‘Ancient Greek Culture and Myth in the Terra Mítica Theme Park’

lsquoAncient Greek Culture and Myth in theTerra Mıtica Theme Parkrsquo

Filippo Carla and Florian Freitag

This article analyses the form of reception of classical antiquity in the Spanish theme

park Terra Mıtica (Benidorm) concentrating in particular on its representation of

Ancient Greece and on a ride centred on ancient mythology This study exemplifies

a methodology developed for investigating the forms of reception and culturaltranslation especially of past and exotic societies operating in theme parks

Introduction

In the ever growing and proliferating research area of the reception of classical

Antiquity in modern and postmodern culture scholars have analysed artefacts

from a large variety of different media ranging from fiction poetry and drama to

painting opera movies and comics There has however been a singular lack of

attention to media of a highly immersive character such as video games and themed

environments which allow a first-hand experience of fictional or past worlds in

virtual or physical reality With the exception of Cornelius Holtorf who has ana-

lysed the reception of archaeology in popular culture in general and in themed

environments in particular1 Margaret Malamud who has written about ancient

Egypt and Rome in American architecture2 and Andrew Gardner and Dunstan

Lowe who have analysed video games about classical Antiquity3 scholars of

Classics and its reception have indeed largely ignored this field This is all the

more surprising since ancient themes are common and widespread in themed en-

vironments all over the world4

In cultural studies by contrast themed environments such as living history mu-

seums and themed hotels or restaurants for instance have attracted scholarly

Correspondence to Filippo Carla (Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz) carlauni-

mainzde and Florian Freitag (Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz) freitagfuni-

mainzde

1 Holtorf (2005 2009 2010)

2 Malamud (2009 see in particular pp 229ndash49 on the reception of ancient Rome in Las

Vegas)

3 Gardner (2007) Lowe (2009)

4 In addition to the theme park discussed here classical themes are featured eg in Parc

Asterix (France) Europa-Park (Germany) and Gardaland (Italy) in Mt Olympus Water

and Theme Park (WI USA) as well as in Dunia Fantasi (Jakarta Indonesia) and in E-Da

(Taiwan)

Classical Receptions Journal Vol 0 Iss 0 (2014) pp 1ndash18

The Author 2014 Published by Oxford University Press All rights reservedFor Permissions please email journalspermissionsoupcomdoi101093crjclu013

Classical Receptions Journal Advance Access published August 13 2014 by guest on O

ctober 10 2014httpcrjoxfordjournalsorg

Dow

nloaded from

attention since the 1980s particularly for their (hyper-)real status and symbolic func-

tion5 their role in the construction of cultural identities their impact on cultural

memory6 and their didactic and educational potential7 However the representa-

tional strategies of environments with an ancient theme mdash which involve among

others the selection of the historical period the particular cultural aspects to be

represented and the specific iconographies mdash have not been examined in detail In

historical studies finally the few analyses dedicated to this topic have focused on

representations of modern history in themed environments particularly on the dan-

gers of a white-washed representation of past societies aimed primarily at entertain-

ment sometimes dismissively referred to as lsquoDistoryrsquo or as a Disneyfication of the

past8

Through this approach historical studies have tended to oversimplify the com-

plexity of the use of historical themes in themed environments also because they

have rarely taken into consideration the fact that themed environments tend to rely

on previous receptions and iconographies in the planning process9 Nevertheless

historical studies have recognized the profound influence that themed environments

and particularly theme parks have through the sheer number of people they reach

on the construction of historical images and the canonization of specific historical

periods lsquo[Theme parks] provide a view of history with which professional historians

are unable to compete in terms of either the mode of presentation or the numbers of

people touched by itrsquo10

In the context of historical studies classical reception studies and cultural studies

analysing themed environments with an ancient theme is indeed essential for an

understanding of the various roles of ancient cultures in contemporary culture eg

the way ancient cultures are used in discourses on national regional or local identity to

construct a common past or an image of alterity but also for an understanding of the

complexity of the transmedial chains operating in classical reception (ie the employ-

ment of iconographies and models already known to the public through other media)

It is clear however that such an analysis can only be undertaken with a transdisci-

plinary approach that combines the methodologies and competences of all three dis-

ciplines ie historical studies classical reception studies and cultural studies

This article constitutes an attempt at such a transdisciplinary venture It will

focus on a particular form of themed environments namely theme parks These

are perhaps the most complex and popular sort of themed environment as through

5 Eco (1986) Baudrillard (1986 1988)

6 See eg the articles contained in Schlehe et al (2010)

7 Eg Hjemdahl (2002)

8 See among others Wallace (1985) Fjellman (1992) Bryman (1999) Borrie (1999) and

the contributions to the symposium lsquoDisney and the Historians Where do we go from

herersquo published in The Public Historian 174 (1995) 43ndash89

9 Carla and Freitag (2015)

10 Bryman (1995 142)

F I L I P P O C A R L A A N D F L O R I A N F R E I T A G

2 of 18

by guest on October 10 2014

httpcrjoxfordjournalsorgD

ownloaded from

their use of varied media forms and multiple semiotic systems they reach the highest

level of immersiveness Among the various theme parks with a specifically ancient

theme we have chosen Terra Mıtica (Benidorm Spain mdash henceforth TM) as a case

study After first defining the theme park medium and giving an overview of the

methodology applied to its study we will discuss the layout and the structure of the

park before focusing on its representation of ancient Greek culture Our final section

will then concentrate on one particular element of this representation namely the lsquoEl

laberinto del Minotaurorsquo ride and on the ways it translates and represents several

ancient Greek myths into one of the most innovative and immersive forms of theme

park attraction the interactive dark ride

Theme parks and the transformation of history in theme parks

Theme parks are lsquohybridrsquo11 environments that combine architecture music land-

scape design language film and performing arts with kinetics in order to provide an

entertaining experience for visitors by immersing them into a multi-sensorial

themed environment According to Baudrillardrsquos and Ecorsquos analyses of

Disneyland the prototype of the modern theme park theme parks are lsquoabsolute

fakesrsquo12 pure simulations that nevertheless are authentic and indeed (hyper-)real

