International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD)

Volume 5 Issue 4, May-June 2021 Available Online: www.ijtsrd.com e-ISSN: 2456 – 6470

Reimagination of Greek Mythology in Rick Riordan’s

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series
Hrithuparna. T
M.A. English Literature, University of Calicut, Thenhipalam, Kerala, India

ABSTRACT How to cite this paper: Hrithuparna. T

This study aims to illustrate the significance of Greek mythology in this "Reimagination of Greek Mythology in
modern world and how it is reimagined by the American author Rick Riordan Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the
in his pentalogy, Percy Jackson, and The Olympian Series. In his novels, Olympians Serie"
Riordan portrays the Greek gods centered in the focal point of the modern Published in
civilization, guiding the modern man in all his endeavors. He presents to us an International Journal
out-of-the-ordinary scenario, where the Greek myths are embedded in the of Trend in Scientific
core of modern American society and how the pop culture and modernity is Research and
mixed with the archaic myths of Greece. Development (ijtsrd),
ISSN: 2456-6470, IJTSRD42322
KEYWORDS: Greek mythology, modern fiction, Rick Riordan, archaic myths, Greek Volume-5 | Issue-4,
Gods, Intersexuality June 2021, pp.567-579, URL:
www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd42322.pdf

Copyright © 2021 by author (s) and

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INTRODUCTION
The term ‘myth’ has often been a topic that has drawn many maintains, that the structural principles of literature are
debates on whether it can be considered as stories relating largely based on myths.
to the truth or maybe of fallacy. Northrop Frye however,
The things that happen in myth are things that happen only
believed myth to have ‘really happened’, or to have some
in stories, they are in a self-contained literary, world. Hence
exceptional significance in explaining certain features of life,
myth would naturally have the same kind of appeal for the
such as ritual. In his opinion, myth is often used as an
fiction writer that folk tales has. It presents him with a
allegory of science or religion or morality and it may arise in
ready-made frame-work, hoary with antiquity, and allows
the first place to account for a ritual or a law, or it may be an
him to develop all his energies to collaborating its design.
example of a parable which illustrates a particular situation
(Frye 590)
or argument. It may be told or retold, modified or elaborated
or different patterns may also be discovered in it. Mircea For a long time, writers have made use of mythology as a
Eliade (1907-1986) viewed myth as an effort to understand connection between past and present. In the hands of a
the origin of the world. He considered this kind of writer, it is a tool to enlighten human beings by teaching
understanding necessary to maintain the divine order of the them about virtue, honesty, integrity, honor and moral
world. He saw myth as the essence of religion, and believed values. It helps the people to reconnect with their root and
that it was the sacredness of the myth that gave it structure culture, helping them to learn from it. This paper attempts to
and meaning. Eliade believed that mythology connects study the significance of Greek mythology in this modern
different types of religion through the similar themes that world and how it is reimagined by the American author Rick
are found across the globe. Riordan in his pentalogy, Percy Jackson and The Olympians
Series. In his novels, Riordan portrays the Greek gods
Mythology could be seen as an archaic and profound record
centered in the focal point of the modern civilization, guiding
we have of the mankind’s nature and spirit. To understand
the modern man in all his endeavors. He presents to us an
and connect with our past and our origin people relate to
out of the ordinary scenario, where the Greek myths are
myth and myth making. Myths, whether it is Greek, American
embedded in the core of modern American society and how
or Indian, are the survivals of those primitive ages when
the pop culture and modernity is mixed with the archaic
myth making mind reigned supreme. But myths respond to
myths of Greece.
the basic human situations. And they are very much relevant
in this modern day. By using myth in his literary and artistic He created a utopic world where all humans and other
works, modern man is able to understand and communicate mythical creatures are treated fairly. His pentalogy has
the complexity of life, as well as, provide great deal of characters who are mentally challenged, who are the
material for the modern-day writers. Northrop Fry members of LGBTQ, who are physically handicapped or

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mental disabled. By incorporating Greek mythology into fantasy, waking thought and dream, atavism and the
popular culture, Riordan tries to explain something that is perennial, archetype and metaphor, origin and end. What a
difficult to understand, and show how mythology still can be burden myth has to carry as a portmanteau term. (Gould 5)
used as an effective tool to give a message to the society.
Myth is one word in the English language whose meaning
In the first novel, Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief, conveys both truth and revelation, as well as, false belief.
Riordan places the adobe of the Olympians, the Olympus at Since the dawn of mankind, mythology has tried to answer
the top of the Empire State Building, in New York. We are the greatest questions queried by human beings, related to
introduced to the ancient Greek gorgon Medusa and her lair, life and existence, through stories and legends. Our
according to Riordan is situated in New Jersey, and the ancestors from different cultures around the globe had
entrance to the underworld, where all the dead people are passed on tales of creation, elucidating the meaning of life,
believed to go is situated in Los Angeles. In his second book, the stories of gods who ruled the earth and the heaven, the
Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters, Riordan tries to tell tales of the monsters which roamed through this earth
the readers that the Bermuda Triangle or the Devils Triangle, scaring the human beings. Each culture has shaped and
is nothing other than the Sea of Monsters, in which resides developed its own myths and as people moved about on this
all the sea monsters like Scylla, Charybdis, the Sirens etc. In earth, they carried on with them these tales of wonder and
his third novel, Percy Jackson and the Titans Curse, Riordan wisdom. Thus, Mythology is both the link to our eventful
relate to us the story of the Titans and the fall of their reign past, as well as, the spark that ignites the inspiration of the
after the ten-yearwar with the Olympian gods. As the modern-day storytellers.
Olympus is situated on top of the Empire State Building, the
The Swiss psychiatrist and psycholinguist, Carl Gustav Jung
old palace of the Titans is placed at the top of Mount
was of the opinion that myths and dreams were expressions
Tamalpais, in San Francisco, according to Riordan.
of the collective unconscious and it manifest the core ideas
In his fourth novel, Percy Jackson and the Battle of Labyrinth, that are part of the human race as a whole. In other words,
Riordan introduces to us the myth of Daedalus and his myths express the wisdom that is inherent in all the human
greatest invention, the Labyrinth. Riordan explains the beings, perhaps encoded in us by the means of evolution or
Labyrinth as a second layer under the surface of the earth through some spiritual process. For Jungians, this common
and above the underworld, which keeps on growing on its origin in the collective unconscious elucidates why the
own. It has a spirit of its own and is connected to the life myths from different societies and cultures from different
force of Daedalus. In the fifth novel, Percy Jackson and the parts of the world can be strikingly similar to each other.To
Last Olympian, the gods unite with their demigod children Carl Jung, myths contain the archaic truth about existence. It
against the Titans, and fight against them in a united front. is the first and foremost psychic phenomena that reveal the
The resurrection of the Titan Lord, Kronos and the worst nature of the soul. C. G.Jung expound that for the human
monster of all, the Typhon, throws the gods off their balance, psyche, myth is a necessary aspect as it needs to find
but with help of their children, they save their seats of meaning and order in a world that often presents itself as
power. chaotic and meaningless. C. Jung writes:
In all of these five novels, Riordan tries to embed the archaic The psyche, as a reflection of the world and man, is a thing of
gods and myths in the twenty first century, and he tries to such infinite complexity that it can be observed and studied
wear off the distinction between the lines of reality and from a great many sides. It faces us with the same problem
fiction. The great gods of Greek mythology remain the same that the world does: because a systematic study of the world
in his pentalogy, but with some influence of the modern is beyond our powers, we have to content ourselves with
civilization. The fire of the power of the gods, as Riordan says mere rules of thumb and with aspects that particularly
is burning bright in America, and we can see that in their interest us. Everyone makes for himself his own segment of
architecture, their national emblem etc. Thus, we could say world and constructs his own private system, often with air-
that Riordan places these myths in the current scenario to tight compartments, so that after a time it seems to him that
help the readers understand and to relate to these stories he has grasped the meaning and structure of the whole. But
and fables more deeply. the finite will never be able to grasp the infinite. (Jung 23-
24)
In short, we can conclude that the ideology studied in this
research focuses on how the ancient Greek myths, which are The word Mythology came from the Greek words ‘mythos’
entwined with the human beings’ way of life, are which means narrative or fiction or myth or plot and ‘logos’
incorporated in modern fiction. Following the footsteps of which is a word or speech. Thus, mythology is the spoken
Homer, Ovid, Virgil etc. the twenty first century writer Rick story of the people. Mythology could be defined as the study
Riordan wrote his own versions about the depiction of Greek and elucidation of sacred fables or chronicles of a particular
gods, goddesses and creatures. The characteristics of the culture know as myths or is the collection of such stories that
demigods developed by Riordan in the pentalogy resembles deal with various aspects of human conditions like the good
their parents from Greek mythology. It proves that Riordan and evil that equally resides in us, the origin of human
stuck closely around the typical structure of Greek beings, the meaning of suffering, the origin of names of many
mythology in composing his novel. places, origin of several cultural traditions and values, the
meaning of life and death, the afterlife, and the omnipresent
Mythic Recursions
beings called the gods. It is an allegorical narrative in which
…myth is now so encyclopedic a term that it means
the main characters are gods, demigods or supernatural
everything or nothing. We can find it in whatever we want to
humans. Scholars Maria Leach and Jerome Fried define
say is essential about the way humans try to interpret their
mythology along these lines:
place on earth. Myth is a synthesizer of values which
uniquely manages to mean most things to most men. It is A myth is a story, presented as having actually occurred in a
allegory and tautology, reason and unreason, logic and previous age, explaining the cosmological and supernatural

