Halls of the Dark Muse

People rarely fail to amaze me, but often in less than flattering ways. I have alluded to on this forum a couple different times, one of my other blogs in which I write about topics relating to vampires, mythology, things of lore and of gothic nature and so forth, so I had an essay I wrote on my blog in which I give my own personal interpretation of the Medusa myth, and I state that it is My Personal interpretation. I was not trying to rewrite history, nor was I claiming my views were one in the same with the historical intent, it was pure and simple what I read into the myth.

I get this comment from some guy who actually tells me that my personal interpretation of a work of mythology is incorrect.

Now first of all that statement to me is ludicrous on so many different levels.

First of all who determines that there is only one finite absolute correct way to interpret a work of mythology?

By what authority is he the one to thus determine that the one and only possibility interpretation of a myth is?

And how exactly can ones perception of something that is subjective, filled with symbolism and metaphor, and of a physiological and spiritual nature, and filled with subconscious suggestion be right or wrong?

Even with so called historical "facts" where there is psychical, tangible evidence there are different interpretations of what it all means. All history is, is someone else's version of what they perceive happened, though they have good reason for building those arguments. If you gathered 5 scholars together who all studied the exact same thing, odds are you will end up with 5 different theories.

And has he not heard of this little thing called the Bible in which wars have been started over arguing over varying different interpretations of the work, but than maybe he could everyone a big favor by stepping in and explaining to everyone what the one, absolute correct interpretation really is.

So anyway that is more or less how I basically responded to his comments and he countered with arguments basically about why apparently I don't have the right to have my own personal interpretations of works of mythology.

Well while I was still in the process of contemplating just how I was going to respond to his arguments (and to this point while there may have been some sarcasm on both sides, it had still progressed in a rather intelligent way) but before I even have the chance to respond to his latest arguments, I get another comment from him, that was just a completely immature, unprovoked personal attack against me.

In which he states that I have crackpot interests and pass times (which granted may be true) and that the ability and skill to set up a web site is no indicator of intelligence.

To say the least after that I had no intention of further attempting to have an intelligent conversation with him, and giving a dignified response to his arguments, for as far I was concerned he had just disproved his own intelligence to me.

So instead this is what I said in response:

Hmm that is like the pot calling the kettle black. Though I disagreed with you I still formerly thought you displayed some intelligence in your arguments but your sudden need to make immature personal remarks completely unprovoked does go a long way to discredit what you have previously said.

You could have made your point a lot better without lowering yourself to remarks worthy of the schoolyard.