We arrived and checked into our hotel in Volos, Greece, the place where our group would have our second concert performance.
In Volos we listened, and I was captivated by two Greek myths.
1. The Golden Fleece is a Greek myth, originating in the city of Volos.
The Golden Fleece myth teaches about a god, the god Apollo, who was exceptional, who had a personality, who was able to be seen speaking, delivering oracles, protecting the Argonauts, even providing a way for someone (Medea) to be purified after a crime had been committed. The Campaign of the Argonauts to bring back the Golden Fleece from the Black Sea, started in the city of Volos – which was called Iolcos in antiquity.
This very special myth, the Golden Fleece, speaks about the campaign of the Argonauts, important heroes of Greek mythology, and the giving of oracles. It preaches. Why? Because this myth tells about a culture given from above.
2. The Romantic Centaur is the second captivating myth from Volos. It also tells about a culture given from above.
The mount behind the city of Volos is called Mt. Pelion, famous because this is where mythical creatures, part humans from a very intelligent tribe, dwelt. Have you heard about the centaurs, half horse and half human? Centaurs became teachers of some very special humans.
Are you possibly familiar with the Centaur Romeiki (ρωμέικη) – the Romantic Centaur?
The people of the area were celebrating the wedding of King Pirithous to Hippodamia and decided to invite the centaurs to the wedding reception. The centaurs got drunk, they became attracted to the human ladies and rushed them, even abducting the newly married queen. The wedding celebration turned into a battle between humans and the wild nature, a battle which was on the side of the beasts rather than with humans.
But after a while, a god appeared, the god of culture, Apollo. Apollo decided to offer victory to the humans. He did it through a culture which could domesticate the wild nature and bring victory upon it. So, the Lapiths, the people of the area, finally defeated the beasts, the intelligent beasts, the centaurs, because of their culture, a culture given to them from above, from a god, the god Apollo.
The theme is very, very familiar in Greek history. Greeks used the theme during the classical time, and they used it decorate several temples. Centaur Romeiki, at the Acropolis of Athens, is part of the decoration of the Parthenon – the major temple of the goddess of wisdom.
The myths and teachings that belonged to Greek culture and religion, stories of gods, heroes, and explanations about the nature of the world, set up the stage for the day of Gospel, the day of a new culture able to domesticate the wild nature and bring victory upon it.
