Black Panther’s Wakanda Origin Story Explain...

Speaking with Vanity Fair, Peter Meineck, Professor of Classics in the Modern World at New York University, explored potential connections between Greco-Roman mythology and that of Black Panther. The 2017 MCU film, which starred Chadwick Boseman, crafted a unique world centered around the fictional country of Wakanda using African influences.

According to the professor, the first major consideration in tracing its relationship with Greek and Roman mythology is “that the Mediterranean world doesn’t exist in isolation.” He explained that “one of the things that has happened is that Greek and Roman mythology has somehow been disconnected, mainly in the 19th century by Europeans and, you know, to a certain extent whitewashed, right, taken away from its Mediterranean roots.” Meineck clarified that “half of the Mediterranean is Africa,” meaning cultural exchange was more common.

Per Meineck, “the Greeks had a very different attitude to Africa, and they saw Ethiopia, Egypt, Kush, Kerma as very ancient and very advanced cultures and civilizations.” In Black Panther, Wakanda is an extremely advanced civilization with technology far beyond that of the outside world, similar to what Meineck is describing. He provided a substantial example of Greek reverence for African culture: “in Book I of ‘The Iliad,’ the gods are not on Olympus. They’ve actually gone to the only humans who they deem worthy of their company to dine with, and that is the Ethiopians.“

He continued by adding: “a lot of what we call Greek mythology are heavily influenced by stories from Africa via Egypt and Kush.“

Meineck doesn’t “think there would be Greek and Roman mythology without these ancient African stories.” Discussing the origin of the Black Panther’s role in Wakandan society, Meineck drew a parallel with another legendary hero:

“The idea of the panther god and then having a mortal who becomes the panther at certain moments to protect his community relates directly, if you think about it, to Heracles, right? ‘Cause Heracles is a lion warrior, I should say. And we call this therianthropy where a human transforms into an animal to do something superhuman, and you tap into the power of that animal in order to protect your community. So we should place Heracles very much in the same world as that.”

Additionally, Meineck addressed how Wakanda’s technological innovations and advanced society being hidden share an unfortunate parallel with how African mythology is underappreciated in western society. He stated:

One thing I love about this movie is this idea that Wakanda’s hidden. You’ve got this incredibly developed ancient culture, and a lot of people responded to that with this movie because that is the truth. Just like Wakanda is hidden, so much of African mythology and ancient history has been hidden to us. Because what’s happened is that, through enslavement and colonization, we have a view of the continent of Africa that is completely false, particularly its history and its rich culture.

What The Mythology Expert’s Comments About Black Panther Mean

Black Panther is a masterclass in lore-building for a film. While the exposition at the beginning of the film, in which Sterling K. Brown’s N’Jobu explains the origin of the Black Panther, is a bit direct, the rest of the movie allows Wakandan culture to envelop the viewer. A large part of this is due to the film’s dedication to honoring African mythology and history.

Meineck’s comments pertain less to specific aspects of Black Panther and more so broader comparisons throughout Greco-Roman mythology. For example, Heracles and T’Challa have little in common aside from being imbued with power by the gods. Additionally, the depiction of an African society as advanced and exalted does have its roots in writings such as The Iliad. However, the connections are more so coincidental than indicative of inspiration.

Our Take On The Mythology Expert’s Comments About Black Panther

While Meineck did not shed much light on how specific African mythology influenced Black Panther, he did raise an excellent point about how overlooked African culture often is in mainstream media. Though Wakanda is not a real country, Black Panther and the broader MCU put a lot of love and care into respecting the communities that influenced it.

With elements such as Ruth E. Carter’s Academy Award-winning costume design, the film crafted a rich environment and mythology surrounding Wakanda. As a result, Black Panther remains one of the MCU’s best and most well-made entries.