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Myths
6th Grade Language Arts
Kyrene Reading Curriculum Strand 2: Comprehending Literary Text
Concept 1: Elements of Literature
P.O. 12 Identifying various genres of fiction based on their characteristics
Rev. 2 JAE 1/16/08
Myths
• From the Greek mythos, myth
means story or word
• Mythology is the study of myths
• Symbolic tales of the distant past
that concern the origin and nature
of the universe
• May be connected to belief
systems or rituals, and may serve
to direct social action and values
Definition of a Myth
• A traditional or legendary story that
deals with supernatural beings,
ancestors, or heroes; intended to
explain the mysteries of the natural
world, or the customs or ideals of a
society.
From Kyrene School District Reading Curriculum Glossary
Cassandra's Murder
Myths Answered Questions
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Zeus
Explain the natural world
Who are we?
How should we live?
Where are we going?
What is courage?
What is love?
What is the difference between
right and wrong?
Characteristics of Myths
• Heroes with supernatural powers
• Gods and goddesses as
characters
• Monsters threaten hero
• Explanations are provided for
natural occurrences and human
behavior
• Magic is present
• Cultural values are expressed
From Holt Elements of Literature Skills Practice
Heroes with Supernatural Powers
• Examples:
Hercules - famed warrior. But Zeus's jealous wife,
Hera, made him temporarily insane, and he
killed his wife and children. As punishment
Heracles performed twelve seemingly
impossible labors
Achilles - the strongest and most fearless warrior
in the Greek war against the Trojans
Theseus - using a ball of magic thread from the
princess Ariadne, found his way in and out of
the labyrinth and killed the beast
Gods and Goddesses as Characters
• Examples:
• Zeus - god of the sky and the
king of Olympus
• Hera - goddess of marriage and
the queen of Olympus
• Apollo - god of music and
healing
• Aphrodite - goddess of love and
beauty
• Ares – god of war
Monsters Threaten Hero
• Examples:
• Cyclopes - gigantic and had a single
eye in the middle of its forehead
• Hydra - massive and poisonous
serpent with nine heads
• Minotaur - man-eating monster with
the head of a bull
• Gorgons - horrifyingly ugly monsters,
with hair was made of serpents, and
one look from a Gorgon's eyes would
turn a man to stone (i.e. Medusa)
Explanations are Provided for
Natural Occurrences and Human
Behavior
• Examples:
• Crops failed, Demeter was
unhappy
• Businesses prospered, Athena
favored them
• Lighting bolts were hurled by
Zeus when he was angry
• Rising sun was Helios in a
luminous chariot driving across
the sky
Magic is Present
• Medusa – turning people to
stone
• Pandora’s Box containing all the
evils (greed, vanity, slander,
envy, etc.)
• Beautiful Io turned into a cow
• Echo – could only repeat what
someone said to her
Cultural Values are Expressed
Examples:
• Arachne boasted about her
weaving and the goddess
Athena turned her into a spider
• Narcissus was too egotistical,
made to fall in love with himself
and died