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Mythology & Folklore > Vocabulary > Flashcards

Vocabulary Flashcards

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Mythology flashcards
1
Q

Aesops fables

A

A collection of short stories first told by a Greek slave named Aesop in the 6th century BC. He uses animals with human characteristics to teach a moral.

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2
Q

Amazonomachy

A

A genre of art that depicts the mythical Amazons.

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3
Q

Amazons of dahomey

A

An all-female military troop that originated as a group of elephant herders, but became a fierce militia.

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4
Q

Anecdotal stories

A

Stories told based on personal experiences. They are not supported by facts.

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5
Q

Antagonist

A

A term used in literature to refer to the main character’s opponent or nemesis.

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6
Q

Archetype

A

A universal symbolic pattern.

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7
Q

Aurora borealis

A

The Northern lights; said to be created by the armor of Freya and the Valkyries as they rode on their missions.

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8
Q

Bernard Heuvelmans

A

One of the pioneers of cryptozoology. He coined the word cryptozoology in his book, “On the Track of Unknown Animals”.

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9
Q

Boudica

A

Celtic queen of the Iceni tribe in ancient Britain, she led a rebellion against the Romans who occupied Britain during the first century A.D.

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10
Q

Campbell Joseph

A

The mythologist who coined the term monomyth after analyzing myths and lore from around the world and finding a universal storyline.

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11
Q

Chinese zodiac

A

Based on a twelve year cycle calculated using the Chinese Lunar calendar. Each year is symbolized by an animal: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.

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12
Q

Comparative mythology

A

The study of myths and legends of different cultures in an effort to find commonalities.

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13
Q

Comparative religion

A

The study of different sacred myths in an attempt to find similarities.

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14
Q

Cosmic myths

A

Creation stories of the world.

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15
Q

Creation myths

A

Stories that seek to explain how the universe was formed.

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16
Q

Cryptid

A

A creature that has not been identified by scientists. Its existence is based completely on anecdotal records and is most likely mythical in nature.

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17
Q

Cryptozoology

A

The study of creatures whose existence has not been verified by the scientific community.

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18
Q

Dualistic nature

A

In literature this refers to a character who fluctuates between two opposites like good and evil.

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19
Q

Duality

A

The state of having two natures.

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20
Q

Embodiment

A

The physical form of a spirit.

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21
Q

Enuma elish

A

The Babylonian creation myth written in the form of an epic.

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22
Q

Epic

A

A poem, sometimes in the form of a song, that tells the story of a hero’s adventures.

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23
Q

Erik the red

A

The Norseman associated with the exploration of North America.

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24
Q

Ethnogenesis

A

The process by which a cultural group of people explains their origins as related to a common ancestor, often known as a founding father.

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25
Q

Ethnologue

A

The world’s most comprehensive catalog of languages.

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26
Q

Fairy tale

A

A story that takes place “long ago and far away,” usually involves royalty, and contains a conflict between good and evil in which good triumphs.

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27
Q

Folk tales

A

A simpler story that is regional in nature. The characteristics of folk heroes are exaggerated as are their deeds.

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28
Q

Folklore

A

A term that encompasses a culture’s oral traditions.

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29
Q

Folktale

A

A story that reflects the culture from which it comes, and contains common, universal themes; this story does not have an identifiable author, but was passed down orally, then put into written form.

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30
Q

Founding myth

A

A myth that explains the beginnings of a city.

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31
Q

Hero

A

In literature, a person marked for greatness with exceptional qualities like bravery. The hero has often been given special powers or skills.

31
Q

Historic linguists

A

Linguists that specialize in tracing languages back to their common ancestor language.

31
Q

Heros journey

A

The quest a hero must take. It is circular in nature, and he begins and ends his journey in his own world. There are twelve distinct stages.

32
Q

Historical astrologers

A

Study the astrological myths of ancient civilizations and then use them to identify when specific celestial events will next occur.

33
Q

Jung Carl

A

Psychiatrist who believed that humans possess a universal collective unconscious revealed in the commonalities, or similarities, of our myths.

