Download What Exactly is Mythology??

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What Exactly is Mythology??
I.
What is Mythology?
a. Stories created to ___explain__________ behavior and __nature_________
i. __Science______________ had not been developed as an explanation for
these occurrences
ii. Man had not received __spiritual______________ enlightenment through
_religion________________
b. Told by word of ____mouth________ and handed down from generation to
generation; not __written___________ down until the advent of the following:
i. _Hesoid___________ - 8th century BC – Greek poet who collected myths
ii. _Ovid___________ - 1st century BC – Roman poet who collected myths
iii. Resulted in Greek and Roman _names_______ for the same gods;
__Greek__________ gods were usually more animated and full of character
than _Roman___________ gods
c. Thought of as a _Greek____________ creation, but every major _culture________
has their own myths (Norse, Medieval, etc.) Norse: Thor (Adventures in Babysitting);
Anglo-Saxon:Beowulf
II.
Why do we study Mythology?
a. References to mythology in _literature_________________ and _media_____
i. _Shakespeare_________, Milton, Keats, etc. (Romeo & Juliet:”She hath Diana’s
wit.”)
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ii. _Allusions_________ used throughout Western culture (What does “allude to”
mean?)
b. Mythology and _music_____________
i. The term “music” comes from the _Muses_________, which were the
goddesses of the _arts__(Gods were the earliest musicians: Athena-flute(never
played); Hermes-lyre (gave to Apollo) and shepherd pipe; Pan-pipe of reeds)
ii. Myths tell the creation of musical __instruments_________________
c. Mythological references in __art______________
i. _Paintings___________: Ex. Boticelli’s _Venus_____________
ii. _Sculptures_________________: Ex. Venus de Milo (“apple” in Greek; depicts
Aphrodite; thought to be representation of Venus holding golden apple presented to
her by Paris of Troy; fragment of apple and arm found near it).
d. Beautiful and entertaining stories
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The Olympic Council
Greek Name
Zeus
Latin Name
Jupiter (Jove)
Realm
Symbols
King of the gods; ruler eagle, oak, thunderbolt
of mankind
sea, horses,
trident, dolphins,
earthquakes
horses
Poseidon
Neptune
Phoebus Apollo
Hermes
Phoebus Apollo –
note same name
Mercury
Ares
Mars
Hephaestus
Vulcan
Hera
Juno
Demeter
Ceres
Artemis
Diana
Pallas Athena
Minerva
moon, hunting,
patroness of maidens
(unmarried young
women)
wisdom, war, weaving
Aphrodite
Venus
love and beauty
Ageis (the shield), owl,
shield, olive tree
doves, sparrows
Hestia
Vestia
hearth and home
hearth fire
sun, music, poetry,
medicine
messenger of the
gods; commerce, theft
war
fire and workers in
metal
Queen of the gods;
wife of Zeus;
patroness of married
women
agriculture
lyre, arrows, sun,
chariot
winged cap and
sandals
sword, shield, dogs,
vultures
Anvil, forge
pomegranate, peacock,
cuckoo
sheaf of wheat,
poppies, cornucopia
crescent, stag, arrows
The Epic
The Epic
1. A long _narrative_______________ poem that tells the _adventures_____________ of
larger-than-life _heroes_____________, who, in some way, embody the _values__ of their
civilization.
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2. Sometimes called “_heroic__________ _poems___________”; later epics sometimes
called “_literary_______ _epics__________” because they were created to be like earlier
heroic poems.
3. Characteristics of an epic:
a. A physically _impressive______________ hero of national or historical
_importance___________________
b. A vast _setting____________ involving much of the known world and sometimes
the land of the _dead_______________ as well
c. Action such as a _quest____________ or _journey_______________ taken in
search of something of _value_______________
d. Evidence of __supernatural_____________ forces at work
e. Glorification of the _hero___________ at the end
f. Rooted in a specific _culture____________ and _society_________________
4. Probably told to an audience who could not _read________ or _write___________(told
aloud)
5. Stories had a basic _plot_____________, but there was much _improvisation_________
6. A _formula____________ story: Ex: the _hero_____, beautiful “_damsel in
distress_______________,” much _repetition____________ to help the audience
remember and give the minstrel time to ___think__________ ahead
Homer
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1. No one knows who he was for _sure__________; may have been a _blind_________
minstrel or _rhapsodes____________, which were “singers of _tales_________,”
historians, entertainers, myth makers, etc.
2. Some believe that there may have been __two________ Homers
3. _Oral______ __tradition_____________ - minstrels traveled from town to town telling
_stories_________ and bringing _news__________________
4. Homer gathered the _Trojan________ __War__________ tales into two epics:
a. The Illiad: story of the ten year Trojan War, _war________ epic
b. The Odyssey: story of a Greek _soldier______, Odysseus, attempting to return
_home_________ from the Trojan War, the _journey_________ epic (other
journey epics: The Wizard of Oz, Star Wars)
c. Both stories set in _1200 B.C.__________; gathered into story form about _750
B.C. __________; some disagreement over the _style_______, about whether
_Homer__________ wrote both (the ancient Greeks believed he did)
