Breakfast in Myth Land
Unearthing the Connection Between Art, Myths and Reality
When I was a kid, I read the Bible (encouraged by my grandma). To be honest, at that age, I don’t think I fully understood what I was reading. The Bible is quite complex for a 9-year-old.
That Bible, was adorned with beautiful illustrations, and paintings from the 15th to the 18th century by classic artists like Rubens, Velazquez, Rafael, and others.
I was captivated by spectacular stories about Jonah being swallowed by a big fish, multi-headed dragons, angels, demons, and all the imagery from the Judeo-Christian tradition.
As I grew older, I moved away from religion - by 11, I had told my grandma I didn’t believe in God - and fantasy books, RPG games, and sci-fi took religion's place in my imagination. As I matured, more anthropological works crept into my library, including teachings from the Buddha, the Aztecs, the Vikings, and the Celts, among others. I vividly remember reading about the Celts when I was 17 years old, not knowing that I would end up living in Ireland for 9 years. Life is funny that way.
Lately, I’ve been increasingly drawn to myths and mythology. It seems like a natural progression, as if all the paths I’ve followed have led me here, to this moment, towards becoming a fully independent writer, photographer, and ultimately, an artist inspired by art, history, myth and the intersection of all three.
Reading the signs
Despite being an atheist, I can’t ignore the pressing human questions like “Why are we here? What is consciousness? Where and when did everything start?” for which science has yet to provide answers. One must heed the signs around us; perhaps I’m in search of the spiritual fulfilment I find lacking.
In today's world, where the news paints a grim and dark picture, many people are turning to alternative forms of spirituality beyond traditional religions. I’m just one of many delving into history and myths to better understand our world.
Is this a form of escapism from an increasingly daunting reality? Only time will tell.
Blindboy, Joseph Campbell and “Pesanta”
A major influence in my journey towards exploring myths and mythology has been my wife. She has repeatedly recommended the Blindboy Boatclub podcast for several reasons:
Blindboy’s unique and intriguing story. Blindboy Boatclub, is an Irish satirist, musician, podcaster, author, and TV presenter from Limerick. Known for wearing plastic bags as masks with The Rubberbandits, he tackles topics like history, myths, mental health, and masculinity. Since 2017, he has hosted The Blindboy Podcast, covering social issues, published short story collections, and appeared on various media platforms. A truly prolific individual.
Blindboy’s Irish roots. My wife, being half Irish and half Danish, feels a deep connection with Emerald Ireland. She often shares news about Ireland with me, typically related to politics, culture, and art. Plus, we met in Dublin 10 years ago, where I lived for nine glorious years. To quote James Joyce, “When I die, Dublin will be written in my heart.”
Blindboy’s captivating storytelling, with a focus on Irish mythology, though not exclusively, using humor and fact, all delivered in a fantastic Irish accent from Limerick.
My wife knows me better than anyone, so I took her advice.
I’ve been engrossed in Blindboy’s podcast episodes, fascinated by the intertwining of cultures, myths, and the lost treasures of knowledge and wisdom from long-gone civilizations. As Austin Kleon says, everything is a remix.
Here are a couple of episodes that really resonated with me.
Following my dive into Blindboy’s world and further reading, I posted a comment on this Substack about embarking on this mythological journey. Katri, a dear friend, expressed her enthusiasm for the subject and recommended Joseph Campbell’s work.
I was unaware of Joseph Campbell’s contributions until then, which is surprising given his influence on figures like Viggo Mortensen, Steven Spielberg, Paulo Coelho, Michael Jackson, Stanley Kubrick, and George Lucas - without him, there would be no “Star Wars.”
For a taste of his insights, you can watch this series of interviews with Joseph Campbell from the latter part of his life.
The deeper you dive, the more you realize the vast cultures to explore in awe, experiencing their art, customs, and interconnected worlds. We know only a fraction about them, and the stories that have reached us have often been altered by Western culture through adaptations and interpretations.
Thus, I began researching, focusing on mythologies from Ireland and Spain, as both countries are incredibly rich in mythologies that we are still uncovering.
An example of my research is “Pesanta”.
In Catalan folklore, the Pesanta is a mythical creature, often depicted as a massive dog or, in some tales, a cat, that stealthily enters homes at night. It sits on the chests of sleeping people, causing breathing difficulties and terrifying nightmares. Described as black and furry, the Pesanta has steel paws with holes, rendering it unable to grasp anything.
The Pesanta is linked to sleep paralysis, a condition where one wakes but cannot move, experiencing hyperacusis (increased sensitivity to sound) and hallucination-like perceptions.
This is a myth that has been passed orally from generation to generation for hundreds of years. I couldn’t find a fitting illustration for the post, so I turned to Midjourney to create above illustration.
Discovering this myth was chilling and thrilling, like reading a book by Stephen King that you have to close while reading at night, and I’m not alone.
I found a short film inspired by this myth (Spanish with English Subtitles), showcasing how myths influence art in all its forms.
This newfound interest in myths and stories beyond the news cycle has led me to several questions I plan to explore in future posts:
The influence of myths on art and history.
The most obscure mythologies in the world.
What defines a myth?
Can anyone create their own myths? How easily will they spread today?
Perhaps I’m seeking an explanation for the human spirit’s failure to recognize our interconnectedness throughout history.
Perhaps I’m trying to make sense of the evil I see in the world, which blinds me to the good we all strive to do, while Gaia increasingly defends against our species.
Or maybe I just want to share old and new stories with my son using art, literature, and a bit of magic.
Either way, this journey feels like it could span a thousand years without fully uncovering the entire story, and I’m all in.
“Why do we tell the stories that we do about whatever it is that is out there?”- Joseph Campbell
This is all for today; if you have any myths or mythologies in your own country that you are passionate about, please share them by email or in the comments, I’d love to learn more about them.
Until next time.
By any art necessary.
Love your imagined Pesanta illustration. Interesting, how this myth has a lot of nightmare-ish connotations, but for me, your illustration and the idea of Pesanta - brings instant comfort and feeling of home. The “Transformation” workshop, that you helped create, facilitated by Phuc Van Dang, was the first time I reflected on this as an adult: I am comforted by dark parts.
Looking closer to the origins of this part of my personality, I could hear my Mom’s voice, singing a bedtime lullaby, a Russian folk song: “Sleep, sleep, fall asleep, but do not lay too close to the edge; A grey wolf will come and take a bite of your sweet side”. And one of the first bed time stories every parent tells their child, where I come from, is a story of three pig brothers and their different houses and how the wolf came and destroyed them all. I always rooted for the wolf, because if you are silly enough to make your house out of hay - it’s your own fault. The Wolf became a sort of personal totem of mine, a spirit animal representing my Shadow.
This past summer, I had a conversation with my Dad and I asked him: “What was the scariest thing you ever encountered on one of your fishing trips, hiking through the woods and across rivers?” And he told me about an encounter with a grey wolf that he had. He was walking a forest path and suddenly felt at the back of his neck, somebody staring at him, as he turned around he was facing a big grey wolf, staring him down with effortless arrogance. My Dad stared back for a good while, full minutes passing by in slow motion, until the wolf deemed him a worthy presence, bowed in agreement and continued on his walk.
It is only terrifying if you don’t look directly at it {the wolf, the shadow}, but if you are up for meeting its gaze — it can be one of the best parts of your life.