pandoras box

[john.zorzi]

what is the myth of pandoras box?

[andy hughes]

Pandora was a clay figure created by the Greek god Haephestus. All the gods were pleased, and gave Pandora a gift, Athene, godess of wisdom, gave her life. Pandora lived on earth, a tranquil place with no troubles, except death which was a long painless sleep. When Pandora married, the gods gave her a beautiful box, made by Hephaestus, with strict instructions never to open it. Pandora was too curious, and opened the box, out flew all the evils of the world, pestilence, plague, envy, war etc., and despite Pandora's pleading, refused to return. The last spirit in the box told Pandora that she would try to help mankind, and that her name was Hope. That is why, the myths say, that all the evils in the world exist, and that Hope will always strive to overcome them.

[incitatus]

Which is another good example of the mysogynist myth. Do you notice that its always women who unleash evil on the world? (pandora, eve, lilith etc.). Wicked misrepresentation or good observation? Discuss.

[WaldoMcFroog]

Incitatus; Whilst it is certainly mysogynist, there's a danger in seeing too much of a conspiracy here - since most ancient cillisations plundered each others myths through trade/ conquest etc, there is a large number of cultures which share the same basic story, but with differing details. The myth of the flood (in Judeo-Xian history 'Noah's flood') exists in most ancient cultures, suggesting it spread from a single origin and the same is likely to be true with the Pandora (etc) myths.

[incitatus]

I didn't say it was a conspiracy, I just put the question to rile folk. Also Ive never been that fond of the whole common origin for myths thing. Pandora, lilith and eve show clear differences in motivaation and method for their betrayal of mankind: eve is tempted, pandora is curious (with some sugestion that she has been programmed to do this by her makers) and lilith plagues mankkind out of jealous spite. The flood myths also vary. Whilst noah is clearly identical with deucalion, the oft cited similarity to Gilgamesh is at best thin. I think the thing is that narrative tools are similar the world over. Floods wipe clean, thats what they do, so when a clean sweep is needed thats what you use. If nothing else chinese whispers moves against these things coming from common ancestry. Oral traditions are so inaccurate that its hard to believe they would survive recogniseably across such a large timespan.

[WaldoMcFroog]

I think we're both basically saying the same thing regarding commonality of myths. You seem to be saying something pretty similar to the Joseph Campbell theory put forward in 'The Hero Of A Thousand Faces' that there are archetypes that are universal - the details change.

[firefly]

For one thing, Andy, it started off being a jar and not a box. Also it started off that her husband opened the jar instead of her, but like the Adam & Eve myth (Pandora, like Eve, was believed to be the first woman) women created the concept of evil and death.

[Pirotic]

a box with evil in it.. bit of a rubbish wedding present if i may say so, why can't they just give them a dish-washer or a toaster like everybody else. ;)

[Solitaire]

it has nothink 2 with a jar itsa box