Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-09-30
mythology

Dear Mrs. Thomas: When fellow
is tying to educate himself by
reading at night, he gets discourag-
ed over so many things he cannot
understand.
I have been reading some books
that mention Olympus and Minerva.
1t is a pleasure to me, but what is
the idea about bringing in Juno,
Minerva and Dorcas when the sub
ject is Woman's Suffrage? E. L.. S.
Your question is one that puzzles
great many people. who. have, not
had the advantages of a high schooi.
There is nothing like knowing what
one is reading about, and to do that
you should have a good dictionary
and a book called Bulfinch's Age OF
nothing so universal in modern lit
erature as ancient mythology. The
so-called divinities of those ancient
days have not a single worshipper,
enlightenment has made them histori-
cal but Invested them of their sa-
decayed, but in literature they have
found permanent place. To quote
from the book I mention: "Zeus, Mi
nerva and Apollo are among our lit
erary ancestors. Many of our best
known words are but a harvest of
language presupposes an origin COM
mon to all. Man is always found
in company with some god; left to
himself he constructs one of his
own. The most eXtravagant legends
are invented and given locality. The
forces of nature become sentient be-
ings, and are clothed with conscious
power. In order to understand these
legends we must acquaint ourselves
with the ideas of the structure of
the universe which prevailed among
the Greeks-the people from whom
the other nations received mulch or
this mythology"
The ancient Greeks believed the
earth to be fiat and circular and that
their own country was the center.
The very central point da according Gil1I to
the abode of the gods, or Delhi, so
t fhmGaa tSe Circular e orS disk of tSs
earth was crossed from west to east,
and divided into two equal parts by
ranean, and its continuation, the
The The ancient Greeks thought the
ocean was river that flowed around
thought tfio1 It flowed from south to
opposite direction on the other side
These ancient Greeks called their
own country Hellas and thought the
northern part of the earth was in
IIoDlICo ny law SehlASN ItS ~ w
reans, they thought these Hyperbo-
reans dwelt in everlasting bliss and
in a delightful climate like unto
springtime, beyond the lofty noun
tains whose caverns were supposed
to send the chilling blasts of the
north wind that pierced like darts
the people of Hellas. These people
beyond the mountains did not suf-
fer from disease or old age.
The poet Moore gave us a song
called "The Song of Hyperborean."
You may, have heard it, and all Of
you could do no better then to get
the book of poems written by that
author. Our literature is full of
his beautiful illusions and the one
mentioned begins.
II come from a land in the sun
bright deep,
Where golden gardens glow,
Where the winds of the north be-
Gained in sleep
Their couch-shells never blow"
On the south side Of the earth,
close to the stream of ocean dwelt
people quite as happy and vir-
| tuous as the Hyperboreans and these
the Greeks called Ethiopians.
The gods of Olympus favored them
so highly that they often left their
abode to go and share the Ethiopian