After watching last night's episode of True Blood, I realized I was going to have to invest a little more time in understanding Maryann's character. That is, WTF is she already?
You'd have to be a few blocks short of the average IQ not to know she was some sort of Greek mythical figure. There were just too many hints!
At first, I was absolutely convinced that she was Circe -- not so much because of her storyline with Tara but because of her storyline with Sam.
Circe, you'll recall, was the enchantress from The Odyssey. She lulls Odysseus into an erotic languor that puts a serious pause on his return voyage home. Oh, and she also turns his men into swine (which seemed to explain Maryann's mysterious pig in True Blood).
Now, compare that with the Maryann/Sam storyline. They had an affair (although a very brief one -- but this is a TV show not an epic poem!), and we know Maryann has the ability to turn Sam into his animal form (nice dog -- sit!). Seems promising, right?
However, after a little web research today, I came across this. While the article is posed as a question, a little further digging on Wikipedia turned up that Maryann appears to be based on Callisto from the Charlaine Harris books that inspired the series. So, mystery solved!
Maryann = Maenad.
I guess that kind of figures. I mean, if you were Circe -- not a mere nymph but a full-fledged demigoddess -- would you really be hanging out in Bon Temps, Louisiana?
BTW, If you're not familiar with the Maenads and their strange mix of DSM-3R worthy disorders, the HBO link above provides a great primer.
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