So it’s Monday. Ugh! If you’re like me, you’re probably not overly enamored of the first day of the work week. I love my weekends but Mondays can be rough. In an effort to make this much-maligned day more appealing, I’m introducing “Mythical Mondays,” wherein I hope to briefly examine a specific myth or something related to myth each week.
Oh, the possibilities! You’re talking to a girl who loves folklore in many forms. Some of my favorite tales are spun from Nordic and Celtic legends, sea creatures, winged beasts, and hollow hills. But my favorite? The werewolf.
My upcoming novel, WEATHERING ROCK, features a lead character who is cursed with lycanthropy. Since Caleb DeCardian is a werewolf, I thought that would be a great launching point for my first Mythical Monday blog post.
Drum roll, please…
The werewolf legend has been kicking around for centuries so I won’t rehash it, but I will share how I became interested. Two words: Dark Shadows. Yes, I know it was a cheesy show, but it had a brooding vampire, ghosts, a vengeful witch, and, most importantly, one hunky werewolf. There wasn’t anything remotely like it on television at the time and it had great spooky theme music. Okay… maybe not so great, but memorable. Who could forget the gloomy shots of Collinwood Manor jutting from a ragged New England coastline with waves pounding against black spines of rock?
I had two older sisters in their teens who watched the show and, somehow, I ended up watching too. That’s when I saw him–Quentin Collins. Conflicted, uber-sexy werewolf. My six-year-old heart went pitter-patter and I was hooked.
Since then, I’ve seen countless ‘were’ movies and shows (*yawn*) many striving for shock value (yuck) but it’s a corny gothic soap-opera with a cult following I think of when I imagine full moons, bright silver, and werewolves. Fondly, I might add.
Why is it that so many productions today feel the need to dump gore and blood all over the place in an effort to be frightening? I’d much rather have an atmospheric setting, tense music and crack timing to invoke a chill.
So, for my first Mythical Monday, I give a hat tip to Dark Shadows and David Selby who brought Quentin Collins to life. He made me realize a man cursed to a tortured existence can make one heck of a smoldering, romantic hero.
Werewolves aside, do you have a favorite myth?
maybe you can help me with my myth issues. I don’t mind Monday it’s just another day. How come Caleb is French? Gore and blood – producers think people need the blood and gore for sensationalism. I’ve seen them ruin so many shows from True Blood to Downton Abbey (not blood and guts but sick characters) The original upstairs downstairs was excellent.Naturally I agree with you. Not sure if this answers your question but one of my pet peeves is politically correct and cleaned up fairy tales.
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Why is Caleb French? Er . . . without giving anything away his background/ancestory and the DeCardian name plays a large part in the story. You’re so lucky Monday is just another day, Sue!!
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LOL ok will wait on the name. Yes well I worked 21 1/2 years in my last job so I know about Mondays 😀
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I loved Dark Shadows and am also hooked. My own hero is a werewolf- dark and hulky. Sigh
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Hi, Baraba. I didn’t realize you wrote werewolves too. I was just on your blog and think I’m going to be falling in love with Rhodes End!
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Great insight on your love werewolves. Personally, I really haven’t studied much myth, no real favs. As blood and gore…it’s shock value as stated above. Not suspense. Good writers, good movies, can get an audience on the edge of their seats with skilled suspense.
Fun post, Mae… happy Monday.
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Happy Monday, Stanalei! Thanks so much for stopping by. I completely agree with you about the shock value. I love a good, creepy sc but get tired of being ‘grossed out!’ Glad you enjoyed my post 🙂
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Humm – myth – I haven’t studied it – but I love the idea of the old west American Cowboy – no, not the hot and sweaty kind that’s been on the cow trail for weeks at a time. How about the one that populates the west with cattle and true grit. Clint Eastwood and John Wayne made it look pretty easy sometimes. Have I gone back far enough for them to even be in the myth category?
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I know there has to be a lot of myths associate with the old west . . . ghost towns, Native American beliefs. Can’t pull anything off the top of my head but, I bet if I thought about it for a while, I’d come up with something.
Clint Eastwood did the very cool High Plains Drifter which was different and eerie. And John Wayne – – I’m a huge fan. One of my all time favorite movies is The Horse Soldiers. I’ve lost count of how many times my husband and I have watched that!
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O such memories! My cousins and I would rush home from school to watch Dark Shadows. Quentin/David was pretty hot and tortured. I love myth and legends. I have a soft spot for greek/roman myths, africian/egyptian myths, also norse and celtic myths. I also like vampires.
Great post, Mae.
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Oooh, another DS and Quentin fan! 🙂 There have definitely been some sexy vampires out there too.Thanks so much for commenting, Alicia! 🙂
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I do love a great werewolf! I’m trying to remember if I watched Dark Shadows or not. It sounds so familiar! I’m going to have to look it up now! I love anything Greek Mythology related. I’m drawn to the movies depicting them, Clash Of The Titans, The Immortals. Great movies, but can never quite grasp the power of the stories behind them in my opinion.
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Well, Dark Shadows was an old show and I think it might have been before your time, given I’m sure I’m older than you 🙂 It was cheesy, but it was the “it” show of its day. My mother even loved it! I just watched Wrath of the Titans recently, which wasn’t too bad but haven’t seen The Immortals. I’ll have to check that out!
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I’ve always wanted to be a werewolf, do all bad and evil stuff, wake up the next morning and not know that I’ve done it. Loads of fun without the guilt lol
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LOL! What a great way to look at it, Sally. The way you describe it who wouldn’t want to be a werewolf! 🙂
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Ooh! The first Mythical Monday! How cool to go back and revisit where my favorite thing you do got started! 🙂
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