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traditions of a people, their gods, heroes, cultural traits, Here, the original interaction between the unconscious and
religious beliefs, etc. The purpose of myth is to explain, and, the unknown is set aside and a second level of interaction
as Sir G.L. Gomme said, myths explain matters in “the between the myth text and the individual, the listener or the
science of a pre-scientific age.” Thus, myths tell of the reader is obtained. It is no longer an original insight of the
creation of man, of animals, of landmarks; they tell why a original myth that has been passed down through
certain animal has its characteristics (e.g., why the bat is generations, but only an instrument or tool available to the
blind or flies only at night), why or how certain natural storytellers of the coming generations. Over the time, the
phenomena came to be (e.g., why the rainbow appears or myth users gradually disperse in geographical terms, and
how the constellation Orion got into the sky), how and why they take with them these myths and it results in the
rituals and ceremonies began and why they continue. enlargement of the mythical system as additional variants
(Leachand Fried 778) are emerged out of this process. Thus, a modern novelist as a
myth user has at his disposal, a whole repertoire of myths.
If myth is an idea, then mythology could be considered as the
He can reconstruct the old myths and tell the tales in a new
vehicle that carries this idea. Mythology comprises all the
perspective. He can use these myths for the purpose of
stories, fables, symbols and rituals that make a myth
allusion, allegory, parody, satire and can create several
tangible. These stories, fables, symbols and rituals are
layers of new meaning simultaneously.
fundamentally a part of language that have been heard, seen
and performed and passed down to the forth coming The study of psycho-analysis in the modern age shows that
generations. Together these aspects of language construct myth making is a part of the very nature of human beings. It
the foundation of a culture on which it is built upon. From appears to be a “permanent activity of all men.” In fact,
the myths come beliefs of the people and from the mythology studies show that what happens is that man abandons one
comes the customs and it conditions the thoughts and feeling myth for the sake of another. That is why even the 20th
of the people. Mythology influences a person’s behavior and century writers often look back to the past for the survival,
communication in a society and thus has a far-reaching revival and creation of myth. Thus, ‘the return to myth’ was a
influence on the culture. “The symbolic world of mythology particular feature of the Modernist movement. The titles of
can be viewed as a mirror of our own inner landscape.” some of the important works by some of the leading
(Bartlett 14) modernist writers show that they do not hesitate to borrow
materials from the old mythologies, for example, The Centaur
Mythology allows us to explore the world of gods, heroes,
by John Updike, The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie,
monsters, and the adrenaline filled quests and other such
Antigone’s Claim by Judith Butler,The Song of Achilles by
adventures through the stories that are told and it allows us
Madeline Miller etc. and this happens often because myth
to delve into the mysterious world that we live in. Mythology
offers the writers a way through which they could
becomes a medium which enables us to comprehend the
symbolically comment on the modern events.
literary and artistic works created throughout the ages. Even
today, themes and messages from mythology are Northrop Frye, the Canadian literary critic and theorist, is of
incorporated in our culture using motifs and characters the view that certain forms of myths become the conventions
which can be found in ancient stories from around the world. and genres of literature. According to Frye, there are four
Mythology reveals common themes such as how the main narrative genres- comedy, romance, tragedy and irony
universe came into being, elucidations on how the forces of (or satire). These genres are associated with the second
nature are at work, the origin of people and civilizations, cycle of spring, summer, autumn and winter, coming under
personal quests and behaviors, social rules, customs and the Archetypal criticism. These myths have been borrowed
beliefs. According to Joseph Campbell, myth represents the by the writes in different languages and different time with
human search for what is significant, meaningful and true. the purpose of making their works lively and vital. The
He says that: “what we are searching for is an experience of German Romantic writers, Joseph Schelling and Fredrich von
being alive, so that our life experiences will resonate our Schlegel, have talked about the need of a unifying mythology.
own innermost being and we actually feel the rapture of English writers such as James Joyce in his novel Ulysses, T. S.
being alive.” (Campbell and Moyers 5) Eliot in his poem The Waste Land, Eugene O’Neil in his play
Mourning Becomes Electra, have stressed the importance of
To Carl Jung, myth is the outside of the human consciousness
integrative mythology to literature and has created mythical
and dream is the inside of the human consciousness, and
parallels based on the contemporary materials. Herman
together they shape the realm of archetypes. Jung opined
Hesse, Thomas Mann, Franz Kafka, W. B. Yeats etc. have used
that the mythological and religious traditions around the
mythical modes of expression in their works.
world holds in itself myriad archetypal images. The term
‘archetype’ was coined by Carl Jung himself, and he defined The Greek mythology is generally supposed to present to us
Archetypes as universal, archaic patterns and images that the way the human race acted, thought and felt eons ago.
are independent and hidden forms which are transformed Taking these myths as a medium we can retrace the path the
once they enter consciousness and are given particular civilized man, who had once lived in harmony and close
expression by individuals and their culture. And as myth is a companionship with the nature to become someone who
codification of our unconscious archetypes, literature is the lives so far and distant from the nature. When the stories
cultural realization of our mythologies. Myths and stories, came into being the distinction between what was real and
which plays a huge part in our past, have been used, what was unreal had yet to be made out. The imagination of
interpreted and reinterpreted for hundreds of years to these people was vividly alive and dynamic and was not
create new stories out of the old ones. Through this process, checked by reason, so that any person who happens to be
a number of new “archetypes” have been created. near a spring or stream could see the reflecting face of a
naiad in the depths of the water or could see dryads chasing
Once a myth is encoded into a language, it takes on the
each other in the woods.
qualities of a literary text and obtain independent repute.

