When I was around the age of 12, I found a book containing a collection of Greek myths. I still remember reading through that book and being fascinated by the stories. The main appeal, besides the entertainment, was that they immersed me in another culture. I may not have got to travel to another country, but I got to learn about a culture I knew little about. If someone had to take away one thing, from greek mythology or any other story, is the understanding of a culture that is not your own. Mythology teaches us what they value, how they view the natural world, and a large amount of mythos gives us lessons that transcend cultures. The first, and arguably the most important, lesson is not always apparent the first time through. The Poets that create and tell these myths, usually share the same culture …show more content…
Whether it be something as little as flowers or something as important as the four seasons, Greco-Roman mythology usually has an answer. The myth of Narcissus is about a man who was so in love with his own image he gave up his will to live and became the flower that is his namesake. The Greeks explained the four seasons as Demeter mourning her child, who was taken by Hades. The explanation for the different climate zones is due to Helios son, Phaethon, driving his father 's chariot and doing a tragic job of it. Whether it be a man obsessed with his own image, a mother mourning her daughter, or a son who overestimates himself. The etiology of nature is ripe with incredibly human mistakes and actions. Narcissus is not just a lesson on the etiology of a flower, but of the human flaw of being narcissistic. Demeter and Persephone is not just about the four seasons, but of how deeply a mother loves her children. Phaethon’s death is more than just climate zones, but of a recurring theme of humans thinking they have the ability to be like the
The Odyssey - Scylla and Charybdis & nbsp; One of the most difficult tasks as a parent is to teach your child life lessons. Many have tried, and many have failed. But over the ages, the most successful ideas have come in the form of a story or tale. Aesops Fables, nursery rhymes, and other tales of caution are used even today to teach this common knowledge one must have. In the Greek civilization, thousands of years ago, many children were taught through these fun and interesting stories.
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.
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
Mythology is the study of a compiled group of stories that describe the culture’s practices and past experiences. Mythology is a valuable aspect of every culture. It communicates the culture’s truthful everyday experiences or fabricated details of past events, roles, and traditions such as family, sexuality, art, religion, philosophy, laws and marriage. A culture’s collective group of stories help communicate loyalty, ethical and rational teachings, and social models. Ancient Greece and Egypt are two cultures that we’ve studied in this course so far that I will discuss the Creation Myth associated with each culture.
Why do myths from different cultures around the world address such similar or universal themes? Do we see these same themes in today's myths? Think about how myths explain the unknown and the tribulations of mankind.
The first play, A Midsummer's Night's Dream has a lot of nature metaphor is in families. The very first conversation in it has a king blaming the moon and night time for his not being able to marry. Theseus wanted to marry Hippolita right away but four moonshines were delaying him. Another example comes from Lysander. He saw roses in Hermia's cheeks and rain falling from her unhappy eyes. When Lysander wakes up and sees Helena, He decides he wants her instead of Hermia. He says, " things growing are not ripe until their season . . . [which] leads me to your eyes" (MND II, 2,100-110). He compares himself to unripe fruit or something that has not reached its final or mature stage in growth. Lysander said that he only fancied Hermia because he was young and naïve but now that he was "ripe", he wanted Helena. This is a parallel made by Lysander to nature. Not only did he believe that nature controlled all actions but he truly believed everything followed the same life pattern. Later, Lysander is confronted by Hermia and he compares her to terrible things like animals and serpents because he no longer saw her as his love but as someone he outgrew. This reference shows a part of life that is not wonderful and pretty but loathsome and dirty.
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.
A mythology is an important feature of many cultures. A myth is a sacred narrative that explains how the world and humankind assumed their present form. In a broad sense, it can refer to any traditional story. A myth’s function is to provide a model for behavior and to provide a religious experience. By reenacting myths societies bring themselves closer to the divine.
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...
Their stories are what make Greek mythology one of the most interesting topics out there.
Myths play an influential role in all cultures and societies. Back when communication was not easy, stories were told among family and friends to help spread lessons. Values to help children to learn about how to live a blessed life are made into these stories. One may not notice the same thing that happens today. Stories told of Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and creatures alike who reward those for being balanced.
Over time different beliefs surrounding the mystery of life after death have accumulated in different religions, societies and history. Undeniable by all as an inevitable fate , is the definition has changed over time . Exactly what happens in life after death ? Is there a difference in the qual there is a heaven and a hell ? Or is it simply just an underworld in which all souls come ? Regardless of faith or time period , several authors of all ages have considered these questions in high esteem. But each story is different and belief , whether Dante , Homer or Cervantes, all agree that death is inevitable and with it eternal life.
Mythology is an essential part of all cultures. Through myth, ancient cultures attempted to explain the world and make sense of their daily lives. Myth helps us to live in the minds and time period of people who lived many centuries ago with no technology, no running water, and a basic education. Greek myth is possibly the most commonly recognized myth simply because it is likely the most developed and best recorded. Modern Greek myth originated around 1000 B.C. in the writings of the famous Greek poet Homer in the Odyssey and the Illiad. Although early Greek myths are often vague and contain many primitive elements regarding their understanding of death, sacrifice, and fate, later myths show Greek culture developed and changed over time.
The Classical mythology contains tales and epics of the ancient Greek and roman literatures and myths. On the other hand, Homer’s two epic poems, the Iliad relates to the events of the Trojan War while the Odyssey details Odysseus expedition after the war. Homer’s epic poems, the Odyssey and the Iliad present a major part of ancient history as modern fictional heroic stories. In ancient Greek, heroes were humans who were depicted to possess superhuman abilities. A key example in the classical mythology is Akhilles who is later known in Homer’s Iliad as Achilles. Achilles is he greatest hero of the Iliad whereas Odysseus is the greatest hero of the Odyssey. The greatest heroes from classic mythology and the modern fictional hero’s stories are mortal, and subject to death. The Odyssey and the Iliad marks the beginning of modern fictional literature.
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.