Introduction to Mythology Heroes, Gods, and Monsters of the Greek MythsMYTHOLOGY is a body of myths describing the Gods of the people, demigods and legendary human beings in stories which involve supernatural elements.Myths are stories about supernatural beings, in early times handed down orally from one generation to another Myths attempt to Explain such ideas asNature Where did earth come from?Man .. Where did man come from?Gods.. How many? Role of gods?MythologyA usually traditional story of events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon . Myths often involve divine, supernatural, and/or heroic characters.MythologyA collection of stories about a set of gods, based upon oral tradition, as told and recorded by the ancient Greeks Myths served as entertainment, a sense of national/regional pride, and religious education The purpose of the myth is to explain matters in the science of a prescientific age. EVOLUTION of MYTHS .EUHEMERUS (300 B.C.) Believed that the ancient Gods were pattered after heroes who actually lived at one time.PHILOLOGISTS People who study the growth of language. This study claims that man repeating things their ancestors said, understood them in a different sense and because of that, misunderstanding created myths.ANTHROPOLOGISTS People who study the history of the human race. They tried to explain the cause of natural phenomenon.Emile Durheim French sociologist Explained that myths came from society as a whole. He believed that people got so excited during their tribal festivities that they thought that a great power came to them from an object in their camp. SOURCES of MYTHOLOGYGreek and Roman mythologyThe Romans had no system of mythology of their own. They adopted the mythology of the Greeks, but changed the name of the Gods. The Romans and Greeks had not only the same Gods, but the same demigods.NORSE MYTHS came from Scandinavian countries. In here, the ruler of the heavens and earth is ODIN. FREYA corresponds to APHRODITE, Greek goddess of love, THOR to MARS. The home of the Gods was the great Hall of Valhalla in Odins Palace. Odins maiden messenger, the Valkyries, brought the souls of heroes slain in battle to live forever in honor and glory in the hall of Valhalla.GERMAN MYTHSThe names of ditties in German myths differ only slightly from those of the Norse. Odin becomes Wotan, Sigurd and Brynhild become Siegfried and Brunhilde as in the Wagnerian Operas.TYPES of MYTH STORIESPOURQUOI why storiesEx. Why the Sunflower turns to the Sun Why the Woodpecker Has a Red HeadWhy Archne Was Changed into a SpiderALLEGORY Symbolic story An acceptable story for children is the story of King Midas who wanted everything that he touched would turn into gold.A type of myth story deals with the ways of the gods with other Gods and with men. This is a complex type of story and is not suitable for young children.The ClassicistsGreek mythology existed for hundreds of years before these stories were ever recorded with written words.The scholars/poets who recorded the myths are known as classicists.The major classicists of Greek Mythology include Virgil, Homer, and Ovid.The Importance of MythsMyths were critical to the ancient GreeksThese stories touched all aspects of Greek life, including art, music, architecture, military endeavors, religion, and education.Greek myths and sunlight are represented by moral quality. Heroes are set in sunlight, monsters belong to the darkness.Categories of MythsMyths of creation: these explain the beginning of time, space, and manMyths of explanation: these explain the great questions of the universeMyths of morality: these teach lessons and reinforce cultural moralityWhy Study Mythology?Greek myths are the foundations for the arts as we know them, including movies, television, commercial products, sports, music, and comic books.A knowledge of Greek mythology enhances a persons ability to understand and appreciate the world as a whole.Mythology: A Brief TimelineThe beginning: according to popular belief Uranus was the First One, and he created the universe. Uranus created and married Gaia, otherwise known as Mother Earth. They lived on Mt. Olympus Uranus and Gaia had many children: Some were human-like giants, called the Titans Some were hideous, disfigured monsters The Titans lived for many years under Uranuss cruel reign Uranuss most powerful son would soon challenge his rule. Cronus killed his cruel father and assumed his role as king of the Titans. Before Uranus died, he predicted that Cronus would be killed by one of his sons, just as he had been. What is the logical solution to this problem? Because he feared his sons, Cronus ate his first two