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It has been more than two thousand years since the Ancient That is the miracle of Greek mythology- a humanized world,
Greek society has fell over. But the impact of one of the men freed from the paralyzing fear of an omnipotent
magnificent societies of the world still has its influence over Unknown. The terrifying incomprehensibilities which were
the modern western society and how we live today in this worshiped elsewhere, and the fearsome spirits with which
world. References and allusions to Greek mythology can still earth, air, and sea swarmed, were banned from Greece. It
be found in many areas of study including astrology, may seem odd to say that men who made the myths disliked
mathematics, biology, engineering, medicine, literature, the irrational and had a love for facts; but it is true, no matter
architecture etc. There are references to Greek mythology how wildly fantastic some of the stories are. Anyone who
where ever you turn to now a day. For example, Nike, a reads them with attention discovers that even the most
brand of sports shoe which is named after the Greek goddess nonsensical take place in a world which is essentially
of victory; the Starbucks logo is a siren which is intended to rational and matter of fact…The terrifying irrational has no
symbolize the irresistibility of the brand’s coffee; Atlas which place in classical mythology. Magic, so powerful in the world
is a term that is used to describe books filled with maps and before and after Greece, is almost nonexistent. (Hamilton 10-
also the first vertebra of the spine which allows us to hold 11)
our heads up is the name of the Titan who was condemned
The chief writers through whom these myths have been
to hold up the sky; the Olympic Games started in Ancient
passed down to us are Homer, whose works ‘Iliad’ and
Greece in the city of Olympia and inspired by the ancient
‘Odyssey’ are the oldest Greek writings; Hesiod, a poor farmer
Olympics the International Olympic Committee was formed.
whose poem ‘Theogony’ is entirely concerned with
Thus, we can say that the traces of Greek mythology can be
mythology; Pindar, the greatest lyric poet of Greece, wrote
seen in many places even now.
Odes which alludes to myths; Aeschylus, the oldest of the
The impact of Greek culture and myths can also be vividly three tragic poets, have included mythological subjects and
seen in the pop culture and arts. Greek mythology has been references in his works; Apollodorus, the Greek poet, is the
used in nearly every form of popular culture. Many Greek most voluminous ancient writer on mythology. Most of these
myths have been adapted into modern novels, movies, TV books about the tales of the classical mythologies are
shows and video games. Even the word ‘theatre’ was derived centered around the works of the Latin poet Ovid.
from the Greek word ‘theatron’ which meant the section of
The Greeks believed that the universe was first formed.
outdoor arenas where people watched the plays. Many
From empty Chaos, somehow the sea and earth and air
movies had been directed which are essentially based on
appeared. The mother earth or Gaia disentangled herself
Greek myths. For example, HelenofTroy (1956), Spartacus
from the water and gases and thus Pontus or the primordial
(1960), Antigone (1961), Hercules (1997), Troy (2004),
god of the oceans and Uranus or the sky came into being.
Minotaur (2006), Clash of Titans (2010), Wrath of Titans
Gaia bore the first set of children of Uranus, the Titans. The
(2012), Immortals (2011), Wonder Woman (2017) etc. We
Titans are often called as the Elder Gods. They were
can also see the presence of many monsters and creatures in
exceptionally powerful and gigantic in size. Only a few of
Popular Culture. Like the appearance of a Centaur, a half man
them appear in the stories of mythology. The most important
and half horse figure in films like Chronicles of Narnia and
was Cronos (in Latin Saturn) who usurped his father Uranus
Harry Potter; the fire breathing monster, Chimera, is seen in
or Ouranos by the scythe his mother Gaia gave him. Even
Beauty and the Beast and WrathofTitans; the one-eyed giant
though Cronos boasted his age as the Golden Age, it was a
monster called Cyclops can be seen in DoctorWho and
time of darkness and destruction. And later he was
BattlestarGalactica; Pegasus, a beautiful winged stallion can
dethroned by his own son Zeus and seized the power for
be seen in The Blood of Olympus, My Little Pony and Fantasia.
himself. And it was then the Golden Age for human kind
The Greek mythology began with Homer and his work ‘Iliad’ came into being. The twelve great Olympians succeeded the
which is first written record of Greece as well as it is or Titans. They were called Olympians because Olympus was
contains the oldest Greek literature. The tales of Greek their home. There is no doubt that at first it was held to be a
mythology doesn’t really throw light upon what the early top of a mountain, preferably identified with the highest
mankind as a whole was like, but it does shower light up on mountain in Greece, the Mt. Olympus in Thessaly. In ‘Iliad’ it
how the early Greeks were like. The Greeks, unlike the is mentioned that Olympus is situated at a mysterious region
Egyptians, created their gods in their own image. Until the above all the mountains of the earth. The entrance to
Greek mythology, the gods had no semblance of reality. They Olympus is a great gate of clouds guarded by the Seasons.
weren’t like any living things on earth. They were beyond the The twelve great Olympians of the Greek mythology are Zeus
power of imagination to bequeath movement, they were (Jupiter), Poseidon (Neptune), Hera (Juno), Ares (Mars),
immobile and fixed in stone in colossal temples and even Athena (Minerva), Apollo, Aphrodite (Venus), Hermes
though they were represented the humans in their shape (Mercury), Artemis (Diana), and Hephaestus (Vulcan),
and appearance, they were deliberately made unhuman. The Demeter and Dionysius. Hades (Pluto) is one of the three big
Egyptians had a rigid figure of a woman with a cat’s head brothers, but as his realm is underground, he not considered
called Bastet, another god with the body of a man and head as one amongst the Olympians. And in some myths, it is said
of a falcon named Horus etc. But as the Greeks took over, the that Hestia (Vesta) is one amongst the Olympians, but some
universe became more sensible and rational. Saint Paul had myths say that when Dionysius was made a god, she
stated that the invisible must be understood by the visible. voluntarily gave her position in the council to Dionysius,
This idea is often mistaken to be a Hebrew concept, when it thus making him the twelfth Olympian.
really is a Greek thought. The Greeks found satisfaction in
Zeus and his brothers Poseidon and Hades divided their
what was visible around them. They centered all their art
share of the universe. Hades got the Underworld; Poseidon
and thoughts around human beings. Edith Hamilton in her
got the sea and Zeus became the supreme ruler. He is the
book ‘Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes’ remarks
Lord of the Sky and he wielded the thunderbolt. He was the
that:
greatest and the powerful of all the Olympians. In ‘Iliad’ he

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had even told to his family that he was the mightiest of them Hermes is the Greek god of Trade, Luck, Travel, Thieves,
all. But he is being opposed and deceived. Some texts states Language etc. He is the son of Zeus and Maia (daughter of the
that the mysterious power called Fate is stronger and more Titan Atlas). He had winged sandals and possessed the
powerful than him. Zeus is often represented as falling in Caduceus, a magic wand featuring two snakes winding
love with one mortal woman after another and does all kinds around a winged staff. He was the messenger of Zeus and
of tricks to hide his infidelity from his wife, Hera. Hera is was the most cunning and shrewdest among them. He was
Zeus’s wife and his sister. She was brought up by the Titans the Master Thief, who stole Apollo’s herds when he was a
Oceanus and Tethys. She is the protector of marriage. But as day old. Zeus made him give it back and he earned Apollo’s
we go through the stories of Hera, we can see that she is forgiveness when he presented Apollo with a lyre. He is also
mainly engaged in punishing the women folks with whom the solemn guide of the dead, the Divine Herald who lead the
Zeus fell in love with. She never considered if they were souls down to their last home. Ares is the Greek god of War
reluctant to be in that relationship or not. She was adamant and is the son of Zeus and Hera. Homer calls him murderous,
in punishing those who injured her ego. She does not even bloodstained, the incarnate curse of mortals and strangely, a
leave the children of these mortal women alone, as they coward too, who bellows with pain and runs away when he
were fathered by her husband. They are also doomed to bear is wounded. The Goddess of War, Enyo (Bellona in Latin)
the curse of Hera. walks beside him, and with her are Terror, and Trembling
and Panic. Ares figures little in mythology. In one story he is
Then comes Poseidon, who is amongst the of three most
the lover of Aphrodite and held up to the contempt of the
powerful Olympians. He is the Lord of the sea and is married
Olympians by Aphrodite’s husband, Hephaestus.
to Amphitrite, granddaughter of the Titan Oceanus. He was
the one who created the horses from the foam of the sea and Hestia is Zeus’s sister and a virgin goddess like Athena and
gave it to mankind. He is often called a the “Earth Shaker” Artemis. She has no distinct personality and plays no part in
and is found always with his Trident in possession. the myths. She was the goddess of Hearth, the symbol of
Demeteris the daughter of Cronus and Rhea. She is the home. Every meal began and ended with an offering to her.
goddess of harvest, agriculture, fertility, nature and seasons. Each city, too, had a public hearth sacred to Hestia, where
She is the mother of Persephone.Athena, is the daughter of the fire was never allowed to go out. In Rome, her fire was
Zeus alone. She sprang from his head fully grown and in full cared for by six virgin priestesses, called Vestals. But in most
armor. She is the Greek goddess of wisdom and strategy. She of the myths, its noted that she stepped down from the seat
is preeminently the Goddess of the City and the protector of of Olympus when Dionysus was made an
civilized life. She was Zeus’s favorite child and one among Olympian.Dionysus, is the Greek god of Wine, Wine making,
the three virgin goddesses and is called the Maiden. The Fertility, ritual madness, Theatre and Religious ecstasy. He is
humans have built a temple for the goddess named the son of Zeus and the mortal princess Semele.
Parthenon. And Athens was named after her to honor the
Hades is the third brother among the most powerful
goddess.
Olympians (after Zeus and Poseidon) and he was given the
The next Olympian is Apollo. He is the son of Zeus and Leto underworld reign from where he rules over the dead spirits.
in the island of Delos. He is often described as “the most Because he was ruling the underworld, far away from the
Greek of all the gods.” He is a beautiful figure and a master Olympus, he is not considered as a member of the twelve
musician who delights Olympus while playing on his lyre. He Olympians. He is also the god of Wealth. All the precious
is the Greek god of Healing, Medicine, and Archery and also metals hidden under the earth belongs to him. Like Zeus's
of Music and Poetry. Apollo spoke through his oracle, the thunder bolt and Poseidon's Trident, Hades has his Helm of
Oracle of Delphi, whose spirit Apollo possesses, in which Darkness, which helps him to become invisible and blend
state the Oracle can predict the next Prophecy. He is the twin with the shadows and darkness. He is the King of the dead,
brother of Artemis. Artemis is one of the maiden goddesses not Death himself as most people mistakes him for. He
of Olympus. She was the Lady of Wild Things and Huntsman married Persephone, the Greek goddess of vegetation.
in chief to the gods and the protectress of the dewy youth. In
Other than the twelve Olympians, there were other divinities
her is shown most vividly the uncertainty between good and
in Mount Olympus. The most important among them was the
evil which is apparent in every one of the divinities.
God of Love, Eros. He is famously known as Cupid (Latin). In
Aphrodite is the Goddess of Love and Beauty, who enchant
the early stories he is often described as a beautiful serious
both gods and men alike with her irresistible charm and
youth who gives good gifts to men. He is often represented
appeal. She is the daughter of Zeus and Dione in the Iliad, but
as blindfolded, because love is often blind. Iris was the
she is said to have sprung from the foam of the sea in later
goddess of Rainbow and the messenger of gods. Hermes
poems. In most of the stories she is the wife of Hephaestus.
appears first in that capacity in the Odyssey, but he does not
Hephaestus is the God of Fire, stone masonry, forges and the
take Iris’ place. Nemesis was the goddess of Divine
art of sculpture. Sometimes it is said that he is the son of
Retribution. She meted out punishment for evil deeds,
Zeus and Hera, sometimes its he’s Hera’s alone, who bore
undeserved good fortune, and hubris. Pan is the god of the
him as a retaliation for Zeus’s having brought forth Athena.
wild, shepherds and flocks and rustic music. Hecate was the
In some myths it is said that he was throw out from the
Greek goddess of magic and witch craft. She is often depicted
Olympus by Hera, because of his deformity and hideous
holding two torches or a key. She is the daughter of the
looks, and some other myths claim that it was Zeus who had
Titans Perses and Asteria.
threw him off the Olympus for trying to defend Hera. He was
a kind and peace loving god who was loved and admired Greek mythology was a way for the ancient Greece to
both in heaven and earth. With Athena, he was important in elucidate the nature of the world around them, by attributing
the life of the city. They both were the patrons of handicrafts, various circumstances and events to gods and other
the arts which along with agriculture are the foundation and fantastical beings. We got to know about these myths from
support of civilization. the ancient Greek poets and their works. Greek mythology

