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Of Monsters and Men

Hace poco estaba viendo un documental sobre el origen de seres mitológicos como el Cíclope, esenciales para la mitología griega estos gigantes de un sólo ojo eran conocidos por su fuerza, su gusto por la carne humana y también por ser un poco tontos. (Los cíclopes descritos por Hesiodo eran 3 Herreros míticos hijos de Urano y Gaia, los cíclopes descritos por Homero eran pastores violentos emparentados con Poseidon) 
En este caso se trata de una mezcla de varias piezas de rompecabezas mezcladas y distorsionadas:
🔹Cráneo de un ojo: en Europa hubo una raza de elefantes pigmeos y sus cráneos tenían una enorme cavidad central que a los antiguos griegos debe haberles parecido que pertenecía a un gigante de un solo ojo.
🔹Fuerza Sobrehumana: En Micenas (civilization anterior a la Griega) la antigua ciudadela fue construida con rocas tan grandes y pesadas que se sus paredes se denominaron "muros ciclopeos" ya que se pensaba que fueron estos seres los que construyeron la ciudad, por que se consideraba imposible para los hombres mover tales piedras. 
🔹Caníbales: En los inicios de la humanidad nuestros antepasados Homosapiens aprendieron a temerle a las cuevas ya que los Neandertales también habitaban en ellas y debido a que ellos eran más pesados necesitaban más comida y proteína, tendían al canibalismo dada la oportunidad, se han encontrado evidencias de ello en las cuevas de Kent, Inglaterra por lo que probablemente los Homosapiens crearon historias para advertir a sus descendientes y éstas perduraron. 
🔹0% Civilizados: En la antigüedad los herreros vivían a orillas de la civilización pues su trabajo era sucio y ruidoso, sus cuerpos estaban marcados por cicatrices debido ala falta de equipo de protección y lo único que tenían para ese propósito era un parche para ojo además de que las personas se explicaban su oficio como un tipo de brujería ya que estos hombres eran capaces de convertir piedras en espadas y escudos.

Aunque los cíclopes fueran vistos como trabajadores valiosos su característica más destacada era cuán primitivos y poco sofisticados eran, torpes y fáciles de engañar, representaban la antitésis de los ideales griegos, los arqueólogos creen que la figura del cíclope servía como herramienta para resaltar el poder y refinamiento de la sociedad griega, cuyos mitos y leyendas reforzaban los valores que tenían en alta estima y transmitían un poderoso mensaje, sobre lo que se estaba bien o mal, quién era considerado un héroe y quién un monstruo. 

En la Odisea de Homero el cíclope es vencido gracias al ingenio humano, probando así que la superioridad de la mente sobre la materia nos sostiene como humanidad... 
Somos capaces de analizar y derrotar nuestros monstruos actuales como lo hemos hecho con estas leyendas?
Podemos soltar el apego al viejo sistema de creencias que nos aleja de nuestra verdadera esencia? 
Luna nueva en Acuario, energía perfecta para cuestionar el status quo

Imagen https://maumont.tumblr.com/
Referencias: www.greekmythology.com

I was recently watching a documentary about the origins of mythical creatures,  Cyclops, creatures that are essential to greek mythology, gigantic, one-eyed beings with enormous strength and a taste for human flesh but slow in wit. (Hesiod’s Cyclopes are three gigantic and divine blacksmiths, sons of Uranus and Gaea; Homer’s are a race of enormous and violent shepherds related to Poseidon) 
With Monsters as with most of the cultural staples, its all a mix of tons of elements, lets have a look:
🔹One Eyed Giant Skull: There was a small species of Elephant wandering around Europe and of course Elephant skulls have a central cavity, such skull matched the idea of a giant with just one eye.
🔹Hyper Strenght: in Mycenae (a civilization previous to the Greek) there are "Cyclopean Walls" that were made of huge limestone boulders, fitted together roughly. As these boulders are quite big and heavy, the ancients believed that it was the Cyclops who built this city, as the thought it impossible for men to move such rocks. 
🔹Cannibals: In the dawn of humanity our homosapiens relatives learnt to be aware caves... For Neanderthals lived in them and since they were heavier that the sapiens they needed more food and protein so given the chance they opted to eat the flesh of their peers, evidence of this has been found in Kent Caves so most likely Homosapiens created stories to protect their young of this fate and such stories endured. 
🔹Uncivilized: Real life blacksmiths lived in the outskirts of civilization because their work was loud and dirty, due to lack of safety equipment, their bodies were scarred and to protect their eyes from the burning sparks they wore an eye patch and people tended to explain their craft as a sorcery in which this men were capable of turning stones into shields and swords.

Although cyclops were seen as skillfull blacksmiths and builders their most remarkable characteristic was how barbaric and unrefined they were, easily tricked, they were the antithesis of greek ideals, Archaeologists believe cyclops may have served as a tool to highlight greek society's might and sophistication, myths and leyends reinforced this values conveying a powerful message to society, of what was considered right and wrong, who was considered a hero and who was considered a monster. 

In Homer's Odyssey the cyclops is defeated by human wit, proving that mind over matter is what sustains humanity as a whole... 
Are we capable of dissecting the Monsters of our day and age the same way we tear this leyends apart?  
Can we let go of the old belief system that keeps us from our true selves? 
Aquarius New Moon, perfect energy to question the stablishment 

 

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