A child’s mind is fuel for new ideas and creations because it is full of imagination. Their way of thinking is pure, uncorrupted by the adults of society. People may think that a child is irrational and immature in their thoughts, but the truth is that they are living in their world, the way they imagine it. Based on their experiences, they are able to design anything in their head, whether it is the shape of a cloud or a monster under the bed. When there is not an explanation for something, those who are innovative make one. For example, a simple question running through a child’s mind could be “Why is the closet so dark when the lights are on?”. Because there is no one telling right from wrong, they could assume anything they feel is rational, like a dark monster taking away all the light. Adults may refer to that as a myth, meaning that it is untrue and delusional, but the Greeks and Romans saw myths in a different way. A myth was a way for them to explain everything around them and answer their questions, similar to those of a child. In their mythology, there are several monsters that help to answer these questions and others who serve as a reflection of their culture’s beliefs. The fiends of their mythology can then be classified into three different groups, incorporating both answers and reflections. These classifications of Greek and Roman monsters include those who are fatally destructive, craftily lethal, and distinctly unique. The myth of the Labours of Heracles contributes to the understanding of the monsters it includes, like The Stymphalian Birds and Cerberus. These beasts are fearsome in their own ways. Robert Graves illustrates how the Stymphalian Birds migrated, causing havoc and destruction where ever they wen... ... middle of paper ... ...h 23, 2010, from http://www.ancienthistory.abc-clio.com Nardo, Don. The Greenhaven Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman Mythology. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2002. Scylla. (2010). In World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. Retrieved March 22, 2010, from http://www.ancienthistory.abc-clio.com Siren. (2010). In World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. Retrieved March 22, 2010, from http://www.ancienthistory.abc-clio.com Spartan Women. (2010). In World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. Retrieved March 22, 2010, from http://www.ancienthistory.abc-clio.com Taylor, Richard P. (2010). Cerberus. In World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. Retrieved March 22, 2010, from http://www.ancienthistory.abc-clio.com Taylor, Richard P. (2010). Greek soul. In World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. Retrieved March 23, 2010, from http://www.ancienthistory.abc-clio.com
Children have their own views of the world. they do not see it as adults do, and they do not see it as other children do. the world is, at this point, a product of their imagination and whatever information they draw in from the world using their senses. (wilkie 100)
Osborn, Kevin, Dana Burgess, and Inc net Library. “The Complete Idiot's Guide to Classical Mythology”. New York, N.Y.: Alpha Books, 1998. Web. 1st December 2012.
Throughout Dante's terrifying quest into the depths of Inferno he encounters many mythological characters and creatures. The legendary characters that Dante borrows from the Greek mythology are punished in his hell for deceiving others and succumbing to the excitement of passion, amongst them are Dido, Odysseus, Achilles, Paris and Helen, Tristan and Sinon. The mythical monsters oversee these damned souls. These imaginary creatures are of central importance to Dante’s journey and to the narrative, as they not only challenge his presence in Inferno, but also are guardians of Hell, judging and punishing the souls. As well, they represent important themes in the Inferno, and are interpretations of important symbols. The mythological characters are vital in this epic poem, as they are not only used as important metaphors, but also keep the Inferno going.
Every Greek myth with a hero in it has a monster or monsters that the hero must face at some point in the myth. “MONSTERS,…, were beings of unnatural proportions or parts, usually regarded with terror, as possessing immense strength and ferocity, which they employed for the injury and annoyance of men. […]”(Bullfinch). The monsters in the Greek myths are antagonists to the heroes and represent evil. An example of a Greek myth monster is, “… The Stymphalian Birds
One of the most interesting qualities of Greek mythology is probably the depiction of monsters in the myths. However, these monsters are not all unique. In fact, they all fall into very distinct categories, making them almost the same. Most monsters in Greek mythology look and act in the same ways. Several monsters from these myths look the same in that they have very similar qualities such as being large, snake or human like. However, they are also very alike in that they behave in very similar ways, from guarding something or roaming freely and causing chaos. Generally, the monsters in Greek mythology follow this outline and are depicted in a way to show these qualities.
