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Highlands Today

It's no mystery that things change

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By Norm Cukras | Highlands Today

Published: June 20, 2009

The ancient Greeks had colorful mythological stories to explain natural happenings.

One such story concerns the seasons. It seems that Hades, the god of the underworld, kidnapped Persephone, daughter of Demeter goddess of agriculture. Demeter became so distressed she generated a terrible drought causing the people to suffer and die. To appease the grieving goddess, high god Zeus told his wayward son to return the child. This made the mother of the earth so happy that everything turned green again and the land prospered in this the first spring.

But before the hateful Hades would allow Persephone to return to her mother she was given a great feast during which she ate six pomegranate seeds resulting in her having to return to the underworld each year — one month for each seed eaten. Of course while the daughter is gone the mother refuses to allow anything to grow, which is the reason for the winter months.

The Eleusinian Mysteries, an ancient Greek religion, is thought to have its origins based on this myth.
As a religion the Eleusinian Mysteries served the masses for nearly 2000 years. From about 1600 BC until the fourth century when Christianity all but brought an end to the practice. Yet during all this time, and with all that was documented about the religion, many of the rituals performed were, under penalty of death, never recorded; hence the title of "Mysteries." The religion was popular not only because of the assurance it gave for the renewal of life on earth each spring but also because it promised its initiates an after-life.

The research
When I was in college I took a course in Greek mythology as an elective. I was intrigued by the Mysteries so I decided to write my term paper on the subject. I did my research on the subject at the rather prestigious Cleveland Public Library. As I recall when I asked for any information on the Mysteries, I was given five reference books; two of which were in a foreign language. I wrote my report based on the limited information I was able to glean out of the material in those books.

I didn't get all that good of a grade on my paper and if I remember right my professor graded me down because I didn't draw any conclusions, which was difficult because of the paucity of data.

Out of curiosity I recently Googled the Mysteries on my home computer. My goodness. I got nearly a quarter-million hits including an Eleusinian Mysteries' website. It's all there at my fingertips. Today I wouldn't need the Cleveland Public Library to write my term paper. I can do it in my kitchen while having my morning coffee and a bagel.

I have instant access to nearly unlimited research material at any time of day.

Times change
A young golfing buddy of mine graduated from college with a degree in computer science. When he was just five years out of school he told me that he was already obsolete. The stuff the kids were learning then was already way above him.

What was is no longer; what will be is yet to be known. We are moving at such a warp-speed pace it's hard to keep up with all the changes going on around us. What was invented just last week has been replaced this week.

Does it mean "out with the old"? Not necessarily. But it certainly means being prepared to adapt to the new.

Things evolve. Libraries are no different. They went from being book depositories to archives for man's studies and exploits. What they well become in the modern world has yet to be defined. But for now we must allow them to continue and serve in whatever capacity best suits the people who pay for them through their tax dollars.

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