July 2, 1978: Of minor gods, cruel words, and song lyrics

I have just been reading Noel's The Mythology of Middle Earth about Tolkien's use of mythology, especially in The Hobbit and The Ring Cycle, and Fritz Leiber's Our Lady of Darkness about megapolismancy, the black magic inherent in the sheer mas of cities (in this case, San Francisco).

They set me wondering about how future archaeologists would view our civilization...and what they would say of our current myths.  Specifically, I wondered what they'd do if they unearthed a cache of Hanna-Barbera cartoons.  Ore what they would make of Saturday morning TV.  We no longer revere the Greek and Roman gods and goddesses, but we have "Isis", "Shazam", "Spiderman", and the "Super Friends" (including Wonder Woman and Superman).  We have our own cults of "shape changers"(i.e The Wonder Twins and others), and we have giants ("The Great Grape Ape, for instance).


Peter told me tonight, "I don't like you, and I'm going to stay separate from you in my room, except for "Super Friends"!  Petey always wants to play his Batman or Spiderman or Superman.  How many adults secretly wish they could?

Peter's song for guitar and coffee can:
There was an old lady who was in a wheelchair
And the very old lady said
"I wish I had someone to help with my work"
And she travelled all over the world
and when she came to the place she wanted, she found assistance there
She found assistance there
And she and her assistant had a car
And the lived happily ever after

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Remember, I was still 5 at the time).