51 pages • 1-hour read
Percy Jackson's Greek Gods
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Symbols & Motifs
Mount Olympus
The home of the Olympian gods, Mount Olympus is one of the main settings of many tales throughout Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods. The interplay of the gods who live there thematically symbolizes What Makes a Society. The real Mount Olympus is a massif (a single body within a mountain range) located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia in Greece, and its tallest peak (Mytikas—meaning “nose”) is more than 9,000 feet high. In myth, Mount Olympus’s central location made it an ideal place for the gods to watch the events taking place in Greece, and while the origin of the mountain’s name is unknown, some suggest that Olympus derives from a combination of words meaning “pure foot,” which would have allowed the people of Greece to identify it as a footstool for the gods to exist above them. As the tallest mountain in Greece, Mount Olympus has mythological significance, representing the effect of the gods on the land. Before the Olympians’ rise to power, Kronos lived atop Mount Othrys, then the tallest mountain, which the Olympian gods sheered in half at the culmination of the 10-year war between the Titans and gods. In doing so, the Olympians established themselves as the world’s most powerful force, and in the context of the Percy Jackson universe, this event instigates Kronos’s quest for revenge in the main series.
Mount Olympus is the site of many feuds and parties among the gods. The main room of the gods’ palace features a hearth at its center, thrones for the Olympian gods (except Hades), and a dining table for feasts. In this space, the gods conduct meetings, gather by the fire (viewed as a place of safety and family in ancient Greece), and keep a watch on their people. The palace atop Mount Olympus thematically represents The Effects of Power Dynamics, as it’s meant only for the gods, though they occasionally invite an outstanding human to dine atop the mountain. In addition, the palace holds private apartments for the gods so that those who don’t live there full-time, like Poseidon, can stay for extended visits, which again represents the importance of the family unit.
The Gods
While the gods individually have their own stories, personalities, and powers, the Olympians, lesser deities, and demigods of Percy Jackson’s universe thematically represent what makes a society and reflect the vast complexity of the ancient Greek pantheon. The Olympian gods are the most famous in Greek myth, and their powers extend across everything from the sky and water to food, travel, and alcohol. As the children of Titans Kronos and Rhea, the original six Olympians (Hera, Demeter, Hestia, Hades, Zeus, and Poseidon) are powerful immortal beings. Beyond this initial group, however, the mechanisms for the birth of gods and the distribution of power is more complex: Children of two gods, children of a god and a mortal, and even children of an individual god (such as Hephaestus) are beings of varying types. In some cases, the child of a god and a mortal results in a new Olympian god. In other cases, a union between two gods produces a lesser deity, showing the unclear effect of bloodline on status. The gods hold the power to create entirely new races, such as humans and nymphs, though it’s likewise unclear why some of these races are immortal when others aren’t.
In addition, the gods played critical roles in the daily lives of the ancient Greeks. Since humans believed that many aspects of their world required gaining favor with the gods, prayer became a natural part of human culture. Humans used fires to burn standard sacrificial offerings (such as food) to the gods in a show of belief and gratitude. In addition, people prayed or offered up additional sacrifices in hopes of gaining favorable outcomes, such as praying to Hermes before traveling or to Hades for a loved one’s safe passage to the Underworld. In the myths, the gods respond well to prayers and offerings, revealing the power they hold over humans. The gods’ power is also evident in the punishments they exact upon those who don’t pray or who deny their existence. Tales like that of Arachne show how the gods may exact punishment that far exceeds an offense, and humans shared stories like this as a warning not to upset the gods.
Percy Jackson
As the narrator of the stories in this collection, Percy Jackson represents the importance of storytelling to ancient Greece. Back then, stories were primarily shared orally: People gathered to hear someone tell the tales. This was a way in which community played an important role in people’s lives as well as a way to keep the stories of the gods from being forgotten. Though Percy writes down the stories for mass distribution by a publishing house, his unique narrative voice offers the same sense of theatrics as an oral telling. Through vivid descriptions, humorous asides and dialogue, and the knowledge of the gods that his status as a demigod confers, Percy weaves stories that hold attention and present the gods as multifaceted beings who aren’t entirely different from humans. Percy’s narration frequently speaks directly to readers to involve them in the stories and make the world of the Greek gods feel even more realistic.
In addition, Percy represents the modern-day take on the Greek myths around which Riordan has created his story universe. The first Percy Jackson book was published in 2005, while this collection was released almost a decade later, and more of Percy’s stories were published in subsequent years. Thus, Percy, through Riordan, has seen the world progress in the first quarter of the 21st century, and his narrative style has adapted to those changes, telling the stories through a contemporary lens. In this way, Percy acknowledges the importance of providing young readers with both entertainment and education through reading. While Percy’s adventures offer a romp through a modern fantasy landscape featuring action sequences, interesting characters, and creative magic, the novels, as well as this collection, serve as a springboard into learning about the past. Percy’s ability to keep history fresh and interesting helps ensure that these ancient stories aren’t forgotten, which hearkens back to the oral storytelling tradition as a way to remember and learn.
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