Some thoughts on Helga’s pistol in Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
Helga’s sidearm of choice is the Mauser C96, also known as the Broomhandle/Broomhandle Mauser. It was developed in 1893-1895 and began manufacturing in 1896. However, it was only made available in American markets in 1901. This was made possible by a German-American firm in New York named Von Lengerke & Detmold, with the first ads for the pistol showing up in January 1902. Helga was still traveling internationally between 1889-1901, and only started her instruction in tactics and firearms training under Lyle Rourke upon her relocation to Fort Dix sometime between 1901 and 1903. We can assume that she either would’ve been able to purchase a model or else received one during this timeframe in the early 1900s. This is the period when she became a permanent business partner to Rourke & later found herself under the employ of Preston B. Whitmore in December 1911.
The Mauser C96 is a fitting selection for Helga due to its connection to her childhood upbringing in Germany between 1877-1892. The weapon showcases how her youth and her later years spent becoming a competent fighter fuse together to form a shared intrinsic part of her identity. There is also the cinematic tendency of giving villains German firearms, but from a purely character-driven perspective & given its period-appropriate nature, it solidly complements who Helga is.
As an aside, The Mauser C96 did not historically have a detachable magazine until the later part of World War I, in contrast to how this feature is depicted as having already existed in 1914 in the film. This can be hand waved as part of the “alternate reality” setting of the story but it’s worth noting all the same.
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It was foretold: The Golden Fleece, The Minotaur and Other Legends
Warning: May Contain Spoilers
The Legend of Atlantis
"You're in Atlantis."
"Atlantis? As in 'The Lost City of Atlantis'? As in the mythological city under the ocean -"
"Why do you call it lost? And how could a city exist under the ocean? Surely everyone would drown."
Plato told the story of Atlantis around 360 B.C. The founders of Atlantis, he said, were half god and half human. They created a utopian civilization and became a great naval power.
In the fifth century BC the Greek philosopher Plato describes the disappearance of the island of Atlantis, basing his tale on the account of Solon in the sixth century BC. Solon in turn had received his information from Egyptian priests. Plato’s account, written some time around 360 BC, is in part as follows:
" Now in this island of Atlantis there was a great and wonderful empire which had rule over the whole island and several others, and over parts of the continent . . . But, there occurred violent earthquakes and floods, and in a single day and night of misfortune. . . the island of Atlantis . . . disappeared in the depths of the sea."
Many scholars have speculated that Plato’s account of the destruction and disappearance of the island of Atlantis is a legend that is derived from the great eruption of Santorini in the Bronze Age. Most or all legends are based on some grain of truth, some natural or historical event, that has been re-told, modified and magnified with time. It is therefore well worth while to examine the legend further and look for parallels between the Atlantis account and what we know of Thera, or Santorini, as the island was known in ancient times.
In the Timaeus and in Critias Plato describes Atlantis as being a circular island, with an interior ring of sea. Passages or canals extended from the inner ring to the open ocean. K.T. Frost was perhaps the first to suggest that the Atlantis legend might be related to the Thera eruption, but he suggested near-by Crete as the location of ancient Atlantis, and the Minoan culture as the basis for the culture of the mythical Atlanteans. Others have gone further and suggested that the island of Thera itself represents Atlantis. In support of this one may point out the ring-like and concentric structures of Thera, the passages to the open ocean, the total destruction of the island and its inhabitants, with a typical Minoan civilization.
"I'm sorry, I'm forgetting my manners. I'm Pythagoras."
Pythagoras (569-500 B.C.E.) was born on the island of Samos in Greece, and did much traveling through Egypt, learning, among other things, mathematics. Not much more is known of his early years. Pythagoras gained his famous status by founding a group, the Brotherhood of Pythagoreans, which was devoted to the study of mathematics. The group was almost cult-like in that it had symbols, rituals and prayers. In addition, Pythagoras believed that "Number rules the universe,"and the Pythagoreans gave numerical values to many objects and ideas. These numerical values, in turn, were endowed with mystical and spiritual qualities.
"I see my reputation has preceded me. Tell me, what have you heard? Do people tell stories? What do they say?"
Heracles is best known as the strongest of all mortals. Stronger then many gods. So strong he was the deciding factor in allowing the Olympian Gods to win their battle with the giants. He was the last mortal son of Zeus. He is the only man born of mortal woman to become a god upon his death.
Offsetting his strength was a noticeable lack of intelligence or wisdom. Once when he became too hot he pulled his bow out and threaten to shoot the sun. This coupled with strong emotions in one so powerful frequently got Heracles in trouble. While his friend and cousin Theseus ruled Athens, Heracles had trouble ruling himself. His pride was easily offended. He took up grudges easily and never forgot them. His appetites for food, wine, and women were as massive as his strength. Many of Heracles great deeds occurred while doing penance for stupid acts done in anger or carelessness.