through their immediate affective impact on the visitor13 The realism of theme

parks is as Holtorf notes with respect to themes from the past lsquonot that of a lost real

past but of real sensual impressions and emotions in the present which engage

visitors and engender meaningful feelingsrsquo14

Exactly how are these simulations and sensual impressions created The themes

employed in theme parks range from representations of fictional worlds to recre-

ations of past or exotic cultures Theme parks are primarily commercial enterprises

which is why they generally select themes that are well-known to and easily recog-

nizable for a maximum amount of people but also why within the selected themes

they highlight only the most famous and characteristic aspects A further criterion

for both the selection of themes in general and the selection of specific aspects of the

theme in particular is set by the nature of theme parks as leisure spaces for all age

groups problematic andor contested issues (such as war or slavery) are regularly

omitted from the themed world (with the sole exception of lsquodark themingrsquo and

particular seasonal events such as Halloween)15

Selection however constitutes but one of an entire set of strategies that govern

the processes of cultural and medial translation operating in the theme park and thus

allow the transfer of materials from the lsquosourcesrsquo to the medium of the theme park A

11 Rajewsky (2002 203)

12 Eco (1986 8)

13 Baudrillard (1986 105)

14 Holtorf (2005 135ndash36) For a definition of authenticity connected to pastness rather than

to the actual age of an object see Holtorf (2013)

15 Lukas (2007 276ndash80)

lsquo A N C I E N T G R E E K C U L T U R E A N D M Y T H I N T H E T E R R A M I T I C A T H E M E P A R K rsquo

3 of 18

by guest on October 10 2014

httpcrjoxfordjournalsorgD

ownloaded from

second strategy consists of processes of abstraction whereby typical and character-

istic features of the theme are reduced to iconic and evocative signs or symbols The

loading station of the water coaster lsquoPoseidonrsquo at Europa-Park in Rust Germany for

instance does not represent a reproduction of a particular Greek temple but rather

an amalgamation of typical features associated with this type of building in its most

recognizable forms (see Fig 1) The building is a hexastyle peripteral Doric temple

(as eg the Temple of Zeus in Olympia the Temple of Hephaistos in Athens or the

Temple of Concordia in Akragas) with palmette acroteria even if the columns do

not entirely surround the structure and the innermost columns on the front are

slightly set apart from each other to allow for the ride vehicles to pass through

Although some ancient temples (in particular those found in Sicily or the later

Roman podium temples) also feature such a difference in the dimensions of the

intercolumnium it is never large enough to be so perfectly visible

The sculpture decoration of the pediment is also extremely interesting It appears

lsquoGreek-lookingrsquo without having been derived from one concrete model In the centre

is the figure of Poseidon (tutelary deity of the attraction hence the temple) sitting

on a throne Such iconography is attested only very rarely and never in a pediment

but has been adopted here to match the theme of the ride Next to him is a standing

Athena mdash the coupling of the two deities could be a reference to the myth concern-

ing their fight over the control of Attica or more specifically to the pediment

decoration of the Parthenon16 However had this iconography been further

Fig 1 lsquoPoseidonrsquo loading station (Europa-Park) Picture Rik Engelen Used with permission

16 The Parthenonrsquos East pediment did indeed represent a Zeus (possibly sitting on a throne)

next to an Athena who was just born fully armed from his head and the iconography

F I L I P P O C A R L A A N D F L O R I A N F R E I T A G

4 of 18

by guest on October 10 2014

httpcrjoxfordjournalsorgD

ownloaded from

pursued a statue of Hera should have been on Zeusrsquo right while the pediment in

Rust shows a male figure in this position The gryphon represented on the far right is

also unknown from architectural decoration and follows an iconography that is

rather associated with ceramic painting and relief The style of the statues repro-

duced as can be easily seen in their dresses is also not unitary but blends elements

from the lsquosevere stylersquo to classical and late classical sculpture All in all the pediment

represents a real pasticcio that takes iconographies or stylistic elements from various

phases of Greek art and combines them without reproducing any specific model in

order to convey a general impression of Greek architectural decoration The struc-

ture is thus immediately recognizable to a broad public as a lsquoclassical Greek templersquo

also because of the white color which as is well known constitutes an essential part

of the representation of this architectural form in modern reception17

A third strategy consists of immersion which in contrast to fragmentary presen-

tations (as for instance in museums) allows visitors to affectively experience the

theme with all their senses and makes the past of the theme park a presentified one

the object of a direct experience by the visitor In contrast to museums theme parks

represent ancient worlds generally through reconstructions and as functioning en-

vironments Even famous ruins such as the Colosseum are usually presented in an

intact form thus bringing the ancient world back to life This is accomplished also

through a fourth strategy namely transmediality although the theme park is now-

adays recognized as a medium on its own18 it nevertheless constitutes a hybrid

medium that fuses various other media conventionally and historically perceived as

distinct19

As suggested by Laura Bieger the politics of visual cultural translation imply a

double movement of the transfer and transformation of cultural material20 In the

context of theme parks the transformation processes consist of the four strategies

presented above They help to translate source material from various epochs and

areas into components of carefully and functionally designed entertainment spaces

where the source material inevitably assumes a new role The translation of these

cultural materials contributes to the creation of powerful images that are naturalized

through their sheer materiality and the absence of any argumentative structure

More specifically the power of these images consists in their lasting impact on

the popular image of specific cultures and periods21

used in Europa-Park could refer back to the reconstruction of this part of the decoration

mdash now lost mdash as suggested by Despinis (1982 67ndash85) Since the attraction was inau-

gurated in 2000 a direct inspiration is possible

17 Holtorf (2013 433ndash34)

18 King (1981a 59) Schickel (1997 17) Avila (2004 126) Lee - Madej (2012 87)

19 Carla and Freitag (2015)

20 Bieger (2007 52)

21 King (1981b 128)

lsquo A N C I E N T G R E E K C U L T U R E A N D M Y T H I N T H E T E R R A M I T I C A T H E M E P A R K rsquo

5 of 18

by guest on October 10 2014

httpcrjoxfordjournalsorgD

ownloaded from

Cultural translation in the theme park also presents certain values as independent

