1.What is Mythology

7/29/2019 1.What is Mythology

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Its the study

of myths

WHAT IS MYTHOLOGY?


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A. Nature

1. Where did earth come from?

2. Heavens1. Sun, moon, stars, comets, clouds, storms,

thunder, lightning

3. Seasons

1. Climate, rain, fertility, agriculture

4. Geography

1. Oceans, mountains, forests, rivers

MYTHS ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN:


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B . Man

1. Where did man come from?

2. His life1. Birth, growth, reproduction, death

3. His victories1. Glories in battle and against adversity

4. His defeats1. Misfortunes, adversities, unhappiness

5. His end1. Rewards and punishments, the afterlife

MYTHS ATTEMPT EXPLAIN:


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C. Gods

1. Where did the gods come from?

2. How many gods are there?

3. What regions do they inhabit?

4. What roles do they fulfill?

1. Powers and weaknesses, characteristics

and character flaws

MYTHS ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN:


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The major source of our knowledge of ancient

myths is from literature.

Homers Iliad and Homers Odyssey

Hesiods Theogony and Works and Pays

Virgils Aeneid

Ovids Metamorphoses

Roman mythology is largely based on Greek mythology, with

many of the names and stories changed to fit Roman valuesand needs; however, the universe and hierarchy of the gods is

quite similar

HOW DO WE KNOW THESE THINGS?


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Because its

Interesting

Entertaining

Shows how the ancient people viewed

their world

Going to show up in references allaround for the rest of your life

WHY IS MYTHOLOGY IMPORTANT?


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In Literature

Famous examples include

Dantes Inferno

Sophocles Oedipus

Euripides Trojan Women

Goethes Iphigenia In Taurus

Shakespeares Troilus and Cressida

Racines Andromache

Aeschylus Prometheus Bound

WM Morris Life and Death of Jason

WHERE DOES MY THOLOGY SHOW UP?


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In Music

Ravels Daphnis and Chloe

Maeterlincks Peleas and MelisandeHolsts The Planets

Glucks Orpheus and Eurydice

Wagners Ring of the Nibelungen

Mozarts Jupiter Symphony



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In the Arts

Mythology has been a source of subject matter

and inspiration to painters and sculptors since

art began.

The Renaissance saw the reintroduction of the

myths into various art forms.

Todays artists borrow heavily from ancientmyths and create their own myths through

surrealism and symbolic art



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In advertising

Brand names based on mythological

characters indicate high quality

Atlas Cement

Midas Mufflers

Mercury Cars

Ajax Cleaner

Venus Pencils

Apollo Pianos



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In History

Study of the Iliad and Odyssey and other

myths can

Produce facts about ancient people not

discoverable through formal research

Cite causes for war

Show religious beliefs of an ancient peopleProvide anthropologists with keys to understanding

a peoples history



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In Language

Mythology is the source of words such as

Janitor- Janus

Martial- Mars Museum- Muses

Volcano- Vulcan

Hypnotism- Hypnos

Days of the Week

Thursday (Thors day)

Missiles (Nike)

Months of the year (March= Mars)



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Psychologists

Who see in myths the expression of subconscious

needs for love, acceptance, self-worth, and power

Theologians

Who study religions and myths to understand people

and their own religion

Students of Literature

Who must understand myths to understand much of

poetry and other works

MYTHOLOGY IS OF SPECIAL USE TO


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1. Contain heroes and heroines

2. Supernatural elements

3. Gods and goddesses

4. Explains a natural phenomenon

5. Told orally

WHAT ARE SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF

MYTHS?


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1.To help explain the

unexplainable

2.To explain natural phenomenon

3.To tell about their heroes

4.To explain human nature

5.To teach morals and values

WHY DID ANCIENT PEOPLE TELL MYTHS?


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Thus, the natives of Poso, a district of Central Celebes, say

that the Creator, who lived in it, used to let down his g ifts to

men at the end of a rope.

THE STONE AND THE BANANA: AN

INDONESIAN MYTH


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One day he thus lowered a stone; but our first father and

mother would have none of it and they called out to the ir

Maker, What have we to do with thi s stone? Give us

something else .


INDONESIAN MYTH


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The Creator complied and hauled away at the rope; the stone

mounted up and up until it vanished from sight. Presently the

rope was seen coming down from heaven again, and th is time

there was a banana at the end of it instead of a stone.


INDONESIAN MYTH


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Our first parents ran at the banana and took it. Then there

came a voice from heaven saying: Because ye have chosen

the banana, your life shall be like its life. When the banana -

tree has offspring, the parent stem dies; so shall ye die and

your children shall step into your place.


INDONESIAN MYTH


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Had ye chosen the stone, your life would have been like the

life of the stone, changeless and immortal .


INDONESIAN MYTH


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The man and his wi fe mourned over their fatal choice, but it

was too late; that is how through the eating of a banana,

death came into the world.


INDONESIAN MYTH


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What phenomenon was the story

explaining?

What supernatural elements werepresent?

What can you tell about the

Indonesian culture based on this

myth?

WHAT CHARACTERISTICS OF MYTH DID

YOU NOTICE FROM THIS STORY?


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Muthos = story

Logo = speech or argument

WHAT IS THE ETOMOLOGY OF THE WORD

MYTHOLOGY?

Documents

1.What is Mythology