Every Journey Starts with a Single Step…
Greetings fellow traveller! I’m so glad you’ve decided to join me on this journey into Mythology & Meaning.
For years I’ve been sharing my experience, scholarship and insight into what makes certain films, animation and games so captivating to so many people. I’ve presented at academic conferences like Schoolgirls and Mobilesuits at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. I’ve lectured at Universities in Chicago, Dallas and Tyler, TX. I’ve presented at conventions and film festivals all over the U.S. and around the world including Germany, Australia and New Zealand. But finally, I have an online home, here at MythologyAndMeaning.com.
As this website expands, I’ll be including even more content to help you explore the storytelling blueprint behind your favorite stories including:
- Videos
- Articles
- Podcasts
- Books
- Interviews
Everything on this site is designed to help you expand your expressive capabilities as a creator, as well as give you a greater understanding about the mythology and meaning of your own life. I think you’ll find it both enlightening and rewarding!
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to leave them as comments on this blog. I look forward to conversing with you about my favorite topic, mythology and how it affects storytelling in art and in life.
17 Comments
You spoke at the College of Art and Design? Very cool! I’m attending the Vancouver campus for the College of Art and Design right now. Not sure how easy it would be for you to visit, but I’d very much like to attend the lectures if you came! Maybe it would be something for the school to discuss with you and your agent.
Yes, it’s me again, that ‘StarRunner’ guy whom also follows your voice acting mastery podcasts. I saw you were a lover of mythology and I had always hoped you’d discuss it sometime! I’ve been researching a lot of mythology myself (as I’m trying to create compelling worlds for novels and games) in my spare time. But it’s tough when you don’t always know what to look for. I saw the media you had on the site so far and I can’t wait for more!
Maybe next chance you get, you should give this site a shout out from your voice acting mastery podcast. But for now, take care!
Yes, I used to lecture regularly at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
And yes, if you’d like me to come speak at your college, the best way to do that is to have someone at your college contact my agent to figure out the details for my visit. You can contact her by e-mail at:
arlene@arlenethornton.com
Hope that helps! In the near future, I hope to have a forum area here on this website as well. Thanks for your interest!
Hi Crispin 🙂 I’m little bit curious about witches,warlocks,wizards, and Wiccans after I watched ‘Wizard of Oz’, then I learned about from the Mystics and Priestesses presentation at SGMS 2008, and ‘Code Geass’. I found something unique comparison about how witches can manipulated a protagonist -I’m trying to combine between Code Geass and an colorful/creepy Italian horror film from mid-70’s with called ‘Suspiria.’ ‘Suspiria’ is about when a young American girl from NY who transfers to a fancy ballet academy from Germany. Until something strange has happened, she discovered that this school and herself was controlled by the clique of the witches. But, I found some inspirations of this film-One is the ‘Suspiria de Profendis’ means ‘Sighs from the Depths’ by Thomas De Quincey; the other is ‘Our Lady of Darkness’ novel by Fritz Leiber-This novel purses more of Lovecraft myths and has sources of malevolent comes from from a male warlock than a female witch. It also used of Jungian Psychology which informs the narrative and offers the self, female self and the shadow. Do you think it sounds more deeper than any mythology or not really? Thank you for your time
I’m sorry, but I don’t understand your question. You mentioned 4 different stories, but I can’t discern a cogent question from your comment.
What are you asking?
Well, while I watched Code Geass series when Lelocuh met C.C. and it became shocking how C.C. used Lelouch the whole time, because she is the witch. Then, Lelouch became a warlock and much more manipulative and controllable with those powers to others than C.C. But, I finally found some research that Code Geass has more focus on both Freudian and Jungian psychology,with an emphasis on the great goddess-can be disguised as a mother or a witch. About ‘Suspiria’, while a female protagonist named Suzy at the ballet school from Germany, she was being manipulate and became serious ill, such as weakness and unconscious mind by the witches, whose the ballet teachers. I found out it might be more Freudian psychology than Jungian psychology. My question: Do you think the witches and warlocks can be much more psychological, manipulation, and negativism than just powers/spells? I’m really sorry I confused you of all about those resources that I found
The term witch can be problematic. The traditional definition of a witch is a woman who has made a deal with the devil in order to have supernatural powers. That does not apply to C.C. as far as I know. She has magical powers, but I don’t believe they are from the devil. So technically, C.C. is not a witch.
