For some time, notably following the success of Irene Vallejo with Infinity in a reed (2019), the ancient world and Greco-Latin culture, both in their original works and in the form of new reinterpretations, have returned to the new release tables of bookstores and are giving rise to numerous dramatic or audiovisual adaptations. This is no coincidence: in times of uncertainty, human beings tend to look for answers in this past which seems immutable, fixed, certain. There’s nothing like myths, great founding stories, to have a reference to cling to, a source of inspiration or simple comfort.
In the 1990s, two experienced researchers in clinical psychotherapy saw the potential of myth to explain the mysteries of life and make its torments more bearable. In reality, the phenomenon was not new – Plato used myths to illustrate his theories, Jesus taught through parables – but they, Liz Greene (New Jersey, 1946) and Juliet Sharman-Burke (London, 1947), knew how to adapt it to their contemporaries. The result was mythical wisdom (1999; Errata naturae, 2025, trans. Mario Lamberti), a kind of scientific guide which, based on myths from different traditions, analyzes how they can help meditate at each stage, from conception to death.
Because, deep down, we haven’t changed much. The book is divided into five blocks, following a chronological thread: family origins and childhood, the young man’s initiatory journey, love and relationships, professional vocation and power, and old age and the last journey. In each of them, different stories are told that show different archetypal scenes, accompanied by a commentary that transfers them to the present. Examples of Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Norse, Hindu or Maori mythology, biblical stories and Arthurian material, among others; a diversity which, on the one hand, reflects the enormous collective cultural wealth and, on the other hand, reveals that deep down, we are not so different.
From birth to the initiatory journey
At first there was a family, or something similar. The relationship between parents and children is the first conflict that everyone faces in life: sometimes it is the expectations that parents have placed in their children, like Thetis, goddess of the sea and therefore immortal, who did not want to resign herself to seeing her son, the mortal Achilles, die; other times, it is a question of letting them go when they grow up, which a father like Œnopion has difficulty assuming, which is why he refuses his daughter’s hand to suitors, who never seem good enough for her; or the rivalry between father and son, like Theseus, jealous of the young son to the point of throwing him out of the house (the kingdom) for fear that he would supplant him in beauty and vigor in front of his new wife.
But family goes beyond the nest: Poia’s story, collected by the Blackfeet of North America, is about overcoming generational trauma through the bond between grandfather and grandson. Among the brothers, images of unconditional love and envy, Cain and Abel, weighed down by paternal favoritism (always unfair), nor the competitive Romulus and Remus could not be missed; But there is also the faithful Antigone, who puts her principles and her love for her brother before her own safety.
When the boy grows up, comes the challenge of becoming an adult. This rite of passage can lead to a spiritual path, as happens to Siddhartha, who feels the call of a calling greater than the plans his father the king has for him, and dares to follow his instincts and forgo comfort; Leaving the nest means finally facing the obstacles yourself that will lead to personal autonomy. Others, however, are more immature, like Parsifal at the start of the search for the Grail, or have unattainable goals and must learn to accept their limits, like the hero Gilgamesh.
Emotional relationships and professional development
There is no doubt about it: love and relationships occupy a central place in existence. Endless myths explore sexual awakening, passion, marriage, breakup or disloyalty in the couple, among other conflicts. The book tells the story of the handsome Narcissus, too satisfied with himself to be able to love another; of the Anatolian goddess Cybele, possessive of her son to the point of forcing him to make a vow of absolute fidelity which leads to tragic consequences; or the magician Merlin, who loses everything when he falls in love, in a myth which represents the risk of confusing the value of the person with that of his possessions.
The triangle is another essential motif, starting with Zeus, whom the authors describe as “the archetype of the serial adulterer”, married to “the archetype of the jealous wife”, Hera. While he is carried away by uncontrollable desire, she is cunning enough to plot revenge against her lovers. Both reflect “two dimensions of the human psyche permanently at war”, but “laughing together” reconciles them. Other stories offer a sample of integrity, friendship and deep love, such as the triangle formed by King Arthur, Queen Guinevere and Lancelot; or an unwavering loyalty towards everything and against everyone, like that of Penelope awaiting the return of Odysseus.
The other aspect of adult life focuses on social function, self-sufficiency, and management of power and resources. The Celtic myth of Lugh speaks of perseverance in the search for a vocation, which often involves learning various skills and knowing how to adapt to circumstances; The Greek story of Arachne shows the danger of pride, with a young woman so vain that she is unable to carry her gift with modesty and dares to defy the same goddess who granted her this talent; and another Greek classic, King Midas, illustrates like no other that wealth does not guarantee happiness and that one must be careful what one wishes for.
The end of the road
Unlike what happens in Western society, mythology is not afraid to tackle the final journey: old age, illness, pain, death. It can be heartbreaking or become a process of self-discovery that gives new meaning to existence. The biblical Job, with its harsh trials, embodies the emblem of an old man who accepts the setbacks of life with honor and without losing faith in God, which in the secular world can be interpreted as hope for the future. The myth of Eurydice and Orpheus, for its part, illustrates what happens when we are unable to accept loss, the despair of clinging to the impossible, and from which the market benefits today.
Faust’s pact with the devil reveals the fragility of focusing everything on the exterior – sensuality, vanity – instead of working on interior growth, which gives confidence and well-being when the pleasures of the flesh are exhausted. The story of Maui, of Maori origin, tells of the audacity of a hero who believes he is above death, which today takes the form of promises of cryogenic preservation and miraculous elixirs. To conclude, the book ends with the Hindu myth of Indra and the ants, a story that recalls that universal truth that in farewell, kings and the humble are equal. No one can escape death, even if some have more resources to delay it.
This is just a small appetizer of what this fascinating mythical wisdoma reading which, whether taken as a guide or not, is instructive for the quantity of traditions it brings together and manages to arouse curiosity to deepen the knowledge of different mythologies. This is a rapprochement with classical knowledge, presented in a more playful and dynamic way than in a more conventional compilation. Liz Greene and Juliet Sharman-Burke achieve something not easy: presenting well-known stories in an original way and in another context.
Myths, as we know, are archetypes, they push situations and characters to the extreme; They are full of perversion, violence and unbridled passion, often leading to tragic fates, punishments and cruel deaths. For this reason, alongside them, human weaknesses and failures are put into perspective, and it is possible to console ourselves by thinking that in reality we are not the first to go through a certain situation, nor the worst that can happen to us. Contemporary gods (and demons) are in the human mind, and reading good books has always been an antidote to, at the very least, keeping it awake.
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