of cultural and temporal boundaries as anthropological constants and thus trans-

mits ideological messages and values For instance theme parks not only draw on

other media and their styles and images to attain a higher recognizability but also

establish a direct connection to the ideological contents expressed in these media mdash

eg in theme parks on the ancient world the ideological underpinnings of peplum

movies such as their ideals of freedom heroism masculinity etc

A concrete example is provided by the show lsquoHispaniarsquo which was performed

during the 2011 and 2012 seasons at the Spanish park we will focus on in the

remainder of this article In this show Roman legionaries portrayed as evil invaders

of the Iberian peninsula attempt to repress a rebellion of the local population

presented as the ancestors of contemporary Spaniards but are ultimately defeated

by the Iberian women The latter are endowed with lsquomanlyrsquo qualities such as cour-

age physical strength and military virtue and constitute the real heroes of the

spectacle in defeating the Romans they successfully fight for their peoplersquos free-

dom The sources used for the showrsquos production design further stress its ideological

message For instance the costumes of the women mdash from the colours and cuts of

the bottoms and tops to the accessories such as wristbands and boots mdash strongly

resemble those of the TV series Xena the Warrior Princess (1995ndash2001) thus helping

the audience to immediately identify the characters as strong Amazonian even

violent but positive women

Terra Mıtica layout ideology history

Terra Mıtica opened in 2000 near Benidorm Spain While several European theme

parks feature themed areas22 or individual attractions23 dedicated to ancient themes

Terra Mıtica along with Parc Asterix (France opened in 1989) constitutes the only

park almost entirely dedicated to ancient cultures as of 2013 The park has under-

gone several changes since its opening and particularly in the past few years which

have severely impacted its structure and conception24 What is described in this

article corresponds to the situation we encountered during our field trip in

November 2012

The park consists of five themed areas each of which is dedicated to an ancient

and early modern Mediterranean culture (Egipto Grecia Roma Las Islas Iberia)

As the map (see Fig 2) shows these areas are arranged around a central body of

water in a way so as to mimic a map of the Mediterranean The park layout thus

follows what Mitrasinovic refers to as the loop pattern ie the individual areas are lsquoa

22 Eg the Greek section in Europa-Park opened in 2000

23 Eg lsquoLa Valle dei Rersquo in Gardaland Italy 1987ndash2008 afterwards replaced by lsquoRamses Il

risvegliorsquo

24 Unfortunately neither TM nor anyone connected to the company responsible for the

original design of the park (Global Estudios) responded to our repeated enquiries about

the conception and history of the park

F I L I P P O C A R L A A N D F L O R I A N F R E I T A G

6 of 18

by guest on October 10 2014

httpcrjoxfordjournalsorgD

ownloaded from

stage or a scenersquo along a major pathway and are each lsquoassociated with a particular part

of the narrativersquo of the park25 Crossways between the individual areas do exist but

taking shortcuts is discouraged through both visual and operational strategies For

instance visual eye-catchers are generally located so as to encourage the visitor to

follow the main path that leads around the central body of water whereas shortcuts

are indicated by signs but offer no visual attraction Operational strategies include

the successive opening of individual themed areas throughout the day to guide

visitors through the park

The parkrsquos narrative is mainly a teleological one visitors progress geographically

chronologically and culturally from Egypt where the entrance is located to Greece

Rome and finally to early modern Spain Spain as the endpoint of the visit is

presented as the culminating point of a historical development a synthesis and

highpoint of Mediterranean cultures Such a focus on the Mediterranean in the

construction of Spanish identity is relevant especially to rival conceptualizations of

Spain as a part of Europe as realized in for instance Europa-Park where Spain

features alongside other European nations and regions such as Germany the

Netherlands and Scandinavia and where each nation contributes to a pan-

European identity lsquothe Europe staged in [Europa-Park] is an ideal place beautiful

and harmonious ndash a place far beyond actual political contention and conflict where a

Fig 2 Terra Mıtica visitorsrsquo map (2012)

25 Mitrasinovic (2006 139)

lsquo A N C I E N T G R E E K C U L T U R E A N D M Y T H I N T H E T E R R A M I T I C A T H E M E P A R K rsquo

7 of 18

by guest on October 10 2014

httpcrjoxfordjournalsorgD

ownloaded from

united Europe is alive in peoplesrsquo heartsrsquo26 It is therefore no surprise that neither the

Celts nor ancient Germans are represented in TM27 Even pre-Roman Iberic popu-

lations are (with some explainable minor exceptions)28 rather neglected on the one

hand they would not fit the chronological structure of the park narrative on the

other hand they would due to their connections with Celtic cultures inevitably

shift the focus away from the Mediterranean

As mentioned before transmediality manifests itself in the translation of classical

sources in a two-fold way According to the strategies of translation defined earlier

designers select materials that enjoy a wide popularity among the general public and

that mostly consist of abstracted architectural types (the Egyptian pyramid the

Greek Temple) famous monuments (the Colosseum) and myths On the one

hand all these materials are only sometimes taken directly from ancient ruins and

texts but are more often re-elaborated always taking into consideration previous

remediations Among these are of course theme parks dedicated to an ancient

theme that already existed before the opening of TM such as Parc Asterix On

the other hand classical sources are translated and remediated into theme park-

specific genres such as the water ride the dark ride and the roller coaster

Grecia and Las Islas

In the following we will concentrate on the representation of ancient Greek culture

in TM which provides interesting material for a case study since there are two

themed areas that are based on ancient Greek culture Grecia and Las Islas In

accordance with the geographical reference of the parkrsquos layout Grecia is located

in the north-eastern corner whereas Las Islas occupy the parkrsquos centre and are

surrounded by the body of water that mimics the Mediterranean In the structure

of the park narrative Grecia occupies the second position immediately following

Egypt while Las Islas can be visited at different moments but most lsquonaturallyrsquo after

