Download Myth

The Birth of Myths
• Before true religion, man tried to explain the
world around him. He did so by creating myths.
• For a long time, these myths were not written
down; they were transmitted by word of mouth,
otherwise known as the oral tradition.
• Finally, after a long time, a great poet would
come along and write them down.
• All cultures have their own set of myths.
Why myths are studied
• Myths are studied for four reasons:
• They have had a deep influence on literature;
Greek and Roman mythology have had a huge
impact on English and American literature.
• They have had an influence in the music world as
well.
• They are also seen in the arts—paintings and
sculptures.
• They also give us entertainment and connect us to
the past.
Where myths are found:
• In literature
• In arts—painting, sculptures
• In advertising (Nike—Greek
goddess of victory)
• In our language—(Thursday,
named after Norse god of thunder
“Thor”), in Science
Definitions
• Myth: an account of the deeds
of gods or of a supernatural
being; it relates supposed
historical events, or serves to
explain some practice, belief,
or natural phenomenon.
• Mythology: the study of
myths; the system of myths
told by a given culture
• Polytheism: belief in many
gods; mythology has many
gods
How the world began according to
the Greeks
• The coming of the Gods
• At first there was nothing but
CHAOS—a vast seething confusion;
lots of stuff within but no order
• Eventually, all that stuff, became two
beings—supernatural beings—
Uranus—called the Overhanging
Heavens, and Gaea—mother earth
• Uranus and Gaea get married, and have
children
• They have 12 children—called the
TITANS
• They have monsters—two different
kinds—3 that had 100 arms—
Hecatoncheires; 3 that had one eye—
called the Cyclopes
• Uranus hated all his kids
• Hated monsters most—locked in
Tartarus (Hades)
• Gaea was mad—loved all kids
• Goes to the Titans, and tries to get to fight Uranus
to release her monster children and take over
Olympus
• Only one Titan helped Gaea, and that was Cronos
(whom the Romans named Saturn)
• With the help of Cronos, they kill Uranus—slashing
him open and out of the blood of Uranus comes
the giants, and the Furies (hair of serpents—
Medusa/Medea)
• Cronos is able to take over Mt. Olympus
• Cronos he marries his sister--Rhea
• Cronus marries Rhea
• They have kids 6 children—three boys,
three girls
• As they are born, Cronus, who is afraid that
his kids might kill him and take over, he
eats them
• Rhea is angry
• When the last child is born, a boy, named
Zeus, she hides him on earth in a cave,
and puts a rock in his place, wrapped with
a blanket.
• Cronus comes to see his child, take the
rock, and eats it
• Zeus grows up the strongest of the
olympians
• Zeus is full grown, he and his mom Rhea,
decide to take over Mt. Olympus.
• Zeus goes and frees the monsters that are locked
in Tartarus to fight for him
• Zeus goes to Cronus with mom and gives Cronus
a drink that makes him throw up his brothers and
sisters (Vesta, Ceres, and Juno and Pluto,
Neptune)
• A war rages for a long time between Cronus and
his people (some of the titans on his side) and
Zeus and his people (his
brothers/sister/monters/mom)
• Finally Zeus wins
• Zeus (Jupiter) marries his sister Juno (Hera)
The Four ages (periods) of Man
• Golden Age: This is when Cronus ruled
the earth
• Eternal springtime
• Dying was peaceful
• No laboring; you had everything you needed
• The Silver Age
• Jupiter (Zeus) ruled the earth
• Seasons came to be/ man had to
work to keep warm, gather food, more
difficult time period, courage in man
prevailed.
• Man forgot was to pay respect to the
gods
• The Bronze age:
• Man made war
• Man made weapons and war upon one another
• The Iron Age
• Era of crime and dishonor; mankind sank utter
degradation
Prometheus and Epimetheus:
• Titan named Prometheus (means
“forethought”—he tell what was going to
happen before it did)
• His brother name Epimetheus (means
“hindsight”—could only tell what he should
have done in the past once it was done)
• Prometheus was an advisor to Zeus
• Zeus was angry with man on earth, he
asked Prometheus what to do?
• Zeus decides to sweep the earth clean
and start over
• Prometheus takes clay river bank molds a
man into it and then breathes live into it
• New race—female and a male—Deucalion
and Pyrrha
•
•
•
•
This new race is weak
Prometheus wants to help them
Zeus says no
Prometheus says whatever, I am bringing
them fire and he does
• He helps man learn how to build tools and
cook food
• Zeus gets really really angry
• Zeus decides to get back at Prometheus
• His son (Vulcan/ Hephaestus) build a woman
named Pandora (‘all gifts) and he gives a jar full
of bad stuff –like plagues, disease, worry, fear,
misfortune
• Zeus sends Pandora down to Prometheus—but
he knows the future and turns her away
• Prometheus warns his brother to turn away any
gift of Zeus, but…
• Epimetheus takes Pandora and together they
open the box
• They let out all the evils within, but close the box
with only hope left inside