Download Mythology

Mythology
An Introduction
What comes to mind when you
hear the word “mythology”?
For Mrs. Westra…
 Gods and goddesses
 Greece
 Disney
 Creatures and monsters
 Special powers
 How something came to be
Why do we enjoy mythology?
“Human beings have always been myth
makers.” Karen Armstrong, A Short
History of Myth, 2005.
“Strong myths never die…. Myth precedes
literature. The oldest stories were passed
from mouth to ear to mouth long before
they traveled from hand to page.”
Margaret Atwood, “The Myth Series & Me,”
2005
Connection to you…

When do you tell stories?

How do you tell stories?
– Do you ever exaggerate?

Why do you enjoy telling stories?
Myths have been described in
many ways:
stories of forgotten origin
 stories that involve supernatural beings
and activities
 stories that explain some aspect of human
nature or of the world

stories that may describe some historical
event (with embellishment)
 Stories that belong to a “mythological
system” or group of stories used by a
particular society at some particular point
in history
 stories that have no one single author, but
came into existence through oral tradition
(therefore, there are many versions)

Characteristics and a Definition
Myth is a Greek word meaning “story”
 Myths usually involve gods or heroes
 Myths are often so old that their origins
are unknown

Myths had many uses for
ancient peoples:
to explain the world around them
 to teach history
 to understand human nature and
behaviour
 to teach morality and ethics

Natural Science

Because ancient peoples couldn’t explain
many aspects of natural science, they
used myth to help comprehend their
world:
– Zeus, the father-god, does not just live in the
sky, but is the sky
– Mount Etna in Sicily is an active Volcano
because Typhon is buried beneath it
History

In many ancient cultures, few could read
or write; consequently, myths were used
to teach and remember history.
– Archaeologists have proven that the city of
Troy existed and that there was a great battle
there
Psychology

Myths were also used to help understand
human behaviour. In a way, they are
humanity’s first attempt at practising
psychology.
– Cronos being killed by his son Zeus depicts
the situation faced by ancient Kings
Morals

Myths were also a way to teach morality
and ethics.
– Many gods and heroes have admirable
qualities
– Cupid and Psyche = Love and Soul
Why study mythology?
To understand the people who were here
before us
 To understand what it means to be human
 To gain insight into the mysteries of the
world

What do we know about ancient
civilizations?
Ancient civilizations were built in many
places such as Mesopotamia, Egypt,
Greece, Italy, China and Mexico
 From each of these civilizations arose
many stories and mythologies
 Ancient Greece existed about 3 000 years
ago

Timeline of Ancient Civilizations
Mythology in our world today
There are many references to Greek
mythology when we look around us
 Consider the following examples:

Sports Teams
In Advertising…
A Valentine’s Day Card!
Store Names…
Honda Odyssey

The Odyssey refers to the 10-year sea voyage
endured by the Trojan War hero, Odysseus, as
he sought to return home to Ithaca
Statue outside the Rockefeller
Centre, New York City:
Atlas, a Greek mythological character, seen
here, bent under the weight of the sky (or
the world) stands
outside the famous
Rockefeller Centre
The Olympics!
According to legend, the Olympics were founded
by Heracles (the Roman Hercules), a son of
Zeus.
 Yet, the first Olympic Games for which we still
have written records were held in 776 BCE
(though it is generally believed that the Games
had been going on for many years already)
 At this Olympic Games, a naked runner,
Coroebus (a cook from Elis), won the sole event
at the Olympics, the stade - a run of
approximately 192 metres (210 yards)

The ancient Olympic games grew and
continued to be played every four years
for nearly 1200 years
 but were abolished in 393 by a Christian
Roman Emporer because he thought they
were pagan
 They were revived in the late 1800s when
a Frenchman gathered together an
Olympic committee (the IOC)

Keep an eye out!
There are lots of allusions to mythology in
modern society
 Can you think of anymore?
