Introduction To Mythology PDF

INTRODUCTION TO MYTHOLOGY Mythology and Folklore​ Topics Myths defined Types of Myth Sources of Mythology and Folklore The Great Themes of Myth Creation The Mythologies of the World Theories Related to the Study of Mythology Some Interesting Characters from Mythology...

INTRODUCTION TO MYTHOLOGY Mythology and Folklore​ Topics Myths defined Types of Myth Sources of Mythology and Folklore The Great Themes of Myth Creation The Mythologies of the World Theories Related to the Study of Mythology Some Interesting Characters from Mythology 2 Myths  Mythology came from the Greek Mythology words mythos (story-of-people) and logos (word or speech, so the spoken story of a people) the study and interpretation of often sacred tales or fable of a culture known as myths or the collection of such stories which deal with various aspects of the human condition: good and evil 4  Myth a (1) a story (2) that is usually of unknown origin and (3) at least partially traditional (4) that ostensibly relates historical events usually of such descriptions as (5) to serve to explain some particular events, institution, or natural  are certain products of the Myths further imagination of a people which take the form of stories. explained stories about gods, other supernatural beings, or heroes of a long past time provides a basis for moral boundaries and establish the basic guidelines for the way people within a society live 6  Fairy Tale: Concepts a make-believe story about fairies, wizards, giants, or associated other characters who possess magical or unusual with Myths powers Folklore traditions, customs, and stories of one culture or group of people Mythology a group of myths from a single group or culture 7  Who started mythology? Presentation title 8  The earliest known versions of myths date back more than 2,700 years, appearing in written form in the works of the Greek poets Homer and Hesiod. Presentation title 9  Around 700 BC, the poet Hesiod’s Theogony offered the first written version of Greek Mythology. Presentation title 10  Types of Myth Presentation title 11  PURE MYTH/TRUE MYTH Norse Myth of Yggdrasil: The World Tree that connects the explain natural nine worlds, including Asgard phenomena, the origins (home of the gods) and of the world, the gods, Midgard (Earth) or cultural customs, oftenMyth Egyptian without of Raaand the Sun:historical The story basis of Ra, the sun Greek Myth of Creation: The god, who travels across the sky myth where Chaos gives birth to during the day, and through the Gaia (Earth), Uranus (Sky), and underworld at night, fighting off the Titans, and eventually, ZEUS chaos to ensure the sun rises and the Olympians  PURE MYTH/TRUE MYTH These myths serve to explain the world and its mysteries, offering a spiritual or symbolic understanding Japanese Myth of rather than literal or historical one. Amaterasu: The tale of the sun goddess Amaterasu, who hides in a cave, plunging the world into darkness, until she is lured out by other gods, restoring light to the world. 13 Saga/Legends Saga myths and They are typically rooted in the legends are narrative culture’s history and folklore. stories that often blend historical events or figures with fictional elements, sometimes involving supernatural occurrences 14 Saga/Legends Nibelungenlied (The Volsunga Saga: Song of the King Arthur and the narrates the history Nibelungs): A Knights of the Round of the Volsung Germanic epic saga Table: the legend of that tells the story of family, including King Arthur, Siegfried, his murder, the hero Sigurd Excalibur, Merlin, and and the revenge taken (Siegfried) and the by his widow, the Quest of the Holy cursed ring of the Kriemhild. Grail Nibelungs. 15  Folktale or Fairytale Myths of these species tend to be examples of primitive fiction told for pleasure and amusement supernatural characters (ghosts, elves, dwarfs demons) include elements of magic 16  Saga/Legends These sagas and legends often embody cultural values, heroic ideals, and are passed down through generations, sometimes evolving with each retelling The Legend of Gilgamesh: An Beowulf: An old ancient English epic poem Mesopotamian telling the story of Robinhood: The legend of King Beowulf, a hero legend of the outlaw Gilgamesh, who who battles the who “robbed from embarks on a quest monster Grendel, the rich to give to for immortality. Grendel’s mother, the poor”. and a dragon. 17 Fundamental Structure of Myths  Joseph Campbell In 1949, Joseph Campbell published his book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces which discusses his theory of the journey of the archetypal hero found in world mythologies. From then on, Campbell’s theory has been consciously applied by a wide variety of modern writers and artists such as George Lucas, who has acknowledged a debt to Campbell regarding the stories of Star Wars19 films. Campbell explores the MONOMYTH theory that important myths from around the world from antiquity all share a fundamental structure which he called monomyth 20 Campbell outlined the adventures of a hero: 1. Departure The call to adventure Monomyth Refusal of the call The crossing of the first threshold The belly of the whale – a stage in hero’s journey where the hero undergoes a transformative experience, often symbolized by being swallowed or descending into a dark, enclosed space. 21  Odysseus Jonah and the Whale The belly of Pinocchio the whale “The belly of the whale” this moment signifies the hero’s illustrated separation from their old self and the beginning of a transformation or rebirth. it is a metaphor for the hero entering the unknown or the unconscious, facing their fears, and confronting challenges that will ultimately lead to growth and change. 