sons whole Fed up with his baby-gobbling, Rhea gave birth to her third son in secret Rhea dressed a boulder up as a baby and Cronus ate the rock unknowingly Zeus was sent as an infant to be raised in secret by human shephards Cronus married his sister, Rhea, and had:-Three daughters: Hestia(goddess of earth) , Demeter(fertility), Hera-Three sons: Posiedon, Hades, and Zeus These offspring were considered Titans, but would later become the gods and goddesses of Greek Mythology Zeus returned to Mt. Olympus as a young man and poisoned Cronus Cronus vomited up brothers Poseidon and Hades Zeus was celebrated as a hero An epic battle ensues between Cronus and his sons for the right to rule Mt. Olympus and the universe.The Great Battle! Cronus is assisted in battle by his Titan brothers Zeus and his brothers are assisted by the monsters Cronus had abused and tortured for years in captivity. These monsters included the Cyclopes (3) and the Hundred-Handed Ones (3)Mythology and Classic Art The Battle Between the Gods and the Titans by Wtewael Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Cronus is Defeated! The three sons roll dice to divide Cronus kingdom Zeus wins, and chooses the empty sky. Poseidon secretly wanted the sea. Hades is left to bitterly receive leftovers In the underworld.Enter the Gods Magically and mysteriously, the children of Cronus become immortal, and become gods and goddesses. Mythology offers no explanation for this important transformation! The twelve main gods and goddesses are known as the Pantheon.The Pantheon There are many gods, goddesses, demi-gods (half-gods) and supernatural beings in Greek Mythology. The twelve main gods and goddesses are known as the Pantheon.ZeusZeus: King of the gods, ruler of Mt. Olympus Also god of lightning Was a powerful and aggressive ruler Struck Earth with lightning bolt when upset Waged constant war with wife and sisterHera Cheated on wife countless times, and had numerous children with mortals, gods, and other creaturesZeus Was a master of disguise, which aided him in his philandering Was a complex character: capable of unspeakable acts of immorality and occasional acts of mercyHeraHERA Queen of immortals, goddess of marriage and childbirth Unhappy wife of Zeus Disapproved of Zeus constant cheating Held grudges against Zeus children Often punished Zeus with childish pranks and vengeful schemesAthenaAthena Goddess of wisdom and warfare, mistress of strategy Taught men how to use an ax, plough, wheel, sail. Taught women how to spin and weave (Arachne story...) Mother was Metis, a Titaness Zeus became paranoid that his child would harm him, so he eats her whole. Zeus developed a splitting headache Hephaestus split his head open with a chisel, andThe Rebirth of Athena Athena jumped out of Zeus skull, full-grown and wearing battle armor. One of the most popular and respected immortals Athens, Greece is named for herPoseidonPoseidon God of water Never had children with sea nymph-Thetis because any son of Thetis would be greater than Poseiden Thetis had a son from Peleus whose name was Achilles therefore the prophecy came true. Difficult, quarrelsome, greedy, liked jokes Thought up creature...octopus, squid, jellyfish, swordfish, dolphin, etc. Was trying to perfect the horse for Demeter and that is why we have the camel, hippo, giraffe, donkey, and zebra Ruled over seas, oceans, rivers and all the sea creatures Did not live in the lost city of Atlantis Invented many of the fish and sea monsters of mythology Created the horse for Demeter (*)HadesHADES God of the Underworld Greeks buried their dead with a coin so that when they entered "Hades" they could pay the fare on their way to the river Styx Cerberus- 3 headed dog that guarded the gate 3 judges awaited the dead - Minos, Rhadamanthys and Aeacus. > if judges were displeased - bad punishments > if judges were pleased - Elysian Fields Palace grounds were called Erebus- deepest part of the underworld Hades Lived with his kidnapped wife, Persephone The Eumenides or the " kindly ones" would wander the earth in search of evil-doers and ones that escaped punishment and their attention persuaded people to suicideDemeterDemeter Goddess of the cornfield, mistress of planting and growing things One of Zeus favorite females (also sister) Had a daughter named Persephone Demeter's daughter Persephone was kidnapped by Hades Responsible for the winter and summer seasons, since Persephone ate the 6 pomegranate seeds, she will have to stay in the underworld with Hades for 6 months, and nothing will grow on earth because Demeter will mourn.ArtemisArtemis Born of Zeus and Leto (a nymph) Zeus granted her whatever she