#5Mythological Evolution
Chapter 5 Mythological Evolution
Having determined the anchor point, Lin Yun began to actively "filter" those surging images.
Kronos' time chain is no longer a cold set of rules, but rather a "narrative unit" that can be disassembled.
As he analyzed in his paper, the evolution of myths in different periods carries different cultural symbols of the times.
For example, Zeus's thunderbolts were no longer seen as an irresistible divine power, but rather as a "symbolic system" symbolizing power.
The breaking of Orpheus's lyre is a tragedy from a human perspective, but from an eternal perspective, it is "art transcending life and death."
Two interpretations can coexist, like two sides of a coin.
The stinging sensation gradually subsided, like the receding tide.
Those chaotic scenes have also settled down.
They are rearranged in an orderly manner on the "meta-timeline".
Lin Yun took a breath.
If even God needs to breathe.
He looked at Ananke and, for the first time, truly understood the other's existence.
"It was inevitable... You knew all along that this painful process of merging would happen?"
Those who inherit the original divine status must undergo 'cognitive tempering'.
The light and shadow of Anan flickered.
The previously blurry outline became clearer.
It can be vaguely discerned that it is a female figure wearing a long robe, on which a flowing star pattern is embroidered.
"Some deities choose to abandon mortal memories and become pure embodiments of rules."
"For example, the Chronos you see eventually became numb in eternity, unable to even remember how many universes he had created."
"Some were swallowed up by mortal memories, their divine essence disintegrating into fragments of chaos."
"For example, there is a 'God of Oblivion' who exists only in legends; it is said that his followers were later transformed into goldfish."
She paused, a rare hint of a smile in her voice.
Your choice to "have it all" is itself a variable.
"And the variables are precisely the most interesting part of 'inevitability'."
Lin Yun seemed to be deep in thought, and turned his gaze back to the original timeline.
Now, looking at those floating fragments, his perspective is different.
If he was an "observer" before, he is now more like an "organizer".
He can clearly distinguish which belong to the same system.
Which ones have regional differences, and which ones have undergone philosophical reconstruction?
...
He reached out his conscious hand and gently touched the fragments.
In an instant, a flood of information rushed into my mind!
The fragments began to be automatically categorized into three types.
The first category is the core orthodox category.
The most prominent of these is the Olympian system, which consists of Homer's epics and Hesiod's Theogony.
The fragment shimmered with golden light.
Zeus's thunder roared in the clouds, Hera's peacocks spread their tails on the rainbow, and Poseidon's trident stirred the deep blue waves.
When Lin Yun "touched" this fragment, he could feel a strong sense of "order".
It's not a rigid set of rules, but a dynamic balance filled with power shifts and family feuds.
It's like a play that never ends.
Some tiny "sub-fragments" are still stuck to the edges of the fragments, which are later poets' continuation of the myth.
For example, the deconstructed divine authority in Euripides' works, and the struggle between heroes and fate in Sophocles' plays.
These sub-fragments, like vines, twine around the main fragment, making the entire system appear more three-dimensional.
Next to the Olympian system is the core Orphic system.
It emits a deep blue halo and is further divided into two branches.
One of the fragments is based on Chronos as the origin of creation, with the cosmic egg and Phanes as the core symbols. The fragments show the image of the hermaphroditic god Phanes being born from the egg.
He holds a torch and a scepter, surrounded by stars and seeds of life.
The other branch emphasizes the primitiveness of Nyx.
The fragment was covered with stars and shadows, and Nyx's figure appeared and disappeared in the darkness.
Her breath transformed into threads of fate, binding the ankles of all that exists.
A tiny crack exists between the two fragments, indicating a doctrinal conflict, but the crack is also filled with glowing, mycelium-like connections, suggesting a hidden link.
"These two branches have always been a point of contention within the Orphic religion."
Lin Yun murmured.
He had specifically analyzed this disagreement in his paper.
"Scholars generally believe that the Chronos origin is closer to the primitive creation myth, while the Nyx origin may have been influenced by the Eastern worship of the night god..."
"I just didn't expect that, on the original timeline, they really are two parallel threads, secretly 'intertwined'."
He noticed that the glowing hyphae were moving slowly, seemingly trying to close the crack.
...
The second category is regional variants.
These fragments vary in size and each exudes a different aura.
Like scattered pearls, they connect different corners of the ancient Greek world.
On the fragments of Athens, the image of Athena stands out prominently.
Wearing a helmet and holding a spear and shield, she stood atop the acropolis, her gaze sweeping over the marketplace and temples below.
