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Points: 34 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Mythology in Prog
    Posted: January 17 2008 at 23:46
Hey Gang,
It has been a while since last I posted, but I thought perhaps some folks would be willing to open a dialogue concerning Music influenced by Mythology.  I have found that there are quite a lot of references to Mythology throughout progressive rock, so I would like to compile the list.  To open this, lets just focus for now on Greek, Roman, and Egyptian Mythology.  I of course am already starting with Derek Sherinian and Symphony X with both fo their mythology albums.  Then there is Fountain of Salmacis, Maidens refence to Icarus, Siren songs all over the place.  What other songs do you guys know of that are inspired by these mythologies?
 
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Points: 155 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2008 at 00:27
Well, there's Pink Floyd's Sysyphus suite, even if it really has nothing to do with sysyphus...
 
....and that's all i can think of right now. It seems like the big place you'd find things like that is in symphonic prog, and I don't listen to much of that besides Yes and Genesis (whose old stuff is a hotbed of mythology: Harlequin, Can-Utility and the Coastliners, Seven Stones, and of course Fountain of Salmacis).
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Points: 82 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2008 at 08:25
I don't think prog deals with mythology that much, more folk-lore and religion. Like, there's more songs about trolls then hercules.

And why only focus on Greek, Roman and Egyptian? There's allot more old mythologies prog are more likely to write about, like indians or vikings.
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Points: 10266 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2008 at 08:43
Originally posted by Hat of Truth Hat of Truth wrote:

I don't think prog deals with mythology that much, more folk-lore and religion. Like, there's more songs about trolls then hercules.

And why only focus on Greek, Roman and Egyptian? There's allot more old mythologies prog are more likely to write about, like indians or vikings.

I think it is pretty hard to draw the line between these. For example, if you are interested in the Gods of ancient Greece a lot of myths about them immediately spring to mind, like Zeus and his many amorous adventures with human women.


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Points: 1155 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2008 at 09:10
I agree you shouldn't focus on those mythologies, as the Germanic and Scandinavian cultures have a  lot of interesting mythology. Many bands from Scandinavian like to write about their mythology, so you could look into those. 
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Points: 10266 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2008 at 09:19
One of my favourite albums is about the ancient Egyptian Gods and the myths connected to them. It is Nik Turner's "Xitintoday" album from 1978, recorded with the help of musicians from Gong, Hawkwind and Brand X.


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Points: 545 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2008 at 12:04
Eruption by Focus tells the story of The Lyre of Orpheus entirely through music. That's the main reason I prefer it to Hamburger Concerto, because that's about erm.... burgers .
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Points: 28057 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2008 at 14:05
Eloy - Ocean  (something about "Poseidon's Creation," whatever that is)

Arena - "Sirens" (of The Odyssey fame)


Edited by stonebeard - January 18 2008 at 14:05
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Points: 10266 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2008 at 14:24
Originally posted by stonebeard stonebeard wrote:

Eloy - Ocean  (something about "Poseidon's Creation," whatever that is)

Arena - "Sirens" (of The Odyssey fame)

In the myth of Perseus Poseidon, the brother of Zeus and ruler of the sea, created a sea monster that haunted the coast because her mother Cassiopeia had boasted she was more beautiful than the Nereids, the daughters of the Sea-God Nereus, who often accompany Poseidon. Cepheus and Cassiopeia sacrificed their daughter to pacify him; she was rescued by Perseus who came along on the flying horse Pegasus and held the head of the Medusa in front of the sea monster, which turned it into a stone. Eloy probably refer to that monster.


Edited by BaldFriede - January 18 2008 at 14:40


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Points: 24429 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2008 at 14:28
I am quite sure there was another very similar thread around before the holidays -  I remember posting in it.

Anyway, since it is the subject I am researching at the moment, I cannot help mentioning the double CD inspired by the Finnish epic Kalevala, which can be found in our database (http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=3352).
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Points: 46838 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2008 at 14:38
^ I want that album LOL
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Points: 8052 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2008 at 15:06
You've probably already got it, but  The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway has loads of mythology thrown in. Rush also has one or two references, most particularly:
'the X-ray is her siren song' (Cygnus X-I)

IWSMW (If wikipedia serves me well) In The Court Of The Crimson King has a biblical/Satanic premise.
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Points: 865 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2008 at 16:53
You guys mentioned some Genesis songs, but not The Cinema Show, in which Peter Gabriel sings about Tiresias, who is an interesting figure in mythology!
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Points: 10387 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2008 at 17:01
Originally posted by magnus magnus wrote:

You guys mentioned some Genesis songs, but not The Cinema Show, in which Peter Gabriel sings about Tiresias, who is an interesting figure in mythology!

Tiresias is a blind seer in Greek mythology. it is he who tells Oedipus that he has murdered his father and married his mother when he is being asked about the cause of a plague that is haunting the country.
slso Odysseus asks the shade of Tiresias how he can get home to Ithaca when he visits the Greek underworld


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Points: 2530 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 19 2008 at 05:35
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Points: 21554 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 19 2008 at 05:41


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Points: 18292 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 19 2008 at 05:58
Eloy - Ocean
 
It mentions Poseidon, Atlantis and many other greek-mtyhology stuff.
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Points: 21554 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 19 2008 at 07:19
^ Symphony X - V: The new Mythology Suite is a concept album about the downfall of Atlantis. The best Progressive Power Metal album *ever*, in my humble opinion!
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