Apprehensively, I slowly approached the abandoned house. Behind me, a black cat mewed piteously, causing me to jump with surprise. Cursing silently, I made my way up the broken, misshapen cobblestone path until I reached the rickety staircase and porch. Despair filled me as I opened the creaky door. Evidently open, the door swung inward, creaking and whining. Facing the dark gloomy hallway within, I walked in, leaving the welcoming light outside behind.
Granite, smooth and polished, in the pillars and the floor and making up arches in dusty murals between, filled my first observations of the place when I finally stepped in. Headless statues of long-forgotten deities secondly caught my attention. Involuntarily, inexplicable sorrow filling me then as I stared at the ruined place filled with cobwebs and dust that had once known glory and richness, I looked elsewhere.
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Khronos, the Greek god of time’s, statue. Looking into the empty eyes of the god’s idol, one of which was the few not to be broken, I immediately regretted my rash decision as things started to move around me. Monsters emerged from the what I had thought been decorational 2-D arches, and ancient powers of the dark awakened once more.
Not looking at me, the newly emerged creatures and beasts started looking at themselves, as if astonished at their sudden coming into the world. Outbursts of fear coupled with my common sense as I struggled to regain my composure and thus form an escape plan. Pointedly, I knew that I only had a couple of minutes before the things were upon me.
Quickly and quietly then, I withdrew to the wall in front of me-the only one free of anything-and slowly inched my way around the monsters. Reaching the door, I proceeded to open it as noiselessly as possible. Surprisingly, I made it in. Then, I heard something that made my heart stop: the sound of a recovered
The house scares away creatures while allowing certain ones in the house, which leads to the next mystery of the story: is the house’s behavior programmed or is it self-conscious? A voice in the house reads a poem which describes what likely happened to the people, hinting at a death by nuclear war. Preceding the poem, a fire destroys the house, symbolizing the extinction of the people. Another line of evidence is the house’s continued effort to complete tasks with no human response or interaction.
... in that barren hall with its naked stair... rising into the dim upper hallway where an echo spoke which was not mine ut rather that of the lost irrevocable might-have-been which haunts all houses, all enclosed walls erected by human hands, not for shelter, not for warmth, but to hide from the world's curious looking and seeing the dark turnings which the ancient young delusions of pride and hope and ambition (ay, and love too) take.
Western thought and culture grew out of Greek ideals. Since “there is nothing new under the sun,” (Ecclesiastes 1:9) many of the ideals expressed by Homer, Sophocles, and Hesiod ring true for Westerners today. Part of the myth of a tragic hero includes a leadership position of some sort: often noble birth, kingship, or military leadership. Tragic plays like Oedipus Rex, Antigone, and the Iliad served as worship, entertainment, examples of virtue, and cautionary tales. Modern Americans can look back at such works and apply the ideas to selecting and serving as leaders on a national, community, or family level. Some of desirable qualities illustrated in Archaic and Classical Greek works include self-control, fairness, respect for moral law, service to one’s community, courage, and honor.
I stumbled onto the porch and hear the decrepit wooden planks creak beneath my feet. The cabin had aged and had succumb to the power of the prime mover in its neglected state. Kudzu vines ran along the structure, strangling the the cedar pillars that held the roof above the porch. One side of the debacle had been defeated by the ensnarement and slouched toward the earth. However, the somber structure survives in spite. It contests sanguine in the grip of the strangling savage. But the master shall prevail and the slave will fall. It will one day be devoured and its remains, buried by its master, never to be unearthed, misinterpreted as a ridge rather than a
I didn’t know where exactly I was going. But I didn’t care. I walked aimlessly in search of shelter, a place where I could seek refuge. Hours went by, and I was losing hope. When out of the corner of my eye, through the distant, dense foliage. I noticed what could have been salvation. I was fatigued and in a feeble state, was I hallucinating? Or was this real? I stumbled through the valley, my eyes fixated on the dwelling ahead. Much to my delight it was very real. I arrived at the cabin and surveyed the surroundings. The shack itself was isolated, old and tattered, as if unattended to for an eternity. I knocked on the door, and suddenly became overwhelmed by a supernatural feeling. I could hear frantic rumbling and murmuring inside, evidently the occupant wasn’t expecting a visitor. I waited a while longer, and finally the door creaked open and I was greeted by three of the utmost repulsive looking creatures I had ever had the displeasure of laying my eyes on. As disgusted as I was, I was in no position to turn away, I needed their help. They welcomed me into their abode and provided me with nourishment and directions on how to return
Gods and goddesses in mythology are used in allusions and often referred to in our daily lives, but do we truly understand them? We may not understand how or why they look the way they do, how they behave, what they are capable of accomplishing, or how they interacted with humans. These super-beings of extremely high status were the heart and soul of prayers and explanations of natural phenomena. They had a variety of natures and were represented in a variety of ways, by different religions.
