Myth and Legends Mrs. Hoegh Greek Mythology Myth and Legends Mrs. Hoegh

Hero Discussion Why do people have heroes? Do heroes have to live virtuously in all areas of life and have morals? Explain and provide an example. Can a person who has committed murder become a hero? Explain and provide an example. Create a list of heroes (10) and admirable qualities. What do heroes have to do with myths? Create a group definition of a hero. Create a one word definition of a hero.

Answer the following questions the best you can: What is a myth? Are myths true or false? How do you know? Based on what you know about myths, how can you make sense of myths? What is the difference between a myth and a legend? What are the different ways to interpret a myth? What do myths have to do with heroes?

What is a myth? Some people use the word myth to mean fake, but… Mythology is the study of stories that were used to explain the world and other human experiences.

What is a myth? Myths attempts to provide an etiology to explain the unexplainable Etiology, coined from Greek work aition (“cause”), means the study of first causes Myths provide moving or entertaining stories for puzzling phenomena

What is a myth? Many myths serve a religious function, offering sacrifices to the gods Humans petitioned for specific types of help: Hestia (Vesta) for safety of home and family Athena (Minerva) for wisdom or courage Demeter (Ceres) for abundant harvest Artemis (Diana) for successful hunt Ares (Mars) for military might Hermes (Mercury) for traveler’s aid Poiseidon (Neptune) for safe sea voyage Zeus (Jupiter) for justice Aphrodite (Venus) for love Consequence of stories concern themselves with nature and actions of gods and the way they relate to the human race

What is a myth? Myths also explored terrifying aspects of life Myths pointed the way toward acceptable behavior in interactions between gods and humans

The Sacred, Profane and Heroic Hero comes from the Greek word heros Term refers to great men who have died and have become protective local divinities through burial in the soil In wartime, heroism has meant fearlessness in battle, loyalty to allies and cause, slaughtering the enemy In peaceful times, heroism has meant honor, hospitality, loyalty, devotion, adventure

Tellers and Their Tales Myths of Greece and Rome come from an oral tradition Homer and Hesiod, Greek poets, are recognized as the oldest sources we have (eighth or seventh century B.C.) Oracles were priests who received divine knowledge about the future or past events

Contributions Knowledge of classical mythology comes through the work of eight poets and writers: Homer (Greek poet, The Illiad and The Odyssey) Sophocles (philosopher, plays about Oedipus) Ovid (Roman poet) Hesiod (Greek poet) Aeschylus (dramatist) Euripides (dramatist) Apollodorus (mythographer) Vergil (Roman poet)

Elements of Classical Mythology Pantheon of gods, each with his/her own domain and attributes Human and superhuman characters descended from gods Tales of unexplainable events Specific place at an unspecified time Separation or distance from humans Hand of destiny, cannot escape fate Reflection of culture that gave rise to them Myths are essential parts of specific cultures Myths give us insight into how the ancient Greeks and Romans thought and felt about nature, society, gender and many other aspects of their culture

In a Nutshell—What is a myth? Classical myths are terrific, entertaining stories Myths explain the creation of the universe Elements the classical mythology helped establish a distance between world of myths and everyday worlds of people

Are myths true or false? Myths are metaphorically and symbolically true— looking at aspects of human origins, culture, questions (e.g., how did the earth get here? Who are the gods? Where did that rock come from?) Myths are in fact false—think about science and technology

How can you make sense of myths? Analyze metaphors and symbols Compare/contrast characters, events, actions in various myths Learning about specific cultures Understanding the hero’s journey

A Myth and a Legend? Myths are narratives believed to be true based on particular societies but later found to be false Legends are narratives based on some element of history making it realistic fiction, also elements of religion are discovered

The Purposes of Myths Disguised history—modern day Turkey as historical Troy Fables illustrating moral truths Pre-scientific explanation Entertaining Stories Analyzing the hero’s journey

Myths and Heroes? A hero completes a journey: Separation— The Call The Threshold Initiation and Transformation— The Challenges The Abyss The Transformation The Revelation The Atonement The Return

Discuss this with a person near you: Describe your ultimate hero