MESMERISING MYTHOLOGY

Mythology has always fascinated me. I mean, what’s more fun than reading about immortals devouring their own children or an epic war between siblings? And when one talks about mythical events, one simple cannot forget the WARS! We have wars of all sorts in ancient mythology; wars between the Gods and their parents, wars between cousins, wars between warring nations for the most beautiful lady in the world, wars between Gods and magicians, the list is endless. Add the awesome powers of the Gods to the equation, and we got the perfect do-it-yourself fun kit right here at home.

This is why I went out on a quest to read as much mythology as I can. The beginning were, of course, our very own Ramayana and Mahabharatha. Starting from the comic versions, I progressed towards various transalations of these two epic. After these, I happened to stumble onto a movie called Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. It was not half bad, filled with monster and Gods, just the way I like my Greek mythology. But when someone told me that it was based on a book, no, a whole series, boy, did my ears prick up! A visit to my local library and a conversation with a more than helpful librarian later, I had on my hands a wonderful journey filled with modern society and ancient myths, teeming with Gods, monsters, evil warlords, kids with super powers and the like.

Basically, all Riordan does is retell the ancient myths in a more modern context. He makes it such that the Gods of ancient Greece did exist, and still do, although they are the Gods of America right now( I know, I know, everything is set in America these days) What’s more, Mount Olympus is now on top of the Empire State Building, the 600^th floor, to be exact. And when Greek Gods exist, so must demi-gods. Yeah, these Gods haven’t lost that habit of having children with mortals yet. Percy Jackson, the protagonist of this series, is one of these demi-gods, a son of Poseidon, the God of the seas, which gives him a part of his father’s power. And of course, one cannot have a good myth without the end of the world looming large. In this case, it is the Titan Kronos and his cronies (does that count as a pun? Atleast a weak one?) And there you have it. The son of Greek God of the seas, battling the father of all Gods with the help of his demi-god friends and the Gods themselves, in an epic battle for the world. Through five books, Riordan manages to retell many of the ancient myths and legends set in the modern world, bending the stories to suit his purpose, through the mouth of the protagonist himself, who has a great sense of humour and sarcasm, to keep the readers entertained throughout.

I read all the five books in a little more than three days, and was feeling all sad and put-out, having returned the books to the library, when the librarian told me that there is a follow up series ( I suppose this is where I’m supposed to insert one of those epic similes made so popular by Milton, but I can’t seem to think o any) This one sounds even better: The Heroes of Olympus. It has all my favourite heroes from the previous series and some new ones. New ROMAN ones. Now, you might wonder what the connection is between Greek and Roman mythology. Well, Roman mythology, or atleast the Gods, are pretty much the same as the Greek ones, the only difference is that the Romans liked naming theirs after planets. Zeus is Jupiter, Poseidon is Neptune, well you get the idea. So this new series involves Greek and Roman godlings fighting, no points for guessing, to save the world, again. This time though, the enemy is much more formidable, the Mother of God. No, the actual mother of the Gods, Gaia. This crazy lady sheds a whole new light on the term “Mother Nature”. Raising up giants that can only be destroyed when a human and a God work together, this series is more or less, a retelling of the Gigantomachy. This time round, it’s narrated in the third person, with a different for every few chapters. The fourth book is set to be released sometime in October this year, and I for one, can’t wait to get my hands on it.

Just when you think this guy is done, he comes back with something more. This time, it’s Ancient Egypt. Yes, you read it right, EGYPT. If there’s one thing more mysterious and exotic than Ancient Greece, it’s this great civilization founded upon the Nile. The Kane Chronicles, featuring the descendants of two great Pharaohs, Narmer and Ramses the Great, details the fight against Apophis, the Egyptian version of that power-hungry lunatic who wants to destroy the entire world, by the protagonists Carter and Sadie Kane. Hosting the spirits of the Gods Horus and Isis, these two kids take on the red serpent with the help of a few other magicians and Gods. This trilogy, narrated by the two protagonists, doesn’t disappoint, with more monsters, spells and battles than one could possibly handle. Just like the Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus series’, Riordan once again, proves that he knows his mythology, with numerous facts blending seamlessly with fiction to create a first class journey to Ancient Egypt right here at home.

For all those quirky souls who love to read about bloody wars and crazy Gods, Rick Riordan is the perfect platform to start off. With his novels under your belt, you can safely proceed towards epics like Iliad and Odyssey, knowing that your knowledge of the Gods and their extremely complicated relations are at your fingertrips. Bon voyage!