34
Q

Kennings

A

Anglo-Saxon literary technique that uses a compound word to describe something figuratively. An example would be the term battle-sweat in place of blood.

35
Q

Langue

A

Underlying structures in plot.

36
Q

Legend

A

A story about a human being that may be based in truth; a narrative that describes the actions of a person and usually teaches a lesson.

37
Q

Lost cities

A

Cities of myth and legend that are searched for based on the belief that they really existed.

38
Q

Mediators

A

A character that acts as a go-between for gods and humans.

39
Q

Monomyth

A

The universal hero myth that speaks to humankind.

40
Q

Monotheism

A

The worship of one god who is usually omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.

41
Q

Morality tale

A

A type of folktale whose purpose is to caution the reader about dangerous situations, or to teach the reader about a cultural taboo.

42
Q

Myth

A

A story shared by a group of people that is part of the cultural identity of the group.

43
Q

Mythemes

A

The pieces that make up a plot. They can be ‘packaged’ in different ways but are essentially the same. For example, a hero slaying a beast could be portrayed in many ways.

44
Q

Mythology

A

The collection of such stories that form a system based in a particular culture or society.

45
Q

Narrative

A

A story told from the perspective of the main character.

46
Q

Nature myths

A

Stories that seek to explain natural phenomena that occur.

47
Q

Old wives tales

A

A type of superstition passed on by word of mouth and thought to impart wisdom.

48
Q

Pagan myths

A

Stories of the interactions between humans and deities.

49
Q

Pantheon

A

All the gods of a specific religion.

50
Q

Polytheism

A

The worship of more than one god.

51
Q

Predetermined fate

A

The belief that a person’s fate or course is laid out for them before birth and they cannot alter it.

52
Q

Primitive myths

A

Explanations of things in nature, such as volcanoes and lightning.

53
Q

Prose edda

A

Old Norse collection of poetry containing many mythological stories.

54
Q

Pyre

A

A pile of combustibles for burning a corpse as a funeral rite.

55
Q

Sacred myths

A

The main Eastern and Western religions: Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam.

56
Q

Sacrifice

A

The offering of food, objects, or lives as an act of worship.

57
Q

Scientific myths

A

Scientific hypotheses. The theory that the world was flat was once a scientific myth.

58
Q

Shapeshifting

A

A mythical figure that has the ability to change forms. For example, from god to animal.

59
Q

Superstitions

A

The belief that a specific unrelated act or behavior can influence an unrelated circumstance.

60
Q

Tablets of destinies

A

In Mesopotamian culture, the possessor of the tablets became the head deity.

61
Q

Theogenic myth

A

A story that attempts to explain the relationships between gods and creatures in a system of mythology.

62
Q

Theogony

A

A poem written by Hesiod that describes the origin of the Greek gods.

63
Q

Totems

A

An emblem that represents the origin of a clan or family. It is often representative of an animal.

64
Q

Ullamaliztli

A

A sacred ball game played by the Aztec that symbolized a battle between their sun god and their moon god.

65
Q

Urban legends

A

A story told as if true that often acts as a precautionary tale.

66
Q

Valhalla

A

The Norse hall that housed the souls of those who had died in battle.

67
Q

Valkyries

A

Warrior goddesses in Norse legend.

68
Q

Volger christopher

A

Expanded on Campbell’s idea of a monomyth. He identified seven common archetypes and twelve distinct stages in the hero’s journey.

69
Q

Vile vortices

A

Twelve geographic areas thought to have mysterious qualities, such as the Bermuda Triangle.

69
Q

Warrior

A

A literary archetype who protects and defends against all enemies.

70
Q

Western zodiac

A

Twelve symbols that make a celestial coordinate system, or stat map. Each represents a Greek legend.

71
Q

Wheel of time

A

Also known as the Kalachakra; it is a sacred keeper of time in Buddhist legend. It is said to be guarded in the mythological city of Shambhala.

72
Q

World tree

A

A universal mythological symbol. It often represents life and connects spiritual realms to the Earth.

Mythology & Folklore (1 decks)

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