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still remains as a popular topic in the contemporary society gods in Greek myth, Poseidon, the Greek god of sea, storms,
because of the large part that is played by the fascinating earthquakes and horses. And was also the Lord and the Ruler
characters and creatures that inhabit these fables and tales. of the Sea (the Mediterranean Sea) and the Friendly Sea (the
Many of the Greek myths features a hero who is on a quest Euxine, now the Black Sea). Percy, with the help of his
and has to overcome a sinister monster. These monsters are mother Sally Jackson and his satyr friend Grover Underwood
sometimes human like in nature but with strange and reaches Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for the children of
unusual characteristics that set them apart from people. the Olympian gods. These kids or the Demigods as to say,
They can be a mixture of various animals into a single train and goes on quests from this camp which is situated at
creature and sometimes, they combine both human and the Long Island, New York. From there he meets Chiron, a
animal features to create a completely new being altogether. Centaur, who unlike his kinsmen, is famous for his wisdom
A Greek hero on an epic journey or a quest in search of and knowledge of medicine and Annabeth Chase, daughter of
something, encounters at least one of these monsters. the Olympian Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and
Sometimes they are unlucky enough to encounter several. strategy.
Thus, we can deduce that the literary artist now can The five novels of the pentalogy are namely The Lightning
appropriate myth for his own purposes, whether it is to Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan’s Curse, The Battle of
demythicize, distort, deconstruct, satirize, parody, educate, Labyrinth and The Last Olympian. In the pentalogy, Percy
or simply shock. He can create new myths, which can Jackson, Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood together
correlate with the existing one or clash with it. “Myth serves goes on many dangerous quests and even escape from the
us, not as a compendium of belief, and still less as a reservoir depths of Underworld. They bond over their adventures and
of history and convenient fiction, but rather as a modality is met with many challenges. They slay many demons and
wherein we consciously mediate between fiction and belief, monsters, like Medusa, Minotaur, Echidna, Chimera, Drakon,
between language and whatever it is that lies beneath and Empousa, Telekhines, Scythian Dracaena etc. Percy learns
beyond language” ( Cook 266) And this study is to analyze the skills becoming of his lineage and discovers his own
how the American writer Rick Riordan reinvents the Greek peculiar gifts. As he being the son of Poseidon, he can be
myths in his pentalogy The Percy Jackson Series, as the author healed when he is injured if he steps into the water and has
borrows the epic myths of Greek gods and demigods told by the ability to control and command water.
Homer, Hesiod, Ovid etc. and root them in the modern
This pentalogy places the Greek gods in the modern-day
western civilization, dissolving the boundaries between facts
scenario and it applies the ancient Greek archetypes in the
and fiction.
world that we live in today. Riordan is trying to show us how
Percy Jackson and The Olympians: A Realm of Alternate these primordial gods, who are the central forces that guides
Reality this world forward, is still culturally prevalent. For example,
Julia Kristeva, the Bulgarian-French philosopher and literary Ares, the Greek god of war, appear in one of the novels as an
critic, commented that, intertextuality is “a mosaic of impertinent and brusque modern-day biker and Hermes,
quotations; any text is the absorption and transformation of once showed up in front of the characters in the form of a
another. The notion of intertextuality replaces that of mailman, whose Caduceus was disguised as a mobile phone,
intersubjectivity, and poetic language is read as at a modern-day gadget. The intertextual relationship between
least double" (Kristeva 37). Intertextuality is a field of study the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series to the prehistoric
that analyses the relationship between different texts. The works namely The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Theogony etc. are
basic idea of intertextuality is that a text may contain significant. To apply intertextuality in a work and for it to
elements of syntax, diction, plot, ideas and themes that can work the magic, something additional has to be implemented
be identified in other texts. One of the notable examples of and applied to the previously commemorated myths or
intertextuality applied in literature is James Joyce’s Ulysses stories. Rick Riordan, by placing these myths in the current
as a retelling of Homer’s the Odyssey, another example is society, tries to acquaint the readers with the mystic beings
William Faulkner’s story Absalom Absalom which is a and is trying to normalize them by placing them in this
retelling of the story Absalom told by Samuel in the Hebrew mundane and terrestrial world. The splendorous and
Bible. magnificent Mount Olympus, the abode of the gods, is said to
be hovering over the Empire States Building, and to get
Rick Riordan’s pentalogy, Percy Jackson and the Olympians,
there, we have to take an elevator ride to the six hundredth
often called as Percy Jackson or PJO series is a fantasy
floor. The terrifying Sphinx, who asked riddles to those
adventure novel which borrows a great deal from Homer’s
stumbled upon her is seen to be asking simple and factual
the Odyssey and The Iliad and from The Theogony by Hesiod.
questions and provides the quest goers with answer sheets
The readers are easily able to recognize the analogy between
which are far from the traditional conundrum.
these celebrated texts to that of the five novels written by
Riordan. The parallels between the themes and ideas are While going through these books, we can see that Riordan
appreciable and significant. The Percy Jackson and the has mixed the elements of myth with the prosaic modern
Olympians series introduces to the readers the titular world in a way that it creates a humorous backdrop to the
character, Percy Jackson, a twelve-year-old boy, who is story by maintaining the spirit and quintessence of the plot.
diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD. He is seen as a regular The mighty and divine Greek gods, Zeus, Poseidon, Hades,
mundane boy who is expelled from six schools in six years. Athena, Ares etcetera are always seen to be fighting and
But things take a turn when his class at the Yancy Academy, quarrelling with each other like any other siblings for trivial
a private school upstate of New York for ‘troubled kids’, went reasons. Zeus accuses Poseidon for stealing his master bolt,
on a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. A Hermes blames Zeus for not letting him fight the monster
series of over whelming incidents happen, which at last Typhon along with his family, Ares tries to start a full-
make Percy realize that he is a special child, which is putting fledged civil war between the three Big brothers by stealing
it mildly. He happens to be the son of one of the Olympian the master bolt of Zeus and the Helm of Darkness from

