Pukyong National University

"If you understand mythology, the museum of Western art will be fun."
A review of <Pukyong CEO Happiness Humanities Concert> Lecture 69th, about Professor Kang Dae-jin

The 69th lecture of the Pukyong CEO Happy Humanities Concert, a humanities lecture program at Pukyong National University, was held at Somin Hall on the second floor of the Pukyong National University on September 5 at 7:00 am.

△ Professor Kang Dae-jin is giving a lecture. ⓒPhoto Lee Sung Jae (PR team)

Professor Kang graduated from the Department of Philosophy at Seoul National University and Western Classical Studies at Seoul National Graduate school. His books include 「Greek Mythology」 and 「Reading Homeros’s Iliad」.

Why should we know that difficult(?) myth?

Professor Kang said, "If you understand mythology, it will be fun to go to a Western art museum or any museum." Many sculptures and paintings displayed there are based on myths. As there is a saying we see as much as we know.

Professor Kang also stressed that myths have many hints for us living in this age of storytelling. Knowing myths can help you analyze stories that are already there and help you develop new stories.

Professor Kang explains that understanding mythology is directly related to the appreciation of works of art because myths are the subject of numerous works of art.

From ancient times, the Greeks, believed that the gods lived on Mount Olympos (2,917m), the highest mountain in Greece, and thought that they ruled the world.

Professor Kang showed about 100 pictures and introduced Greek mythology. “There are a lot of symbols hidden in paintings and sculptures that represent Greek mythology. Knowing the symbol will help you enjoy paintings and sculptures.”

What are the symbols?

First of all, it is a symbol of nakedness. The reason that why are there so many ’naked’ appearances that reveal specific parts of the body.

Professor Kang said, "If a character reveals his / her lower body, it means both gods." Did they have to take it all off?

“The reason is that the gods are perfect, with no shame on humans. I think it makes sense not to avoid a puppy when we change clothes at home.”, he explained.
 
Professor Kang added, "The woman who shows her breast in painting or sculpture is a goddess or goddess level."

Holding the opponent’s chin and knee is a traditional pleading. It’s a stunted posture, and the chin and knee are life-related parts, which means they will beg for their entire life.

If Eros, the god of love, is flying in the air, it can be understood as meaning that special love is being achieved.

The women in mythological paintings are depicted in a very chubby body. Contrary to today’s beauty, Kang’s interpretation is that the value of beauty was different from today because it was a time when nutrition was lacking. Does human beauty change, or does capital change beauty?

If a chicken appears in a mythological picture, the scene is said to represent homosexuality. Professor Kang said, "When they try to win their love, they gave chickens as a gift."

Also note that the size of the body is the importance of the person. A big arrangement of God and small arrangements of other figures around him.

If the figure is holding a cherry, it symbolizes love, and if the woman is holding a pomegranate, it is a symbol of the male seeds entering the body. The appearance of a masked person symbolizes hypocrisy or deception.

The main characters of myths can be seen as the objects possessed by the animals and characters in the works of art. Each god has a symbolic animal and attribute.

Zeus’ symbolic animal is the eagle, and another attribute is the thunderbolt. The symbolic animals of missus Zeus are the peacock and the cuckoo. The symbol of Poseidon is a horse and the attribute is a trident. Poseidon is the god of the sea, but why the horse is his attribute? Because the overwhelming waves remind us of a running horse.

When Galileo invented the telescope and observed Jupiter, four satellites were observed. Note that the four star names are the names of the lovers of Zeus. They are Europe, Io, Callisto, and Ganymedes.

By the way, Professor Kang’s second lecture follows the title of ’Olympians’ Gods(2)-Children of Zeus’ at the same place on September 19. For lecturing inquiries, please contact the Department of External Cooperation at Pukyong National University (051-629-5093). <Pukyong Today>


△ View of Somin Hall, Mirae Building, where the Pukyong CEO Happy Humanities Concert, the first event of the second semester, was held.