wanted: remain a maiden, many names, silver bow and arrow, deerskin tunic, 50 ocean nymphs, 20 wood nymphs, hounds, mountains, and one city Was Zeus favorite daughter Went by Goddess of the Moon, Maiden of the Silver Bow, Lady of the Wild Things, Huntress, MaidenApolloApollo God of the sun, patron of music, math, medicine and poetry. Preached moderation Artemis twin brother Hunted python who hunted his mother Showed no mercy against the musician Marsyas ( unfair competition)The Flaying of MarsyasHermesHermes Precocious Stole Apollo's cattle and named himself the 12th god Taught Apollo to play the lyre and traded Apollo pipes for his herdsman's golden staff Apollo took Hermes to meet Zeus Hermes became Zeus's messenger and known as the patron of liars, thieves, and gamblers, God of Commerce, framer of treaties, guardian of travelers, took newly dead to Tartarus Invented the alphabet, scales, playing cards and card games Told Zeus to disguise himself and join in on many adventures of the mortals Hermes Messenger god, god of gambling, theivery and trickery Has a sketchy creation: Zeus child with a nymph Zeus child with a goddess (unnamed) Son of two enchanted mortals*Oral tradition is contributed to the many different creations of HermesHephaestusHephaestus Son of Zeus and Hera Was born ugly and fitful Hera kicked him from Mt. Olympus Was reinstated by Hera for his masterful skill of jewelry-making Hera gave him Cyclops for helpers and Aphrodite for a bride Hephaestus Strikes Gold Married to Aphrodite, the most beautiful of all goddesses Had no children with his wife Endured Aphrodites many affairs and constant flirtations Was emotionally scarred by Aphrodites affair with Ares, the god of warAphrodite Goddess of love and beauty, desire Never distracted from her duties Born out of primal murder - when Cronus killed his father Oranus/Uranus a body floated up from the foam and taken to Olympus Hera wanted her married immediately, Aphrodite chose Hephaestus because he worked late ( though she planned to meet her other suitors) Aphrodites Creation Version #1: Aphrodite was the son of Zeus and a Dione Version #2: Aphrodite was born of Zeus and the daughter of one of his arch enemiesBut both of these stories are less-than-accurate twists on the real versionAphrodite Discovered by fishermen and taken to Mt. Olympus as a gift to Zeus Hera, fearing a relationship between Zeus and Aphrodite, insisted that she marry Hephaestus, her ugliest child Aphrodite serves as a constant temptation for gods and mortals alike. Her name literally means from the foamThe Real Creation of Aphrodite Aphrodite was born from the death of Uranus Cronus castrated his father before death, and threw the part into the ocean From the bubbling, boiling, bloody foam, Aphrodite appeared She was accompanied at birth by sea nymphs and doves Often depicted as having hatched from a seashellAresAres God of warfare Was violent, aggressive, and unlikeable Was Hera and Zeuss most despised son Had an awkward love affair with Aphrodite Was actually a coward (traitor) Was feared, but not respected by Greeks

Roman MythologyThe Origin of the MilkyIn The Origin of the Milky Way (1575-1580; National Gallery, London, England) by Italian artist Tintoretto, the Roman god Jupiter places his infant son Hercules on the goddess Junos breast. According to legend, Junos milk spilled up while feeding the boy, and the Milky Way was formed. In Roman mythology, Juno was the queen of the gods.The Romans based their religion on Greek MythologyThey were also polytheisticMany of the gods/goddesses were the same, but the Romans changed their namesThe gods explained human qualities and life eventsThe Roman GodsJupiterGod of light and skySupreme ruler of the godsJUPITER Jupiter was the king of the gods. He was responsible for law and order. He was the father of Mars. He often carried a thunderbolt in his hand.JunoQueen of the GodsApolloGod of music, light and healingDianaGoddess of fertility and huntDIANA Diana was the goddess of hunting and the moon. She was Apollos twin sister. She usually carried a bow and arrow.MinervaGoddess of WisdomVenusGoddess of love and beautyVENUS She was Jupiters daughter. She was famous for seducing other gods, like Mars or Vulcan. Her symbol was an apple.MARS Mars was the god of war. He was one of Romes most popular gods. He usually carried a shield and a spear and he wore a helmet.MERCURY Mercury was the messenger of the gods. He had wings on his sandals and carried a staff with two snakes around it.NEPTUNE Neptune was the god of the sea. His symbol was a trident, which he used to control the seas. He was responsible for all the creatures in the sea.

