by Larry Fyffe
Zeus be the central and immortal God of the Cosmos; however, Greek/Roman mythology is dualistic, composed of both light and dark forces:
... Angelia, daughter of Hermes, might speak ... Of the shining glory of Olympia Zeus granted to them and theirs (Pindar: Olympia, part VIII)
In the following song lyrics, the male narrator gives an ear to Mercury’s immortal female messenger from Mount Olympus.
Delivered from Zeus himself, but with the benefit of hindsight, and with a heavy bite of sarcasm.
Seems neither in Roman/Greek mythology nor in the Judeo-Christian religion does the narrator find that Angelia opens the door wide enough to explain the enigma of human existence:
Precious angel, under the sun How was I to know you'd be the one To show me I was blinded, to show me I was gone How weak was my foundation I was standing upon (Bob Dylan: Precious Angel)
In the song lyrics beneath, the narrator chooses to ignore Angelia’s advice altogether.
Maybe travel to Greenland:
Call me anything you like I will never deny it Farewell Angelina The sky is erupting And I must go where it is quiet (Bob Dylan: Farewell Angelina)
In the following lyrics, the bemused male narrator challenges the female messenger, who’s apparently sent from the immortal ones, to a battle of wits.
His teeth of sarcasm bite deep.
Like himself, the narrator considers Angelina a mortal.
Nevertheless, he offers her a path of retreat up the steps to whatever perfect heaven she’s able to unravel in her mind:
I can see the unknown rider I can see the the pale white horse In God's truth tell me what you want And you shall have it of course Just step into the arena (Bob Dylan: Angelina)
From the perspective of earth-bound human individuals, linked to the ‘mystical’ dualism of Ezra Pound’s ‘vortex’, and Yeat’s ‘gyre’ poetry, is depicted the concrete image of the ‘spiral’ stairs ~ human individuals, god-like, at the centre of their own existence whilst the external world spins around them:
I was born here, and I'll die here against my will I know it looks like I'm moving, but I'm standing still (Bob Dylan: Not Dark Yet)
Like a fixed axle upon which a wagon wheel rotates:
Rock me mama through the wind and the rain Rock me mama like a south-bound train Hey, mama rock me Yeah, rock me mama like a wagon wheel Rock me mama any way you feel (Bob Dylan: Rock Me Mama)
Einstein disguised as Robin Hood.