Mythology into Theology
Many people are familiar with the epic, bizarre
soap opera that is classical mythology, but few
people realize that this mythology answers
questions which made it a feasible theology: how
did the world get here? The Roman poet Ovid
lays the religious foundation in his
Metamorphoses.
THE DELUGE is a condensed, modernized, and
dramatized version of this story that tracks the
creation, destruction, and recreation of man.
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RESEARCH
MAKING A WORLD
As much as possible, I’ve made things in the animation period accurate.
CLOTHING
In the classical world, clothing indicates status. I tried as much as possible to
model clothing that would match the characters.
Women - Chiton (KYE-ton) – a dress worn by the common woman. Though
Pyrrah is married to the son of a titan, I’m inferring their piety had
made them very humble.
(This is probably not what Themis (The Oracle) would wear, but I only
have so much time.)
Deucalion – Tunic – the dress of the common man. Again, pious and
humble.
Zeus – Toga – A toga is the dress of a nobleman. (In the interest of time, I
just gave him a longer skirt.)
ARCHITECTURE
The temple and Deucalion’s house are modeled and textured after the floor
plans in a Classical Architecture, by James Stevens Curl.
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THE METAMORPHOSES
By Ovid
Translated by Sir Samuel Garth and John Dryden, et al.
Relevant excerpts from Book the First
The Creation of the World
Before the seas, and this terrestrial ball,
And Heav'n's high canopy, that covers all,
One was the face of Nature; if a face:
Rather a rude and indigested mass:
A lifeless lump, unfashion'd, and unfram'd,
Of jarring seeds; and justly Chaos nam'd.
But God, or Nature, while they thus contend,
To these intestine discords put an end:
Then earth from air, and seas from earth were driv'n,
And grosser air sunk from aetherial Heav'n.
Designing the Set of Mount Olympus
High o'er the clouds, and empty realms of wind,
The God a clearer space for Heav'n design'd;
Where fields of light, and liquid aether flow;
Purg'd from the pondrous dregs of Earth below.
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THE METAMORPHOSES
By Ovid
Translated by Sir Samuel Garth and John Dryden, et al.
Relevant excerpts from Book the First
The Creation of Man
…Earth, but new divided from the sky,
And, pliant, still retain'd th' aetherial energy:
Which wise Prometheus temper'd into paste,
And, mixt with living streams, the godlike image cast.
From such rude principles our form began;
And earth was metamorphos'd into Man.
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The Deluge: Original Script
by Austin Hines
Here, you’ll be able to see the things that time and technicality prevented me
from doing.
Static… energy… Earth and elements emerge from cosmic Kaos, Titans and titanesses emerge from the marriage of earth and
sky, gods and goddesses emerge from the titans, and, Zeus, the God, having killed the king of the titans, his father Cronos,
reigns supreme on Mount Olympus as his old ally, the wise, rebellious titan Prometheus, mixes some earth - still potent with
cosmic energies - with water to craft the race of men.
[we hear Prometheus whistling as he works. Slow fade in on Prometheus, a jive club cool cat, as he puts the finishing touches
on an earthen-looking human]
PRO. [he stands back admiring his work.] Right on! [Looks up to the clouds.] Hey Athena, baby! Check this out, I call it…
“Man.”
VOICE OF ATHENA. [Athena is a tomboy, carrying around a shield and sword. Perhaps gruff female voice and a new-york
accent] Awwww… Now isn’t that cute. [Now, as if she actually looked.] Wow, this “Man” is actually very good, Prometheus! I’ve
got an idea….
[Blowing noise. Camera shifts to man and we see him change from mud to flesh (with a loincloth). The man jerks his head
around, taking in the scene.]
PRO. [a’ la mad scientist] Ha. It’s alive. hahaha. ha ha. IT
IS
AAALLIIIIIIVVEEEE!!! Muwahahahaha! HA HAHAA!!!!
[The skies grow dark as this mad laughter continues and lightning flashes. A bolt hits right next to PROMETHEUS, and Zeus
appears from the bolt.]
ZEUS. SILENCE! [SFX: every sound seems swallowed up into the utterance of his word.] Prometheus, what is this…. thing?
