Supernatural Beings, Mortals, and Relationships Between the Two
By Miranda Honigberg
As a massive fan of Western mythology, I have found it is rare to see a human marrying a supernatural being in their stories. It is much more common for them have affairs with each other, or for a supernatural being to seduce mortals to their death. Certain Eastern cultures have such creatures (for example, the kitsune in Japan) as well, but they are less common. The most famous example in the West is Greek mythology, with the god Zeus and his borderline infamous reputation as a god who impregnated numerous mortal women. By contrast, in the East, mortal men like Liu Yi can marry the daughter of a dragon and the people around them are perfectly alright with it. The difference between the West and the East in its portrayal of immortal-mortal relationships is fascinating.
It is especially common in the West to see gods having affairs with mortal women, but they never stay, and it is nearly always the origin story of a hero: Heracles, Perseus, and many others (most of the Greek ones were sons of Zeus). And many more monsters are seductive in nature, leading men to their doom. The Greeks had these in the form of nymphs– nature spirits that looked like beautiful women– the Celts had many such creatures, two include kelpies (magical water-horses that would offer to help a human cross a body of water only to drag them down under the surface and eat them), and the Sidhe (pronounced “she.” Today, they would be referred to as fairies) who would lure mortals into their realm and keep them as slaves or pets. Compared to Eastern mythology, it is more common to see magical beings in the West that seduce mortals or only have a single romantic interaction with them. A permanent relationship between them is almost unheard of.
Supernatural Beings, Mortals, and Relationships Between the Two
Supernatural Beings, Mortals, and Relationships Between the Two
By Miranda Honigberg
As a massive fan of Western mythology, I have found it is rare to see a human marrying a supernatural being in their stories. It is much more common for them have affairs with each other, or for a supernatural being to seduce mortals to their death. Certain Eastern cultures have such creatures (for example, the kitsune in Japan) as well, but they are less common. The most famous example in the West is Greek mythology, with the god Zeus and his borderline infamous reputation as a god who impregnated numerous mortal women. By contrast, in the East, mortal men like Liu Yi can marry the daughter of a dragon and the people around them are perfectly alright with it. The difference between the West and the East in its portrayal of immortal-mortal relationships is fascinating.
It is especially common in the West to see gods having affairs with mortal women, but they never stay, and it is nearly always the origin story of a hero: Heracles, Perseus, and many others (most of the Greek ones were sons of Zeus). And many more monsters are seductive in nature, leading men to their doom. The Greeks had these in the form of nymphs– nature spirits that looked like beautiful women– the Celts had many such creatures, two include kelpies (magical water-horses that would offer to help a human cross a body of water only to drag them down under the surface and eat them), and the Sidhe (pronounced “she.” Today, they would be referred to as fairies) who would lure mortals into their realm and keep them as slaves or pets. Compared to Eastern mythology, it is more common to see magical beings in the West that seduce mortals or only have a single romantic interaction with them. A permanent relationship between them is almost unheard of.
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