Mythology and Storytelling
Jeanne Matthews was born and raised in Georgia, where owning a gun is required by law in certain places and “he needed killing” is a valid legal defense to homicide. Jeanne’s debut novel, Bones of Contention, published in June, 2010 by Poisoned Pen Press, features a conniving Georgia clan plopped down in the wilds of Northern Australia where death adders, assassin spiders, man-eating crocs, Aboriginal myths, and murder abound. Jeanne currently resides in Renton, Washington with her husband, Sidney DeLong, who is a law professor, and their West Highland terrier. Her next novel, Bet Your Bones, is due out in June, 2011.
How did we get here? How do the forces of Nature operate? What are the rules of social behavior? Who are the gods and what do they want? What should we be scared of and what happens after we die? Myths are the stories that answer these questions and explain in imaginative and supernatural ways how the universe works. Myths are not only a link to past civilizations. They are the fountainhead of inspiration for modern storytellers.
Myth and mythology are sometimes used interchangeably, but they’re not the same. A myth is assumed to be untrue – a baseless superstition, or a misunderstanding brought about by faulty science, or another tribe’s strange customs and suspect religion. Mythology, on the other hand, is the narrative endorsed by a country’s rulers and its religious elite. A people’s mythology reflects the collective attitude toward life’s basic questions and provides the foundations of understanding and belief upon which they build their lives. It explains the character of the gods, their likes and dislikes, and the punishments they can dish out when they are displeased. Mythological archetypes are lurking in the background of almost every story.
The premise of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods is that gods and mythological creatures and larger-than-life heroes exist because people believe in them, or want to. Mythology holds a lasting fascination because, at its best, it reveals some universal truth about humankind. Hundreds of writers have incorporated tales from ancient mythologies into our modern literature, TV, movies, and comic books. Shakespeare based his King Lear on a character from British mythology.  Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings was influenced by “Beowulf,” which blended historical events and Nordic legend. J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books summon up creatures recognizable from Greek and Norse mythology. And Frank Herbert’s seemingly futuristic novel, Dune, is a continuation of the story of the House of Atreus written thousands of years ago.
Mystery writers are particular beneficiaries of the mythological tradition as it offers so many murderous characters to inspire us. Oedipus murdered his father over who had the right of way at an intersection. “Oedipus Rex” may be the 
first literary account of a road rage incident and, because Oedipus didn’t realize that the man he had killed was his father, some say it is also the first murder mystery. Myths abound with fiendish plots and methods. Jason’s girlfriend, Medea, murdered her rival by gifting her with a poisoned dress. Tantalus cooked his son in a stew and served it to the gods. In Scandinavian mythology, Baldr was offed by his blind brother, who was tricked by Loki into hurling a spear of mistletoe at him. In Egypt, Seth built a beautiful wooden coffin precisely to his brother Osiris’s measurements, then threw a party and promised the coffin as a prize to whoever could fit into it. When Osiris lay down inside to give it a try, Seth’s henchmen slammed the lid shut, sealed it, and plopped it into the Nile.
My debut mystery, Bones of Contention, features Dinah Pelerin, a wannabe anthropologist and – like myself – a connoisseur of mythology.  When Dinah travels to Australia to solve the mystery of her father’s death, she discovers two bizarre murders and an Aboriginal belief system in which Time, itself, is a myth.
December 28, 2010
Posted in: Guest Blogs
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7 Responses
Bones of Contention sounds like an interesting book. Did you travel to Australia when writing the book?
I used several of the world’s great mythologies to good effect in one of my own stories, ‘Bite Deep’. It’s a vampire Christmas story that traces their origins back to the Balder myth you mentioned above, but also ties it to the Osiris-Set myth, as well as Prometheus-Epimetheus and even Cain-Abel, after a fashion. Mythology is a great way to say a lot in a very short space.
Marc Vun Kannon
http://authorguy.wordpress.com
Bones of Contention sounds like my kind of book. I write fantasy/detective novels (set in present-day Corpus Christi, Texas) based on the premise that all of the creatures of mythology, legend (and sometimes, nightmares) exist in a parallel world – known to our ancestors but closed to humans for a thousand or so years. The trouble – and fun – begins when the portals between the worlds reopens, and we discover that our legends are flesh-and-blood …
Wonderful blog, Jeanne! I love mythology and am always fascinated by the origins of well-know stories. Loved your take on Oedipus Rex. I can honestly say I’ve never thought of it as being the first literary account of road rage! I generally think of…other things
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I read and LOVED your Bones Of Contention, by the way. The story had me hooked firmly from beginning to end. Your humor had me chuckling out loud and each and every character was fascinating. Australia was so vivid I felt I was there. It’s a ‘must read’ for everyone. Can’t wait to read your next book!
Having read BONES OF CONTENTION, let me say first off that Jeanne certainly did not myth the mark. It’s a tightly-plotted family-squabble mystery with three-dimensional characters; even the baddies (and the reader is never quite sure at different points in the narrative who is and who ain’t) are sympathetic. Humor is wry and effective, no clowning for effect. The Australian setting is vivid, and together with the local mythologies, exerts a strong influence on the story from the background. I’m looking forward to BET YOUR BONES.
Jeanne, I love your topic and the way you connect mythology and modern writing. I hope you’ll visit again
In answer to Pat Reid’s question, yes I did visit Australia. It’s a weird and wonderful place and I would recommend it as a great travel destination.
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