Function of Demi-Gods

Demi-gods and their functions

Alejandro Osorio
Theory of Knowledge 1st period
January 23, 2012

Table of contents
Title Page…………………………………………………………………………….1
Table of Contents…....................................................................................................2
Introduction..………………………………………………………………………...3
Investigation and Body of Paper…………………………………………………….4

Abstract

Mythology is made up of creations of stories by humans according to the civilization in which they lived in. Through different types of mythologies we can see the civilizations are all close to one another. For example demigods are in all mythologies such as in Sumerian, Greek, Germanic, and Hindu mythologies. I will examine the roles of various demi-gods and deities to see how they were portrayed in the societies in which they were created. My area of research is going to be based on the roles played by demi-gods such as Achilles from Greece, Helen of Troy, and Gilgamesh from Sumerian mythology and Osiris from Egypt. In almost all mythologies we find beings who are half man and half god, who are called demigods. I will investigate what their functions were and why they were important, if at all. I will also explore the consequences of being a demigod. In conclusion this investigation will explore the idea of Jesus Christ being the last demi-god and how this came from polytheistic world. This topic is worthy of investigation because some of society’s rules that exist today have been derived from the ancient stories that were told in the past and societies are based on the fabric of what existed before. Mythologies are stories told to the next generation and based on people creating gods and demigods for themselves. The world we know today is based on the way society was known and structured in the distant past.

Introduction
Different types of mythologies around the world bring are all closer to one another. Demigods are in all mythologies such as in Sumerian, Greek, Germanic, and Hindu mythologies. I will also be examining the roles of various Demi-gods and deities in these different mythologies and to see how they are being portrayed in the societies in which they existed. In almost all mythologies we also find beings who are half man and half god which they are called demigods. I will investigate what their functions were and why they were important, if at all they were. The world divide itself by regions and continents and that is how these different mythologies came to be. This topic is worthy of investigation because I believe that some societies’ rules that exist today come from the ancient stories that were told in the past and societies are based on the fabric of what existed before. Mythologies are stories told to the next generation based on people creating gods and demigods for themselves. Basically the world we know today is based on the way society was known and structured in the distant past. Throughout the paper I will be showing examples of how demi-gods and how they were seen in society and what they did and what their functions were. Something else that comes into question when analyzing the subject of demi-gods is the idea of Jesus Christ being half man and half god. This is due to the fact that his father is God and his mother the Virgin Mary. If Jesus Christ was a demi-god, then we can say that the Bible is its own mythology. Investigation Every culture and or past civilization has evolved its own mythology due to their traditions, in which the mythology defines its character by offering ways to comprehend the world in many aspects. The main branches of mythology are found in Europe and the civilizations of Asia. Some of the legends that form the core of European mythological thought are those of the Greeks, Celts (Celtic), and Norse, Sumerian and Hindu mythologies. The stories and traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation survived from these ancient civilizations describe gods, demigods and men that became legends in their cultures. On the other hand deities, such as those of Hinduism and Buddhism, remain at the center of living beliefs and faiths that are worshipped still by millions. Even though myths are current or long vanished into history they all still to continue to give examples and they influence their civilizations depending on what part of the world you are in and give us a deepened understanding of tradition and culture.
