The Heirs of the Gods

Why do Greek gods have so many children? They tend to have many affairs with the mortals that walk among earth on top of the affairs they partake in with other gods. The most surprising (and confusing) aspect of this is... Mortals are believed to be beneath them. They are simply the peasants and heathens that bow in submission to the gods... Yet, gods, most commonly the men, reproduce with so many countless humans that their offspring cannot be recorded. Part of the reason could be because there were so many feuds among the gods and goddesses that they thought it best to associate with each other as little as possible or because, with all of the infidelity, they believed the consequences would be much less severe if they were only with mere mortals. Part of the reason could be because humans are so easily manipulated and are more than willing to do anything for their Gods. Regardless of their reasoning, gods don't seem to abide by the rule put in place that was intended to keep them away from humans to reduce the number of half-bloods. There are so many cases of inbreeding and infidelity that it is rare that anyone can be sure of whose children belong to whom.
    The strangest part of mythology is, in most cases, people don't believe them to be true. Excluding those who study it religiously, they are folklore, myths. Who would want to idolize people who were constantly cheating and unfaithful, killing, and lying. Hades kidnapped Persephone and forced her to be his wife, Hephaestus was thrown from Olympus by his family, being deemed too ugly. Jupiter (the counter part of Zeus in Roman Mythology) wanted to be with his sister Juno (Counter part of Hera). When she refused him, he disguised himself as a wounded bird, knowing she would try to help. When she held him to her chest to keep him warm, he resumed his true form, raped her, and she was forced to marry him to hide her shame. It is these types of stories that people have created and even taken as their religious or spiritual beliefs.

The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera

 

        What do you think of when you think of The Phantom of the opera? The dark and dismal catacombs in which the greatest of the music was created? The angelic singing that seemed to come from the walls of the opera house? The strange, yet beautiful, show put on by the performers of the opera house? Well, regardless of what you think of, I think of a misunderstood, disturbed genius who was abused because of his facial deformity and was denied the one person in his existence who had ever truly given him a chance of being happy.

            Yes, I know what you’re thinking, “Wow, that was a happy way to start…” (Note the sarcasm) Well, let me break this down for you all and explain why I am so heavily opinionated in my beliefs on the Phantom. The Phantom from the classic tale I speak of was a young boy, abandoned because he was deformed (In the 2004 version that I am talking about, he was born deformed. I watch the movie version because…easy access and Gerard Butler!). He was brought into a circus at a young age and held in a cage labeled “The Devil’s Child”. Every show, a man would come into the cage while Erik would be playing or innocently going about his day. He had to wear a potato sack on his head and would spend all of his time in the cage playing with a little toy monkey. The man would go in and rip the sack off of Erik’s head and would beat him with a thick coil of rope as bystanders laughed and threw money at them as if it were all a joke. An innocent child beaten and degraded for money. You can see how disgusting and despicable this is, yes? Erik then took the rope once everyone had left and strangled his abuser. Madam Giry (The woman who basically runs the opera house) was a young ballerina at the time and she helped Erik escape to the catacombs of the opera house. He never left. It became his home and he created music, architecture, practiced magic; he was an utter genius.

            Quite some time after he went to the opera house, a young girl at the age of 7, Christine Daae, came to the opera house after her father, a famous violinist, had perished. Her father had always promised that, once he was gone, he would send her an angel of music and that he would never let her be alone. Erik became that for her. He saw her talent and wanted to nurture her from more of a father perspective. Yet, he was never seen as Christine grew up. He took her under his wing and trained her to be an amazing singer as she grew up into her teen years. Erik would do it at night from his many passageways and doors. Christine had no idea who her “Angel of Music” really was.

            Christine was discovered to be an amazing singer at about the age of 16 when the lead of an opera dropped out. Christine’s childhood friend, Raul, became the patron of the opera house, unaware that Christine was there, because his family was very wealthy. When he saw her in the show, it was the cliché reconnection and he instantly fell in love. Erik was extremely angry and finally showed himself to Christine, taking her to the catacombs where she could see how he lived and created his art, sentenced to the dark and dismal underground where no one could judge him.