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Hades and blaming it all on Poseidon, Hephaestus sets up at the architecture. People do not forget the gods. Every
traps all over the world to capture Aphrodite and Ares to place they have ruled, for the last three thousand years, you
mock them in front of the Olympians, to Demeter the can see them in paintings, in statues, on the most important
solution to every problem is farming and eating cereals. buildings. (Riordan 72- 73)
Analyzing these scenes gives the reader the impression that
Riordan inextricably intertwines the past with the present
these mighty Greek gods can be deemed as a very basic and
by placing the gods where the heart of the west is. Thus, the
mundane set of siblings, fighting over frivolous things by
symbol of the United States which is the Eagle of Zeus, the
giving them the basic qualities of earthly beings like jealousy,
statue of Prometheus at the Rockefeller Center, the Greek
fear, ego, hatred etcetera. Along with it, there are many other
facades in their government buildings in Washington, all
humorous instances in the novels which the author weaves
shows that America is the heart of the flame, the great power
alongside with the original myths, like where Grover the
of west and so Olympus moved to this hub of civilization and
satyr is captivated by the cyclops Polyphemus, who thinks
with it, the gods.
that Grover is a lady cyclops and wants to marry him soon
and then Annabeth fights him by introducing herself as The novels are basically set in Long Island, New York, where
“Nobody”, the name used by Odysseus to trick the cyclops the Camp Half Blood is situated. Camp Half Blood is a
(used by Homer in his workOdyssey); there is this scene training facility in disguise of a summer camp, where the
where Rachel Elizabeth Dare, the girl who becomes the new demigods go to train, take up quests and learn how to
Oracle of Delphi by the end of the pentalogy, throws a plastic survive in the mortal world where they are constantly
hair brush at the Titan Kronos to escape from him; and hunted by the mythical monsters. The camp has magical
another instance where Percy teases the river gods of the boundaries around it, which makes it invincible to the eyes
Hudson river and the East river to provoke them and gain of mundane people and it also keep the monsters away. The
their attention and so on. landscape is dotted with buildings that looked like ancient
Greek architecture. There were twelve cabins, each
Riordan’s incorporation of mythology with the modern
distinguished in its own way for the campers belonging to
society and its ethos is remarkable. The Mount Olympus of
each one of the Olympian gods. And in Percy’s words:
Greece, as we know from the myths was where the abode of
gods was situated. In Homer’s Iliad, this ancient acropolis is There were twelve of them, nestled in the woods by the lake.
said to be built just below the peaks of Mount Olympus. They were arranged in a U, with two at the base and five in a
Olympus, is the seat of power of all the gods. Throughout the row on either side. And they were without doubt the most
ages, the exuberance and fire triggered by their presence bizarre collection of buildings I’d ever seen. Except for the
made it changeits center. First it was centered in Greece, fact that each had a large brass number above the door (odds
then the heart of the fire moved to Rome, Germany, France, on the left and evens on the right), they looked absolutely
Spain etc. and at last it has reached the pivot of modern nothing alike. (Riordan 79-80)
civilization, America, as mentioned in the pentalogy. The
Cabin one was dedicated to Zeus and it was the biggest of
powers of the gods are bind to their majestic golden palace.
them all. It was polished in bronze with lightning bolt stripes
And as their center of power moved from one place to
over it. Cabin two belonged to Hera, and is an honorary one,
another, their names changed too. For example: Zeus in
as she is the goddess of family, and can’t have relations with
Greece changed into Jupiter when the fire reached Rome,
mortals like other gods. Cabin three belongs to Poseidon. It
Hera into Juno, Hades changed into Pluto, Poseidon into
wasn’t high and mighty like cabin one, but was long and solid
Neptune, Demeter into Ceres, Athena into Minerva, Artemis
and studded with pieces of seashells and corals. Cabin four
to Diana, Ares into Mars, Aphrodite to Venus, Hephaestus to
belongs to Demeter and their roof is made of grass and had
Vulcan, Hermes into Mercury. Hestia into Vesta and Dionysus
tomato vines on the wall. Cabin five belonged to Ares and
to Bacchus. As they changed their names and forms, so did
was bright red and the roof was lined with barbed wires.
some of their characteristics. But more or less they remained
Cabin six belongs to Athena and had a symbol of owl on the
the same guiding force of humanity.
outside and was the tidiest of them all. Cabin seven belongs
In this pentalogy, Riordan places the power of the gods at to Apollo and it seemed to be made of solid gold. Cabin eight
the very heart of western civilization, America. The is also an honorary cabin which belonged to Artemis, who is
sumptuous palace of Olympus is situated hovering above the a maiden goddess. Cabin nine is that of Hephaestus and had
Empire State Building in the New York City, the entrance to smokestacks like a tiny factory. Cabin ten belonged to
the Underworld is situated in Los Angeles, the lair of the Aphrodite and it was decorated with fragrant flowers and
gorgon Medusa is situated at New Jersey and so on. In the plants. Cabin eleven belonged to Hermes and was worn out
first novel, The Lightning Thief, Riordan says: than all of the other cabins. It had an engraving of the
Caduceus on the door. Cabin twelve belonged to Dionysius
What you call ‘western civilization’, do you think it’s just an
and had grape vines growing along the walls. Thus, we can
abstract concept? No, it’s a living force. A collective
say that each cabin takes on some of the features of the god it
consciousness that has burned bright for thousands of years.
represents.
The gods are part of it. You might even say they are the
source of it, or at least, they are tied so tightly to it that they America, in the eyes of Riordan, became the hub of all the
couldn’t possibly fade, not unless all of Western civilization mystic activities. He borrows heavily from the Greek myths
were obliterated. The fire started in Greece. Then, the heart and successfully merged it into the modern society. The
of the flame moved to Rome, so did the gods. Oh, different Empire State Building and the Camp at Long Island are not
names, perhaps- Jupiter for Zeus, Venus for Aphrodite, and the only places pulsing with the metaphysical activities. The
so on- but the same forces, the same gods…. The gods simply entrance to the realm of Hades, the Underworld, is situated
moved, to Germany, to France, to Spain for a while. Where in Los Angeles, at the DOA Recording Studios, which is
ever the flame was brightest, the gods were there. They guarded by the psychopomp, Charon, who is the ferryman of
spend several centuries in England. All you need to do is look Hades and carries souls of the newly deceased across the

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river Styx. Then there is the mystery of the Bermuda meter monument. After encountering such various
Triangle, which is on the east coast of Florida, unraveled by hardships, they reach Los Angeles from where they come
Riordan, as he states that it is the Sea of Monsters, where the across Procrustes who calls himself Crusty in this novel. In
monsters like Scylla, Charybdis, the Sirens etc. inhabit. Hesiod’s Theogony, Theseus kills him the same way he used
Riordan explains that normal mortal beings doesn’t really to kill his prey, by “fitting” them into his bed and either
understand what goes on those waters, but they do know cutting off the parts that is hanging down or by stretching
that there is something strange about that part of the ocean the victim’s limbs to fit the bed, resulting in their death.
and thus they named this part of the ocean as the Bermuda Percy, just like Theseus, tricks Procrustes into lying down in
Triangle or the Devils Triangle. It is to be noted that this is the bed and kills him.
the same sea that Homer’s Odysseus had sailed through on
In The Sea of Monsters, Clarisse, Percy, Annabeth and Tyson
his adventures. Then there is the palace of the Titans
goes on a quest to save Grover and also to find the Golden
reassembling itself brick by brick on the top of the Mount
Fleece to save their Half-Blood camp. The first monster they
Tamalpais which according Homer, was situated on top of
encounter is the vicious Hydra. Its was defeated by Heracles
Mount Othrys. Another important borrowing from Homer’s
in Homer’s Iliad. After this encounter they set sail to the Sea
Iliad is the Labyrinth, which Riordan says is right under the
of Monsters or the modern day Bermuda Triangle, as per the
surface of the mortal world and its been growing and
author, and as they near the waters of the Monster infested
expanding under the western societies.
sea, they are forced to fight the monsters Scylla and
In every myth, tale or chronicle, the characters play a great Charybdis, mentioned by Homer in his Odysseywhen
role in keeping the plot to move forward and not all Greek Odysseus had to fight with these creatures while on his
myths are centered on gods. We are familiar with the stories voyage. But the heroes were overwhelmed by these two
of many great heroeswho had special abilities and faced monsters and get separated. Percy and Annabeth escape and
terrible monsters through the words of some prominent reaches an island named C. C’s island which was the island of
writers like Homer, Ovid, Hesiod etc. Homer, in his works Circe the Sorceress, who turns men into pig, according to
Iliad and Odyssey introduced to the readers, heroes like Homer. And Percy, unfortunately was turned into a guinea
Heracles, who tricked Atlas into taking the sky back into his pig by Circe, but is rescued by Annabeth and they set sail
shoulders and fought the giant Antaeus; Perseus, who slayed from that island. As they continued their quest, they
the gorgon Medusa (this myth is also recounted by Hesiod in happened to pass the island of the Sirens, which are
Theogony); Achilles, the great hero of the Trojan war who creatures that enticed the sailors to their destruction with
was submerged in the river Styx by his own mother Thetis to their beautiful singing. In Odyssey, Odysseus successfully
become invincible during a fight; Jason, the hero who along escapes the enchanting calls of the Sirens, but as for
with his Argonauts, went on a quest to retrieve the Golden Annabeth, daughter of Athena, she wanted to hear them
Fleece (Jason appears in various other works like singing because she knew that they sung about the greatest
Argonautica by Apollonius and Medea by Euripides). Along desires of the people they see. Annabeth was almost killed by
with the heroes, we are also introduced to many monsters the Sirens, but in the last moment Percy comes to her rescue.
like Scylla and Charybdis in Odyssey, Medusa in Theogony, Percy and Annabeth are reunited with Grover, Clarisse and
Minotaur in Iliad etc. Tyson from the island of the Cyclops Polyphemus. In Odyssey,
Odysseus had tricked Polyphemus by claiming that his name
Even though Riordan doesn’t directly use these heroes in his
is “Nobody” and stabs him in the eye making him half blind
plot, he does makes use of the quests they have gone on and
and as he bellowed in pain, he cried out to his fellow giants
also many of the monsters they have encountered on their
that “Nobody” has hurt him. This same trick was played by
quests. The interesting aspect of the intertextual
Percy, Annabeth and Clarisse to save Grover from the
relationships between all those epic tales and Riordan’s
Cyclops. And they retrieve the Golden Fleece, which Jason in
pentalogy is that on a basic level they function exactly in the
Odyssey seized from king Aeetes of Colchis.
same way as tropes and figurative language. The leading
heroes of Riordan, namely Percy, Annabeth, Thalia, Nico, In The Titan’s Curse, Zoe, Bianca (huntresses of Artemis),
Luke, Clarisse, and Grover (a satyr) and Tyson (a cyclops), Percy, Grover and Thalia is given a quest to save Artemis and
have in one way or the other encountered with the mythical Annabeth who had been kidnapped by the enemy forces.
creatures or been to places which is significant in Greek Before going on this quest, Percy, Annabeth and Thalia are
mythology. And heroes as we know are destined to have a sent on a mission to help and escape two demigods, Bianca
grievous ending. But Riordan, unlike his predecessors, gives and Nico who were the children of Hades. But things go
the readers a glimpse of hope that his heroes would have not sideways when they are ambushed by a Manticore who is
be meted with such grave fate. eventually killed by Dionysius at the end of their quest. Even
though Percy managed to save Bianca and Nico, Annabeth
In The Lightning Thief, Percy, Annabeth and Grover goes on a
was taken away by the enemies. Also, Artemis was
quest, after Percy was accused of stealing the master bolt of
ambushed by the Titans forces and thus the group set out on
Zeus. It is on this journey that they stumble upon to the lair
the quest to save both of them. As they started their journey,
of the gorgon Medusa in New Jersey. In both Theogony and
they are led into the Air and Space Museum in Washington
Iliad,she is beheaded by a hero named Perseus, and Riordan
DC where they had to fight the Nemean Lion, a beast in
adapts this myth, and Percy beheads her by looking at her
Homer’s Iliad which had been slayed by Heracles. The Titans
reflection through a polished shield. After their encounter
army had sent some skeletal warriors to stop the heroes and
with Medusa, Percy is forced to fight with the mother of all
during their fight, they are blessed by the Wild with an
monsters, Echidna. Both Homer and Hesiod features Echidna
Erymanthian Boar, which was again captured by Heracles in
in their writings and Riordan uses Echidna to taunt Percy
Homer’s Iliad. An Ophiotaurus is an ancient monster that
and makes him to jump off the Gateway Arch, but Percy
could bring down the gods if it was slain and its entrails
being the son of Poseidon, doesn’t die or feel any kind of pain
burnt. In the first battle of Titans and gods, the Titans had
as he plummeted down from the top of that two-hundred-