The fragments are surrounded by patterns of olive branches and pottery jars, and one can faintly hear the sounds of debates in a citizens' assembly.
This is a mirror image of the "wise city-state" shaped by Athenians through mythology.
The legend closely links Athena's birth with the origin of the city-state, even adding the episode of "competing with Poseidon for the city" to prove that "wisdom is superior to strength."
Lin Yun also discovered that some small legal clauses were engraved on the bottom of the fragment.
This demonstrates how the Athenians attributed legislation to divine oracles.
The fragments of Sparta are filled with the aura of iron and blood.
Ares' shield and Hercules' lion skin occupied the most central position.
The background is the sounds of battle and the shouts of soldiers.
The myths here place greater emphasis on "bravery" and "discipline".
Hercules is portrayed as a hero who endures hardship and humiliation, rather than the arrogant demigod he is depicted in other versions.
This aligns better with the Spartan warriors' value of "honor above all else."
There were several holes along the edge of the fragment, pierced by arrows, with lead bullets embedded in the holes.
This is clearly a case of later warriors "participating" in this reconstruction of myth in their own way.
The fragments of Crete, on the other hand, carry the salty taste of the ocean.
The crown of King Minos and the dolphin of Poseidon are intertwined.
The pattern of the maze is faintly visible on the surface of the fragments.
The mythology here retains more traces of the pre-Olympian era.
The image of the bull appears repeatedly.
This is both the embodiment of Poseidon and a totem of the Minoan civilization, hinting at the ancient belief of "coexistence between humans and gods".
Lin Yun even "saw" a figure wearing a modern diving suit deep inside the maze.
He was holding a camera and taking pictures of the mural.
This must have been the obsession of some archaeologist, which seeped into the myth.
The fragments of Ionia are softer.
Dionysus's grapevines intertwine with Apollo's lyre, brimming with the vitality of nature.
The people here prefer to sing praises to the gods of nature.
The changing seasons and the ebb and flow of the tides are transformed into the playful antics of the gods.
This makes the mythology less majestic than the Olympian system and more romantic and idyllic.
A few drops of dew still clung to this fragment, reflecting the profile of the 19th-century English poet John Keats.
It seems that pastoral literature is also adding "color" to mythology here.
"Every city-state is writing its own spiritual DNA with mythology."
Lin Yun sighed.
Archaeological discoveries and historical records in Earth's memory now have new meaning.
The unearthed statues, altars, and inscriptions are all projections of these cosmic fragments on earth, representing different civilizations' personalized interpretations of "divinity."
Just like the Athena statue on the Acropolis in Athens, whose nose was deliberately smashed off and then restored in later generations.
Every crack and patch is a new creation of a myth.
The third category is niche and marginalized groups.
These fragments are more scattered and their light is dimmer, yet they still contain a unique power.
Like a shooting star in the night sky, it is brief but dazzling.
There are legends of Argonautical heroes.
The story of Jason and the Golden Fleece has been adapted to be full of romanticism.
Medea's image is no longer simply that of a vengeful witch, but rather one that embodies a deeper attachment to and struggle with love.
This was clearly influenced by tragic poets, who combined myth with the complexities of humanity.
Several yellowed pages of the script were still stuck to the fragments; they were remnants of Euripides' Medea manuscript, with stage directions marked by the actors.
There are also folk legends about the Dionysian revelry.
This is a wilder, more primitive god than those recorded in orthodox accounts.
Dionysus was no longer the gentle and refined god of Mount Olympus.
Instead, he was a leader who led his followers in all-night revelry in the mountains and forests.
Grapevines entwined around the frenzied dancers, wine and blood mingled together, exuding the unbridled and destructive instincts of life.
This may be closer to the origin of Dionysian worship, a brief escape from the constraints of reason.
Lin Yun "smelled" the aroma of fermenting grapes at the edge of the fragments.
Surprisingly, there was also a hint of electronic music from a modern music festival mixed in.
It seems that the core of this revelry has never changed over time.
There are also a few fragments, radiating the light of reason.
That was a reconstruction of mythology by philosophers such as Plato.
In these fragments, the deities are endowed with the attributes of "supreme goodness" and "supreme beauty," shedding too many worldly desires.
Zeus was no longer a lustful tyrant, but became the "source of goodness".
Athena's wisdom transcended worldly power struggles, making her the embodiment of "reason."
This is a doctrine in which philosophers use mythology to serve their own purposes, attempting to find an ethical basis for "divinity".
The fragments were covered with dense annotations.
It's like a textbook that's been studied repeatedly; you can even find a few lines from Aristotle's notes.