MYTHOLOGY

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MYTHOLOGY

• Greek mythology
• and epic poetry

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What is a myth?

• A myth is an ancient anonymous story usually
  involving gods and goddesses

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Why did people create myths?

• myths conveyed the beliefs and ideals of its
  culture
• myths helped people understand natural events and
  human action
• myths helped people control their world

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Why study mythology?

• Mythology still has a tremendous influence in our
  modern lives
• references and allusions in literature
• vocabulary
• symbolism
• how we form concepts like heroes

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Allusions in literature

• An allusion is a reference to a historical or
  literary figure or event. It may allude to myth,
  religion, or to any other aspect of ancient or
  modern culture.

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• from The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe
• And the Raven, never flitting, still is
  sitting,still is
  sitting
• On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my
  chamber door
• from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
• Borrow Cupids wings,
• And soar with them above a common bond.

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We make mythological references when we speak

• Referring to someone who
• has the Midas touch
• has an Achilles heel
• has opened a Pandoras box

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Mythological allusions show up everywhere!
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Many common words have mythological beginnings

• panic
• atlas
• cereal
• narcissism

• siren
• venison
• echo
• iridescent

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Mythological symbols are also common

• Business logos

• The caduceus is a well-known symbol for the
  medical profession

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Until Greek mythology, gods and goddesses had no
likeness to anything realistic.

• The Greek miracle took place when the focus of
  all art and thought was human-centered.
• The Greeks created
  gods and goddesses that
  looked just like them.
• These gods lived on Mt.
  Olympus and mirrored Greek
  qualities faithfully.
• Greek gods were quarrelsome,
  unforgiving deities. They
  were depicted in human form with beautiful and
  perfect bodies.

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The Olympian Gods
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Greek mythology started by explaining how the
world beganfirst, there was Chaos - a
nothing.In Greek mythology, the gods did not
create the universe. Instead, the universe
created the gods to establish a sense of order.
The elder gods were known as the Titans.

• TITANS
• Cronus (Saturn) the father Titan
• Oceanus (ocean)
• Tethys (fresh water)
• Hyperion (sun)
• Mnemosyne (memory)

• Iapetus (underworld)
• Atlas (supported the heavens)
• Prometheus (friend/fire-bringer of humanity)
• Themis (law/order)

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The Titans were overthrown by the Olympian gods.
There are 12 Olympian gods

• Zeus
• Poseidon
• Hades
• Hestia
• Hera
• Ares

• Athena
• Apollo
• Aphrodite
• Hermes
• Artemis
• Hephaestus

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14 Olympian Gods?

• The Twelve Olympians, in Greek mythology, were
  the principal gods of the Greek pantheon,
  residing atop Mount Olympus. There were, at
  various times, fourteen different gods recognized
  as Olympians, though never more than twelve at
  one time. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Ares, Hermes,
  Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Athena, Apollo, and
  Artemis are always considered Olympians. Hestia,
  Demeter, Dionysus, and Hades are the variable
  gods among the Twelve. Hestia gave up her
  position as an Olympian to Dionysus in order to
  live among mankind (eventually she was assigned
  the role of tending the fire on Mount Olympus).
  Persephone spent six months of the year in the
  underworld (causing winter), and was allowed to
  return to Mount Olympus for the other six months
  in order to be with her mother, Demeter. And,
  although Hades was always one of the principal
  Greek gods, his home in the underworld of the
  dead made his connection to the Olympians more
  tenuous. The Olympians gained their supremacy in
  the world of gods after Zeus led his siblings to
  victory in war with the Titans Zeus, Hera,
  Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades were
  siblings all other Olympians (with the exception
  of foam-born Aphrodite) are usually considered
  the children of Zeus by various mothers, except
  for Athena, who in some versions of the myth was
  born of Zeus alone. Additionally, some versions
  of the myth state that Hephaestus was born of
  Hera alone as Hera's revenge for Zeus' solo birth
  of Athena

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There were also other, lesser gods as well as
monsters and other mythical beings.

