Lecture 1

Question 1

Divine Myth

Answer 1

• Main characters gods, spirits, personification of things
• Generally explain why the world is the way it is
• AKA “true” myths
• involve automorphism of weather/phenomena

Question 2

Legends/Sagas

Answer 2

• Stories of great deeds of humans/ semi-humans
• Stories that have some truth to them
• I.E Trojan War and exploits of Achilles and other Greek Heroes
• Heinrich Schlomann proved that Trojan War actually happened via archeological excavations: brought attention to truth portions of legends

Question 3

Folktales

Answer 3

• Characters are animals and ordinary people
• teach individuals customary patterns of behaviour
• Ex. Hesiod’s tale of the hawk and the Nightengale discusses implications of power at the time

Question 4

Motif

Answer 4

• Regular appearance of an idea
• Ex. doubles(twins, doppelgangers, siblings, dragons) (single motif)
• Ex. water or light in a modern novel repeatedly (recurring motif)

Question 5

Allegory

Answer 5

Symbolism

Question 6

Physical Allegory

Answer 6

• Myths about battles between gods represents conflicts between natural forces

Question 7

False Etymology

Answer 7

• history of a word and how it related to myths

- false relationship between words

Question 8

Historical Allegory/ Euhemerism

Answer 8

• interpretation created by Euhemerus

- gods were real historical figures transformed by oral tradition into gods

Question 9

What is important about the early/middle bronze age(3000-1500BCE)?

Answer 9

• Most myths created in this era

Question 10

Who were the Minoans?

Answer 10

• Worshipped single female goddess
• Linear A script
• Inhabited Crete 2200-1450 BCE
• Bull and double ax important religious symbol

Question 11

Who were the Mycaneans?

Answer 11

• invaded Minoans in 1450 BCE
• Warlike people
• 1600-1150BCE
• Indo European speakers (Linear B script)

Question 12

What is Thera?

Answer 12

Rich Minoan culture destroyed in 1630 BCE by earthquake and volcanic eruption

Question 13

Where was the most important near-east influence for myth?

Answer 13

Mesopotamia(land between rivers)/ modern iraq/iran

- Tigris and Eurphoatus river

Question 14

What is important about the Mycenaen Age/ Late Bronze (1600-1200BCE)?

Answer 14

Believed to be when the Trojan War happened

Collapse of civilizations

Question 15

What is important about the Archaic Period(800-480BCE)?

Answer 15

-Greeks start exploring the world for resources, new ideas brought back and technology

Question 16

What is important about the classical period(480-323BCE)?

Answer 16

• Reemergence of language and writing

- development of many fields of study