Theories
of
Myth
Interpretation
- Key Names & Terms:
rationalism, Xenophanes, Theagenes, Hecataeus, Plato, Euhemerus,
allegory, symbolism, etymology, euhemerism, Neoplatonism, Sr. James
Frazer, ritual theory of myth, Malinowski, charter theory of myth
- go
to Powell's web site (Ch 24): click
here (pay attention to the terms at the back of the
chapters)
Myths
of
the
Olympian
gods:
Zeus and Hera
- Key Names & Terms: Zeus,
aegis, xenia, Ganymede, Hera, Eileithyia, anthropomorphism, Qo-wi-ja,
animals/powers associated with them
- go
to Powell's web site (Ch 6): click
here (pay attention to the terms at the back of the
chapters)
Myths
of the Olympian gods:
The
Male Deities
- Key Names & Terms:
Poseidon, Hades, Apollo, Delphi, Delos, Pythia, Cassandra, Sibyl,
Daphne, Asclepius, Coronis, Hephaestus, Ares, Hermes, caduceus,
animals/powers associated with the deities
- go
to Powell's web site (Ch 7): click
here (pay attention to the terms at the back of the
chapters)
Myths of the Olympian
gods: Female Divinities:
- Powell,
Chapter 8:
- Key Names & Terms:
Hestia, Aphrodite, Cypris, Hermaphroditus, Priapus, Pygmalion, Myrrha,
Anchises, Artemis, Potnia Theron, Niobe, Orion, Actaeon, Athena, Arachne
- sample questions at
his web site: click
here
- Powell, Chapter 9:
- Key Names & Terms:
Demeter, Persephone, Kore, Eleusinian Mysteries, Inanna,
Dumuzi, Isis, Osiris, Cybele, Attis, Agdestis, Adonis
- sample questions at
his web site: click
here
Myths of the Female Divine, Leonard, Ch
3:
- The Fire Goddess (Hawaiian):
Pe-le, Lo-hi-au, Ho-po-e, Hi-i-aka
- White Buffalo Calf Woman
(Brule Siouz): Standing Horn, Ptesan-wi, White Buffalo Calf Woman
Possible Essay Question:
- The heroes in the Greek
legends we shall study will pursue
success,
fame, and glory. In many ways the divine myths which we have already
studied in this unit
(see above) can be looked upon as defining the ways an individual can
pursue
such success, fame, and glory. Discuss.
- Scholars of
Homer's works have noted that three pairs of opposites describes well
how
the Olympians deities relate to humans--the deities sometimes emphasize
their nearness to humans and sometimes emphasize how great a gulf
separates
humans from the deities; the deities are sometimes kind and sometimes
cruel
to humans; the deities sometimes act according to justice and sometimes
according to selfish "whims." Use these three pairs of opposites to
examine
the deities covered in this unit--Greek Olympian deities covered in
Powell, chapters 6-9, and the deities in the myths from Leonard, Ch
3. Make sure you
use material from at least 3 chapters in your discussion.
- From the
deities covered in the readings from Powell and Leonard in this unit,
determine which one you would want to be and which you would not want
to be. Make sure you:
- give reasons
based on the actual myths as presented in the chapters as opposed to
the discussions about the deities
- show
sufficient insight into the character
of the deities you choose (i.e. saying you want to be Zeus because you
would like to throw thunderbolts is not a sufficient reason!)