Life is short and art is long

[minoanmiss]

And I took a gander at the Tumblr tag for Leda and the Swan, I know not why.

It's really entertaining: renaissance art, modern art, Yeats' famous poem, and horrified reactions to same. Plus Hannibal fandom. What a salad. It's interesting how so much of the classical art is so pretty and cheerful, naked young women dandling swans. I far prefer Yeats' primal poem about an overwhelming, terrifying experience. Being terrible, I'm amused by (though also sympathetic to) all the posts along the lines of "IN SCHOOL I HAVE TO READ A POEM ABOUT A SWAN FUCKING A GIRL WHY IS THIS MY LIFE" Classical Greek mythology is a trip.

I would try my hand at my own version but 1) a friend (who may self-identify if desired) the magnificent sabotabby recently drew the Best Modern Version Ever and 2) there's no way I could give that poem card out!

ETA:

Comments

[mekare]

>>Classical Greek mythology is a trip.

You can say that again! I recently got Stephen Fry’s Mythos for a present and am looking forward to the wackiness of Ancient Greek Gods.

[minoanmiss]

Enjoy! I remember learning about some of the psychological reasons for all the shape changing sex, but STILL.

[amaebi]

Wait, what's that?

[minoanmiss]

IIRC something about the spirits of nature and the multiply-faceted nature of gods and so on.

[amaebi]

What's the psych part? (Sorry, I'm slow.)

[minoanmiss]

I think I should have used a different word -- philosophy, maybe? But it was about How People Organize Concepts Of The Universe and that's why Zeus has sex as so many different animals.

[amaebi]

So something like Purusha?

[minoanmiss]

Oooh, that was beautiful and amazing and I can only read the English commentary!

Kind of -- this talks about the diversity of the world emerging from the cosmic being, whereas I remember learning about various bits of the world being demonstrated as aspects of the father-god Zeus. Other Greek Gods rocked out with their cocks out but I don't recall most of the others doing as much animal cosplay as Zeus did.

[sabotabby]

Is it me? :) If so feel free to use it for any purpose, as I hate myself for thinking about it and then making it.

[minoanmiss]

I LOVE that thing and will add it to the post shortly.

[sabotabby]

:D :D :D

[rachelkg]

hi. larious.

[lb_lee]

HONK HONK

[minoanmiss]

BWEE

[amaebi]

That image and this post make me happy. Thank you, and sabotabby.

[squirrelitude]

Amazing. :-D