[Camera pops to the man, who is doing sobriety tests].
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The Deluge: Original Script
by Austin Hines
PRO. Well, you see… [camera pops back to a shot of Prometheus and Zeus framing the man doing sobriety tests] uh…
[turns back to ZEUS] Oh yeah! [enthusiastically] I made some clay by mixing dirt and water, and then made this statue,
but then Athena digged it so much she breathed life into it. I call it “man,” isn’t it cool?
[they both turn to look at the man. Man comes in focus. he is pounding two rocks together, maybe]
ZEUS. [quickly] No. Though it moves, it retains the intelligence of the dirt it was created from. It’s insulting that it even
remotely resembles a God.
[man starts yelling nonsensical sounds in background] Now that is too much. [he raises his hand to smite the crazy man]
PRO. NO! Wait! He-…He… He can worship! [motions towards man, man follows finger then drops to ground, kowtowing
to Zeus]
MAN. Zeus is awesome. Zeus amazes me with his greatness. Just Zeus it. Go Zeus. Zeus is my hero. Don’t mess with
Zeus. Give me a Z, give me a E, give me a U, give me an S, Z – E – U- S, Z – E – U – S ggooooooo Zeus!
ZEUS. Well… That’s kind of nice. Ok fine. Since you helped me in the war, I will not kill your.. “Man” now. However, I
forbid them to use fire, and I require the best of their food as an offering.
PRO. Whatever Zeus. I see you’re trying to starve my creation to death, that’s cool. Whatever, I don’t care.
ZEUS. I’m warning you, don’t toy with me Prometheus. [Zeus disappears in a flash of lightning]
PRO. [to MAN] Don’t worry about it, man. I got your back.
NARRATOR. And so, Prometheus went ahead and gave fire to men and tricked Zeus into accepting the worst part of
animals as an offering.
(VOICE OF?) ZEUS. YOU INSOLENT DELINQUENT!
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The Deluge: Original Script
by Austin Hines
NARRATOR. For his insolence, Prometheus was chained to a rock, and Zeus’ eagle tore into his body and ate his liver
every day.
[Optional quick shot: Overhead shot, caption: “Day 10,004” bird shadow circling PROMETHEUS chained to a rock]
PRO. This is really getting old, Zeus!
[Shadow grows bigger as bird dives for him.]
NARRATOR. However, the new race of men was pious and virtuous, and they pleased Zeus with their offerings, so he did
not destroy them. But over time, the virtue of men decreased as their numbers increased. Eventually, even the goddess of
virginity vanished from the war-torn, blood-stained earth. And Zeus was not happy. Meanwhile, Prometheus, freed from
the rock and foreseeing Zeus’ wrath, advised his human son, Deucalion, to build a boat.
[Semi-overhead shot of a MAN being mugged by a ROBBER]
ROBBER. Gimmie your money!
MAN. Oh my Gods! Oh Zeus! Save me!
ROBBER. HA HA HA! Ain’t nobody up there to hear you, and I ain’t got time for you!
[Robber reaches back with knife and begins to plunge it into belly. Camera zooms in on impact point and fades to black
before it can hit. Camera zooms out of the black of Zeus’s Eye.]
ZEUS. This blasphemy shall continue no longer! My fellow Gods! The time has come to destroy this foul race and make
room for a better one of my creation. I resolve “to mingle storm and tempest over boundless earth and make an utter end
of mortal man!”[1]
[As Zeus speaks, the sky grows dark, as he raises his hands. His beard starts to become water, and his cape as well. All
clouds darken. The black in Zeus’ eyes turns white. Close up of face on “utter end of mortal man.” Jars of Clay “Flood” or
HOLTS the planets, Mars the Bringer of War begins to play. Every step Zeus takes is a lightning bolt.]
[1] translation in quotations from Mythology, by Edith Hamilton
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The Deluge: Original Script
by Austin Hines
Farther out shot Zeus indicates to wind
ZEUS. Poseidon! Pour ye waters forth in rage of power, let every stream pour fourth in boundless floods!
POSEIDON. [darkly] Yes my brother. [POSEIDON strikes the ground with his trident and water pours forth from the rocks
surrounding him, the ocean he is standing on rises.]