            Throughout the story, Christine, in my opinion, is extremely two-faced. She can’t decide how she feels about the Phantom. He is clearly in love with her but he is most likely about twice her age. He does kill two people that she knows of and that clearly terrifies her, but she can’t help but to succumb to him and his music while in his presence. Raul is being jealous and shady and saying that they must kill that Phantom because he has clearly gone mad. The frustrating thing is that Christine seems to be terrified of the Phantom while in Raul’s presence, but she has no problem following the Phantom and being close to him when he comes around. Even after the first murder when Erik murdered Joseph Bouquet, Christine had only met him earlier that day. Right after the murder, she and Raul rushed out of the opera house as she sang, “He’ll kill you. His eyes will find us there, those eyes that burn. My god, who is this man who hunts to kill? I can’t escape from him, I never will. And if he has to kill a thousand men, the Phantom of the Opera will kill, and kill again!” ...What is this? No- You met him earlier the same day and you already assume that he is completely obsessed with you. Not to say that Erik wasn’t obsessed with Christine, but no need to jump to such hasty conclusions. Furthermore, no one saw Erik do it. Granted, we all know he did, but you couldn’t even see him.

            Not to say I condone the decisions and the behavior of Erik, but I understand why he became so aggressive and violent. He never hurt anyone before Raul came. He only wanted to help Christine but, as she changed and grew older, his feelings for her changed. When Raul came, he felt as if he were running out of time. He panicked a bit when he saw Christine was being taken away and had gotten engaged maybe two days after Raul came. He went a bit crazy. The only person in his existence to ever truly care for him, the person he had cared for and mentored for 10 years, over half of her life, was just going to abandon him for someone she hadn’t seen since she was 7. He wasn’t going to risk losing her. In the end, he let her go. He let her be happy with Raul while he was never seen again. Even after Christine was dead at least 50 years later, when the Phantom would have been in his 80’s or 90’s, he left his red rose with a black ribbon tied around it on her tombstone. He loved her after all of those years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfZnIGETQPQ


"No One Would Listen" The Phantom.

Mountain Ash

Teen Wolf: Mountain Ash most likely refers to the Sorbus scopulina, a small to medium-sized deciduous tree common in Northern California. The tree, also known as Rowan, is woven throughout the folklore of many regions as a ward against evil beings, and can be generalized to any supernatural being. Teen Wolf creator Jeff Davis has called Mountain Ash “magic” (The episode where Derek Hale is shot with it is called "Magic Bullet") but the mechanism through which it exerts power is unclear. Within the show, Mountain Ash is mainly used by Druids. It blocks and exhibits control over werewolves and other supernatural creatures.  Mountain ash tends to come in handy and is an easily created barrier. Ms. Morrell and Jennifer Blake are both Druids. They throw down circles of Mountain Ash dust to create a personal shield to protect them from others. Peter Hale could not pass while a balustrade made of the wood was down, completing the circle of Mountain Ash built into the Vet Clinic in Formality. Capsules filled with Mountain Ash powder and ingested by Gerard Argent after he had been bitten by Derek Hale, an alpha wolf, caused him to violently reject a werewolf bite. He was throwing up black blood and had it pouring from his nose, eyes, ears, and mouth.


Real Life: Mountain ash is very general as it is used to describe multiple trees.

Eucalyptus regnans, the tallest of all flowering plants and other floral species.

Fraxinus texensis, an ash tree species in Texas.

Sorbus aucuparia, which is also known as Rowan.

The tree species "Sorbus Aucuparia" is commonly known as the American Mountain-ash. It is a deciduous perennial tree, native to eastern North America. It is a relatively small tree, reaching 40 feet. It's bark is typically a light gray and smooth texture. It later becomes smooth, brownish red, and later papery and breakable. Its wood under the bark is pale brown, soft, and close-grained but very weak.


Though the plant itself is real, Jeff Davis has a habit of manipulating common and realistic things and turning them into something of an active imagination. The mountain ash in the show is said to be some sort of magic. It is unexplained in the show how exactly mountain ash works in respects of blocking out the supernatural. The only breech of the barrier is when Scott McCall uses all of his strength and pushes through the barrier, proving himself to be the True Alpha.

