Pieces of the Puzzle: Beginning

What was first discussed in class and read about in The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony all had something to do with beginnings, and how something began. As most people know, there is a beginning for everything whether it's a beginning of a relationship, career, or even a love of mythology it all had to start somewhere. The thing that I normally wouldn't ask myself is "oh well, where or how must have that began?" I would normally focus on the present but after the first day of class I see myself asking that question more often to really understand the metamorphosis and growth of certain things. This change of mind will not only help me when learning about mythology but will also help in the long run, time being after this mythologies class.

Beginnings seem to be quite important but they are only one piece of the puzzle, the details within a story or description can change the interpretation and outcome drastically. This is usually known as a mistake, when this occurs a variation or new version of the story originally told is created. Normally I would think making a mistake like this would be scorned upon but I've realized that it can add to the enjoyment of a story, but could also add controversy depending on what is being discussed or told. I've also realized how easy this is to do, I witnessed it the other day in class when talking about events in Calasso's book. If a mistake similar to this were to occur in other contexts a person might feel as though they have done something wrong or spoken a lie, which brings me to one of my favorite aspects of learning about mythology because another definition of myth is a false belief or lie. The confusion of the two characters, discussed in class, in my mind is no longer seen as a mistake but just as a new version of a story. I still can't decide if this is good and I'm evolving in a way or if this is a bad thing because it is a lie. Although I find this to be interesting I'm also quite aware that it is beneficial to be familiar with the characters and knowing each one apart from the other. It will be interesting to learn more about what parts really bring these stories together and to learn about the stories themselves.