Mythology, Epic, and Epic

Hero

Mr. Pettine

English 9

7 August 2015

Legend

• A traditional story sometimes popularly

regarded as historical, but

unauthenticated.

Folktale

• A tale circulated by word of mouth among

the common folk.

Fairy Tale

• A children’s story about magical and

imaginary beings and lands.

Myths

• Myths are stories which are usually religious in nature.

• They often include gods and other supernatural beings, and sometimes attempt to explain natural forces.

• Often, myths were passed by word of mouth.

• Myths often explain underlying biases and emphases of a culture.

Purposes of Myths

• Most cultures have myths that explain natural phenomena:

Seasonal Changes

Fire

Lightning

Drought

Floods

Death

Purposes of Myths

• Teach moral lessons

• Explain History

• Express the deepest fears and hopes of human race

• Explain national origin – Example: The Trojan Aeneas is purported to be the founder of the Roman people. Brute of Troy was the mythical first king of Britain. The myths gave legitimacy and “ancient history” to the new nations.

Purposes of Myths

• Some myths describe

rivalry among the

gods. They also

describe the

consequences of

disobeying higher

powers.

Mythic Characters

• In some myths, the characters have notable characteristics. For example, in Native American myths, the Coyote is often a “trickster” type who causes trouble.

• Some myths feature horrible animals and monsters with terrifying strength. Example: Theseus and the Minotaur

Comparison with Epic

• Myth – A myth is a fictional tale that

describes the actions of gods and heroes

or explains the causes of natural

phenomenon. Unlike legends, myths

emphasize supernatural rather than

historical elements. While most cultures

have myths, the most famous are those of

Greece and Rome.

Comparison with Epic

• An epic is a long narrative poem about the

deeds of gods or heroes. An epic is

elevated in style and usually follows

certain patterns. The poet begins by

announcing the subject and asking a muse

– one of the goddesses of the arts – for

help. This is called the invocation

Epics

• Sumerian: Epic of Gilgamesh

• Greek: Illiad and Odyssey (Homer)

• Roman: The Aeneid (Virgil)

• Early Medieval: Beowulf

• Medieval / Christian: Divine Comedy (Dante)

EPIC HERO

• An epic hero is the larger-than-life central

character in an epic. Through behavior

and deeds, the epic hero displays qualities

that are valued by the society in which the

epic originated.

Assignment

• Turn to page 757.

• Listen as I read the seventeen lines of the introduction.

• Paying close attention to lines 1-9, what are some of the conventions of the epic and epic hero which are seen. Write them down in your notebook.

The Greek Gods

• The Ancient Greeks were polytheists. They believed in many gods – some of them personified, some of them spiritualized.

• Polytheism is opposed to monotheism (belief in one god – Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Zoroastrianism)

• The Greeks and Romans tended to be syncretistic. They accepted new gods into their “pantheon” of gods as they met new cultures. EXAMPLE: Romans accepted Greek gods and elevated them. They simply changed their names.

• Their religion gave them a history, a calendar, and a tradition. By 4th century BC, a rationalized pantheon (continued public belief, private doubt and trust in philosophical endeavors)

The gods of Mt. Olympus

• Quick recap of how the gods became the gods: The origin myths of the Greeks come from Hesiod, a poet working around the same time as Homer (800-750 BC)

• His stories in Works and Days and Theogony describe the creation of the world by a male sky god and female earth god. They are overthrown by their children, the Titans. The Titans are cruel, unnaturally large gods who roam the earth.

• The head Titan is Kronos (or Chronos). Kronos hears a prophecy that one of his children will overthrow him…

Cronos

• So…he does the natural thing and eats his

children.

• Rhea, his wife, hides one child – Zeus.

• Zeus grows up and either through a medical or

surgical procedure, forces Cronos to vomit up

his brothers and sisters.

• Zeus and his newly free siblings defeat the

Titans (Titanomachy) and imprison the Titans in

Hades.

Important Gods in the Odyssey

• Athena

• Zeus

• Poseidon

Journal

• Explain the difference between a legend,

folktale, fairy tale, epic, and myth. Give an

example of each. I will check these as you

leave.