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Comical that Helena is played by a woman of color? It's as narrow-minded as the idea that Jesus is blond and blue-eyed.
🇳🇴 Norway /Culture & Society

Comical that Helena is played by a woman of color? It's as narrow-minded as the idea that Jesus is blond and blue-eyed.

From Aftenposten · () Norwegian

Translated from Norwegian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Analysis Sources not specified Context piece
  • A commentator criticizes the notion that casting a woman of color as Queen Helena in a film adaptation of "The Odyssey" is comical.
  • The author argues that the character's mythological origins allow for diverse interpretations of her appearance, challenging the idea that she must be white.
  • The piece suggests that insisting on a white Helena is as narrow-minded as believing Jesus was blond and blue-eyed.

Christopher Nolan's film "The Odyssey" has sparked debate, with Aftenposten commentator Frank Rossavik reportedly finding it "comical" that a woman of color plays the role of Queen Helena.

However, the article argues that such a view is narrow-minded. It questions the premise of assigning a specific skin color to a mythological figure born from a swan god's union with either Queen Leda of Sparta or the goddess Nemesis. The original Homeric tales were oral traditions, and subsequent translations from Greek involve varied interpretations and assumptions.

How many skin colors should a mythological figure have, who was born from an egg after the god Zeus, in the form of a swan, had his way with either Queen Leda of Sparta or the goddess Nemesis?

— Patji Alnæs-KatjaviviQuestioning the basis for assigning a specific skin color to Queen Helena.

The phrase "white-armed" used to describe Helena in some texts might signify high social status rather than literal skin color. The article contends that the interpretation of Helena as necessarily white is an assumption, akin to the outdated and simplistic image of Jesus as blond and blue-eyed.

Furthermore, Rossavik's critique overlooks the diverse, global cast representing Odysseus's crew. The article posits that Homer's depiction of Helena invites contemplation of otherness due to her divine and mythological origins. The insistence on a white Helena, it concludes, is itself tragicomic.

The idea that Helena must be white at all costs is in itself tragicomic.

— Patji Alnæs-KatjaviviCritiquing the demand for a white representation of Queen Helena.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Aftenposten in Norwegian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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