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Great Ideas to Write About Include Mythological Gods and Their Homes

Zeus

Writers are constantly searching for great ideas to write about. And they may sometimes come across deities and creatures that reside in the history of Greek mythology. This realm is as diverse as it is fascinating. Since audiences have a broad taste in what they read, writers search for a wide range of topics about which to write. Great ideas to write about should include a realm inhabited by mythical beings that inhabit a vast and colorful landscape.

Let’s do a deep dive into the evolution of mythology:

A myth evolves as it’s told, over and over again. Scholars explain that the mythology of a culture is created through the oral renderings of its people. Someone tells a story, and then the audience tells it again, and their listeners tell it again—and on it goes. Because myths are told and retold, passed from one person to the next, there is often more than one version of the same story. (Sears 10)

Myths are revered by the cultures that created them and hold a religious feel.

Mythological gods live in a fictional world. A good writer can solidly place a reader there with them. The reader blinks, and she sees a minotaur, a monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull. From the corner of her eye, she catches a glimpse of Apollo, the god of archery, music, dance, prophesy, and the healer of diseases. As she drifts along in this realm, to her right, she notices the River Styx. There is a boatman there who can take her to the Underworld. However, her trip will be met with perils.

Mount Olympus is portrayed as the main home of the gods. It’s a lavish paradise colored in gold and gemstones, a place where mortals are shunned.

Mount Olympus

Zeus, known as the king of the gods, lives here. He’s the god of sky and thunder, known for his many marriages, philandering ways, and many children. Jealous of his first wife, Metis, for her wisdom, Zeus ate her, believing that her wisdom could be absorbed into himself.

Poseidon, brother of Zeus, is the fickle god of the sea. Violent storms at sea as well as earthquakes, are attributed to Poseidon. His sea kingdom is unpredictable. It is said that he created the horse.

Hades, brother of Poseidon and Zeus, is the god of the dead and king of the eerie Underworld. He presides over funerals and is seen as a loner, not caring much for the living. Hades keeps the dead locked away from the living.

Great Ideas to Write About 
Include Mythological Goddesses

Hera

Besides the gods mentioned above, many goddesses also live on Mount Olympus. Here are three popular ones:

Hera is one of Zeus’ well-known wives. She’s the queen of the goddesses and is also the goddess of marriage and childbirth. Hera also believed she could rule better than her husband, and led a failed revolt against him. 

Athena, one of Zeus’ children, is the goddess of wisdom. She’s courageous and is known for her strategic warfare, although she prefers peace. Athena, although fair, is known to be an invincible strategist.

Aphrodite is the powerful goddess of love and beauty. She’s also known for her passion and sweetly seductive demeanor. Therefore, Aphrodite is associated with love affairs.

Mythology 101 Book Cover

There are many other pivotal figures noted in Greek Mythology, too many to mention here. However, Sears details them in her book Mythology 101 from Gods and Goddesses to Monsters and Mortals.

These gods and goddesses have supernatural abilities. Delving into their mysterious characters provides intriguing fodder for writers to craft their stories.

Great Ideas to Write About
Include Mythological Monsters

Cerberus

It’s a given that readers would be captivated by these legendary stories that have swayed Western arts and literature. These stories dive deeply into the lives of not only omnipotent gods and immortal goddesses but temperamental monsters, too.

Let’s check out some of the monsters that rise from the annals of mythology:

Cerberus is Hades’ watchdog of hell whose job is to prevent living mortals from entering the Underworld and dead spirits from leaving. This dog has at least three heads. Accounts say he loves to eat raw human flesh.

Medusa is a baddie with snakes for hair. Her appearance is so shocking that whoever looks upon her is turned to stone. Even after Perseus beheads her, she still has the power to turn those, who gaze upon her, to stone.

Sirens are purported to be deities of the sea. They are half human, half bird. The Sirens have alluring voices that lure sailors toward them, causing men to crash their vessels on the dangerous rocks.

Continue to follow these fascinating deities and monsters through their amazingly labyrinthian world, and you will see that their stories contain themes of revenge, war, love, betrayal, infidelity, heroism, sacrifice, and the unquenchable thirst for power. These great ideas to write about will captivate your readers as they nose-dive into the intriguing tales and bizarre relationships embodied in Greek Mythology. 

Imagine the dynamic dialogue you can write, set against the backdrop of Mount Olympus and the foreboding Underworld. Oh, what a mythological tapestry you can weave!


Images (Zeus, Mount Olympus, Hera, and Cerberus) by Dream by Wombo

Sears, Kathleen. Mythology 101: From Gods and Goddesses to Monsters and Mortals, Your Guide to Ancient Mythology. Adams Media, 2014.