The Top 10: myths often used for the opposite of their original message

When folk tales are used to mean something different from what they once meant

John Rentoul
Friday 18 February 2022 13:57 GMT
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<p>The mayor of Amity, Larry Vaughn, in the film ‘Jaws’</p>

The mayor of Amity, Larry Vaughn, in the film ‘Jaws’

Suggested by Sam Freedman after Ian Leslie enjoyed Roy Hodgson’s explanation of how he became manager of Watford football club: “This job was one I was never going to turn down because it was quite literally the siren call from the mermaid as the sailor passes by on his ship. They got the right mermaid going past the right ship.”

1. The Sirens. They tempted sailors onto rocks.

2. Canute. The king who sat in the waves to show sycophantic courtiers that he could not hold back the tide.

3. Cassandra. She was not just a Greek Debbie Downer; her curse was to see the future but not to be believed.

4. Jeremiah. Similarly, the dictionary defines a jeremiad as “a long, mournful complaint or lamentation; a list of woes”, but it was originally, in addition, a prophecy of a society’s downfall on account of the wickedness complained of. Nominated by Robert Hutton.

5. Caligula. “The story that he made his horse Incitatus consul is used as evidence of his madness and abuse of power. Of course, he did not. It was most likely a joke to troll a devalued, sycophantic senate,” said Graham Kirby.

6. The Mayor in Jaws. Larry Vaughn, mayor of Amity, played by Murray Hamilton, who decided to keep the beaches open. More than once invoked by Boris Johnson as a model of brave inaction. Nominated by Nick Clayton.

7. Meritocracy. It was originally a bad thing – rule by people who passed intelligence tests – in Michael Young’s 1958 book, The Rise of the Meritocracy. Thanks to Rhys Needham.

8. Oedipus. The Oedipus complex is misnamed because he didn’t realise it was his mother. Thanks to Allan Holloway.

9. Daniel. The writing on the wall did not mean “it was obvious what was going to happen”; the point was that no one could read it apart from the Jewish prisoner.

10. The Little Mermaid. Originally a cautionary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen appearing to warn girls not to aim too high (literally out of their element), the Disney version is: “Dare to follow your dreams and you can get everything you want.” Nominated by Elliot Kane.

Honourable mentions for Barry Grogan and Colin Edgar, who nominated “one bad apple”, a saying rather than a myth, which has been used, especially referring to the Metropolitan Police recently, to mean a one-off incident, when the saying actually means that a single corrupt apple will spoil the whole lot.

There was some overlap here with an early Top 10 of mine, “Misused Fables”, but that was nine years ago so no one remembers.

Next week: Things we know but don’t know we know, such as the ability to hear the difference between hot and cold running water.

Coming soon: MPs alleged to have been spies.

Your suggestions please, and ideas for future Top 10s, to me on Twitter, or by email to top10@independent.co.uk

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