The word mythology is broken down into two parts. The word myth is an old or traditional story which concerns the early history of a people or an explanation of some social or natural phenomenon. The suffix –ology stands for the study of something. Therefore the word means the study of myths belonging to a particular religious or cultural tradition. At the start of my investigation I thought about the realm of gods and men and why they were so separate. Then I thought about certain individuals being both half man and half god. Only specific mythologies have demi-gods while the others have deities (gods), and humans. The definition means to be of divine character or nature, especially that of the Supreme Being. A demi-god is in most cultures being a demi-god or a deity comes with a lot of responsibilities and you are seen as a being with much power that is expected to lead by example. All human societies recognize powers that they can’t explain such as the ideas of light and dark, and the existence of plants and the livestock on which they depend for their lives. Investing such ideas with spirits that have a recognizably human nature has allowed people to make greater sense of a random and threatening universe (Morford, 22). At the same time by seeking the protection of a god, the common people are able to get rid of responsibilities for their own lives to a higher being. Myths concerning gods and goddesses help the give shape to the powers that are seen to preserve or endanger any certain civilization. Myths about the more vast world try to explain its mysteries, for example earthquakes, thunderstorms and dealing with the cycle of fertility in human beings, animals, and plants; the creation of the world and the origins of society; and last but not least, the nature of the universe(Cotterell, 18). Surprisingly one of the most striking characteristics of a myth is the way they have been absorbed successfully into a variety of cultures and done so successfully. In many mythologies the themes of the great myths are universal. Creation myths have been adapted in every culture and often with all having striking similarities such as the limitless ocean in which the universe arises. A major preoccupation is that of life after death, which is explained in terms of parallel worlds: the underworld to which the dead descend to be judged; and the heavens to which the righteous aspire. The idea of all mythologies coming to an end is also common in all myths. The idea of a catastrophic flood is a powerful reoccurring theme that illustrates the potential power of the gods to destroy humankind, due to the disobedience, ignorance, and defiance of humans to the gods themselves. Another concept that most mythologies have in common is that they all have their specific demi-gods and/or heroes. Although a demi-god is half-deity, the function of a demi-god is no better than the function of a normal human. In fact the life of a demi-god is way more complicated and strenuous than that of most humans. Being half man and half god doesn’t always mean to have greater power. It usually means to be called to a greater purpose. In all mythologies people create gods and demi-gods to feel a sense of security in their lives. Analyzing many mythologies, research shows that the life of a demi-god could bring severe consequences to the people around them and themselves.
As stated before in most cultures being a demi-god or a deity comes with a lot of responsibilities and the demi-god is seen as a being with much power that is expected to lead by example. In other words people created demi-gods to take away their troubles and take away the responsibilities in their own lives to leave them for a higher authority. Some questions that arise from this are why do demi-gods exist? Demi-gods exist to protect or destroy what is around them. How did they come into existence? The existence of demi-gods is due to the fact that most gods can transform themselves into any person or living thing and take its form and conceive a child with a mortal. How are they portrayed in the societies they once lived in?
To be a demi-god means to be of divine character or nature. In some particular cases not all demi-gods are of divine character. This brings up the fact of ancient Greek mythology. Greek mythology is one of the best known and common mythologies of all time in the Western tradition. Greek mythology has many branches to it which lead to other mythologies and have branched from other mythologies. One demi-god or deity I will be focusing on is the Greek hero Heracles or Hercules. Hercules was born due to the need of Zeus to fight the giants in years to come because the giants couldn’t be killed by gods, but by the hand of a demi-god they could die. Zeus needed a mortal champion in the coming battle between the gods and the giants; he fathered Hercules at the court of Thebes. The chosen mother was Alcmene, the Theban queen. Zeus intended Hercules to be ruler of Mycenae or Tiryns, strongholds close to Argos, but Hera, who was the jealous wife of Zeus, frustrated this plan so well that the hero became the slave of Eurystheus, king of Tiryns. Out of anger for Zeus’ affair, Hera struck Hercules with a fit of rage in which drove him to kill his wife and three sons with arrows. The only way to make up what he had done was that he had to become Eurystheus’ dependant and undertake the twelve labors which made him famous. These twelve labors consisted of the demi-god performing tasks that were impossible for others to accomplish. In the society that Hercules was in he was seen as a deity that others depended on to perform their dangerous tasks. For example one of his tasks was to kill the nine headed Hydra. The Hydra was big and powerful and for every head that Hercules cut of three more came out from that wound. Seeing that there was no way of killing the monster he cut of the Hydra’s middle head and torched it so that no more heads would grow out. He did this for each and every head. Another one of his labors was the cleaning of Augeas’ stables. The son of the sun god, Augeas had vast herds of animals. One of Hercules’ most difficult labors was to bring back the three headed dog Cerberus that guarded the gates of the Underworld for Hades. After this last labor he gained his immortality but not before his nemesis the Centaur Nessus gave Heracles’ second wife a poisoned garment for him to wear. Therefore realizing that she had given him a poisoned garment she killed herself but Zeus being Hercules’ father took him to Mount Olympus to live with the gods and he became the God of Strength. In this specific mythology Hercules was brought onto the earth for a reason which was to defeat the Giants that could not be defeated by divine gods. Having performed what he had to perform in his lifetime he was worshiped as a deity and gained his immortality. In human society he was seen as a demi-god that helped out with the troubles of other people. In other words Hercules was the enforcer in society because he did what the immortal gods couldn’t. The life of Hercules was a hard one and rewarding at the end, he also suffered the consequences of losing his wife and three sons and later in his lifetime his new wife which died at the hands of his nemesis. Hercules was an important part in the society back then because he helped for the better of man and to keep everything balanced even though he couldn’t find the balance in his own life. In today’s society there are no demi-gods because there is only the realm of men and whatever we believe to be a higher being than ourselves. (Grant,35-38).
