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Mar. 29th, 2005 12:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lesbiassparrowI have no idea where this came from. Probably from reflecting on the role of women in Greek mythology. Comments are welcome as are suggestions that I am totally insane for writing this. No pairings: just Laura Roslin.
The true story is vicious
and multiple and untrue
- Margaret Atwood
Laura knows her myths. She’s read them plenty of times: to herself, to children, to their parents. She knows both the myths you tell to those who are young and the darker stories that you find elsewhere, hidden in the back rooms of libraries, buried in the footnotes. The myths they don’t talk about in school, the stories that people somehow forget to mention.
In the picture books given to children the Pythia is always glad of her role: she stands before Apollo’s temple at Delphi staring at the sun, her god. She welcomes his power flowing through her as she descends into the underground chamber to hear his words. She does all this willingly.
In the pictures given to children there are always laurel trees surrounding Apollo’s shrine, remembering his love for Daphne. They stretch out around the temple for acres, his memorial to her.
The footnotes, the other books, the stories you don’t tell children, show you something else: Daphne being swallowed by the bark of a tree, fleeing from Apollo, accepting oblivion to escape his love. They tell you she wanted something else: freedom, a life outside his will. They tell you the Pythia dies young. No one can channel the will of the gods and survive for long.
When Laura visited Apollo’s temple she walked past the rows of trees, never listening to their rustling prayers, straight to the long row of tombs. One for each priestess, so many of them that she could not count them all.
Laura knows this. And the visions still come, one after another. She wonders which story about her they will decide is suitable for the young. She wonders if there will be anyone to tell stories when hers ends.
Authors note: The Pythia was the name for Apollo's priestess at Delphi: Plutarch tells us that they died young, worn out by prophecy. Daphne fled from Apollo and begged her father to save her from him: she was changed into a laurel tree and became one of Apollo’s symbols.
The true story is vicious
and multiple and untrue
- Margaret Atwood
Laura knows her myths. She’s read them plenty of times: to herself, to children, to their parents. She knows both the myths you tell to those who are young and the darker stories that you find elsewhere, hidden in the back rooms of libraries, buried in the footnotes. The myths they don’t talk about in school, the stories that people somehow forget to mention.
In the picture books given to children the Pythia is always glad of her role: she stands before Apollo’s temple at Delphi staring at the sun, her god. She welcomes his power flowing through her as she descends into the underground chamber to hear his words. She does all this willingly.
In the pictures given to children there are always laurel trees surrounding Apollo’s shrine, remembering his love for Daphne. They stretch out around the temple for acres, his memorial to her.
The footnotes, the other books, the stories you don’t tell children, show you something else: Daphne being swallowed by the bark of a tree, fleeing from Apollo, accepting oblivion to escape his love. They tell you she wanted something else: freedom, a life outside his will. They tell you the Pythia dies young. No one can channel the will of the gods and survive for long.
When Laura visited Apollo’s temple she walked past the rows of trees, never listening to their rustling prayers, straight to the long row of tombs. One for each priestess, so many of them that she could not count them all.
Laura knows this. And the visions still come, one after another. She wonders which story about her they will decide is suitable for the young. She wonders if there will be anyone to tell stories when hers ends.
Authors note: The Pythia was the name for Apollo's priestess at Delphi: Plutarch tells us that they died young, worn out by prophecy. Daphne fled from Apollo and begged her father to save her from him: she was changed into a laurel tree and became one of Apollo’s symbols.
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no subject
Date: 2005-03-29 01:22 pm (UTC)Where does Laura's story fit in mythology?
I knew I'd keep benefiting from your knowledge of greek mythology.
And here I am just equating one tv character to another...time to go back to school ;).
no subject
Date: 2005-03-29 01:35 pm (UTC)If anyone I'd say she's Cassandra or Hecuba (Hecuba was the wife of Priam and Queen of Troy, one of the mater dolorosas of Greek myth). Either way she's got doomed written all over her.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-29 01:39 pm (UTC)I wonder if there's a male archetype she more closely resembles?
Did this stroll through Apollo's temple take place on Kobol or earlier on Caprica?
no subject
Date: 2005-03-29 01:46 pm (UTC)BTW, I also wanted to say that I really enjoyed your comparison of characters on your lj - there are only so many archetypes in the universe after all and it's very interesting to see how they get around. (Though I was a little hampered by my sketchy knowledge of Farscape.)
And thanks again for commenting. It's my first BSG story (if one can really call it a story) and I'm not sure it works really.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-29 01:50 pm (UTC)I'm still over on my lj trying to reply to your Farscape question.
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Date: 2005-03-29 05:25 pm (UTC)As for a male archtype... destined to do great things but suffer? I dunno... Jason maybe but that's stretching it alot.
Although I suppose you could take an Anead pov since like shes leading them forward and Aneas.... ?
Ok the 2nd year latin student will shut up and go translate something now.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-29 08:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-29 02:43 pm (UTC)Just beautiful, all around. I'm very glad I clicked over here. :D
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Date: 2005-03-29 04:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-29 06:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-29 08:14 pm (UTC)BSG just calls for added Greek myth to my mind.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-29 07:21 pm (UTC)Nice to see one of your fannish writings as opposed to factual writings I've read.
Your observations remind me of the Grimm fairy tales. There is a book out called "Grimm's Grimmest" that I would be curious to read. It is the kind that is not given to children, just as you touched upon in your story.
I've been to Delphi, by the way. The reason I even have a passport is because I went to Greece back in '96. It's a gorgeous place even now with tourists that have come and gone.
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Date: 2005-03-29 08:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-30 12:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-30 07:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-30 12:16 am (UTC)Wow! powerfully written, I'm shivering.
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Date: 2005-03-30 07:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-30 10:16 am (UTC)Mmm, very, very well done. I think you've done an excellent job capturing both Laura's exhilartion and fear with being the one prophecized to show everyone the way to Earth. Lovely.
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Date: 2005-03-31 12:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-31 10:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-31 12:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-31 05:51 pm (UTC)(I love you for this.)
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Date: 2005-04-05 12:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-01 08:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-05 12:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-08 11:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-13 10:49 am (UTC)Finding this story late as usual, but I wanted to add my compliments. As others have said, sparse, but incredibly evocative. Well done.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-15 04:24 pm (UTC)