Mythology and Folklore Flashcards
Achilles
The greatest Greek warrior in the Trojan war. His mother bathed him in a magical river to make him immortal, but his heel was kept dry while she held it. During a battle, he killed Hector but was shortly shot in the heel by an arrow and died. An “Achilles’s heel” is the one weak point of someone’s character. The Achilles tendon runs from the heel to the calf. Achilles is the hero of Homer’s Iliad. The phrase “wrath of Achilles” refers top the hero’s anger which caused so much destruction.
Adonis
A beautiful boy who was loved by Aphrodite, the goddess of love. An Adonis is a handsome young man.
Aeneas (i nee-uhs)
A warrior in the Trojan War on the Trojan side. After the fall of Troy, Aeneas fled with his father and son and was shipwrecked at Carthage in Northern Africa where Dido, the Queen of Carthage, fell in love with him and later committed suicide. After many trials, Aeneas arrived in what is now Italy. Because he carried his father out of Troy on his back, Aeneas represents filial duty. The doomed love of Aeneas and Dido has been a source of artistic creation.
Agememnon
The king who led the Greeks in the Trojan war. Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter to Artemis to have favorable winds and was cursed for it. After returning home victorious, he was murdered by his wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus.
Amazons
A nation of warrior women. They cut off one of their breasts to use their bows more efficiently. An “amazon” is a strong and aggressive woman. The Amazon river was so named because Amazons were believed to have lived along its banks.
Ambrosia
The food of the gods in mythology. Those who ate it became immortal. A delicious food is sometimes called ambrosia.
Antiogne (an-tig-uh-nee)
A daughter of king Oedipus. Her two brothers killed each other in single combat over the kingship of their city. The king refused to bury one of the brothers because he was considered a traitor. Antigone, torn between religious and legal obligations, buried her brother and was condemned to death.
Aphrodite
(Roman name Venus) The Greek and Roman goddess of beauty. The mother of Eros and Aeneas. She was chosen over Athena and Hera as the most beautiful goddess and received the apple of discord. This was called the judgment of Paris. She was thought to have been born out of the sea and is depicted rising from the water.
Apollo
The Greek and Roman god of poetry, prophecy, medicine and light. He represents civilization and order. He was worshiped at the Delphic Oracle. Zeus was his father and Artemis his sister. Sometimes identified with Hyperion, the Titan he succeeded. Apollo is the representative of control and order, while Dionysus is the god who represents wild, creative energies. The sun was described as Apollo’s chariot.
Apple of discord
An apple of gold that was thrown into the banquet of the gods by the goddess discord, who was not invited. On it was written “for the fairest”. When Aphrodite, Athena and Hera all claimed it, the decision was left to Paris, the prince of Troy, who chose Aphrodite.
Ares
(Roman name Mars) The Greek and Roman god of war, brutal and bloodthirsty. The son of Zeus and Hera.
Argonauts
The companions of Jason in the quest for the Golden Fleece. Their ship was the Argo. Naut means “sailor” in Greek and is the root of the word Nautical.
Argus
A creature who had a hundred eyes. Hera set him to watch over Io, who had been seduced by Zeus and turned into a cow. Zeus could not save Io because Argus slept with only some eyes closed. Hermes, to help Zeus, played music that put all of Argus’ eyes to sleep and killed the creature. Here put his eyes on the tail of the peacock.
Artemis
The Greek name for Diana, the virgin goddess of the hunt and the moon. The daughter of Zeus and sister of Apollo. Also called Cynthia.
King Arthur
The legendary king in England Middle Ages. Became king after drawing the sword in the stone. Established the Knights of the Round Table, which had the most noble warriors of Europe. Included Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad, Sir Percival, and Sir Gawain. Near the end of his life, Sir Arthur sailed to the Island of Avalon and stories say he will one day return. This is why he is “the once and future king.” The musical Camelot was based on King Arthur.
Astrology
A study of the positions and relationships of the sun, moon, stars and planets to judge their influence on human actions. Not a scientific study.