A famous example of a demi-god in Greek mythology and one of the biggest war heroes of his time was Achilles. Achilles was the son of Thetis and Peleus. Although his father wasn’t a god but only a mortal, his mother on the other hand was a sea nymph or goddess of the sea. When Achilles was born his mother took Achilles to the River Styx and dipped him from head to ankle. Thetis had forgotten to dip Achilles twice in the river to ensure his immortality. Not knowing this, Achilles had only one weakness; the Heel of Achilles. Being half man and half god, Achilles was the best warrior in Greece. With his agility and speed he stood up to many men but served no one, for he was too proud to be under the rule of any king. The legend of Achilles is known due to the fact that he was one of the main factors that helped win the Trojan War. Achilles’ served a greater purpose than just winning the Trojan War, but also to end a conflict that never should’ve happened in the first place. . Achilles conquered the battlefield killing hundreds of men and also killing Hector, one of the princes of Troy. Once the city of Troy was taken over Achilles had found what he was looking for. Achilles had fallen in love with one of the cousins of Hector, Briseis, and found her within they burning city. Once he found her there was no stopping him, but Paris. Paris was the brother of Hector and Paris was the one who killed Achilles by shooting an arrow into his heel. The consequences of Achilles were that he was too proud and wanted all the power and glory for himself. In the pursuing of his glory he found his demise and his downfall. Achilles died in the Trojan War and died a legend.
In Greek mythology we find all kinds of gods and demi-gods. Another demi-god that had ties to the Trojan War was the demi-goddess Helen. Helen was the daughter of Zeus and Leda. We can find the story of Helen to be quite relevant in modern times as well. Helen was the wife of the king of Sparta which at the time was Menelaus. The Trojans and the Spartans had been on good terms until one of the princes of Troy, Paris, had taken Helen back to Troy to live with him. This caused Menelaus to go to his brother Agamemnon and had asked him to go to war with him for his wife. Both brothers had gone to Troy for different reason. Agamemnon was there to take over the city and gain more power, and Menelaus was there to claim back his wife Helen. Helens beauty was the reason Paris had brought her back home with him because she was compared to the goddess of beauty Aphrodite. The consequences that followed Helen of Troy was that she had caused the Trojan War in which thousands of lives were lost; including Achilles, Hector of Troy, Agamemnon, Menelaus, and Priam which was the king of Troy at the time of the war.
Not so far from Europe came the Ancient Middle East the so called “cradle of civilization”. This was the birthplace of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, the three faiths that had such a great impact on human culture. The annual flooding of the Nile River inspired many of the myths in ancient Egypt. The people there depended on the revival of the parched land for their livelihood, a concern that was reflected in the myth of Osiris, their dying-and-rising vegetation god, who finally retired from life to rule over the underworld. The preoccupation with death haunts Egyptian mythology, prompted by this sense of man’s vulnerability in the face of forces beyond his control. One of the most devoted demi-gods in Egyptian mythology is Osiris which was the son the deities Geb and Nut. He was originally the god of nature who symbolized the cycle of vegetation. Although in time he was considered the god of the dead. At birth he was proclaimed the “Universal Lord”, and he grew into a tall handsome demi-god. Osiris became king of Egypt after his father had retired and he took his sister, Isis, to be his queen. He taught mankind how to make bread and wine, and oversaw the building of the first temples and statues to the gods. He was a just and fair demi-god that lay down just and fair laws. Once Egypt was civilized Osiris travelled to other countries to try to civilize them as well. His journey was a great success. When Osiris returned he was worshipped and praised, and there were festivals in honor of him. His younger brother Seth grew jealous Osiris and therefore one day invited him to a feast. During this feast Seth had made a coffin and brought it out during the feast and announced that the coffin belonged to whoever fit in it. Osiris entered the coffin as a joke and lay in it. Immediately the lid to the coffin was nailed onto it and then Seth ordered the coffin be thrown into the Nile River. When Isis had heard of what happened to her husband and brother she went searching for his body. When she found it she returned it to Egypt where she hid it in a swamp. Seth found the body and cut it into 14 pieces. Undeterred, Isis remade Osiris’s body and then performed a magical ritual whereby restoring life to him. This was his first rite of embalmment. Now disappointed in his brother he decided to end his life and to reign over the dead in the underworld. Osiris’ story can be told in many ways which we can interpret in many ways. He was a highly beloved deity in Egyptian mythology and he helped the fabric of humanity by helping with everyone’s needs and responded when he was called upon. His devotees will never forget what he did for them because he was truly a great King of Egypt that helped his society by structuring it the way he saw best fit. The consequences that followed the demi-god Osiris was that his death had come from his own brother that had grew jealous of him due to the power and the trust of the people. In this Egyptian mythology we also see the similarities in the gods and demi-gods such as in Greek mythology. For example Egyptian mythology has its own god of the sun which is Ra. Ra been the supreme manifestation of the sun god of Heliopolis in comparison to the god of the sun which was Apollo in Greek mythology.