Grecia and before Roma

Concerning the theme however there is an uneasy tension between Grecia and

Las Islas Grecia on the one hand follows a chronological scheme that leads from

the lsquoMyceneanrsquo entrance through the Minoan period to the Polis The entrance to

the area is a copy of the Lion Gate of Mycenae right behind the entrance the visitor

discovers a building that architectonically recalls the Palace of Cnossos from the

26 Schlehe and Uike-Bormann (2010 58ndash63)

27 The Celts constitute a particularly delicate question since they have often been used not

only as a symbol of European identity but also as a symbol of national distinction In the

latter case the Celtic heritage had been particularly exalted in Spain in Francorsquos propa-

ganda which would make a possible use of a Celtic lsquopastnessrsquo very loaded from a political

perspective and extremely inconvenient see Ruiz Zapatero (1996)

28 These are represented by the show lsquoHispaniarsquo (see above) and by the attraction lsquoJabatorsquo

located in the Iberic section whose name refers to the successful comic book series lsquoEl

Jabatorsquo

F I L I P P O C A R L A A N D F L O R I A N F R E I T A G

8 of 18

by guest on October 10 2014

httpcrjoxfordjournalsorgD

ownloaded from

Minoan period and that houses the entrance to the lsquoEl laberinto del Minotaurorsquo ride

which we will discuss later These structures are presented as ruins and hence as

lsquopastrsquo while the structures in the main part of the area appear perfectly intact and

can thus be considered as lsquopresentrsquo

This main part however concentrates on life in the Classical period and on

Athens and Olympia in particular underlining specific social issues such as sports

and religion It is situated on top of a hill following the example of the Athenian

acropolis A steep path leads the visitor from Cnossos and the Minoan period to a

collection of classical architectural forms a reproduction of the Temple of Zeus at

Olympia which also includes a reconstruction of Phidiasrsquo cult statue houses the

movie-based simulation ride lsquoTemplo de Kinetosrsquo and the Porch of the Caryatids

from the Athenian Erechtheion is attached to one side of the restaurant Acropolis

Further decorations consistently reference the classical style (as eg a reconstruction

of Phidiasrsquo Athena Promachos) with only a few exceptions such as the Hellenistic

Boy with Thorn

A photo opportunity opposite the temple features a winnersrsquo podium with Roman

numbers (which alludes to the Olympic games even if such podiums did not exist in

Antiquity and strongly resembles the one depicted in Asterix aux Jeux Olympiques

1968) in front of an exedra housing nine statues Each of these statues reproduces a

Greek sculpture which was connected to sports activities or could from a modern

perspective be read as such next to reproductions of Lysipposrsquo Anaxyomenos and

Polykleitosrsquo Diadumenos or a statue which strongly resembles the type known as

Stephanos Athlete for instance one also finds one of the most famous Greek sculp-

tures Polykleitosrsquo Doryphoros whose iconography could be read by a contemporary

non-scholarly public as belonging to the field of sports (its interpretation as an

athletic figure has indeed been proposed by a part of the scholarly literature)29

and whose harmonious proportions and balanced posture in any case stress the

(male) human body as the centre of sports The presence of the Kasseler Apollo

and the Harmodios from the famous Athenian group of the Tyrannicides can also be

explained by their fame and by their representation of the ideal (male) body

Somewhat surprisingly a reproduction of Myronrsquos Diskobolos is not among these

statues perhaps because it is already prominently featured at the parkrsquos entrance

where five statues represent the five themed areas of TM30 It is also clear that if it

had been kept at the same scale as the other ones the statue with its proportions

29 That this interpretation is incorrect however was already clearly shown by Lippold

(1952 1710)

30 Myronrsquos Diskobolos is also featured on souvenir T-shirts on which the disk has been

replaced by the TM logo Las Islas by contrast is represented at the entrance by the so-

called Artemision Bronze which could represent either Zeus or Poseidon this second

identification was probably the one intended by the parkrsquos designers as it ties in with the

arearsquos lsquonauticalrsquo theme At the main entrance Rome is represented by a reproduction of

the Prima Porta Augustus Egypt by a reproduction of the representation of the goddess

lsquo A N C I E N T G R E E K C U L T U R E A N D M Y T H I N T H E T E R R A M I T I C A T H E M E P A R K rsquo

9 of 18

by guest on October 10 2014

httpcrjoxfordjournalsorgD

ownloaded from

would not have fit in the space between two columns of the exedra Instead the

designers chose to reproduce the Diskophoros by Naukydes thus providing another

reproduction that directly refers to ancient sports31 but that may be less well-known

to the general public

In contrast to Grecia Las Islas is generally more concerned with myths regarding

sea travels and colonization thus shifting the focus from the polis to the Aegean

world and chronologically from the classical age back to the Archaic period and the

Bronze Age In accordance with the theme the main attractions of this section are

water-based rides such as the dark ride lsquoEl rescate de Ulisesrsquo or the river rapids ride

lsquoRapidos de Argosrsquo Visually too the two areas are quite distinct whereas the color

scheme of the Grecia area is dominated by white the buildings in the Las Islas area

all feature a distinct frieze made up of circles and are mostly yellow blue and

maroon These colors have been adopted from Minoan art which is also itself

partly reproduced for instance buildingsrsquo interiors feature frescos such as the

lsquolsquoLadies in Bluersquorsquo from Cnossos or the lsquolsquoFlying Fishrsquorsquo from Phylakopi The main

building of the area which hosts amongst others the lsquoLa Colera de Akilesrsquo attrac-

tion is a pastiche of elements of palatial and Greek temple architecture and also

reproduces the lions from the Lion Gate of Mycenae Generally it strongly evokes

the buildings represented in the Admiralrsquos Flotilla Fresco from Akrotiri The sculp-

tures in the centre of the area too include reproductions of archaic standing figures

(the so-called Kouroi and Korai) and replicas of lion sculptures from the Aegean

island of Delos

Visual and thematic differences notwithstanding the two areas are difficult to

separate and must be understood as a complex that refers to Greek culture as a whole

and underlines the importance of this step in the ideological narrative of the park

