplyDelete