SG-1-Use of Myth and Culture Thread

[Iffy]

Oh, you evil person Although it is nice to find someone who doesn't think that cooking is a bad thing or that food should never go beyond basic meat and two veg. I usually have my Sicilian friend do the honours with the joint food worship

*giggles*

I get paid to come w/ dessert ideas so.... I made it w/ a very nice kabocha pumpkin from a local farm. *drools some more* Cookings fun transcribing recipes is not

ok I need to go yoga before I don't

[Womble]

Indeed, but they can still get around that with the whole argument that it's based on the Church hierarchy and manipulation of the ideology as opposed to the actual stories. Someone could sit at home and maybe feel uncomfortable, but then reassure themselves that it's 'all based on a Church unlike my own' and that anything that could be perceived as negative it's not aimed at what they grew up with and what's in a text they read as holy. I have my own opinions on this subject, but they're best put aside for fear of flaming

Actually, it'd be very difficult to explain it as a jab at a particular denomination or the Church hierarchy. The recurring question, explicitly stated more than once, was "what is the measure of a god", and if anything or anyone ever is deserving of worship.

I think the Indiana Jones movies, with their homage complete with a side of tongue-in-cheek, act as the final nail in the coffin for me when it comes to use of Biblical motifs in film and TV. They did it well and did it in a fun way, whereas elsewhere you run the risk of being heavy-handed, too afraid to make points, preachy and also very unoriginal. Like you said, it's all been done before, and you'd have to be very good indeed to do it better. Which is part of the reason why SG-1 did so well, I think- because it tapped into a rich vein of mythos which hadn't always been explored, certainly not in this way at least. They haven't always done it well, but the concept was different and something that many people wouldn't have any experience of in their daily lives.

Yep. At this point, nothing Bible-related feels too original anymore. Which is why I was somewhat surprised at the popularity of "The Da Vinci Code", because it basically reshuffled and repackaged tired old ideas. Proper marketing does wonders, doesn't it?

Hmmmm... the world tree is an interesting idea. But which one do you chose to use there are a mess of them.

The Slavic oak, of course. The SG-1 has touched on the Middle Eastern and European mythology a lot, and on the Mesoamerican one occasionally, but the Slavic mythology was completely forgotten except for the brief mention of Svarog.

I was thinking of playing on the Perun/Veles dualism of the Slavic pagan myths. Veles is the god of the Underworld, associated with serpents ,cattle, sorcery and diseases, and Perun was the warrior god of thunder and lightning, and also of stone, metal, horse-drawn carts, blacksmiths- everything that passed for technology in the ancient times, basically. The two are locked in a perpetual struggle, usually started by one of them stealing the other's cattle. It's almost a plot that writes itself: Veles is a Goa'uld who dabbled in bio-engineering and similar research and created for himself an army of powerful minotaur warriors (hence the cattle link), and Perun is his sworn enemy from an advanced race (perhaps even a collective name of that race) who waged war on Veles to protect Earth and eventually banished him into another dimension via the World Tree (a transdimensional rift connecting several alternative realities). Now for some reason the wards keeping Veles from returning have weakened, and his army of minotaurs is coming back to conquer the Milky Way, and the SG-1 has to find a way to contact Perun, or perhaps to find something left behind by Perun for just such an occasion.

It's a plot that writes itself, pretty much

[resurgamlaura]

...Yep. At this point, nothing Bible-related feels too original anymore. Which is why I was somewhat surprised at the popularity of "The Da Vinci Code", because it basically reshuffled and repackaged tired old ideas. Proper marketing does wonders, doesn't it?

Tell me about it. Nothing new, nothing particularly exciting or of note, but it sold in its millions. And I should know, because I work in a bookshop and the blasted thing was high on our bestseller list for over a year and I must have literally sold hundreds and hundreds of copies

The Slavic oak, of course. The SG-1 has touched on the Middle Eastern and European mythology a lot, and on the Mesoamerican one occasionally, but the Slavic mythology was completely forgotten except for the brief mention of Svarog.

