I recently had the opportunity to view the pro shot of the musical Hadestown. It’s not something I would have gone out of my way to see, except that someone I love told me they thought I would enjoy it. They were correct.
I have been drawn to mythology from my preteen years. I was not encouraged to explore these ancient tales, so I didn’t follow the pull until my 30’s when the writings of Clarissa Pinkola Estes introduced me to the many layers of meaning in them. My love came rushing back, and has only grown as I’ve continued to pay attention to the stories, live my own life, and experience how the themes of mythology continue to be relevant to my inner experiences.
Learning that Hadestown is based on the myth of Eurydice and Orpheus, I introduced myself to explored that previously unfamiliar account in preparation for seeing the musical. I was delighted to discover a connection to the Hades and Persephone myth.
The underworld, as ruled by Hades, has dual meaning for me. It is both a symbol of the hidden, inner places in myself that I would prefer to not explore, and a symbol of being “abducted” by experiences I do not choose and constrained by circumstances I would prefer to avoid.
I am deeply grateful for wise mentors who have been with me through my midlife journey who have reminded me often that difficult experiences are just part of the rhythm of life. It is human to long for ease and comfort, and it is equally human to experience grief, loss and disappointment. The myth of Persephone has much to teach us about living these underworld experiences well, transforming abduction into initiation, growing from naiveté into wisdom.
Thus, I went into my viewing of Hadestown curious about what Eurydice and Orpheus would add to my understanding of the symbolic underworld. I was also intrigued by the premise of reframing this ancient myth in the context of jazz music.
To my surprise and delight, Hermes opens the musical as narrator. As a writer, that alone was enough to make me love all that was to come. Hermes is the messenger of Greek mythology, or to put it another way, the storyteller. He is also the guide of souls into the underworld. What’s not to love?
Hermes introduces us to Orpheus, a musician of rare gifting who can see what the world is meant to be, and “sings the world into balance” with his gift. This also resonated with me. I believe that art of any kind, whether it is music, visual art, written word, or the art of expressing care for another is an expression of what the world is meant to be. All of the little ways I which each one of us expresses the creativity that flows in us adds to the healing of our world.
Orpheus encounters Eurydice, who has had to struggle her entire life, and thus, at first, considers him a fanciful lightweight with no awareness of how life really works. Through their love, she begins to glimpse what might be possible beyond fighting for her own survival. As Orpheus follows Eurydice into the underworld, his obsession with the music that is possible is tempered by hardship and longing.
The theme that emerged for me as I listened and watched was that of trust. Hades has his own struggle with trust, which has led him to build the world that is Hadestown, whose inhabitants have sold their souls for the illusion of material security. When they are offered a vision beyond the grinding routine of their days, they have to choose to trust that it is possible.
The lovers have to learn to trust one another despite their very different perspectives. It is a struggle to trust that results in Eurydice’s descent, and it is a failure in trust that causes Orpheus to lose what he confronted Hades to regain.
As the musical got closer to what I knew would be the end, I wondered how the music would stay true to story. Myths simply do not have happy endings, yet, this musical continues to attract audiences. I was both delighted and awestruck by how Hermes wove heartbreak and hope together for an entirely satisfying musical conclusion that wasn’t entirely an ending.
I was reminded afresh that the stories of the underworld do not end in the underworld. Struggle is always followed by renewal. Heartbreak gives way to new beginnings. Birth and death, wounding and healing, loss and new discovery are the rhythm of the natural world and the pattern of human existence.
Most of all, I felt reconnected with the ancient themes of the universe in a way that helps me meet the challenges of day to day existence with courage and with hope. I heard music from the land of spirit, and felt my own inner world sung back into balance.
I am also inspired anew to continue nurturing and expressing my creativity in its myriad forms, which includes leaving you with this question: what is the song your soul wants to sing into the world?
