Utopia
in mythology
Arcadia (situated in the Southern peninsula of the Greek
mainland) was written about in Greek mythology as a perfect Utopian
settlement. Greek writers who idealized the location as being
fertile and gentle populated with simple generous folk who lived in
harmony with nature knew that reality was otherwise. The real
Arcadia actually had harsh and rocky terrain. The Greek writers were
just creating a fictional background to set their literary creations
in. Arcadia symbolized rural happiness and the perfect way to live
life. However, Renaissance writers and artists took them at face
value and many artistic and literary works sprung up against this
background.
Accounts of a
flourishing civilization in Atlantis, an island in the Western
Ocean, is another popular concept of mythological utopia subscribed
to by many. Plato’s works speak about Atlantis in glowing terms.
But whether what he wrote it based on facts from sources not to be
traced or from his own fertile imagination is not known. The island
caught the fancy of many and several people attempted, albeit
unsuccessfully, to identify an existing island as the Utopian
Atlantis.
King Arthur’s
favorite castle, Camelot is another legendary Utopian existence
that became very popular. Just as it was done for Atlantis, several
attempts were made to pinpoint the spot where Camelot, the
luxurious, ideal castle where so many lived an excellent life,
existed; no attempt was, however; successful.
Utopian
communities
There have been
several attempts the world over at the creation of Utopian
communities. Mormon communities based on a principle of communal
economy are an example of utopian communities, but they had to adapt
to changing circumstances. Their utopia was short-lived. The Icarian
community at Illinois was another such attempt that functioned well
for a while but internal dissent broke it up. An industrialist in
France created a settlement for his workers, which he intended to be
self sufficient in every way and cater to every want of its
inhabitants. This was socialism at its best, but for how long can
the human spirit be content with what is easily available?
