Folklore

Merrily huddled together, forming an uneven circle, encroaching towards the illuminating warmth radiating from the ferocious flame forged by enchanting hues of orange, yellow and white entwined together. As the flame danced mightily in front of my wide, doll shaped eyes, flecked with curiosity, I grabbed my sister’s ever- steady arm, to comfort me whilst the chilling winds blew across my face. As I sat near the ancient logs piled upon each other and the orange sparks erupting from them, listened to spellbinding tales whispered secretly in hushed tones, watched the crumpled leaves fall to the awaiting ground beneath and gazed at the glowing faces of my cousins, adorned with hearty smiles and echoing chuckles, I heard a jumble of distinct syllables ring in my ears. “Folklore, folklore, folklore.” As this word was chanted in a deep rhythm like a prayer, as my family urged my reserved sister to dwell into tales from our homeland, I was transported into another dimension, centuries ago, right into the magnificent empire known as Greece.

 Whenever I hear the word ‘folklore’, I instinctively think about the Greek poet, Homer. He wrote the most captivating and heart wrenching tales, a long time ago in a civilization since burned to ashes, and reborn again. What makes me resonate with him and feel a profound sense of admiration for his work and thriving creativity are the stories that accumulated piece by piece, creating his life. Though he was blind and could not see the magnificent shades encompassing his surroundings, he did not let that hinder him as he turned to words for solace. While he couldn’t see the serene beauty the world has to offer, he embarked upon the journey of using the sheer power of words to fill beauty onto once blank pages. He painted colourful images in people’s minds using words of black and white.

 Homer’s words perfectly encapsulate a thought that comes into my mind whenever there is an ongoing discussion about myths and legends. “The Gods envy us. They envy us because we're mortal, because any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we’re doomed.” 

 Traditionally, people often limit themselves by thinking that legends and myths are solely narrations of the might that the gods possess. However, what strikes me is the profound lure of the dualism prevalent in mythology, especially Greek. The Greek citizens, the mortals, trembled with fear due to the hanging threat of the gods punishing them, their divine strength reined them from acting rashly, their power held the mortals back as they felt terrorised at the thought of facing the wrath of the immortal gods. However, this does not mean that the gods felt emotions of indifference and nonchalance for the humans they gazed at, from the towering heights of Mount Olympus. There are numerous enthralling tales of Greek Mythology which depict the truth coating the words, said by Homer.

 I fell upon one of my favourite folktales while I was surfing through the pages of The Symposium. In the words of Plato, my beloved, “According to Greek mythology, humans were originally created with four arms, four legs and a head with two faces. Fearing their power, Zeus split them into two separate parts, condemning them to spend their lives in search of their other halves.” 

 Let us take inspiration from the riveting dualism which is present in folklore, and start applying the wise knowledge that myths and legends impart into our own lives. The biggest lesson I have learnt from Greek mythology in particular is that if the ultimate powers of the universe, the gods, can envy our lives and the beauty of not knowing what comes next, why do I not feel a similar appreciation for my life? Why do I not appreciate the poetic beauty that lies in the unknown attire of our limited days? Why do I not appreciate every moment extra that I get? Why do I complain about having limited days, when I should be focusing on enjoying those days instead? We have only one life, but perhaps the beauty lies in this- the fact we only get one. Perhaps, if we had multiple, the allure of these moments never owing back would diminish, leaving us with time, devoid of its importance and rarity. We have only one life, and that makes everything we do, right from our first blink into the new world, to the last breath we take, extraordinary.