Hercules was the Roman name for the greatest hero of Greek mythology -- Heracles. Like most authentic heroes, Heracles had a god as one of his parents, being the son of the supreme deity Zeus and a mortal woman. Zeus's queen Hera was jealous of Heracles, and when he was still an infant she sent two snakes to kill him in his crib. Heracles was found prattling delighted baby talk, a strangled serpent in each hand.
"I won't be sent to my death. I'm not ready to die. Come with me! We can make Pathmos by sunrise."
According to ancient mythology, the island of Patmos was first named Litois, in honour of the Goddess Artemis who was also called Litoida because she was the daughter of Lito. Legend says that the island sunk into the sea and that Artemis, with the help of Apollo, managed to persuade Zeus to bring the island back to the surface. As a proof of devotion, the inhabitants of the island named it Litois. Patmos is also linked to another legend, the one of Orestes. It is said that he fled to the island after murdering his mother Clytemnestra, and was hunted by the Erynies.
Mythology tells that the island of Patmos existed as an island at the bottom of the sea. Artemis frequently visited a shrine on Mount Latmos, which was located on the mainland across the shore from Patmos. There, she met with moon goddess Selene, who cast her light on the ocean, revealing the sunken island of Patmos. Selene tried to bring the sunken island to the surface with the help of Artemis. Artemis persuaded her brother, Apollo, to convince their father, Zeus, to allow the island to arise from the sea. Zeus agreed and the island emerged from the water. The Sun dried up the land and brought the life to it. Gradually, inhabitants from the surrounding areas, including Mount Latmos, settled on the island and named it Letois in honor of Artemis.
"The people have done nothing to deserve this! It is you that the gods wish to punish."
The legendary king of Crete, son of Zeus and the Phoenician princess Europa. Minos and his two brothers, Rhadamanthys and Sarpedon, were raised in the royal palace of Cnossus. Minos married Pasiphae, daughter of the sun-god Helios. Some of their children were Phaedra, Ariadne, and Andregeos.
In mythology, a dispute over the sovereignty of Crete led Minos to ask Poseidon for help. He asked the god to send an offering as a sign of his true kingship. The god of the sea sent a gleaming pure white bull, which emerged miraculously from the waves. This confirmed to all concerned that Minos was their true king. However, as soon as King Minos saw this magnificent beast he refused to sacrifice it to Poseidon, and replaced it with another. Poseidon in retaliation sent Pasiphae into uncontrollable lust for this huge beast. So much so that she had the urge to mate with this huge animal. To do this she requested the help of Daedalus, a craftsman and inventor, who built a hollow wooden cow. Pasiphae hid inside, the amorous bull mounted the wooden cow and as a result Pasiphae conceived its child, or rather a creature which was half man and half bull, which became known as the Minotaur (Minotauros, "the bull of Minos").
King Minos ordered Daedalus to construct a palace to hide the Minotaur, and Daedalus built Labyrinth. Because of his meddling Minos imprisoned Daedalus and his son Icarus inside a tower. They escaped by making wings from wax and feathers, but Icarus was killed when he flew to close to the sun.
When Androgeos, the son of King Minos, attended the games in Athens he was victorious in all events, but was murdered through envy by other contestants. Minos then attacked Athens to avenge the death of Androgeos, and, after gaining control of the city he granted Athens peace, but with one condition: that every nine years Athens should send seven of their finest young men and young maidens to Crete, as sacrifice to the Minotaur. When the hero Theseus heard about this practice, he volunteered to be one of the victims, killing the Minotaur, and freeing Athens from this grizzly duty.
There is some confusion about Theseus' parentage, some say he is the son of Aegeus and Aethra, and others the son of Poseidon and Aethra...
...Minos demands that seven maidens and seven youths are to be sacrificed to the Minotaur every nine years. Theseus is among the chosen victims and sails off to Crete, promising to Aegeus that his ship's black flag would be replaced with a white flag if Theseus is victorious. In Crete, Minos molests one of the maidens and Theseus becomes angry and challenges him, boasting of his parentage by Poseidon. Minos, son of Zeus is amused and asks Theseus to prove his heritage by retrieving a ring from the depths of the ocean. Theseus being a son of Poseidon succeeds.
Ariadne, a young woman in Crete already betrothed to Dionysus, falls in love with Theseus and helps him defeat the Minotaur. Ariadne then leaves Crete with Theseus, who abandons her on Dia (at Athena's behest, according to Pherekydes).