Ancient Greek culture mdash like all the other ancient Mediterranean cultures featured

in the park mdash is brought into a direct relationship with modern European and

particularly modern Spanish culture and identity which are teleologically con-

structed as more or less direct descendants of these cultures

In a study of lsquoGreek loversquo Halperin suggests that

the Greeks are hardly alien or lost to us They are on the contrary all about us [ ] Far

from being a repressed presence inside us or a utopian alternative to us the Greeks occupy

an unexplicit margin framing our own self-understanding as such they are closely bound up

Selket from Tutankhamunrsquos canopy shrine and Iberia by a copy of the Gran Dama

Oferente

31 There are two further statues in the exedra which do not have any recognizable model in

ancient statuary mdash or at least if there was one it was so strongly altered that it cannot be

identified anymore (we would like to thank Prof Dr D Kreikenbom und Dr P

Schollmeyer both of the University of Mainz for the support offered in the process

of the identification of the statues in the hexedra)

F I L I P P O C A R L A A N D F L O R I A N F R E I T A G

10 of 18

by guest on October 10 2014

httpcrjoxfordjournalsorgD

ownloaded from

with our self-definitions with our senses of ourselves as situated in history and culture as

lsquodescended from Greek civilizationrsquo32

The Greeks in TM are as Halperin noted indeed hardly alien to the visitors The

ways in which they are presented are familiar to them from numerous depictions in a

variety of media However it is precisely through their depiction as direct ancestors

of modern Western culture that they are lsquotransformedrsquo and presented as the visitorsrsquo

mirror image encouraging a process of identification through presentification

lsquoEl laberinto del Minotaurorsquo

The remainder of this article analyses an attraction from the Grecia area that illus-

trates the cultural translations of ancient Greek culture in TM lsquoEl laberinto del

Minotaurorsquo located in the building that recalls the Palace of Cnossos at the entrance

to Grecia33 The ride draws on themes from Greek mythology which apart from the

acropolis and sports is certainly the most well-known aspect of ancient Greek cul-

ture even among children lsquoEl laberintorsquo is by no means the only ride in the Grecia

or Las Islas areas inspired by ancient Greek myths but it features the highest

number of individual myths in a single ride as most of the other rides (such as

the water ride lsquoLa Furia de Tritonrsquo or the swing ride lsquoLos Icarosrsquo) focus only on one

myth each Located at the entrance of the Grecia section lsquoEl laberintorsquo powerfully

establishes the arearsquos emphasis on myths from the very beginning

Not surprisingly the myth that forms the centre of the ride counts among the

most famous in popular culture that of the Minotaur34 The attractionrsquos architec-

tural setting is well-chosen since the myth of the Minotaur is set on the island of

Crete during the time of King Minos who was supposed to have ruled the island at

the time when the Palace was built In addition the waiting area is also decorated

with reproductions of famous Minoan frescoes The attraction itself is an interactive

dark ride that combines elements of the classic dark ride and the shooting gallery and

that recalls target shooting video-games35 Visitors sit down in self-propelled ve-

hicles that are equipped with laser guns and try to gather points by aiming their

guns at targets hidden in the scenes that the vehicle passes on its labyrinthine path

through the show building

lsquoEl laberintorsquo was developed for TM by Global Rides (Global Estudios the

overall design and management company of TM) Beybe (Global Estudiosrsquos sub-

contractor responsible for the design and production oversight of lsquoEl laberintorsquo) and

Sally Corporation a Florida-based entertainment company that built the anima-

tronics (machines that seem animated) and supplied special effects programming

32 Halperin (1990 70)

33 httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=JkbJ4JxkegM [last accessed 6 July 2013]

34 Solomon (2001 124ndash25)

35 Latozki (2009 205)

lsquo A N C I E N T G R E E K C U L T U R E A N D M Y T H I N T H E T E R R A M I T I C A T H E M E P A R K rsquo

11 of 18

by guest on October 10 2014

httpcrjoxfordjournalsorgD

ownloaded from

and control systems36 lsquoEl laberintorsquo constitutes a moderately innovative version of

the interactive dark ride using trackless technology for vehicles and a split track37

but physical rather than virtual scenes as targets

From the perspective of classical reception studies lsquoEl laberintorsquo is most notable

for its drawing on existing mediations of ancient Greek myths (particularly in

movies) and the perfect integration of the theming and the technical aspects of

the ride ie the ways in which certain aspects of the ridersquos technology seem to be

motivated by its theming Indeed the myth of the Minotaur who according to the

tradition lived in a labyrinth and had to be found and killed is particularly suited for

this type of dark ride The large waiting area with its twisting and turning queue mdash a

necessary and often rather unpleasant aspect of any theme-park ride mdash here nicely

establishes the theme of the labyrinth The layout of the ride itself adds to the

visitorsrsquo general disorientation thus further enhancing the labyrinth theme lsquoEl

laberintorsquo consists of a total of twelve show scenes with targets presented along a

dark path with many twists and turns that leads visitors roughly from the north-

western to the south-eastern corner of the show building and back By the time the

vehicles have arrived at the climactic scene of the encounter with the Minotaur

however visitors feel they have moved into the heart of the labyrinth rather than

from one extreme end of the building to the other

Shortly before the encounter a brief sequence or interim scene (between show

scenes 11 and 12 see below) completes the visitorsrsquo sense of disorientation before

entering the room of the Minotaur the ride vehicles start spinning around their own

axis as riders view fragmented images of themselves in the six triangular mirrors

attached to the ceiling that form a hexagon This effect combines several functions

as the number of mirrors reflects mdash literally mdash the number of riders (see below) the

spinning simultaneously shows off the ridersquos trackless technology and performs the

action of aimless wandering in a labyrinth Although only an interim scene the

mirror scene does showcase and fuse most of the thematic and technological aspects

of the ride

The same applies to the ride vehicles each features six laser guns and offers just

enough space for six passengers Recorded announcements played throughout the

waiting area invite visitors to form groups of six in order to quicken the loading

process Again technical and operational necessities and the logic of the myth appear