The Trojan War
1. What caused the Trojan War?
a. _Thetis_________ (a sea nymph, immortal) and _Peleus__________ (mortal)
getting _married______________
b. All gods and goddesses were invited except one: _Eris__________ (the goddess of
_discord__________)
i. She’s upset and wants _revenge________________
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ii. She throws a Golden _Apple__________ into the celebration that reads:
“_To the Fairest____________________” – this causes a big
_fight______________
1. _Hera_________ - Queen of the Gods, says she is
2. _Athena______ - Goddess of Wisdom (who prefers
_reason______________), says she is
3. _Aphrodite________ - Goddess of Love, says she is
iii. _Zeus___________ is asked to judge who is the fairest (one is his
_daughter___________, one is his _sister_________, and the other is his
_lover_________); he asks an _impartial____________________ person to
judge
iv. _Paris______________ is chosen to judge
1. A young _sheepherder_________________
2. Son of King _Priam___________ and Queen _Hecuba_______
3. He doesn’t know that the oracle predicted that he would
_destroy____________ _Troy____________
2. The Judgment of Paris
a. _Hera___________ offers him to be King of the _world_________ - he will get
_power_______ and __wealth___________ if he chooses her
b. _Athena_________ offers him great _victories_________ and _wisdom__________
if he chooses her
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c. _Aphrodite__________ offers him the most beautiful _woman_______ in the world
if he chooses her
d. _Paris_________ gives the Golden _Apple___________ to
_Aphrodite__________________
i. He said she _deserved______________ it
ii. The other two want __revenge________________
3. The most beautiful _mortal_____________ woman in Greece is _Helen of
Troy___________
a. She has hundreds of _boyfriends/suitors______________ who have asked for her
hand in _marriage_________________; she can’t _decide_________________
b. Solemn Oath of Suitors – all _boyfriends________________ pledge to
_defend_____________ whomever she chooses
c. Her father chooses _Menelaus___________________, King of Sparta, over
everyone else
i. _Helen__________ never _loved__________ him
ii. She fell in _love________ with _Paris___________ when he came to
_Sparta_____________________
iii. She left with him _willingly________________ to return to _Troy___
iv. Remember the _Solemn Oath of Suitors____________________ - they
pledge to get her back for _Menelaus________________
v. So, Helen is said to be “The _face__________ that __launched_______ a
thousand __ships____________”
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPeBOByu5Og
4. Important things to know
a. _Odysseus_______________ - pretended to be _mad________ so he didn’t have
to go to _war____________; he plows the _beach_________, so others put his
baby _son____ in his path as a test; Odysseus _swerved_____, proving that he was
_sane__________
b. _Agamemnon______________ - Greek _Commander-inChief___________________, brother of _Menelaus___________, vows to fight
for _Helen____________
c. _Achilles___________ - greatest _warrior______________; when he was born the
_Oracle______________ said he would _die_____ in a war, so his mother made
him “__immortal___________” by dunking him in the _River
Styx_______________, but she missed part of his __heel_______
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BiLCJxpqi4
i. Another oracle said the _war_______ would not be won without
_Achilles_________, so his mom makes him wear _girl’s_______ clothes and
hide among _maidens______________
ii. _Odysseus__________ was sent to find him and trick him with
_jewels______________
d. _Aulis__________ - meeting place where everyone meets with their
_ships__________; _impossible___________ to sail from this port with strong
north _winds______________
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e. _Sacrifice of Iphigenia___________________________ - she is the daughter of
__Agamemnon______________; she must be ___sacrificed_ in order to be able to
set _sail_______ and appease _Artemis___________; Agamemnon lies to his
_wife______ and says that he has arranged for her to be _married____________
to Achilles, when she arrives she is _sacrificed____________________
f. Greek landing at _Troy________ - oracle said the first _man_______ to set
_foot_________ on shore would _die__________; finally,
_Protesilaus___________________ takes the plunge, he is _killed_________ but
manages to _kill______ four Trojans before his __death___________
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFWOzENwX3M
g. _Trojan War_________________ - _nine____ year struggle;
_stalemate___________; Achilles has a fight with _Agamemnon__________ and
quits _fighting_______________; they realize they can’t _win_____ the war
without _Achilles_______________________
h. _Patroclus__________________ - Achilles’ best _friend__________, begs Achilles
to come back to the _war_________, Achilles says _no____ so Patroclus asks to
_wear_________ Achilles’ _armor__________
i. Patroclus is _killed__________ by _Hector_____________ who thinks he
has killed _Achilles___________
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cz7u8RPYKo
ii. Achilles is so _upset__________ that he returns to the _war_______ and
kills _Hector___________, who was the most famous
_Trojan_____________ warrior
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW256O1uK74
i. _Hector_____________ - Paris’ oldest _brother______________, is dragged
behind a _chariot___________ (driven by __Achilles____________) for 3 days;
King Priam____ begs for the return of _Hector’s____________ body and Achilles
gives in
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hsnf-TDK8CM
j. _Paris____________ is now ready to _avenge_____________ the death of his
brother; he shoots an _arrow___________ guided by _Apollo____________ and
hits the one spot on his _heel________ - Achilles _dies____________
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlpyHCN9qK0
k. _Trojan Horse________________________ - this is a plan by __Odysseus___;
Greeks say they __surrender______________ and offer the horse as a
_peace_____________ offering to the _Trojans_______
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbiR6IMf5KQ
l. _Trojans_____________________ rejoice, party, and pass out; in the early
_morning_________ hours, the _Greeks_____________ descend from the
_belly__________ of the wooden horse and open the _gates____ to
_Troy____________ to allow the rest of the Greek _soldiers_________ in to
_destroy_______________ Troy
m. _Aenaeas___________________ was the only __Trojan______________ man
left to _________get away__________; he will later be the
_founder____________ of _Rome______________
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5. So, after __ten__________ years of __fighting_______________, the
_Greeks____________ set sail for __home___________ (the name of the epic poem
that tells the story of the Trojan War is ___the Iliad______________________)- this is
where The Odyssey begins – with _Odysseus’________________ journey home!