Intertwining two of the mythologies is the myth of Gilgamesh which is a myth of Mesopotamia. The Epic of Gilgamesh has to do with the choices he makes throughout his life and the people around him. Gilgamesh was an unfair king to his people, but was a hero. Alongside with him was his best friend Enkidu. Enkidu was made by the gods to distract Gilgamesh from oppressing his people and the gods didn’t think he was able to be a good king but both together were inseparable. Gilgamesh and Enkidu went on many adventures together. An interpretation of this myth can be that Gilgamesh didn’t make the best decisions for himself or for others around him. One day both friends travel to the Cedar Forest and encounter the guardian Humbaba. Enkidu tries to make Gilgamesh not engage the guardian for he knew of him. Gilgamesh had the chance to spare the guardian’s life but decides not to and before Humbaba was slain by Gilgamesh he had put a curse on Enkidu. Although the “curse” was put on Enkidu, the real curse was put on Gilgamesh to later see his best friend die. Another one of Gilgamesh’s unfortunate decisions was to reject a marriage proposal of the goddess Ishtar, goddess of love and fertility. Once Ishtar had been rejected she had sent a disease to kill Enkidu. Gilgamesh, the king who never treated his people with fairness and did whatever he wanted, had suffered more than imaginable as a demi-god. Something that some might come into question about is the existence of Jesus Christ. Now my intentions aren’t to say that he did or did not exist but if he had existed then could he have been considered a demi-god in his society? The answer is yes because the people sought his help all around him and all he did was to help people with the divinity of God, his father. A demi-god is also one that helps relinquish the responsibilities of others for their own lives to a higher purpose. Jesus Christ not only served a higher purposed to mankind, but to himself as a demi-god. Although Jesus Christ could be seen as a demi-god or not, it can be interpreted that he was because the consequences that he faced were that of him being crucified for the salvation of mankind.
From the Greeks to the Mesopotamians to the Egyptians and then to the Asians, we see so many contrasts and differences in each tradition and cultures that each region has adapted for themselves. Each of their societies is structured differently but most of them have the same beliefs. In all mythologies we see the reoccurring theme of everything coming to an end, every demi-god having to deal with the consequences of them being alive or whether it is the final battle against the Titans in Greek mythology, or it is the floods of the Nile that destroy everything and then be repaired again. Similarities also include similar powered gods and goddesses, ideas of religions and belief in that there is a higher being than to oneself, the beginning of the world and the structure of society and how it is changed over time and evolved, and the over occurring theme of the destruction of mankind. Where do all mythologies come from we don’t know but each has its own branches into different regions of the world. Every culture has its stories and traditions and everything is passed down from generation to generation. These stories of demi-gods can be learned from and be interpreted in different ways. Many things are left unanswered but all the ancient mythologies of the ancient world that once existed are all intertwined. There is no possible way to be half man and half god because in the end, someone would end up paying for the decisions made in their lives. Bibliography
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Bibliography: Storm, Rachel & Arthur Cotterell. The Ultimate Book of Mythology. London: Joanna Lorenz, 2010. [Accessed January 20, 2012]. Grant, Michael. Myths of the Greeks and Romans. NY: Penguin Books, 1962 Morford, Mark P.O., and Robert J Knox, Bernard. Introduction. The Odyssey. By Homer. Translated by Robert Fagles. New York, NY: Penguin Books, 1996. Hamilton, Edith. Foreword. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. By Hamilton. New York, NY: Warner Books, 1942.