36 We would like to thank Jan Sherman from Sally Corp for providing us with invaluable

insights into the creation of the ride

37 Track splits occur following scenes five and eight and were designed to increase the

repeatability and the challenge of the ride the vehicles of visitors who had not reached a

certain score were sent directly to the exit of the ride without experiencing the final

confrontation with the Minotaur When we rode the attraction during our field trip to

TM in November 2012 this feature seemed to have been deactivated since at least one of

us proved to be rather inept at the game but we still got to see the Minotaur on every

repeat visit

F I L I P P O C A R L A A N D F L O R I A N F R E I T A G

12 of 18

by guest on October 10 2014

httpcrjoxfordjournalsorgD

ownloaded from

to mutually support each other According to the version of the myth told by

Plutarch Theseus indeed left Athens as one of the seven men who together with

seven girls were directed to Crete to be offered to the Minotaur and therefore had

six companions38 To be sure it is the number seven that has dominated the ancient

tradition as according to Bacchylides Theseus went to Crete together with seven

boys and seven girls and not as a member of the group39 Yet the number seven in

spite of its bigger relevance in Greek tradition would probably have represented a

major difficulty in designing the ride vehicles which explains the lsquopreferencersquo in-

directly accorded to Plutarch and the fact that visitors are invited to form groups of

six and thus to identify with Theseusrsquos companions

As has already been noted the ride itself consists of twelve show scenes featuring

targets (see Fig 3 Hydras Lion40 Centaurs Dragon mdash a reference to the myth of

the Golden Fleece Cerberus referred to as lsquoWatch Dogrsquo Harpies Spider Bandits

Sphinx Pterodactyls lsquoPrincessrsquo who has to be identified with Andromeda since she

appears in the mouth of a sea monster Minotaur) as well as additional tableaux

without targets that segue between the main scenes (puppy41 Pan fountain

Fig 3 lsquoEl laberinto del Minotaurorsquo floor plan Drawing Sally Corp Used with permission

38 Plut Thes 17

39 Bacch Dith 3 1-4

40 Because of the association with the Hydras and the general context the mythological

reference seems to be the Nemean lion here

41 This interim scene representing an abandoned dog could perhaps refer to Ulyssesrsquo dog

Argos even if the latter was mdash according to Homeric tradition (Od 17290-327) mdash an

old dog and not a puppy

lsquo A N C I E N T G R E E K C U L T U R E A N D M Y T H I N T H E T E R R A M I T I C A T H E M E P A R K rsquo

13 of 18

by guest on October 10 2014

httpcrjoxfordjournalsorgD

ownloaded from

graveyard skeletons mirrors) The function of the interim scenes is obviously to

give riders a chance to relax and focus not only on the goal of collecting as many

points as possible but also to absorb the ridersquos theme After the second track split the

attraction gathers speed and intensity as there are no more interim scenes between

the target scenes

Target scenes derive mostly from well-known Greek myths and mythological

figures As is clear from the list what the chosen myths have in common is above

all a wide popularity with the contemporary public mdash with the obvious exception of

the last scene however they are neither connected to the Minotaur in ancient

traditions nor do they belong to the same sagas Given the similarity of the ridersquos

genre to shooter video games it appears that the latter form the primary source of

visuals and narrative perspective in the labyrinth Just as in a first-person shooter

(FPS) game the story of the attraction is told from a first-person point of view

which is extremely rare in other forms of dark rides Of course as also in the case of

video games themselves a major source of inspiration for the visual aspects of the

ride such as the design of the individual target scenes but also its general atmos-

phere is the movies42 Several genres need to be mentioned in particular the

peplum movie classic Disney animated film the adventure movie and also the

horror movie

One of the most influential peplum movies for instance Clash of the Titans(1981) inspired the selection of the myths represented in the labyrinth in general

the frequent references to pre-history as well as the iconography of individual

characters in the ride Perhaps most importantly the moviersquos focus on

Andromeda who features prominently on the movie posters is reflected in the

attraction by the fact that visitors experience the Andromeda scene almost right

before the final encounter with the Minotaur The attraction also relies on the

moviersquos visual presentation of Andromeda herself who in both media wears white

clothes and a golden headdress The visuals of the attractionrsquos sea monster in con-

trast depart from those in the movie combining features of the deep sea fish and the

whale an allusion to the Biblical story of Jonah as well as Disneyrsquos Pinocchio (1940)

Moreover in the final scene the visitors encounter not only one but six 12-foot

tall minotaurs only one of which however functions as a target for the laser guns

Until one of the figures moves and thus reveals itself to be the lsquorealrsquo Minotaur they

all appear to mirror each other (recalling the mirrors from the previous interim scene

discussed above) a possible reference to the famous lsquomirror scenersquo in Orson Wellesrsquos

1947 movie The Lady from Shanghai which is also set in an amusement park to the

duel between Conan and Thot-Amon in Conan the Destroyer (1984) where unlike

the ride Conan must destroy the mirrors to kill the wizard or to the final duel scene

from 007 mdash The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) Another source of inspiration for

this scene might have been Friedrich Durrenmattrsquos Minotaurus Eine Ballade (1985)

42 On the relationship between movies and videogames see Lukas (2008) on the relation-

ship between movies and theme parks see Freitag (forthcoming)

F I L I P P O C A R L A A N D F L O R I A N F R E I T A G

14 of 18

by guest on October 10 2014

httpcrjoxfordjournalsorgD

ownloaded from

the only work which to our knowledge combines the figure of the Minotaur with a

labyrinth of mirrors

As is often the case with representations of myth the chronological collocation of

the mythical period in a sort of Ur-phase of human history is rendered through

iconographic references to the pre-historic world ie not only to the Bronze Age

which would fit the Minoic setting but also to earlier periods This is particularly

evident not only mdash obviously mdash in the scene representing flying pterodactyls (show

scene 10) In show scene 2 the animatronic representing the lion of Nemea features

an illuminated frill instead of a mane and thus resembles a dinosaur namely a

triceratops Even the Centaurs and the bandits (show scenes 3 and 8) adopt icono-

graphies which strongly evoke pre-historic cave men (see for instance their cloth-

ing and their weapons) a solution often employed in the representation of the

Cyclops and similar lsquouncivilizedrsquo mythological creatures

Several segues in between target scenes are also decorated with tropical plants and

animals as well as ruins thus pointing to the genre of the adventure movie such as

