Hey gang! So sorry for the inactivity for a while! Now I can fully pay my bills here!:) Anyway, I also have a blogger.com account so sometimes I will post links from it here so that you can see more content. Check out this latest entry of mine: Star Wars As Modern Myth It is generally known that George Lucas' epic space operas, "The Star Wars Saga", have taken their place among the elite of classic movies, have worldwide acclaim, a huge fan base (of which I am a part), and have a multi-generational appeal. Yet, can Mr. Lucas be considered a modern mythmaker like Homer was in his day? It can be arguably said that the Greek storyteller would have wanted to make movies of his art if he were alive today; but Homer was around over three thousand years ago. Are modern myths even possible? This week's topic is about discovering whether or not Star Wars can qualify as Modern Myth. First, I want to present to you a brief link that includes the late great Joseph Campbell: a scholar, writer, professor, and even a symbologist whom one could easily call the real-life Robert Langdon (for you Dan Brown enthusiasts) sans secret societies and adventure. George Lucas' creation was largely inspired by Mr. Campbell's book "A Hero With A Thousand Faces" which examines how all heroes throughout myth follow a certain pattern. From Ulysses to Luke Skywalker, they all have a common thread. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_jGxUkPz8I If you'd like, here's another link you should see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O5cJ9-iXQg I hope you enjoyed learning more about the underlying meaning of "Star Wars", so here is a very short, simple, and stress-free mini-test on what you may have gleaned from watching the YouTube video link: (1) How did Joseph Campbell perceive the hero? What was his role? a-plot device b-a personification of a culture's mythology c-a simple warrior (2) How did Mr. Campbell get the idea of writing "A Hero with A Thousand Faces"? (3) What is "The Hero's Journey" and how does Luke Skywalker follow it ? (4) What does it mean when the Hero makes his"Descent into the Underworld"? (5) What was Luke Skywalker's "Call To Adventure"? Answer to #1: b; the remaining questions can be answered according to how you perceived the viewing. Here are more things to consider: "Nobody paid $7 to hear Homer read The Odyssey, or lined up to buy Thomas Malory's 15th-century version of King Arthur's legend. But, when Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace opens at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, George Lucas' epic of galactic good and evil will be seen by more people in one day than Homer or Malory ever dreamed of reaching in their lifetimes" (Persall, 1999) . In retrospect, this turned out to be true. "Lucas is the first mass media mythologist, which causes some academics to question placing him among the elite creators of legends. Ancient myths thrived on the power of their stories alone, not mass communication" (Persall, 1999). "However, Star Wars is a fairy-tale too. Skywalker is larger than life, but not too large. Unlike Beowulf, who wrestles with a sea-monster as a starter before even hearing of Grendel, Luke starts life as just a good ol' country boy - the woodcutter's son, in other words. His real father may be Darth Vader, but it takes another two films before he learns that this is the case (or that Princess Leia is actually his sister - Jedi families seem to be pretty dysfunctional). Again, hidden nobility is a common theme of fairy tales: the woodcutter's son is really a prince" (Anonymous, 2009). In essence, Star Wars is more than just entertaining movies. They contain the Hero's Journey and all the other classic elements that are defined as Myth and it is certainly modern because of all the technological advancements and settings that a 21st century audience can enjoy. The next time you pop in a DVD of any of the six films, remember thatthis story has been told for centuries. References Persall, S. (1999) Move Over, Odysseus, here comes Luke Skywalker. St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved October 6, 2009 from http://www.folkstory.com/articles/petersburg.html Anonymous (2009) Star Wars: Myth, Legend, and FairyTale. Sensible Marks of Ideas. Philosophy and Linguistics Pages. Retrieved October 6, 2009 from http://neptune.spaceports.com/~words/starwars.html Posted by BKT at 4:23 PM 0 comments