Monday, August 10, 2009

Titans of the World

Those who Stand Head and Shoulders above the Rest

Fantasy equal: Atlas

This collection salutes those sculptors who spend endless hours bulking and perfecting the might of their bodies, especially those who managed to do so naturally. Of the whole series of collections I would have to admit this is one of my lesser favourites. Being wrapped around a strong pair of arms certainly has its perks, but if his biceps are larger than your head, then you can’t help but feel a bit unsafe and inferior.

Personally I prefer definition over bulk. I am however here to please. If you’re into immense beefcake, then you’re about to be pleasantly entertained.

Atlas was one of the Ancient Greek Titans. During the war of the Titans against the Pantheon of Mount Olympus, instead of being confined to Tartarus, like the other Titans, Atlas was cursed to forever carry the weight of the World on his shoulders. This is a misconception, however, since the real deal was that Atlas was damned to carry the sky on his shoulders, so that it does not embrace and consume the earth.


“Atlas, along with his brother Menoetius, sided with the Titans in their war against the Olympians, the Titanomachy. His brothers Prometheus and Epimetheus weighed the odds and betrayed the other Titans by forming an alliance with the Olympians. When the Titans were defeated, many of them (including Menoetius) were confined to Tartarus, but Zeus condemned Atlas to stand at the western edge of Gaia, the Earth and hold up Ouranos, the Sky on his shoulders, to prevent the two from resuming their primordial embrace. Thus, he was Atlas Telamon, "enduring Atlas." A common misconception is that Atlas was forced to hold the Earth on his shoulders, but this is incorrect. Classical art shows Atlas holding a Celestial Sphere, not a Globe.”

No comments:

Post a Comment