Prometheus and how it's related to the myth of prometheus

ParkerN, I went looking through a ton of religious stuff trying to find some links to the Prometheus film story, and found a ton of religious links. Not one religion mind you but many. I think Mr Scott and Co are trying to tell a Bible story from a very different perspective. It's great

@tomw. I would agree, there trying to connect it to all religions, answering all questions about religion and putting them all to rest. From what I've heared Ridley doesn't like the outcome and what spring from religion..

It seems to be based in part on ancient Sumarian legend. Here is the thread: [url=http://www.prometheus-movie.com/community/forums/topic/7436]PROMETHEUS Explained! (Sumerian)[/url]

ParkerN: I do find this analogy fascinating. "So for punishment the elder engineers (gods) made that engineer (Prometheus) sacrifice himself to make more humans, that would be beneficial to the elder engineers (gods) for some reason we are not yet sure of...." In Aeschylus' version of the Prometheus story , Prometheus is punished because he basically saved Mankind from annihilation while Zeus wanted to allow mankind to starve and die, and in some translations Zeus even wanted to replace mankind with a 'different race'. How did Prometheus save mankind? In Aeschylu's version, he didn't just give them fire, he gave them art, math, astronomy, divination, medicine, agriculture, etc etc, to save them from their own ignorance. For example, see this site's translation done in the early 1900s: http://www.theoi.com/Text/AeschylusPrometheus.html Aeschylus. Translated by Smyth, Herbert Weir. Loeb Classical Library Volumes 145 & 146. Cambridge, MA. Harvard Universrity Press. 1926. from Aaron Atsma's theoi.com site This sort of fits your idea, where we have some sort of Engineers acting as Prometheus - giving technology to mankind. But the difference here, with Aeschylu's version, is that we would then need some sort of "Zeus/Mercury" camp of 'enemy' engineers, who wanted to punish/torture the "Prometheus" engineers for disobeying and/or fouling up Zeus' plan. Im not sure if this fits the film, but it is interesting to think about. And of course, there were dozens of versions of the Prometheus Myth after Aeschylus, and a few before (Hesiod). Good times.

Essentially the elder engineers are the gods.

I don't think the engineers are God, I believe they work for the God. I think the engineers are "Angels". One of the "Angels" sacrificed himself to God in the creation of Man. He was giving his life as a gift to God. The best gift he could give the creator. There are also good and bad Angels. I agree this story may be about ALL religions and the creation story like some of you think. The movie then makes perfect sense when you plug this line of thinking into the story. Someone is screwing around with Gods creation (us), and there will be hell to pay when God finds out who. This is going to be good. I just wonder about 2 things. The Alien mural in the pyramid seems to have a face just above the head of the alien figure. It's hard to see but it's there I think. I also wonder about the human looking Alien in Alien 4. It acted like a human baby. Could something like that be the second coming and our eventual end...the end of man and the earth.

Wow, I enjoyed reading all your posts. Interesting, so here is mine. 1. I agree it is tied directly to religious and creationist ideas and beliefs. However, I think it has an underlying conflict in both directions. a. In the film, the biologist accuses the two astro-acrchaeologists(sp) of throwing out Darwinism. I don't think that is the case at all, I think that is how life developed from the Martyr engineer, through evolution. DNA is DNA unless it is RNA. Every living thing on this planet has the same molecule, just more or less of it and arranged differently. The Engineers are EVOLUTION. b. At the end of the film, I am left with the longing to know what they say to the Dr. and David. If you create something that ends up disappointing you, what would you say? Well, we didn't intend on another humanoid race sorry. 2. This leads me here: The elephant standing in the room: How long ago did the Engineers try to destroy us? approx. 2000. What happened 2000 years ago? Oh yeah, a very loving warm hearted man, who wanted to help his people, was martyred. What has happened ever since? Oh yeah, we have been killing each other over him, the martyr who came after him, and the people who bore him. Hmmmmmmm..... a. What I take from Ridley Scott's film, is the engineer's wanted to wipe us out because they were ignored by their creation and religion prevailed over logic and mathematics. b. Or, look people don't you think it is possible that we need to look at ourselves to see faith is fine, bc something must have stepped in to make it possible for the engineers to be stopped 2000 years before, but then why would g-d then allow us to stumble upon the very thing created to kill us and somehow get it back to earth. Hence the reason it shouldn't be a prequel. My ponderings.....