"Mythological Contradiction"

[hilaire11]

I've noticed it long before. I just wondered if anyone else has. I mean, don't you sometimes feel that there's something weird the way the gods contradict themselves?

Take for example Hermes. He's the god of commerce, and at the same time the god of thieves.

eek

And even Artemis, who's the goddess of the hunt. Yet she gets angry when someone kills her animals.

Mythological contradiction? xd  

[Queen-of-the-Rogue]

You know I never thought about that but now that you bring it up that's a good
point.  

[Lenimph]

Well they are portrayals of certain aspects of life, and an aspect of life can cover alot of things. So it may seem like there contradicting themselves, but it's just that they represent many things with a common simularity.

That was the answer I thought of for myself, so I would stop thinking about it. xd  

[Aravilui Tiranistion]

hilaire11

I've noticed it long before. I just wondered if anyone else has. I mean, don't you sometimes feel that there's something weird the way the gods contradict themselves?

Take for example Hermes. He's the god of commerce, and at the same time the god of thieves.

eek

And even Artemis, who's the goddess of the hunt. Yet she gets angry when someone kills her animals.

Mythological contradiction? xd

Ever listen to fair hawkers? Or how about the Jews, who were well known merchants/cheaters? In that time, a merchant was often a thief as well. There was little to no difference.

Also, Artemis got angry when someone killed her animals because that was HER animal and not one she wished to be killed. Wouldn't you be angry if someone killed your pet? Hunters often kept pets of animals they also considered prey.  

[Queen-of-the-Rogue]

I didn't know that but it does make sense.  

[merebookmonkey]

Pheonyx Fire

hilaire11

I've noticed it long before. I just wondered if anyone else has. I mean, don't you sometimes feel that there's something weird the way the gods contradict themselves?

Take for example Hermes. He's the god of commerce, and at the same time the god of thieves.

eek

And even Artemis, who's the goddess of the hunt. Yet she gets angry when someone kills her animals.

Mythological contradiction? xd

Ever listen to fair hawkers? Or how about the Jews, who were well known merchants/cheaters? In that time, a merchant was often a thief as well. There was little to no difference.

It's not just the Jews...all merchants were cheats as well...everyone is after profit.

Also, Artemis got angry when someone killed her animals because that was HER animal and not one she wished to be killed. Wouldn't you be angry if someone killed your pet? Hunters often kept pets of animals they also considered prey.

 

[Dionysus Bromius]

I'm a faire hawker...well, I was. But I wasn't a cheat at any rate. I refused to sell anything that wasn't up to my standards. Ok, that was a tangent. I swear, I do have something actually useful to say!

I hadn't really noticed it as much, but I remember being confused when coming upon places in some of the Greek dramas where a god seemed to act against what they patron (i.e. Dionysus being attributed peace sometimes, but being known for frenzy and occasionally violence). I thought that maybe it was because of variances in the perception of the gods over time and between Greece and Rome, but I also think that there might be a sort of balance to maintain. For example, if Artemis just protected all animals, there would be no meat and a surplus of wild animals. So she is the Goddess of the Hunt to balance. There needs to be frenzy for peace, thievery for commerce, et cetera.  

[Kenamarin_Shukai]

wow...i never noticed...
i actually got another one
hermes is the bringer of luck (i believe) but hes also kind of mischevious...its not exactly contradiction at first sight...but if u think about it its kinda weird...  

[Aeronn]

Dionysus Bromius

I'm a faire hawker...well, I was. But I wasn't a cheat at any rate. I refused to sell anything that wasn't up to my standards. Ok, that was a tangent. I swear, I do have something actually useful to say!

I hadn't really noticed it as much, but I remember being confused when coming upon places in some of the Greek dramas where a god seemed to act against what they patron (i.e. Dionysus being attributed peace sometimes, but being known for frenzy and occasionally violence). I thought that maybe it was because of variances in the perception of the gods over time and between Greece and Rome, but I also think that there might be a sort of balance to maintain. For example, if Artemis just protected all animals, there would be no meat and a surplus of wild animals. So she is the Goddess of the Hunt to balance. There needs to be frenzy for peace, thievery for commerce, et cetera.

I'd agree with that. It seems like there has to be either a balance maintained by the same god, or two opposing gods.

We even have the same idea with luck...I mean, there is good luck and bad luck, though perhaps because we think we only want the good kind, "lucky" implies good luck.  

[Kenamarin_Shukai]

Aeronn

Dionysus Bromius

I'm a faire hawker...well, I was. But I wasn't a cheat at any rate. I refused to sell anything that wasn't up to my standards. Ok, that was a tangent. I swear, I do have something actually useful to say!

I hadn't really noticed it as much, but I remember being confused when coming upon places in some of the Greek dramas where a god seemed to act against what they patron (i.e. Dionysus being attributed peace sometimes, but being known for frenzy and occasionally violence). I thought that maybe it was because of variances in the perception of the gods over time and between Greece and Rome, but I also think that there might be a sort of balance to maintain. For example, if Artemis just protected all animals, there would be no meat and a surplus of wild animals. So she is the Goddess of the Hunt to balance. There needs to be frenzy for peace, thievery for commerce, et cetera.

I'd agree with that. It seems like there has to be either a balance maintained by the same god, or two opposing gods.

We even have the same idea with luck...I mean, there is good luck and bad luck, though perhaps because we think we only want the good kind, "lucky" implies good luck.

You make a very good point.  

[Voltage Purified]

I agree with Dionysus Bromius' idea for Artemis...
My theory for Artemis however is that she's not the goddess of KILLING animals, but of the sport of hunting itself. I'm sure that she can respawn whatever she kills, (or maybe she only slightly wounds the animal) but mortals can't heal their prey which is why Artemis can get upset.  

[Blinded By Logic]

They're Gods. they're the only people in the universe who can have a double standard and not get criticized for it. They have to balance everything out like Dionysus Bromius said.

 

[GreenInkling]

Everyone has good explanations.

I'll just throw another one out there, food for thought. Maybe they contradict themselves due to the conglomeration of differing myths about them. When cultures combined, or one civilization adopted another, gods were often merged, and they didn't always match up correctly. One person's god of the sun, for example may be good, while anothers may be harsh and cruel. In that way, you get two very different myths about one God. In one myth, he acts completly out of character. But the point is - gods have no "set" character. They change according to how the civilizations and people see and need them.  

[Lightwater2520]

GreenInkling

Everyone has good explanations.

I'll just throw another one out there, food for thought. Maybe they contradict themselves due to the conglomeration of differing myths about them. When cultures combined, or one civilization adopted another, gods were often merged, and they didn't always match up correctly. One person's god of the sun, for example may be good, while anothers may be harsh and cruel. In that way, you get two very different myths about one God. In one myth, he acts completly out of character. But the point is - gods have no "set" character. They change according to how the civilizations and people see and need them.

Plus, the Greeks where known to integrate the gods of the people they conquered into their own pantheon.