Obviously in Harry Potter, the demonic aspect of witches is eliminated. Wizards and witches have no negative connotation in the world of Harry Potter. But I don’t think that C.C.’s powers are the same in style as the magic-users in Harry Potter. I’m not as familiar with the story of Code Geass to know for sure, but I was always under the impression that since a Geass is a more celtic spell, C.C. felt more like a female druid or a shamaness than a witch. I could be wrong though.
If what you’re asking me is whether or not witches and warlocks have a psychological importance in addition to their ability to cast spells, I would say absolutely yes. That’s actually what all my scholarship is about. I share Joseph Campbell’s interest in the psychological usefulness of mythology. As he says in his famous academic work Beowulf and The Critics: “A dragon is no idle fancy. Whatever may be his origins, in fact or invention, the dragon in legend is a potent creation of men’s imagination, richer in significance than his barrow is in gold.”
I find the psychological meaning aspect of mythology to be the most interesting. That’s why I named my site Mythology & Meaning.
Awesome- It does really makes sense. Thank you, Crispin 😀
Actually may I just insert my little know-how here?
The claim of the definition of a witch is a devil contractor is a very christian view. Not saying that you as such but we should not see it as.
Witches were deemed as devil workers since church and others tried to indoctrinate the “pagan” worshipers into the belief. The name itself is old English for “female sorceress”.
Let us not forget that the devil is deemed with horns and hooves because of Pan the God. That they have holidays on the same day as the pagan ones. Hell is named so because of Hel the Goddess.
So my point is that a witch is a female sorceress (these days a male as well) is it maybe that C.C. is one (I have no idea since I haven’t seen the show).
(It may also have to do that Christianity has never liked things that contradicted its books. Any belief that humans have power like to see ghosts or change things in their favor is against Gods will or so many believe.)
You are correct that the term “witch” in its traditional negative connotation has its roots in Abrahamic views of those who used spell casting and called on a power other than that of the God of the Abrahamic tradition. However, I am unaware of the use of the word “witch” without those negative connotations. The only thing I can find is that “witch” comes from the Old English wiċċecræft, compound of “wiċċe” (“witch”) and “cræft” (“craft”). Can you site a source for the etymology of “witch” where it is not used in relation to an Abrahamic world view and does not carry a perjorative meaning?
In modern times with the advent of modern wicca, the terms witch and warlock have been rehabilitated to some extent. They are not nearly as negative as they were in the past.
I was not aware that Hell was named for the pagan goddess Hel. A quick search on Wikipedia seems to contradict that etymology. Can you give some reference for that interpretation of the word?
I am curious what your opinion is on animes that adapt characters or stories from classic literature, such as Fate/ Stay Night or Gankutsuou: the Count of Monte Cristo. Do you think it is ok the take these works and re-interpret them as well as their characters?
Do you think it’s okay to re-interpret classical works of literature?
I enjoy re-interpretations of literature when I feel that either they have stayed true to the original feel of the source material or if they have made a unique and innovative twist that suits the material even better. I really enjoyed it when they changed the character of “M” in the James Bond franchise to being a woman. Then Bond felt like a knight in the service of his queen. I like that character relationship and I think it does much to ameliorate the inherent chauvinism in the Bond stories. I like the fact that in the film adaptation of Fellowship of the Ring, they changed Frodo’s journey to Rivendell from months and months in the books to a couple of weeks in the film version. I thought that was a good adaptation of the original story to a new medium.
I don’t like it when someone takes a piece of classic literature and totally obliterates the original point of the story. Case in point, the video game adaptation of Dante’s Inferno. From what I understand, it has very little to do with the original Divine Comedy. Even worse, it takes Dante and turns him into a warrior who must battle the condemned souls in hell. That is so far off the base of the original Inferno that I don’t understand what extra insight it gives me into the original story. I find it very tedious when someone uses a classic piece of literature to dress up an otherwise boring.
As far as it being “okay” or not, that’s a completely subjective judgement. Who am I to say whether it’s “okay” or not? I can only say whether I appreciate it or not.
Hello Crispin! When it comes to cultural mythology, the public’s knowledge tends to default to Greco-Roman. Are there any cultural myth systems you feel are overlooked by the public? What do you think is worth further exploration?
