9/6

"But how did it all begin? A group of girls were playing by the river, picking flowers. Again and again such scenes were to prove irresistible to the gods." (4)
This is one of the many quotes in the first chapter that alludes to abduction. In fact, it seems that much of mythology is riddled with this practice, if this book is any indicator. But there is one thing I don't understand about all this kidnapping and virgin-snatching. If the gods were so incredibly handsome, strong, and clever, couldn't they have gotten the girl without having to do it against her will? If Zeus was the king of all the gods, Europa probably would have come with him no matter where he said he was going, without the aid of a disguise. But maybe that's just another version of the story; if there is one thing I realized about mythology while reading this chapter, it is that myths tend to fold back upon and repeat themselves. Everything is connected in the world of myth, and chances are if you are a mythological character going through something in the present, one of your distant relatives has had that experience before.

Oh, here's me hugging a tree.