The Bore and the Box

[Xader]

I seem to have stumbled onto a parallel that I have never seen noted (though it probably has been).

 

The creation of the bore seems to be based on the Greek story of Pandora, wherein she opens the "box" (also told as a jar) entrusted to her by Zeus, which she is commanded never to open. The allegory is that when she opens the box, it releases all of the evils of the world.

 

This seems to parallel Meirin's act of boring into the DO's prison. In the AOL, the world was a virtual paradise, until she created the bore, and released evil upon the world.

 

Anyone else notice this?

[mb]

I guess the story is from Greek mythology (since Zeus is from the Greek kind).

 

Had not read it; nor have I heard of it before this thread.

 

 

Noticed a thread about mythological inspirations in the structured section. You might be able to post about this there.

[Jon Paul]

Lanfear wasn't alone when she drilled the Bore however !

[Darth Krewl]

Yes, I had read something like this...somewhere...I think it was in the thirteenth depository site. They have some excellent essays on Jordan's multiple influences, ranging from mythological stuff, such as this, to religious, spiritual and even real life parallels.

 

Either way, a very good, apropos observation.

[Xader]

I had perused the Thirteenth Depository for something of the sort, but if it was there, it eluded me.

[dovien]

Well observed. I hadn't thought of that.

[cgk84]

I had thought something similar in the past even though Lanfear didn't do it alone she seems to have been the driving force. So if she is Pandora and the Bore is the Box we can we go one further and say that until Rand does come along that the prophesies were the hope that was left in the Box when Pandora finally closed it? And Rand himself is the hope made manifest.

[Mulk]

Lanfear wasn't alone when she drilled the Bore however !

 

nor was Pandora...she had someone with her named Epimetheus if I recall right. ;)

 

In some ways the metaphor is a bit stretched, since it is clear that bad things still happened in the absence of the Dark One. There was sickness and injury and the like, thus the need for healing. We are told Semirhage was a sadist beforehand and included pain in her healing. In fact, that was the whole purpose of the binders: to limit those who can use the power from committing those crimes again. It did, however, wildly increase the presence of evil since there was now an active agent for it among the people of the age.