Steven Spielbergrsquos Indiana Jones series (1981ndash2008)43 Adventure movies have a

more specific impact on a particular scene in the middle of the attraction when

visitors reach a sort of lsquosacred spacersquo featuring sculptures of symbolic animals mdash a

bull a lion an eagle (representing in the Christian tradition the Evangelists Luke

Mark and John respectively) and a cobra mdash as well as a representation of the

Sphinx illuminated by fibre optics and in an exposed position Visitors thus seem to

have arrived at the innermost part of a temple containing an ancient idol the awe-

inspiring lsquotranscendentalrsquo atmosphere is additionally stressed by the attractionrsquos

soundtrack

Perhaps the most important filmic genre referenced in the attraction is however

the horror movie genre In addition to the spare lighting in the attraction in general

several interim scenes feature such staples of horror movies as a graveyard with

mice owls the sound of church bells or skeletons Another relevant example of the

use of horror motifs can be observed in the seventh scene whose main character is a

giant spider In the context of an attraction dedicated to myths it is tempting to

identify the spider as Arachne In the myth however the latter is not a malevolent

animal but simply the victim of a goddessrsquos pride The spider therefore could rather

play on the general arachnophobic attitude of modern Western culture

Conclusion

The method of lsquoclose readingrsquo applied to the lsquoEl laberintorsquo ride in the preceding

section could also be profitably employed to analyse other elements in TM such as

rides shops restaurants service areas and restrooms photo opportunities etc To

be sure some components of the park such as the lsquoLos Icarosrsquo swing rides (also in

the Grecia area) reference classical antiquity mainly in their names but otherwise

43 For another example of the use of adventure movies in themed spaces (and in particular

in the Lost City South Africa) see Van Eeden (2007)

lsquo A N C I E N T G R E E K C U L T U R E A N D M Y T H I N T H E T E R R A M I T I C A T H E M E P A R K rsquo

15 of 18

by guest on October 10 2014

httpcrjoxfordjournalsorgD

ownloaded from

use ancient elements for purely decorative purposes only These components con-

tribute to the aesthetic gestalt of the park and thus to its immersiveness but their

involvement with classical cultures is comparatively superficial In these cases such

a deep analysis would be beside the point In most other components however

ancient elements are functionalized and thus cannot be ignored by the guests In the

case of attractions this particularly applies to dark rides in which references to

ancient cultures constitute the narrative core of the ride itself

Among these components it is the lsquoEl laberintorsquo attraction that we have decided

to focus on in this article not only because it provides a paradigmatic example of the

politics of cultural translation in the park but also because of its central position in

the spatial organization of the parkrsquos narrative Situated directly at the entrance to

the Grecia area the ridersquos focus on a selection of ancient Greek myths mdash which are

in the ancient tradition connected neither to the eponymous myth of the ridersquos name

nor for that matter to each other mdash draws on and simultaneously reinforces the

cultural status that myths enjoy in the modern reception of ancient Greece The ride

thus constitutes a particularly fitting introduction to the Greek theme Myths are

perceived as forming the beginning of Greek culture not only in a chronological

sense (having been located by the Greeks themselves in their pre-history cf the

depictions of contemporary imaginations of pre-history in the attraction) but also in

an ontological way as myths are often considered mdash for instance in Freudian and

Jungian psychoanalysis and structuralist anthropology mdash as paradigmatic master

narratives for human impulses and behaviour

Among the various Greek myths in turn the Minotaur constitutes an especially

fitting choice It is an extremely well-known myth whose central character enjoys a

high recognizability due to its peculiar physical appearance and thus fulfils as we

have argued one of the most important prerequisites for cultural reception Some of

the mythrsquos elements are particularly suited for its adaptation as a shooter dark ride

its setting in a labyrinth Theseusrsquos goal of killing the Minotaur and the ways it

allows theme-park guests to identify with Theseusrsquos companions and hence to

immerse themselves into and become a part of the myth Moreover the mythrsquos

geographical setting on the island of Crete allows for a transition between the Egipto

and the Grecia areas of the park that is very much in keeping with the overall layout

of TM as a miniature of the Mediterranean and its teleological history of cultural

progress Crete is placed between Egypt and Greece both in a geographical and a

chronological sense Even if the Minoan civilization was roughly contemporary with

Egyptian civilization mdash the formerrsquos beginnings correspond to the Ancient

Kingdom in Egyptian history its end to the New Kingdom mdash in the popular

imagination and in schoolbooks they often follow one another a narrative perpetu-

ated by TM Likewise the depiction of the various myths within the attraction is

determined by previous popular forms of reception and in addition draws on

popular movie genres mostly disconnected from the ancient world to create specific

ambiances Here too lsquoEl laberintorsquo draws on received narratives and iconographies

and further perpetuates them

F I L I P P O C A R L A A N D F L O R I A N F R E I T A G

16 of 18

by guest on October 10 2014

httpcrjoxfordjournalsorgD

ownloaded from

Hence this close reading of lsquoEl laberintorsquo significantly contributes to the analysis

of TMrsquos politics of cultural translation on the macro level illustrating its various

strategies and functions and making them more visible In addition it represents an

approach to theme parks that has only been practiced very rarely in theme park

studies which tend to be dominated by more general studies of entire parks Only

genuinely transdisciplinary approaches such as the one adopted in this article

provide a key to understanding representations and re-functionalizations of past

societies in 21st-century popular culture revealing insights into the continued yet

ever changing relevance of the ancient world in contemporary society

References

E Avila Popular Culture in the Age of the White Flight Fear and Fantasy in Suburban Los Angeles(Berkeley University of California Press 2004)

J Baudrillard Amerique (Paris Grasset 1986)mdashmdash lsquoSimulacra and Simulationsrsquo Jean Baudrillard Selected Writings ed by M Poster (Stanford