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slayed the beast, but Zeus’ eagle retrieved its entrails before shape shifting female being that seduces men and feeds on
it was burned. We can find references to this creature in them. In The Battle of Labyrinth, we can see two Empousai
Ovid’s poem Fastiand Riordan makes use of this monster by trying to kill Percy on his first day back to school;
tempting Thalia to kill it and burn its entrails to over throw Hellhounds are children of Nyx and Cerberus and are feared
the gods and let the Titan army win. But Percy helps by half-bloods. In the pentalogy we see that the hellhounds
Ophiotaurus escape from the scene along with Grover to side with the Titan army to fight against the demigods,
protect it. Homer in his Iliad mentions about the Garden of except for one named Mrs. O’Leary, which is the only friendly
Hesperides where the dragon Ladon protects the golden hellhound who is loyal to Daedalus and later to Percy; The
apples sacred to Hera. Zoe distracts Ladon while Percy and Stymphalian birds, in the myth was killed by Hercules by
others pass around the garden to reach Mount Othrys. Even scaring them first using the brass bells. In The Sea of
though Heracles had defeated the monster, the group of Monsters, the camp is attacked by these birds and Percy and
heroes was sure that they didn’t want to fight Ladon. Annabeth use the stereo to confuse the birds and kills them;
Pegasi are winged horses and are named after the original
In the fourth book, The Battle of the Labyrinth, Percy,
Pegasus, the son of Poseidon and Medusa. In the pentalogy
Annabeth, Grover and Tyson come across many monsters in
there are a number of Pegasus which are used by the
the Greek mythology. Starting with Kampe, who was the
demigods and the notable pegasi is Blackjack, Percy’s pure
guard of Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires, according to Hesiod
black Pegasus; Laistrygonian giants are a race of man eater
in Theogony. Kampe is seen in novel at Alcatraz, guarding the
giants encountered by Odysseus in his travels. In The Sea of
last hundred-handed one, Briareus. But by the end of the
Monsters a group of giants tries to attack Percy; the Scythian
novel, Briareus with the help of Tyson, kills Kampe. Next,
Dracaenae in mythology are female reptilian monsters who
they encounter the famed Sphinx, a monster which is seen
stole Hercules’ horses. They fight along with the Titan army
Hesoid’sTheogony and in Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Sphinx is
in the pentalogy.
supposed to ask people the riddle "What goes on four feet in
the morning, two feet at noon, and three feet in the evening?" Riordan also borrows from Hesiod’s Theogony, namely, the
the answer being Humans. But in this book Riordan attempts Hyperboreans which were mythical giants who lived far to
to bring a change by making the Sphinx ask a series of the North of Thrace. In The Last Olympian, they side with the
random trivia questions instead. After escaping the Sphinx, Titan army to fight against the demigods; The Furies or
they reach the Triple G Ranch where Geryon a fearsome Erinyes are the deities of vengeance that sprang from the
giant with three bodies and one head resided. In Homer’s blood of Uranus, and are referred to as the Kindly Ones in the
Iliad, Geryon was killed by Heracles by shooting an arrow novels and serves Hades; the Lydian Drakon is a serpent like
through three of his hearts at the same time. Percy, with the creature which is killed by Damasen. In The Last Olympian, a
blessing of Hera, kills Geryon and escapes from there to go Lydian Drakon is unleashed by Kronos which is fated to die
and meet Hephaestus, who tasks them to investigate one of by the hands of a child of Ares and is killed by Clarisse;
his forges in Mount St. Helens’ which the Telekhines had Spartoi are the “sown” warriors who spring up full grown
been using to forge the scythe of Kronos. Telekhines are from a giant serpents teeth killed by Kadmos. In The Titan’s
mysterious smiths and sea demons who made both Kronos;’ Curse, they are resurrected by Atlas from the teeth of a
Scythe and Poseidon’s Trident. They were first mentioned in Drakon, to hunt down the demigods on the quest; Typhon,
Hesiod’s Theogony during the Titan-God war. the youngest son Gaea and Tartarus, and is the father of
Hydra, Cerberus and Chimera. In The Last Olympian, Typhon
In the last book of the series, The Last Olympian, Riordan
is released from his confinement under mount Etna and tries
makes use of all of these multifarious monsters and demons
to destroy mount Olympus.
from the Greek mythology as the demigods take their final
stand against the invasion of the Titan army in New York. It is undeniable that Riordan has come up with a clever
Other than the monsters discussed above there are several conceit, which is amusingly sustained. The godsare
other references of such beasts, both friendly and evil, in this portrayed in a humorous fashion where they are given the
pentalogy. From Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, Riordan borrows basic human qualities and are made mundane and terrestrial
characters like, Argus, a one hundred eyed giant who is as possible. We can see eye to eye with Riordan’s version of
the guardian of the heifer-nymph Io and son of Arestor, and Olympian gods. Take for example, Poseidon, the Greek god of
works at Camp-Half Blood as their security chief; Centaurs, the Sea. He is humble and unostentatious and seems to care
which are thought of as being wild and untamed horses with for his son Percy dearly. He playfully ignores the bickering of
upper body of a human. They are the children of Ixion and his siblings like a good-natured person. Even though in the
Nephele, expect for Chiron, who is the son of Kronos and myths the thrones of these gods are said to be in full
Philyra. They are good with their bows and are good healers. grandeur, his throne in this pentalogy is described as a fisher
In the pentalogy they help the Demigods in their fight against man’s seat in a boat, simple and cozy and a perfect fit for the
the Titans; Cerberus guards the gates to the Underworld and Lord of the Seas. Like a regular father these days, he visits
is fiercely loyal to Hades. in the novel he is described as Percy on his birthday, even though gods are not allowed to
“pure-bred three headed rottweiler” by Percy and loves to interact with their children like that. Then comes Zeus, the
play with Mrs. O’Leary; Chimera, the fire breathing hybrid Greek god of the Sky, whose character could be described as
offspring of Typhon and Echidna is killed by Bellerophon in one who is short tempered and someone who turns a blind
myth. It appears in TheLightning Thief and attacks Percy eye to the problems he is facing, which is a typical feature of
from the Gateway Arch a human being as humans would love not to face their
problems and think that it would go away just like that. Like
The Clazmonian Sow, which is a sow with wings which
a stubborn human being, he refused to take into his
ravaged the territory of Klazomenai in the myths. In this
consideration the warnings of Percy and some of his fellow
book, the Titan’s release this sow to overwhelm the
demigods that the Titan Kronos was indeed trying to reform
demigods and take them down. In The Last Olympian, Percy
and take over this chaotic yet mesmerizing world. He is
with the help of the automatons, kills the beast; Empousa is a

