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Unit 4: Greek Mythology. The Power of Myths. Map of Ancient Greece. The Olympians: The Main Greek Gods. Ancient Greek Society. Alexander the Great. What is the Purpose of the Myth? . 1 ) Meaning.
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Unit 4: Greek Mythology The Power of Myths
1) Meaning • Myths are a response to the human need and reassurance that everything in this universe has some kind of meaning. That it is not a blind, cold, and uncaring universe full of nothingness and randomness. • They are a way of explaining the origins of the universe, humankind, our cultures, our nature, and our ways of doing things. • One major method myths employ to do this is through anthropomorphism.
Anthropomorphism ascribing human form or attributes to a thing or natural event not human. (from Greek anthrōpos ‘human being’ + morphē ‘form’) • Peoples all over the world – both ancient and modern – anthropomorphize events in the natural world to bring greater understanding to things they may or may not understand on the Earth or in the Universe. • Anthropomorphisms occur when story tellers use human characters as metaphors for happenings on Earth and in the Universe. Many story-tellers know these stories as metaphors, used to create a greater understanding of real things. Yet many others believe that they are actually real and worship the characters as deities that have great power.
2) Relation & Connection • We can relate to Myths on a deep psychological level. War, love, death, struggle, pain, darkness, light, good, evil, injustice, and triumph are all major events and emotions that every human feels in the struggles of life. Myths and stories can help us work through our own anxieties. • Albert Einstein - "If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales."
3) Exaggeration • Myths are also simply a way of exaggerating real life events so that they sound way bigger and more interesting than they actually are.
4) Exploration • Myths allowed the Greeks and other peoples to explore taboo or awkward subjects safely at a distance. In this way, they could experience these things and learn their consequences, without making the mistakes themselves.
Reading: “What is a Myth?” BBD Terms • Complete the following in your Back Book Dictionary: • Immortal, god, Mortal, Constellation, Moral, Hubris, Ritual, Rite, Shortcoming, Vengeance Hades
Reading: “What is a Myth?” BBD Terms • Immortal: not mortal; not liable or subject to death; undying • god:one of several deities, especially a male deity, presiding over some portion of worldly affairs • Mortal: subject to death; having a transitory life • Constellation: any of various groups of stars to which definite names have been given • Moral:concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong
Reading: “What is a Myth?” BBD Terms • Hubris:excessive pride or self-confidence; arrogance. • Ritual:an established or prescribed procedure for a religious or other rite • Rite:a formal or ceremonial act or procedure prescribed or customary in religious or other solemn use • Shortcoming:a failure, defect, or deficiency in conduct, condition, thought, ability, etc. • Vengeance: infliction of injury, harm, humiliation, or the like, on a person by another who has been harmed by that person; violent revenge
Reading: “Greek Gods and Goddesses” BBD Terms • Complete the following in your Back Book Dictionary: • Crescent, Lame, Myrtle, Hearth, Reeds, Revelry, Ecstatic, Rapturous, Patron, Choral • Add two Mythical Figures to your packet Table Hephaestus
Reading: “Greek Gods and Goddesses” BBD Terms • Crescent:a shape resembling a segment of a ring tapering to points at the ends • Lame:crippled or physically disabled, especially in the foot or leg so as to limp or walk with difficulty • Myrtle:a shrub of southern Europe having evergreen leaves, fragrant white flowers, and aromatic berries: anciently held sacred to Venus and used as an emblem of love • Hearth:the floor of a fireplace, usually of stone, brick, etc., often extending a short distance into a room • Reeds:the straight stalk of any of various tall grasses growing in marshy places
Reading: “Greek Gods and Goddesses” BBD Terms • Revelry: boisterous festivity • Ecstatic: subject to or in a state of ecstasy • Rapturous: full of, feeling, or manifesting ecstatic joy or delight • Patron: (Roman History) the protector of a dependent or client, often the former master of a freed man still retaining certain rights over him • Choral: of a chorus; many making sound simultaneously
The Creation Story • Complete the fill-in-the-blanks on the next page • Create a pyramid/family tree diagram for the characters in the story
Reading: “The Story of Prometheus” BBD Terms • Complete the following in your Back Book Dictionary: • Rashness, Timidity, Crude, Benefactor, Ailment, Sacred, Bestowed, Forge, Fate, Destiny. Kratos