The Hale Family: The Fire That Changed It All

The Hale Family: The Fire That Changed It All

 

            Attention to all fans of the hit TV show: Teen Wolf. If you are not caught up on the show up to season 4, you should just stop reading now. You find out about a few characters and different plots from seasons 1, 2, 3, and 4 and it is completely tainted with spoilers. If you decide to continue reading… You were warned.

 

I have no shame in saying that I personally believe Teen Wolf is the greatest, most creative, fact filled, heart-stopping TV show to ever grace the screen and Monday night lineup of MTV, or more likely, any other channel. One of the main reasons I find myself magnetized to my television during the hour of greatness is the beautiful and infamous Derek Hale. Derek Hale is the mysterious bad boy of the show who is brooding and always appearing out of nowhere wearing a scowl on his face. No one quite knows why he is always so angry until about half way through season 1.

            Derek Hale is a natural born werewolf who came from a long line and strong family of wolves. During the first season, we get to go to the hospital and meet Derek’s uncle, Peter Hale. Peter has one side of his body completely burned and he is paralyzed. He has been unable to move, speak, or do anything for himself (even make a motion to show he is alive) for about six years. It is revealed by Derek later on that his family was burned to death in fire caused by a huntress and her team of cronies. Little do we know that the huntress who burned his family alive was actually Derek’s ex-girlfriend. Derek had been at school with his older sister, Laura, during the fire; which is why they were believed to be the only survivors of the fire. (Side note: I did the math on this! Derek was about 22-25 season 2. Kate was late 20’s- early 30’s. She was at least 5 years older than him. He had a relationship with her when he was only 16 years old. She was at least 20 years old! That is illegal! She should have gone to jail! On top of burning down a house and killing a family.. but.. still- Ew!)

          Throughout the next few seasons, the fire is mentioned a few times and more details are given about the fire. I am not sure if they will go further into the Hale family or not later on in the seasons. They truly only base most of the back stories and flash backs around Derek and give strange, random tidbits about his mother, Talia. The Hales were a very large family and we know nothing about them other than that they were werewolves. In season 2, Sheriff Stilinski is looking through the Hale fire case file and we get to see a quick glimpse of the police report. It states in the report that 11 people died in the fire… WHO ARE THESE 11 PEOPLE!? We have Talia, Cora (A sister that we didn’t know existed until she returned, alive, in season 3), I am unsure of whether or not Peter was included in the death toll of the house but, for argument’s sake, let’s just throw him in as one of the bodies. That accounts for about 3/11 of the people in the house…

          Now, let’s think logically. Laura was the oldest living Hale child, unless there was some Hale child that had graduated high school and was home for some reason, because Laura became alpha once her mother died. There were no other kids at school because they wouldn’t have been home for the fire. The likelihood that there was a child younger than grade school besides Cora is unlikely, but could account for maybe one or two children. We never figure out who Derek’s dad is. Peter was never said to be married or have a child besides Malia (Again, we don’t meet her until about season 4.) But, when we watch the flash backs of the fire, there are children in the house, in the basement. They are reaching through the gates to get out. Some of them were still human. WHOSE CHILDREN WERE THEY IF THEY WEREN’T TALIA’S AND THEY WEREN’T PETER’S?! AND WHO ARE THESE 8 OTHER MYSTERY PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE DURING THE FIRE!?       

 

http://teenwolf.wikia.com/wiki/Teen_Wolf_Wiki

Bigfoot: The Tale of a Sasquatch

 

Bigfoot is a well-known figure of common interest among the realists and the imaginative. He is the Chewbacca of Canada. Bigfoot has most commonly been described as being as a large and hairy, monkey or ape like, creature. He has been estimated to been anywhere from the height of 6 ½ - 10ft tall. I’m not sure how people can really estimate weight without just getting him on a scale, but he is believed to about 500 pounds, give or take. He is covered head to toe in dark brown or dark reddish hair. Witnesses have said that the creature also has large eyes, a very pronounced and large brow line, and a large, low-set forehead. They say that the top of the creatures head is rounded and crested, similar to that of the male gorilla. Bigfoot is commonly reported to have a strong, unpleasant smell by those who claim to have encountered him (Or her). The creature, as you would expect, has enormous footprints. I mean, it had to get its name from somewhere, right? Its footprints are as large as 24 inches long and 8 inches wide. While most casts have five toes — like all known apes.