ZEUS. [who looks really scary now, dimly lit, eyes glowing. grabs a lightning bolt] WHO’S YOUR DADDY
PROMETHEUS?! [hurls bolt through stormy, dark clouds. Camera follows bolt, which busts a tree next to a house.
CAMERA FOCUS shifts. DEUCALION comes out of the house.]
DEU. [urgently] Come on Pyrrah, honey, remember what Prometheus said, we gotta get into the boat. [hops into boat]
PYRRAH. [coming out of house close behind DEUCALION.] Coming dear!
[water level is quickly rising as PYRRAH steps on, the boat starts to float. after PYRRAH is onboard, a wall of water
comes from behind a bend, and washes their house away, and rockets the boat off. If time, do an underwater shot of
debris, otherwise water engulfs camera, then, blackness.]
[Thunder still continues for a while, very frequently, but over time, more intermittent; we hear the sound of rain on water,
and the camera comes through the dark storm clouds and tracks the boat as it is tossed up and down on the huge ocean.
Caption: “Many Days Later” The tip of a mountain is in view presently, and the boat comes to a halt next to it.]
PYRRAH: Oh, thank gods. We stopped moving.
DEU. Thank you, Zeus, for sparing us from your wrath! [looking towards the mountain] Mount Parnathas. And, I was
always told it never ended. Just wait until the guys hear about this. [A moment of realization camera pans around to view
the direction of the house which is nothing but waves and rain. next mushy monologue is optional.] Oh Pyrrah, oh last
woman on earth. Oh my faithful wife, my greatest friend, this tragedy has brought you even closer to my heart. We are the
last surviving of our kind, the rest have been swallowed by the waters. How could we endure if we were not together, for
rest assured, If you were buried in the waves, I would follow you and be with you. I wish I could just pull some Titain
moves and resurrect humanity from this clay. But, alas, the Gods wish that only we should live!
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The Deluge: Original Script
by Austin Hines
PYRRAH. [puts her hand on his shoulder. for comfort.] Come on, let’s go see Themis, the oracle, she’ll know what to do.
ZEUS. And the fates have preserved the two most pious and faithful humans. Yes. I shall let them live, for they are just.
Come Northwind, clear the skies! Poseidon! Tell the oceans to retreat to their shores, and the rivers to return to their
beds. This world has been cleansed, and I am satisfied. [The water stops flowing from Zeus, and his garments solidify.]
[camera wipes to mud-strewn temple. PYRRAH and DEUCALION are kneeling about to kiss the floor in front of a huge
stone statue.]
DEU. If righteous prayers appease the Gods, and if the wrath of high celestial powers may be avoided, declare, O
Themis! What material and what art may raise humanity? O gentle goddess help the dying world!
THEMIS: [the statue turning from stone to moving flesh] Leave me and cover your faces, loosen your garments, and, as
you go, cast behind you the bones of your great mother. [turns back to stone]
[camera tracks to the front of them as THEMIS is done speaking. Split screen of reactions, showing both faces. Both
Dumbfounded.]
DEU. and PYRRAH. SAY WHAT?!!?
PYRRAH. Forgive me, oh goddess, but I cannot do this. To touch my mother’s bones would be to disturb her spirit. I fear
her vengeance.
DEU. [walking around in circles, pacing] Throw behind you the bones of your great mother.
PYRRAH [pacing] the bones of your great mother
DEU. Great mother…. Great mother… GREAT SCOTT!!! An oracle would not order such an evil deed, Our great mother
is also the earth, and I bet these stones are her bones!
PYRRAH. Oh, DUH!
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The Deluge: Original Script
by Austin Hines
DEU. Come on, we’ve got some stones to people! [each picks up a stone and runs out of the temple]
[outside shot of temple, and DEU. and PYRRAH coming down the stairs. at midpoint they throw the stones behind them,
and turn to watch the STONES transform into a MAN and a WOMAN.].
DEU. Wow that rocks hardcore!
PYRRAH. Solid!
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SPECIAL NOTE!!!
Due to some last minute changes, the credits at
the end of the animation are incorrect. All music is
now composed by Austin Hines.
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