• Monsters
• Medusacould turn you to stone
• Cyclopsone-eyed giants
• Scylla100 snakes w/ dogs heads

• Lesser gods
• Eros god of love
• Iris goddess of rainbows
• Aeolus god of the 4 winds

• Mythical Beings
• Pegasus winged horse
• Minotaur 1/2 man, 1/2 bull
• Centaur 1/2 man, 1/2 horse
• Nymphs beautiful women tree-, wood-, stream-,
  sea-

• Heroes
• Perseus
• Heracles (Hercules)
• Jason
• Odysseus

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Heroes were important to the Greeks. Their
stories followed a certain pattern known as the
heroic cycle.
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The Heroic Cycle
1.ORIENTATION
3.REORIENTATION
1) The Call
2) Preparation
10. Sharing the Gift
3) Allies
The Everyday World
4) Guardians of the Threshold
5) Crossing the Threshold
________________________________
9. The Return
The Underworld
8) Transforming Changes
6) Road of Trials
7) Saving Experience or Gift
2.DISORIENTATION
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Heroes stories were usually told by epic poems.

• EPIC POEM a long, narrative poem that relied on
  memorization to be passed down from generation to
  generation
• Epic Poems have certain characteristics
• recited orally
• centers on a hero or quasi-divine figure on whose
  actions depends the fate of a tribe, a nation, or
  the human race
• told in elevated language
• epics begin in media res, or in the middle of
  things

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The Epic Hero

• A hero whos larger than life
• (generally) is on a quest
• setting usually involves an enormous area of the
  world
• has immense courage and craft
• supernatural forces invade into the affairs of men

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Gods

• Zeus
• Hera
• Poseidon
• Ares
• Athena
• Apollo
• Artemis
• Hephaestus

• Jupiter or Jove
• Juno
• Neptune
• Mars
• Minerva
• Apollo
• Diana
• Vulcan

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Gods

• Aphrodite
• Hermes
• Hestia
• Demeter
• Hades

• Venus
• Mercury
• Vesta
• Ceres
• Pluto

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Zeus - Jupiter

• King of the gods. He is sometimes angry at the
  behavior of gods and people, but he can also be a
  gentle and caring ruler. He is known for hurling
  destructive lightning bolts.

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Hera - Juno

• Zeus's wife and also his sister. Queen of the
  gods and guardian of marriage. She is a great
  lady and diplomat. Though she is often jealous
  and nag her husband, she can also be a tender and
  loving wife.

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Poseidon - Neptune

• Zeus brother. God of the ocean and of
  earthquakes. He is often distinguished in art by
  the fishermans trident he carries. He spends
  most of his time in the ocean.

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Ares - Mars

• Son of Zeus and Hera. The god of war

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Athena - Minerva

• Daughter of Zeus ( born, it is said, from his
  brain when he had a bad headache). She is the
  goddess of wisdom, war, patriotism, arts, crafts,
  and good citizenship. She is the protector and
  namesake for the city of Athens.

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Apollo

• Son of Zeus and the goddess Leto. God of poetry,
  music, medicine, archery, and light. He is
  associated with the sun.

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Artemis - Diana

• Apollos twin sister. Goddess of hunting and of
  wild things. She is associated with the moon.
  She is sometimes called Cynthia.

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Hephaestus - Vulcan

• Son of Hera. The lame blacksmith god of fire and
  artisans.

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Aphrodite - Venus

• The goddess of love and beauty. She is said to
  have been born of the sea foam. She is the wife
  of Hephaestus. Her son Eros (Cupid) shoots
  arrows that cause men and women to fall in love.
  Another son, Aeneas, was a mortal man considered
  to be the ancestor of the Romans.

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Hermes - Mercury

• Son of Zeus and Maia, a daughter of Atlas. Swift
  messenger of the gods. He is also the god of
  science and invention. He is the patron of
  thieves and rogues.

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Hestia - Vesta

• Zeus sister. Goddess of the hearth and home.

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Demeter - Ceres

• Zeus sister. She is the goddess of grain,
  agriculture, and fertility. She provides and a
  bond between heaven and earth.

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Hades - Plutos

• Although not one of the Olympians, this brother
  of Zeus is one of the most important of the gods.
  He is the god of the dead and the underworld.
  He is a dim, shadowy figure who stayed in the
  underworld (also called Hades) most of the time.