The Greeks believed that the earth was formed before any of the gods appeared. The gods, as the Greeks knew them, all originated with Father Heaven, and Mother Earth. Father Heaven was known as Uranus, and Mother Earth, as Gaea. Uranus and Gaea raised many children. Amoung them were the Cyclopes, the Titans, and the Hecatoncheires, or the
Evslin, Bernard. Heroes, Gods, and Monsters of the Greek Myths. New York: Bantam, 1966. Print.
Odysseus faced a hard battle in Troy and in Book IX, he narrates how he and his men travelled back home to Ithaca. When Odysseus and his men land in the Cyclopes’ land, they witness how fertile the giants’ untilled lands are, and how they have plentiful of sheep and goats. Odysseus knows the giants are “for they may be wild savages, and lawless, or hospitable and god fearing men” (Homer 150). However, the abundance of food and livestock was enough motivation for them to risk their lives. Edith Hamilton’s book—Mythology, analyzes the characters and themes of the mysticism of Greek epics. She explains that the Cyclopes were the only survivors of the initial “monstrous forms of life” (Hamilton 79). On the other hand, she describes that the Cyclopes lived plentifully because they were hard workers and manufactured Zeus’ thunderbolts, which pleased Zeus to the extent of providing them with a “fortunate country” (Hamilton 105).
They had similar beliefs, but also immeasurable differences. It was composed of many meaningful gods and goddesses that all played a part in the everyday life of the average Roman and Greek person of that time.
Rosenberg, Donna."The Labors and Death of Heracles." World Mythology: An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics. (1999): 84-9
Once upon a time, not long after the attempted takeover of Olympus by the gods from Zeus and Apollo’s and Poseidon's temporary banishment, Apollo was still very salty. He decided to torture Zeus by shooting him with an arrow of love to make him love the monstress Echidna. Apollo figured that by inflicting Hera’s wrath Zeus would still get his just desserts. Zeus was entranced by Echidna and threatened, accosted, and raped her until she consented to be his wife. The child they had was not a monster, as Apollo and Echidna had hoped. He was instead a handsome young god who named himself Vroskon, and he became god of monsters. Eventually Echidna sent her son to learn from other monsters, the Nosoi, masters of poison, death,
Long ago, people lacked knowledge on why certain things happened. Without scientific answers, like we have today, the Ancient Greeks created their own answers about the world and an individual’s place in it. These tales were known as myths. They described the feelings and values that bound the members of society. There are two types of myths -- creation myths and explanatory myths. A creation myth explained the start of many events such as the origin of the world and the creation of human beings. An explanatory myth explained a natural process or event such as illness and death. Most myths concerned divine beings such as gods, goddesses and other heroes with supernatural powers. These characters had many human characteristics, aside from their special powers, that included birth and death and the presence of emotions such as love and jealousy. These human qualities of the divine beings reflected the values of society. Such characters are called anthropomorphic, derived from two Greek words meaning “in the shape of man”. Gods and goddesses that resembled animals were referred to as theriomorphic, derived from two Greek words meaning “in the shape of an animal”. The last group of mythical characters has no name. They didn’t take the form of a complete human or animal, such as a figure with a human body and an animal head. As well as being entertaining and interesting to read, myths played an important role in Ancient Greek society.
I spent time doing some various research on the Greek-Mythology God and "monster" Zeus. His country of origin is Greco-Roman, and his "creator" is Greek-Mythology in itself. His story and life is one that interests many, he is also very well known among scholars and even basic readers.
From my personal and professional experiences with children, I have learned that their minds are like clay ready to be molded and sculpted with new experiences. As any constructivist, I highly believe that children actively construct their own knowledge by interacting with the external world. Their interaction with the world and others is the reason why they gather information so quickly and with much enthusiasm. Children should be given the opportunity to figure out problems through exploration, inquiry and application, rather than being...
I absolutely think that children think in a different way than adults. I witness it firsthand, every day with my 3-year-old. For instance, I have seen my son struggle with static reasoning and think in terms of irreversibility (Berger, 2014, p. 246). Additionally, my son is currently very much in the “why” stage. For every answer you give to one question, there are more that follow it. I have also witnessed my son thinking along the lines of the “theory-theory”, as he is always trying to explain the things he sees (Berger, 2014, p. 252).