Greek mythology and Christianity have some similar stories
Some of the parables and stories in the Bible relate to Greek mythology. In fact, Greek mythology and Christianity overlap in quite a few stories. Which came first? The Bible stories, which are true.
I have thought of two stories — one Greek and the other from Genesis 19 — that are quite similar. But before you read those, I recently wrote a short story that goes along with Greek mythology, so I thought I would share that first.
The Campfire (fiction story by Lexi)
Lilly Grace Thomas was currently sitting in front of a campfire eating s’mores. Her class happened to be on a field trip to the zoo, which was fun because they rarely went anywhere due to having such a small town. She was staring off into space, thinking about a book she was reading. It was good really, all about the old stories that people used to tell in Ch-
“—illy!”
Lilly was snapped out of thoughts by the bush of brown curls and pale skin that was her best friend Hailey.
“You really need to pay more attention! Mrs. Shelina announced we could tell a story or two, and then Austin told us his. I thought you were listening but-”
“Shhh!” Lilly whispered to her rambling friend. She giggled, and they both began to listen as their tour guide, Jane, began her story.
“My grandma used to tell me this story, though I’m not sure if I will ever understand why.” Jane began with an odd almost-but-probably-not forced laugh.
“A long time ago, there lived a girl named Elinette. People would call her Hephaestus (or Vulcan if you were on the eastern side of town) spawn. She was a great blacksmith, and incredibly good with the fire. Not only did it never affect her, but she could generate it. Therefore, she logically became the town’s blacksmith, even though she wasn’t exactly favored. However, Elinette had never wanted the role of blacksmith. In fact, she had always dreamt of working with animals.
“So one day, she decided to make that dream come true. Elinette wanted to go to Africa, and she did exactly that. Whilst in Africa, she befriended the animals that lived there, like the elephants. There was something so… different about animals. They were, in fact, organic creatures, unlike machines, but they weren’t as horrible as the human race.
“Ellinette began to send letters back to the town, telling about her adventures. The town grew to like the girl, and her letters were incredibly entertaining. Around three months later, however, the letters stopped. Days went by, then weeks, and weeks turned to months. Sooner or later, somebody sent out a group of explorers to find Elinette. No one could. It was as if she had never existed, but here’s the thing, even in the town, all traces of her totally vanished. It was as if she were an imaginary friend, because the only thing left, including her house and workshop, were memories. Everyone had memories of Elinette. More groups were sent, but they were only able to find both spearheads and vulture feathers.
“The main rumor was that Ares (Mars) had kidnapped her in revenge on Hephaestus for marrying Aphrodite (Venus).” Jane finished.
Lilly began walking back to her tent, shivering lightly. The story did NOT help her paranoia.
Hailey began ranting all about her new Wildlife Expedition Journal as they walked into an old elephant enclosure. It was where they would be sleeping for the night, because it was a lot of empty space, and perfect for camping. They walked into the girls 2nd girls tent. Slipping off her shoes, Lilly walked around the tent a bit to set her sleeping bag up. The cold grass crunched under her as she kneeled on the thin fabric. Changing to her PJs, Lilly snuggled into the sleeping purple sleeping bag she had bought at the beginning of the trip.
Suddenly, she heard a noise. Lilly assumed it was just an owl flying back towards her nest with a tasty mouse. Or maybe it was a bird, singing to her chicks before bed. However, when the sound came again, she identified it as a hiss.
“AAAAAAAAHHHHH!” The most girlish scream rang around the enclosure.
‘Probably Austin,’ Lilly thought, smiling to herself.
Hissssssss
This was when Mrs. Shelina yelled at her students, telling them to calmly exit the enclosure.