I am fond of Joseph Campbell’s comment that people often think of mythology as other people’s religions, but in fact religion is often misunderstood mythology.
To me, mythology is the storytelling aspect of religion. Under that definition, all the religions of the world, past and present are mythologies that are worth further exploration.
By looking at dominant religious traditions from a comparative mythological perspective, I think it brings out the patterns and meanings of those religious traditions in a clear and fresh way. In my own scholarship, I’m looking for patterns of storytelling. Those patterns are usually based on the dominant religious traditions of the culture where the artist grew up.
By exploring these different mythological structures in different religions, it opens up new possibilities for telling your own stories, not only artistically, but also personally. Understanding these stories help you author your own life.
While it’s true that when you mention the term “mythology” most people think of Greco-Roman myths, I apply that term to all storytelling that has a metaphysical or mystical component, whether that be holy scriptures, The Lord of the Rings or Star Wars.
I think the most overlooked mythological system is one’s own.
” […] By exploring these different mythological structures in different religions, it opens up new possibilities for telling your own stories, not only artistically, but also personally. Understanding these stories help you author your own life. […] I think the most overlooked mythological system is one’s own.”
I really like your approach to this; to take something on the mythic level (abstract) and make it applicable on the personal level (concrete). Whenever I think of Joseph Campbell I always think of “The Hero’s Journey” but I never once considered that we could simply remove the Hero and put ourselves in his place, and that we all have our own mythic systems.
Nice. I also like your stance that every system is valid and worth exploring.
Thanks for your insight and opinion, Crispin!
Ahaha! I had also given up on seeing this website …. admittedly I’m quite late on the bandwagon.
I saw your presentation on mythology back last year and I have been wanting a chin wag on the topic but that shall wait for a forum I hope. Oh … yahoo does not count (On the topic on things that are Satanic I deem the terrible layout to be one).
I may just say one thing – when I watched your presentation (It was at AVCon) you gave a very strong impression that anime and culture comes from religion which I believe is very incorrect. I believe culture comes first then religion but it is a bit of a chicken and the egg scenario (btw the egg came first which is why the quote is very baffling).
It will be interesting to see a forum. I would love to have a nice list of mythological notes that we can discuss.
Oh. Controversial note at the end of Wolf’s Rain I believe that only Kiba knows he is a wolf. The rest are wolves who have forgotten who they were. (Not that anyone cares)
I will check here often!
While this discussion may be better served in a forum format, I’ll do my best to answer it here in the meantime.
I believe you have misunderstood both my presentation as well as the complicated relationship between religion and culture.
In regards to my presentation: in all of my presentations I try to share what I see as the religious influences that shape patterns in pop culture storytelling. I’m not saying that religion is the only influence on pop culture storytelling, but it is a big one. I was not trying to say culture comes from religion. I actually didn’t say anything about culture and how it is influenced by religion. What I discussed was how religion influences animated storytelling. My presentation was not on American and Japanese culture, it was on American and Japanese animation. I’m sorry if you misunderstood that.
In regards to culture and religion: it is an oversimplification to say that religion comes from culture. They certainly influence each other, but it is almost impossible to say that one is antecedent to the other, especially when dealing with confessional religions where there is a founder (such as Buddhism, Christianity or Islam). Even Judaism, which has deep ethnic components, was begun not by a culture, but by the patriarch, Abraham, making a covenant with Yahweh. The nature of that covenant was certainly influenced by the culture Abraham lived in, but the idea of having a monotheistic religious system was actually not a part of Abraham’s culture at the time. So it is not accurate to say that culture is the birth of all religions.
If by the end of Wolf’s Rain, you mean those final shots of the characters in the last couple of minutes of the series, then yes I would agree with you. Kiba is the only one aware of his past lives, much like the Buddha.
Hi, Crispin. I am curious about how can you analyze the Death Note anime. It is one of my favourite anime tv shows. I would like to know what do you actually think on the role of Shinigamis in the anime and if there is some symbolic meaning behind the Death Note itself.
I would also know if the phrase Light Yagami always says that he “is the god of new world” has some hidden meaning or if it refers on some mythological being. I would be very grateful for your opinion. Thank you 🙂