Indigenous Folklore and Mythology

Indigenous Perspectives

• Turtle Island was created by a woman pouring water on a shell, forming lakes and rivers.
• Sky Woman fell through a hole in the sky with rain, similar to Mother Mary's Immaculate Conception.
• Qalupalik is an ocean creator who grabs children, emphasizing the importance of water safety.

Stories and Legends

• Hutash refers to humans who transformed into dolphins.
• Glooscap is a shape shifter that tricks people by changing form.

Prayer and Worship

• The Dominican Rosary consists of the Our Father, then Glory Be, followed by 10 Hail Marys, repeated five times.
• The Rosary originated from Hindu meditation practices and was modified by Saint Dominic after a vision from Mary.
• There are two categories of prayer: Thanksgiving and Lamentation.
• Types of prayer include Adoration, Intercession, Petition, Blessing, and Thanksgiving.

Biblical Context

• The Bible is derived from the Greek "Ta Biblia," guiding people through God's word.
• Biblical citations are formatted as Book Chapter: Verse.
• The Testament refers to an agreement, with the Old Testament condemning sinners and the New Testament offering salvation for all.
• There are 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament.
• CE stands for Common Era, while BCE stands for Before the Common Era.
• BC stands for Before Christ, and AD stands for After the death and resurrection of Christ.

The Pentateuch

• The Pentateuch consists of Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Leviticus.
• Genesis' theme is the creation of the Earth.
• Exodus' theme is the exodus from Egyptian slavery, the parting of the Red Sea, and the reception of the 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai.
• The theme of Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Leviticus is laws.

Interpretation and Meaning

• Literalist approach emphasizes the word-for-word meaning of a text.
• Contextualist approach considers the cultural context of the society in which the text was written.

Christian Concepts

• Gospel means Good News.
• Synoptic refers to the similar stories in Mark, Matthew, and Luke (excluding John).
• The term Christ means Anointed one.
• The term Emmanuel means God is with us.
• The Paschal Mystery encompasses the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus.
• Resurrection refers to rebirth, as Jesus rose from the dead.
• Disciples are students who learn from Jesus, while apostles are followers who preach to others after Jesus' resurrection.
• Transubstantiation is the change in form, such as the transformation of water and wine into the body and blood of Jesus.
• Transfiguration refers to the transformation of Jesus.
• Covenant represents a sacred agreement.