Athena
(Roman name Minerva) The Greek and Roman goddess of wisdom. Was born fully grown from Zeus’ forehead. Was angered in the judgement of Paris and helped the Greeks in the Trojan war. The guardian of Athens, which was named after her.
Atlantis
A city on an Island in the Atlantic ocean. Was swallowed by the water during an earthquake and is now at the bottom of the sea.
Atlas
A Titan famous for his strength. After Zeus defeated the Titans, he was condemned to support the Earth on his shoulders for eternity. Appears on the art of maps. An “Atlas” is a strong person or one who carries a great burden.
Augean stables (aw-jee-uhn)
A part of the labors of Hercules. Filthy stables that had never been cleaned which King Augeas ordered Hercules to clean. He did so by diverting the path of two rivers so they flowed through the stables.
Bacchus
(Roman name Dionysus) The Greek and Roman god of wine and revelry. Often depicted eating grapes with Satyrs. A Bacchanalian party is one with unrestrained drunkenness. References a Roman festival called Bacchanalia.
Batman
A comic strip character first appearing in 1939.
Beauty and the Beast
A french fairy tale about a woman who is taken to live with a man-beast in return for a good deed the beast did for her father. She eventually marries him and his curse is broken, revealing a handsome prince.
Blarney Stone
A stone in the wall of Blarney castle in Ireland. According to Irish legend, those who kiss the stone will get all they desire through persuasion. “Blarney” is an expression for flattery that tries to win favor.
Bluebeard
A fairy tale character from the Charles Perrault collection. A villain who marries seven women and tells them to not look behind a certain door in his castle. Behind it is the corpses of his former wives. Six wives are killed for their disobedience and one passes his test.
The boy who cried wolf
One of Aesop’s fables. A young shepherd boy would trick his neighbors by yelling that there were wolves attacking his sheep. This then happened multiple times. When real wolves came, the townsfolk ignored his cries and the sheep were devoured. To “cry wolf” is to sound a false alarm.
Brunnhilde (Broohn-hil-duh)
A character in Norse mythology, also known as Brynhild. A Valkyrie or servant of Odin. Loved the hero Siegfried until he betrayed her. She then killed him and then committed suicide.
Paul Bunyan
A legendary giant lumberjack of the northern United States. His friend was a blue ox named Babe. Various tall tales attributed to Paul Bunyan, such as the lakes of Minnesota being the footprints of Paul and Babe after they filled with water.
Camelot
The capitol of King Arthur’s kingdom. A place of truth, beauty and goodness. JFK’s presidency is often idealized as an American Camelot.
Magic Carpet
A magic flying carpet that takes people wherever they want to go. Found in the Arabian Nights stories.
Cassandra
A prophetess in Troy whose predictions were true but ignored. Apollo gave her the gift of prophecy but made it worthless after she refused his amorous advances. The Greeks captured Cassandra and removed her from the temple Athena, angering Athena and causing her to wreck their ships. A “Cassandra” is someone who constantly brings bad news.
Centaurs
Creatures who were half human and half horse.
Cerberus
The three headed dog who guarded the entrance to Hades.
Ceres
The Roman name for Demeter, the Greek and Roman goddess of agriculture.
Charon (kair-uhn)
The boatman who carried the souls of the dead across the river Styx and into Hades.
Chimera
A monster with the head and body of a lion, a goat’s head sticking out of the lion’s back and the tail of a dragon or serpent. A wild creation of the imagination.
Cinderella
A fairy tale from Charles Perrault. Cinderella is forced to do heavy housework by her stepmother and stepsisters. Cinderella’s fairy godmother dresses her for the prince’s ball and warns her not to stay after midnight. As Cinderella is leaving, she drops her glass slipper. The prince tries to find who it fits and marries Cinderella when it fits her.
The name “Cinderella” is sometimes applied to a person or group that undergoes a sudden transformation.