Hoo Hoo
Lilly screeched, running from the enclosure, Hailey not far behind. After emerging from the tent, she was greeted with a scary sight. Snakes were slithering towards screeching children, all of whom were pushing and shoving toward the exits. They were snapping at any flesh they could reach, sinking their teeth into their victims, seeming to smile from the cries of agony their venom bought as it spread through veins. Owls were flying from above, scratching and chomping at whatever they could. Blood was in puddles on the floor. Lilly screamed yet a second time, running from the enclosure. The contents of the pond seemed to scream with her, freaking out equally.
Flashes of the ocean and horses clouded Lilly’s vision as she ran. Then, a wizened, yet almost war-ready voice rang through her head.
“My revenge.”
And just one thought later, everything went black.
The group were never seen again. They had disappeared just like Elinette. None of their rooms, photos, belongings, etc., had evidence they ever even existed. Not on the receipts for Hailey’s Wildlife Expedition Journal, not even their classroom or school records. It was as if they had never existed. But everyone still had their memories, like the group were just imaginary friends. No evidence was found but the snakes and owls. Jane was the only survivor, though she claimed to have no memories at all.
However, the last comprehensible thought one Lilly’s mind was this:
Cursed. The story is cursed.
Greek mythology: The story of Orpheus
After the death of his beloved wife, Orpheus was no more the same carefree person he used to be. His life without Eurydice seemed endless and could do nothing more than grief for her. This is when he had a great but yet crazy idea: he decided to go to Underworld and try to get his wife back. Apollo, his father, would talk to Hades, the god of the Underworld, to accept him and hear his plea.
Armed with his weapons, the lyre and voice, Orpheus approached Hades and demanded entry into the Underworld. None challenged him. Standing in front of the rulers of the dead, Orpheus said why he was there, in a voice both mellifluous and disquieting. He played his lyre and sang out to King Hades and Queen Persephone that Eurydice was returned to him. Not even the most stone-hearted of people or gods could have neglected the hurt in his voice.
Hades openly wept, Persephone’s heart melted and even Cerberus, the gigantic three-headed hound guarding the entry to the underworld, covered his many ears with his paws and howled in despair. The voice of Orpheus was so moving that Hades promised to this desperate man that Eurydice would follow him to the Upper World, the world of the living. However, he warned Orpheus that for no reason must he look back while his wife was still in the dark, for that would undo everything he hoped for. He should wait for Eurydice to get into the light before he looked at her.
With great faith in his heart and joy in his song, Orpheus began his journey out of the underworld, joyful that he would once again be reunited with his love. As Orpheus was reaching the exit of the Underworld, he could hear the footfalls of his wife approaching him. He wanted to turn around and hug her immediately but managed to control his feelings. As his was approaching the exit, his heart was beating faster and faster. The moment he stepped on the world of the living, he turned his head to hug his wife. Unfortunately, he got only a glimpse of Eurydice before she was once again drawn back into the underworld.
When Orpheus turned his head, Eurydice was still in the dark, she hadn’t seen the sun and, as Hades had warned Orpheus, his sweet wife was drowned back to the dark world of the dead. Waves of anguish and despair swept over him and shuddering with grief he approached the Underworld again but this time, he was denied entry, the gates were standing shut and the god Hermes, sent by Zeus, wouldn’t let him in.
Bible story: The story of Lot
And here is the comparing Bible story (found in Genesis 19 NKJV):
Sodom’s Depravity
19 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. 2 And he said, “Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.”
And they said, “No, but we will spend the night in the open square.”
3 But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
4 Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.”
6 So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, 7 and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! 8 See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.”
9 And they said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.” So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door. 10 But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door.
Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed
12 Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place! 13 For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.”
14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up, get out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.
15 When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.” 16 And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. 17 So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”
18 Then Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lords! 19 Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. 20 See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.”
21 And he said to him, “See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. 22 Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.”
Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
23 The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. 25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 28 Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace. 29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.
Lexi’s thoughts
Can you see the similarities? In both, there are extreme consequences for looking back. In both, the God(s) themselves got directly involved. I am going to tell you that each demonstrate the idea to not look back on what was.
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