22 2. Initiation The road of trials The meeting with the goddess (the first test) Monomyth Woman as the temptress Atonements with the father Apostheosis (the point in hero’s journey where the hero achieves god-like status, ultimate realization, or transcendence. “the peak moment of empowerment”) The ultimate boon (achievement of goal) Presentation title 23 3. Return Monomyth Refusal of the return The magic flight Rescue from without The crossing of the return threshold Master of the two worlds Freedom to live Presentation title 24 Later in his life, Campbell acknowledged that all great mythologies and mythic storytelling of the world are from the male point of view. Joseph Campbell He said he had to go to fairytales to get women’s perspective. In the Odyssey, he pointed out the three journeys: (1) Telemachus going in quest of his father; (2) Odysseus becoming reconciled and related to the female principle in the sense of male-female relationship; and (3) Penelope enduring solitude and abiding in endless fidelity. Presentation title 25 Sources of Mythology Sources of Mythology Aesop’s Fables A Thousand and One Nights The Great Epics of the World The Panchatantra (a collection of fables used to educate Indian princes into becoming wise kings) The Poems of Hesiod (Theogony, Works and Days) Presentation title 27 The Great Themes of Myth The Great Themes of Myth Creation set the stage for A creator deity brings more particular into being the sun, myths supporting moon, and stars, seas social structures, and mountains, and so the relation of on, along with deities human beings to that personify them, then plant life, animals, the natural world, and humans that and questions of life populate the world. The Great Themes of Myth Universally, people Gods and Goddesses believed in ideal beings leading them. Such deities possess “An important role of human characteristics: mythology is to reinforce they have parents and offspring, and they and justify relations of belong to some social power and leadership.” grouping. Presentation title 30 The Great Themes of Myths HEROIC FIGURES heroes and heroines are semi- these are beings that a heroic divine beings figure confront and overcomes have superhuman powers they defy divine order both in through divine parentage their appearance and in their also acquired divinity through actions, such as attacking or their deeds as men and women capturing a human or divine on earth, with the help of a deity, by use of magic weapons, or victim acquisition of magic powers through ingenuity or trickery MONSTERS AND DEMONS 31 The Great Themes of Myths ANIMALS inevitably associations with burial prompt tales of gloom featured as wild creatures – and terror of the unknown predatory beasts or the a strong mythic duality: Earth elusive prey of hunters; or as swallows up the dead, but helpful beings tamed by equally produces food plants humans or as possessing and harbors mineral wealth. powers. may be the guise of a deity THE UNDERWORLD 32  The Great Themes of Myths Journeys, Quests, and Trials quests and journeys bring mythological figures into a some form of existence after number situations where they death can prove their strength take as many different forms in most myths, loyalty to the in mythologies as the culture dead initiates journeys to the from which they are drawn underworld to try to bring THE AFTERLIFE loved ones back to life 33  The Great Themes of Myths WORLDS DESTROYED Creation may be seen in myth as chance or something that occurred despite opposing forces; likewise an end to the world in its present form may be inevitable or threatened, whether by divine will, as result of attack by forces of evil, or in punishment for human misdeeds. 34 Theories Related to the Study of Mythology  ANCIENT THEORIES Rationalism According to this For example, in the myth of Pegasus, the theory, myths flying horse can best be explained by represent an early imagining the reaction of the first Greek to form of logical see a horse. Compared to other animals thinking; they all, have they know, the horse must have seemed to a logical base. fly as it gallops fast and leap over high obstacles.  ANCIENT THEORIES Etymological Theory This theory states that Sources of most mythological characters all myths derive from have their origins from the languages of the and can be traced world. Hades, for example, originally meant back to certain words unseen but came eventually to be the name in the language. for the god of the dead.  ANCIENT THEORIES Allegorical Theory In the allegorical explanation, all myths Example: contain hidden meanings the story of King Midas and his which the narrative golden touch deliberately conceals or encodes.  ANCIENT THEORIES Euhemerism This is a theory that suggests that the gods and mythological figures of The theory is named after ancient religions were originally real Euhemerus, a Greek historical figures, such as kings, mythographer from the late warriors, or other notable individuals 4ᵗʰ century BCE, who whose deeds were exaggerated over proposed this idea. time to the point of being regarded as divine or semi-divine beings.  MODERN THEORIES Naturalism This approach suggests that myths were In other words, it is the created by early humans as a way to interpretation of myths explain and personify the natural world as symbolic around them, such as the cycles of the representations of seasons, weather patterns, celestial natural phenomena, movements, and other observable events forces, or processes. in nature.  Key Aspects of Naturalism in Mythology Personification of Natural Explanation of Natural Forces Events Rituals and Seasonal For instance, the death and rebirth of Changes gods in various myths might be seen as metaphors for the cycle of life, death, and renewal in nature. Myth as Allegory 41  MODERN THEORIES Ritualism According to this theory, all Diffusionism myths are invented to The diffusionists maintain accompany and explain that all myths arose from a religious ritual; they describe few major cultural centers the significant events which and spread throughout the have resulted in particular world. ceremony.  MODERN THEORIES Freudianism When Sigmund Freud, the founder of modern Evolutionism psychology, interpreted the dreams of his Myth making patients, he found great similarities between occurs at a certain them and the ancient myths. Freud believes stage of the human that certain infantile are repressed. mind. Sometimes these feelings emerge into consciousness under various disguises, one of which is the myth. Thank you