Introduction Both Sigmund Freud and Claude Levi - Strauss have had a significant influence on the interpretation of myths in anthropology. Although both of them base their interpretations upon the human mind their theories provide drastically different understandings of how myths are created and their purpose within cultures. These differences are primarily because they both believe the human mind to perform two different roles. To illustrate these two differing theories two Greek myths have been chosen. These are the “Castration of Uranus” and the “Defeat of Kronos.” Although both of these myths are often presented as one continues the story I have chosen to separate them out as I have sometimes seen done. The purpose of this is to provide …show more content…
The “Castration of Uranus” follows Uranus, who married his mother Gaia and had many children with her. These include the Hecatoncheires who were born with one hundred hands and fifty heads. They were sent to Tartarus by Uranus because he was so horrified by how ugly they appeared. After they came the Cyclopes and even though they were very strong Uranus again sent them into Tartarus as well because they were so ugly. Finally, Gaia gave birth to the Titans by Uranus however they also were sent to Tartarus by their father Uranus. However, Gaia became angry with Uranus for taking her children from her so she called her children to attack their father. Only one son answered his mother and he was called Kronos. Gaia made a sickle and gave it to Kronos who then went and castrated his father freeing his siblings from Tarturus. Kronos took his father’s place as king and he married his sister Rhea. After this had taken place he re-imprisoned the Hecatoncheires and the Cyclopes’ in Tartarus even though he had freed them after defeating his father
Paul Tillich’s description of the original understanding of the word myth as an account of an interaction between the human and the divine are that myths are symbols of faith, which tell stories to portray situations of ultimate concern. Myths may be ‘broken’ or ‘unbroken.’ Unbroken myths are myths which are accepted as literal statements of reality. Broken myths are myths which are interpreted as myths, as symbolic statements of reality.
Cronos killed Uranus in order to take his throne, as Uranus breathed his last breath he warned Cronos that his child would kill him, just as he did his father. Naturally the only way to prevent the prophesy from becoming reality was to eat his kids. They didn’t really believe in talking things out. Being immortal, the gods didn’t die. Rea, Cronos’s wife, became infuriated. She gave her husband a rock to swallow and eat instead of her child, Zeus. Zeus was sent to be raised until he was strong. Rea and Zeus fed Cronos a drink of which made him vomit up his children. The Zeus and his newly freed siblings then killed Cronos. Since everyone was so grateful to Zeus, he was unanimously determined as the King of the
Daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea, Demeter was one of Cronus and Rhea’s six children, and sister of Hestia, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus (Pontikis). He feared that they would overthrow him and take his throne, as he had done to his own father, Uranus (34). Consequently, Cronus adopted the habit of swallowing his children as they were born, so they would never have a chance of overthrowing him (34). Distraught at the loss of her children, Rhea sought her mother Gaia, the earth mother, and asked for advice (Webster). Gaia advised that she give Cronus a stone to swallow in the place of her next child. After the birth of her last child, Zeus, Rhea followed this advice: she hid Zeu...
From before the dawn of civilization as we know it, humanity has formed myths and legends to explain the natural world around them. Whether it is of Zeus and Hera or Izanami-no-Mikoto and Izanagi-no-mikoto, every civilization and culture upon this world has its own mythos. However, the age of myth is waning as it is overshadowed in this modern era by fundamental religion and empirical science. The word myth has come to connote blatant falsehood; however, it was not always so. Our myths have reflected both the society and values of the culture they are from. We have also reflected our inner psyche, conscious and unconscious, unto the fabric of our myths. This reflection allows us to understand ourselves and other cultures better. Throughout the eons of humanity’s existence, the myths explain natural phenomena and the cultural legends of the epic hero have reflected the foundations and the inner turmoil of the human psyche.
Out of the original emptiness(chaos), three immortal beings emerge: Gaea (mother earth), Tartarus (underworld), and Eros (love). Gaea by herself conceived Uranus (father sky), and made him her equal, then together Gaea gave birth to three hundred handed giants and the three cyclopes, in which Uranus threw his children into the Tartarus (underworld). Gaea hiding her feelings, gave birth to the next children of Uranus known as the thirteen titans. Eventually he was overthrown by his youngest son, whom took his father’s position as ruler of the universe and started the age of the titans. Uranus is a greek god that plays a crucial role in the start of greek mythology, has a great thirst for power, and had his power taken from him by his son Kronos.
