»The Matrix as The Underworld«

One of the things about "The Matrix" series of films is that they appeal to us on multiple levels. One of those levels is the mythological. However, it's not just one mythology source that's been used, but many. The most obvious are Buddhist and Christian mythologies, but there are others.

Apart from anything else, I'm also a neo-pagan, with an accent on Greco-Roman mythology. This has led me to see certain comparisons with elements of The Matrix and the concept of the Greek Underworld. First, here's a description of Hades and the Greek version of 'Hell':

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After the war with the Titans, Zeus divided the world between himself and his brothers Poseidon and Hades. Zeus ruled the sky and the living; Poseidon ruled the Seas and all who travelled on it; and Hades ruled the underworld which was the land of the dead. Hades has a cap made for him by the Cyclopes which renders him invisible. He also has a staff that he uses to guide the souls of the dead into the underworld (though later this task was often assigned to Hermes). Hades abducted Persephone (daughter of Demeter) to be his wife. Though later Demeter was able to secure her return to the world above, through trickery Hades was able to have her stay in his realm for part of the year. The Underworld Normally only those who are dead enter the underworld. All the Gods of Olympus (except for Hermes and Iris who acted as messengers) would not do so. Orpheus, Heracles and Aeneas are the only mortals to venture to that realm and return to the land of the living. Hades seldom left his realm, and then used his cap of invisibility to do so unobserved. Hecate also inhabits the underworld, and this was as a reward for her assistance in recovering Persephone. The underworld lies deep beneath the earth. There are few entrances from above, and passage to the underworld is normally one way only. There was an oracle to the dead at Thesproti in Thrace. Odysseus when at the ends of the earth consulted the dead seer Tiresias. But while sometimes the living desire to contact the dead, the dead have no point in contacting the living. Hermes would as psychopomp conduct souls to the underworld, and the Ferryman Charon would also ferry them across Oceanus to the gates of bronze. Once through the gates there was no return to the land of the living. Oceanus is the world sea, and surrounds both the land of the living and the land of the dead. The rivers of Acheron, Cocytus, Phlegethon and Styx all run into Oceanus. The dead appear as mere shadows and if touched appear to be thin air. They only regain the power of thought and recognition after drinking sacrificial blood. Those that died and were unburied had to wait for 100 years near the gates until Charon would pass them any further. There is no pain in the underworld, but neither is there any joy. Silence reins there as the dead only whisper. Hades and Persephone live in a palace, and with them the Erinnyes, Moirae, Thanatos and Hypnos. There also the lands of Tartarus (punishment) and Elysium (rewards) to which the dead may pass. They may also drink of the waters of Lethe which brings forgetfulness. The underworld existed so that the dead would have an afterlife. The quality of this afterlife varied. In general it seemed gloomy and depressing in the main areas, however as there was no joy or pain (both springing from life) the dead didn't seem to mind. Later a set of judges was added, who dispatched the dead to specialised areas (and which heavily influenced Christian conceptions of Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory). If you were good, you went to Elysium, an island in Oceanus and the home of the Blessed (ruled over by Cronus). If you were bad you got sent to Tartarus, a deep cavern in the underworld where the Titans were imprisoned and the wicked sent (Gods who broke their oaths were sent there for nine years) for a time. If you lead an indifferent life you'd hang about in the Asphodel fields (a boring place at best) or in the Palace of Hades (where if in demand you might talk to the living). Eventually after a certain time, regardless of where they ended up, souls would drink from the Lethe, forget their previous existance and reborn to the land of the living. This was a form of reincarnation, with the dead returning to life because death was so boring.

Now it's my contention that the Merovingian is the equivalent of Hades -- he presides as rules over the "program dead", with his wife Persephone! Indeed, when Trinity & co catch up with him in "Revolutions" he's presiding over the Hell Club. The Trainman then becomes the equivalent of Charon, ferrying exiled programs from the "real world" into the "underworld". The Merovingian acts like a crime (underworld) boss -- he holds power not through prowess but by what he knows and what he can manipulate. "Mobil Ave" then, acts not only as a crossing point, but also as a form of "Tartarus".

Morpheous and Trinity then become Hermes and Iris figures. Both were "psychopomps" who could come and go from the underworld with relative impunity. Anyone else who tried might succeed in their queest, but it always cost them.

There's also another implication. This is a description of the greek goddess Hecate:

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Hecate is the daughter of Perses (son of Crius and Eurybia) and Asteria, a cousin to Artemis and a Titan. During the war with the Titans she was an ally of Zeus, and thus is the only Titan to retain her power after Zeus was victorious. She became a goddess of the underworld as a reward after assisting Demeter to find her daughter who'd been abducted by Hades (see the Persephone page). Hecate is a moon goddess, and has power in both the sky and on earth. She gives people riches, victory and wisdom; she watches over the prosperity of flocks and presides over navigation. Hecate also has the three aspects of Maiden, Mother and Crone, and is associated with Artemis and Selene, in this respect. Because of this triple aspect, Hecate is also a goddess of crossroads and decisions, and of witches.

Now it seems obvious to me that the Oracle is a Hecate figure. She provides predictions and influences decisions.

Comments, anyone?