Infidelity

Before the lecture last week on infidelity I had a lecture for my Myth modual in which we had been discussing incest within myths (I know I'm diverting off course but bare with me). This got me thinking about infidelity within ancient myths and while looking through some of my liturature for the aformentioned modual I came to the conclusion that there must be something amazingly human about this concept of infidelity.


Myths, especially (but not exclusively) those of Greece, Rome and the Norse mythology, are full of infidelity. Most of the Greek myths have Zeus sleeping with mortal women and on the odd occasion other goddess's, while he is married to Hera (who is his sister by the way). It is the fact that these occurances of infedelity appear in the myths, and the frequency that they do, that made me curious. Myth were almost always created to explain the unexplainable aspects of life, to give a sense of safty and security. If your Gods are flitting around being unfaithful to their wives/husbands there has to be a reason why, the myths would not exist other-wise. This brings me to the conclusion that the composers of these tales needed to explain and justify this human concept of infidelity. This is not just a one of occurance either this need to explain the desire for humans to be unfaithful sexually has eliments in every countries mythology. It is such a crutial idea to us that we have been trying to rationalise it since we have had structured society.


From thinking about the mythological concepts and stories of infidelity I started to think about it as a religious concept. Being brought up a Catholic the idea of infidelity was always put across as a very negative one, by both my religion and society. I was discussing these thoughts with a friend who suggested that more modern societies and religions have tried to create negative conotations with the idea of infidelity in an attempt to exact control over people. If, as I have suggested, infidelity is as important to human nature as it appears then the ability to control peoples actions surrounding this gives the ability to control almost any aspect of poeple.


The thought that a topic as common as infidelity is so important to humans is one I find a little disconcerting. The fact that sexual desires and needs are essential to humans and human nature is one I don't think many people would dispute but within this I find it hard not to conclude that infidelity is almost as important even if it is not in quite the same way. It is an odd concept but you can not deny that it is one that always has and always will be important to religion, society and individual life. I am not interested in the slightest about judging the ins and outs of the moral side of infidelity I am just trying to explore why it is always such a major topic for humans.


It may not be much of a conclusion but all I can say is that there must be something intrinsic within human being to want a solution to the idea of infidelity and although I am not sure what this intrinsic need is, I can't deny that it is there.