His grandfather, is King of Argos, his name is Acrisius. Acrisius had a daughter named Danae, however he wanted a son. So in search for an answer towards having a son, Acrisius went to the Oracle of Delphi. The Oracle said that Acrisius’ daughter, Danae would be the one to carry a baby boy, but this child would kill Acrisius. To avoid his own death, Acrisius created an underground chamber to lock his daughter in, therefore, she would be unable to conceive a child. Little did Acrisius know that Zeus would shape shift into golden rain and conceive a child with Danae. Naturally, Danae gave birth to Perseus. When she was let out of this underground chamber Danae met Polydectes. Polydectes was determined to make Danae his wife and that is exactly what happened. Perseus was unable to grant his mother and Polydectes a gift, so he was told to bring back Medusa’s head. Perseus was successful in retrieving Medusa’s head. On his journey back home he met a beautiful Goddess who was in distress. Perseus saved her from a horrific sea monster and they instantly fell in love and wanted to be joined together in holy matrimony. However, Andromeda’s uncle was no too pleased with this decision. He wanted Andromeda only for himself. Therefore he planned to murder Perseus but was unsuccessful since Perseus had the advantage of Medusa’s head. Perseus showed Andromeda’s uncle Medusa’s face and he then was turned to stone. When he returned home with the gift, he found out Polydectes was abusing his mother. Instead of giving him the present he used it against Polydectes and turned him to stone as well. Acrisius became aware of what Perseus was capable of doing so he decided to flee. Although that didn’t help as much as he believed it would. Perseus and his grandfather ran into each other at the Games Ceremony, in Larissa. When Perseus went to throw the discus it slipped from his grasp and clashed into his grandfather’s head, killing
In his research on mythology, Eric Csapo examines its large role in the ancient Mediterranean. He begins with a rejection to begin his argument with a definition of myth. He states that “it [the definition] is rather always the final precipitate of an already elaborate theory” so he starts at the basis of any theoretical interpretation, he asks what we mean by “myth.” Csapo immediately addresses the flaw of selectivity in the vocabulary used to describe a story. Most commonly the words myth, folktale, and legend are confused and misappropriated. One delineation he discusses is that myths, in theory, are based on ritual and as a product of humans, are received as true accounts of the past. He continues with the discrepancy of the word truth that anthropologists struggle with. This said, Csapo ultimately rejects these confining definitions for their cross-cultural differences and ends with the notion that myth is a social ideology that stresses the reception over the content.
Hundred- Handed Ones. Uranus let the Titans roam free, but he imprisoned the Cyclopes and the Hundred- handed Ones beneath the earth. Finally, Gaea could not bear Uranus's unkindness to the Cyclopes and the Hundred-Handed Ones any longer. Gaea joined Cronos, one of the Titans; and together, they overcame Uranus, killed him, and threw his body into the sea.
Myths relate to events, conditions, and deeds of gods or superhuman beings that are outside ordinary human life and yet basics to it” ("Myth," 2012). Mythology is said to have two particular meanings, “the corpus of myths, and the study of the myths, of a particular area: Amerindian mythology, Egyptian mythology, and so on as well as the study of myth itself” ("Mythology," 1993). In contrast, while the term myth can be used in a variety of academic settings, its main purpose is to analyze different cultures and their ways of thinking. Within the academic setting, a myth is known as a fact and over time has been changed through the many different views within a society as an effort to answer the questions of human existence. The word myth in an academic context is used as “ancient narratives that attempt to answer the enduring and fundamental human questions: How did the universe and the world come to be? How did we come to be here? Who are we? What are our proper, necessary, or inescapable roles as we relate to one another and to the world at large? What should our values be? How should we behave? How should we not behave? What are the consequences of behaving and not behaving in such ways” (Leonard, 2004 p.1)? My definition of a myth is a collection of false ideas put together to create
Cronus and Rhea are the parents of Poseidon in Greek mythology. Poseidon is one of the 3 sons; the others are Hades and Zeus. And there three sisters were Demeter, Hestia, Hera, and while Cronus was the horrible father who feared his own children so he ate them at birth. He continued to eat the newborns until his wife tricked him by giving him stones instead to save Zeus. But sadly Poseidon (and Hades) was eaten by Cronus to save them Zeus (who was being raised by nymphs) became Cronus’ cupbearer. He poisoned Cronus and he threw up Poseidon. They started a war against Cronus it lasted for ten years until the brothers released the Cyclopes and in return they gave the each a weapon. Poseidon received a trident, Zeus a lightning bolt, and Hades the helmet of darkness.
Through studies such as comparative mythology, researchers and philosophers have discover hundreds of parallels between the myths that make up every culture, including their creation myths. As most are deeply rooted in religion, comparisons based on geographic area, themes, and similar story lines emerge as religions form and migrate. Campbell recognized these similarities an...
He despised the Hecatoncheires. He punished them by imprisoning them by pushing them into hidden places of the earth. This severely angered Gaea and she plotted against Uranus. She made a flint sickle and tried to convince her children to attack Uranus. All were too afraid to do so, except for the youngest Titan, Cronus (“Creation of the World”).
Thury, Eva and Margaret K. Devinney. “Theory: Man and His Symbols.” Introduction to Mythology: Contemporary Approaches to Classical and World Myths. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013. 519-537. Print.
2,870,990,000 km (19.218 AU) from the Sun, Uranus hangs on the wall of space as a mysterious blue green planet. With a mass of 8.683e25 kg and a diameter of 51,118 km at the equator, Uranus is the third largest planet in our solar system. It has been described as a planet that was slugged a few billion years ago by a large onrushing object, knocked down (never to get up), and now proceeds to roll around an 84-year orbit on its belly. As the strangest of the Jovian planets, the description is accurate. Uranus has a 17 hour and 14 minute day and takes 84 years to make its way about the sun with an axis tilted at around 90° with retrograde rotation. Stranger still is the fact that Uranus' axis is almost parallel to the ecliptic, hence the expression "on its belly".
When Zeus grew up, and with the help of Gaea and his mother Rhea, he slipped Cronus a potion that made the Titan disgorge the swallowed children. Being gods, they were unharmed, albeit a tad dazed and confused. With Zeus serving as their leader, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter and Hera waged war against the Titans for supremacy of the Universe. Assisted by the Cyclops (they gave Zeus his thunderbolts, Poseidon his trident and Hades his helmet of invisibility) and the Hecatoncheires (the Hundred-handed-ones), the siblings fought a terrible war that lasted ten years. In the end they were victorious, banishing their vanquished foes to the deepest depths of the Underworld, called Tartarus.