Circe (sur-see)
A powerful sorceress who turned people into swine. The crew of Odysseus fell pray to her spells
Classical mythology
The mythology of the Greeks and Romans. Much Roman mythology was borrowed from the Greeks.
Cupid
The Roman name of Eros, the god of love. In the story of Cupid and Psyche, he is described as a handsome young man. Also called the son of Venus in many stories. Often depicted as a chubby baby with wings and a bow and arrow.
Cyclops
One-eyed giants in classical mythology. A cyclops imprisoned the crew of Odysseus on their way back to Greece after the Trojan war. Odysseus tricked the cyclops and put out his eye, which allowed their escape.
Daedalus
The inventor of the labyrinth and one of the few to escape it. Father of Icarus. Daedalus is a symbol of inventiveness and craftsmanship.
Sword of Damocles (dam-uh-kleez)
The sword that appears in a legend about the actual Greek nobleman Damocles. Damocles frequently expressed his awe and love for his king. The king tired of this praise and invited Damocles to a banquet where a sword hung from a single hair above him. Shows that kingship brings fear and worries as well as pleasures.
Damon and Pythias
Two friends who were extremely loyal to each other in a Greek legend. The tyrannical king of their city condemned Pythias to death. He wanted to put his affairs in order and Damon volunteered to be killed if Pythias didn’t return. Pythias was delayed and Damon was about to be killed when Pythias returned. The king was so impressed with their friendship and loyalty that he let them live. They symbolize devotion between friends.
Delphic Oracle
The most famous oracle in Greece. A priestess would go into a trance and claim to deliver messages from Apollo. They were often hard to interpret.
Demeter (di-mee-tuhr)
Roman name Ceres. The Greek and Roman god of grain, agriculture and harvest. When Demeter’s daughter Persephone was carried to the underworld by Hades, she was so forlorn that she didn’t tend the crops, causing the first winter of the Earth. Zeus then allowed Persephone to visit 2/3s of the year, creating the cycle of the seasons on Earth.
Diana
The Roman name of Artemis, goddess of the hunt and moon.
Dido
The founder and queen of Carthage in north Africa. She committed suicide when her lover Aeneas left to continue on his journey. Dido is an image of an unhappy or unrequited lover.
Dionysus
The Greek name for Bacchus, the god of wine and revelry.
Electra
The daughter of Agamemnon. To avenge his death, she helped her brother, Orestes, kill their mother and lover. An “Electra complex” in psychology involves a woman’s unconscious sexual feelings for her father.
Elves
Often small mischievous creatures thought to have magical powers. Some are friendly while others are destructive. Elves have appeared in much folklore.
Elysian fields (i-lizh-uhn)
The place where good souls went after death. A peaceful and beautiful region of meadows, sunlight and fresh air. “Elysian fields” can be considered a place of happiness and bliss.
The emperors new clothes
A story by Hans Christian Anderson. An emperor hires two tailors to make him new clothes. They promise to make clothes that only incompetent or stupid people couldn’t see. When the emperor goes to see the clothes, there is nothing, for the tailors are swindlers. not wanting to look incompetent or stupid, he says that he loves the new clothes and “wears” them to a grand parade. Everyone else pretends that they love the new clothes too, until a lone child yells that the emperor is naked. People who point out the emptiness of the pretensions of powerful people are compared to the child.
Eros
(Roman name Cupid) A Greek and Roman god of love often called the son of Aphrodite. The word erotic comes from the Greek word eros which means sexual love.
Excalibur
The sword of King Arthur. Different legends say that Arthur pulled the sword from the stone or received it from the lady of the lake.
Fauns
The Roman name for Satyrs.
Fountain of Youth
A fountain in folktales that is capable of making people young again. The explorer Juan Ponce De Leon discovered Florida while looking for the Fountain of Youth.
The Fox and the Grapes
One of Aesop’s fables. A fox tries to pluck grapes that are just out of reach. He wanders away in disgust saying “those grapes are probably sour anyway.” “Sour Grapes” are things that people deem have no value after not being able to obtain them.
