Writing Prompt: Greek Lord of the Universe or the Inevitable Spread of Globalisation?
Pick your side wisely. The battle between old and new continues.
Prompt 2 for July’s theme: Let There Be Light
This month the prompts are simple
Pick the god you find most interesting.
Weave them into the core or the background of your story. Consider how religion and mythology give your story more layers. And how your luckless hero could get tangled in the dice games of the gods.
Pick a side, Old Gods or New.
Choose Old God: Zeus
Zeus was the god of the sky and thunder in ancient Greek mythology.
His father was Cronus, the titan of time, and his mother was Rhea, the titan of fertility. Zeus overthrew Cronus and became the ruler of the universe, king of the gods and of Mount Olympus.
His symbol was the thunderbolt, and his main weapon was a lightning bolt. He was also the god of the sky, weather, law, order, and justice.
He was married to Hera, the goddess of marriage, and they had three children: Ares, the god of war; Athena, the goddess of wisdom; and Apollo, the god of the sun.
Zeus was known for his temper and for his infidelity to Hera, having many affairs with mortal women including Europa, Io, and Semele. With Io, Zeus turned her into a cow to hide her from Hera’s jealous wrath.
Sounds like plenty to write about there. 😏
Then there’s the story of Prometheus, a Titan worshipped by craftsman, who stole fire (the first piece of technology) from Zeus for the benefit of mankind.
As punishment, Zeus chained him to a rock where an eagle fed each day on his liver, which grew again each night. The poor guy was eventually rescued by Hercules, another bastard demi-god son of Zeus.
That’s one complicated intergenerational family drama.
Choose New God: Globalisation
Globalisation is the belief that the world is becoming increasingly interconnected and that this process is irreversible.
This process is worshipped by those who believe that globalisation is inevitable and a force for good, bringing people and cultures together.
However, it can also be seen as a force for evil, as it can lead to the homogenisation of cultures.
There are many ways to reimagine modern gods as part of world building. Here are two of them:
- As something that is worshipped: In many cultures, gods are worshipped and given offerings, no less with modern gods. For example, people could make offerings to their smartphones, or to the internet. Buying elaborate covers or other glittery bling. Or paying monthly tithes in the hope of better connection and faster answers.
- As something that is feared: In some cultures, gods are feared and avoided. Many people range from weary to wary to downright against technology (looking at you Amish), or of globalisation. A rise of Nationalism is a prayer towards closed borders and “purer” cultures.
Weave a little mythology into your next story
Pick a side, any side. Fence sitting won’t help you here. Or will it?
Your story must:
- Be min 100 and max 1000 words long, excluding the title, subtitle, and any post-story bio/links. (We use Medium’s own word count feature.)
- We recommend tagging your story Fiction, Flash Fiction and maybe your genre too. Or 100 Word Challenge if you’re doing that. But it’s your choice.
- Please link back to the prompt so others can find it easily.
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