Norse Gods and Goddesses Asgard heaven Midgard Earth Yggdrasil World Tree Odin/ Woden/ Wotan Chief of the gods Father of Thor, Balder, and other gods Odin pierces himself with a spear and hangs on Yggdrasil for 9 days and nights to learn the secret knowledge of runes Has one eye because he traded it for a drink from the spring of clairvoyance Valkyries and Valhalla Valkyries are female spirit warriors that ride the battlefields and find worthy slain warriors and takes them to Valhalla where they will train until Ragnarok. The northern lights are light shining off of their shields Valhalla is the Hall of the Slain. It exists in Asgard, home of the gods Thor/ Thunor God of thunder and lightning Mjolnir (the destroyer) an ax-hammer that can destroy giants and mountains in a single blow Has a chariot pulled by two goats. He can kill these goats and eat them and they will come back to life. Is constantly fighting the World Serpent Jormungand He is capable of drinking an ocean Balder The Beautiful and The Good Primarily known for his death and resurrection The favorite child Loki God of mischief and fire Trickster figure Unknown parentage Responsible for Balders death and punished by having snake venom drip on his forehead Jormungand, Hel, and Fenrir are his children Will begin Ragnorak Bragi God of poetry and eloquence Loki calls him Braggart and the verb to brag comes from his name. Married to Idun Idun Goddess of immortality Keeps the golden apples of youth Major story deals with a giant who, with Lokis help, stole the apples, causing the gods to wither Freyr / Frey God of agriculture, fertility, and plenty Twin to Freyja (they are VERY close) Unlike the other gods, Freyr and Freyja are earth dieties Has a sword that can fight by itself The boar is his symbol Freyja Goddess of love and fertility Twin sister of Frey Slept with four dwarves to get a flaming necklace, which becomes her symbol of fertility Leader of the Valkyries She takes some of the dead warriors for herself Has a chariot drawn by cats Frigg / Frigga / Frea Mother Goddess Wife of Odin Weaves clouds She knows events in the present and future, but is powerless to change them Learning of her sons (Balder) death, she makes everything promise not to harm him except the mistletoe Tyr God of war and justice Precursor of Odin Boldest of the gods Lost his hand to Fenrir, Lokis wolf-son His symbol is the spear which has become a symbol of justice Heimdall World Brightener God of the dawn Great hearing (can hear grass grow) and eyesight Is the look out on Bifrost (the rainbow bridge to Asgard) Hod God of winter and darkness Blind Tricked by Loki into killing Balder Vali killed Hod in revenge for Balder Will return during Ragnarok Hel Daughter of Loki Giantess Goddess of death and the underworld Half black/ half white Her face and body are human but the legs are of a corpse Has two servants: Ganglati and Ganglot Spread the plague with a rake or a broom Hel / Helheim The underworld The road to Hel is an icy river (Gjoll) full of weapons Guarded by a large dog (Garm) and Modgud (an ugly goddess) Nothing can leave Hel, not even gods The wicked go here and the people who do not die a glorious death in battle A giant in the form of an eagle sits and flaps his wings, making a freezing wind. His name is Hraesvelg (corpse eater) Garm Garm guards the entrance to Hel Has four eyes and a bloody chest Could be appeased with cake as long as they gave the poor bread in life Will join the giants in Ragnorak