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presented to the readers wearing a sophisticated suit, like a Olympians after their loss in the first Titanomachy, to take
serious business man, instead of the traditional chiton and back the power that once had been his. The plot of the series
cloaks. Hephaestus works in his workshops like a crazy revolved around Cronos’ plans, who hoped to rise from
mechanic in his numerous forges around the world and Tartarus and rule the world once more by defeating the
leaves the inoperative inventions all around. He casts traps Olympian gods. There were five major battles over the
in remote and abandoned places in hope of catching course of the war; the Attack of Camp Half-Blood, the Battle
Aphrodite and Ares in their romantic strolls, like the one he of the Princess Andromeda, the Siege of Poseidon’s Palace,
had laid in the water theme park, The Water Land, where and contemporaneous battles of Mount
Percy, Annabeth and Grover were tasked to retrieve the Othrys and Manhattan. It lasted approximately four years
shield of Ares, only to get trapped inside. And it is to be after Luke Castellan stole the Master Bolt and the Helm of
noted that Ares, the god of war, appears as a biker in a red Darkness, which happened in the first book, The Lightning
muscle shirt and is armed with a huge knife and intimidates Thief. As the plot develops Riordan unravels the plan of
mortals like a bully. Cronos on how to take over the world. We can interpret it as
the second Titanomachy, but the difference here is that most
Basically, the whole series is built upon the plan laid upon by
of the minor gods and their demigod children sided with the
the Titan lord Cronos, who plans to over throw the mighty
Titans because they were neglected and disregarded by the
gods from their seats of power and to rule over the world.
Olympians. So, did all of the monsters that has been ever
The Great Prophecy, which had been foretold by the Oracle
mentioned in the Greek mythology. The Olympians had with
decades before the novels are set, unfold in front of the
them the demigod children of the Olympian gods, the nature
characters and the readers alike. Some of the Olympians
spirits, the army of Underworld, the Hunters of Artemis,
anticipated about the revival of the titans and their allies
Cyclopes, Centaurs, and Briareus (the last one of the
when the prophecy was spoken, and that is when Zeus,
Hecatonchires). And while the Olympians fought the
Poseidon and Hades made the pact not to have any more
gruesome monster Typhon, it was the others who defended
children with mortal women. But Zeus and Poseidon broke
the Mount Olympus from the direct attack of Cronos. This
the rule and as the result Thalia and Percy were born. And in
battle, as Riordan mentions, the Battle of Manhattan, can be
the pentalogy all of the beings in this mystical realm within
regarded as the second Titanomachy.
the bounds of the terrestrial world looks up to Percy and his
progress as a hero as he was the one who would cause either While analyzing the Percy Jackson pentalogy, it is imperative
the Olympus to fall or to triumph in the war between the that we discuss about the prophecies stated in each of the
Olympians and Titans. This war between the Olympians and five books. In Greek mythology, people came to consult the
the Titans is called as Titanomachy and was first explained Oracle of Delphi, Pythia, a role played by the priestess of
by Hesiod in his work Theogony. Apollo, to know about their future. We can see references to
the Oracle in Iliad, Odyssey, Theogony etc. She relays the
In the written account of Hesiod, we can find that the
messages from Apollo to her visitors that typically had
Titanomachy took place in Thessaly between the Titans and
something to do with the future or how to achieve a desired
the Olympians for ten consecutive years. Just like Cronos
outcome. The prophecies mainly focused on politics and
usurping his father Uranus with his mother Gaia’s help,
warfare. Pythia prophesied for hundreds of years, as she was
Cronos was usurped by his youngest son Zeus with his
a role played by different priestesses and not just one
mother Rhea’s help. It was a cycle of struggle for power and
person.
desperate attempts to change their fate. Uranus had
imprisoned his children, the Cyclopes and the Hecatonchires, It is usually assumed that the Pythia’s original words were
and Gaia helped Cronos, the youngest amongst the other set coherent, but not very clear… it was always the
of their children, the Titans, to castrate him and help save responsibility of the recipient to interpret the oracle
the Cyclopes and Hecatonchires. Uranus was easily defeated correctly. And the oracles, even in their final form, were
by Cronos and he took the place of Uranus and ruled the always ambiguous. Frequently (though not always), the
world. Cronos’ sister-wife, Rhea, bore him six children, recipients did not interpret them correctly, and they suffered
Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus. But as a result.(Mellenthin and Shapiro Ch. 13).
Cronos knew that he was destined to be overcome by his
Many of the prophecies were anecdotal and have survived as
own son. Therefore, he kept no blind outlook, but watched
proverbs. Some of the most prominent and historically
and swallowed his children. But Rhea hid Zeus when he was
significant prophecies of Delphi are the ones she gave to
born and gave Cronos a rock to eat instead. When Zeus grew-
Croesus of Lydia, which ultimately led to the war with
up he came in disguise as a cupbearer for his father and gave
Persians and to Laius, father of Oedipus, telling that he
him a potion which made Cronos regurgitate his children
would be murdered by his own son.
who being immortals had grown up inside him. Thus, Zeus
with the help of his siblings fought the ten-year war to In each of Riordan’s novel, we can see the Oracle of Delphi
overthrow the Titans, which Hesiod named as the relaying the prophecies to the heroes. In The Lightning Thief,
Titanomachy. Hesiod then narrates to us that this same fate Percy accepts to go a quest. He is then being sent to the attic
was destined upon Zeus too, that he was to be overthrown where the Oracle is residing. He asks for his “destiny” and
by his own son by Metis. So, in an attempt to escape his fate, the Oracle says in a rasping voice:
he swallows the pregnant Metis all together and thus Athena
You shall go west, and find the god who had turned.
was born from his forehead. We can see that the pattern of
events is the same. The father, in fear of loosing his power You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned.
tries to enslave or eliminate his children but it backfires and
You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend.
he ends up meeting his fate.
And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end.
Riordan makes use of this myth in his series, where Cronos is
trying to reform and gather allies to fight against the

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In The Sea of Monsters, Clarisse, the daughter of Ares takes rain” which is the junkyard of gods where a giant automaton
up the quest. She goes to consult the Oracle and the made by Hephaestus guards the place. The heroes confuse
prophecy she gets is: “the bane of Olympus” to a titan or a devilish monster, but it
turns out to be the Ophiotaurus. In The Battle of Labyrinth,
You shall sail the iron ship with warriors of bone,
Annabeth and her friends mistakes “the ghost king” for
You shall find what you seek and make it your own, Minos, when it really was Nico, son of Hades all along. They
were afraid that the “child of Athena” mentioned in the
But despair for your life entombed within stone,
prophecy would be Annabeth, but as it turns out, it was
And fail without friends, to fly home alone. Daedalus, who destroyed his own creation, the Labyrinth by
giving up his life to save the campers. In the last book, The
In The Titan’s Curse, it was Zoe Nightshade, daughter of the
Last Olympian, we get to know the Great Prophecy which
Titan Atlas, currently a huntress along side with Artemis, is
had be predicted decades ago. Everyone thinks that Percy is
the one who gets the chance to lead the quest. The prophecy
the hero of the prophecy and that he would die by making a
predicted for her was:
single choice and with a “cursed blade” he shall die, which
Five shall go west to the goddess in chains, was thought to be Percy’s sword, the Anaklusmos or Riptide
which had a tragic story behind it. But the hero of the
One shall be lost in the land without rain, prophecy was Luke, son of Hermes, who had sided with the
The bane of Olympus shows the trail, Titans and gave up his body for Kronos to take over. In the
end Luke realizes the grave mistakes he had done and stabs
Campers and Hunters combined prevail, himself with the dagger he had given to Annabeth years ago
The Titan’s curse must one withstand, right after he had promised her that he would never hurt
her.
And one shall perish by a parent’s hand.
Riordan incorporates mythology in his works to update the
In The Battle of the Labyrinth, the quest is taken up by traditional idiosyncrasy. The way he modernizes the gods,
Annabeth Chase, the daughter of Athena. The prophecy goes demigods and their quests help the readers to rationalize the
like this: extramundane. The direct allusions to Homer, Hesiod, Ovid
You shall delve in the darkness of the endless maze. etc. can be seen throughout the novels. And these allusions
and references are woven together with the ultra-modern
The Traitor, the Dead and the Lost one raise. context by the author. Thus, the borderline between fantasy
You shall rise or fall by the ghost king’s hand. and reality, facts and fiction fade, leaving the readers with a
new genre to explore. In an interview with The Guardian,
The child of Athena’s final stand. Riordan says:
Destroy with a hero’s final breath, I tend to think of a myth and then explore how it would play
And lose a love to worse than death. out if it were happening in the modern-day world. I modify
all the myths I use, but I stick very closely to their structure –
In the last book of the pentalogy, The Last Olympian, the it is the hidden teacher in me.With a lot of them it is easy to
Great Prophecy which had been predicted years ago is imagine the modern context by, say, having Aries riding on a
revealed, as Percy takes up his final stand against the army motorcycle. These myths are universal and are totally
of the Titan Cronos. The Great Prophecy is as follows: ingrained in our culture. We are still struggling with the
A half-blood of the eldest gods same things, so they fit neatly into the modern world.
(Riordan)
Shall reach sixteen against all odds.
Riordan delivers puns, jokes and subtle wit, alongside a
And see the world in endless sleep, gripping story line. He blends myth with the modern and
The hero’s soul, cursed blade shall reap. shows mordant satirical quality in this pentalogy. The satyrs
in his works are environmentalists and vegans who
A single choice shall end his days. complains about how the humans are destroying the world;
Olympus to preserve or raze. his gods and monsters fears oblivion; his heroes are flawed
(haunted by their hamartia and are diagnosed with dyslexia
These prophecies don’t always convey the literal meaning of and ADHD) but are also resilient and valorous; his mortals
the sentences, there are different types of interpretations are a bunch of ignorant people who will “believe anything
and deeper levels of meaning to these prophecies. These but the truth”. He communicates the complexities of life with
prophecies drive the story forward. The heroes undertaking his readers by referring to these myths. The monsters and
the quests and adventures rely upon these words as to the Titans trying to destroy the Olympians shows that evil
where to begin the quest from or what all things they may will prevail in this world and as long as such threats are
face in their adventure. For example, in The Lightning Thief, there, there will emerge heroes who will change the course
Percy and his friends goes west, that is to the city of Los of history from that of doom to that of boon.
Angeles, to the entrance of the Underworld and along the
way the find the god who has turned, who was mistaken to Conclusion
be Hades, but in real was Ares. And he is betrayed by his “I made my song a coat
friend Luke Castellan, who gave him the enchanted flying Covered with embroideries
shoes which made Grover fly into the deep pit which was the
entrance into the Tartarus. In The Titan’s Curse, Zoeand other Out of old mythologies
members of the quest reach a dessert and Bianca loses her From heel to throat;” (Yeats, lines 1-4)
life while attempting to save others in “the land without

