![]() ![]() (However, I hope these critics can also understand why the term “Hindu mythology” might spark the same reaction from about a billion Hindus.) To sum up: when I use the word “mythology,” I’m just referring to all the elements surrounding Christianity without any kind of judgement as to their validity. In this context, it’s understandable that contemporary Christians might take offense at the term being applied to an explanation of the universe they hold as true. ![]() Books about Greek or Egyptian or Norse mythology are usually a collection of these explanative stories, albeit ones no one actively believes anymore. In reality, the word really just refers to the elements surrounding a culture or religion or its stories that explain why the world is the way it is and how it works. I should make a quick note about what I mean by “Christian mythology.” The term “mythology” has come to be synonymous with “fictional” or “fake,” and I have definitely had people get upset at me for referring to anything Christian as mythological. ![]() It’s almost novel because of how underused this rich mythology is, so I appreciate it when I see it done in an interesting way. With Ghost Rider, I feel like Marvel doesn’t go too far in marrying the religious with the superhero genre, making the final product different enough to interest moviegoers like me and also non-offensive enough to everyone except the ultra-religious crowd who are offended by everything anyway. Aside from these, most examples tend to be more in the form of the Left Behind series: detrimentally referential to the source material, preachy, and created for a very specific audience at the expense of the mainstream. The video game series Darksiders allows players to control the Four Horsemen at the End of Days, and actually introduces original content into the Revelation narrative to create a unique universe based on established Christian apocalyptic lore. In fact, I can think of only a few pieces of media who use elements that aren’t expressly religious in nature: another superhero movie Constantine incorporates specifically Catholic elements, while the recent Noah movie brings more obscure elements of the Old Testament (such as the Nephilim) into the much more familiar story of Noah’s ark. But because of its close proximity to Christianity, mainstream moviemakers have understandably tended not to incorporate them into many movies. The mythological elements surrounding Christian belief are just as rich and full of meaning as any other cultures’. We’ll get into more detail below, but in general I appreciate seeing elements not usually included in such a mainstream movie. The human in question in these movies is Johnny Blaze, a motorcycle stuntman who makes a Faustian deal with the Devil (or more accurately, Mephistopheles) and ends up burned as a result. The Ghost Rider itself is the spirit of a fallen and corrupted angel that possesses humans who have been “cursed” with its power by the Devil. Angels and demons are fighting an unseen war behind the scenes of the material world we see around us. The world of these movies is permeated by elements of Christian mythology. If there’s more to his character that I’m missing, feel free to correct me in the comments section.īut this characterization of the Ghost Rider actually leads into one of the things I like most about this series – the mythology surrounding it. He also fights supernatural beings occasionally with a flaming chain and any other demonic weapons the plot requires. He’s basically a biker tattoo come to life – a flaming skull-headed, leather jacket-wearing, motorcycle-riding badass who roams the Earth collecting souls for the Devil. ![]() So this is to say that everything I know about Ghost Rider comes from these movies, especially the first one, which I saw in theaters. ![]()
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