Stanford University Press 1988) pp 166ndash84L Bieger Asthetik der Immersion Raum-Erleben zwischen Welt und Bild Las Vegas Washington und die

White City (Bielefeld Transcript 2007)W T Borrie lsquoDisneyland and Disney World Designing and Prescribing the Recreational

Experiencersquo Loisir et societeSociety and Leisure 22 (1999) 71ndash82A Bryman Disney and His Worlds (London Routledge 1995)mdashmdash lsquoThe Disneyization of Societyrsquo The Sociological Review 47 (1999) 25ndash47F Carla and F Freitag lsquoStrategien der Geschichtstransformation in Themenparksrsquo in C Sarti (ed)

Geschichtstransformationen ndash Transformations of History (Bielefeld Transcript 2015)G Despinis Parthenoneia (Athenai Archaiologike Hetaireia 1982)U Eco Travels in Hyperreality Essays trans by W Weaver (San Diego Harvest Books 1986)S M Fjellman Vinyl Leaves Walt Disney World and America (Boulder Westview 1992)F Freitag lsquolsquoLike Walking into a Moviersquo Intermedial Relations between Disney Theme Parks and

Moviesrsquo Journal of Popular Culture (forthcoming)A Gardner lsquoThe Past as Playground The Ancient World in Video Game Representationrsquo in

Archaeology and the Media ed by T Clack and M Brittain (Walnut Creek Left Coast Press2007) pp 255ndash72

D M Halperin One Hundred Years on Homosexuality and Other Essays on Greek Love (New YorkRoutledge 1990)

K M Hjemdahl lsquoHistory as Cultural Playgroundrsquo Ethnologia Europaea 32 (2002) 105ndash24C Holtorf From Stonehenge to Las Vegas Archaeology as Popular Culture (Walnut Creek Altamira

Press 2005)mdashmdash lsquoImagine This Archeology in the Experience Economyrsquo in Contemporary Archeologies

Excavating Now ed by C Holtorf and A Piccini (Frankfurt am Main Peter Lang 2009) pp 47ndash64mdashmdash lsquoThe Presence of Pastness Themed Environments and Beyondrsquo in Staging the Past Themed

Environments in Transcultural Perspectives ed by J Schlehe and others (Bielefeld Transcript 2010)pp 23ndash40

mdashmdash lsquoOn Pastness A Reconsideration of Materiality in Archaeological Object AuthenticityrsquoAnthropological Quarterly 86 (2013) 427ndash44

M J King lsquoThe New American Muse Notes on the AmusementTheme Parkrsquo Journal of PopularCulture 15 (1981a) 56ndash62

mdashmdash lsquoDisneyland and Walt Disney World Traditional Values in Futuristic Formrsquo Journal of PopularCulture 15 (1981b) 116ndash40

R Latozki Themenfahrt-Philosophie in Kultur des Vergnugens Kirmes und Freizeitparks Schaustellerund Fahrgeschafte Facetten nicht-alltaglicher Orte ed by S Szabo (Bielefeld Transcript 2009)pp 199ndash208

N Lee and K Madej Disney Stories Getting to Digital (New York Springer 2012)

lsquo A N C I E N T G R E E K C U L T U R E A N D M Y T H I N T H E T E R R A M I T I C A T H E M E P A R K rsquo

17 of 18

by guest on October 10 2014

httpcrjoxfordjournalsorgD

ownloaded from

G Lippold lsquoPolykleitos 10rsquo RE 212 Stuttgart 1952 1707ndash18D Lowe lsquoPlaying with Antiquity Videogame Reception of the Classical Worldrsquo in Classics for All

Reworking Antiquity in Mass Culture ed by D Lowe and K Shahabudin (Newcastle upon TyneCambridge Scholars Publishing 2009) pp 64ndash90

S A Lukas lsquoA Politics of Reverence and Irreverence Social Discourse on Theming Controversiesrsquo inThe Themed Space Locating Culture Nation and Self ed by S A Lukas (Lanham MA Lexington2007) pp 271ndash93

mdashmdash lsquoHorror Video Game Remakes and the Question of Medium Remaking Doom Silent Hill andResident Evilrsquo in Fear Cultural Anxiety and Transformation Horror Science Fiction and FantasyFilms Remade ed by S A Lukas and J Marmysz (Lanham MA Lexington 2008) pp 221ndash42

M Malamud Ancient Rome and Modern America (Oxford Wiley-Blackwell 2009)M Mitrasinovic Total Landscape Theme Parks Public Space (Burlington Ashgate 2006)I O Rajewski Intermedialitat (Tubingen Francke 2002)G Ruiz Zapatero lsquoCelts and Iberians Ideological Manipulations in Spanish Archaeologyrsquo in Cultural

Identity and Archaeology The Construction of European Communities ed by P Graves-Brown andothers (London Routledge 1996) pp 179ndash95

J Solomon The Ancient World in the Cinema (New Haven Yale University Press 2001)R Schickel The Disney Version The Life Times Art and Commerce of Walt Disney (Chicago Ivan R

Dee 1997)J Schlehe and M Uike-Bormann lsquoStaging the Past in Cultural Theme Parks Representations of Self

and Other in Asia and Europersquo in Staging the Past Themed Environments in TransculturalPerspectives ed by J Schlehe and others (Bielefeld Transcript 2010) pp 57ndash91

Staging the Past Themed Environments in Transcultural Perspectives ed by J Schlehe and others(Bielefeld Transcript 2010)

J Van Eeden lsquoTheming Mythical Africa at the Lost Cityrsquo in The Themed Space Locating CultureNation and Self ed by S A Lukas (Lanham MA Lexington 2007) pp 213ndash35

M Wallace lsquoMickey Mouse History Portraying the Past at Disney Worldrsquo Radical History Review 32(1985) 33ndash57

F I L I P P O C A R L A A N D F L O R I A N F R E I T A G

18 of 18

by guest on October 10 2014

httpcrjoxfordjournalsorgD

ownloaded from