2. Mythology - Greek Sunday School Flashcards
Mythology comes from the word “muthos” which means:
“utterance” or “something one says”
What functions do myths fulfill? (3)
- to entertain/distract
- to explain
- some explanations announce cautions/warnings/threats
In mythology, everything has a story but not everything has a…
…theory.
ex. why do our brains have two loaves? bc Zeus’ head was chopped in half
Folklore
- stories told by “the folk”
- “once upon a time” or, “it came to pass”
Sagas/Legends
- epic accounts of people, events, battles
- marked by exaggerations to honour not mislead
Mythology
- matured narratives that are shared over generations
- used to entertain, explain, and educate
- gives you a story to explain everything
What do myths prevent?
myths prevent LETHE (forgetfulness) and promote collective memory.
!! Alethea = non-forgetfulness = greek word for truth… so myths tell “truth”
What was the scandal of philosophy in a world of mythology?
Socrates and philosophers were up against truths/gospels of literatures such as the Iliad, The Odyssey, Theogony, and Wrks and Days. Philosophy felt the liberty to change sacred texts and retell it.
ex. prometheus is depicted as a trickster in Theogony and Works and Days, but later Greek works attribute Prometheus as am honorific character and humanistic hero
According to Greek Mythology, in the beginning was…
- CHAOS (original something)
- GAIA (earth)
- EROS (desire/emotion)
- TATRAROS (land of deep darkness)
Tell the mythology with Uranus, Gaia, Cronos, and Aphrodite
- Uranus (sky) and Gaia (earth) have children: cyclopses, titan gods
- the youngest titan Cronos emasculates his father, listening to Gaia’s persuasion.
- Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, os born from the ocean and Uranus’ testicles
tell the mythology of Cronos, Zeus, Metis, and Athena
- Cronos consumes his offspring including Zeus
- there is a ten year war between the titan gods and the Olympians, and the olympians (Zeus) win, and Cronos is forced to disgorge his offspring
- Zeus and Metis receive a prophetic warning that their offspring will be greater than them, so Zeus consumes Metis.
- the fetus that was inside Metis grows in Zeus’ brain and Athena, the goddess of victory and wisdom is born
tell the mythology of Hera, Hephaestus, Semele, and Dionysus
- Hera (zeus’ main wife) is resentful of Zeus who reproduces and has her own child Hephaestus, who is the crippled god of metallurgy
- Zeus and Semele has an affair. Hera is jealous and avenges by tricking Semele to questioning if Zeus is really Zeus
- Semele requests to see Zeus’ glory, and thus dies, and Zeus saves Dionysus the fetus
Compare Athena with Dionysus
Athena is the “brainchild” who’s the goddess of olives, having male characteristics. Dionysus was born of uncontrolled/unconstrained desires and has female characteristics of wine, fertility, and emotionalism
Tell the Achilles Mythology
Achilles is half god and half mortal. Mom is goddess and father is mortal. Achilles gets baptized in immortal nectar but his heel isn’t dipped. ultimately, his heel is his demise. Achilles’ heel represents his humanity/vulnerability
Distinctive Features of Greek Myth
- Humanity: myth isn’t about the gods but actually about us. Anthropocentrism, death being the constant reminder of frailty
- Quest for immortality: ex. epic of Gilgamesh
- Competitive Individualism: myths display human excellence and god-like aspirations are celebrated
