Download Purposes of Mythology

Defining Mythology
Myth is difficult to define.
To the Greeks the word muthoi meant
“stories.”
But we now think of myth as more than
this- it is a story with a deeper meaning- it
usually seeks to explain some aspect of
nature or some cultural practice.
How Do We Know?
Greek myths have been handed down to
us by a number of authors.
One of the earliest sources is Hesiod- in
his Theogony he relates the story of the
creation of the world and the gods.
Another early source is Homer, who wrote
the Iliad and the Odyssey.
How do We Know?
There are also other poems that claim to
be written by Homer (but are not): these
are called “Homeric Hymns.”
The Greek writer Apollonius of Rhodes
also provides an account of the myth of
Jason and Medea.
How do We Know?
The Roman writer Ovid also provides
many stories borrowed or adapted from
Greek works in a book called the
Metamorphoses.
Purposes of Mythology
Explain Natural Phenomena
- myths can be used to explain
occurrences
of nature
Explain the origins of customs (Etiological)
- myths can provide a legendary account
of
why certain cultural practices exist
Purpose of Myths
Myths Reflect historical events
- myths are more interesting ways of
telling
the stories of past events
Myths Have a Moral
- they provide a negative example of what
human beings ought not to do
Example of a Nature
Myth
Myth of
Persephone
Demeter was the
goddess of grain
who had a
daughter named
Persephone
Hades, the god of
the underworld,
falls in love with
Persephone
Sculpture of Demeter
The Myth of
Persephone
Sculpture of Hades
Caryying Off Persephone
Living in the
bowels of the earth
with Hades is not
an appealing idea,
so Hades carries
off Persephone to
the underworld
The Myth of
Persephone
Enraged, Demeter
refuses to make
the crops groweventually
humankind is on
the point of
starvation
Finally Zeus, the
king of the gods,
has to give in- he
sends Hermes, the
messenger of the
gods to bring up
Persephone
Sculpture of Hades Ruling
the Underworld
With Proserpina
The Myth of
Persephone
However, before
leaving
Persephone ate a
pomegranate
seed- it was said
that anyone who
ate a pomegranate
seed had to spend
at least a third of
the year in the
underworld
Sculpture of Persephone
Eating the Pomegranate Seed
What Does this Myth
Mean?
What natural phenomenon does this help
to explain?
- it explains why seeds are planted in the
winter, remain underground, and do not
grow until spring
A Myth that Reflects
History
Before the Greeks Remains of the Minoan
became the most
Civilization
powerful
civilization in
Greece, a
civilization on the
island of Crete,
called Minoan, was
most powerful
(until about 1450
B.C.)
The Myth of Crete
Eventually Crete’s power declined, and the
Greeks of the mainland became dominant
The Myth of Crete
Plan of the Palace at Knossos
At the center of life
on Crete was a
great palace, a
huge building used
for government,
storage, etc.
The Myth of Crete
This society loved
sports and games
and even had a
sport called “bull
dancing”, in which
the person tried to
grab the horns of a
charging bull and
flip over it.
Fresco From the Palace
Picturing “Bull Dancing”
The Myth of Crete
Sculpture of a Minoan
Snake Goddess
Religion was also
important to this
society- animal
worship was
importantespecially of the
bull.
The Myth of Crete
Over time, a myth
arose among the
Greeks about
Crete:
A King named
Minos once ruled
Crete
Under Minos’
control was a
labyrinth, a great
big maze
A Bull Leaper Figurine
Found at Knossos
The Myth of Crete
Inside the labyrinth was the minotaur- a
creature which was half man and half
bull
Each year the powerful King Minos
forced the Greeks of the mainland to
send 7 young girls and 7 young boys to
be fed to the Minotaur
The Myth of Crete
One year, however, the Greek hero
Theseus put an end to this
Theseus killed the minotaur, and with the
help of a string found his way out of the
labyrinth and returned to Greece
The Myth of Crete
This myth is believed to reflect history:
Where might the idea of the labyrinth
come from?
From the winding, elaborate rooms of
the palace.
Where might the idea of the minotaur
have come from?
The importance of the bull in Cretan
religion.
The Myth of Crete
Where might have the story of the
mainland Greeks having to send the
children to the minotaur have come
from?
From the one time dominance of Crete
over mainland Greece
Where might have the story of Theseus
killing the minotaur have come from?
From the eventual dominance of Crete
over Greece.
A Myth With a Moral
Tantalus was the king of Sipylus in Lydia.
He was the son of Zeus and the gods
showed him great favor.
According to one version of the legend, the
gods even invited him to dinner on Mt.
Olympus, the home of the gods.
A Myth With a Moral
Tantalus, however, decided he wanted to
test the wisdom of the gods.
Tantalus made up a stew- but he cut up his
son Pelops and served him in the stew,
wishing to see if the gods would know.
All saw through the trick except for Diana
or Themis, who ate part of the boy’s
shoulder.
A Myth With a Moral
The gods immediately put Pelops back
together and restored life to him. Demeter
even gave him a shoulder of ivory.
Tantalus was condemned to eternal
punishment in Tartarus (the Greek version
of Hell).
A Myth With a Moral
The eternal punishment of Tantalus was
well-known:
- He stood in a pool of water up to his chin,
but every time he became thirsty and
wished to drink it, the pool dried up
A Myth With a Moral
- Fruit was directly above him, but any time
he reached to get it the wind blew it away.
Also, a rock hung over Tantalus’ head
threatening to fall on him at any time.
What Does This Tell
Us?
It tells us not to question the gods, not to
be overconfident. In Greek mythology this
is known as hubris.