Furies
Hideous female monsters that tirelessly pursued evildoers.
Gaea or Gaia (jee-uh)
The Greek goddess of the Earth who gave birth to the sky, mountains and sea. Also mother of the Titans and Cyclopes.
Sir Galahad
A young knight in the tales of King Arthur. He was able to see the Holy Grail because of his virtue and purity.
Sir Gawain
A knight in the tales of King Arthur. Known for his integrity.
Saint George and the dragon
The Patron Saint of England. There is a legend of him saving the king’s daughter from a dragon and killing the beast.
Lady Godiva
An English noblewoman of the eleventh century. According to legend, she rode naked on horse back with only her hair to cover herself. Her husband had imposed taxes on the people of Coventry and he would only lift the taxes if she took her ride.
Golden Fleece
The pure gold fleece of a flying ram. Jason and the Argonauts made their voyage to obtain it. Prequel to The Odyssey.
The Goose that laid the golden eggs
A story found in many forms in world literature. One common version tells how a farmer found his goose laid a gold egg everyday. Growing impatient with the slow process, he decided to cut the goose open and get them all at once. After killing the goose, he finds nothing inside and he can no longer get gold eggs.
Gordian knot
A complex knot tied by a Greek king. According to legend, whoever could untie it would rule Asia. Alexander the Great undid the knot by cutting through it with his sword. To “cut the Gordian knot” is to solve a complex problem quickly or get to the heart of a problem.
Graces
Greek and Roman goddesses of loveliness and charm. Most stories imply there were three of them. They were supposed to be invited to every banquet.
Holy Grail
A cup or bowl of legend said to have been used by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper. The knights of the round table searched for the sacred object. A “holy grail” is any valuable object only obtained after great endeavor.
Grim Reaper
A figure representing death. Uses his scythe to cut through people’s lives as though cutting grain.
Groundhog day
February 2. According to the legend, if a groundhog comes out of its hole and sees its shadow, there will be 6 more weeks of winter. If not, there will be an early spring.
Guinevere
The wife of King Arthur. Had an affair with Sir Lancelot that leads to the end of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Hades
(Roman name Pluto) The Greek and Roman god of the underworld. Also called Dis. The Greek and Roman underworld later became associated with the Christian Hell as shown in the expression “hot as Hades”.
Hansel and Gretel
A story in Grimm’s fairy tales. Hansel and Gretel befriend a witch after being abandoned in the woods. She tries to cook and eat them, but they push the witch into her own oven and kill her.
Harpies
Vicious winged beasts depicted as birds with woman’s faces.
Hector
A prince of Troy and bravest of the Trojan warriors. Hector was killed by Achilles at the end of the Trojan war.
Helen of Troy
The most beautiful woman in the world, daughter of Zeus and Leda. The Trojan war was launched when Helen was kidnapped by Paris. Her’s was “the face that launched a thousand ships.”
John Henry
A black American hero who worked on railroads. Outperformed a steam drill in a contest and died from exhaustion afterwards.
Hephaestus
The Greek name of Vulcan, the Greek and Roman god of fire and metalworking.
Hera
(Roman name Juno) The Greek and Roman goddess who protected marriage and wife of Zeus. Known for her jealousy towards women that Zeus fell in love with.
Hercules
One of the greatest heroes of Classical Mythology and the strongest man on Earth. He was known for completing 12 godlike tasks called the labors of Hercules. Killing the nine-headed hydra and cleaning the Augean stables are two examples. Son of Zeus.
Hermes
(Roman name Mercury) The messenger god of Classical Mythology. Traveled with great swiftness with the help of wings on his shoes and hat. Son of Zeus and father of pan. The caduceus, the wand of Hermes, is the symbol used by physicians.
Hiawatha
A Native American chief who actually lived. In legends, married Minnehaha, a Dakota woman. Urged peace between Indians and Europeans. “The Song of Hiawatha” was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Hobbits
Hairy-footed creatures who inhabit the world of J. R. R. Tolkien’s fiction. Figure prominently in the struggle between good and evil.
