Mountains in Poetry and Legends

Mountains: Nature’s majestic landmarks evoke both a sense of foreboding and beauty. They are the stuff of myths and legends.

People have looked at the world’s highest peaks with awe and wonder even during the age of antiquity. Even before that time, people have worshiped mountains as sacred or religious places. Mount Olympus, the highest peak of Greece, was once home to its Pantheon, the Olympians. That is where the top athletes and Olympics competitors get their names. It shows how much people in ancient times revered these natural and imposing landforms.  

In a more poetic sense, mountains have always been considered highly. Their natural yet imposing beauty just says a lot. In a more traditional sense, they represent an opposition, something that must be surmounted even if it seems impossible. Reaching the top of the summit means overcoming the impossible. It is only proper, for the price of reaching the top of the world’s highest peaks are views of vistas only few can see. Pictures and photographs can only capture a fragment of the breathtaking sight presented to you on top of one. Reaching the top of a mountain means being on top of the world.

Just as mountains are a metaphor in and of themselves, so does the act of climbing one. The struggle of mountaineering is not unlike the battle of life. It is hard. The climber will have to patiently strive as he faces the trials set before him. To continue means to succeed. To surrender means to fail. Such is mountaineering. Such is life. Nothing illustrates this more than author Alan Goldman’s book “Reflections on Mountaineering,” a book of poetry on his time mountaineering.

The Myth of Sisyphus

Another characteristic of life that is well known is its absurdity, and nobody else showed this well than Albert Camus. In his seminal work, The Myth of Sisyphus, he introduces his philosophy of the absurd. Through this myth, he compares life to the struggle of Sisyphus, a Greek mythological figure who Zeus punished by pushing a boulder on top of a mountain, only for it to roll downwards, and the efforts of Sisyphus being “wasted .” Yet, he continues to push the boulder, only for it to roll down again. Such is the absurdity of the struggle of Sisyphus. Such is the absurdity of life. The great philosopher ends his essay by imagining Sisyphus happy, for the battle alone fills his time and, in doing so, his life. He has found his purpose. All is well.

Mountains as Stuff of Legends

Not only are mountains revered in poetry. They, too, are the stuff of legends. Of course, we have already mentioned Mount Olympus as the home of the Greek gods and goddesses. However, another legendary Greek mountain is Mount Othrys which is said to be the Titans’ home during their ten-year war with the Gods. And the Greeks are not the only ones who have their legendary mountain. Other countries, too, have their fair share of legendary mountains.

• Mont Blanc, Switzerland – This mountain is the highest peak in the Alps and western Europe. Old tales say that the statue and temple of Jupiter, the Roman god of the Sky, were once found there. Meanwhile, in Christian legends, it is said that this was where St. Bernard battled the devil. It is the very Saint Bernard where the nearby Great Bernard Pass and the Saint Bernard dog breed got its name. Currently, its name means “White Mountain.”
• Mount Vesuvius, Italy – Vesuvius is legendary for it was this landform that destroyed the Roman cities of Herculaneum and, more famously, Pompeii. Its name alone brings a sense of power and strength. It is fitting for a mountain infamous for the destruction of whole cities.
• Croagh Patrick, Ireland – If you are wondering why there are no snakes in Ireland, well, the answer is found here, for it is in this mountain that St. Patrick of Ireland banished the slithering reptiles as well as demons from the country forever. At present, it is considered Ireland’s holiest mountain. 
• Mount Everest, Nepal – To the rest of the world, it is the highest peak. This fact alone makes it a legend. However, to native Nepalese, it is Sagarmatha, “the Holy Mother.” It is Chomolungma or “Goddess Mother of the World” to Tibetans. These names only fit for the peak that sits at the world’s top.