I was thinking of playing on the Perun/Veles dualism of the Slavic pagan myths. Veles is the god of the Underworld, associated with serpents ,cattle, sorcery and diseases, and Perun was the warrior god of thunder and lightning, and also of stone, metal, horse-drawn carts, blacksmiths- everything that passed for technology in the ancient times, basically. The two are locked in a perpetual struggle, usually started by one of them stealing the other's cattle. It's almost a plot that writes itself: Veles is a Goa'uld who dabbled in bio-engineering and similar research and created for himself an army of powerful minotaur warriors (hence the cattle link), and Perun is his sworn enemy from an advanced race (perhaps even a collective name of that race) who waged war on Veles to protect Earth and eventually banished him into another dimension via the World Tree (a transdimensional rift connecting several alternative realities). Now for some reason the wards keeping Veles from returning have weakened, and his army of minotaurs is coming back to conquer the Milky Way, and the SG-1 has to find a way to contact Perun, or perhaps to find something left behind by Perun for just such an occasion.

It's a plot that writes itself, pretty much

I know nothing about Slavic myth, mostly because I've been so busy with my own specialities that I feel guilty about reading or studying anything that isn't to do with my subject. I've even had to cut right down on fiction...

Its interesting. And if you really wanted a challenge, how would the story hold up without the SG-1 link? The good thing about SG-1 is tying in myth to the present, and it's also good to write with something familiar, but it could perhaps stand alone in it's own AU universe, particularly with the concepts of the armies, for example and just the scope of the idea. It's a thought, and one that I will understand if you rubbish it completely

[Womble]

Tell me about it. Nothing new, nothing particularly exciting or of note, but it sold in its millions. And I should know, because I work in a bookshop and the blasted thing was high on our bestseller list for over a year and I must have literally sold hundreds and hundreds of copies

I feel your pain.

I know nothing about Slavic myth, mostly because I've been so busy with my own specialities that I feel guilty about reading or studying anything that isn't to do with my subject. I've even had to cut right down on fiction...

Well, it helps to have been born in Russia

Its interesting. And if you really wanted a challenge, how would the story hold up without the SG-1 link? The good thing about SG-1 is tying in myth to the present, and it's also good to write with something familiar, but it could perhaps stand alone in it's own AU universe, particularly with the concepts of the armies, for example and just the scope of the idea. It's a thought, and one that I will understand if you rubbish it completely

Well, of course it could be a stand-alone story. I suppose it could even transcend the boundaries of the Gateverse and be a science fiction story in its own right. (I did this once; written a fanfic with the intention to later rewrite it into an original story with minimal changes; it was a short story though, and only distantly connected to the show's canon). Eliminating the SG-1 from this one and replacing them with original characters would probably make writing easier, since I wouldn't be bound by the details of the canon and the need to keep them "in character". It's an interesting idea; I'll ponder it

[Iffy]

Actually, it'd be very difficult to explain it as a jab at a particular denomination or the Church hierarchy. The recurring question, explicitly stated more than once, was "what is the measure of a god", and if anything or anyone ever is deserving of worship.


Yep. At this point, nothing Bible-related feels too original anymore. Which is why I was somewhat surprised at the popularity of "The Da Vinci Code", because it basically reshuffled and repackaged tired old ideas. Proper marketing does wonders, doesn't it?


The Slavic oak, of course. The SG-1 has touched on the Middle Eastern and European mythology a lot, and on the Mesoamerican one occasionally, but the Slavic mythology was completely forgotten except for the brief mention of Svarog.

I was thinking of playing on the Perun/Veles dualism of the Slavic pagan myths. Veles is the god of the Underworld, associated with serpents ,cattle, sorcery and diseases, and Perun was the warrior god of thunder and lightning, and also of stone, metal, horse-drawn carts, blacksmiths- everything that passed for technology in the ancient times, basically. The two are locked in a perpetual struggle, usually started by one of them stealing the other's cattle. It's almost a plot that writes itself: Veles is a Goa'uld who dabbled in bio-engineering and similar research and created for himself an army of powerful minotaur warriors (hence the cattle link), and Perun is his sworn enemy from an advanced race (perhaps even a collective name of that race) who waged war on Veles to protect Earth and eventually banished him into another dimension via the World Tree (a transdimensional rift connecting several alternative realities). Now for some reason the wards keeping Veles from returning have weakened, and his army of minotaurs is coming back to conquer the Milky Way, and the SG-1 has to find a way to contact Perun, or perhaps to find something left behind by Perun for just such an occasion.

It's a plot that writes itself, pretty much

Da Viinci code *rolls eyse* that tired old tripe finally went mainstream pah.

I've heard of Veles though I'm not really familar w/ Slavic myth, though I did do a paper on Vilis and romantic ballets Sounds a bit like some of the Irish & Scotch legend/myths. The stealing cattle part

[Iffy]

So yet once again I was pondering SG1 while working today tend to happens while I make bread, but anywhoo.....