            Personally, I am a strong advocate for the supernatural. I believe in many things because I don’t believe that we have explored enough of the world to actually know what exists. I have a theory that those who believe in Bigfoot are the ones who are advocates of the idea of evolution. People, typically of a more religious background, believe that things and beings were placed on this earth by God, the way he intended them to be. We all came to earth the way we are now. With evolution, all creatures came from a base creature. All of the things existing today were once of a common animal or creature. Different creatures we see today developed from necessary survival characteristics. There was a study done about different types of birds and why their beaks needed to be different lengths, though they were of the same species. It goes back to a species done by Charles Darwin on his theory of evolution. People believe that Bigfoot resides in the mountains or forests of Canada. Isn't It possible that he has been evolved into a form that would best equip him for his environment? I will stand by my belief that he is real until I am proven wrong.

Loch Ness Monster: Nessie of Scotland

 

        There have been claims of many sightings of a mysterious and unique water monster living in Scotland for about 1,500 (We all know this legend. You can see where I’m going with this). The modern account of the Loch Ness monster was actually reported by a couple on May 2, 1933. The newspaper Inverness Courier had the recount of said couple who actually claimed to have seen "an enormous animal rolling and plunging on the surface." Clearly, having a big water monster jumping up out of the water like some trained dolphin at Sea World sparked some need for media attention. It was a major phenomenon that resulted in the mention of rewards for anyone brave enough and skilled enough to catch such a beast.

Loch Ness, located in the Scottish Highlands, has the largest volume of fresh water in Great Britain; the body of water reaches a depth of nearly 800 feet and a length of about 23 miles. Scholars of the Loch Ness Monster find a dozen references to "Nessie" in Scottish history, dating back to around A.D. 500, when local Picts carved a strange aquatic creature into standing stones near Loch Ness. The earliest written reference to a monster in Loch Ness is a 7th-century biography of Saint Columba, the Irish missionary who introduced Christianity to Scotland. In 565, according to the biographer, Columba was on his way to visit the king of the northern Picts near Inverness when he stopped at Loch Ness to confront a beast that had been killing people in the lake. Seeing a large beast about to attack another man, Columba intervened, invoking the name of God and commanding the creature to "go back with all speed." The monster retreated and never killed another man.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/loch-ness-monster-sighted

 

                Of course, the Loch Ness Monster is simply a myth…. Isn’t it? There is no hard evidence of the creature. There are sonar stats, photos, recounts from eye witnesses for hundreds of years, even ancient drawings people had made of a water creature near Loch Ness in Scotland long before there was any media attention given to the subject. Of course, there are many misidentifications and false identifications. Many have written photos and sightings of “Nessie” off as; trees, birds, eels, elephants, seals, “optical effects” caused by something as simple as wind and fog, or seismic gas. There was a belief that, after one witness recounted seeing the Loch Ness Monster and hearing a “loud roar” that it could have been an earthquake due to the time frame that the witness reported it. Gas could have risen during the earthquake as the surface of the water shook and trembled. I must say, these explanations are all pretty plausible. They’re definitely more rational and “realistic”, aren’t they? I mean, there is reasonable doubt, that’s all we need. Well, wouldn’t it also be possible that the creature exists?

 

            Let’s consider the facts. This creature, whatever the creature may be, has been sighted and documented for over 1,500 years. There are archaic drawings of the creature near Loch Ness, countless people who have, over the years, giving detailed recollections of what they had seen. There are photos, though they are pretty cruddy quality and can be a bit fake looking, I’ll admit that. We have proof that dinosaurs existed; on land, in the sky, in the water. We study the theory of evolution in school to show that we had all descended from a common creature. There are many areas of the world and depths of water that humans are no able to venture to yet. With all of these different circumstances and conditions.. why is it so unbelievable that this creature could exist? If we can have the skeletons of water bound creatures in museums, why can we not have live creatures in Loch Ness?