Robert Graves has had a huge influence on my work. His book The White Goddess dissects the hidden myths and symbols of Western culture that float around the edges of Christian, Greek, and Druidic beliefs. He exposes their secret meanings as connected to the Bible and their connection to Druidic lore surrounding ancient religious texts, trees, holidays, histories, and poetry.
The White Goddess takes us down a mythological rabbit hole to a dimmer Western world where the ancient feminine archetype of the Goddess and Muse in storytelling and myth still sleeps, waiting to be awakened in Modern fiction in new forms if we will just take the time to understand what her archetype meant.
What I got out of this very complex mythological detective story was the fact that Humanity has always tried to understand these ancient archetypes then reinvigorate them again and again in new layers of meaning, most often found in poetry. Modern people have often failed to understand their ancient pagan sources.
But the spiritually-inspired writer or artist that can grasp their true meaning can often use them for maximum effect in Modern culture, novels, and movies to stir audiences through myths hidden force. For myths, like life itself, is filled with the strange signposts and symbols of our hidden inner life our conscious minds but weakly grasp. Yet few who delve into the past have the wisdom to see such markers, as Graves once did, much less use them to educate others. I admire such misunderstood men in history, for their works remain as mysteries even now, as they should. For those who claim to know all things and know all wonders of the world are arrogant fools. Only men like Robert Graves have the courage to reveal life’s mysteries and yet admit much more mystery yet remains. For that is the true power of these myths…to yet keep close to them the wonder of the unknown and of the depths of the Self which science can never explain. Modern Man needs myth and mystery today more than ever. And I hope Robert’s works give back to you the wonder of the unknown that is still in you.
– the Author
Created Nov 30, 2016, 8:35 PM