The story of Pygmalion and Galatea is, shall we say "interesting," not to mention rather sexist. Pygmalion was a sculptor whose skill with ivory was unparalleled. He had this little quirk though: he found much fault with women and swore he wouldn't marry, conditions that were admittedly not entirely his fault. On the island of Cyprus where he is said to have lived were the daughters of a wealthy man who was presumably of some political import on Cyprus. These daughters, however, frequently denied the divinity of Aphrodite, goddess of love, and as punishment for this heresy Aphrodite more or less forced them into prostitution. This ugly turn is said to have caused Pygmalion's distaste of women. Anyway, he decided he would instead sculpt the ideal woman, and did, so well that it is said the only seemingly artificial quality of the statue was its immobility. He fell in love with the statue and pampered it, clothing it with jewelry and laying its head on the softest of pillows. At the celebration of Aphrodite, Pygmalion prayed to the gods that they might bring his statue to life, and Aphrodite for some reason agreed, and so Galatea came to be.
As to what character I would like "brought to life," I would absolutely love to see Jean-Luc Picard brought into permanent being. I think a presence like his in this world would make a difference. His diplomacy and regard for the rules as well as his calmness under pressure would make him an ideal leader in any endeavor.
No comments:
Post a Comment