Shawn L. Bird

Mythology crosses time and cultures.  Stories provide the metaphorical framework to explain the world.  Society needs story.  We all need to make sense of our experiences.  Every culture does this through its own mythology.

In Grace Awakening, there is a mixture of both Greek and Roman  mythology represented together as characters mingle together.  Why?  Although the Graces are Greek, they do exist within the Roman pantheon as well.  For some gods/goddesses the names change, but the character of the individuals remains essentially the same.  However, some are distinctly different and although they have things in common, those differences mean that the Greek and Roman gods are different novel characters.

Most significantly this is seen with Ares and Mars.  The Greek god of war, Ares, was known to be impetuous, rage prone and overly emotional.  He battled with unfocused violence.  On the other hand, Mars, the Roman god of war, represented all that was best of Roman military might.  It was all about control, preparation and strength. He was a skilled tactian; his wars were won with strategy as well as power.  As a result, we were able to see distinctive war gods who play very different roles in the book.

It is fun to play with that academic interpretations of mythological characters, and to develop them into realistic individuals who can live in your neighborhood.   That tough bearded guy glaring at you from that truck could be Ares.  That friendly guy who beats everyone at the gym due to his calculated strength could be Mars.  You never know the life behind the face, but with imagination you can create quite a world in every glance.