1. Mythology
An Introduction

2. 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

3. 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

4. Connection to you… When do you tell stories? How do you tell stories?
Do you ever exaggerate?
Why do you enjoy telling stories?

5. 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 have no one single author, but came into existence through oral tradition (therefore, there are many versions)

6. 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

7. 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

8. To Explain the World…
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

9. To Teach History
In many ancient cultures, few could read or write (and they didn’t have textbooks yet); consequently, myths were used to teach and remember history:
Archaeologists have proven that the city of Troy actually existed and that there was a great battle there

10. To Understand Human Nature & Behaviour…
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

11. To Teach Morality & Ethics
Myths were also a way to teach morality and ethics:
Many gods and heroes have admirable qualities…we can learn to be like them
Many have negative qualities…we can learn from their mistakes
Cupid and Psyche = Love and Soul

12. 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
To learn the origins of some words, stories, allusions, lessons, etc.
To read a different genre