Entering that gable-ended Spouter-Inn, you found yourself in a wide, low, straggling entry with old-fashioned wainscots, reminding one of the bulwarks of some condemned old craft. On one side hung a very large oil-painting… A boggy, soggy, squitchy picture truly, enough to drive a nervous man distracted. Yet was there a sort of indefinite, half-attained, unimaginable sublimity
Travel back to the time of gods wielding thunder bolts and the power to move the Sun across the sky. Gladiator’s fought for blood in monumental arenas and men ran faster than thought possible. Where a crown of olive branches was worth more than a wagon-load of gold. A time when men combined their strength to lift tons of stone more than 50 feet in the air to construct immense temples and monuments that would last thousands of years to come. This is Ancient Greece during its Golden Age.
for the first time but the export of such classics as olives, wine and pottery
The Greeks were very strong in their polytheistic beliefs. Polytheism is when someone believes in more than one god. In the Greeks case, there were an unbelievable amount but there were 12 main Olympian Gods. There are also plenty of minor gods that are still important in their lives. The Greek gods impacted the lives of the Greeks through their religion and beliefs. Many people don’t know the story behind the gods and how they came into “existence”. That is what you will learn from this report.
Once one got nearer, the archway opened up until one could see the whole front of the house in a somehow eerie way. Around the windows grew ivy and creepers, twisting their way up to the roof in a claw like fashion. The windows themselves were sparkling clean, but the curtains were drawn in most of them, even though it was almost noon. The doors were of solid pieces of dark oak and the two windows above it seemed to give the whole house a rather formidable look.
Greek art was seen as more than a means to decorate with its more popular use was that of storytelling and recording historical events. Greek art dates from the seventh to the second century. The eras included in historical Greek art are: Geometric, Archaic, Classical, and the Hellenistic (Sowerby150). All of the eras are similar in that they build on the previous era and lead to more detailed and dramatic artwork. The use of human actions as subjects gained intensity with each new era. The Greeks focused much of their attention on painting their many gods. Yet, commonplace people were still used in paintings on things such as grave markers. (Sowerby151). Painting in particular was a means to convey a story and to retain history. " … Greek artist was obliged to encapsulate the narrative and message of a story in a single scene" (Boardman301). Nothing had immunity from the paintbrush as everyday items such as drinking cups and water jugs were also adorned with paintings ( Carpenter207).
In Reflections on the imitation of Greek works in painting and sculpture, Johann Joachim Winckelmann discusses the superiority of Greek art over modern art. The Greek adopted methods that focused on the natural beauty of the body. He wrote about the Greek culture taking an art form through old traditions and standards, learned by the artist since their adolescence. These standards overtime helped Greek artist begin to see natural beauty as a way of creating art and perfected works of nature. The simplicity of Greek art helps give meaning to their art and it is something Winkelmann saids modern art does not have.
When I was a child I used to be frightened of entering such a place for it seemed so imposing and somewhat dangerous, especially when music was being played. One day, in order to keep a promise I had made, I saw myself forced to enter. It took me quite a while to get the courage to pass through the old oak door, but the moment I stepped in, I realized just how enchanting and breathtaking this building could be. Its fantastic architecture and exquisite frescoes reflect perfectly the unity between this earth and the unseen kingdom of angels in such a manner that one cannot say where one ends and the other begins. The way in which the church was built is also the vivid testimony of a medieval period. Although it is a place that can sometimes be cold and ask for respect it is where prayers are answered and magic is done. An overwhelming feeling of inner harmony takes over you once you enter and God seems much closer. Darkness and light are welded perfectly together creating Redemption’s house. The tower allows you to see the entire town from the smallest river to the biggest building site, offering you its mightiness.
Throughout studying many myths, I came up with many new observations. Many questions came into my mind about these myths. Greek mythology takes us back to a time when people had a connection with nature and when nature played a major role in people’s lives. The religious beliefs of the people who wrote the myths are found in the background of these myths; however, they are not to be read like religious texts. The myths try to offer explanations of “how”, which makes us think deeply about the purpose of these myths and the questions they draw to our minds. According to the myths we studied in class, the world created the gods, not the other way around. The gods were always created in the image of man, which shows how much men were important in their society. Furthermore, many of these Greek myths show us the difference between the views of the Greek then and our view towards many aspects of the society, including nature. Monsters appear in Greek myths and have different representations and roles. Greek mythology reflects a view of the Greeks towards the world and how certain aspects of their lives are similar and different to modern society.