Original Creation Myth: How the Cheetah Got It's Spots

A long long time ago in the grasslands of east Africa lived the cheetahs. They were closest ally and advisors to the lions, the kings of the jungle. Their speed and agility gave them great strengths in protection and hunting and the lions depended on them. For their loyal service they were awarded beautiful spotless fur coats that were the envy of all.

After many generations an arrogant cheetah named Arcadia was born. He too possessed all the natural abilities and was given a luscious fur coat by the king lion as a reward for his services. Yet, arcadia was not satisfied. He thought he was better than the lion, thought he could be a better king, although no one respected him or looked up to him because of his cockiness.

One day Arcadia decided he was going to challenge the lion and change his status in the land. The lion knowing how self confident Arcadia was challenged him to contest. Arcadia boasted that he would win at any competition the lion could think of. The winner would become king and the loser would serve an eternal punishment.

The lion made the contest known across the lands. Whoever was able to find the crown jewel in the caves of darkness would win. As soon as Arcadia heard he ran as fast as he legs could carry him. He didn’t stop to ask for help, didn’t ask any questions; he just ran. The lion meanwhile took his time and traveled slowly. When Arcadia got to the caves it was empty, except for a glass door.  He thought to himself how simple this win was going to be, and broke the glass quickly.  He flew into the caves and found the jewel grabbed it and started to make his way out.  As he neared the entrance, feeling rather pleased with himself, he glanced his reflection off a piece of broken glass.  He was hideous. His once brilliant fur coat was rugged and disgusting. His fur had patches replaced with dark boils. He gasped. He couldn’t go out into the world looking like this. He would be ridiculed and laughed at.

Just as he started to weep the lion appeared on the other side of what used to be the cave door. The king lion simply laughed. “Do you see how foolish your childness and smugness is, and what it has led to,” the king taunted peacefully.  He carefully explained that the cave of darkness takes whatever the being values the most, hence loosing his beautiful fur. He offered Arcadia a deal. Pass the stone to him and the king would grant him his coat back. Arcadia sat in silence. He had embarrassed his family and if he did not make this right, cheetahs would never be looked at the same ever again. Slowly with tears down his face he passed the king the stone, making him the winner of the competition, and stepped outside the glass.

Arcadia closed his eyes as the king let out a thunderous roar so loud it could be heard at the four corners of the earth. When he opened his eyes he ran to a glass to see if the king had healed him. His fur felt luscious again but to his dismay it was spotted with dark circles.  He panicked and complained that the king had betrayed his promise.  The king looked him right in the eye and said, “your punishment is for your kind to be forever spotted as a reminder of your arrogance and to never forget that there is room for humility and no one is without flaw”. So Arcadia went home forever spotted, having learned that arrogance is a disgusting personal quality and will get you no where in life.

And that is why cheetahs still have their spots to this day, all thanks to Arcadia the arrogant cheetah.

Sita Sings the Blues

In the film, Sita Sings the Blues, a beautiful Indian tale is presented and the idea that it is a myth being is apparent. However, defining the type of myth may not be as simple as placing one single label on it as there are many aspects to consider.

The first impression one would get from the film is that it is a myth of heroism. The story follows the love of Rama and Sita. After he is banished by his father, at the encouragement of his wife, Sita follows him into the woods. There they remain until she is kidnapped by Ravana, who hears of her beauty and wants her for himself. It is here that the audience sees Rama as a hero because he goes through great lengths with Hunaman to save her. The idea of the hero saving the damsel in distress is so blatantly obvious, yet the issue comes when he later puts that same woman through the fire test to prove her fidelity and later banishes her even when she is pregnant. This goes against many of the ideas we have of a hero being a “good” character. On the other hand, although Sita does not defeat a main antagonist, she can be considered a hero for persevering through the many doubts that Rama has about her purity and love. In a more modern twist she can be seen as a hero because she was a single mother who raised her sons to love their father without any bitterness even after all that he did to her.  

As strong as the argument for a heroic myth is, there is also a strong sense that it is a myth reflective of social order and cultural values. The concept of purity is emphasized numerous times. When Sita is kidnapped her purity is called into question. It is her dedication to her husband that prevents her from doing anything with Ravana. However, despite her word her purity is questioned time and time again, forcing her to prove herself with a fire test and eventually asking mother earth to swallow her up. She remained faithful to her husband despite all his doubts and the talk of the people. She knew how important the concept of purity was to Rama and her culture and so she held it in the highest regard.

In the end while Sita Sings the Blues may not be easily categorized as one type of myth or another it remains a beautiful narrative reminding those who see it to cherish what they have before they lose it to their doubts and fears.

Introduction: Why Hello There

Hi everyone!

My name is Sara Mathew. I'm currently a senior in the business school double majoring in finance and supply chain management. I am both a sports enthusiast and a sorority girl but prefer not to be defined by either. Born and raised in New Jersey, I consider myself to be a highly motivated idealist.

One of the main reasons I am taking this class is because I need a break from numbers and I know nothing about mythology in general. As someone who is motivated to learn as much as possible and expand my horizons as far as they can go, this seemed like an appropriate avenue to do so. I am pretty excited to delve into material I've never seen before and interact with all the lovely people in our class.

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and stays warm in the cold wintery weather.  ^_^