When people in ancient times looked at the mountains, they saw their gods.
According to them, there were beings who bore the sky on their shoulders, tamed storms, and changed the course of rivers. The Greeks called them Titans. The northern peoples spoke of giants. And the children of the steppes told tales of their mighty ancestors who held up the sky.
Perhaps humanity first invented mythology in order to convey the concepts of power and protection.
Because some things could only be explained through stories.
Fathers were among them as well.
Ever since humanity began telling stories, it has also been telling stories about fathers.
From the earliest figures drawn on cave walls to the temples soaring toward the heavens, the same silhouette emerges in the memory of every age: the man who protects, guides, sets boundaries—sometimes stern, but always bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders…
In various mythologies, this figure was sometimes called Uranus, sometimes Cronus, sometimes Odin, and sometimes the Sky God.
The names have changed.
But the story hasn't changed.
Because when a person looked up at the sky, they saw not only the stars but also those who had come before them.
That’s partly why fathers are like the sky.
In childhood, they seem endless.
You think you know everything and can do anything.
They'll help you up if you fall.
They become a refuge when you're afraid.
And with a child’s innocence, you believe that they never get tired and will never grow old.
Then you grow up.
You realize that they, too, have their fears, shortcomings, and wounds.
And that’s exactly when mythology begins.
Because all heroes eventually learn that even their fathers are mortal.
In Greek mythology, even the gods settle scores with their fathers. Titans are overthrown, kings grow old, and thrones change hands. But every new age rises on the shoulders of the one that came before it.
The courage we have today is rooted in our fathers' fears.
Among the things we’ve accomplished are their unfulfilled dreams…
Beneath the paths we walk lie the trails they blazed.
That's why no one ever grows up alone.
He carries an invisible family tree behind him.
A vast tree of life with roots stretching back into the past…
Like the Scandinavians' Yggdrasil.
Each generation is a branch.
Every father, meanwhile, is a trunk that carries the wisdom passed down from the roots.
Perhaps that is why we come to understand our fathers better as we get older.
As children, we are in awe of their strength.
When we're young, we rebel against authority figures.
But as we grow older, we come to see just how heavy the burdens they carry on their shoulders are.
Keeping a home afloat…
Worrying about a family…
The quiet act of self-sacrifice…
We realize just how great an act of heroism it is.
Myths tell us that heroes fought dragons.
In real life, however, many fathers struggle with invisible dragons:
Due to financial difficulties.
With their fears.
With loneliness.
With uncertainty.
And most of the time, no one sees these battles.
Because true heroism is not forged under the spotlight of applause, but under the weight of responsibility.
Today is Father's Day.
Perhaps today is the day to remember the giants of our childhood once again.
The men we thought had been carrying the sky on their shoulders for years…
Those silent guardians who come home tired in the evening—sometimes silent, sometimes angry, sometimes making mistakes—but who, despite everything, keep going for their families…
Because as the years go by, we come to realize:
Fathers weren't perfect.
They weren't invincible like the Titans, either.
That was where their true greatness lay.
They were not gods.
But they tried to leave a safe world for their children, shouldering the full burden of being human.
And, like every generation before us, they left us a legacy not only of life, but also of struggle.
Now look up at the sky.
Imagine that people have been looking at the same stars for thousands of years.
Perhaps somewhere among them, a shared story belonging to the fathers of all ages is circulating.
It began by a fire,
Someone holding a child's hand,
Passed down from one generation to the next…
And that ancient story will continue to be told as long as humanity exists.
Perhaps this is humanity's oldest epic.
The Epic of Fatherhood.