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Author
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Comment
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Zanobia
Unregistered User
(12/17/02 5:58:38 am)
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Clairevoyance and Soothsayers
Hi all! Anyone have any info on folklore characters that are able to see the future? How they are symbolized? Whether they use riddles that might enlighten their listeners or offer advice more directly. Whether they are feared and respected or ignored as ridiculous. I know in Greek mythology there's a character that's cursed to always see the future except nobody believes him/her (can't remember the name). I was just wondering if there was some sort of cross-cultural theme that comes up regarding folks that are believed to see the future. Thanks, Z.
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Helen
Registered User
(12/17/02 7:56:06 am)
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Troy ...
Dear Zanobia:
The character from Greek myth whom you have in mind is probably Cassandra, daughter of Priam and Hecuba, twin sister of Paris, who is cursed to speak the truth and be forever disbelieved by the god Apollo after refusing his advances. It's an interesting question ... lemme think about it a bit (when I'm out from under the influence of sleep-inducing cold medications).
Best,
Helen
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cpe
Unregistered User
(12/19/02 11:58:32 pm)
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seers, oracles
Teresias comes to mind, who is also punished. I have intimations because of the punative aspect often attached in mythos, that the getting of magic (e.g. fire), seeing the face of God, having inordinate strength, and 'knowing' the future, are related insofar as they violate the membrane between mortals and the forces beyond and "heroes who do too much" are often trounced. It is interesting to contemplate this in light of how culture might 'punish' thosewho are mightily different, that being just one of many angles to wonder after....
all best
cpe
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zanobia
Unregistered User
(12/21/02 3:28:29 am)
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contemporary oracles
Thanks for clearing up the Greek character for me. I seem to have misplaced my Greek Mythology book. Poor thing has gone tattered anyway, might as well get a new one.
It came to my mind that even contemporary people search for those who have 'supernatural powers'. People in trouble. A friend of ours got her son kidnapped and after the police and the govt couldn't find him, she traveled from country to country paying exorbitants sums to fortuneteller just so they can give her a clue. Thankfully, her son was returned ten months later. Apparantly he was threatened so he can't say a word to anyone about what happened. But life goes on. He's working, partying, got a girl friend, doing business, and the family is happy again. I know its a very strange incident and its quite private but since y'all probably don't know who I'm talking about, I guess its ok. Anyway, when he came back, the mom told us all about the dozens of fortune tellers she visited and the different answers they gave her.
One said her son will be back in '3 signs'. What is that? 3 weeks? 3 months? 3 years? Poor lady must have wracked her mind trying to calculate what the 3 intervals were. In retrospect, she decided that each sign was three months as her son returned approximately nine months after her visit.
Interestingly, another fortuneteller told her that her son was captured by FBI agents who brainwashed him to use him as a spy. And the poor lady would think, yeah, her son was popular and easy to hang out with. He was well off. Maybe the FBI wanted his contacts or something.
Anyway. Rambled off topic there. Sorry! Z.
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Amy
Unregistered User
(12/28/02 5:40:22 pm)
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Its All Greek to Me
Speaking of Greek, what about the fates? They could see into the future too. And the horse head in the story The Goose Girl was a sort of sooth sayer.
Amy
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