Devi: The Great Goddess

Devi, The Great Goddess, is all around one of the most complex goddess I have ever read about. She is also my favorite. Devi is embodied in many different forms and has very many different aspects ranging from cosmic force to woman saint. Some of her various forms are monster slayer Durga, Kali, the black one, and the manifestation of the anger of Parvati. She is known as "the gentle and approachable mother" and helps her people when and where she can. I love how she ranges in her various forms. In some cases she is a protector and in other cases she is a destroyer, although most of the time she is destroying something that would harm her people. There is no one side of Devi, which makes her a very powerful goddess. While traditionally, Devi has not been interpreted as a role model for women, this idea could be changing. Her strength and variability are inspiring for women of today and for the future. As women progress and advance in today's world, Devi could become more of an icon for Indian women. Devi is my favorite not just for her versatility, but also for the message she could give for women to come. Being a women is not just about child bearing. It's about being strong and helping others around you. Devi shows just that.

Moana

Despite losing an interest in Disney movies lately, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I truly enjoyed Moana. It was a very well done movie and it had a ton of mythological aspects which was fun to dive into. I have never really delved deep into Pacific Island Culture, however after watching Moana, I find I may do just that.

Maui's character as a demigod is rather intriguing and as we have mentioned in discussions, very similar to Prometheus from the Greek Pantheon. Maui in his lifetime does so many things to help humans and his people to thrive. Similarly Prometheus, does what he can to help humans even going as far as stealing fire from the gods in order to protect and help humanity. Maui, in the movie Moana, attempts to steal the heart of Te Fiti, which is said to give the power to create, in order to create good things for his people. Both of these deities wanted to do something to help their people, and both were punished for it. Prometheus, ordered by Zeus, was chained to a rock  where an eagle would eat his liver everyday as punishment. Maui was banished to an desert island after the earth monster Te Ka struck him down and the heart was lost at sea. Two very similar stories in two different cultures.

Moana is also an epic journey led by the heroine Moana herself on her quest to find Maui and make him return the heart of Te Fiti. These two heroes embark on a crazy journey that takes them to many places, faces challenges, learning new things, and defeating major monsters along the way. Another similar tale can be found in the Epic of Gilgamesh. These myths involve a demigod/king, who, with his friend Enkidu, go on many adventures, defeating monsters. In his death, Enkidu helps Gilgamesh cast away much of his vanity and pride in order to search for the meaning of life and death. Moana and Maui's quest are very similar. Maui at the beginning holds a lot vanity and feels very highly of himself. Moana ultimately humbles Maui, however in this case without dying. Maui does help Moana learn more about herself as well. In the end, Maui and Moana learn about the importance of life and creation. Once again two similar mythologies, from two different cultures.

Moana is a wonderful movie and the story within it is even better. Just like many mythologies, Moana teaches you about life and the values we live by. For me, it is a refreshing taste to finally see something more culturally different than the typically Disney movie. I look forward to seeing more branches out by Disney and hopefully more stories with mythological similarities.