In returning to Athens Theseus forgets to switch the black sail with the white one. Aegeus, consequently, watching from afar believes his son is dead and hurls himself into the sea, named the 'Aegean' after him. After Aegeus' death, Theseus must contend against Pallas for the throne. Theseus gets wind of a planned assassination against him and spoils the ambush, killing Pallas and gaining the throne.
When the Greek hero Theseus reached Athens, he learned of the Minotaur and the sacrifices, and wanted to end this. He volunteered to go to Crete as one of the victims. Upon his arrival in Crete, he met Ariadne, Minos's daughter, who fell in love with him. She promised she would provide the means to escape from the maze if he agreed to marry her. When Theseus did, she gave him a simple ball of thread, which he was to fasten close to the entrance of the maze. He made his way through the maze, while unwinding the thread, and he stumbled upon the sleeping Minotaur. He beat it to death and led the others back to the entrance by following the thread.
Helen (Greek: Helene) was, in Greek legend, the most beautiful woman of Greece and the indirect cause of the Trojan War. She was daughter of Zeus, either by Leda or by Nemesis, and sister of the Dioscuri. As a young girl she was carried off by Theseus, but she was rescued by her brothers. She was also the sister of Clytemnestra, who married Agamemnon. Her suitors came from all parts of Greece, and from among them she chose Menelaus, Agamemnon’s younger brother. During an absence of Menelaus, however, Helen fled to Troy with Paris, son of the Trojan king Priam; when Paris was slain, she married his brother Deiphobus, whom she betrayed to Menelaus when Troy was subsequently captured. Menelaus and she then returned to Sparta, where they lived happily until their deaths.
"Say what you like! Whoever heard of a hero called Jason? A ridiculous name."
Jason was the son of Polymeda, who was an aunt of Odysseus and Aeson, an expelled king of Thessaly, who was unjustly overthrown from his throne by his half brother Pelion.
Upon his birth, his parents pretended that Jason had died at birth and secretly gave the child to the wise Centaur Chiron to be protected from the enemies. Jason grew up safely in the Mountains of Pelion, practicing perfectly his body and mind under the guidance of the gentle Centaur.
By the age of twenty, Jason, with the help of goddess Hera, decided to return to his father's kingdom in Iolcus to re-claim his family's throne.
Jason was the son of King Aeson, whose throne was usurped by his brother. To save Jason, he sent him for fostering to another King. He was to return when he was old enough to be able to retrieve a special sword and sandals from under a heavy rock. When he did return to claim his inheritance from his uncle,, the uncle agreed to hand over the kingdom, but only if he could successfully retrieve a Golden Fleece that was guarded by a fire-breathing dragon in Colchis (modern Georgia, at the eastern end of the Black Sea). Jason accepted the challenge. He built a large boat called the Argo, and collected a crew of about 50, among whom Theseus is sometimes mentioned, as are some of the Greek heroes of the Trojan War including Nestor. After many adventures, the Argonauts arrived at Colchis.
One of the en route adventures is particularly interesting, as we shall discuss later. In the Dardanelles, there were two floating islands called the Blue Rocks, which clashed together when a ship tried to pass between them. Jason was advised to send a dove between them. When they clashed together, catching the dove's tail feathers, Jason steered the Argo through on the rebound, just making it between the two islands before they crashed together again.
When they reached Colchis, Jason asked the King for the Golden Fleece. The King did not refuse, but imposed some conditions. Jason had to yoke a pair of fire-breathing bulls with brass feet, and use them to plough a field which he would then sow with dragon's teeth. Everyone knew that these teeth would immediately grow into warriors that would turn on whoever seeded them. So there was a dual challenge, a triple one if one includes the guardian dragon.
Jason had attracted the attention of Medea, the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis. She helped him by magic, having made him promise to marry her and take her to Greece. With the help of her magic, he was able to tame the bulls and plough the field. When the dragon's teeth grew into hostile warriors, he threw a magic stone among them, so that they turned against each other and fought until they were all dead. Then Medea fed the dragon a sleeping potion so that Jason could retrieve the fleece.
When the Argonauts fled from Colchis, Medea took along her young brother, but murdered him to slow the pursuit by throwing his body parts into the sea for her father to find. This evil deed caused the gods to send the Argonauts on a geographically confusing trip around Italy and various other places. One of the adventures happened off Crete, where they were prevented from landing by Talos, a robot created by Hephaestus--the god of fire and the forge. Talos went around the island and threw enormous rocks at approaching ships, but Medea was able magically to kill him, allowing the Argonauts to disembark for the night. But after setting sail the next day, they were enveloped by a thick cloud. Apollo heard Jason's prayer and sent a flash of lightning, which revealed a small island on which they could beach the ship, after which the Argonauts were allowed to sail home to Iolkos. They called the island Anafi (meaning Revelation).