Having just watched Reckoning 1 & 2 this week *sighs*

You have a really nice use of Ba'al as "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" type relationship. We all hate each other but the others worse.

[resurgamlaura]

Love your friends, hurt your enemies, be willing to use your enemy's enemy against them by being their friend...welcome to the ancient mode of thinking- at least in places like Greece

[Iffy]

and sometimes sacrifice your friends if they get in the way, oh wait that's more Roman

[SetMaat]

Actually, it'd be very difficult to explain it as a jab at a particular denomination or the Church hierarchy. The recurring question, explicitly stated more than once, was "what is the measure of a god", and if anything or anyone ever is deserving of worship.


Yep. At this point, nothing Bible-related feels too original anymore. Which is why I was somewhat surprised at the popularity of "The Da Vinci Code", because it basically reshuffled and repackaged tired old ideas. Proper marketing does wonders, doesn't it?


The Slavic oak, of course. The SG-1 has touched on the Middle Eastern and European mythology a lot, and on the Mesoamerican one occasionally, but the Slavic mythology was completely forgotten except for the brief mention of Svarog.

I was thinking of playing on the Perun/Veles dualism of the Slavic pagan myths. Veles is the god of the Underworld, associated with serpents ,cattle, sorcery and diseases, and Perun was the warrior god of thunder and lightning, and also of stone, metal, horse-drawn carts, blacksmiths- everything that passed for technology in the ancient times, basically. The two are locked in a perpetual struggle, usually started by one of them stealing the other's cattle. It's almost a plot that writes itself: Veles is a Goa'uld who dabbled in bio-engineering and similar research and created for himself an army of powerful minotaur warriors (hence the cattle link), and Perun is his sworn enemy from an advanced race (perhaps even a collective name of that race) who waged war on Veles to protect Earth and eventually banished him into another dimension via the World Tree (a transdimensional rift connecting several alternative realities). Now for some reason the wards keeping Veles from returning have weakened, and his army of minotaurs is coming back to conquer the Milky Way, and the SG-1 has to find a way to contact Perun, or perhaps to find something left behind by Perun for just such an occasion.

It's a plot that writes itself, pretty much

It is interesting and I am agree with you.

I add also other legends and myths, for example: Pandora's Box I think it would be interesting... or indian mythology like Shiva (sorry, in SG1 we only know Nirti... )

[Iffy]

It is interesting and I am agree with you.

I add also other legends and myths, for example: Pandora's Box I think it would be interesting... or indian mythology like Shiva (sorry, in SG1 we only know Nirti... )

I would have like more Indian too. We get a bit of Kali too but not much.

[scifithinker]

Had they decided to continue with the Goa'uld, there was plenty of mythology yet to mine.

Fanfiction, anyone?

[resurgamlaura]

Had they decided to continue with the Goa'uld, there was plenty of mythology yet to mine.

Fanfiction, anyone?

I knew of a fanfiction writer who delved muchly into the Goa'uld as part of often very large action-adventure SG stories- particularly those based on Asian mythology and legend. Did it very well, too. Can't remember the name of the writer for the life of me though...

[scifithinker]

I knew of a fanfiction writer who delved muchly into the Goa'uld as part of often very large action-adventure SG stories- particularly those based on Asian mythology and legend. Did it very well, too. Can't remember the name of the writer for the life of me though...

Like that helps.

If you remember, let me know. I'd like to check the author out. Asian mythology, huh? Sounds intriguing.

[Iffy]

*shakes head* Res you are too helpful

If you remember or discover long lost hidden links etc. post away.


Gou'ald fanfic, what fun

[resurgamlaura]

I've remembered what their GW handle is and then went rooting around the Jonas thread archives (not stalkerish at all, honest ) and I've found the index web page for their fanfic:

(In spoilers because my lappie refuses to do the links right, and the full address looks ugly on the page )

Spoiler:

http://www.prophet.phlegethon.org/Fiction/SG-1/SG1.htm

I'll warn you now, some of them are very long, but contain some very interesting elements and were clearly researched- especially the series involving the Goa'uld dynasty that is based, I seem to remember, on South-East Asian legend but also historical feudal systems in those regions. And there was also a ninja-like rebel faction involved There is also use of European folk elements (werewolves, etc), the Egyptian aspect (Thoth makes a 'sort of' appearance as he possesses someone at the SGC- sadly the story where that happens isn't up ), and Osiris gets to strut his/her stuff around and furthers the Jonas' genes stuff. So, plenty to pick through...