Into the Forest discussion

In honor of our group read, I'm going into myth not fairy tale. (BTW, anyone else can add one of these. Please feel free).

So Troy. Lots of people died. Does it really exist?

Well, yes, actually. It's in Turkey there are 9-10 cities buried on one city.


The story of Troy was anicent during anicent times. Both the Romans and the English claimed as ancestors those who escaped the fall of the city.

The story starts something like this. The gods were went to a wedding. At the banquet, Discord, who wasn't invited, threw down an apple that said to the fairest. Three goddess reached the finals - Hera (queen of the gods), Athena (goddes of wisdom), and Aprodite (goddess of love). Understandably, Zeus said, I'm not going to judge, go ask that man there. That man turned out to Paris, a lost prince of Troy. Each goddess promised him something on the sly. Power, glory, and love. Paris chose love, which meant the most beautiful women in the world - Helen, who was married. When Paris discovered his true lineage, he traveled to Sparta, met Helen, she left husband and daughter, as well as taking the treasure with her, fled with Paris back to Troy.

The Greeks were not happy about this. Helen's "rape" led to the massive invasion of Troy, the death (murder) of he eldest niece, the death, murder, enslavement of thousands more. The loss of wealth and kingdoms.

Unless, she was actually in Egypt because that is another story. Which brings up the issue of the revision versions were Helen is not blamed. Is it her beauty the allows her the excuse? Look at the most recent Hollywood version.

Additionaly, the Trojans may have loss the battle but they won the media war. The Greeks, especially today, are always the bad guys now. Why?

There so many add ons, changes, and aspects of the legend that it is difficult to list them all. Not only has Troy inspired Hollywood, but Troy inspired Virgil, Chaucer, Shakespeare, and hunders of other medieval and Renassiance writers. Even today, you can find novelizations of the story without even trying. What is it about the tale that attracts?

If you haven't seen it, you might want to watch Michael Wood's "In Search of the Trojan War".

I recently read the verse novel (or novel-length poem, anyway) Helen in Egypt, but I'm not familiar with the backstory about being in Egypt. Can you say more about that, Chris?

The story goes that the real Helen was taken to Egypt and a fake Helen went to Troy. It wasn't discovered until after the war. I think the story comes because Helen and Menelaus were shipwrecked in Egypt after Troy, so I think it is a divergent tale. The Pharoh/ruler wanted Helen, naturally. Herodutus, I think, is the one that first places her in Egypt, where the Egyptians take her and hold for Menelaus. In his version, no fake, but the Greeks raze Troy first.

Fascinating!