This article contains references to rape and suicide.
Spoilers for Netflix’s Kaos ahead!
Netflix Chaos Puts a spin on the Greek myths of Eurydice, Ariadne and Caineus, incorporating essential parts of the story while fitting it into a contemporary context. The dark comedy, created by Charlie Cowell, follows three mortals who are destined to bring down the gods by making Zeus’ cryptic prophecy come true. Chaos Feels like In the Woods, except for Greek mythology instead of classic fairytales. The show mash together beloved stories that fell into the same genre.
Rather than create entirely new mortals to go up against the God of Thunder, Cowell chose three mythological figures to fill the role – Eurydice (Reedy), Ariadne (Ari), and Caeneus. Since they have such a crucial role in the Netflix show, viewers may wonder how their stories stack up against the original myths. After all, of the three, Eurydice is the only widely known character. Chaos Keeps character traits and emotional truths from Greek mythology while giving the stories a modern spin.
Who is Eurydice in Greek mythology?
Eurydice is part of a tragic love story
One of the main characters in the US Chaos Is Reedy, the show’s version of Eurydice. The show offers a very different version of the story than what is in mythology. As with all Greek myths, the story of Orpheus and Eurydice has been told so many times that there are various interpretations. The basic story goes as follows. Eurydice was a nymph, or an auloniad or dryad, who was in love with the famous musician Orpheus. In some retellings, she is also the daughter of Apollo. She and Orpheus married – although some myths say that her death was before the wedding.
While her voice is already minimized before her death, her perspective becomes almost non-existent.
On her wedding day, a man named Aristaeus wants to take Eurydice for himself, so he chases her. When she escapes from him, she steps on either a snake or a snake’s nest, which is a deadly asp to bite her. This moment is referred to as an easter egg when Reedy dies in Kaos. While her voice is already minimized before her death, her perspective becomes almost non-existent. Orpheus travels to the underworld, charming everyone with his voice and lyre.
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Hades agrees to let Eurydice go with him on the condition that Orpheus goes in front, she goes behind, and he cannot turn to look at her until they are both back on earth. Unfortunately, at the last moment, He turns on her, causing her to go back to the underworld forever. The reason for his turning around varies from myth to myth, with some saying that he turned to celebrate reaching the light of Earth and others saying that she was tripping. in each case, Chaos Deviates from the ending by Reedy returning to Earth.
Who Caeneus is in Greek mythology
Caeneus is a trans hero in Greek myths
Another man destined to make Zeus’ prophecy come true is Caeneus, a young man working with a Cerberus dog to sniff out coinless humans after his stolen gold coin traps him in the Chaos‘ Underworld. Caeneus is an underrated hero in Greek mythology who only appears in a small number of retellings by authors Ovid, Apollodorus, Hyginus, Plutarch and Acusilaus. There is still a decent amount of variation between the versions, though. Now, he is widely regarded as one of the oldest written stories about a transgender character. Caeneus may become a hero and possibly a king, but his beginnings are disturbing.
Caeneus is the child, assigned female at birth, of Hippea and Elatus. He is widely regarded for his beauty, catching the attention of suitors, including Poseidon. The god of the seas decides to rape Caenius, giving him a wish to please him. He wants to become a man, he should never be harmed like that. Poseidon grants the wish, giving him impenetrable skin in the process.
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After his transition, he leans into his masculinity and aggression. He becomes a Greek hero, hunting the Caledonian boar and fighting in the Centaromachi. In some myths, he becomes king of the Lapiths, although this is not across the board. In the end, he dies in the centauromati when the centaurs bury him alive after they find that their spears are ineffective against him. In some versions, he turns into a bird and flies away, though. Chaos Perfectly fixed the horrifying myth of Caeneus by modernizing his story and removing the rape origin.
Who is Ariadne in Greek mythology?
Ariadne is tied to the myth of the Minotaur
in both Chaos And the myth, Ariadne is the daughter of Pasiphae and King Minos. In the mythological versions of the story, she plays a crucial role in Theseus defeating the Minotaur. Although he is married to her sister, Ariadne and Theseus fall in love when he arrives in Crete. She gives him a weapon and a red thread, which helps him find the way out of the labyrinth. Because she supported Theseus, she fled with him to the island of Naxos.
Given that Dionysus and Ari are both major characters in ChaosIt is possible that the two eventually begin a relationship as in the myths.
What happens next in the myth differs widely depending on which version of the myth a person reads. Theseus leaves Ariadne on the island of Naxos, a consistent part of the storyBut his reasoning varies. Some versions say that he left of his own free will out of hubris and selfishness, while others say he was forced to leave. In response, Ariadne either writes a letter raging on him, dies by suicide, gets sick while sailing back to Athens, dies while giving birth to Theseus’ twins, gets killed by Artemis, or marries Dionysus.
In the version where she and Dionysus marry, they have between one and six children; The number varies between sources. He later makes her immortal either by bringing her back from the underworld or by turning her crown into the Corona Borealis constellation. Given that Dionysus and Ari are both major characters in ChaosIt is possible that the two eventually begin a relationship as in the myths.
Reedy, Caineus, and Ari’s Roles in Kaos Explained: How It Changes Character Mythology
The three main human characters in Kaos get a more active role in their stories
Chaos‘ Interpretation of Greek mythology captures the spirit of the characters while changing parts of the myths to support the narrative. The show also modernizes elements that are outdated. Rather than making Reedy a passive character in her own story, Chaos Gives you a voice, a personality and many opinions. She is not happy in her relationship with Orpheus, and she does not want to return to life. When it comes to Caeneus, very little of the original character is maintained because the original story is deeply problematic, implying that he is only trans because he was raped.
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Ariadne’s story in Chaos Keeps many of the familial relationships of the mythology while deviating narrative. She is the daughter of Minos and Pasiphae. The minotaur is her brother in both versions, although it is her human twin Chaos and a half-man/half-bull in the original myth. The show even implies that she has feelings for Theseus. However, the events of the Minotaur’s defeat are completely different, with her father killing her brother and her killing Minos in response. By changing the stories, Chaos Creates a fresh take on beloved Greek myths that is relatable and fun to watch.