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The term ‘myth’ has often been a topic that has drawn many about the story of demigods and their adventures and
debates on whether it can be considered as stories relating quests, in a deeper level we could even interpret it as the
to the truth or maybe of fallacy. Northrop Frye however, story of some brave and courageous youngsters who rights
believed myth to have ‘really happened’, or to have some the wrong and help those in need. They keep aside their
exceptional significance in explaining certain features of life, differences and fight for justice. Instead of backing away
such as ritual. In his opinion, myth is often used as an from the perilous quests, they come forward willingly
allegory of science or religion or morality and it may arise in without knowing what the future holds for them. This
the first place to account for a ritual or a law, or it may be an pentalogy is not only a piece of literature which entertains
example of a parable which illustrates a particular situation its readers, but also gives them hope in this often-chaotic life.
or argument. It may be told or retold, modified or elaborated And that can be seen as a quality of myth. Even in its mystical
or different patterns may also be discovered in it. context, a myth, conveys to the readers about the truths of
life and helps people to find worth and purpose in their
Mythology could be seen as an archaic and profound record
existence.
we have of the mankind’s nature and spirit. To understand
and connect with our past and our origin people relate to Ivan Strenski in his work Four Theories of Myth in Twentieth-
myth and myth making. Myths, whether it is Greek, American Century History: Cassirer, Eliade, Levi Strauss and
or Indian, are the survivals of those primitive ages when Malinowskiquotes:
myth making mind reigned supreme. But myths respond to
Myth is everything and nothing at the same time. It is the
the basic human situations. And they are very much relevant
true story or a false one, revelation or deception, sacred or
in this modern day. By using myth in his literary and artistic
vulgar, real or fictional, symbol or tool, archetype or
works, modern man is able to understand and communicate
stereotype. It is either strongly structured and logical or
the complexity of life, as well as, provide great deal of
emotional and pre-logical, traditional or primitive or part of
material for the modern-day writers. Northrop Frye
contemporary ideology. Myth is about the gods, but often
maintains, that the structural principles of literature are
also the ancestors and sometimes certain men… it is charter,
largely based on myths. In his essay Myth, Fiction and
recurring theme, character type, received idea, half-truth,
Displacement, he writes:
tale or just plain lie.
The things that happen in myth are things that happen only
In conclusion, one could say that not reason but imagination
in stories, they are in a self-contained literary, world. Hence
was the key to myth. Myth is not failed attempt to articulate
myth would naturally have the same kind of appeal for the
rational truth butis the creative impulse underlying human
fiction writer that folk tales has. It presents him with a
history. Primitive mythopoeia was the source of all
ready-made frame-work, hoary with antiquity, and allows
experience and all expression. In the case of modern writers
him to develop all his energies to collaborating its
or in particular Rick Riordan, the use of myth in their works,
design.(Frye 590)
is not aimed to rationalize or reason with the history of
This study aims to illustrate the significance of Greek humans and the psyche, but to build a bridge that connects
mythology in this modern world and how it is reimagined by the past to the present, to erase the boundary between the
the American author Rick Riordan in his pentalogy, Percy reality and fantasy.
Jackson and The Olympian Series. In his novels, Riordan
Works Cited
portrays the Greek gods centered in the focal point of the
[1] “About Rick Riordan.” Rickriordan.com. N.p., n.d. Web.
modern civilization, guiding the modern man in all his
25 December 2019.
endeavors. He presents to us an out of the ordinary scenario,
where the Greek myths are embedded in the core of modern [2] Bartlett, Sarah. The Mythology Bible: A Definitive Guide
American society and how the pop culture and modernity is to Legendary Tales. Sterling Publishing Co., 2009.
mixed with the archaic myths of Greece.
[3] Campbell, Joseph and Moyers, Bill. The Power of Myth.
Riordan borrows myths and themes from the previous texts Doubleday, 1988.
of Homer, Hesiod, Ovid etc. and tries to create various layers
[4] Cook, Albert. Myth and Language. Indiana University
of meaning in his pentalogy. Thus, the readers are able to
Press, 1980.
interpret the text in different ways. The fashion in which he
recounts the timeless tales is different from that of his [5] Frye, Northop. “Myth, Fiction, and Displacement.”
predecessors. In all of the five novels, Riordan tries to embed Daedal us, vol. 90, no. 3, 1961, pp. 587- 605,
the archaic gods and myths in the twenty first century, and https://www.jstor.org/stable/20026675?seq=1.
he tries to wear off the distinction between the lines of
[6] Gould, E. Mythical Intentions in Modern Literature.
reality and fiction. The great gods of Greek mythology
New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1981.
remain the same in his pentalogy, but with some influence of
the modern civilization. The fire of the power of the gods, as [7] Hamilton, E. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and
Riordan is burning bright in America, and we can that in the Heroes (75th Anniversary Edition). Black Dog and
architecture, their national emblem etc. Thus, we could say Leventhal Publishers, 2017. Print.
that Riordan places these myths in the current scenario to
help the readers understand and to relate to these stories [8] Jung, C. J. Ed. Campbell, J. The Portable Jung. Penguin
and fables more deeply. It is almost like he spots things Classics, 1992.
around him that have echoes in the ancient world. [9] Kristeva, Julia. Word, Dialogue, and Novel. Columbia
The recurring parallel between contemporaneity and University Press, 1986.
antiquity given shape and significance in the works of the [10] Leach, M. and J. Fried. Funk and Wagnall’s Standard
new writers or ‘myth creators’ helps us to see the world in Dictionary of Folk lore, Mythology, and Legend. Harper
new ways. Though in the surface level these novels talk and Row Publishers, 1984.

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[11] Mellenthin, Jessica and Sharipo, Susan O. Mythology [15] Riordan, Rick. Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian.
Unbound: An Online Textbook for Classical Mythology. Puffin Books, 2009. Print.
Press books. Rebus Community,
[16] Riordan, Rick. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.
https://press.rebus.community/mythologyunbound/
Puffin Books, 2005. Print.
chapter/the-delphic-oracle/
[17] Riordan, Rick. Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters.
[12] “Myth.” ahdictionary.com. The American Heritage
Puffin Books, 2006. Print.
Dictionary of the English Language, 2015. 15,
November, 2015. [18] Riordan, Rick. Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse.
https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=myth Puffin Books, 2007. Print.
[13] Riordan, Rick. “Rick Riordan: ‘Myths are universal and [19] Strenski, Ivan. Four Theories of Myth in Twentieth-
are totally ingrained in our culture.’” Interview. By Century History: Cassirer, Eliade, Levi Strauss and
Venessa Thorpe. The Guardian, 9 December, 2019. Malinowski. London: Macmillan, 1987.
www.theguardian.com/books/2012/dec/09/rick-
riordan-interview-heroes-olympus. [20] Yeats, W.B. “A Coat.” Poetry Foundation, 2020,
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[14] Riordan, Rick. Percy Jackson and the Battle of s/12893/a-coat.
Labyrinth. Puffin Books, 2008. Print.

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