Hymen
The Greek god of the wedding feast.
Icarus
The son of Daedalus. Died tragically when he flew too close to the sun using artificial wax wings created by his father to escape the labyrinth. The wings melted and Icarus fell into the sea.
Iphigenia
The eldest daughter of Agamemnon, sister of Electra and Orestes. When the Greek fleet was about to sail to fight the Trojans, Agamemnon sacrificed Iphigenia to Artemis to obtain favorable winds.
Iseult
The beloved of Tristan. Isolde in German.
Janus
The Roman god of doors, gateways and beginnings. Pictured with two faces looking in opposite directions, one young and one old. Someone who is hypocritical is called “Janus-faced”. January is named after Janus.
Jason
A hero in Classical Mythology. Jason was heir to a kingdom in Greece but his cousin seized the thrown. He told Jason that the gods wouldn’t let Jason have the thrown unless he brought the Golden Fleece. Traveled with the Argonauts and Medea.
Judgment of Paris
The incident that started the Trojan war. When the goddess of discord threw the apple of discord among the feast of the gods, Aphrodite, Athena and Hera all claimed it. Zeus refused to judge who was the fairest and sent them to the Trojan prince Paris. He chose Aphrodite as she promised to show Paris the most beautiful woman on Earth. She showed him Helen, who he then kidnapped and caused the Greeks to pursue and fight the Trojans.
Juno
The Roman name of Hera, the Greek and Roman goddess who protected marriage. Wife of Jupiter.
Labyrinth
A vast maze on the island of Crete. Daedalus designed it and the king of Crete kept the Minotaur in it. Few escaped the labyrinth but one was Theseus who killed the Minotaur. A labyrinth is an intricate maze or construction.
Sir Lancelot
The greatest knight of the round table. Friend of King Arthur. Became the lover of Queen Guinevere.
Laocoon (lay-aa-kuh-waan)
A priest in Troy during the Trojan war. Warned against accepting the Trojan horse saying “I am wary of Greeks even when they are bringing gifts.” Poseidon favored the Greeks and sent two enormous snakes after Laocoon. They killed him and his two sons.
Leda and the swan
The story about the rape of Leda, a queen of Sparta, by Zeus who was in the form of a swan. Helen of Troy was conceived from the rape of Leda. W. B. Yeats wrote a famous poem entitled “Leda and the Swan”.
Leprechauns
in the Folklore of Ireland, little men who resemble elves. They reveal treasure to those quick enough to catch them.
Lethe
A river in Hades. The souls of the dead drank from the river and forget what they had done and suffered while alive.
Little John
One of the Merry Men who followed Robin Hood. Large and burly. Beat Robin Hood in their first fight with cudgels.
Little Red Riding Hood
A fairy tale found in the collections of Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm. A little girl in a red hood meets a wolf and tells him she is going to visit her grandmother. The wold then goes and eats the grandmother and puts on her clothing. Little Red is tricked and eaten as well. A huntsman then rescues them by cutting the wold open.
Loch Ness Monster
A sea creature said to inhabit the depths of Loch Ness, a lake in north-central Scotland. Sightings of “Nessie” have been alleged since the 1930s.
Mars
The Roman name of Ares, the Greek and Roman god of war. The fourth planet from the sun is named after Mars, as is the month of March.
Medea
A sorceress who fell in love with Jason and helped him obtain the Golden Fleece. When Jason abandoned her for another woman, Medea murdered her and their children.
Medusa
The most famous of the monster Gorgons in Classical Mythology. Her stare turned anyone who looked at her to stone. Perseus killed her by looking at her reflection in a polished shield.
Mercury
The Roman name of Hermes, the messenger of the Greek and Roman gods. The planet closest to the sun is called Mercury, which speeds around it like Hermes.
Merlin
In the legends of King Arthur, a magician who acts as Arthur’s advisor.
