Post by Ron Weasley on Jun 19, 2004 15:49:43 GMT -5
*you walk into the classroom and sit down at a desk next to your best friend and turn to the front where your teacher is starting class*
hello and welcome to your first class of mythology..
there are many many different kinds of mythology such as roman and greek and egyptian as well as some dating back to indians and mezoamerican nations like the aztecs.. we will be starting with one of my favorite, the Greek mythology... before we get into the actual myths, i am going to just clue you into the background of the greeks...
Greek Myths are all that’s left of the ancient Greek religion. About 1200 b.c.e., the residents of, what we would call, Greece and Asia Minor shared a common belief in a group of deities that came to be known as The Olympians.
The distillation of the various regional beliefs into a coherent central religion was probably not as tidy and uniform as we would prefer, but it’s fair say that the stories of the Olympians survived because they had the largest number of followers and, most importantly, The Olympians did not forbid or punish the pursuit of knowledge. Beauty, poetry and creative activities are the blessings of The Immortals and are a vital part of the Greek tradition.
The Olympians are descended from the primal, self created gods, begining with Kaos. The Olympians are ruled by Zeus. Zues or Jupiter is known as the king of the gods. He is the strongest and, as you will see, without him, the other Olympians would still be held captive inside their devious father, Kronos. There are 12 gods and goddesses that live on mount olympus. The Olympians are only a small part of the family of Immortals that rule the earth and sky. The various rivers, mountains and forces of nature are the ’bodies’ of the Immortals and proper respect must always be shown if you wish to have peace at home and safe passage when you travel.
The oldest myths can be traced to three main sources: Homer, Hesiod and The Homeric Hymns, circa 800 b.c.e. That means that by the time they were written down, these works had survived 400 years of additions, subtractions and mutations to finally become the versions we now call ’authentic’. The Greek Myths are our window into the distant past, a view of a world that existed not only in the mind of the Greek poets but in the hearts of the humble and long suffering natives of ancient Greece.
here are 5 questions to answer for home werk.. and for extra credit.. list 12 gods that you believe should reside on mount olympus
1. Who is king of the gods?
2. What immortals are there other then the gods?
3. What are the three main sources that the oldest myths can be traced to?
4. What are the blessings of the immortals?
5. Why did the stories of the olympians survive?
hello and welcome to your first class of mythology..
there are many many different kinds of mythology such as roman and greek and egyptian as well as some dating back to indians and mezoamerican nations like the aztecs.. we will be starting with one of my favorite, the Greek mythology... before we get into the actual myths, i am going to just clue you into the background of the greeks...
Greek Myths are all that’s left of the ancient Greek religion. About 1200 b.c.e., the residents of, what we would call, Greece and Asia Minor shared a common belief in a group of deities that came to be known as The Olympians.
The distillation of the various regional beliefs into a coherent central religion was probably not as tidy and uniform as we would prefer, but it’s fair say that the stories of the Olympians survived because they had the largest number of followers and, most importantly, The Olympians did not forbid or punish the pursuit of knowledge. Beauty, poetry and creative activities are the blessings of The Immortals and are a vital part of the Greek tradition.
The Olympians are descended from the primal, self created gods, begining with Kaos. The Olympians are ruled by Zeus. Zues or Jupiter is known as the king of the gods. He is the strongest and, as you will see, without him, the other Olympians would still be held captive inside their devious father, Kronos. There are 12 gods and goddesses that live on mount olympus. The Olympians are only a small part of the family of Immortals that rule the earth and sky. The various rivers, mountains and forces of nature are the ’bodies’ of the Immortals and proper respect must always be shown if you wish to have peace at home and safe passage when you travel.
The oldest myths can be traced to three main sources: Homer, Hesiod and The Homeric Hymns, circa 800 b.c.e. That means that by the time they were written down, these works had survived 400 years of additions, subtractions and mutations to finally become the versions we now call ’authentic’. The Greek Myths are our window into the distant past, a view of a world that existed not only in the mind of the Greek poets but in the hearts of the humble and long suffering natives of ancient Greece.
here are 5 questions to answer for home werk.. and for extra credit.. list 12 gods that you believe should reside on mount olympus
1. Who is king of the gods?
2. What immortals are there other then the gods?
3. What are the three main sources that the oldest myths can be traced to?
4. What are the blessings of the immortals?
5. Why did the stories of the olympians survive?