Mythos: Stephen Fry reads from his retelling of Ancient Greek myths

hello Steven fry here I'm gonna read you a little bit from my new book mythos and this is the this is the story of Pandora who was created by the gods as a revenge for mankind having the the impertinence to accept the gift of fire prometheus which the gods never wanted them to have so they created the first woman and her name was Pandora which means they all gifted and she was given a jar often called the box but it's actually a jar to take with her to marry her husband Epimetheus and it was something she was not allowed to open Epimetheus and Pandora were very much in love that could not be denied Pandora's beauty entertainment such as to delight him every day and in return his facile ability to live always for the moment and never to fret about the future gave her a sense of life as a light and lovely adventure but one little itch tickled her one little fly buzzed around her one little worm burrowed inside that jar she kept it on a shelf in their bedroom when Epimetheus had asked about it she laughed oh just a silly thing that her Feist has made to remind me of Olympus it's a value pretty though said that Prometheus giving it no further thought one afternoon when her husband was away practicing the discus with his friends Pandora approached the jar and ran her finger around the rim of its sealed lid why had Zeus even mentioned that there was nothing interesting inside it he would never have said such a thing if truly there weren't she pieced the logic of it together in her mind if you give a friend an empty jar you would never concern yourself with mentioning that the jar was empty your friend might look inside one day and see that for themselves so why should you take the trouble to repeat that this jar contained nothing of any interest there could only be one explanation there was something of great interest inside something of value or power something either enchanting or enchanted but no she had sworn never to open it promises the promise she said to herself and straightaway felt very virtuous she believed it her duty to resist the spell of the jar which now really seemed almost to be singing out to her in the most alluring way was excessively vexing to have an object so bewitching in her bedroom where it could taunt and tempt her every morning and every night temptation loses much of its power when removed from sight Pandora went to the small back garden and next to a sundial that a neighbor had given them as a wedding gift she dug a hole and buried the jar deep in the ground she patted the earth flat and wheeled the heavy sundial on its plinth over the hiding place there for the next week she was as gay and skittish and happy as a person had ever been Epimetheus fell even more in love with her and invited their friends over to feast and hear a song he had written in her honour it was a happy and successful party the last festival that the Golden Age was ever to know that night perhaps a little flushed with the praise that had flowed so freely in her direction Pandora found it hard to sleep through the window of her bedroom the moonlight shone down on the garden the Sun dials Noman gleamed like a silver blade and once again she thought she heard the music of the jar Epimetheus was sleeping happily beside her the Moonbeam was danced in the garden unable to stand it any longer Pandora left from her matrimonial bed and was out in the garden unrolling the base of the sundial and scrabbling at the earth before she had time to tell herself that this was the wrong thing to do she pulled the jar from its hiding place and twisted at the lid its wax and seal gave way and she pulled it free there was a fast fluttering the furious flapping of wings and a wild wheeling and whirling in her ears o glorious flying creatures but no they were not glorious at all Pandora cried out in pain and fright as she felt something leathery brush her neck followed by a sharp and terrible prick of pain as some sting or bite pierced her skin more and more flying shapes buzzed from the mouth of the jar a great cloud of them chattering screaming and howling in her ears through the swirling fog of these dreadful creatures she saw the face of her husband as he came outside to see what was happening it was white with horror and fright with a great cry Pandora summoned up the courage and strength to close the lid and seal the jar on the garden wall in the shape of a wolf Zeus looked on smiling the most terrible and wicked smile as like a cloud of locusts the shrieking wailing creatures clawed the air and circled the garden below them in a great vortex before flying up and away over the town over the countryside and around the world settling like a pestilence wherever man had habitation and what were they these shapes there were mutant descendants the dark and evil children of both Nix and Erebus they were born of a party deceit Garrus old age uses misery Momo's blame carries violent death they were the offshoots of art a ruin and eros discord these were their names Poe knows hardship limos starvation algaas pain dis no mere anarchy sudeer lies Nakia corals and fellow GI disputes Makai Wars his mini battles and dropped to sigh and phone oi manslaughters and murders illness violence deceit misery and want had arrived they would never leave the earth what Pandora did not know was that when she shut the lid of the jar so hastily she forever imprisoned inside one last daughter of NYX one last little creature left behind to beat its wings hopelessly in the jaw forever its name was Elvis hope you you

Channel: Foyles

Views: 110,751

Keywords: Stephen Fry, Mythos, myths, ancient greek myths, ancient greece, pandora's box, mythology, books, reading, celebrity, QI, zeus, hades, legends, myths & legends

Id: WgiX5Las3KE

Length: 6min 58sec (418 seconds)

Published: Mon Nov 13 2017